Gurkha leaders reject talks offer

Gurkha leaders in Darjeeling hills have rejected the invitation from West Bengal chief minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee for peace talks to end the political instability there.

As the Gurkhas in Darjeeling hills and neighbouring areas intensify for a separate Gurkha state, the state government of West Bengal had invited the protesting leaders of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha for talks.

The state government had agreed to sit for talks on issues other than the demand for a separate state for Gurkhas. Reports say the ruling communist party has used its party cadres to suppress the Gurkha movement.

The sister organisations of ruling party CPI-Marxist had called two-day general strike on Wednesday and Thursday opposing the demand for separate Gurkha state.

After CPI-M cadres attacked Nepali-speaking people in Siliguri on Thursday, the Morcha staged protests demanding that state authority book those involved in the incident. Hundreds of Nepali-speaking people, including those Nepalis visiting their kin there were assaulted by CPI-M cadres.

The state government has kept the on alert position for possible deployment to crush the movement og Gurkhas for separate state. nepalnews.com ia June 14 08