“The bandh in all central and state government offices is to press for creation of Gorkhaland,” GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri said over phone from Darjeeling.

The GJM had earlier suspended an indefinite hunger-strike after conceding to a request by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to create a conducive atmosphere for the fourth round of tripartite talks at the administrative level which were held on December 21.

The GJM, during the last round of the tripartite talks, had sought the next round of talks at the political level within 45 days.

Giri said letters had been written to Gandhi and 26 national and regional political parties “because the West Bengal government is not going to pass any Bill in the state Assembly on the matter.”

Letters were also sent to BJP president Nitin Gadkari, CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat, heads of the CPI, RSP, and Forward Bloc, BSP chief Mayawati, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee, BJD leader Navin Patnaik and chiefs of various other national and regional parties.

GJM president Bimal Gurung, in the letters, claimed that the demand for Gorkhaland originating in 1907 had the support of the people of Darjeeling hills, besides the adjoining Terai and Dooars in the plains.

Without naming Gorkha National Liberation Front chief Subhas Ghising, he said, “In the past, several political parties, groups and leaders have reiterated the demand which culminated in 1980s in the form of violence, bloodshed, loss of lives and property.”’

Stating that this did not lead to materialisation of the dream of Gorkhas, Gurung said the GJM movement, on the other hand, was based on the non-violent path of Mahatma Gandhi.