The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) at Darjeeling on Tuesday afternoon could determine the future of the movement for Gorkhaland. Seven hill parties are likely to appoint a collective leadership.The Jan Andolan Party (JAP), headed by Harka Bahadur Chhetri, skipped an all-party meeting last week, but said that it will participate this time around. Though it supports the cause of Gorkhaland, the JAP has opposed GJM’s tactics.Other parties to attend Tuesday’s meeting include the Gorkha National Liberation Front, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha, Bhartiya Janata Party, and Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh.
DK Pradhan, a senior GJM leader and the chairman of the Darjeeling Municipality, told HT that the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League, the oldest extant Gorkha political party, might also attend.It was not clear at the time of publication whether GJM president Bimal Gurung would attend the meeting. He has remained incommunicado since Thursday, when his office and residence were raided by the police.