Union Home Minister chairs meeting with hill organisations
SILIGURI: A meeting convened in Siliguri, West Bengal, was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari alongside various stakeholders representing the hill areas of West Bengal. The discussions comprehensively addressed issues pertinent to the hill population focusing on their demands for a distinct identity, a permanent political solution and constitutional recognition.
Amit Shah assured attendees of a forthcoming permanent political solution under the framework of the Constitution of India. He expressed a commitment to examining all additional community demands sympathetically and said that adequate central funding would resolve pending issues.
To facilitate these discussions, a committee was established led by Pankaj Kumar Singh, a former deputy National Security Advisor and current interlocutor, tasked with finalising the modalities for the proposed agreement on the permanent political solution.
The attendees included several political figures and representatives including MPs Raju Bista and Harshvardhan Singla, Hills Minister Bishal Lama and leaders from various organisations including GJM, GNLF and CPRM. It concluded positively, with representatives expressing gratitude towards Amit Shah for cooperative and generous approach to the concerns raised during the meeting.