Kolkata: In what could be music to the
ears of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, currently
on a visit to Darjeeling, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha on Tuesday virtually ruled out the demand for the creation of a separate
state as is being asked for by Telangana protesters.
"Telangana has a different perspective and Darjeeling
has a different perspective," GJM General Secretary Roshan
Giri told PTI from Darjeeling.
The issue of Telangana and the issue of Darjeeling
though on the same lines have to be viewed differently," he
said when asked about his party's response if the Centre
agreed to a separate Telangana state.
Earlier, the GJM had insisted that if there could be a
separate state of Telangana, there should also be a separate
state of Gorkhaland.
"We can survive together and we can live in the
state," GJM central committee MLA and the party MLA from
Kalimpong Harka Bahadur Chhetri added referring to the people
in Darjeeling hills and adjoining plain areas in Siliguri and
Jalpaiguri district in North Bengal.
"Mamata Banerjee is a woman who works. We believe
her," Chetri said.
Referring to the previous Left Front rule, he alleged
an attempt was made to create a division between the people of
the hills and the plains.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 16:29