Darjeeling

Crispin Chettri – The Pride of the Nation

Crispin’s achievement and contribution to the nation should be documented in the annals of Gorkha history. This beleaguered community has been fighting to establish its identity in India for a long time. Crispin’s achievement is historical not only for the nation but also for the Gorkha community. The Gorkha community of the country has to be thankful to Crispin for bringing the community into the imagination of the nation.


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

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



The Dalai Lama – Our Unshakable Faith

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





“Restoring Democracy” by Beating Up Activists?

On the 2nd of May, an activist from Darjeeling – Sudhan Gurung, was brutally attacked by some men right in the heart of the town. The attack caused grievous injuries to Sudhan, deep cuts on his head and massive blood loss. Fortunately, he could be rushed to the hospital immediately, and was pulled out of danger.


OF THE QUEEN AND THE CLOWNS

The British called our place THE QUEEN OF THE HILLS- if our place was really the queen then her palace was definitely the most beautiful of all. The lush green Hills, the crystal clear air, the view of the majestic Kanchenjunga and her sister mountains, the very amicable climate and the pure mountain springs rushing down the hills to rendezvous with the mighty Himalayan rivers- all made these Hills a palace worthy of the mighty Queen.


PARAKAMPAN – Aftershocks

As we travelled in the airport taxi, he didn’t ask about home, our neighbours, or old friends. Nothing.

After his house was burned down during the 1986 political movement for Gorkhaland in Darjeeling, his parents had passed away the following year. Perhaps it was the overwhelming grief and exhaustion from losing their home. That was what the locals believed, too.