The youth wing of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), the largest alliance partner of the BJP in Darjeeling hills has decided to hit the streets against the BJP-led Centre’s delay in granting the permanent political solution (PPS) for the hills.

This is the first time that the youth wing of the BJP's alliance partner has decided to hit the streets over the delay.

The BJP has been promising a permanent political solution for the hills for years, without clarifying its contours either in its poll manifesto or in the speeches of its leaders. However, many hill residents have interpreted it as Gorkhaland.

Political observers in the region have said that the GNLF youth wing's move is a clear indication of the growing restlessness over the delay not just among the general public but also among the BJP alliance partners in the hills.

Bhupen Gurung, the publicity secretary of GNLF Kurseong branch committee, said that a public gathering would be organised by the Gorkha National Youth Front at Soureni, about 10 kilometres from Mirik, on Sunday.

“There are grievances among the general public and also among the party cadres over the delay in implementing the PPS. We have decided to air this grievance to the Centre through the public gathering at Soureni,” said Gurung.

“We want a PPS that has constitutional protection,” added Gurung.

The BJP has been winning the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat since 2009.

In 2019, the GNLF and other hill parties supported the BJP following their assurance to find a “permanent political solution” for the region and to grant tribal status to 11 hill communities.

Both these promises have not been met as of now.

The GNLF had earlier maintained that the PPS should not be anything less than the incorporation of the region within the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. In fact, in 2005, the Congress-led Centre, the Left Front state government and GNLF had agreed to incorporate the hills within the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The provision under Sixth Schedule is for governing tribal areas in certain northeastern states. The hills have a tribal population of about 32 per cent.

However, the agreement did not materialise after the Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha started a statehood agitation in 2007 and opposed the Sixth Schedule.

The GNLF leader said that senior leaders of the central committee would also be present at the Soureni meeting.

BJP leaders in the hills have time and again expressed confidence that the “Centre would deliver justice” to the region.

Political observers, however, believe that the entire decision lies solely with the central leaders of the BJP.