“The costs were very high and the choices were none” a housewife in Darjeeling today!

Cabbages: Price three days ago Rs. 6 Today Rs. 13

Onions – Price three days ago Rs. 8 Today Rs. 14

Photos by Barun Roy

In Newspapers Today

In Newspapers Today

In Newspapers Today

In Newspapers Today

In Newspaper Today!

Trapped tourists in hills will get 50% off on stay

GJM that has called indefinite shutdown in Darjeeling says the ‘guests’ will be offered the discount and will get about 60 hours to move out of trouble-torn hills writes Jayatri Nag

Darjeeling: Resorting to gandhigiri, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung on Wednesday said he had given relaxation for 60 hours in its indefinite bandh from Wednesday evening to Saturday morning to enable trapped tourists to move out of Darjeeling.

“We are giving relaxation for the tourists so that they can get chance to move out of Darjeeling. We do not want that inconvenience is caused to them, as they are our guests,” he said.

GJM says it will also bear expenses for those who have run short of money

The tourists, who are stuck in the hills, would get 50 per cent discount in Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Kurseong, till they are able to go back to their respective destinations.

Gurung said the GJM would play host to the tourists, who could not leave the hills, and will not resort to violence despite any provocations by the CPI-M.

“No GJM supporters have indulged in any violent act till now and they will not do so,” he claimed.

SILIGURI CLASH: ANTI GORKHALAND AND GORKHALAND SUPPORTERS

Video by Mr. Jyoti Mukhia

Danger in Darjeeling – The struggle for INDEPENDENCE that has been going on in “Gorkhaland”

Danger in Darjeeling

Seems like I fled from the hills just in time! After getting off the night train here to Calcutta, I read the papers with disbelief: the struggle for independence that has been going on in “Gorkhaland” for a quarter century turned violent towards tourists for the first time!

Just as all the warring parties in nearby Nepal agreed during my visit 3 years ago, hurting tourists helps no one. This, rationally, had been the stance of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha group who has been leading the struggle for statehood thus far. They’re still disavowing any voilence. Here’s their cool flag:
The Gorkha’s basic accusation is that the northern parts the state of West Bengal are really not given proper infrastructure, and they’d like to be an independent state (instead of lumped in with all the plains down to Calcutta). Allegedly, the water pipe to the city of Darjeeling (a town of 100,000 people) has been severed for over 1 year, necessitating water be trucked in when the natural supply isn’t enough. The roads are potholed fairly badly (not sure if it’s worse than any other parts of India), and sometimes mudslides/erosion take the roads out completely. There’s a whole lot more than this, but that’s what I’ve come to understand while visiting.

For those wondering, these Gorkhas are the same group who have the really sweet knives. Gorkha, Gurkha, it’s all Bengali/Hindi/Nepali to me:
[Photo from gurkhas.com ]

I was originally going to take a night, tourist bus, but switched to train a few days before, on a whim. Turns out they started stoning the tourist buses. The paper that described the situation as I left:
(Yeah, I noticed the right sidebar article, as well! Darn communists, shutting down the brewery!)

The indefinite strike is set to start in about a day, and one of the largest stores in Darjeeling (Big Bazaar) is showing empty shelves! Read the full article: “Chaos in Darjeeling – No Food, No Money” over at BeaconOnline:[Photo from BeaconOnline.wordpress.com]
Read more on the struggle for Gorkhaland independence.

If you’re trapped there as a tourist, I’m sorry. I love the consolation that is being offered, 50% off your hotel stay… in a deserted town with no food, nothing open, no way to leave, and constant clouds & rain.

http://whereisholden.blogspot.com/2008/06/danger-in-darjeeling.html

BEACON ONLINE REQUESTED TO RALLY INTERNATIONAL BENGALI COMMUNITY IN THE FAVOUR OF GORKHALAND

MUST READ!

By Barun Roy

Dr. Sudip Ghosh, Professor Emeritus, South Carolina, USA has called for all parties in West Bengal to refrain from converting the Gorkhaland Movement into a communal affair. Dr. Ghosh in an interaction with Beacon Online said, “Bengalese all over the world have had a soft corner for Darjeeling Hills and are essentially lovers of the land, people and culture. To portray the fact that Bengalese own Darjeeling Hills is absurd to say the least. It is high time that Gorkhas who predominate in the Hills be given the Right to Self Determination.” Asked about the steps taken by the CPIM lead West Bengal Government, he said, “Buddhadev Bhattacharya must initiate dialogue with the GJM leaders but before that he must give up his ‘Bengal owns Darjeeling Hills’ perspective. In modern day democracy, Colonial attitudes must be shed. CPIM has failed in Nandigram and its policies should not lead to another Nandigram in the tranquil hills of Darjeeling. What is happening in the Dooars Terai is sad. People of both races, Bengalese, Nepalese and Kamtapuris who have lived peacefully for years should not be pitched against each other in armed struggles. The Communist Government at Kolkata might feel that this will weaken the Gorkhaland Movement, yet in reality it will instead break the very fabric of Bengal and indeed the whole of North East. I request all involved including the GJM leadership to calm the people, resolve immediate animosity and concentrate on negotiating with the Union Government at New Delhi. I request Beacon Online to rally Bengalese nationally and internationally for the peaceful resolution of the issue of Gorkhaland. Bengal must learn to live without Darjeeling Hills. Darjeeling Hills can still be the crown of Bengal as Gorkhaland. I have always been in favour of smaller, more compact and manageable states; with the General Election coming, a unified national movement for smaller states should become a national issue for all parties, regionally and nationally.”

When asked about Municipal and Hills Affairs Minister, Asok Bhattacharya’s remark that Gorkhas should not be allowed to hold political meetings in the plains, he said, “It is absolutely absurd. How can a Minister make such a statement? Indian citizens whether Bengali, Punjabi, Tamil or Gorkhas, have Constitutional right to hold peaceful political meetings and rallies any where in the nation. They can do so in New Delhi, Chennai or Siliguri and if they want in the middle of the Thar Desert. Asok Bhattacharya’s statement is irresponsible and uncalled for. He is unnecessarily indulging in communalizing a peaceful movement. I am surprised that none of the Gorkhas challenged him in the Court of Law.” Asked about the way the Gorkhaland Movement should be conducted, he said, “I cannot exactly lay down the details but I can say this – GJM and Bimal Gurung must win sympathy for Gorkhaland from people nationally and internationally. And it cannot be done by throwing out the tourists. Remember the best ambassadors for Gorkhaland would be the tourists who return from Darjeeling Hills with sweet memory and sympathy for the people there. Everything that has thus far come out in the global media have been the hardships suffered by the tourists. This is not the right move. The CPIM Government in Kolkata which lead to politically inspired massacres in Nandigram will not be easily dislodged. A continuous unreeling international movement must be engaged upon, using the media as the tool. And this can only be achieved with the unification of all statehood movements in India. The Gorkhas must work closely with leaders like Chandrasekhar Rao in Hyderabad. A national level smaller states movement must be initiated and brought to its peak before the next General Elections. Gorkhaland, Telangana, Oudh, Cooch Behar, Kamtapur and the rest must be in the agenda of all national parties. That is the only way out.”

Buddhadev calls all-party meeting on Darjeeling issue

June 12, 2008 03:25:00 PM

KOLKATA CAL10

Kolkata, June 12 (PTI) With the situation turning grave in Darjeeling over the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha’s demand for a separate state, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee today announced an all-party meeting on June 17.
Chief Minister’s secretariat sources said that the all-party meeting would be held at Writers’ Buildings here.

The decision came in the wake of violence reportedly committed by Morcha supporters in the Darjeeling hills and in different parts of north Bengal in support of their demand for a separate Gorkhaland state.

Several local inhabitants, tourists and the police were injured in the Morcha attack in the last two days in different parts of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts.

The demand for an all-party meeting was made by Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunshi yesterday when he blamed the intelligence failure to assess the ground reality and ‘lack of vision’ by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for the situation in Darjeeling.

Dasmunshi has been harping on the necessity of calling an all-party meeting to discuss the Darjeeling crisis and said that the Morcha’s demand for a separate state ‘within a state’ cannot be supported.

“Not only intelligence failure, but lack of vision on the part of the chief minister to assess the ground reality before pressing the Centre for expedition of grant of Sixth Schedule status to Darjeeling, has contributed to the situation in Darjeeling hills,” Dasmunshi, who is also the WBPCC chief, said. PTI

WB Governor urges for calm – GJM-GOVERNOR (NATIONAL,GENERAL)

Created on : 06/12/2008 05:14 PM (PRI)
——————————————————————————-

Kolkata, June 12 (PTI) West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi today said that the events in Siliguri in the last few days “are a matter of the greatest anxiety,” and urged people to do nothing “that will provoke violence.” “It is essential that leaders of the public opinion and civil society strive to maintain communal harmony, even as the administration performs its duties for maintaining law and order,” the Governor said in a statement.
“Siliguri town can and should be a model for excellent inter-communal relations. And the Darjeeling hills should, as always, be the Himalaya’s gift of peace and tranquility to those who live in it as well as to those who visit it,” he said. PTI

Trinamool Congress to decide on attending all party meet after seeing agenda

(NATIONAL,REGIONAL NEWS – EAST)
Created on : 06/12/2008 17:47 (PRI)
——————————————————————————–

Kolkata, Jun 12 (PTI) The Trinamool Congress today said that it would decide about participating in the all-party meeting on Darjeeling convened by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on June 17 after seeing the agenda.

“If they (LF government) think that they will convene an all party meeting at their will and we will give our seal of approval, it is not going to happen. We will first see the details of what the government wants to discuss,” Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee told PTI.

She said that her party had no objection in joining the meeting.

“We are for peace and want the problems in the hills to be solved. But the Left Front government has to clearly announce the agenda of the meeting,” she said.

She claimed that earlier the government had ‘flouted’ the decision taken at an all-party meeting.

Neither the Centre nor the state government could deny their responsibility of what was happening in the hills now, she said and accused the CPI-M of creating problems in Darjeeling. PTI SUN PC RSH 06121754 DEL

Union Home Ministry rushes 1,000 central paramilitary force personnel to West Bengal to deal with the situation in violence-hit north Bengal

Union Home Ministry rushes 1,000 central paramilitary force personnel to West Bengal to deal with the situation in violence-hit north Bengal. PTI SMI SC SPA 06121708 DEL

Chaos in Darjeeling – No Food, No money!

All Photos by Barun Roy

A Small Success story to begin with

Hi,

I understand and do agree that most of the people from Darjeeling Hill live by daily earnings and it would be really hard time for them to face these Strikes. Darjeeling totally depends on tourism and telling the tourist to leave Darjeeling for upcoming indefinite strikes would sound some more difficult. GJM has always tried to bond the Gorkha people all around world. GJM’s main motive to unite the Gorkha people and safeguard their interest where they are in minority. There are lots of Gorkha people in Naxalbari, wherein they have been socially, politically, educationally, boycotted.

GJM took the initiative to unite them and thought of making them socially, politically, educationally conscious. GJM took several initiatives to hold a “Workshop” in Naxalbari. However, the permission was denied by the West Bengal Government ruled by CPI (M), who is totally against the up-liftment of Gorkhali community.There are several evidences that GJM had requested for permission which was denied several times – The reason for denial is – “Security Concerns”

Two words – Security Concerns

How can Gorkhali people say that they are safe in West Bengal when they cant provide security to mere 1,000 people when they want to hold a workshop for social awareness. Quite amazing we are in West Bengal.

Now coming to the point again :

As GJM had requested for the permission to hold Workshop on Gorkhaland. The permission was denied. The only alternative was Dharna (bhok hartal) in non-violent way. No, one was accused, it was just a bhok hartal. Now, these people where on Bhok Hartal were physically assaulted, man handled, attacked with latthis, stones and were the victim of abusive languages. These people on Dharna (Bhok Hartal) were attacked by the so called NGO grouped backed by CPI(M) and local administration.

Tourists Still Stranded in Sikkim

Darjeeling Yesterday and Today

GJM Procession at Darjeeling

Jana Jagaran Activists stopping vehicles carrying food supplies to Darjeeling hills

Political unrest in Darjeeling may hit tea industry

By Sutanuka Ghosal, ET Bureau

KOLKATA: Political unrest in the Darjeeling hills has added to the woes of the tea industry, which has suffered a 30% slump in production in first and second flush teas since the beginning of the new season. The industry fears it may suffer losses in 2008 if the movement of teas from gardens to trade destinations is stopped because of the political unrest. [Inset: Tea Leaves. Tea Board of India]

Darjeeling, which has 87 tea gardens, produced 9.5 million kg of tea in 2007. Senior officials of the Darjeeling tea industry told ET: “Though the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) has exempted the tea industry from the bandh, transport availability for carrying tea to the auction centres and warehouses has been hit by the bandh. Besides, if such sporadic unrest continues, it will be difficult for tea companies to smoothly carry out day-to-day operations.”

“Our members are yet to engage in any dialogue with GJM. We are observing the situation,” said a senior official of Darjeeling Tea Association, the apex body of the Darjeeling tea industry.  To compound matters, the monsoon has already hit Darjeeling. Once the rainy season commences, the Darjeeling tea industry starts producing rains teas, which fetch lower prices in the domestic and international markets.  “As there has been lower production of first and second flush teas which garner good prices, the industry has been unable to earn much. It is difficult to market rains teas and if the transport system is affected due to political unrest, the situation will get worse,” a Darjeeling tea producer said.

Darjeeling Diaries

By Pragya Paramita

Darjeeling, ideally, needs no introduction to a Bengali, travel-loving or otherwise. Afterall, when it comes to firing one’s imagination, very few places come close to Darjeeling. From filmmakers to writers, Darjeeling, its mall and the quaint little toy train have left people enthralled down the years. However, with its charms out of bounds for some time at least, Talk tries to capture the best images people have of the little hill town
Bappaditya Bandopadhyay, Director

I have been to Darjeeling just twice. I don’t have too many memories of my first trip as I was very young then. However, I remember being awestruck by the first glimpse of the Himalayas. The second time, I went with a group of friends and remember being compltely enveloped by fog on a certain day. And that reminded me of a famous scene from Federico Fellini’s film Amarcord.

Supriyo Sen, Documentary-maker

My several trips to the hill station have been particularly disappointing since I nevr quite liked the crowd and chaos. It seems as if the entire world has descended on the town. I made my first trip to Darjeeling immediately I had been to Sikkim. Where I was mesmerised by the beauty of the latter, Darjeeling was a rude shock. However, from Darjeeling it felt as if I could touch the Himalayas.

Bickram Ghosh, Musician

I have too many memories of Darjeeling having visited the place so many times. I went there last year with my wife Jaya and it was a beautiful trip since it was her first visit to the place. But there was this trip I remember which I had made with my parents and some of my father’s students. We stayed at a small hotel and made great friends with a Nepali cook. My father was very adventurous about food so we would always experiment with cuisine there. Then one night we decided to go on a walk and we ended up in a small restaurant in one of the small gullies, off the main tourist area and had the best Tibetan food I have ever tasted. During another trip, I was with a friend and stayed at a quaint hotel overlooking the Kanchenjunga. We would lie in bed the whole day and watch the range from our window, we didn’t. [Indian Express]

Darjeeling strike: Schools face the brunt of turmoil

KOLKATA: Elite boarding schools of Darjeeling are being forced to keep their boarders busy through music, dance and games, thanks to the ongoing indefinite strike. Likewise, schools in Kalimpong, supposed to reopen on Thursday, are now mulling an extension of summer vacations.  Gorkha Janamukti Morcha cadres are making regular tours of schools to ensure that they are abiding by the party’s diktats and are not holding classes on the sly. Schools like St Joseph’s (North Point), which has a mix of both day scholars and boarders, have officially told their day scholars not to come to school till there is an official declaration that the bandh has been lifted. Boarders are being made to while away time playing games, chatting and practicing music.

“At least 50% of our students are boarders and we’re holding different kinds of entertainment sessions to keep them busy. We have suspended all classes following an official letter from the GJM asking us to do so,” said principal of St Joseph’s, Father Kinley Tshering.  The GJM headquarters is located opposite this school and it is easy for cadres to walk in unannounced and check.

“We have had frantic calls from anxious parents about the safety of our kids but I have told them that our campus is absolutely safe thanks to the assurance of GJM chief Bimal Gurung. Apart from Indian boarders we also have at least 20 Thai, 90 Nepali and 70 Bhutanese kids among our boaders,” Tshering added.

Gorkha unrest cuts, tears & curls Darjeeling crop

By Nandini Goswami

Demand for Gorkhaland state leads to losses of Rs 4 crore per day across 87 estates

KOLKATA: Dhanraj Thapa, Biresh Bahadur, Rohit Gurung and Sonali Pawn are among the 80,000 labourers working in the 87 lush tea estates across Darjeeling. But their livelihood has taken a backseat to their need for a separate Gorkhaland state. Their demand has hit the world’s ‘muscatel-flavoured finest teas’ hard. In the last few days, Darjeeling’s tea industry has suffered badly due to the agitation, losing an estimated Rs 4 crore a day.

Making matters worse is the fact that the best of Darjeeling-summer and second-flush tea —are produced in June. They command high prices in both domestic and global markets and comprise almost 25-30% of the total production of Darjeeling tea, 90% of which is exported. Planters across Darjeeling, Dooars and the entire North Bengal belt, which churns out about 25% of the total tea produced in India, are a worried lot.
A planter from Darjeeling, who did not wish to be named,  said the call for indefinite closure has sparked panic. “There seems to be no solution in sight. We anticipate huge losses… We are at the mercy of the government.”

Industry estimates say the Darjeeling tea industry would lose 25% of its best produce  and 40-45% of revenues because of the current strife. Ashok Lohia, chairman of Chamong Group, the largest planter in Darjeeling owning 14 gardens, finds the situation untenable. “Business is badly hit. Indefinite closure of the district means dispatches would be impossible. There would be no rations and we can’t send samples to auctions.”

Lohia said now was the best season and prices ranged from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 a kg for stuff plucked at this time. “Exports would be impacted and that would be bad as consignments to leading buyers across the world are decided in advance,” he said. Darjeeling tea falls under the Geographical Indications Act and can’t be grown anywhere else in the world. Known as the Champagne of teas, they have great demand in Europe.
If plucking doesn’t happen on time, quality suffers.

The Hills Are Alive

TODAY’S Times of India EDITORIAL

After a lull of nearly two decades, the Darjeeling hills are once again reverberating with cries for the formation of Gorkhaland.  An indefinite strike in support of a separate state has paralysed life and left thousands of tourists stranded. Though the demand for a state in Darjeeling for “hill people” goes back over a century, the movement for Gorkhaland gathered steam in 1979 when the Subhas Ghising-led Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) launched an armed struggle.

After a decade-long agitation, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) came into being in 1988. The autonomous council was made responsible for the economic, social, educational and cultural development of the hill areas of Darjeeling.  While the formation of the council defused the crisis, the latest phase of the agitation revolves around the proposal to grant Sixth Schedule status to the Darjeeling hills.

The Sixth Schedule would have given Darjeeling greater autonomy and legislative and executive powers similar to those enjoyed by district councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.  However, this move was opposed by sections of the GNLF. A breakaway faction — the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha — led by Bimal Gurung resurrected the demand for Gorkhaland, saying that nothing short of a separate state would satisfy them.

GJM attacks tourists from city, 8 injured

By Pinak Priya Bhattacharya

JALPAIGURI: The violence in Darjeeling took a grisly turn on Wednesday evening when Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters waylaid two groups of tourists from Kolkata near the Gorumara sanctuary and attacked them with choppers and iron rods, leaving eight badly injured. Among the victims are an elderly couple and four women.

The attack marked a terrifying escalation of violence in the Gorkhaland stir. On Tuesday, GJM men smashed up buses but spared tourists. Within 24 hours, they turned fear into terror.  Bimal Kumar Nandan (71) and wife Durgarani (59) clutched each other desperately as they were dragged out of their car and bashed up. The five others in their group were brutally assaulted. Their driver, a local, wasn’t spared either.

Most of the victims are from Behala. Apart from the Nandan couple, five others were identified: Sarmishtha Das (27), Tapas Pal (26), Saikat Bakshi (29), Basanti Pal (45) and Saroj Sinha.  This is the first-ever attack on tourists in the 25-year-old strife in the Hills. Even when the Gorkhaland agitation was at its peak in the 1980s, no non-Nepali person — not to speak of tourists — was harmed. The incident has sent shockwaves through the entire region, increasing anxiety among tourists who are still trapped.

The 16-member team was returning from a trip to Chapramari forest in two cars when it ran into GJM activists at Khunia More on NH-31C at 6 pm. The GJM men, on their way back from Malbazar, were furious that tourists were moving around despite the strike and started pelting stones at them. One of the vehicles sped away. This angered them even more. Armed with iron rods and bhojalis, they attacked the second car. Windows were shattered, wounding the passengers. They were then dragged out of the vehicle along with the driver and assaulted.

Gorkha activists block trains

Siliguri/ Jalpaiguri, June 11: Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) supporters today blocked the Kanchankanya train at Bagracoat station in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri District.

Demanding Central intervention into the matter for a separate Gorkhaland state, the supporters raised slogans stopped the train for over forty minutes.

The West Bengal Government has already dismissed the demand for a separate state in the hills and urged GJM leaders to sit for talks on other issues.

Meanwhile, hundreds of tourists were forced to leave Darjeeling hills following a shutdown called by supporters of separate statehood for ethnic Gorkha people.

Activists of the GJM had asked tourists, including dozens of foreigners, to leave Darjeeling to avoid getting caught in the indefinite strike that began on Tuesday.

Dozens of tourists were stranded as buses and taxis stayed off the roads.

“We were planning to go to Darjeeling to take bus or jeep or even a train but none of them worked because everybody said the roads and railways are blocked,” said Majeic, a tourist from Poland.