The cold weather of Darjeeling is playing a host to a hot political discussion on the demands of forming a separate Gorkhaland State in the district and its peripheral areas of Siliguri and Dooars.
Forming of a separate state for the Telegus of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, dividing Andhra Pradesh are in discussion at the central government level and the effect has come to the hill district of West Bengal, Darjeeling, where the demand of the Gorkhaland state is in the peak.
The forming of Telangana state was in a climax last year. But clashes in Andhra Pradesh obstructed the process formation and the central government formed a commission to find out whether it is the original need of the Telegus to provide them a separate state, Telangana.
The commission was formed in the leadership of former justice of the supreme court of India, Shrikrishna. The commission submitted its report to the union home minister of India, P.
Chidambaram, on 30 December. The report has been submitted in two phases. The central government is going to discuss the matter with the other political parties on 6 January.
The Gorkha parties in Darjeeling have showed their deep concern in the case of report made on the issue of forming Telangana state for the Telegus. They have expressed that if there is a possibility of discussion on the issue of forming Telangana state in south India, there should be discussion on forming a separate state for the Indian Gorkhas. Acting president Dawa Sherpa of an old Gorkha party, which has been demanding separate state for the Gorkhas for more than 30 years- Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League- told New Spotlight over phone, "We are not going to accept sweets that the central government is providing us except Gorkhaland. If there is a chance of forming the Telangana state, there should be the formation of the Gorkhaland state too."