After 104 days, Darjeeling returns to normal
DARJEELING: Shops opened and the streets sprung back to life as one of India’s most picturesque hill stations, Darjeeling, woke up to normal life on Wednesday after a 104-day shutdown that sparked widespread violence and left at least 12 people dead.
The indefinite shutdown, called to press for a separate Gorkhaland state, was clamped on June 15 after a police raid on office of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), the largest political party in hills of West Bengal, and its chief Bimal Gurung.
The GJM called off the bandh on Tuesday evening after Union home minister Rajnath Singh asked the home secretary to convene a meeting to discuss “all issues” related to Darjeeling. GJM is an ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Anit Thapa, the expelled GJM central committee leader who was appointed the vice-chairman of the board of administrators of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) said, “The Union home minister gave a face saver to Gurung.”
“Life was already coming to normal. The home minister has not promised tripartite talks. He has also not said whether the meeting would discuss Gorkhaland.” Educational institutions, offices and banks were, however, closed for Durga Puja and Dussera, the biggest festival of the Gorkhas.
Internet service, suspended since June 19, was also restored on Tuesday night though the administration did not announce it officially.
Offcials said north Bengal’s all 87 tea gardens — employ more than 70,000 workers — started functioning from early morning.
“Works resumed in all tea gardens and the workers are likely to get their puja bonus on Thursday,” said Suraj Subba, general secretary of the Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union, which is affiliated to the GJM.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the second biggest tourist attraction after Mount Kanchandzonga in Darjeeling hills, could not resume train services as sections of the tracks have been hit by landslides and have not been repaired during the shutdown. A station of the ‘toy train’ service – a Unesco World Heritage Site – was also partially burnt in arson during the bandh.
A large chunk of state government and GTA employees have not got salaries for the last three months. Tea garden workers have also not been paid.
The loss of business and tourism sector is believed to run into hundreds of crores.
“With no money at hands, this Durga puja and Dussera would pass without fanfare,” said Jyoti Karki, a Kalimpong resident.