To bolster people-to-people connectivity, the “Indo-Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement 2014” initiative has approved 13 road routes between India and Nepal. Among these routes, the Siliguri to Kathmandu route stands as the 11th, inaugurated by Firhad Hakim, the State Transport Minister, on July, 2022. Operated jointly by a private bus operators –  Urban Paribahan Services Private Limited and the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) – the Siliguri-Kakkarvitta-Kathmandu Greenline bus service aims to foster regional tourism and strengthen peer-to-peer relations.

Covering a distance of 488 kilometers, the bus departs from Siliguri at 1500 HRS and arrives at Swayambhunath Bus Park, Kathmandu, by 0800 HRS the following day (subject to local road conditions, making it a 17-hour road trip). The Siliguri to Kathmandu Friendship Bus originates from the Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminus in Siliguri, West Bengal, terminating at the Swayambhunath Bus Park in Kathmandu, and vice versa.

On the Indian side, the route extends through the expanding suburbs of Siliguri, along the newly built Asian Highway, passing through Bagdogra, Naxalbari, and undergoing evening border formalities at Panitanki by Indian Customs and Army. After crossing the Mechi Bridge (No Man’s Land), passengers undergo currency exchange aboard the bus, with INR being exchanged for NNP (INR100 for NNP 157). It’s important to note that post-demonetization, INR currency above INR 100.00 is prohibited in Nepal.

This section of the highway received economic assistance from the Indian government for its construction, starting in 1966 and concluding in 1971. Mechinagar, located in southeastern Nepal, lies on the Nepal-India border, delineated by the expansive Mechi River, a tributary of the Mahananda River.

The AC Volvo9600 (semi-sleeper) bus with its large windows and 2*2 seat configuration, equipped with cushion seatings, padded headrests, cushioned leg rests, and charge points, provides a comfortable journey, allowing passengers to observe Nepal’s rapid development strides along the road. From super speciality eyes hospitals to Casino Resorts and the super mart Bhatbhateni at  Itahari , in the fleeting dusk.

Moving from Mechinagar (Kakarvitta), the highway offers a relatively smooth journey covering 108 kilometers to Itahari. Itahari serves as a vital road junction, connecting Biratnagar to the south on the Nepal-India border, and Dharan and Dhankuta to the north. Approximately 42 kilometers from Itahari lies the Koshi Barrage, traversed by the Mahendra Highway between Bhardaha and Bhantabari, where the bus stops for a tea and restroom break.

We hurtle onwards towards the darkness and bumps on the road is well absorbed by the Volvos’ suspensions. Dinner done, the bus makes just a few more cursory toilet halts on the Tribhuwan Highway,  before breaking up for hot steaming tea and snacks at Naubisey before making the final 30 kms run into Kathmandu which presently takes forever due to the roads being built , doubled by the heavy traffic up and down the hill side.

To secure a seat on the Indo-Nepal Friendship Bus, you have several options:

Online Booking: I got mine from Redbus

Rate : INR 2000.00 or NNP 3,200.00

NOTE: I added another INR 29.00 as accidental insurance

Booking Agencies: Travel agencies or ticket booking offices in Siliguri may facilitate the purchase of bus tickets for the journey to Kathmandu. These agencies often handle bookings for various bus operators and can assist you in securing your seat.

Directly at the Bus Station: You can visit the bus station in Siliguri, where the Friendship Bus departs, and purchase your ticket directly from the ticket counter or the bus operator’s office.

• Tenzing Norgay Bus Counter: Siliguri : +91-9002227093
• Swayambhunath Bus Park, Kathmandu : +977-9863025726

Regarding travel details:

Travel Time: The journey from Siliguri to Kathmandu typically spans around 12 to 14 hours, depending on factors such as road conditions and border crossing procedures.

Check-In One Hour Before Scheduled Departure: The passengers are requested to report at the Terminal at least 30 minutes  before the scheduled departure of the bus. Reservation will be cancelled if the passenger fails to report for check-in well in time.

Border Crossing: Passengers must undergo immigration and customs procedures at the Kakarbhitta border crossing between India and Nepal. Ensure you carry all necessary travel documents, including a valid passport and any required visas. Photo-Identity proof issued by respective Government authority like Passport , Voter Identity card for undertaking the journey. Passengers other than Indian or Nepali Nationality are required to have valid Passport and Visa for undertaking the journey.

Baggage: Maximum weighing up to 25 kg. is permissible along with one shoulder bag.

Food/Refreshment: The bus provides one pet bottle mineral water but will halt at designated halts where the passengers can have food/refreshment at their own cost.

It is advisable to book your ticket in advance, especially during peak travel seasons, to secure availability. I got mine 3 days prior to travel date and in fact could choose my seat ( #4 on Siliguri to Kathmandu)On way back , seats were more free so tried their bask seat # 36, which wasn’t a bad experience at all too . Additionally, confirm the departure time and any other pertinent details with the bus operator or booking agency before your travel date.

This trip highlighted the significance of travel in overcoming both temporal and spatial barriers. It reminded me that distance should never hinder the maintenance of relationships or the cultivation of meaningful connections. Reuniting with my school friends in Nepal after more than two decades proved to be an incredibly fulfilling experience. Despite the years that had passed and the distance that separated us, our camaraderie remained as strong as ever. This reunion wasn’t merely about catching up; it served as a testament to the enduring bonds we had formed during our formative years. Moreover, it demonstrated how travel can offer an affordable and accessible avenue for reigniting old friendships and reminiscing about cherished moments from the past.

Upon reflection, I feel compelled to encourage others from our region to take advantage of similar travel opportunities. Whether it’s for organizing family or friends reunions, embarking on religious pilgrimages, or simply enjoying leisurely tours to Nepal, such journeys provide not only affordability but also invaluable opportunities to strengthen bonds and create enduring memories.

I firmly believe that by embracing cross-border travel opportunities, we can transcend physical limitations and enrich our lives through shared experiences and connections. In doing so, we not only bridge geographical divides but also foster a deeper sense of community and solidarity within our region.

Writes: Siddarth Pradhan

The post Indo-Nepal Friendship Bus – Siliguri to Kathmandu appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

The first posthumous exhibition of Bangdel in London titled ‘Lain Singh Bangdel: Mountains and Migration’ was organised by Bonhams from 11th to 21st November 2023, which gave me a rare opportunity to look at a wide range of his works from different periods. In this essay, I discuss the psychology and politics of Bangdel’s art.

Bangdel lived through the pre-partition era of India and the artworks he produced during his formative period speak of his growing affiliation with the creative milieu of Bengal. In an unpublished essay from 1979, he quoted a popular saying from his times in Calcutta, – ‘What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow’. It only means that he did notice the city’s political awareness and valued it no less. He made his way to Europe just when India was building its independent national identity. Throughout his stay in Europe, his works continued to search for a Nepalese identity, firstly through ‘Muna Madan’ and later revisiting the central theme of mountains. Both of these need to be analysed before even trying to understand the politics of his art.

“With the ‘Abstract’ series, Bangdel attained his career-best, not only doubling the size of his canvas but also widening his artistic horizon.”

Mountains

Surrounded by Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal, the Himalayan foothill of Darjeeling left a deep impression on Bangdel in his childhood. When he was twenty years old, life took him away from the mountains but they remained the central theme of his artworks for twenty-two-odd years until he eventually returned to Nepal. Serving as the refuge for his Nepalese identity, the theme of the mountains recurred in his works from the initial realistic watercolour ‘Himalaya’ (1955) to a semi-abstract ‘Moon Over Kathmandu’ (1962) and eventually a fully abstract ‘Abstract I & II’ (1969) and ‘Song of Himalaya’ (1973).

‘Moon Over Kathmandu’ was one of his first works on return to Nepal that paved the way for modern art in Nepal through a solo exhibition. However, it was not until he went to the USA for a Fulbright scholarship on Nepal’s art history that he gave the best out of his artistic genius. With the ‘Abstract’ series, Bangdel attained his career-best, not only doubling the size of his canvas but also widening his artistic horizon. What Beatriz Cifuentes Feliciano has called Bangdel’s aesthetic language referencing both Western trends and his local heritage, can be seen in full swing in some of these works. Starting from a more subtle palette involving various shades of brown, grey and olive, mountains fill in his subconscious through angular geometries that compose a cross-like stretch across the canvas.

The palette has then moved either to more figurative shapes and vivid colours along the same style or a greener rendition of the fertile soil of Kathmandu Valley. They looked more like variants than a complete branching off his newfound abstraction. While many of these were painted during his productive stay in Ohio, this very style also progressed to a more clustered and grid-like multicoloured montage like ‘My Childhood Valley’ (1971). The way he elaborated his ‘Abstract’ series during the 1970’s is also a great reminder of his consistent experimentation with art. In the same decade, much younger artists like Krishna Manandhar (SKIB-fame) also started experimenting with abstract landscapes. Still, Bangdel kept exploring non-figurative mountain themes which gave him his signature style.

“The recurring terracotta-coloured Moon … represents his search for the Nepalese identity of Darjeeling where the Nepali literary movement was strong”

Migration

Art historians like Owen Duffy have earlier drawn similarities between Bangdel’s ‘Full Moon Night’ (1952) and ‘Moon Over Kathmandu’ (1962) owing to the unmissable shared features including the salmon-coloured Moon, abstract cityscape and reflections of the mountain terrains in the overall composition. Bangdel’s paintings have been discussed for their geometric abstraction that amalgamates two of his lifelong inspirations, – the city and the mountains. However, his artworks are yet to be analysed through the rare lens of a migrant’s homecoming and the psychological elements that thus form the basis of his artistic expression.

Bangdel’s abstraction of Kathmandu is not necessarily a purely lived reality but a juxtaposition of the Kathmandu he viewed half his life from outside Nepal, and the one he eventually arrived but after a major political change. ‘Moon Over Kathmandu’ hence represents the ultimate culmination of a long search for his own identity as a migrant and his playing a part in the systematic development of a new national identity for generations to come. While ‘Full Moon Night’ has a striking similarity with ‘Houses’ painted by Sayed Haider Raza in the same year, this theme was also visited a few years earlier by Jaqueline Lamba. Unlike in Raza’s work, the houses in Bangdel’s ‘Full Moon Night’ do not stand straight but are almost melting like Salvador Dali’s iconic clock from ‘The Persistence of Memory’ (1931). They are chaotically disoriented, and their ugliness resounds the views of the artist. A naked tree is silhouetted in the foreground which reveals an inherent sadness of loss and inadequacy. The tree is also tightly fenced leaving minimal area around it, which hints at the artist’s suffocation in a foreign land.

To me, the recurring terracotta-coloured Moon in both of the above works from Paris and Kathmandu represents his search for the Nepalese identity of Darjeeling where the Nepali literary movement was strong. In his 1969 interview with Eugene Register-guard, he referred to the sunset in Mt. Kanchenjunga as a long-lasting impression from his childhood, which must have been a shade of golden orange in colour. In a two-dimensional canvas, Bangdel’s moon is on one side of the abstract cityscape stretching from top to bottom, whereas he helplessly looks at it from the other side. Besides the main moon, there are other faded and smaller moons too, which could represent several other social identities he had become a part of while living in Calcutta, Paris, and London.

“Borrowing heavily from Picasso’s blue period, the characters have lyrical bodies with elongated limbs that stretch towards each other.

Muna Madan

While most Nepalese would be nearing a midlife crisis in their mid-30s, Bangdel was writing love poems from Paris to his wife Manu Thapa. Manu was a professional nurse in London who supported him financially. As an anagram of ‘Muna’ – the female protagonist in the love ballad, she embodied the melancholy of a long-distance relationship already immortalised in the all-time Nepali literary bestseller ‘Muna Madan’. Bangdel’s 1959 series ‘Muna Madan’, however, was more than just a visual narration of the celebrated literature. Borrowing heavily from Picasso’s blue period, the characters have lyrical bodies with elongated limbs that stretch towards each other. Standing tall across the height of the canvas, everything else is subdued by their inner grief while these figures invariably look down to the world around them. The colour gradually changes from bright and vivid to faded and dull, as the narration shifts from the couple’s union to a tragic separation.

The series is also executed quite schematically in terms of the choice of backdrops. The lovers rejoice under an open sky with boundless pleasure. On the other hand, in ‘Muna Madan Departure Scene’, the pastel colour palette captures the emotional moment in all its softness and the suffocation inside the room is shared by an Okhal, a traditional Nepalese mortar. Known as Okhali in the local dialect, it is still preferred to modern grinder machines in most households of Darjeeling. Almost symbolically without its pestle, the same lonely mortar reappears next to a mourning Madan in the piece titled ‘Madan’s Agony’.

Unlike the more recent cover of the actual book where Tekbir Mukhiya has illustrated both Muna and Madan hugging each other, only Muna puts her hand around Madan in Bangdel’s version. Madan, who is leaving for Tibet to earn a living, consistently poses with his hands crossed which almost serves as a testament to Bangdel’s helplessness and longing for his supportive wife. Given that his country Nepal always formed the central theme throughout Bangdel’s breadth of work, one wonders if this series is also an outcome of something more than his personal love life, – the longing for a place he called his homeland but could only visit at an age of forty-two.

“the government was shaping how the liberal arts community should function and Bangdel was the chosen actuator.”

Politics

With dilapidated buildings and the presence of local dwellers, Bangdel’s formative watercolour titled ‘Suburbs of Calcutta’ (1943) is livelier than the sleeping city depicted in ‘Full Moon Night’. Interestingly, he did not choose one of the colonial buildings which perhaps presents him as a socialist just as most of his literary works do. It is hence important to research whether he was simply a ‘right man in the right place’ or his creativity was also critically engaged with the changing politics of the ’60s and the ’90s Nepal.

After banning the political parties in 1960, King Mahendra needed to establish a national identity which resonated with his idea of a new Nepal. In his agenda was also the modern art movement for which he invited Bangdel to Nepal. In a way, the government was shaping how the liberal arts community should function and Bangdel was the chosen actuator. One can hence argue whether Bangdel’s contribution to Nepalese modern art was out of his genuine feeling of the need for it and whether such an intervention could have been any better alternative for organic development. Bangdel believed that politics and art cannot go together. However, whether his career as an artist acted as a vehicle for a wider political movement is open to discussion.

It is hard to find any evidence either in Bangdel’s literary or artistic works if his idea of Nepalese identity leapt further in search of his ‘Rai’ ethnic identity. Darjeeling was a thriving as Nepali linguistic hub where authors like Paras Mani Pradhan and Indra Bahadur Rai were instrumental in standardising and further developing the Nepalese state-backed Nepali language. Whether he had any realisation of being an instrument to Nepal’s national identity building at the expense of cultural diversity is also not clear. 

Bangdel was fond of the French art critic Andre Malraux. In the early 70s, Malraux was vocal about Bangladesh’s liberation war against the suppression of its Bengali speakers. This was a time when Bangdel had just completed his Fulbright scholarship on art history in the US, and it is quite unlikely that he would have completely disconnected himself from Marlaux’s opinions.

In the year 1991, Bangdel returned to an abstract and semi-abstract series of paintings with Democracy as their central theme. After two terms as Chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy, Bangdel had retired a year before the 1990 People’s Movement for Democracy which makes it clear that he was not a part of the movement. As a spectator’s narrative, his visual montage of street protests adopted a figurative style. The eventfulness of his themes overwhelmed the depth of his artistic expression and not the other way around. We are hence left to ask if it was actually ‘felt by heart and soul’ which he once claimed as his process of abstraction. In this last leg of his artistic journey, the colours began to distance themselves from nature, brushstrokes disagreed with any visual coherence and the compositional legacy from his earlier success with abstraction was more technical than subconscious.

“… final phase of Bangdel’s creative output was a response to a certain sociopolitical climate but hardly a precursor to change.”

My major critique of this final phase of Bangdel’s creative output remains that it was a response to a certain sociopolitical climate but hardly a precursor to change. They might have worked as a reminder of the then-political influences but did not even aim at becoming the creative strength of the society to provoke its politics. This holds to date for the overall dismal achievement since the advent of modern art in Nepal while it still has a long way to go.

This story was originally published here.

Writes: Sanyukta Shrestha. He is an Art Historian associated with Art History Link-Up at the Courtauld Gallery in London.

The post The Psychology & Politics of Bangdel’s Art appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

The 26-year-old who hails from Jorebunglow is undoubtedly an inspiration and a pioneer who gave a new perspective to vacations. Turns out that not all women dream of waking up to the sound of waves or the aroma of freshly brewed coffee against the hilly terrain. We now know that the spirit of Darjeeling women is also in those who get up earlier than the morning itself to prepare for the journey that screams in the most unbeachy and uncozy manner. 

The first word that Sumnima utters to describe her tour is “thrilling.” She says that a Mustang trip is a “must” like any other biker who’s been there before. But first-timers are bound to receive constant shocks along the way because no travel vlogs that exist to date do justice to the dangers along the way. With an adult pillion, 70lt of a saddle bag, a tank bag of 21lt, and a severely tiring road, she never thought she could make it alive. Sumnima says that the entire adventure is about mental games. When, in the name of “common sight,” all you witness is bikers constantly crashing, roads rising and receding, and pillions channelling their anxiety, maintaining a sound mind is the one and only thing under your control. Further, the difference in the traffic rules, and a few Nepalese scamming in the name of “bhansar” only adds to the pressure.

With three friends on two bikes, Sumnima kicked off her journey on the 15th of February from Pokhara. The plan was to celebrate her 26th birthday at Mustang and so they did. The four of them rode their entire way from Darjeeling to Kathmandu and then to Pokhara but the Mustang part surely did stand out.

After having conquered several kilometres of danger, Sumnima and her fellow riders entered into a zone that she says is “ecstatic.” That zone is one hour away from Marpha. She says that one is bound to get hypnotised by the sudden change in terrain. The 26-year-old rider and her friends were told by the Nepalese policemen that they would encounter a road along the way that would be very different from the roads in Nepal. And she happily approves the statement. Riding through the surprising pucca road felt like taking a huge sigh of relief. That for them came in the form of their prayers finally answered.

Apart from being a rider by heart, Sumnima Rai is a professional editor of a very famous Youtube channel based in Darjeeling. And as for her love for motorbikes, she has always been interested in them. But her fascination amplified in her college days. Following this, her mother gifted her a Royal Enfield Meteor 350 on her 25th birthday. As for her next trip, she says that she is very much inclined towards exploring Meghalaya. And that is apart from the very obvious “rider’s pilgrimage,” Ladakh.

For someone who is planning to visit Mustang, Sumnima has a few pieces of advice. She would want them to not rely on the vlogs completely, and to be mentally ready for the dangers ahead. To get demotivated along the way is more than normal, but one must be hopeful for what lies ahead. This is because the view at the end of the journey is so much worth it.

Sumnima also says that she has gathered a lot of takeaways from her Mustang trip. The journey especially affected her relationship towards fear. She most confidently states that she now has a bit of an evolved perspective towards the heavy word. There are just no excuses or shortcuts. The only way is to simply face it. And face it with courage, awareness and a super calm mind.

We are hopeful that this culmination of the experiences of a female rider to Mustang acts as a gateway for several daughters of Darjeeling who are stuck in the perpetual loophole of planning.

Writes: Pedenla Sherpa

The post THE TRAILBLAZER – Jorebunglow Woman Biker On an Inspiring Journey appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Everything was set; bags and a trolley were packed on Friday the 13^th of March, 2020. The day was not bad by any standard of Gangtok at around 8 in the morning. We stepped out of our rented apartment after offering a final prayer to the Almighty. We were doubly excited (and not to lie the persistent apprehensions running down our neck) about our first chopper flight from Gangtok (Sikkim, India) to Siliguri (West Bengal, India) and the big one being parents for the very first time in life in just a few days time. After a drive of 40 minutes we reached the helipad well before the reporting time. A few minutes later; against the background of engulfing fog appeared a smart and well dressed lady staff to inform us very briefly that they are taking stock of the weather and most likely our flight could be delayed by an hour or two. But within the next 30 minutes or so even lay persons like us on weather forecast knew that we would not be flying. Soon, I found myself running towards the counter for a refund or a next possible date. I was eager to get a date for the next day i.e. Saturday. Our co-passenger for the day, an old lady who looked unwell, later came to know that they were travelling for her treatment was keen with eyes full of wrinkles to tell me not to take the flight on Saturday; as in our parts of the world the belief is not to travel on Saturdays for any important assignment at hand. Right throughout her (our) pregnancy we had consciously adopted a zero risk policy. This policy only made us to take a chopper (as the highway leading to Siliguri from Gangtok was too bumpy) in lieu of road and then we took a chopper on 16^th March, 2020 the MONDAY, a bright and sunny day and not on Saturday.

We landed in Siliguri on a nice sunny and pleasant day in Bagdogra Airport with my father-in-law waiting for our arrival. We enjoyed the sunny weather away from the cold of Gangtok as we drove away from the airport. As planned, we settled in our sister-in-law’s apartment. From next day onwards we continued with our gynecologist (Sangmu’s school friend) in Neotia Hospital located very close to our apartment. In our next consultation we decided for a C-section on 26.03.2020. We left her chamber all smiling and looking forward for the 26^th March.

Announcement of Janata Curfew by the Prime Minister Modi

The covid thing was beginning to appear in India but let’s be honest none was serious at all about it. Our Prime Minister announced a ‘Janata Curfew’ would be placed on March 22nd from 7 am to 9 pm. Very little did we know that this would be our ‘new normal’. As planned I had to bring my mother to join us during & post delivery. Given the announcement I found myself  with not much time, hence,  drove to Kalimpong on 21^st March and started next day from Kalimpong at 4 in the morning and reached Siliguri at 6:30 am i.e. well within the 7 am mark. I spent most part of the day sleeping. I am not a morning person at all. So all I remember about the ‘Janata Curfew’ is the bells ringing, beating of plates etc as it was loud enough to break my evening sleep. It turned out into quite a big rally with people sloganeering “go  corona…go”, beating and ringing whatever they could hold on to….. all across India after 7 pm.

By now the covid cases were beginning to pick up in India. Covid protocols were in placed and particularly in the health centers. The day arrived and after taking a good breakfast I very cautiously drove her to Neotia. Yes we were nervous. Nonetheless, we completed the formalities got admitted around 9:30 am. The time arrived I could see the nervousness in her eyes as she kept reading the holy book of Goddess Tara. I tried my best to motivate her but guess that did not work well as I saw no improvement in her facial expressions which by now had evidently shifted from nervousness to fearfulness. Alas! She was taken inside and I was told to wait outside and due to covid protocols no family members were allowed to accompany me. I found myself all alone and perhaps the security personnel knew that I was getting too uneasy. He walked up to me and lifting his hands said very casually “Sir take it easy, all will be fine…so many people like you come and go from here”. All I did was nodded my head. Fathers’ too undergo serious emotional pain and experience tremendous nervousness. That was the time I truly realized that it’s not easy to become a father. I was looking for a support or even a distraction but none came to my rescue. To make matter worse there was a big television screen with flashing reports on increasing number of positive cases in India. And the screen was mounted right in front of me. I just could not escape the report. By then we had only one or two cases reported in Siliguri. Still a big flashing screen with covid reports; was not the support or distraction that suits would be father in that almost breakdown moment. Given my nervousness I must have sat there for an hour. The same security personnel arrived with a smile and said “Sir, now you can go inside”. As I entered I was given a grayish colour gown to wear and as I pushed another door on my right…the Pediatric and his two assistant came carrying a pretty huge baby and said “congratulations…we got a baby girl”. I replied “Thank you Doctor but how both are?” Before he could reply the newborn cried really loud. I felt her cry was not out of nervousness but more of… a kind of demanding one. Trust me it was loud by any yardstick!!! Felt like she would be really fearless………and nursing her won’t be an easy job. In the midst of all these the Doctor turned away and replied both are fine. I returned back to the waiting room with a big relief and with teary eyes. As I tried calling my mother I found the same personnel even with a bigger smile saying “I told you….all will be fine”. A clear, confident and conscious yes came out of my mouth. I met my family members downstairs…..seeing them so happy lifted my confidence thousand times. True “in time of test, family is best”. We shared sweets and the meeting was brief as I had to return back to the same waiting room. The phone rang, the personnel answered and instructed me, by then he was acting like my senior, to visit the nursery downstairs to see the newborn. I entered the nursery and saw my baby sucking a pacifier with a real intent, eyes closed. I move in nervously to see her face closely. She looked like a typical Sherpa face (no stereotyping here) and looked super healthy. I called her “baby…your Appa (father) is here”. She immediately opened her eyes and began sucking harder. My immediate reaction was requesting the nurse to feed her as felt she must be exceedingly hungry. The nurse replied “do not worry Sir….we will handle…your time is over”. I without knowing what to say next….guess left the room. I got to be honest here. There is not much emotion or bond that (I) a new father feel when he sees his newborn for the very first time. At least I didn’t feel that strong captivating emotion. Because the whole time you are constantly thinking about the mother who is must be recovering from a major surgery and whom you have not seen till now. Finally, they called me to see Sangmu. I moved close to her and saw her blank face and half opened eyes. But she looked okay and recovering well from a strong effect of anesthesia. I whispered “hey Champ…we did it…from a single sesame sized cell to a full grown 3.8 kgs of baby…and she looks super healthy”. Guess she could barely see my face… she must have tried hard to give me a full smile…but the smile was small and short, still, enough to indicate that her happiness knew no limits. I eagerly narrated my first meeting with our baby. Before I left… I felt… my father must have undergone similar emotional upheaval and my mother too must have experienced the same what Sangmu is experiencing right now… perhaps some 37 years ago. Life truly is a cycle.

Exit from Neotia:

Doctor Sanjukta told me in a very professional manner “see Bivek…you got to move out from here at the earliest. I will make sure the discharge is done within next 48 hours. Hospitals have become very unsafe for the newborns. Home is the only safest place as of now.” I clearly understood the underlying cause. So I had to prepare for the exit accordingly. Suddenly, an unprecedented journey for completely unprepared first time parents had just begun. Still, there was no scope for me to lose my senses. I wanted to make a safe exit particularly for our baby. I approached the authority, wobbled from one door to another…looking for a safe back door exit. I tried hard to make them understand the logic of avoiding crowd and public lifts. But that did not work at all. So we hurriedly got dressed, cleared the bills and reached Nursery to take our new born to the apartment. I was in no mood to converse with anyone as I had become like a bull caught in a storm just looking for an early exit. The staffs at the nursery were happy to allow us to collect the baby as they frankly narrated how loudly the baby cries and have been giving them a good run for their money as all other babies would lose their sleep and start crying due to her loudest cry. Still they perform their duties with utmost dedication and care. We ended up looking at each other…smiling…little did we know that our turn was coming for countless sleepless nights.  

Jolting between travel date to Kalimpong home and performing Nauran*:

So we got her to the apartment. Needless to say all excited to see the baby. We had to place the restrictions on visiting the baby as many of our folks from Kalimpong, Kurseong, and Gangtok wanted to visit us. Home protocols were placed & zero-risk policy got extended post delivery too. By then the pandemic had build up with positive reports in the Darjeeling hills and plains. We had very inadequate information regarding protocols & permissions for travelling. Institutional quarantines were made mandatory for anybody returning back to their homes/community. Imagine being placed in an institutional quarantine with a new born that was unimaginable with just a firsthand experience of nursing a newborn for few days. We had to put up a brave face and tell our folks that we are having a very small and closed Nauran in the apartment. I generally make Sangmu do such uncomfortable tasks. But here I had to step in as Sangmu was still in her recovery phase and 100% occupied with the baby. Making first couple of calls was the most difficult. Not inviting your own folks for Nauran is something which is unheard (if not a taboo) in our community. But I picked up confidence with every call. I was able to answer more readily to some of the hard questions on not inviting. The pandemic was beginning to puncture our cultural practices too. So on 1^st April we got a monk from Kadamtala Gumpa and performed a small closed door Nauran.

*Nauran is a ritual observed mostly by the Hindus and Buddhist in which the priest/monks purifies the baby including the family members and all blood relations attending to purify themselves and to bless the newborn.

Finally back home:

My major job during the day was to collect information regarding our return to our home in Kalimpong. The rising cases of covid and the heat were making our life really difficult in Siliguri. Our travel got a major setback when the first covid death in the region was reported. It was a case in Kalimpong. Only after that people starting taking covid seriously. Nonetheless, we had to return home. Rumors started flowing in about people with a history of hospital discharge or travel history being directly taken to institutional quarantine centers. We all had almost given up hope as we were scared of being taken to quarantine center on our way back to Kalimpong. GTA (a local administration) helpline provided me the exact information regarding travel protocols in line with protocols from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India. Family members could not believe me when I informed them around 10 am to pack up as we were heading home that afternoon. We had delayed our travel for more than a week because of the lack of correct information and the fear and apprehensions of being sent to quarantine centers with a few weeks old baby. During this first wave of covid-19 keeping the newborn safely at home was a biggest challenge for parents…and travelling with a newborn was almost unthinkable for most. Around 5:30 at dusk we entered our home. Needless to say it was a massive relief!!! After all, home is home.

Things were beginning to settle; given the comfort and ease of your own home and own space. Govt. provided the slim window period for workers to return back to their native place. We had few returnees in our locality too. All returnees mandatorily had to follow institutional quarantine or community based quarantine (arranged by the locals in an isolated space whenever there was a lack of institutional quarantine infrastructure). Our Samaj (A society or organization) had two options either to go for a make shift quarantine space in a far away inhabited place or use a readymade school infrastructure. The ultimate decision was thrown at me. If I were to express my reservation regarding the school infrastructure located just about 10 yards below my premise then the returnees had to quarantine in a faraway place with immense logistic difficulties and lack of amenities. I had to take a call as a father and as a community member. I discussed with Sangmu and decided to offer ‘no objection’ for using the school premise. The returnees were from Pune (notified as Red Zone). As parents we were aware of the consequences of the decision. We decided to shift our 6 weeks old baby to Kurseong (my in law’s place) from Kalimpong. Within two hours we found ourselves all packed and leaving for Kurseong. We did not speak much along the way; but there was a sense of satisfaction in the decision though we were completely unaware about how the Samaj there at (Kurseong) would react to our arrival. Those days entry to any locality were often not easily permitted, were highly monitored, barricades were placed and locals were vigilant about any new entry from outside. Sangmu’s father had communicated the locals about our stay on self quarantine mode (all locked up inside in Kalimpong) and that we would continue on quarantine mode in Kurseong…this made our entry possible.

Rice feeding ceremony & Semchu’s first Birthday:

Semchu was turning six months soon on 26^th September 2020. She had been completely inside the house except for her occasional balcony visits and her vaccine outings to the doctor’s chamber which was often accompanied with loud bouts of crying and howling. That’s how we had been keeping her in a cocoon, just to keep her safe from the virus. Even taking her out for vaccine shots was one big risk. We had literally gone paranoid. Whenever I held her as the Doctor advanced to administer the shot…my eyes would be on his mask and whether he had sanitized his hands or not. I would wonder if the Doctor himself was carrying the virus. Questions and apprehensions constantly poked my conscience. All parents must have been in dilemma when it came to vaccines and doctors visit during those initial days of the pandemic.  The Pandemic not only made us realize how helpless  parents can get but also…that parents at times have  to keep flowing like waters…deal with whatever is thrown at you, privately and with a hope that your kid(s) will be fine.

Like Nauran…for the rice feeding ceremony (on 2^nd Oct, 2021 or the Gandhi Jayanti) also we did not invite anyone and it was a small ritual performed. As parents our only concern was to keep her safe. And the only way to do that was not to expose her to the outside world and people.  In the process we too were almost completely inside the house. By the end of the first wave the covid fatigue was creeping in; parenting pressure, WFH load, tiring Work At Home (WAH), sleepless nights, with fading social contacts…life was far from normal and easy. But the joy of seeing Semchu safe and turning 1 year old was overwhelming and worth the effort. Pandemic had dipped considerably close to her first Birthday. We had a debate regarding the scale of her birthday celebration. I was not in favour of any gathering but Sangmu and my sister insisted on inviting very few close relatives since their opportunity of meeting Semchu was long overdue. Over their strong persistence, ultimately I had to give in and we decided to hold a small gathering to mark her first birthday. Semchu was looking very cute and colourful. Her eyes, face and body language appeared all fascinated by the decoration we had made. She looked around, ever inquisitive and must have felt that there is life beyond in-house covid restrictions too. Including us they were about 20 people who had gathered to see Semchu for the first time and to spend some time with her. With all relatives gathered around we could see that inquisitiveness in her eyes fading away, her face wasn’t as expressive as before, she was holding on to her mother very tightly. As Sangmu brought her to the gathering for cutting her birthday cake she had covered her eyes entirely with her little hands. Soon all started singing for her…and she started crying. I had to take her to her room. What Semchu was witnessing was completely new for her and perhaps intimidating too. She had never witnessed such a big gathering before, had never heard so many people speaking forget about singing. It took quite an effort to make her feel okay and safe in her own room. That birthday gathering must have given her the first shock of her life.

Second Wave: the deadliest wave in India

By the month of May 2021, the second wave was on. I was back in station (Gangtok) after a long layoff beginning to find a footing at my work. Up to then Sangmu was on her Child Care Leave (CCL). Sangmu’s father health had deteriorated by the beginning of May, 2021. She called me in the evening and from her muffled and clearly stifled voice… I could make out we do not have much time. I immediately drove to Siliguri and same evening the Sikkim Govt. announced a state lockdown.  With arguments and counter arguments at the border check post, somehow I found myself on the other side of the state border. I could not sit next to Papa on his bed. He could barely open his eyes and my eyes had no space to hold my tears. We immediately got him admitted to the hospital. With Papa on the ICU bed and second wave in full swing, all of us were into high risk category. We were doubly worried for Papa; his own sickness plus the risk of getting infected with covid. His Doctor had clearly stated “we have a remote chance for the patient to survive”. Every minute he fought hard; he never looked like he was giving up. Miraculously, he survived and got discharged in 21 days without getting infected with covid ( covid NEGATIVE) even after such a long stay at the hospital. . It was a very miserable situation then. One could see an old man fighting hard for his life and I a relatively young son could do nothing. Not even go near him to comfort him, to motivate him. Every time I took a step to go close to him I wondered…what if I am carrier? What if I transmit/spread to him? Will he be able to come out of it?’ It was truly miserable for me…away from Semchu, Sangmu and mom…and here with a father who needed to be pulled back from the clutches of death. Sangmu and mom were worried about me getting infected, rightly so, as I was stuck in the hospital all throughout. Occasionally, I used to get into this zone of deep contemplation of; what if I get infected? Will Semchu become fatherless; she is just a year old?  But the conviction in me was super strong; I knew I would be safe. It’s a different story that I missed her the most in those 3 months. Finally, seeing her after 3 months was pure magical. True, children reinvent your world for you (Sarandon).

Third Wave

With reports of 10 times faster transmissible covid variant (Omicron) than the previous variant, we knew life was not getting normal so soon. After somehow surviving the deadliest second wave where we could see reports of people dying outside the hospital due to lack of oxygen supply and plies of body left on their own in the crematoriums.; parents were confronted with the third wave with a note that this variant is likely to affect children more as they belonged to an unvaccinated group. For parents the situation was worse than a drowning man catching a straw. Ours were completely WFH. But some of my friends including breast feeding mothers had joined back to work on physical mode.

 At the end of January 2022 Sangmu and mom got the symptoms of cold, cough and fever. We waited for 3 days then Semchu too developed the symptoms. We knew that our bubble (of protected, safe and isolated life) had somehow got punctured by the variant. Semchu was getting too fussy. Sangmu was unwell and baby only wanted to be with her mother. She would be with me for few minutes but soon would cry looking for her mother. The scenario at home was just running out of hands. We ran the test. Mom got positive but the effect was very mild, somehow Sangmu was negative. We consulted the Pediatric…gave the prescribed medicines to Semchu. Luckily, all recovered well within a week. Life just was not getting normal!

The pandemic just did not permit enough time for parents to prepare and plan. The initial unknown virus completely threw us to an unknown world. Parents apart from keeping their children safe also had to educate, entertain and ‘enlighten’ kids. Poor parents had to do the role playing of teachers, entertainer, friends and relatives apart from their own WFH duty. Parents could not hug their kids while returning back to their work station given the office order of return to site/workplace. Even small cultural practices like spitting on kids hands before leaving could not be followed. All festivals or celebrations were limited to in-house members only. Kids lost that crucial opportunity to meet, eat, run around and travel celebrating festivals and family time and above all make friends and see & feel the outside world. On the flip side, parents got ample time to be with their kids, tell stories, and teach (re-teach) their mother tongue, native rhymes, tales and history. Many studies have confirmed these.

Fundamentally, kids had zero access to friends, and zero socialization. My friend called me to narrate how his two and half year old son is screaming (trying to communicate) holding on to his window grill with a neighbour’s daughter standing by her window. Both looked eager to interact and play but the pandemic just did not permit them to be friends. My friend felt bad and helpless to his core. Consciously, every parent must have tried their best to fulfill this void. But the pandemic induced stress on parents made then unable to deliver to the extent they wished or were capable of. Joggling between WFH and child care has landed parents on a road to self-discovery or self-doubts. We do question our parenting style in the name of ensuring her safety when we see our daughter’s conduct today. Did we over do the process of keeping her inside or maintaining distance?

Our two year old daughter is yet to realize that there are people other than her parents and grandparents. She is yet to act (behave) like a normal two year old kid. Initially, the lockdown babies will struggle to be normal and normalize themselves in the world outside their homes. Our next major challenge is in next 11 months time she would be in pre-school. We need to model and remodel our parenting approach and methods to support, install and encourage her to feel normal and secure in the world outside her home. With parents returning back to office; meaning spending less number of hours per day with their kid(s); parents must find new ways of parenting to help their kid(s) come out of this lockdown effect and psychological behavior. By and large, parents are left on their own. Whom do we look up to?  Confused and unassisted parents of millions children born during this pandemic (or pandemic babies or lockdown babies) world-wide.….hope we will be able to learn, re-learn, and resolve the shortcomings  to provide additional support what pandemic babies truly need and deserve.

Last words… Still the Pandemic is far from over. Stay safe and continue to keep your kid(s) safe.

Writes – Bivek Tamang & Sangmu Thendup. Both are teacher at Sikkim University, Gangtok.

The post Two Year Later, Pandemic made us the Parents who we are appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

I fly into the military airport in Bagdogra, and looking at the short distances between the cities here on the map, one might think that everything can be seen in a few days’ time, but just the road from the airport takes more than three hours. We start at the sunset and can only imagine the abyss right next to the road. There are a lot of cars on the road, at times it is only one and a half lanes wide, and you do get the occasional bus driving in the opposite direction. After monsoon, the roads are washed out and at every turn, the driver is honking to make sure there isn’t anyone driving in the opposite direction. Sometimes the traffic stops, the mirrors are carefully folded in and somehow the cars manage to get going. My companions sitting at the road sign admire the Milky Way and lightning in the distance, but I mostly see the side of the mountain, at times just a few centimeters from the window. At times it is raining, and the higher we go, the colder it gets, so I now appreciate the warmer layers of clothing I have with me.

When arriving in Darjeeling, all I can compare it to is the few buildings I saw from the taxi when spending one night in Delhi, and what I saw on the way in Bagdogra. The people look different here, buildings are closely built, slopes are covered in tiny houses that look like they were built on top of each other, ten stories high. It is already dark, but I am crossing my fingers to get a room with the view – luckily, our hotel has a beautiful view of the valley with Darjeeling on the slope.

We spent the first day exploring the city and riding the world-famous Darjeeling Toy Train. We arrive with plenty of time to spare and observe the vegetable market on the tracks, men carrying large and heavy items tied to their heads, and stray dogs. Plenty of opportunities to witness wonderful moments that go into our photo albums. Finally, we are ready to go! Every few meters the train crosses the road, so it keeps on honking for nearly two hours while the journey lasts. It’s raining quite heavily, so, unfortunately, we don’t get to see the famous views. Just at times, we get a glimpse of the opposite slope. It clears up in the afternoon and we try to find a better view of the city from the top. It’s also getting much warmer than before and we finally leave our coats at the hotel. In our explorations, we visit the Shiva Mahakal temple and observe peace and quiet here. Later I learn that “Durjay Ling” means “Shiva of invincible prowess, who rules the Himalayas”, which makes you think about the origins of the name “Darjeeling”. Though popularly, Darjeeling is said to have been derived from the Tibetan words “Dorjeling,” meaning ‘The Land of the Thunderbolt.’ On the way to the temple we see a monkey colony with the little ones, these must be the first monkeys I have ever seen in the wild!

While we went to the temple, we saw quite far in the nearest valleys, but the furthest peaks were covered in clouds. At one point something white shines in the distance – is it true – snow? We are hopeful for the next morning when we have planned to go see the mountains at sunrise.

On the second day, we wake up around three in the morning to be on time for the sunrise at the Tiger Hill viewing point. With the first rays of the sun, the heavenly Kanchenjunga peak starts to shine. It’s cloudy on the side of the sky where Mount Everest is, so we don’t get to see that, but with the sun raising the scenery is out of this world. Shining snow-covered peaks in the distance, layers of clouds in the middle and Darjeeling seems to be almost as under the water.

On the way back from Tiger Hill we also explore a Buddhist monastery that is fully awake at 7 in the morning, with boys brushing their teeth and moving around wide awake!

Later we spent the whole day walking in the city. Visit the Darjeeling Himalayan Mountaineering Institute that has an interesting exhibit on the first ascent to Everest, and see the local animals in the zoo.

Evenings are the time to sit down on the hotel roof terrace and see the sunset. Clouds turn pink and yellow, lightning strikes in the distance, and at times electricity disappears in the valley. We have some tea from the room and plenty to talk about – what to do on the next day and what has surprised us the most so far. It’s a good feeling to sit down and relax after a long day of adventures.

On the final days of our visit, we stay at a tea estate. The experience is a little different from what we expected, as this particular tea house still is very fresh at taking visitors. The tea estate is what I personally was most looking forward to, as I am a fan of teas, and even now, writing these lines, I have a cup of Darjeeling tea right next to me.

When we reach the estate, we are greeted as the first-ever tourists from Latvia and we proceed to drink tea and walk in the tea gardens. Finally, I get to see how tea grows! We hike the tea gardens, see the production facilities, interact with tea leaf pluckers and enjoy a small tasting tour.

We also get to experience clouds coming in the room from outside, enjoy complete silence outside until a football match taking place right outside our windows. We go to see the games, but it starts to rain, so we head back soon, thinking how it is possible to play when you don’t see the other side of the field?

Upon returning to the estate, we sit down in the dining room and drink tea, liters, and liters of tea with some tasty samosas from the lovely lady cook. At times the rain stops and we peek out to see the game still continues. Then it resumes pouring and continues to do so all night. We get worried about our way back, as even getting here was a challenge, as roads are narrow and washed out.

On the last day, we again get to see the amazing snowy peaks, just as in the morning when we went to Tiger Hill. They can even be seen from the terrace at the resort. If not for this clear morning, we wouldn’t have had a clue of the views from here. We get ready to get back to Bagdogra at six o’clock in the morning, and everyone else is awake too, we see school children dressed in uniforms walking to their schools. Quite a long walk from the tea estate to the schools!

Darjeeling will always have a special place in my heart, the first place I visited in India, the land of tea growing literally in the sky. It takes a long journey for it to get to my cup, but now I always unmistakably recognize it whenever I am served it. With every sip, I remember little streets, snowy peaks, and pleasant locals in Darjeeling.

Alina Andrusaite is a marketing professional and an avid world traveler who has visited over 40 countries so far. She LOVES to travel and write about her travels, and if she won a million dollars, she would divide it in such a way that she would get to travel all over the world, without having to work.

Jekabs Andrusaitis a software architect and his biggest passion is photography.

Together Alina and Jekabs have won the National Geographic Latvia travel story of the year, which encouraged them to start their own travel blog.

“Together we hope to encourage people to travel more and outside of their comfort zone!” – says Alina

You can check out their amazing pics and stories, and follow them at:
Website – www.reveriechaser.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/lincalincalinca
Instagram – www.instagram.com/lincalincalinca
Photo – www.facebook.com/jekabsphoto

NOTE: All pics shared here are for online use only and only for The Darjeeling Chronicle only, any other usage would require permission from the author for a fee.

The post Dazzling Darjeeling: Where Tea Grows in the Sky appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

के तँपाईहरुलाई लाग्दैन आज पहाडको राजनीति पनि यस्तै गाई चाेरको कथा जस्तै भएको छ?

भर्खरै मात्र गृह मन्त्री अमित शाह दार्जिलिङमा आएर भाजपा अनि गोर्खाको सम्बन्ध ईश्वरले बनाएर पठाएको हो भने। एन आर सी ले गोर्खाहरु माथि कुनै असर गर्ने छैन पनि भने। दार्जीलिङलाई सिनकोना हब बनाएर यसलाई विश्व व्यापार संग जोड्ने, फरेस्ट राइट्स एक्ट लाई पहाडमा लागू गर्ने, ११ जातिलाई जनजातिको दर्जा दिने , चिया अनि टुरिजमलाई विकास गर्ने जस्ता आश्वासन दिए। स्व अगम सिंह गिरी, तेन्जिङ नोर्गे तथा अन्य नेपाली ब्यक्तित्वहरुको नाम लिएर हामीलाई केही क्षणको निम्ती खुसी बनाउने काम पनि गरे।

हो, भारतको गृह मन्त्री तथा बीजेपीका चाणक्य मानिने व्यक्ति श्री अमित शाह दार्जीलिङमा आएर, एकदिन बसेर यहाँको समस्याहरूलाई बुझ्न कोसिस गर्नु गोर्खाहरुको निम्ती ठूलो कुरो हुनसक्छ। किनकी आजसम्म भारतका कुनै पनि राजनतिक पार्टी अनि केन्द्रीय मंत्रीले पहाडलाई यती नजिकबाट हेरेको थिएन अौ हेर्न चाहेको थिएन।

तर, दुःखको कुरो यती धेरै नियालेर हेरे वापत्, मुद्दाबाट बाहिरका कुराहरू मात्र गरेर गयो श्रीअमित शाह।

गोर्खाको समस्याको समाधान तबसम्म हुदैन जबसम्म भारतमा गोर्खाको पहिचान समस्या ( Identity Crisis) को समाधान हुदैन। अर्थात गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्य/UT अथवा कुनै पनि भारतको संविधानको आर्टिकल २४३- ए जस्ता संवैधानिक व्यवस्था गोर्खाल्याण्ड क्षेत्रमा लागू गरिँदैन। बिजेपीले गोर्खाहरुको मूल समस्यालाई समाधान गर्न चाहन्छन् कि पहिलेका सरकारहरु झैं अन्य समस्याहरू मात्र समाधान गर्न चाहन्छन् भन्ने प्रश्न उठ्छ।

अर्कोतिर ,एक समयमा गोर्खाल्याण्ड प्रति कटिबद्ध एउटै मात्र व्यक्ति मानिने श्री विमल गुरुङ भने आज गोर्खाल्याण्ड शब्द प्रयोग गर्न पनि सोंच्न पर्ने अवस्थामा छन्। भर्खरै मात्र हाम्रो दाजुले ममता दिदी संग मिलेर पहाडको स्थायी समस्याको समाधान गर्ने पनि भन्नु भयो। बंगाल सरकारको शोषणमा सयौं वर्ष बिताएर पनि बंगाल सरकार संग नै मिलेर पहाडको समस्याको समाधान गर्छु भन्ने व्यक्तिलाई कति जनताले सहायता गर्ला र?

यति मात्र होइन, आजसम्म बङ्गालमा कुनै पनि सरकारलाई गोर्खाहरूले कहिले सपोर्ट गरेको छैन। अब प्रश्न उठ्छ की, bjp यदि बंगाल मा सरकार बनाउन सक्षम भयो भने, के गोर्खाहरूले बिजेपी सरकारलाई सपोर्ट गर्ला र? अनि के बंगालमा बीजेपी सरकार अनि केन्द्र सरकारले गोर्खाहरुको मूल समस्याको समाधान स्थायी राजनैतिक समस्याको समाधान गर्न सक्छन् त?

यता श्री अनित थापाले प्रशासनिक क्षेत्रमा धेरै राम्रो काम गरे पनि GJM २ माथि २०१७ आन्दोलनमा गोर्खाहरुको अस्तित्व बेचेको जस्तो गम्भीर आरोप भएकोले जनताको सहयोग पाउन हम्मे हम्मे परेको छ। उनीहरु त मूल गोर्खा identity को समस्याबाट धेरै टाडिएर विकाशको राजनीतिमा लागी सकेको छ।

यसरी नै, आफ्नो सिद्धान्तमा अडिग रहने पार्टी GNLF छैंटौं अनुसूची पायो भने स्व. सुभाष घिसिङको सपना पुरा भयो भन्दै रमाउँछन् होला। छैंटौं अनुसूचीले गोर्खाहरुको स्वाभिमानलाई फिर्ता दिन सक्तैन। यतिमात्र नभएर पहाडका non tribal जातिहरू अनि व्यापारी समुदायका व्यक्तिहरू पनि छैंटौं अनुसूचि प्रति खुशी छैनन् किनकि यसमा, कारवी- आङलोङ अनि मिजोराममा जस्तो extortion, illegal fees अनि contractor राज जस्ता प्रथाहरु बडने सम्भावना हुन्छ। डिष्ट्रिक्ट tribal council मा पनि अनुसूचित जनजातिको सख्या अधिक रहने हुनाले अन्य जातिहरूमा डर उत्पन्न हुन्छ। डा० महेन्द्र पी. लामाले यसको समर्थन गरेता पनि, यो पहाडको राजनैतिक समस्याको समाधान हो भनि कहिलै भनेनन्।

यी सबै पार्टीहरूको मुद्दा एकपल्ट नियालेर हेर्दा के आज कुनै पार्टी गोर्खाको मूल समस्याको मुद्दा प्रति चिंतित देखिन्छन् त?

स्वतन्त्र candidateहरुको भनाई अनुसार गोर्खाको समस्यालाई समाधान गर्न न त राज्य न त केंद्र इच्छुक छन्। त्यसैले हामीले हाम्रो आफ्नै प्रतिनिधि पठाउन पर्छ। हामीले हाम्रो आफ्नै प्रतिनिधि पठाउँदा, हामीलाई हाम्रो मुद्दाहरूलाई विधानसभा अनि लोकसभामा, केन्द्र वा राज्यको पार्टी काे whip को बिना राख्न सक्नेछौ तर सरकारसँग एलायन्स नहुनाले हाम्रो सरकारसँग बार्गेनिङ (bargaining) क्षमता पनि कम हुनेछ। तर वहाँहरुको वक्तव्य अनि विचार गोर्खा हितमा छ। गोर्खाल्याण्ड मुद्दा अनि गोर्खे identity को निम्ती उनिहरु प्रतिबद्ध देखिन्छन् । तर पुरानो पार्टीहरूले प्रभुत्व जमाई सकेका पहाडको जनतामाझ independent candidateहरुलाई आफ्नो विचारहरू पुर्याउन गाह्रो पर्ला।

अत: दुःखको कुरो के हो भने आज हामीमाझ एउटा पनि यस्तो परिपक्व पार्टी छैन जो गोर्खाल्याण्ड अनि हाम्रो आइडेन्टिटी को समस्यालाई मूल मुद्दा बनाएर चलिरहेको छ।

यसै सन्दर्भमा , अहिले विधानसभा चुनावको समय, गाईचाेरको कथा ठिक्क मिल्दो रहेछ। गाईचोर झैं नेताहरु आउँछन् अनि तपाईंको भोट अनि मूल मुद्दा चोरी लान्छन्। बदलामा तँपाईंलाई ग्वाला झैं मूर्ख बनाएर अन्य मुद्दाहरूप्रति घण्टी बजाउँदै डोराउँछन्।

के हामी सधैं मूर्ख भएर घण्टीतिर भागी रहने की बुद्धिको प्रयोग गरेर गाईचोरबाट आफ्नो गाई खोसेर ल्याउने हो?

स्वयं विचार गर्नुहोला।

लेखक – कंचन एल गुरूङ

The post गोर्खाल्याण्ड: पहाडे नेताहरू अनि गाई चोरको कथा appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Shiva was a yogi, up in the Himalayas, who would meditate for years and would break his meditation only to do a cosmic dance of ecstasy.

In those times, many young men would go off to Himalayas to seek wisdom and many young men stumbled upon Shiva and watched him day and night. They were unable to understand him and he would be oblivious to human presence hence they left him, except for 7 young men, who waited on.

They kept observing him for months. He would not even acknowledge them. They begged Shiva that they wanted to have the knowledge bestowed from him, the universal secrets that he had, they wanted to learn. But Shiva denied and told them that they have to do penance. And they did as was told to them.

One Full moon day, after 84 years of astringency and penance, Shiva looked at the 7 young men, who had turned into Yogi’s. Impressed by their persistence to learn cosmic wisdom, he bestowed them the knowledge he wanted to pass on and they imbibed it gracefully and became Sapta-rishis or 7 powerful gurus, who would now, distribute and pass on the knowledge to other humans.

This full moon day, when Lord Shiva became a teacher or guru, is known as Gurupoornima and Shiva is known as Adi-guru. Remember, you don’t choose a Guru, a Guru chooses you. And that’s what Lord Shiva did.

Today when you see our Shamans (jhyakri) dance to the tune of “saisela bonbo sey bonbo, saisela bonbo sey..” accompanied by the deeply resounding music of dhyangro, remember its the cosmic dance they are performing, with the same abundance and escstasy as Adi Yogi Bhagwan Rudra.”

In our mountains we celebrate today as Guru Purney!! as it is believed that today the 1st Jhyakri (shaman) got his gyaan from is guru. Today our traditional shamans (Jhyankri, Fedangba, Bijuwa, Dhami etc) visit their Guru and thank them for their teachings and the nurturing they gave.

In fact, Guru Purnima is perhaps the oldest form of teachers day celebrations.

The fact that mountain people are predominantly nature worshipers, and have always been so, is reflected in our unique mountain customs and traditions.

Let us protect, conserve, propagate and celebrate our unique traditional mountain festivals.

Our’s is a unique mountain culture, we should all strive to conserve this.

The post Guru Purnima – How Lord Shiva became the first Guru on this day appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

We did try to convince him, but he didn’t sound so convinced, so we decided to run his old story from 2014 accompanied by a NEW VIDEO wherein THE MAN himself professes how it was to live in Darjeeling.

ORIGINAL REPORT FROM 2014

Not many know that the actor most famous for portraying Sherlock Holmes in TV series of the same name, who has recently portrayed the role of Julian Assange in the movie The Fifth Estate has spent a good chunk of his time in Darjeeling. He thoroughly enjoyed his stay in Darjeeling and has given credit to his stay here for his calmness and ability to focus. Speaking about Darjeeling days, Mr Cumberbatch recently told a London based journalist:

“I’d always done slightly crazy things like getting lost on treks in the Himalayas when I was 19. In my gap year, I was teaching English to Tibetan Buddhist monks in a Nepali home near Darjeeling.

“They were amazingly warm, intelligent, humorous people. Hard to teach English to. I built a blackboard, which no other previous teachers seem to have done. With 12 monks in a room with an age-range of about 8 to 40, that’s quite important – and the reward-punishment thing of sweets or no sweets, or game or no game, worked quite well. But they taught me a lot more than I could ever teach them.

“They taught me about the simplicity of human nature, but also the humanity of it, and the ridiculous sense of humour you need to live a full spiritual life. There was a time when these two rabid dogs were all over each other, screwing in the back yard, and all of this laughter, ‘Sir, sir, quick, come, sir, sir, quick!’ and these two dogs were just stuck together, having sex, pulling like this, like a Pushmi-pullyu [the two-headed animal in Dr Dolittle], and the monks were just on the floor laughing at these sentient beings’ pain and ridiculousness, two of them a conjoined couple. And it was so funny, they threw water all over them, but before they did, they were like, ‘Kodak moment, sir, Kodak moment!’ Brilliant!

“Then we watched Braveheart, which is a f***ing violent film for Tibetan Buddhist monks to watch, and they were all going ‘wahey!!!’ They saw Scotland as being the oppressed Tibetans and the English as the Chinese.”

“I also went on a retreat with a lama, several days of incantation to clear the mind and purify, along with a dozen other people. It was incredible, and I kind of floated out of there after two weeks. When you’ve been that still and contemplative, your sensory awareness is so heightened, sharper-focused, you’re taking in detail to the point where you have to pause a little bit, it was amazing.

And the experience helped the Sherlock star become the cool, calm and collected artist he is today. He learnt a lot from living in Darjeeling and being immersed in Buddhism.

“There’s an ability to focus and have a real sort of purity of purpose and attention and not be too distracted, and to feel very alive to your environment, to know what you are part of, to understand what is going on in your peripheral vision and behind you as well of what is in front of you, that definitely came from that”

Indeed it would be interesting to find out if anyone remembers being taught by him? or the house where he lived while he was here? Any volunteers?

The post The Darjeeling Connection: Yes Benedict Cumberbatch Was Here During His Gap Year appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

The main attraction in Aahal Sunrise Viewpoint is its natural landscape, a 360-degree view of mountains and tea garden. Located between Shelpu Khashmahal and Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, the viewpoint is a hidden place for the world. It took a lot of effort for the inhabitants of Shelpu and its surrounding area with to promote Aahal Sunrise Viewpoint through different modes – social media, tourism festival, installing Signboards, etc. Today, it presents itself as one of the most attractive tourist destinations of North Bengal and tourists can witness nature in full bloom from this point.

It is to be noted that till date Aahal has received not a single scheme (except MGNRES) for beautification from the Government. The present status of Aahal as a major tourist destination is due to the tireless efforts of the local inhabitants. In 2013, Mr Padam Gurung and Mr. H.K Rai constructed a 500-meter Kutcha road on their own investment to link Aahal Sunrise Viewpoint after they constructed a Homestay and started cultivation of tea on a small scale.

The road passes through a boundary between Latpanchor Cinchona Plantation and Shelpu Khashmahal with a certain portion at the main entrance within Latpanchor Cinchona Plantation. On petition from the people of U.P. Shelpu, an MGNRES scheme was implemented by Sittong-3 Gram Panchayat in 2016 to upgrade the road. Literally, this road was extended more (1.5 km approx.) inside the periphery of Aahal region and Shelpu with their own investment because these areas did not have road facilities. Today, this kutcha road serves an important role for everyone.

The main concern, however, is that the management of Chinchona Plantation have installed a drop-gate at the main entrance of Aahal Road without any consent from Government bodies and are collecting money from vehicles passing through the gate.

The issued entry ticket is printed in the name of Office of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration but the ticket does not have any serial number or registration number. The amounts levied are Rs. 100 for outsider vehicles, Rs. 50 for local vehicles, Rs. 20 for two-wheelers, and Rs. 10 for a single person. However, it must be noted that the road for which they are charging the tax was neither constructed by Latpanchor or Chinchona Plantation, or the GTA.

A similar gate has also been installed at Joghighat at the entrance of Mungpoo by the Directorate of Cinchona Plantation at Mungpoo but no fees is charged for person or vehicle. That gate was used to control illegal smuggling of Cinchona wood. Interestingly, the present gate installed by the plantation authority and the entrance of Latpanchor-Cinchona plantation are opposite to each other. From the initial establishment of Latpanchor-Cinchona Plantation since 1943 till date, there has never been a stark example of hypocrisy and discrimination.

The road not only falls on Latpanchor-Cinchona Plantation, but some part of the road also shares area under different landlords of Shelpu Khashmahal. Further, this road was extended at the periphery of Aahal by the people of Shelpu with their own investments. Now, they are denied access to use the road they have constructed for their own interests.

They are forced to pay taxes when they are carrying household materials or cash-crops for selling. This action has an adverse effect on sustainable growth, and it denies the rights of people. The authority appeared suddenly and started collecting tax without consulting the landholders or the people of the locality. The locals of Shelpu-Sittong-Latpanchor who are proud of their place and have worked hard for this place now have to pay Rs 10 to enter their own village.

Today, there are more than 20 homestays in Sittong valley (Shelpu, Tham, Ghaletar, Sabje, Sittong G.C.P, Latpanchor, Rolak, Mana, 6th mile, Jogighat, Maldiram, Mamring). Most of the tourists who come to Sittong valley love the Aahal Sunrise Viewpoint. While the government has failed to provide any funds to develop tourism here, it is wrong to charge such huge price even for locals to pass through the roads. The number of visitors in Aahal is increasing day by day and such action would certainly discourage tourists and hamper the flourishing business, which is also generating local employment and sustainable economic growth.

The collection of tax by the Latpanchor Chinchona Plantation in the name of GTA is unlawful. Without proper verification and knowledge of its geographical location, the taxation should not have been allowed.

We, the people of Shelpu, strongly condemn the action taken by Latpanchor-Chinchona Plantation. The installation of the gate at the entrance of Aahal Road and charging of taxes to people and vehicles is unlawful. The checkpost and the gate should be demolished as soon as possible. We would like to appeal for help from all the concerned higher authority to investigate and take significant strict action against the ones who are linked to the collection of taxes in the name of GTA.

A few questions that could not be left out and needed to be addressed:

• Is Latpanchor-Cinchona Plantation collecting tax in the name of Gorkhaland Territory Administration or has GTA given the permission to collect tax?
• If GTA had permitted to collect tax, what are the conditions under which the permit was issued?
• What right do they have to collect tax without implementing a single scheme or supporting the locals to develop the tourism site?
• Before issuing the permit, was it not necessary for GTA to verify or consult with the locals about its advantages and disadvantages?
• Who authorized the gatekeeper to sign in the name of GTA? Does he/she been provided authority by GTA?
• Why is there no receipt, registration number, or any tracking number in the receipt?
• Or, is Latpanchor-Cinchona Plantation allowed levying taxes on people?
• Who gives the right to the plantation owners, or GTA to impose such taxes on the locals living there for generations? That too without contributing anything for them.

Can anybody hear our woes and appeal for help?

The post Aahal Viewpoint – A Story of Flourishing Freeloaders appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

She was, in every respect, a modern woman- educated, career oriented and most importantly economically independent now. Though new to this place she had no inhibition to start on her own, alone. She, like many other aspiring educated youths of her hometown, had to migrate to this neighbouring state after her post-graduation entirely due to compulsion, as her own hometown which was in complete political and administrative chaos for a few decades now, had nothing to offer for elks like her.

After a tired day at office she would usually spend her evening marvelling at the spectacular view of the lush green landscape of Rumtek Valley that her bedroom window offered. On those moments her mind would naturally drift to the time when she and many of her classmates after their proud moment of success in University had come face to face with this unpleasant question which they had preferred to avoid- “What next?”

Go back with a degree to add to the already frustrated unemployed crowd?
Or resign to fate and allow yourself to be wooed by prospective suitors with Government jobs and with very attractive offers of letting you pursue your career after the solemnisation of this social contract? Or worse still, live off your superannuated parents and continue obtaining for yourself higher degrees, of course with no guarantee of job afterwards.

She had to make a choice. After much consideration she had made her choice. And now she is here. Though few eyebrows were raised when her decision of staying alone in a new place reached the greedy ears of those ever inquisitive neighbours back home. The disappointment of the prospective suitors led to resentment. They hurled a litany of criticisms on her for her foolish decisions. Foolish and idealistic it did seem to many then, when her own best friend Sujata, the sensible of the two, agreed to settle down with a college lecturer absolutely with no fuss.

“It was, no doubt, a good decision!” She remarked to Kamala, her maid.

“I can pursue my studies without being a burden to my retired parents and of course without having to carry an albatross around my neck.” She was economically independent now. Her present job, though a mere stop-gap at present, paid her well enough to follow her dreams.

Kamala, from Okhal Dunga Teen Number, had been working for her since last six months. Kamala too was in her mid twenties and used to stay with her brother Shyam, who worked as a porter in Daragoan, in a shanty hutment meant for porters like him. Kamala was a typical Aryan beauty with beautiful emerald eyes.

Kamala was more than just a mere housemaid for her. She was a companion and a sister in this new place. She would wait for Kamala every evening to bring joy and colour in her life. With a slight knock on the door Kamala, would enter her otherwise monotonous and extremely uneventful world, bringing a wealth of spicy stories from around the surroundings.

“Didi how did your day go today? I had a terrible day. You know the house where I work? Well, the aunty is quite tight fisted. Today while doing the dishes a glass slipped from my hand. Aunty remarked that she would deduct twenty rupees from my salary. Kasto chuchii chaa aunty!”

“Don’t spoil your mood Kamala. If you need some cash you can borrow from me anytime,” She would say.

Sometimes she came with the news of how the two women at Rangila Galli had got into open squabble over the issues concerning one of their husbands promiscuous behaviour. Sometimes she would rather coyly confide that the husband in one of the other two houses where she worked during the day time tried to touch her inappropriately.

She had found some common threads between Kamala and herself despite the glaring difference of education and social status. They both were women away from home, friends and family in this unknown place. Displaced in some sense. This commonness cemented their relationship the more. At times when homesickness would be unbearable she would ask Kamala about her native land. Kamala, in her typical Nepal lilt, would describe the rugged beauty of mountainous Okhal Dhunga and talk about her people in reminiscent voice.

Most evenings her apartment resounded with the songs of Meera Rana and Tara Devi, the singing legends of Nepali music. The interest in songs had brought them even closer. She would sing cooking her dinner and Kamala would accompany her while doing sundry household works.

It was one rainy evening. She was feeling rather lonely. The weather had had its effects. All of sudden she asked Kamala, “Kamala have you ever been in love?” The suddeness of her question caught Kamala off guard. For a while she looked at her didi incredulously and then retorted, “Chyau didi you ask queer question sometimes!” but was quick enough to cross question, “What about you didi?”

She hadn’t considered about romantic relationships. In fact there was no time for such indulgence. The female colleagues in her office had tried to link her up with some male colleagues but in vain. Some male overtures had been rejected by her flatly however politely. Since her entry into this side of the river Teesta she had often come across such enticing proposals like the prospective suitor is a COI holder with a good post in some government department and a promise of a government job here for her as well. Had she come for all these? She often wondered and chuckled at such strange matrimonial arrangements. Having got no response from her, thus she had been dismissed as being spiritless and frigid.

But lately an entry had been made in her otherwise uneventful world by someone quite special.

He used to visit her sometimes in the evening for a good cup of tea, soulful talks and meaningful discussions. Intelligence in man had always attracted her.

Those evenings when he excused himself from their ritual tea drinking session Kamala would ask her with impish grin, “Didi today Sir won’t come? What a gentleman he is! He addresses me as “tapai” (an honorific address)

Tejesh was indeed a gentleman. She was attracted to him by his vast knowledge and humility. Now the fact that even Kamala liked him doubled her joy. Her joy was shared by Kamala too. She would show remarkable spirit and insist on making tea for them when Tejesh was around. The joy which she didn’t want to take away from Kamala.

That evening as usual after having insisted that she would make tea Kamla kept the tea kettle on the stove but soon got busy with her other household work. This was quite common a habit with her, multitasking, to save time perhaps!

However, she was good at multitasking. Quick but clever.

But almost an hour passed when the promised cups of tea didn’t arrive she hesitatingly got up and went to the kitchen cutting short their extremely delightful tete-a-tete right in the middle much to her dislike.

To her utmost horror there she found in the kitchen the small but dainty stainless steel kettle, the one that had won her heart over at the very first sight at Hariram Store, burning red. Its content long dried up. There she stood perplexed for a moment and when the possibility of an imminent accident dawned on her she flunked open all the windows, switched off the stove at once almost in a reflex action. By this time Tejesh and Kamala had both reached the kitchen. But Kamala in the most lackadaisical manner without even a tinge of fear – fear of the deadly accident that has just been averted, looking first at her and then coyly to Tejesh spoke, “Ahh birsechu po!” ( oh, i simply forgot!)

“My God, How could she say so? What if.. Just look at her attitude!” Her head reeled with anger and disgust. And there for the first time she scolded Kamala. Scolded right in front of Tejesh.

Its been almost a week after that incident. Today Kamala came a little late than usual. And She was busy working on her project she had to present the next day in office. After completing her chores Kamala came to her quietly and said meekly, “Didi from tomorrow I wont be coming for work.”

“What! Err… but why?” that was all she could ask. Kamala with tiredness on her voice informed her that she would be going back, leaving Gangtok for good. The reason being the illness of her mother.

What could she say! The reason was a genuine. She felt very sorry as she gauged the sadness on Kamala’s face. All the more sad as she was never to see Kamala again.

The world is governed by love and the pain of separation is inescapable

She handed Kamala her dues adding on it extra thousand. Kamala need on her journey back home. She reluctantly accepted and with dismal expression quietly left the room.

With Kamala gone the warmth and liveliness of the house was gone too. It also left behind no time for her. Her schedule became very hectic. She now realised how Kamala had made her dependent on her. To come back to a messy room after a tired day’s work in office began to show effects on her temperament. She often became irritable. Her leisure evening tea session was replaced by grueling brooming-mopping sessions which left her completely exhausted. She thought she must look for another maid.

The next morning on her way to office she inquired the wife of Maila bhai, the grocer at Rangilla galli, if any maid was available. She even stressed that the work would be for two hours a day with good salary.

“What happened to Kamala, madam? Has she stopped coming to you?” came an inquisitive inquiry.
“She left for Gangtok two weeks back” is what she could say.
The grocer’s wife looked rather puzzled.
” But..but she came to my shop just yesterday,” spoke looking still very puzzled and continued carelessly, “She said she is working at Mrs. Singh’s house.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

As she was in hurry she rushed to office but her mind wrecked with all sorts of questions, ” How could she lie to me? But she looked grave talking about her ill mother. Why on earth would she lie to me? Mrs. Singh, hmmm!”

Maybe Maila’s wife is trying to taunt me or she wants some raunchy story to entertain her semi literate womenfolk during lazy afternoon! “Yes Maila’s wife is a prying woman” Kamala had told her once.”

It was a late evening and the sudden afternoon drizzle had turned into a heavy downpour. There she was- like many others stranded due to this erractic Gangtok weather. People ran helter skelter. Some taking hurried steps to a nearby shade. Amidst thus hustle she spotted Kamala near Hawa Ghar at Tadong. Yes it was Kamala. She, too half drenched, standing along with a confuse crowd at Hawa ghar. She rubbed her eyes. Yes indeed it was Kamala.

“So what maila’s wife said was true then! Why this hide and seek? ” sudden surge of rage blinded her. She felt cheated, betrayed and taken in for a ride. Trembling she waded through the stream of dirty drainage water that had flooded the street and stood in front of Kamala. On finding her suddenly in front of her, Kamala was taken a back but before Kamala could say anything she demanded to know what was she doing in Gangtok? Why had she lied to her- to her who never mistreated her and loved her like her own sister!

Kamala who was at first a little petrified but gained her composure quickly and replied stoically and in fact in a very matter of fact manner, “Didi, I’ve come here to earn and not to make a relationship. I left your place because I got a better offer at some other place,” and with a pause she continued, “You did scold me. Scold me right in front of Tejesh Sir, didn’t you?” Saying this Kamala left her standing alone completely drenched in that heavy rain.

She stood there stupefied.

“The ways of the world” which no university education could impart her, she learnt this way.

This bitter way.

Writes: Yumita Rai – she is a teacher, poet and an author

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