Tourists attacked with iron rods - Darjeeling Hills & Dooers

machadinha

I was a little disheartened just now to see this thread heating up among some members I take to heart, even if perhaps understandably so.

Would dearly love to see it remain civil. That's my two cents, for what they're worth. Rational arguments and taking the time to make them can sometimes really make a difference. The more so when we feel we're being disinformed or misrepresented through other channels.

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capt_mahajan

It is simplistic, in my view, to say 'agitation' and justify hooliganism.

The fact that these guys get violent seems that either they don't have the numbers, or the confidence, to fight politically. Or, as often happens worldwide, their agenda is getting political legitimacy by attacking innocent people. This is the cowards way out.


sharan and duke, bad experiences. Glad all seems ok.


This is offtopic, so don't want to dwell on it, but I would agree with you if you had put in the word 'illegals' somewhere. Not all Bangladeshi's are in this country illegally.

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sagarneel

The fact is...an empty stomach cant fuel a revolution. Everyone is queing up for his share in the next days newspaper headlines. Some or the other party is calling for a strike every second day day. The people in the hills might be facing with an acute scarcity of food if this situation prevails...thats the most inhuman part of it.
I dont want to dig into the political events that consequently led to this build up...the saddest part of the story is, its affecting innocent people. Their economy, their minimum requirement of food is under threat.
Strangely(and very depressingly), people of Sikkim , who have no connection with this movement, are being made to suffer because of erratic supply of food from the plains(on which they are largely dependant)
This should stop....there's still time before the situation goes out of control. A positive part of the story is that the CM has invited Mr Bimal Gurung to a bilateral discussion. Lets hope, things turn for the better.

mantru

nayan,
I dont want to go deep into politics...coz i am not a very great fan of politics.....its the communial clashes thats the major concern......why cant people understand if we together get a state it will benifit all......there are few anti social elenemts who causes these clashes ......i wish people in hills and plains fight together for their own betterment...thats what i meant by 'we'.....outside west bengal bongs and neps can be great friends.....why not within West bengal?? whats the reason for that.....why do we feel we can supress the other ??there are lots of questions which remains unanswered and no one will be able to answer...i guess the politicians can??

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machadinha

Not a bad short background read I felt, outlining various sides and nuances and dilemmas to the story: Indian Express, "For a Home and an Identity," http://www.indianexpress.com/sunday/story/322778.html

theyyamdancer

Thank you for posting this.

edwardseco

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7458275.stm

Its back..

Bhaswaran

I see a lot of water have flown by the river since my last log in.

Madam,

I know that I am not the one to decide but can always give my views, expressions and justifications. The Indian Constitution guarantees me that. Please read about it (Fundamental Rights - Freedom of Speech).

Secondly, I know very much the Siliguri is within Darjeeling District. I think everyone here knows it.

And second secondly, I am astonished to find that you are now talking about Darjeeling District as a whole? When this clever tactics start? As far as I remember, Gorkhaland agitation was for a separate homeland for the Gorkhas, they want the places of their majority (population) as a separate state as they are different ethnically and linguistically from the rest of West Bengal. They wanted a separate homeland (a state) for their own. That is up in the hills and they wanted that only. Now, please tell me from which angle does the areas in and around Siliguri and Dooers come within the map of the so called "Gorkhaland" on ethnic or linguistic basis? For your information, Gorkhas comprise less than 30% of the total population there.

The agitation leaders cleverly included Siliguri and Dooers in their map now (Darjeeling district) for a two pronged tactics - this will creat unrest in those areas, as you have seen, and will act as a pressure tactic on the Government. Secondly, the agitators now have understood very well that even if the state of Gorkhaland is formed, only the hill economy will not help it to survive and it will be dependent on the plains again. (already the government spends more on the hills than the revenue collected from the hills). So , they included Siliguri and Dooers in the map - Objective: The huge forest resources and tea plantation economy, alongwith tourism, and the business economy of Siliguri. Anyone can look at the strategic location of Siliguri and see how important it is to India. It is the one and only corridor that connects India to the states of Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura as well as parts of North Bengal. Imagine the immense potential of Siliguri from the point of business interest and the large revenue it generates. Siliguri could be the backbone of Gorkhaland economy, which otherwise cannot survive on its own, and so, step aside the hyped issue of ethnicity and linguistic basis of a separate homeland for the Gorkhas. Including Siliguri and Dooers defies their own logic of Gorkhaland and is pretty idiotic without any base, other than to create trouble.

And for the information, the people who protested in Siliguri aganist inclusion of their areas in Gorkhaland are leaded by intellectuals, doctors, lawyers, collage and school teachers, and a good portion of them were thrown aways from the hills, (where they were originally working) on ethnic and linguistic basis during the first agitation. They have to come down and settle in the plains around Siliguri and start their career again from zero.

The agitators in the hills now talking of the whole of Darjeeling district as Gorkhaland are speaking aganist their own terms and seems pretty idotic, and they think they are much clever and everyone is fool enough just to see what they protray. Hope these clownish people do not include Kolkata or Delhi or Mumbai in their Gorkhaland map in the future...ha...ha...

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Aiexile

I see the situation in Darjeeling shows no sign of improving anytime soon, pity, because I need to be in Kalimpong mid July. Hopefully the unrest will have calmed down a bit and limited i.e. not necessarly 'tourist' access will be possible by then. Thanks to everyone for updating the news at a local level.
Aiexile.

ashakasha

My son will be attending school there, and his principal did not see that the strikes would be a problem.

I was also told by my contact there that the strike is only in effect for one more month and a half- putting into the last part of July that the bandh will be lifted entirely.

Tourists will still be prohibited (or at least highly discouraged), but those coming for official purposes (schooling, work) will be allowed in and out.

But who knows...this could always change in an instant, I suppose.

sonal.pandit

Guys,

I don't know if I did the stupid thing or not. But went ahead with my Sikkim plan on 12th June and came back 25th June despite of strike there. But I could travel safely along with my husband and now when i think about the trip I am glad I went ahead.

At the same time I thank God for keeping me and my husband safe. Whole trip was planned by Mr.Suman Mukharjee (he owns Rabtanse Hotel at Pelling) who planned everything and we trusted him and followed his plan blindly. I am so thankful to him for helping us out, as Sikkim was new territory to us.

I am never going to forget this trip. Sikkim was so beautiful, cuz of less tourists we could also spend our time in peace, thr was no rush. I am completely awed by the beauty of Sikkim. Loved Gurmdongar Lake.

Also thanks to everybody here, who helped me in deciding my sikkim travel plan.

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himangshu

The agitation started again this year All tourists we asked to leave the hills by Monday 13th. July. This year they are planning to break the forty days records strike made earlier by their predecessor.
Hope there is an end to this..

machadinha

Yes; it might be useful to other readers to realize this thread refers to last year's events; there are currently some new threads on this year's events at:

Darjeeling Strikes .
http://www.indiamike.com/india/darje...t-down-t85176/ .

Midnight Oil

People are just trying to defame Darjeeling. The topic of the article is amazing.. can anyone provide any proff.. Few people are just selfish to defame Darjeeling.

Britishraj

I fly to Bagdora on 11th. Nov. No doubt I will Watch This Space.

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