Dilip Singh, an unlikely hero

By Bappaditya Paul

SILIGURI, June 6: Mr Dilip Singh of Shilpa Samity Para in Jalpaiguri town is a public hero now! This 34-year old bachelor is the one, who led the stranded Darjeeling Mail passengers in stopping their co-passenger, the state urban development minister Mr Asok Bhattacharya from taking up an alternative road journey up to Siliguri from Kishanganj (Bihar) during the Left sponsored 12-hour West Bengal bandh on Thursday.

As a result, the CPI-M minister, had to spend over seven hours in the stranded train, swallowing the bitter bandh pill that the ruling Marxists often thrust upon the public.  Dilip was later arrested by the police on his arrival at New Jalpaiguri yesterday afternoon, but only to release on PR bond late in the night following an all round pressure.

Since then, Dilip is being flooded with numerous calls, congratulating him for instigating the ‘much needed protest against the Marxist minister’s selfish manoeuvre’. Interestingly, with the every passing minute, the number of such calls is on the rise.  “Among the hundreds who have hailed me through calls include, Congress MLA Mrs Deepa Dasmunshi, poet Mr Mridul Dasgupta, Kolkata based activist Mr Prasun Bhowmick and the activists of the Association for the Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR),” Mr Singh informed.

Mr Singh, who happens to be a sales professional, interestingly, also received a call from the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha. The GJMM is angry with the urban development minister for his anti-Gorkhaland stance.  “I don’t think that I have done anything exemplary, but yet I am grateful to all who are making the congratulating calls,” Mr Singh said, adding that he was especially grateful to Mrs Deepa Dasmunshi. “This morning also she called me up and assured that the complaint registered against me with the GRP, Kishanganj would be dropped,” he said. Mr Singh is also thankful to the Trinamul MLA, Mr Tapash Pal, who reportedly pursued the IG, north Bengal last night for his release.

Dilip, who also edits a monthly Bengali little magazine published from Jalpaiguri, was attached with the Congress’ student wing, the Chhatra Parishad during his days at the AC College in Jalpaiguri.  “But these days, due to professional business I am not attached with any political party and often indulge in literary activities as an escape,” he said. [The Statesman]