New Delhi: Gorkha Janamukti Morcha said it was ready for talks with the Centre, asserting it should consider that Gorkhaland is not a separatist demand.

Earlier, the Centre had ruled out any possibility of carving out a separate state of Gorkhaland from West Bengal as demanded by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), but said it was ready for talks. "There is no question of creating a separate state of Gorkhaland," Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee had told reporters.

The government, he said, was ready to hold talks with GJM, but without any precondition. He also held a brief meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee on this issue on Saturday.

GJM had called an indefinite bandh in Darjeeling hills and in some parts of adjoining Terai and Dooars region demanding Gorkhaland on June 10. The hill party had relaxed the bandh for 60 hours from 4 pm on June 11 for easy exit of stranded tourists and facilitating the hill people to buy food and essentials.

Source : PTI