DARJEELING: High ’n’ dry feeling in Darjeeling – Hangouts deserted and tourists despondent as liquor ban hits hill station
Posted by barunroy on November 10, 2009
FROM THE TELEGRAPH
BY MEGHDEEP BHATTACHARYYA IN DARJEELING
Joey’s Pub is closed because of the liquor ban
What’s Darjeeling without a drop to drink? Not half as heady a holiday hangout.
Just ask the gang of five friends from Calcutta cutting short its stay because of the booze ban. “What is there to do here after 8pm?” demanded Rahul Varma, 21.
The MBA student from Garden Reach arrived in Darjeeling with four classmates on Saturday with plans to stay a week. Till they heard of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s ban on the sale of licensed liquor. “We have decided to head back on Wednesday,” Varma told Metro.
The Morcha slapped the ban from Saturday in a bid to block the state government’s monthly revenue stream of Rs 3 crore from 19 off-shops and 54 licensed bars. Darjeeling going dry is already leaving visitors from Calcutta high and dry.
Joey's pub when the hills were heady
“I will think twice before I plan another trip to Darjeeling because of the ban,” said Calcutta-based US national Doug Riley, 38, on his fourth visit in two years.
The two most popular watering holes, Buzz and Joey’s Pub, cut a sorry figure on Monday. Buzz, below Glenary’s, was trying in vain to woo tourists with mocktails while Joey’s, near INOX, remained locked for the third day on the trot. “Nobody comes here for soft drinks, so no point keeping it open,” shrugged an employee at Joey’s.
There is free flow of locally brewed liquor like thongba and rakshi and many restaurants have started stocking up, but most tourists are reluctant to risk it.
“I would love some alcohol now, but I’m not that desperate either,” said Kaunteya Chatterjee, 30, a private bank employee from Calcutta, shying away from rakshi on the racks.
No wonder some owners of eateries forced to go dry are already plotting other possible ventures. “Alcohol accounts for more than 50 per cent of our sales. It isn’t easy to branch into other business in Darjeeling, but we may not be left with a choice by the Morcha ban,” said the owner of a deserted sip-and-bite stop.
The Morcha leadership refused to blink. “Tourists might be facing some problems, but our sole aim is to stop revenue flow into the state coffers,” said a Morcha leader.
Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh, however, told Metro that he did not support the ban on liquor, among other such moves by the Morcha.
Mansi Ahlawat, 27, a content writer taking a break, summed up the tourist blues: “This isn’t the Darjeeling we knew and loved.”
Film-maker Anjan Dutt, a Darjeeling loyalist, couldn’t agree more. “Darjeeling without liquor is just very, very wrong… extremely unfair. I called up friends there and it is an absolutely desperate situation. My friend Puran (Gongba), who runs Joey’s Pub, is without income for the last three days. Tourists are running away.”
Will you stop going to Darjeeling because of the liquor ban?
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“Banning liquor is against the cosmopolitan spirit of Darjeeling. It’s like declaring the place vegetarian. It’s quite tragic”
– Anjan Dutt, film-maker
superman said
there are so many ways by which the state govt is earning revenue for example the taxes earned by selling petroleum product i.e. petrol diesel kerosene etc. so why doesn’t the morcha stop that too.
RAJA said
Yes bimal – roshan might start digging soil in search of oil
MMM said
Well liquor is not banned but only country made liquor are allowed by Hitler Gurung, the King of Hills.
xyz said
This is what happens when foreigners are allowed unrestricted access to your country and locals are too cowardly to protest. No wonder country’s which take strict measures and unceremoniously chuck out illegal migrants achieve highest economic growth.
State’s which follow “secular policies” i.e. treacherous policies which marginalise locals and appease outsiders and foreigners, become economic hell holes.
When will the GOI and WB take action against these Nepalis? It’s so sickening that foreigners from a neighbouring country can openly defy the local Govt by not paying taxes, electricity bills and now stopping sale of liquor to hurt the local Govt which has allowed them to migrate from Nepal. This is height of incompetence and cowardliness of Bengalis.
MMM said
@XYZ
“When will the GOI and WB take action against these Nepalis?”
Well they won’t take any action against people who are axing their own feet and our beloved Jaswantji whose career is now dumped is helping them in doing so.
Amfoi said
So u guys cme to Darj to booze .. let me remind you Darj is not famous for liquor.If anyone has so much love for drinking u can travel to France for champange ,Mexico for Tequila n Russia for Vodka.You cn fly to the Scottish highlands for pure whisky !
Why complain ?
One of the drunkard seems to be close fren of Joeys Pub.So wat..u speaking on behalf of him for nathey pegs.If you can t do without it,
You guys can bring it urself down frm Siliguri.Wats the problem ?
xyz said
Amra Bangali should now ask Bengalis to stop paying taxes, electricity, telephone bills etc. untill and unless the Govt takes strict action against these ppl who are holding the state to ransom. Let them be kicked back to Nepal where they can continue with their antics.
patleybaskounpad said
although i don’t really approve of the ban, i would like to see it being few enforced, say for a few years or till GL is formed or till the govt. makes a law is made that spells out that the duty paid will not go to the WB govt(which is highly unlikely)….
RAJA said
7.
AMRA BANGALI has little influence over whole bengalese …. bengalese are not dumb head that they will accept diktaaqt of amra bangalese like peoples of darj do (by GJMM)…. amra bangali is a communal outfit …. better to stay away from them ….