The Centre on Saturday expressed its willingness for a dialogue with the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha, which in turn declared that Gorkhaland was not a separatist demand.Stating that the government was willing to talk to the GJM, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who held a brief meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, said, "There is no question of creating a separate state of Gorkhaland."
The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha on Friday rejected the West Bengal government's offer for talks on the Darjeeling issue on June 18, saying the agenda of development of the hills was "irrelevant" when the main issue was a separate state of Gorkhaland.
Nepal's remote mountainous areas have suffered "almost total devastation" from a powerful quake that claimed over 6,300 lives, aid agencies warned even as relief slowly began to reach far-flung regions amid fresh aftershocks that kept people on edge.
Gen Naravane's visit to Nepal from November 4-6 is largely aimed at resetting bilateral ties that came under severe strain following a bitter border row between the two countries.
Sikkim was cut off from the rest of the country when Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha activists blocked the National Highway 31A early on Saturday as part of their 24-hour strike in the Darjeeling Hills region. Vehicular traffic between Sikkim and Siliguri via the NH-31A has been totally paralysed since early morning, police officials at Rangpo inter-state border checkpost said. Only a few vehicles belonging to the military forces, press persons and some ambulances were seen.
Six persons, including an army personnel, were killed and four others injured in separate violence in militancy-hit Manipur, official sources said on Tuesday.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has said it is satisfied with the positive dialogue its delegation had with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and hoped it will pave the way for early tripartite talks on the Gorkhaland issue."We are expecting tripartite talks on the Gorkhaland issue soon as the dialogue with Mukherjee was positive," GJM press secretary Benoy Tamang said.
Bowing to the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha's demand, the West Bengal government on Wednesday said it will seek from the Centre a tripartite meeting to resolve the Darjeeling crisis in a few days.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on Thursday said it was no longer interested in holding talks with the West Bengal government on Gorkhaland issue and was awaiting tripartite talks in Delhi.
Taking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee head on, the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi accused her of playing vote bank politics and said no real 'parivartan' (change) has taken place in the state during the Trinamool Congress' rule.
Talks between the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the West Bengal government on the Darjeeling crisis are expected to take place in Kolkata on June 25.
According to the GJM leaders, the breather was given from 6 pm on Sunday following requests of some Union ministers to enable school students to finish their term before summer vacations begin from June 25.
Stating that the GJM was seeking appointment with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and the Leader of the Opposition L K Advani, Gurung told PTI from Darjeeling that a delegation, comprising GJM central committee members, would meet MPs of different political parties.
The army was called in Siliguri and adjacent areas on Thursday in view of fresh tension arising out of Darjeeling crisis. West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has called an all-party meeting on June 17 to discuss the Darjeeling crisis, arising out of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha's demand for separate Gorkhaland state.
"Tayab alias Abu Talha, the LeT operational commander for Kashmir, was killed in Hanjipora village of north Kashmir Kupwara district on Wednesday," a police spokesman said in Srinagar.
Normal life in Darjeeling Hills was paralysed for the second day today due to the indefinite bandh called by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) in support of their demand for a separate Gorkhaland.
Normal life in the three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling district was paralysed on Tuesday as the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha enforced a second spell of indefinite bandh in the area, to press for its demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.Shops, markets, business establishments, banks and post offices were closed and vehicles remained off the roads after the bandh resumed from 6 pm on Monday after a five-day break.
Jagat had joined the militant organisation in 1999 and was involved in several extremist operations in Upper Assam, besides receiving training as a paramedic.
In an effort to gain support for a separate Gorkhaland, leaders of Gorkha Janmmukti Morcha (GJM) on Tuesday met senior BJP leader L K Advani in New Delhi to seek the party's support for the demand.
The Army was kept on stand-by as violence erupted in Darjeeling Hills after ruling GNLF leader K G Gurung was grievously injured in an alleged attack by rival GJMM activists on Friday.
Regarding Pakistan's role, he said Bangladesh was being developed as a new base for its 'anti-India operations' and Pakistan has reportedly 'shifted almost 200 terrorist training camps from Pak-occupied Kashmir to Bangladesh'.
Till recently there was no monument to the Maratha victory or the great Maratha General Mahadji Shinde. It was a defeat, such as never suffered by the British in India.
Terming the remarks of a Red FM radio jockey against the Gorkha community as derogatory, the govt has banned the radio channel for 7 days.The remarks about the winner of Indian Idol Prashant Tamang had triggered violent clashes in Siliguri last week.
Curfew, clamped to quell violence that erupted over the alleged derogatory comment on Indian Idol Prashant Tamang by a Delhi-based FM channel, continued for the second day on Saturday paralysing normal life in Siliguri.
'When violence spread, it looked as if Mamata was losing control, but soon, she was able to contain the situation.' 'Now, the TMC stands to gain the most.'
Gen Rawat will be able to serve as CDS for a period of up to three years after the government amended the rules extending the age of retirement to 65 years.
At least three people lost their lives during violent protests over granting the PRC to six non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe communities living in Namsai and Changlang districts -- Deoris, Sonowal-Kacharis, Morans, Adivasis and Mishings -- and to the Gorkhas living in Vijaynagar.
Ambulance operators were refusing to carry patients due to fear of harassment.
Champion pistol shooter Jitu Rai, Rahi Sarnobat and P N Prakash have been recommended by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) for the prestigious Arjuna Awards this year.
In a major strike against the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom, the army on Tuesday killed eight of its cadres including two women in an operation in Lohit district of Aurnachal Pradesh.
The agitators belonging to 70 organisations, led by KMSS and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad, gathered at the secretariat to protest against the passing of the bill in the Lower House of Parliament.
Anil Athale, then a young captain, was captured by Pakistani soldiers two days after the 1971 war broke out.
Thapa led the Param Vir Chakra winners' contingent at the Republic Day parade each year.
The Chinese probably thought that brutal assault was a knock-out, but they had not counted on the ingenuity, loyalty and courage of battle-trained Indian officers and jawans.
Applications are invited for the Common Entrance Test for Class VI at Military Schools, for 2005-2006.
At least 41 Indians are among 57 foreigners killed in Nepal in the powerful earthquake that left a trail of devastation and suffering, flattening buildings and uprooting electric poles and trees.
Major Surinder Singh gave a letter to the presiding officer of the court alleging that Brig Kumar, in the presence of four other senior officers, asked him to finish the cross-examination of witnesses quickly or face the consequences
Glimpses of the colourful parade we will see on Rajpath in New Delhi on Thursday.
People in the interior parts of the country are yet to receive any aid.
Rescuers raced against time to search for survivors still feared trapped under mountains of debris in quake-hit Nepal where over 5,000 people have been killed, even as heavy rains hampered global humanitarian efforts in remote areas of the battered country.
