Historic agreement

In less than three months in office, Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Bannerjee fulfilled the promise she had given to Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha at the time of assembly elections two months back by signing a tripartite Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) agreement. GJM (Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha), which broke away with GNLF of Subhash Ghising three years ago, got almost everything except the separate statehood of Gorkhaland. The three signatories to this agreement are the Central and the West Bengal Governments and GJM. The GJM has been given vast power like finance, development and others, but not the home. State and Central governments have given whatever was due to GJM to establish peace. People all over Darjeeling hill areas are very happy at the agreement. It will usher peace and development in three decades of the trouble-torn Darjeeling. The Centre will give Rs 200 crore very year for 3 years besides the West Bengal Government. A tripartite agreement has conferred wide ranging autonomy on the people of Darjeeling region in West Bengal.The signing of agreement with GJM in Darjeeling may open a Pandora’s box also as demand for separate statehood is rising in different parts of the country. The agreement of GTA also gives clear signal to the agitators in different corners of the country for separate statehood demand that it is difficult to be conceded by the Centre. The original demand of GNLF-led Subhash Ghising has been separate Gorkhaland since 1980, which was not feasible. Instead of that the Darjeeling Hill Council was formed but it did not work well. The signing of tripartite agreement at the initiative of Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee is a great success for her government and it has added a feather in her cap just in the beginning of her innings in West Bengal. Her clout with the Centre is very strong, reflecting in the presence of Home Minister P Chidambaram at the Pintail Village where the agreement was signed. The hill people are jubilant and especially the school, college and university going girls and boys are extremely happy at the agreement. Because during three decades of strike and Bandhs almost on daily basis had jeopardised their career. Now entire Darjeeling areas have got autonomy and they would develop in their own way.