Ajoy Edwards Aligns with “One Northeast” Movement to Strengthen Darjeeling’s National Voice

 

Darjeeling’s political narrative reached Agartala on Thursday as Ajoy Edwards, Chief Convener of the Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF), joined Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Tripura’s Pradyot Debbarman at the “One Northeast” rally—an emerging platform aimed at consolidating regional voices for stronger national influence.

Edwards’s party, the IGJF, currently serves as the principal opposition in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Sabha.

The rally, hosted by Debbarman’s Tipra Motha Party, follows a recent initiative by multiple regional leaders to build a pan-Northeast political entity geared toward unified representation.

Although Darjeeling and Ladakh do not fall within the traditional Northeast geography, Edwards emphasized the shared nature of their challenges.We may not belong to the Northeast, but our issues are similar. Joining hands enables us to amplify the voices of Darjeeling and Ladakh at the national level,” he told The Telegraph.

The “One Northeast” campaign aims to bring regional political parties under a single umbrella with a unified flag. Edwards clarified that while Darjeeling and Ladakh leaders are not considering a merger, they are exploring strategic alliances that preserve party identity while strengthening collective advocacy.

“There is a growing need to protect our land, language, and culture. With similar aspirations across regions, we are working on partnership modalities,” Edwards said. Discussions with leaders from Leh and Ladakh are already underway.

The movement gained momentum on November 4 when Conrad Sangma (NPP), Pradyot Debbarma (Tipra Motha), Daniel Langthasa (People’s Party, Assam), and former Nagaland BJP minister Mmhonlumo Kikon announced their goal of establishing a powerful, unified indigenous political voice at the national level.

Speakers at Thursday’s event highlighted how the dominance of national parties has diluted regional aspirations. Edwards noted, “This initiative is about strengthening bargaining power at the Centre. In democracy, numbers matter.”

Although Darjeeling, Dooars, and the Terai are not part of the North Eastern Council (NEC), the region remains strategically significant due to its geographical placement between the northeastern states and Sikkim.

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