CM Mamata writes to PM once again to revoke appointment of interlocutor for Darjeeling on Gorkhas' issues

KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to revoke the appointment of an interlocutor for Darjeeling. This comes exactly 29 days after her first letter on 18 October. The Centre had appointed former deputy national security adviser Pankaj Kumar Mishra as 'interlocutor and government representative' on the issue of 'Darjeeling, the Dooars and the Terai', prompting the chief minister to oppose the move. In her second letter written to the Prime Minister today, Mamata said, It is a matter of grave concern that without any further communication in response to my letter and despite your kind intervention, the Office of the Interlocutor under Ministry of Home Affairs, has, vide Memo dated 10th November 2025, communicated that the office of the interlocutor has already started functioning. This is really shocking. The state government categorically rejects and strongly objects to this unconstitutional, arbitrary and politically coloured interference in the internal affairs of the State, the chief minister said in the letter. This unilateral and arbitrary action of the Central Government, undertaken without any consultation or concurrence of the Government of West Bengal, is wholly unconstitutional, without jurisdiction, and devoid of any legal sanctity. The said order has no foundation either in the Constitution of India or in any valid statutory provision, the letter added. The Darjeeling region is an inseparable and integral part of the State of West Bengal. It is governed by the Gorkha Territorial Administration Act, 2011, and a law duly enacted by the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and notified on 12th March, 2012, after getting the Presidential assent. The Act was designed to ensure self-governance in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong subdivisions, and under Section 2(h) of the said Act, the appropriate Government is expressly defined as the Government of the State of West Bengal, the letter stated. Pankaj Mishra, appointed in the rank of the secretary to the Union government, had been tasked with taking forward and recommending measures for social and economic upliftment, cultural recognition, preservation of the cultural heritage of Gorkhas in the region and addressing their aspiration within the constitutional framework of the country. Many believe that the latest development is an indicator that the Centre is looking to tread the issue cautiously following Mamatas strong objections. CM Mamata had immediately written to Modi expressing her surprise and consternation over the appointment, objecting to the unilateral decision of the Centre. The appointment of the interlocutor also comes at a time when the Assembly elections are scheduled in April-May next year in the state. The Opposition BJP, which has marked a phenomenal rise here since the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, has not fulfilled two of its key promises to Darjeeling. These include finding a 'permanent political solution' for the region, which is generally interpreted as Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling hills, even though the BJP has not specified what the term means, and granting tribal status to 11 Gorkha communities. If the support for Gorkhaland is unanimous in the Darjeeling hills, the Opposition to it is as strong in the rest of Bengal, an observer added. The Darjeeling hills elect three MLAs in the 294-seat Bengal Assembly.