Peace in Darjeeling? Historic Deal for Gorkhas Creates New Administrative Region
Hopes of lasting peace in Darjeeling are high. An historic deal today creates a new administrative region for the Gorkha tribes. Protests, sometimes violent, have been continuing in the region since the 1980s and caused great damage to the tea and tourist industries. Each year, the first flush tea season is troubled by blockades and strikes, at great cost to the plantations.
Gorkhas overjoyed
Screams of delight from the Gorkhas greeted the signing of a 16-page Memorandum of Agreement in the village of Pintail, 380m from Kolkata, on Monday. It brings into being the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The administration will be in charge of welfare, education, health, public building projects and forests.
Passionate support from Banerjee
The new Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, spoke passionately about the agreement:
"There is nothing to fear - Bengal is not being divided. Darjeeling is close to our heart and it will now smile.
"There will be an elected body, there will be schools, colleges, hospitals, jobs will be available and Darjeeling will shine."
A stupendous task
The Home Minister, P Chidambaram, warned about the scale of the challenge. "The task ahead of you is stupendous and you will have to rebuild brick by brick." He promised that the federal government would give financial assistance to the new body.
Mr Banerjee envisages a Darjeeling similar to Switzerland.
A similar plan was attempted in 1988 when Prime Minister Rajiv Gandi created the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. It did not find lasting success.
The Gorkhas are ethnic Nepalese. They have been demanding an independent state of Gorkhaland since the 1980s. The region of Darjeeling is one of the most famous tea producing regions of the world.
The full tripartite Memorandum of Agreement on the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration runs to 16 pages.