After staying in northern part of the country for some years and reading about societies of different parts of India , one significant thing I have observed is our North-East as a society has developed more than other parts of India (like I said, I have my bias here as I have little understanding of Southern India). I am not talking about the economic aspects here, it’s purely societal.
Spotlighting such unfair practices in teachers’ recruitment does not seem to create much outrage among the hill public these days, as the whole education system in the hills is widely politicised by the politicians and their party workers. So, the practice of nepotism and favouritism is very overt in the hill education system, and it has become a culture of sorts and is perhaps appreciated and expected by the educated hill mass.
Tea workers of the region are working below minimum wage, and over the years systematically all of their facilities have been stripped off. In order to support and sustain their family, they are forced to do small scale animal husbandry and horticulture. This is in addition to 12-14 hours of back-breaking labour every day.
When I discovered a remarkably unique species having a claw resembling the Gorkha machete ‘khukuri’, my professor Dr. Karmakar immediately told me to name this species after this traditional Gorkha weapon. Besides, we found our way to tribute the Gorkha people for their hospitality and hence the species was named “Floridotarsonemus kukri Karmakar & Mondal 2021”.
Dashain is all about catching up with family members, relatives, and friends and of course, eating scrumptious meals.
Forget politics, forget sloganeering, forget worries. Folks! Dashain is near! leave the worries to the Khasi(Goat), “Sungur”(Pig), “Goru”(Bull), and “Ranga”(Buff). It’s close and Judgement day for them- “Maar” looming, making them worried! only the cat and dog are in a jovial mood, though later they too have to deal with gastric problems.
People around the world create fences, walls, and boundaries, not so long ago in our villages of Darjeeling and Kalimpong we did it too, although naturally!
Just got done with another round of online training under the “School Innovation Ambassador Training Program.’
Completely exhausted today, since my mischievous niece managed to get a silver ring, stuck on her little finger, had to rush her to the hospital where she is advised to use calamine solution, but the ring remains on her swollen, bluish finger so we headed to the goldsmith where her agony finally comes to a dramatic end. I breathe calmly again and thank the three-eyed divine whose name I chanted continuously.
I came to Darjeeling for my college 10 years back and one of my dear friends who was staying in Darjeeling for many years gives me a tip on the first day that was “you cannot predict and trust the weather in Darjeeling it is unpredictable ” anytime it can be rainy, sunny, cold, windy and so on”. It was very hard for me to understand until I went to Lebong to watch the Gold cup match on a very sunny day and ended up seeing fog most of the time, and the players and football only occasionally.
When the opportunity to visit India presented itself to me, I knew right away that majestic Himalayan Darjeeling would be the top of my list, as the world-famous Darjeeling tea grows there. Darjeeling is all about tea estates covered in clouds; white mountain tops in the distance and tasty tea. If you enjoy at least an occasional cup of tea, it’s definitely worth visiting the Indian paradise of tea in West Bengal, Darjeeling! It’s the place to see how hundred-year-old tea bushes grow, how locals pluck the leaves and it gradually becomes the tea we all know.