Gorkha volunteers had begun a fast unto death at several places in the Hills as well as in Siliguri, Kolkata and New Delhi to press for their demand of a separate state of Gorkhaland.

Today, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, Darjeeling MP Jastwant Singh, newly-elected BJP president Sushma Swaraj, senior BJP leader LK Advani and AICC general secretary and in-charge of West Bengal Keshava Rao made separate appeals to the GJM for withdrawing the agitation in view of the December 21 talks.

However, the next couple of days are going to be turbulent as the Kamtapur People’s Party has announced a set of protest programmes from tomorrow.

The Adivasi Vikas Parishad, meanwhile, is meeting on December 20 to take a stand on the current situation, while Amra Bangalee and several other organisations have called for a bandh in the foothills and Dooars-Terai region demanding that Bengal should not be split under any pressure.

The fast unto death was withdrawn at about 4.30 p.m. today to create a congenial atmosphere for the tripartite talks scheduled on December 21 in which Central and state representatives and GJM leaders will participate. As per the programme announced by the GJM leadership, the fast unto death would resume from December 22.

“Only a positive outcome at the tripartite talks can change this decision,” said a GJM spokesman. “We are pinning a lot of hope on this round of talks and never before such a powerful body of government as well as political outfit

had met in Darjeeling to discuss the outstanding problems of the Gorkhas,” said a GJM leader.