New Delhi, March 24 There was "no representation" from the West Bengal government in the two tripartite meetings, and "no significant representation" in one meeting concerning the Gorkha community, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Responding to a question by Trinamool Congress MP Bapi Haldar, who asked whether the appointment of a Central interlocutor for a "permanent political solution" to Gorkha issues was made "without prior consultation with the West Bengal government," Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai outlined the developments.
Rai said that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was formed following the signing of the 2011 tripartite agreement between the Government of India, the West Bengal government, and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
However, he said that all elected members of the GTA resigned in July 2017.
"In view of the absence of elected members in the GTA and the long and repeated requests for dialogue by Gorkha leaders, three tripartite meetings were convened by the Ministry of Home Affairs on October 7, 2020, October 12, 2021, and April 3, 2025," Rai said.
"There was no representation from the West Bengal government in two of the tripartite meetings, and no significant representation in one meeting.
"Subsequently, the Government of India appointed an interlocutor to hold constructive dialogues with various stakeholders, including representatives of Gorkha organizations, on issues related to the Gorkhas in the Darjeeling Hills, and the Terai and Dooars regions of Darjeeling district in West Bengal," Rai said.
The Minister added that the "term of appointment for the interlocutor is one year".
Listing the terms of reference, the reply said that the interlocutor will "undertake constructive dialogue with the various stakeholders, and suggest measures to resolve the issues and a roadmap in this regard," besides holding discussions with stakeholders in the Darjeeling Hills, Terai, and Dooars regions.
It added that the interlocutor will "recommend measures for socio-economic upliftment, cultural recognition, and preservation of the cultural heritage of the Gorkhas in the region, and address their aspirations within the constitutional framework".