The Kamtapur State Demand Council (KSDC), an organisation that is a proponent of the separate Kamtapur state, has demanded that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre hold peace talks with Jibon Singha, the self-styled chief of the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), and make a decision on their longstanding demand soon.

“We want the central government to hold talks with Jibon Singha and take a decision on our demand within the completion of the upcoming winter session of the Parliament. Otherwise, the Kamtapuri (Rajbanshi) people across north Bengal will launch an extensive movement on the demand and the Centre will be responsible for it,” said Tapati Roy Mallick, the president of KSDC, on Monday.

Leaders and hundreds of supporters of the KSDC held a rally in Jalpaiguri on Monday afternoon. The rally started from Raikatpara and reached the district magistrate’s office on Collectorate Avenue.

A delegation of KSDC submitted memorandums addressed to the President, the Prime Minister and the Union home minister to the office.

“We have specifically mentioned that Jibon Singha has been in Centre’s custody for around two years. He had responded to the call for a peace talk but so far, nothing has materialised. The central government cannot ignore our demands,” she added.

This year, the winter session of the Parliament will commence on November 25 and continue till December 20.

The KSDC leaders said, along with a separate state, they wanted the Centre to include the Kamtapuri (Rajbanshi) language in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution, provide Scheduled Caste status to some sub-communities of Rajbanshis and facilitate withdrawal of cases pending against former KLO militants.

The KLO, which was formed by Singha in the late nineties, was proscribed by the Union home ministry.

In January 2023, Singha, along with some cadres of the outfit, entered Assam from Myanmar. He is believed to be staying in the northeastern state since then.

Trinamool, which is in power in Bengal, is principally against the division of the state. In July this year, the TMC government also passed a resolution in the Assembly against any division of Bengal and the BJP supported it.

“We are not concerned about it. If the Centre wants, it can create a separate state as there are provisions in the Indian Constitution,” said Debendranath Roy, the general secretary of KSDC.