The Centre’s proposed “tripartite meeting” on the permanent political solution (PPS) in the hills — reportedly to be conveyed in September first week — has triggered a new contest between Trinamul and the BJP with the arch-rivals challenging each other to prove their sincerity towards the most emotive issue in the hills.

BJP’s Darjeeling MP Raju Bista after meeting Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi on August 6 had claimed the Centre has decided to hold an “official -level” tripartite meeting on a “permanent political solution” for the Darjeeling region in September first weekand would invite the Bengal government to talks.

N.B. Khawash, coordinator of Darjeeling for Trinamul on Monday threw the sincerity gauntlet at the saffron party saying the BJP should directly place a bill in Parliament on its proposed “permanent political solution.”

“The BJP has brute majority in Parliament, what is stopping them from directly placing a bill on the permanent political solution? What is the use of calling a tripartite meeting which will only lengthen the process?” Khawash asked.

This was Trinamul’s first official reaction to the proposed tripartite meeting.

The BJP in its 2019 Lok Sabha poll manifesto had said it was committed to finding a “permanent political solution” for the Darjeeling region and grant tribal status to 11 hill communities.

“Neeraj Zimba (GNLF leader who won the Darjeeling Assembly seat on a BJP ticket) had once said that they had burnt the midnight oil to include PPS in the election manifesto. However, till now they are not clear what the PPS means,” said Khawash.

Bista’s claim for tripartite meeting was made with pressure mounting on the BJP not just from rivals but also from allies like the GNLF to fulfil its Lok Sabha poll promise.

S.P. Sharma, general secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (Bharati Tamang camp), also started an indefinite hunger strike seeking clarification on the PPS. He ended his hunger strike after Bista’s claim..

Kalyan Dewan, president, BJP (hills), however, said if Trinamul fails to attend the tripartite meeting it would indicate that the Bengal’s ruling party was insincere about solving the hill issue.

“The GTA (Gorkhaland Territorial Administration) is not functioning properly since 2017 and if the state is sincere in removing this stalemate, they should cooperate with the Centre to fulfil the expectations of people in the region,” said Dewan.

The BJP leader said apart from the Anit Thapa headed Gorkha Janmukti Morcha no political party in the hills was in favour of the GTA. The state government has been running the hill body through nominated persons since 2017 when the hills erupted with the Gorkhaland demand.

Asked about Trinamul’s statement on what was stopping the BJP government in the Centre from directly placing a bill on the permanent political solution, Dewan said the fact the Centre was conveying a meeting showed its sincerity.

“The meeting has been called in all seriousness,” said Dewan.

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during her recent Bengal Assembly election campaign had said that the state government would work out a permanent political solution for the hills.

Despite the BJP MP’s statement, leaders in Darjeeling are awaiting the contents of the letter Shah is supposed to send around August 12. Last year, the Centre had called a tripartite meeting to discuss “Gorkhaland”.

Roshan Giri of the Bimal Gurung faction, which was with the BJP then, had claimed the agenda of the meeting was changed from “issues related to Gorkhaland” to those pertaining to the “Gorkhaland Territorial Administration” following pressure from Bengal’s BJP state unit.

The meeting was scheduled on August 7, 2020, but with BJP allies like the GNLF and the Bimal Gurung faction protesting the change in agenda, it was cancelled.

On October 7, 2020, the Gurung faction attended a meeting called by the home ministry, but representatives of GTA and the state government skipped that “tripartite meeting.”

Later that month, Gurung dumped the BJP and joined hands with Trinamul, accusing the BJP of being insincere towards the hill people.