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KOKRAJHAR: Amid growing speculation over a possible administrative reorganisation in the strategically significant Siliguri Corridor of West Bengal, a delegation of the Gorkha State Coordination Committee (GSCC) met leaders of several Bodo organisations in Kokrajhar on Thursday and reiterated their commitment to the long-standing demands for Gorkhaland and Bodoland.
The GSCC delegation, led by its Chief Convenor Sanjay Thulung, held discussions with representatives of the Bodo National Students Union (BONSU), Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch (BJSM), and the Ex-Volunteers Force Association at the Bodoland Guest House.
According to sources, the meeting focused on recent political developments in West Bengal following the formation of the BJP government and the evolving strategic significance of the Siliguri Corridor, popularly known as the “Chicken’s Neck.” The narrow stretch of land in North Bengal serves as the only land link between mainland India and the northeastern states and is bordered by Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and China.
The leaders reportedly discussed the long-pending demands for separate states of Bodoland and Gorkhaland and explored the potential implications of any future administrative restructuring in the region. Both sides expressed the view that opportunities arising from changing political and administrative circumstances should be carefully examined.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of widespread rumours regarding the creation of a Union Territory in the Siliguri Corridor. However, the Centre has officially denied such reports. Earlier this year, the PIB Fact Check Unit described claims of a proposed Union Territory carved out from parts of West Bengal and Bihar as “fake” and “baseless.”
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, BONSU president Bonjit Manjil Basumatary and BJSM working president D.D. Narzary said that the demands for Bodoland and Gorkhaland remain unresolved despite decades of political movements. They stated that Bodo and Gorkha organisations have maintained close coordination since the inception of their respective statehood movements and would continue to work together in pursuit of their common objectives.
The GSCC delegation also included executive member Anoj Rai. Leaders of both sides stressed the need for continued dialogue and cooperation to advance their long-standing aspirations for separate statehood.
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