A strategic mistake on the part of the West Bengal government may have led to the current impasse in Darjeeling hills.
According to the tripartite Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) agreement and the GTA Act, the report of the high-power committee for determination of territorial areas of the GTA headed by Justice (Retired) Shyamal Kumar Sen and the first elections to the GTA were not linked.
In fact, according to the GTA agreement and the GTA Act, the first elections to the GTA were to be based on the existing territories of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC). But the proactiveness of the state government in fast tracking the high-power committee report in early June has again sparked the fear of uncertainty in the Hills.
On June 6 and 7, 2011, the state government had held discussions with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leadership at the Writers’ Buildings where both sides had agreed on some broad parameters for the GTA agreement. After the two-day discussions, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had announced, “The Darjeeling problem is solved.”
On July 18, 2011, the tripartite GTA agreement was signed between the Centre, the state government and the GJM at Pintail Village near Siliguri. Subsequently, the state government had introduced the GTA Bill in the Assembly which was also passed. Later, it became an Act after the presidential assent. In the first week of March, 2012, the state administration held a meeting with West Bengal State Election Commission wherein along with other issues the delimitation process of the GTA constituencies was also discussed and it was decided at the officers’ level that the GTA elections will be held on May 27.
“Our strategy was that the GTA elections should be based on the existing territories as provided in the agreement and in the Act and after the high-power committee submitted its report, subsequent elections will be held for recommended additional mouzas,” an officer said.