September 6, 2013
Conversation between the State and the Central Government regarding Darjeeling issue
The Hon`ble Prime Minister of India in a letter to the West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee, dated August 1st, 2013 wrote that He had received Her letter on 31st July about developments concerning the GTA and GJMM.
Hon`ble Prime Minister had mentioned that He had had the matter looked into. He ascertained He understood that while there have been some informal working level contacts with GJMM leaders in Delhi, there was no intent or attempt to encourage them to go behind the back of the State government or to affect the GTA working arrangements in any way.
He ascertained that He had instructed Central government personnel that any meetings with the GJMM leadership should be done in consultation with the State government and that they should keep the Chief Minister informed of developments.
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The West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to the Hon`ble Prime Minister of India dated September 5th, 2013, in reference to the PM`s letter dated August 1st, 2013, acknowledging receipt of Her letter dated 31st July, 2013, regarding developments concerning GTA and GJMM.
The CM stated in Her letter that She was constrained to point out that in spite of the PM`s categorical instructions that no meeting will be held with the Central government with the GJMM leadership except in consultation with the State government, the Union Home Minister met the GJMM delegation on 3rd September 2013, without intimation to Her.
She expressed that it was all the more disturbing to know that the Central government agreed to meet GJMM representative on the date 3rd September 3013, when She was present in Darjeeling to attend a public meeting in Kalimpong along with all Her senior government officials – Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Director General of Police, etc. She is constrained to state that the timing of the meeting fixed by the Central government was unfortunate. The act deliberately provoked divide and rule policy encouraging political turbulence in Her State.
She mentioned He knows much better than Her about the sensitivity of the issue pertaining to Darjeeling which is located so close to international boarder. The North Eastern States and international border with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh made the Darjeeling issue very much vulnerable from the point of view of safety and security of the Country.
She wrote, more surprisingly She had also come to know from the media that the Central government reportedly mentioned about holding of a tripartite meeting on Darjeeling issue. As par norms the State government is the Convener of such meetings. Such Tripartite meetings where convened by the State government and attended by the representatives of the Central government last on June 13th 2013 at Darjeeling. The State government would convene another meeting whenever it finds it necessary to address issues relating only to GTA functioning and the exclusion of any other matter.
She requested the Prime Minister to kindly appreciate that continuous political interference from the Central government in the internal affairs of the State is not only encouraging political turmoil in the State but also destroying the federal structure enshrined in the Constitution.
She thought it appropriate to bring this real situation for Prime Minister`s kind information.
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