Protest-Hit Darjeeling Turns Peaceful as Artistes Take Over City

Hundreds of artistes took to the streets in a peaceful march, singing Nepali songs demanding Gorkhaland.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/ Bhawesh C Thakuri)

“Shoshan Shoshan Shah deyno, shasan aafay gernecho (We have tolerated the oppression for too long, we will rule ourselves now) Jagum hamro itihas ko baato magum, Gorkhaland ko kasam (Wake up, the land that our history talks about is the one we want)”

In a pleasant turn of events in unrest-hit Darjeeling, over hundreds of artistes took to the streets in a peaceful march, singing Nepali songs to express their solidarity with the ongoing protests demanding Gorkhaland.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Santosh Dewan, the organiser of the march said,

Thousands of artistes are today showing solidarity with the Gorkhaland cause. We are protesting the police atrocities which have taken place. We want to clearly let the nation know that we are not anti-national, we are anti-state. We want separation from the state and an end to the kind of colonial rule that Bengal has had over us since the British handed us over to Bengal.

Marches along a similar vein were carried in the town of Kalimpong as well. The march was noted to be the most peaceful and colourful rally to have taken place in the hills in recent times.

Meanwhile, renowned Nepali artiste Kumar Sabba returned his ‘Sangeet Samman’ award, presented to him by the Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee, as mark of protest. He urged the government to consider their demand for Gorkhaland, stating "we need an identity, a land”.

Transportation Menace Increases as Strike Continues

The ongoing unrest in neighbouring Darjeeling Hills has adversely affected transportation of essential commodities in the East district of Sikkim, official sources said on Friday.

The indefinite shutdown in the Darjeeling hills entered its 30th day on Friday.

Sikkim has alleged vehicles carrying food grains and other essential items, vegetables from the markets in and around Siliguri are being attacked and vandalised in the National highway 10 that connects Siliguri with Gangtok.

Sikkim has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to West Bengal and its Director General of Police to ensure that National Highway 10 is kept free for vehicular movement of passengers and goods to and from Sikkim.

Sikkim has also sought a direction to the Centre and West Bengal to ensure that vehicles carrying food grains and other essential items, vegetables from the markets in and around Siliguri, oil tankers and trucks carrying LPG are not prevented from transporting them to Sikkim and there should be adequate security.

Reports have been received from various parts of the district regarding the shortage of essential commodities in the markets and shops in the East district, they said.

A meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs department with the District Collector, East and officials of line departments.

It was decided in the meeting that a Control Room be setup at MG Marg, opposite Tourist Information Centre to receive complaints and grievances from the public pertaining to the shortage of essential commodities being faced in the district due to the unrest in neighbouring Darjeeling district.

(with inputs from PTI and Indian Express)