Cheapening Chowrasta: रोटेपिंग र डाइस लाग्नूको बेर छ

Cheapening Chowrasta is how cheap politicians are ruining the iconic and historic promenade in the heart of Darjeeling town

Most of the people I know, head to the hills to avoid the heat, the dust, the pollution, the loud noise, and the over crowded cities.

They arrive in Darjeeling, they are met with the same dust, same pollution, and loud noise. Thank God for the last remaining vistage of luxury, Chowrasta and the Mall Road – an oasis of traquility, amidst the sea of chaos.

But, how can the politicians, their alleged “advisors”, their alleged “Think Tanks” permit that oasis to exist? Where’s the money to be made in allowing the oasis to remain an oasis?

Let’s convert it into a Mela Ground – and charge the stall owners. Better yet, make the SHGs work for the “party [political]”, and as a pay off allow them to sell Momo, Thukpa and whatever they want to in the middle of Chowrasta for two weeks or so. Don’t forget to spray some dust in the eyes of the people, let’s label the event, “Darjeeling Tourist SHOPING Festival”.

There, that’s what the tourists have come to enjoy – CHAOS

You guys got that right.

When we were young, you needed a special permit to drive from Bhanu Bhawan to the Zoo. Today, there are many “taxi stands” that have come up on the Mall Road. Who permitted those stands? So much so, even the Mahakal Mandir premise has been converted into Hotel and Taxi Stand zone. Another half has been taken over by the so called “hawkers”.

Whatever little is left, is at times converted into “gundri bazar”, at times to “dog show” venue, at times to “marathon venue”, at times to “political rally venue”, at times “government program venue”, and at times even “car sales venue”…

If these lot have their way, the only place left in Darjeeling, where you will be able to find peace is the SP Bunglow. Rest of the places, they will rent out, lease out, sell out.

They don’t have any sense of belonging to our place, there is zero sense of “mero”. For them, all of Darjeeling is a piece of property to be converted into money.

I don’t mind the politicians, most of them are morons anyway, however I pity the “petty brains” who fuel this madness, all to cozy up their pockets and satiate their never ending greed. In cheapening Chowrasta, they are exhibiting the cheapness of their menality and their very being.

What’s truly ironic is that, all of them are “bhumiputras,” rushing in to pawn whatever little “bhumi” is now left in our region, including the public toilets, to the highest bidders.

As Thomas Sowell once said, “In a democracy, we have always had to worry about the ignorance of the uneducated. Today we have to worry about the ignorance of people with college degrees.”

Wake up Darjeeling, identify these crooks behind the books, who are destroying our beloved town and our region, before it’s too late.