Indefinite strike to continue in Darjeeling, GJM to quit GTA
Darjeeling's ruling Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and other parties have decided to continue the indefinite strike for the demand for Gorkhaland while GJM announced that it will quit the semi-autonomous body Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). The body was set up for better administration of the region. The parties will also boycott a meeting called by West Bengal government.
An all party meeting called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to decide the future course of the Gorkhaland agitation has decided to continue the indefinite shutdown in the Darjeeling hills.  The meeting, which was held at the Darjeeling gymkhana club was attended by fourteen political parties and social organisations, including all major hill based Gorkha parties and the BJP. However, the Trinamool Congress decided not to take part in the meet. This was the second such all party meeting called by the GJM in the hills.The meeting unanimously decided the formation of an All India Coordination Committee for Gorkhaland, a body that will have representation of all political parties supporting the movement in order to carry the agitation forward. GJM central committee member P Arjun said that the joint forum of parties had decided that all elected members of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) will pull out of the semi-autonomous body. The GTA was formed in 2011 as part of a tripartite agreement between the central government, GJM and the Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal administration. With the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland as the single point agenda, the hills parties criticiSed the Bengal government's decision to suspend mobile internet services in Darjeeling, and called for immediate withdrawal of army and central para-military forces for restoring normalcy in the region.While calling for a boycott of the all party meeting called by the state government in Siliguri on June 22, the forum decided to meet again on June 24. Meanwhile, a GJM delegation will be meeting Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju in Gangtok on Tuesday evening to appraise the centre of the prevailing situation in Darjeeling.Also Read:Darjeeling unrest: As shutdown continues, schools forced to declare early vacation, cancel exams Darjeeling GJM unrest: Uneasy calm as Mamata Banerjee calls for peace before heading abroad