Bengal governor Blames Telangana issue for Darjeeling Unrest

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan Wednesday blamed the decision to create a separate Telangana for the current unrest in Darjeeling Hills following the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) intensifying its separatist movement. "What we want is peace...we want to keep Bengal united...whether you negotiate or what you do is the matter for the government to decide. We had a good thing on, but the Telangana came and I think that has made a big issue...," Narayanan told the media here. Following the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance's endorsement of statehood to Telangana, the Darjeeling hills in north Bengal have been on the boil after the GJM intensified their movement demanding Gorkhaland - to be carved out of parts of Darjeeling and its neighbouring Jalpaiguri district. 

Life in Darjeeling Hills has been crippled following an indefinite shutdown call by the GJM. While a GJM supporter succumbed to his injuries after he tried self-immolation, more than 130 of the party activists, supporters and leaders have been arrested. With the Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress government maintaining a tough stand ruling out any division of the state, the GJM leadership has been camping at Delhi meeting the central leadership over the statehood issue. The Banerjee regime has been blaming the Congress and the UPA for creating unrest in the country by the Telangana decision.