This 2021 Assembly elections in West Bengal, specially in the hill areas will be an uneventful , issueless and uncharacteristic election, full of rhetoric, devoid of societal passion, but replete with usual zeal and brinkmanship that only ubiquitous money power can trigger.
हो साँच्चै हाम्रो जातिलाई, हाम्रो समाजलाई पनि परिवर्तनको नितान्त खाँचो छ। एउटा नयाँ परिवर्तन जसले हाम्रो आकांक्षा बोकेर ल्याएर दिएको होस्। जसले गरीब दुखी चिया बगान श्रमिकहरूको रगत पसिनाको हक र अधिकार -न्यूनतम ज्याला प्रदान गरेको होस्। पिता पुर्खादेखि बस्दै आएको घर जमिनमा मालिकाना हक र अधिकार- पर्जा पट्टा दिलाएको होस्। त्यो परिवर्तन जसले गोर्खाहरूको शताब्दी पुरानो मांग अनि आकांक्षा ” स्थायी राजनीतिक समाधान” ल्याएको होस्। कल कारखाना , संरचना, रोजगार ,शिक्षा आदि कुराहरूले बिकासको नयाँ आयाम तयार पारेको होस्। त्यो नयाँ परिवर्तन जसले गोर्खा जातिलाई पनि राष्ट्रको हरेक छेत्रमा अनि स्तरमा प्रतिनिधित्व र प्रतिस्पर्धा गर्ने मौका दिएको होस्। त्यो परिवर्तन जसले गोर्खाहरूको दूर्भाग्य र द्वेष मेटाई दिएको होस्। त्यो परिवर्तन जसले हामी गर्वसित भन्न सकौं कि हामी आप्रवासी होइनौं- हामी भारतीय हौं। त्यो परिवर्तन जसले हाम्रो शिर खडा गरीदिएको होस्। त्यो नयाँ परिवर्तनको नयाँ बिहानीको न्यानो घाम गोर्खा जगतमा उदाएको होस्
No one knows the value of water like the people of Darjeeling. We sometimes wished we had guests, bring water for us rather than sweets. The value of a bucket of water, like every citizen of Darjeeling, I too struggled a lot after returning from Bangalore to get water our daily need. We depended on tankers and rain like everyone in Darjeeling.
The history of Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills is just not about the toy train, timber, and tea but it is also about its dark tryst with cold-blooded murders, unsolved and unresolved till date, swept under the carpet by those who did it and those who supported it.
On International Women’s Day, Rinzing Ongmu Sherpa analyzes how sexism is inherently prevalent in Nepali language and controls our everyday conversation, knowledge and behaviour.
Now, with the announcement of poll dates by the Election Commission for the West Bengal Assembly elections and the state going into the electoral mode, for the first time in the Darjeeling Hills, the century-old emotive issue of Gorkhaland is conspicuous by its absence, as it has been put to the back burner by the principal parties GJMM 1 and 2 after almost a decade.
“आर यू फ्रम नेपाल?”
यो प्रश्नले शायदै भारतीय गोरखाहरूलाई पिरोलेका छन् जत्तिको मलाई पिरोलेका थिए जब रोजगारको शिलशिलामा विदेशको नौलो ठाँउमा शुरूका दिनहरूमा जागिर खाई रहेको थिए म । आज सम्म नै यो प्रश्नले मेरो मन मथिंगलमा भूँइचालो ल्याउँने गर्दछ ।
It is very embarrassing and heart wrenching for me to get sarcastic remarks being an Indian Nepali or Gorkha in the rest part of Indian soul. Living away from the cold mountain air and friendly own community of the hill for Postgraduate and M.Phil. Studies did come across many times with such sarcastic remarks as Chinese because of having ‘Chimso’ eyes and “How Nepali language while living in Bengal!” considered as some bitter remarks are the inner pains of the Indian Gorkha who resides plains or rest part of Indian soil.
Often described as the Queen of the Hills for its stunning natural beauty, complemented by the world-famous and UNESCO world heritage – the Himalayan Railway, also holding an intoxicating political history the Darjeeling hills does not fail to mesmerize the tourists as well as the scholars. It is sad but not surprising that the Queen of the Himalayas has always been a victim of political betrayal (Dhoka) and there is neither a “ Queen” like leader, nor a permanent “Hills” like solution to achieve its true potentials.
A friend lost her loved one to a long and relentless battle with depression. Another waited for her husband to come home. He was in the ICU and had just recovered from COVID. She excitedly put on her shoes and rushed to the door to bring him back home from the hospital. Just then, the phone rang.