Respond

It is 19 : 00 hrs on August 7th 2009*. A frosty and drizzling evening at Chowrasta, the same Chowrasta which once was a place of great entertainment for all has now enveloped itself in cold and bleak blanket appearence. The grace and charm has completely vanished. I feel sad seeing this pathetic state of the most celebrated arena of town. Move on for an evening walk towards the Mall round. Public smoking has been banned here from June 2nd 09*. It is implied for only in Chowrasta, not anywhere else in town. Chowrasta is vacant today, all the public benches are empty, i could not spot even a single stray, forget about us. It is the sheer effect of the earlier STRIKES, which has collapsed the backbone of every other industry flourishing town. The number of tourists are very sparse, infact nil. The locals also have retired for the day, since they have no events to participate. The shops are closed. Maya di or as we call her Doma di, (the ready-made Tea sellers) along with Pasand da (her husband) are doing their packing work for their sale too is dying. She complains that the bann on public smoking has reduced her customers since most of the customers used to sit at the free located bench, drink a cup of hot tea or coffee and smoke in leisure. It was evident from her opinion that she has a grudge against this rule implemented recently, for she has to say that rules should be made for all the places...why only Chowrasta ? Moving on i find the street lamps dozed to inaction. It is dark for one could barely see who is approaching ahead, if a light from a cell phone or lighter was not lit. I, being a local felt really scarry, but continued to move on, since i knew the road very well. Suddenly i encountered a group of young men (dressed in yellow -green track suite) for i knew they were the G.L.P (Gorkha Liberation Police) the new unit of soldiers who cropped out of the recently established political party. They were catching hold of few people and were taking them ...i don't no where. I think they were discharging their duty, violently or non-violently was the ultimate question. The West Bengal Police have dozed off, for thay have become sterile. They are now being replaced by the G.L.P guys who are not yet authenticated or registered officially. The G.L.P has prohibited the import of cheap Sikkim alchohol. It should do good to the people of the Hills, i think it should. But have the local shops stopped selling those abandoned liquor ? NO was the surprising answer. Then what was the G.L.P working for ? Oh! yes public security. Next...thinking about these issues which were till then lingering in my mind, i had reached somewhere near Doctor Chowdhury's residence. There i could see a group of young boys smoking away in clouds. Promises and rules are always meant to be broken. I forgot to inform you that i did not get to see even a sinlge tourist till now. The shops were all closed by now, and the same glorious Chowrasta was seeming to me as if a curfew was on. The Oxford Book House was closed, the newly opened tea showrooms were also packing their errands. I felt so sad for the old Chowrasta which would be buzzing with people at this glorious hour of peak season, full with tourists and visitors. I think the tourism indusrty provides a lot of revenue to 'The Queen of Hills'. The political unstability, the indefinite STRIKES has left an overwhelming shadow of loss and suffering for the commoners. What and how should they celebrate their festivals (Dussehera) which are upcoming next month ? They local people are under strict monetary constraints, and they just have enough of finance to hoard ration to stock for the next upcoming INDEFINITE STRIKE from the 11th this month. I feel unsafe to move around or settle in a bench for a while. I walk down the main road leading to the Clubside square. All the shops which sell imported goods on the road-side were closed, why should they be open when there are no tourists to visit or later buy thier products, approximately 175 shops on the left side slope were cold. I noticed the skeleton of those shops, saw my watch and could literally fictionalise the hustle and bustle of the lane. Where is the lost glory, where is it ? I never saw or imagined to see my old Darjeeling in such a dead condition. I don't know who i responsible for it, but it is a loss. a loss not only financially, but a loss if we consider it with the ancestral Heritage Darjeeling carries with it. Hasty Tasty : a renowned veg. fast food cafe did not have any customers today...imagine! Everything else was closed, nothing less than an "UNDECLARED STRIKE". Should this continue, Darjeeling will doom itself of the reputation and prestige it carried for centuries. The Summer Capital of The British. has now transmogrified itself into a barren and stagnant land. It is time that we need to revise our established strategies, question our voluntary participation, because what we give is what we get back. Afterall "Information is a Man". We should not let Darjeeling face a slow death. Respond Darjeeling lovers, Respond!