The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on June 15.

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its deep concern at the alarming situation that has arisen in the Darjeeling hills area in the state of West Bengal.  Negating all the claims of establishing peace and normalcy made by the West Bengal chief minister and the state government, calls for continuous strikes have virtually paralysed normalcy in the region.

Normalcy needs to be restored in the region and this can happen only through negotiations with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).  Authoritarian attacks against this movement like police raids and arrests are not going to lead to any solution.  These are condemnable.  These can only complicate the matters further.   

The Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) was established after a tripartite agreement earlier between the then Left Front state government of West Bengal, the central government and the representatives of the GJM.  This tripartite mechanism must immediately be invoked by the state government and the chief minister.

Simultaneously, the state government and the chief minister must immediately initiate a political process on the Darjeeling situation in order to resolve the issues and restore normalcy.  This is in the utmost interest of maintaining the unity of the people inhabiting in the state of West Bengal and its integrity.