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Gorkhas start talks with central government for separate state

In a bid to exert pressure for a separate Gorkhaland state in India, the minority Nepali-speaking Gorkha communities have started dialogue with the central Indian government.

On Tuesday, the Gurkha Confederation met with Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Prakash Jaiswal and clarified to him why a separate Gorkhaland state is needed, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The Confederation had earlier met Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh and ruling Congress-I party president Sonia Gandhi.

Said to be the largest organisation of Gorkha communities in India, the Gurkha Confederation is also spearheading various protest programmes in Darjeeling district along with Bimal Gurung led Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM).

Emerging from the meeting, C.K Shrestha, executive chairman of the Confederation said that they had started talks to convince the central Indian government on why a separate Gorkha state is needed.

Shrestha said that the Gurkha Confederation had no other option but to hold talks with the central government directly after the West Bengal government tried to crush the Gorkhaland movement by using force in order to "confine the demand within the region".

He said none of the central level leaders opposed the concept of a separate Gorkha state during the meeting. nepalnews.com ag June 18 08