India forms panel for permanent Gorkha solution in Darjeeling

The Indian government has established a high-level committee to draft an agreement and finalize modalities for a “permanent political solution” regarding the Gorkha identity and administrative issues in the Darjeeling hills and surrounding areas of West Bengal.

The committee will be led by Pankaj Kumar Singh, the former deputy national security adviser and central interlocutor for the region. The panel is tasked with creating a roadmap and a final agreement that operates strictly within the framework of the Constitution of India, without dividing the state of West Bengal.

The decision follows a tripartite meeting in Sukna chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, which included representatives from the West Bengal government and Gorkha leaders. During the meeting, Shah assured stakeholders that the Centre would consider community demands sympathetically and provide adequate funding to address pending issues.