Indefinite Strike resumes in Darjeeling Hills
Posted by barunroy on June 17, 2008
DARJEELING, June 17: With the indefinite bandh to resume from 6 p.m. today, Darjeeling went on a shopping spree again. “There is a rumour that the Hills will shutdown for 2 months so we are trying to stock up all necessary items. Food stuff is not a problem but it will be difficult to get vegetables,” said Ms Bhawana Limbu, who had come out for last minute shopping. The calm crowd of the day turned frenetic as evening approached. Some people scurried homeward with grocery while others thronged the shops trying their best to secure all items in their shopping list. [Inset: People on a shopping spree at Darjeeling.]
Shopkeepers were busy clearing all stocks available with them. “We are trying to clear all the vegetables by selling them at subsidised rates” said Ms Maya Tamang, a green grocer. Towards the evening, shops downed shutters and vehicles packed with passengers made way in and out of the town trying to meet the 6 p.m. deadline. “I made a single trip to Siliguri to drop some passengers and returned just in time to meet the deadline,” said Dinesh Lama, a driver. Meanwhile, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha called all-party meeting at Gymkhana tomorrow. “We intend to review the current political situation of the hills and develop a suitable strategy to attain the Gorkhaland demand. All parties except the GNLF and the CPI-M are invited to the meeting,” informed central committee member, Mr Binay Tamang.
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