LETTER TO THE EDITOR: What will the leaders achieve by forcibly making our children leave their schools?
Posted by barunroy on July 12, 2009
Ed,
The Himalayan Beacon
Sir,
This is with reference to a phone call I received yesterday requesting me to pull out my ward from his school in Darjeeling. I am a lawyer associated with a reputed law firm in Mumbai. I have myself spent my childhood in Darjeeling as a student at St. Paul’s, my Alma Mater and my forever home. I bear fond memories Darjeeling. I decided to send my son to Darjeeling to receive the same education and love that I had received during my childhood. Frankly, I do not know much about the demand for Gorkhaland but I do fully sympathize with the people of the hills who are such a lovable lot. Surely, people of Darjeeling Hills and Gorkhas as a whole deserve a state of their own. But beyond praying and hoping for the same I can do nothing else. Now that I am trying my best to reach Darjeeling by Monday and leave immediately, I wonder whether I will be able to safely bring back my son. Please do question leaders behind these agitation – what do they hope to achieve by forcibly making children leave their schools in the middle of an academic session. I have decided to pull out my son for good. I hope common sense will prevail and Darjeeling will be back to being a hospitable town, once loved by all.
Ruben Mehta
Mumbai
R.Govindacharya said
Dear Barun,
My name is Ravindran Govindacharya. I live in Chennai. My son studies in Mount Hermon School in Darjeeling. I may not be able to reach Darjeeling tomorrow. Is it safe for our children?
N. Sharma said
This is really absurd! Why are they calling for an indefinite strike and why are they forcing parents to get the wards from the schools? We are middle class people. We work hard to offer best education for our wards. It is impossible to get leave from our duties and reach Darjeeling within a matter of days. My daughter studies at Mount Hermon. I am really disgusted by the attitude of the political leaders. Don’t they have children and don’t their children go to schools!
I Love My India said
Last Friday a Bengali Businessmen Mr Sanjit Saha was physicaly assulted by Morcha supporters at Sevoke and his moblie was snatched and broken by them with out any cause. These communal GJMM supporters are try to creat a communal riot in North Bengal region. Be Aleart.
Sanity said
We are deeply sorry about the inconvenience caused to you by the impending strike. But I think the school authorities are well within their rights to let the students stay in the hostels. The GJM announcement was certainly not an order that all outstation students must leave Darjeeling as is being portrayed in the media. What they meant to say is that students willing to go home in the strike could do so. I don’t see the strike continuing for a long time considering the issue for what it is being held. The notice to tourists about the strike was to prevent them from being stranded as in the earlier srikes. Strikes have always been held in Darjeeling for decades now – I don’t see any reason why there must be such a big concern for the students and the schools.
DobRub said
The situation is not as bad as it is painted out to be. I am sure the if the parents whose children are studying in schools over here, do not reach Dareeling by Monday then they will be provided some sort of relief by the party. Besides, the strikes should not go on indefinitely as most of the public are not in favour of it. So, there should not be any reason for any apprehension.
Sanity said
And please don’t pay attention to mischief mongers like ILMI in #3. He and his tribe thrive on creating unnecessary panic and tension. The Gorkhaland movement is not against individuals or against other communities.
patleybaskounpad said
well how is it that such views are not being articulated by the party officials…
binoy tamang is reported to have said:
“We have already told the schools about our proposed strike, and now it is up to them to manage sending their students back,”
now what do we make of that?
how are parents supposed to react when the air is thick rumors ?
best thing is to send kids to some other hill station where the situation is stable and learning not impeded by these kinds of uncertainties…
correct decision i should say mr. mehta..
patleybaskounpad said
of course my sympathies to the local scholars..somebody on another thread was ruing about lost opportunities and promising lives wasted on booze..well add to that one more malaise..strikes…
DobRub said
I would advise the parents not to flock to darjeeling to take their wards. I believe it would be wise to wait and watch considering the fact the strike is not likely to go on indefinitely …as has been claimed!
patleybaskounpad said
i would advise guardians that meaningful studies cannot be done with the specter of an imminent, indefinite bandh looming large..
if you are paying your well earned dollars (or rupees or whatever currency ..) best is to send your child to some other school located in a region where the situation is stable..and by the way there is no dearth of good schools in India..Darjeeling boarding schools may be relatively cheap but no point wasting the future of your ward in an environment where there is uncertainty and nobody seems to know what is going to happen next..
I Love My India said
Darjeeling is not a fathers property of any body to suddenly called indefinite strike etc in a whimsical manner.
Jesus said
Dear Parents, I’m terribly sorry you hear of your plight and I would also be alarmed on hearing these ultimatums. But as some of the bloggers have confirmed ,we at Darjeeling do not think the strike would get beyond a week or at the best ten days.And for these days I do believe the schools have the resources to tide over for these days and the district administration would also ensure that situation does not get out of hand.
As for reasoning with GJMM leaders, how can we reason with the leader whose own son & daughter is safely enconsed and studying in Bangalore. They don’t care for the Public of Darj, they are only interested in their own vested interests and they are no better than Subash Ghishing & his GNLF.
patleybaskounpad said
#12
your comments are well intentioned and well appreciated coming as they are from ground zero…but a part of what you wrote may not sound very reassuring to parents who have sent their children to the hill schools to get well educated and not merely to survive…i am referring to:
“we at Darjeeling do not think the strike would get beyond a week or at the best ten days.And for these days I do believe the schools have the resources to tide over for these days and the district administration would also ensure that situation does not get out of hand.”
Sanity said
#12.
Ten days? Hardly! When was the last time we had an indefinite strike of “ten” days? Even the so-called 40-days strike didn’t last its full term in the 1980s.
Sanity said
Sorry, but I have to bring this in!
We are certainly concerned about the inconvenience the rich, the educated and the articulate are having because of the strike. But what about the poor people of the tea gardens in Darjeeling whose lives are on eternal strike (not just indefinite)? With a monthly income of Rs. 1500, life is on a strike each day of their lives. I think we should see and redress their plight first.
patleybaskounpad said
#14
i don’t know where you were at that time but if memory serves me right the strike went on for more than twenty days at a stretch..and when the Ghissing assassination took place, for how many days did the hills shut down…
anyway doesn’t matter if the strike lasts five or fifty days…what matters is the reasons why it is called for and whether it achieves what it has set out to accomplish…
children of people like mehta can be seen as collateral damages..well that is how i would rationalize the situation if i was a morcha supporter…
patleybaskounpad said
#15
there may a hundred million ways to mitigate the suffering of the tea garden workers but i would like to assure you that calling an indefinite strike would not figure anywhere in those options…
Sanity said
#17.
Pray tell us how else will the suffering of the tea garden workers be mitigated. These tea gardens are in existence for around 150 years, yet the people working there were labourers then and are labourers now (with Rs 1500 monthly salary in 2009). What makes us believe that unless there is a revolution these people will see better lives?
xxx said
education is not a concern for these leaders as they themselves are mostly illiterate.
if the strike goes on for more than 20 days or so then that may just be the end of GJMM.
patleybaskounpad said
i don’t think there are any short-cuts ..but if people are willing to work for such pittance (the alternative to that not existing) then the rot runs deeper than the apparent tight-fistedness of tea garden owners…
people in ‘andolan’ mode usually look for dramatic quick fixes but none of those would work here…my pessimistic assessment is that this generation is lost..for the upcoming one , quality education is the best bet…most govt. primary schools are staffed by relatively well paid teachers…in those neglected institutions perhaps lie the key to unlocking the future of the gardens and rest of the hills…
of course WB is made the villain in much of the cases but a bit of honest soul searching will reveal that even we have not treated our own with the care and concern they deserve..after all most of our teachers, politicians, contractors have been our own..and see how they have botched up the job…this is perhaps a more fundamental issue and one that would not be resolved even if a separate state was to become a reality…
patleybaskounpad said
#20 was for #18
Sanity said
Which is more serious – inconvenience or life-and-death situation?
I am a witness of an incident in a tea garden in Darjeeling that was shut down without any prior notice by the garden management – the Gorkha labourers had nothing to eat so they ate the entire stem of the “iskus” (a local vegetable) right upto its base. Normally, only the tender terminal stem part is consumed but these people had no option but to eat the entire plant. Now, compare this situation with the “inconvenience” the rest of us are facing.
xxx said
Political parties should not be allowed to call any strikes.
Supreme court of India should come up with a ruling to ban general strikes by political parties.
xxx said
calling longer strikes does not give good signal to the outer world.
we are making them believe that we can survive such long strikes which means we are well to do lot.
so does that help the cause of gorkhaland.
Sanity said
#20.
Yes, we could have great results had we great schools in the tea gardens. But sadly there aren’t! And to think that the schools there are well endowed, you just need to visit them. Crumbling walls, children virtually squatting on the cold floor, untrained teachers, students who do not eat two meals a day and parents who have had no proper education themselves. It is so easy to say that “we have given you the schools, now you produce the results”. It is not that simplistic as you put it. Can you imagine what the future of the kids are who eat a potato for breakfast and no lunch and some rice and curry/dal for dinner and you want to compare and compete them with kids who spend thousands per month as pocket money! Bharat has miles to go before it reaches India and the journey is not that easy as we on the top think it to be.
patleybaskounpad said
#22
i don’t see how we can make that distinction..what may cause ‘inconvenience’ to a salaried individual may be ‘life threatening’ to one who works on daily wages..
and as has been the pattern in these strike, the babus will be allowed to draw their salary..but what will the others eat?
there wont be that fat salary waiting at the other end of the indefinite bandh for people who don’t work in govt. jobs..the shopkeeper may clandestinely conduct business through the back door but what of your poor workers????
patleybaskounpad said
#25
i think we are missing a point here..there is no denying the fact that primary schools are in a state of utter decrepitude and that primary teachers (well at least some of them) are hardly the kind who should be entrusted with the tender impressionable,but minds…but the question is how did it come to be this way?
aren’t we to blame for the mess?
no one can say that the DGHC did not have the money..no one can deny that the teachers (some who land up drunk, others who ‘hire’ people to work for them) are not our own…
I Love My India said
In these situation GNLF/GJMM leaders are setting up palatial builing and purchasing costly cars. These so called GL has no financial, logical, political, geographical viability. WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF MONEY FOR GJMM? These movment is a communal and anti Indian movment and for the cause of illegal mighrants from Nepal and Bhupalis.
xxx said
This ILMI is a pain in a*&* for everybody.
very cynical
I Love My India said
ILMI is pain in arse for anti Indian only.
Sanity said
#26.
It is all about perception!
To you loss of business and working hours may be a concern but to me the little boy I met in one of these decrepit primary schools of Darjeeling who said the best food he ever had was rice with a piece of “dalda” could be a concern.
xxx said
at least you endorse yourself to be a pain in arse.
I Love My India said
Only for anti indians. We can be a force to cut all the anti Indians hands.
patleybaskounpad said
#31
i don’t think you got me..please read the post again..what i am trying to imply is that the strike that causes mere ‘inconvenience’ to a richer fellow might mean something more grave to another not so fortunate….
i appreciate your concern for the poor but strike is no way to mitigate their plight…compassionate capitalism (coined by narayana murthy)could perhaps be the way..but for that to happen there has to be (i) rule of law (ii) stability….and an indefinite strike does not lead to either…
pixie said
i feel deeply not only for the students and the parents….but for so many others who will be adversely effected by this so called strike…it is nothing but a source of misery in so many ways…calling a STRIKE should be regarded as a crime strictly punishable by law….if only such a law would be enforced…i am sure it would be such a relief for so many!!
i had thought these leaders were working for the betterment of darj….fighting for its almost lost glory…but with these unrest creeping up…bringing fear to so many people directly or indirectly related to darj….it seems the once famous darj is slowly forcibly being made infamous…it is sad.
Lama Baje said
Ballaa ballaa Unue Phulyo, Gu Kai Gandah
barbarian said
This is the consequence of the Central Government’s negligence of the local peoples’ aspiration, and local peoples’ ignorance.
If a separate state is enshrined in the Indian Consitution on the basis of language, culture, the central government should give a thought on it.
Even if it is granted, the people should understand that separate state only is not a solution.
A good governance is required to run a state.
Finally it is better to have an inefficient but honest leader who is willing to listen to the public rather than a corrupt and efficient one because people is the government.
barbarian said
#33
who is this idiot? who is against India. the darjeeling people are demanding a separate state from west bengal as a result of its negetive attitude towards them. they have already made it clear that they are fighting for a state not separation from indian union. bloody stupid.
MMM said
“Ruben Mehta”… I think this man is a created man… i hope what i meant is clear. The entire letter is a fake one!
Well situation in Darjeeling is not that worse… and students are safe but may face inconvenience.
As information to all the parents whose kids studies here… situation is ok as of now, but it can go worse at any point of time if GJM tries to force bandh is some of the areas in the plain belt of Darjeeling District as it may result in a wide scale violence between GJM and the leftist and which may result in a communal flare up. As its a post poll scenario, the govt. won’t show any restrain.
So the wise decision would be to take back your children and get their admission to other places as this political turmoil would continue for sometime and education is definitely gonna hamper.
Sanity said
I see no reason to panic. No one is going to attack schools, hostels and school kids in Darjeeling. And moreover in a strike there are even lesser chances of violence than on a non-strike day because everyone (most) keeps indoors. People are as safe as on any other day if they keep to themselves.
#39, is it advisable to ask parents to put up their wards in another school at this time of the year? Are admissions still open in schools now? No one wants to lose a year of studies just because of a strike and loads of rumours.
I Love My India said
@38. Shut up, Who will feed so called GL? Darjeeling Hills is getting three times more then her Income when Maharastra, orissia, Jharkhand farmers are suiciding. Darjeeling is second richest dist of W.B. due to givt dole. Already their is a Nepali state in India and that is Sikkim and completly depends on Govt dole. No more parasites in India.
I love my India said
dont worry.. your kids will be safe in Darjeeling
I love my India said
All this is happening because of negligence of West Bengal and Central Govt.
I love my India said
Save the Gorkhas, Save the Nation
I Love My India said
Better say beacuse of GOVT DOLE. Govt should stop all the dole to Sikkim and Darjeeling hills all the problem will be solved.
I love my India said
Its high times that Indian Government acknowledges the contribution of Indian Gorkhas towards Nation building.
I Love My India said
Pay taxes, pay electricity bills, pay telephone bills, stop communal activites, stop attacking adivasis, stop forming illegal outfit and SAVE INDIA.
I Love My India said
It is high time ,Govt should identify illigal and anti indian instigator and put them behind bar.
Amfoi said
#41 ilmi,
u say Darjiling gets three times more than the rest.
where s that bulshit money ?
do travel to hill tea gardens and live there for a month.
its a Hell !
its not like Bangali babus enjoying all govt services and bow n arrow ppl and Gorkhalis doing the tea services.
And imli …do u knw where babus get their salaries from ?
DOLES…tea doles, tourism dole, timber dole ,hydro dole ?
Wats there in rest of Bangal ?
No IT , no automobile,no heavy industries, no petro chemicals except haldia,no electrical etc etc.
Only Jute n paddy !!
The paddy it grows does not meet a fraction of its own demands.!
And yeah i forgot öne important Bangal product
UNION BAJI…
I Love My India said
Very good number of Nepali babus in w.b govt jobs. Darjeeling Hills a half dist size area inspite of that good schools , good colleges are their. Darjeeling is one of the highest density of govt servent having dist. Darjeeling is second richest dist of w.b. due to govt dole. darjeeling is getting three times more then her income when lalagarh farmeres are starving. I forget one improtant GJMM product at darjeeling.. ANTI INDIAN BAJI…..
MMM said
@Amfoi
“its not like Bangali babus enjoying all govt services and bow n arrow ppl and Gorkhalis doing the tea services.
And imli …do u knw where babus get their salaries from ?”
Did you check the %of nepali speaking getting govt. jobs compared to the rest from the Darjeeling Dist.? Particularly in police force… i guess Nepali speaking ST people are far more privileged.
MMM said
@Amofi
“do travel to hill tea gardens and live there for a month.
its a Hell”
Yes you are right, but its some of the nepali speaking to sucks the money sent by the govt. for the poor……. biggest example Shubash Ghisingh & Bimal Gurung.
Amfoi said
Mmm,
please do log on ‘www.pscwb.org.in’ and find out how many hill Gorkhas ve passed out in WBCS since its inception.
Let me know how many Gorkhas ve become WBCS officers in The General and Sc category.
Only three /four ve made their way in WBCS exe A in ST Category this year.
Gen Category= NIL
SC Category=NIL
St Category= 3
How many Gorkha Secretaries r there in the Writers ?
How many DGP,IGP,DG,SP,IG s r in the police ?
Btw 30 to 35% of ppl in Darjeeling dist r non Gorkhas and they hold the key to all activities.
And u say , Gorkhas r a priveleged lot !
I ve always said that GL movement is born out of Deprivation n Discrimination.You need to look at this aspect more if you do ve the earnest desire to solve this problem.
Lahure said
Everything normal parents.Please do not worry.
patleybaskounpad said
#53 does that mean school’s are open?
I Love My India said
A very good number of Darjeeling Hills school are CBSE and ICSC approved. Darjeeling is second richest dist of w.b. Darjeling is getting three times then her earning. In HDI Darjeeling score is much high. You must visit Lalgarh, Kalahandi etc are , you will ashmed to wear costly Jeans after that. India is developing country, We have to make it Developed by 2020. We have contribute equaly inspite of asking for more money etc.
boksy aunty said
#2. they have their kids studying in safer places like Dr. H.B. Chhetri = New Delhi. Bimal Gurung = Austrialia and Bangalore etc.
RAJA said
Amfoi,
if a candidate is deserving to held a post then no one can stop him/her … you dont see much gorkha SP/ASP/DGP …may be % of gorkha population is much less compare to whole benglese population in bengal so as to WBCS selected candidate.
barbarian said
that’s why a separate state is imparative
Amfoi said
So u mean to say we r inelligible and inefficient.This s not the case. Why dn t u accept their exists discrimination in India.?
There r so many inefficient babus in the services.
The last time I went to a SBI branch, I found myself in a bizarre comic situation.Neither I could trust my ears nor could the person believe himself since he was a manager !
An SBI manager !
It so happened I was late for banking that day.I requested the middle aged manager to do some favour. He just refused n when I insisted,
he said,’
‘YOU CAN T BREAK THE FORMULA !’ I immediately utd wat he meant to say,’not to break the rule.’
It made me laugh the whole fortnight.
Raja…this s one instance.There r hundreds of inefficient lazy Babus who cant put their signature in English.
RAJA said
THAT’s true fact …. untill reservation system exist we cant help about it …may be you will have to face that kind of manager manytimes in future …. by d way I didn’t tell you are inefficient , I have tld % of appearing candidates compare to bengalese is very less so chances are also less to select finally.but no one will be able to stop a deserving candidate.
I Love My India said
I know that manager, actualy he is from…………………
RAJA said
Unless reservation criterion stops you will find many babus of that kind … it’s true fact , but for that why do you blaming bengal govt?? if you want to blame then blame our political systm , blame our constitution….
Sanity said
#57.
When you say safer places such as Australia and New Delhi, do Australia seem a safe place for Indian students and New Delhi a safe place for North-East students, especially girls? Darjeeling is as safe as any part of the world.
Sanity said
#56.
you will ashmed to wear costly Jeans after that.
————–
Actually wearing a jeans makes sense and is much more economical than other wears in the long term.
It is very durable and will last for years – less expense in the long term. It actually becomes better as it ages.
It requires less maintenance cost. No constant ironing needed, no constant washing needed – saving on money.
It is very strong and can stand very tough handling.
It is a great social leveller – both a labourer and a billionaire can wear it.
I would advise all people like ILMI to promote jeans because it saves time and money in the long run.
Sanity said
#56.
You must visit Lalgarh, Kalahandi etc are , you will ashmed to wear costly Jeans after that. India is developing country, We have to make it Developed by 2020.
—————–
Do you mean to say that Lalgarh and Kalahandi are so hot that wearing jeans would be ridiculous?
Also, how will not wearing jeans make India a developed country by 2020?
I Love My India said
Lalgarh and Kalahandis farmers are toiling hard and produce grain, unfortunaly they are getting nothing . Whereas Darjeeling is getting three times more then her income and Sikkim is completly depends on central govt dole. These thing should not be continue.
Sanity said
#67.
That is why both Lalgarh and Darjeeling (I have no knowledge of Kalahandi) are up in revolt asking for attention from the government. The “grain produders” of Lalgarh and the tea grden workers of Darjeeling demand the same thing – economic development.
I would also ask you to provide us the source of the data that says Darjeeling gets 3 times its income. What factors have you taken into naccount before arriving to this conclusion? Can you tell us the income and expenditure of the tea gardens in Darjeeling?
I Love My India said
Every body knows , your GK is very poor. Go through Indian geography, You will find Kalahandi. Go through Economey and Statistic of W.B. you will get your answer.
I Love My India said
Lalgarhs farmer are poor but producing for the country. GJMM peoples are rich because of Lalgarhs expense.
Sanity said
#69.
I am saying I don’t have any idea if there is any revolt in Kalahandi. Normally any place that is undeveloped will have one revolution or the other.
Would you so so kind to tell us which “Economey and Statistic of W.B.” should we refer to? I hope it is not the one prepared by Amra Bangali, UB Jan Jagaran Manch or BOBBBC? Can you provide us the website link, if any? You see, reports can be manipulated in any way. But we want to see the report and check if they have included every aspect of economy in Darjeeling. It might lead to your enlightenment too and you will not be writing wrong answers in your public services examinations!
JTM said
People wearing jeans….rubbish cheap talk Jeans are not a sign of affluence.