And the truth is simple:
This is not how a heritage site should look.

Drying clothes is not wrong.
People’s needs are not wrong. But choosing the only UNESCO-tagged railway station of our hills as the place to do it, that shows something deeper. It shows how casually we treat things that carry our identity.

Ghum is not just a station from 1881.
It’s not just old tracks and steam whistles.
It’s a symbol of who we are, what our hills represent, and how the world sees us. Yet today, it looks like a place we have stopped respecting.

And what hurts even more is the reaction: People walk past it without a second thought.
As if this is normal.
As if heritage is something that maintains itself.
As if the UNESCO board is enough to protect it.
It isn’t.

Heritage doesn’t die when buildings collapse. It dies when people stop caring.

I saw what Ghum has become, and it genuinely hurt me – not because the station changed, but because our attitude changed. If we don’t value our own heritage, what message are we passing to the next generation? What will they learn except indifference?
Tomorrow they will treat every public place the same way — because this is what they grew up seeing.

This is not about blaming anyone.
This is not about pointing fingers.
This is about acknowledging a simple truth:
We can do better.
We should do better.
Ghum deserves better.

A world heritage site should not look like an afterthought.
A place that carries our history should not look forgotten.
A station that once brought pride should not look neglected.

If Ghum could speak, it would not ask for luxury – only for basic respect. Only for the dignity it earned over more than a century.

A UNESCO board means nothing if the people around it don’t care. And today, after seeing Ghum, I felt one thing very clearly:
“Heritage is not protected by signs or titles – it’s protected by the people who live around it. That includes me. That includes you.”

Ghum Railway Station deserves more —
not just a title,
not just a board,
but the respect of the people who share its story.

Writes – Bidhan Rai Thulung

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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.

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Kurseong N F Railway Printing Press has a glorious history, not many are aware of it. Suprakash Lama a second-generation railway employee of the N.F. Railway Press, acquaint us with this amazing heritage of ours.

The word history comes from Greek historia, meaning the study of the process of social changes, a continuous, systematic, narrative of past events as relating to particular people, period, investigation, inquiry, and research, account description, written accounts of past events.

India has a long history of printing presses. India’s first printing press was set up as early as in 1674. But James Hicky, the first man introduced Printing press in India in 1780. Printing press allows us to share large amounts of information quickly. In fact, a printing press is so significant that it has come to be known as one of the most important inventions of our time. It drastically changed the way society evolved.

With the new era of development of printing presses in India, the British Government aspired and rendered a sagacious decree to establish a printing press at  Darjeeling in the first half of the 20th century, it has given the priority to be entitled the name of the printing press as Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Press which was administered by Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Co. Ltd. But after a few years of its establishment, owing to some in specified inexorable situation the D.H. Railway press was repositioned to Kurseong.

Assam Railway Link Project was formally launched on 8th November 1947. Eventually, Assam Railway Link Project too had headquarters in Kurseong.

With reference to Notification No. 36 which appeared in the Extra-ordinary Gazette No. 8A dated the 25^th August 1948 and Notification No.37 which appeared in the Gazette No. 9 of dated the 3rd September 1948 whereby Darjeeling Himalayan Railway owned by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Company Ltd., and Darjeeling Himalayan Extension Co. Ltd., were purchased by the Government of India on October 20, 1948, in order to integrate a section of it to the Assam Railway Link Project. Thus the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway press, Kurseong was also governed by the Indian Government.

Extract a significant column of the memorandum submitted to the then Railway Minister late Lal Bahadur Shashtri on this unique occasion of his first-ever visit to this magnificent and picturesque Himalayan frontier on the 9th October’1953 and where exists the remnants of the wonderful Tin-pot railway, a class by itself without a parallel in any part of the globe.

“The printing press of the N. E. Railway at Kurseong is being extended for which a certain number of employees would be required. We earnestly urge to make  the recruitment  locally through the Darjeeling Employment Exchange in view of the fact that unemployment problem is acute in the district and here is a climate prevails which best suits only the local people under which there can be greater output than is expected from people imported from outside.”

The birth of the Northeast Frontier Railway Zone on January 15, 1958, vide Railway Board Report,1956 – 57, was, without doubt, the most momentous event in the history of railway development. First Pandu and little later the Northeast Frontier Railway complex at Maligaon has become its headquarters. In the same historical moment of railways, Darjeeling Himalayan Press, Kurseong was also amalgamated in Northeast Frontier Railway Zone and it was assigned the name as Northeast Frontier Railway Printing Press, Kurseong. Nowadays it is known as N. F. Railway Printing Press, Kurseong which is administered by the Govt. of India.

The Printing Press at Kurseong under the administration of N. F. Railway Zone has been situated within Geographical Jurisdiction of “World Heritage” declared by UNESCO in the year of 1999.

Letter Press Printing was the form of printing at Kurseong Railway Press since its beginning.  Letterpress printing was the normal form of text from its invention by Johannes Guttenberg in the mid-15^th century until the 19^th century and remained in wide use for books and other uses until the second half of 20^th century.

This century-old N. F. Railway Printing Press, Kurseong has had the potential for catering all the needs of N. F. Railway very successfully, it was vastly responsible for printing bulk of materials like books, forms, money-value –items i.e. Railway passes and other authentic railway documents throughout the year for entire five divisions of N.F. Railway which consists of Katihar Division, Alipurduar Division, Rangiya Division, Lumding Division and Dibrugarh Division and had also been serving 469 railway stations by catering all types of requisitions most successfully.

The development and the changes are the natural phenomenon.

With the introduction of the new era of latest printing technology, privatization as well as globalization, a new scenario came into existence. By 2005 off-set and digital printing were widely used printing techniques.

The technology of printing played a key role in the development of the Renaissance and the scientific revolution and laid the material basis for the modern knowledge-based economy and the spread of learning to the masses.

Privatization was a global trend in the late 1980s and early 1990s to reform the loss-making and inefficient public sector enterprises. Globalization was the process of integration and interaction among governments of different nations through agreements. As such, among the governments of developing countries like India, there was a hurry to adopt the new policy for the entire development of its nation. This process has effects on the environment, political systems as well as propriety and the welfare in societies around the world.

Consent to the new policy the government has to change its standing policy such as, the priority has to given to efficiency by upgrading them to get the flourishing bias in near future, it has to accept the extreme decision i.e. stoppage of new recruitment, for the time being, minimizing the staff strength, introduction of New Pension Scheme etc.

Likewise, the phased merger/closure of in-house Printing Presses has become the first prey of government vide Bd’s L/No.2008/RS(Ptg.)/Rev.Com./Action.plan, New Delhi, dt. 17.05.2013.

Board’s letter dated 30.1.2009, as per Para  1.0 of Annexure ‘A’ under reference, that Ticket Printing Press/Garden Reach/SER, Kurseong/NFR & Gorakhpur/NER required to merged with ER & NR by 31.3,2013.

When it was learnt from a reliable source about the arbitrary order issued by the Railway Board for the merger of the Ticket Printing Section/Kurseong, N. F. Railway with the other Railways, the  All India Railway Men’s Federation, New Delhi along with the N. F. Railway Mazdoor Union, Kurseong agitated and gave its representation vide L/No.MU/C/KGN dt.06.06.2013 against the Rly. Board’s letter No.2008/RS(Ptg)/Rev.com/Action Plan dated 17.05.2013. The federation demanded that for the organizational interest of harmonious industrial relation, this move should be stalled and KGN Press should be allowed to continue its activities as usual.

But the decision of the government has remained dogmatic and again issued Rly. Board’s L/No.2016/RS(M)DGS &D/GeM, New Delhi, dated 04.10.2017 and Board’s draft letter No.2018/RS(G)/164/8/CA-iii A. for the closure of 09 printing presses including the N. F. Railway Printing Press, Kurseong with a timeline of 06 months. Again this organization had requested the government vide it’s L/NO.NFR/MU/Misc./Kurseong dated 15.06.2018 for the continuation of this press.

In this respect, All India Railway Men’s Federation, New Delhi again had given the representation to the Ministry of Railway vide L/No. AIRF/36 dated 16.07.2018 for its continuation.

Unfortunately, the final office order No.S/KGN/P&S/EM/84 dt. 23.07.2018 had been circulated and as per the Rly. Board’s L/No.2018/RS/Ptg.& Stny/AP/PP/IR dt. 2^nd July 2018 and the order issued vide L/No..S/ET/84/G/17/KGN/EM ft. 18.07.18 of PCMM/MLG’s office, Kurseong Printing Press will be closed w .e. from 31.07.2018.

Redeployment of surplus staff of Kurseong Printing Press vide GM(P)/MLG’s letter No.E/348/MISC/KGN Printing press dt.16.11.2018 has circulated to the staff accordingly. The destiny and fortune of staff of N. F. Railway Printing Press, Kurseong would be contingent on their aspiration and optimism.

Eventually, the long unforgettable hundred year’s historical journey of N. F. Railway Printing Press, Kurseong has come to an end(?). The history has its own character and contribution, discovery, invention, creation of this universe has also its own defined chronicle which archives, abides or persevere for a long long time.

The great luminaries like Napoleon Bonaparte, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Saint (Mother) Teresa and Mandela left behind them unforgettable archaic fame of history, it remains as history as always ever.

“History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon”, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Writes: Suprakash Lama. The author of this article retired as a second-generation railway employee of the N.F. Rly Press, Kurseong. His late father Nar Bahadur Lama joined the DHR Press (as NFR Press was called then), in 1/6/1926 and rose to be the Press-In-Charge in 1/6/1946 and then Press Supervisor in 20/8/1948. He was the first Gorkha to hold the posts.

Editorial Note: Govt of India in 2019 decided that Kurseong Railway Press will be turned into a Museum.

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Order calling for the shut down of Kurseong Railway Press

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Mr Anurag Lakandry from Tindharey is one of those rare people who get to live their dream. He loves our beloved toy train and he has turned that love into contributing towards the legacy of DHR.

He builds perfect DHR replicas and his work has been applauded far and wide.

He says, “thanks to my DHR model trains, I got opportunities to see different railways in Myanmar and Thailand with European railway experts”

His wish, however, is to see his DHR model trains in each house across Darjeeling region, as it would mark the close connection our people have with our beloved train.

If you want to acquire a train made by Anurag, you can contact him at 8759756536

Only the most ardent fans of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway will know how very accurate this engine is

The goods train model, this is even rarer as the goods wagon are not much used these days.

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The return of the team is likely to recommence work towards revamping of DHR. In January, the central government had signed an agreement with UNESCO for the development of comprehensive conservation management plan and effective management system framework for DHR. The narrow gauge railway service from New Jalpaiguri junction in Siliguri to Darjeeling railway station was halted soon after violence erupted on June 8 in Darjeeling hills.

Gorkhaland supporters had allegedly ransacked and set fire to Sonada railway station on July 8 and Gayabari railway station on July 13. UNESCO had written to the central government expressing their concerns over arson incidents affecting the heritage railway. Sources in UNESCO told the New Indian Express that the world heritage tag to DHR is not in danger.

The Indian Railways is likely to allot funds for repair of the damage caused to the DHR properties. The narrow gauge 87-km-long railway network was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1999. Apart from being a major tourist attraction, the DHR is one of the sources of livelihood for hill residents. When the steam engines fell silent during the agitation, the track was used by locals to ferry down precious gas cylinders from Darjeeling town downhill to the tea garden areas and interior villages. The steam engines began chugging 125 days later on October 25.

Writes: Aishik Chanda

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