Siliguri (West Bengal), July 17 (IANS) The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) Friday sent a fax message to the central government demanding that a tripartite meeting on its demand for a separate Gorkhaland state be called early and decided to partially relax the ongoing shutdown in Darjeeling district from Monday.
The GJM, which is fighting for a separate Gorkhaland state to be carved out in north Bengal, said it would relax the strike from July 20-July 23. It began the shutdown July 13.

“Schools, colleges, tea gardens will open from Monday,” Binoy Tamang, assistant general secretary of GJM, told reporters.

The party has also decided to open the National Highway-31A till July 23 that is considered as the lifeline to the neighbouring Himalayan state of Sikkim.

The party sent a facsimile to the home ministry Friday, Tamang said, demanding that it call a tripartite meeting on the Gorkhaland issue before the ongoing parliament session ends.

The tripartite meeting is scheduled to be held Aug 24 between the centre, state government and pro-Gorkhaland parties to discuss the Gorkhaland issue.

“We have demanded a response to this fax within five days (July 23), else we will start the shutdown again,” he added.

The GJM, spearheading the movement in the hills for a separate Gorkhaland, organised indefinite shutdowns twice in the hills last year and also in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls this year, severely hitting tea and tourism — the bread and butter of the region.

Tripartite talks held last year in New Delhi had failed to break the deadlock.