29/07/2026
Kolkata: The debate over the long-pending Permanent Political Solution (PPS) for Darjeeling Hills has resurfaced after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung met West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari in Kolkata.
According to Gurung, he and GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri held detailed discussions with the Chief Minister and State Labour and Transport Minister Arjun Singh on issues concerning the Hills, Terai and Dooars. Gurung said the delegation urged the government to expedite talks for a constitutional and permanent political solution, while also raising demands for minimum wages and a 20% bonus for tea garden workers, regular employment for Cinchona workers, and relief from the 15-year vehicle scrappage policy.
The meeting has once again brought the PPS debate into focus. The demand for Gorkhaland is over a century old, and despite the creation of bodies like the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), hill parties have maintained that a permanent political settlement remains elusive.
Ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista had also questioned the relevance of the GTA, saying it was not a permanent solution to the aspirations of the Hills. More recently, BGPM chief Anit Thapa resigned as the GTA Chief Executive, further fuelling political speculation over the future of the autonomous body.
Meanwhile, speaking to Republic Bangla, BJP leaders Dipanjan Chakraborty and Moumita Biswas Mishra asserted that "Bengal will not be divided."
However, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has not yet made any public statement on Gorkhaland, the PPS demand, or the issue of Bengal's division following the meeting.
While Gurung described the discussions as positive and expressed hope for further progress during Labour and Transport Minister Arjun Singh's proposed Darjeeling visit on 3 August, no policy decision or formal announcement emerged from the meeting.
