Saying she was “surprised and shocked” by the decision, Banerjee said the step was taken “without any consultation with the state government” and asked the PM to revoke the “unilateral action”.
“I am surprised and shocked to know that the Government of India has appointed Shri Pankaj Kumar Singh, IPS (Retd.) as an interlocutor to hold discussions on the issues relating to Gorkhas in Darjeeling Hills, Tarai and Dooars regions of West Bengal,” she said in the letter to the PM.
On Thursday, the Centre had reportedly appointed former deputy national security advisor Pankaj Kumar Singh as an interlocutor to discuss various Gorkha-related demands, including a “permanent political solution” to the demand for Gorkhaland statehood and Scheduled Tribe status for 11 Gorkha sub-tribes.
Banerjee claimed her government was not consulted before Singh was appointed as an interlocutor to hold discussions on the Gorkha issues of West Bengal. “This appointment has been made without any consultation with the Government of West Bengal, even though the issues under reference directly relate to the governance, peace, and administrative stability of the area under Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), an autonomous body under Government of West Bengal,” Banerjee said in the two-page letter.
“Such unilateral action is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperative federalism that forms one of the foundational principles of our Constitution,” she observed.Banerjee pointed out in her letter that “the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was constituted following a Tripartite Agreement signed on 18th July, 2011 at Darjeeling, between the Government of India, the Government of West Bengal and the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) in the presence of the then Hon’ble Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister of West Bengal.”“The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was created to ensure socio-economic, infrastructural, educational, cultural and linguistic developments of the hill areas, while safeguarding the ethnic identity of the Gorkhas and promoting peaceful co-existence among all communities, a hallmark of the unity and harmony of the hills,” the letter read..
Banerjee elaborated that “peace and harmony prevailing in the hill districts of our state”. “This has been possible with the concerted and continuous efforts made by our government since it came to power in 2011, We are committed to continue with our positive efforts in that direction,” she added.
“We are committed to continue with our positive efforts in that direction,” she said. “The Government of West Bengal, therefore, is firmly of the view that any initiative concerning the Gorkha community or the GTA region must be undertaken in full consultation with the State Government, in order to preserve the hard-earned peace and tranquillity in the region. Any unilateral action in this sensitive matter will not be in interest of peace and harmony in the region.”
Banerjee urged the Centre to “re-consider and revoke this appointment order issued without prior and due consultation with the Government of West Bengal, as is expected in the true spirit of federalism and mutual respect between the Union and the States.
The Gorkha leaders from the region have welcomed the Centre’s decision to appoint the interlocutor while the ruling Trinamool Congress dubbed it as another attempt by the BJP to woo Gorkha votes before next year’s Assembly polls.