Articles by Guest Author

The Parsi Cemetry Darjeeling

Articles July 22, 2025

The Parsi Cemetry Darjeeling – In The Quiet Corners Of My Childhood Memories

The secret garden of my childhood still exists, though now hidden beneath wild weeds, silence and ravaged by landslide. The Parsi Cemetery at Singtom Fatak now, is nothing more than a forgotten patch of land but for many who have lived nearby for generations, this place was never just a cemetery. It was a peaceful space filled with flowers, soft light, and quiet rituals. A part of daily life we often passed by, yet never ignored wasn’t always this silent. Once upon a time, this place was more than a burial ground. It was a kind of secret garden, filled with seasonal flowers, where nature and memory lived together in quiet harmony.

Dalai Lama

Articles July 3, 2025

The Dalai Lama – Our Unshakable Faith

Tibetans continue to foster their unshakable faith in the Dalai Lama and given his advanced age, Tibetans are least concerned due to the barrage of hints from the Dalai Lama himself that he would first live up to 113 years of age and secondly, reincarnate to carry the unfinished task of the Tibetan freedom struggle.

Mallero Kalimpong

Articles April 17, 2025

Mallero: The Off-Limits Sour Fruit of Sugary Childhood Memories

Childhood can’t be weighed in years, but in memory. There are certain things only make sense during childhood—the ridiculous laughter, the skinned knees, and the bizarre pleasure of consuming something so sour it isn’t good for you. For most of us in hills especially Kalimpong, Maldero is the one fruit that embodies all that and more: Maldero a Sour Bite of Sweet Nostalgia. In reality named Mallero, but properly mispronounced by all the children in the community, Maldero was never simply a fruit. It was a feeling and a calling. A sip of liberty smothered in tartness, followed by friendship and a pinch of fear of being caught.

DEUSI

Articles November 8, 2024

DEUSI BLUES: We are losing touch with our cultural roots

Deusi is a quintessential Gorkha tradition. It is not just a part of our culture, but it is also one of the threads that binds our community together. It is truly disheartening to hear from my mother that this time around, no one came to our home for Deusi – not even in our entire village. What’s even more troubling is how the vibrant tradition of Deusi, once played with so much vigour and enthusiasm in the hills of Darjeeling, is gradually fading away. Today, the youths who continue to carry forward our tradition can perhaps be counted in the tip of our fingers. It’s a painful reminder of how quickly we are losing touch with our cultural roots.

Pandora Chicken Neck

Articles October 24, 2024

Inclusivity, Well-being and Nation-building: The Need for Incorporating North Bengal (Darjeeling, Dooars and Terai Region) Under the North Eastern Council 

The budgetary allocation for the NE States has increased significantly, with over 285% growth in the past 8 years from Rs 24,819.18 crores in 2014-15 to Rs 70,874.32 crores in 2021-22. The Government has dedicated over Rs 336,640.97 crores solely for the development of the NE Region, indicating a future of multi-faceted possibilities for the people of the region, economically and socially.

It is heartening to see the Central Government finally take notice of the concerns of the erstwhile peripheral states of the NE, whose inclusivity and integration were not a prime focus of earlier governments. In a similar vein, North Bengal, especially the Darjeeling hills and the Terai and Dooars areas,

Darjeeling Tea Garden Workers

Articles September 27, 2024

Darjeeling Hills Tea Garden Workers

I was going through these two receipts from Reliance Smart and could not stop thinking and writing about the plight of our Darjeeling’s tea garden workers and their ongoing demand for 20% Puja bonus.

Molested Faith

Articles September 26, 2024

MOLESTED FAITH:  Fighting An Uphill Battle – The Monk and the Survivor

This article shares a disheartening incident involving a 36-year-old woman from Darjeeling, who was molested. She courageously shared her traumatic experience, in the hopes of inspiring other women, who may be suffering in silence, and encourage them to stand up for themselves. Her goal is that more victims will find the strength to voice their sufferings, rather than suppress it, in order to raise awareness about molestation and protect others, especially children, from such vicious acts.