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The Centre has appointed erstwhile Deputy National Security Adviser Pankaj Kumar Singh arsenic the interlocutor to clasp talks with Gurkha representatives to code their governmental demands, including the telephone for a abstracted State, officials said connected Friday.
Lieutenant-General Vijay Madan (retired), who was the past interlocutor to beryllium appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) successful 2009, had discontinue successful 2011.
The determination coming up of the West Bengal Assembly predetermination assumes significance, particularly with the ruling Trinamool Congress consistently opposed to the thought of bifurcation of the State.
Political parties successful the Darjeeling Hills person hailed the assignment of an interlocutor to clasp discussions connected the long-standing request of a imperishable governmental solution for the radical of the region.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista successful a societal media station said Pankaj Kumar Singh, IPS (retired), who served arsenic India’s Deputy National Security Adviser (Deputy NSA), had been appointed interlocutor by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to sermon issues concerning radical of the region.
“For the archetypal clip successful the past of our region, we person reached the signifier of appointing an interlocutor without immoderate bloodshed, governmental unrest, oregon the nonaccomplishment of a azygous life. For us, this signifies a singular triumph for the radical of Darjeeling Hills, Terai, and Dooars,” Mr. Bista said connected societal media.
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) led by Bimal Gurung, a governmental enactment that has been raising the request for instauration of a abstracted State of Gorkhaland for the past 2 decades, besides welcomed the development.
“A imperishable solution nether the Constitution of India for our portion is not lone captious for protecting the rights of the Gorkha community, but besides indispensable for the wide advancement and prosperity of the full portion and radical who unrecorded here,” a connection by Mr. Gurung said.
‘A historical step’
The GJM person thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for taking this affirmative measurement towards resolving the concerns of the radical from Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars region. Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), the governmental enactment that launched the question for Gorkhaland successful the 1980s, hailed the determination arsenic a historical step, reflecting the Indian government’s sensitivity, commitment, and conscionable attack towards resolving the Gorkha community’s issues.
“The assignment is seen arsenic a determination to foster an inclusive and consultative process, providing each stakeholders an accidental to contiguous their views, suggestions, and concerns constructively,” the GNLF said successful a statement.
The Trinamool Congress, which has opposed the thought of bifurcation of the State, however, described the determination arsenic a governmental gimmick. Darjeeling territory Trinamool legislature president (Hills), L.B. Rai said the determination was a governmental gimmick up of elections.
Earlier, successful April 2025, the Union Home Ministry had convened a tripartite gathering with Gorkha representatives successful New Delhi to code issues concerning the Gorkha community.
The request for instauration of a abstracted State of Gorkhaland has been the fulcrum of authorities successful the hills since the 1980s. In 2019, the BJP manifesto for Lok Sabha polls had referred to a phrase “permanent governmental solution” for the region. In 2024, the BJP manifesto, however, had nary notation of the phrase. The Darjeeling Hills person been electing BJP MPs and legislators who had the enactment of the saffron enactment for the past 2 decades.
New Interlocutor Mr. Singh, a 1988 batch retired Indian Police Service officer, has besides headed the Border Security Force arsenic its Director General till December 31, 2022. In 2023, helium was appointed Deputy NSA for 2 years.
On April 3, the MHA resumed dialog with Gorkha representatives aft a spread of much than 3 years to code the issues concerning the community.
In the gathering chaired by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, the delegation which included Mr. Bista, demanded a imperishable solution to the Gorkhaland (separate State for Gorkhas) contented and assistance of Scheduled Tribe (ST) presumption to 11 Gorkha sub-communities.
