A BRIEF HISTORY OF DARJEELING
The Maharajah’s History of Sikkim makes it absolutely certain that the Gorkhas were in the region even before the creation of Sikkim.
The Maharajah’s History of Sikkim makes it absolutely certain that the Gorkhas were in the region even before the creation of Sikkim.
The event was part of the national research project entitled ‘Spring Rejuvenation for Water Security in Himalaya’ funded under National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS), Government of India being implemented across selected aspirational districts of Himalayan states in the country. The project aims to develop a model ‘water sanctuary’ around a selected spring and undertakes many activities focussing on the rejuvenation of depleting water resource and its optimum management.
Every morning, a single question always bothers me before leaving for the office: ‘will I reach the office on time or not?’ For instance, from New-Jalpaiguri to Howrah, it takes approximately 7.5 hours now, and reaching Darjeeling from Sukhiapokhri or Sonada takes nearly 3.5 hours more than usual. This situation poses significant seriousness and challenges due to increased slow traffic movement; which not only affects mental stress and emotional imbalance in individuals but also aggravates air and noise pollution.
A three-week long Ghoom festival showcasing local art, culture and cuisine along with joyrides of the heritage toy train will be held at the picturesque town near Darjeeling by Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) of the Northeast Frontier Railway, a senior official said on Wednesday.
The report takes note that “the tea garden workers in Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars do not have land or ‘Parja-Patta’ (land rights) on their ancestral tea growing lands. To dwell on their ancestral homes, they must send at least one family members to work for the tea company. On failure to send a family member for work, they lose their rights to live on their ancestral lands. Since the land rights are vested with tea company, there have been instances when the aged workers having no children were denied the right to even repair their houses on their ancestral lands.”
Ruing the state of Darjeeling, a friend had recently told me, “हाम्रो दार्जीलिंग त टिका लगाएर छोड़ेको सांड जतिकै भई सक्यो जसको कोहि मालिक छैन, यहाँ जसको शक्ति उसकै भक्तिको चलनले गर्दा हाम्रो ठाउँ र जाति तुरी सक्यो…”
It was just another March morning. My eyes were half awake and my fingers were already scrolling the phone screen shuffling between the headlines and news articles corresponding to my conventional practice of starting a day. Just then, I happened to come across a picture of a bhangera – sparrow. The moment hit me hard somewhere and took me for a long travel down my memory lane.
A roundup of this week’s political events and stories from Darjeeling
Elections to Darjeeling Municipality have never been so consequential. Will it pave way for new regionalism or sabotage the Gorkhaland statehood demand forever?
The Delhi Police have solved the case concerning the murder of two women from Darjeeling – Sujala Gurung Pradhan and Meena Rai, in South Delhi’s Jangpura Extension. They have arrested five men for allegedly smothering the women to death and stealing Rs 90 lakh from the house.