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| May 23, 2010 | Darjeeling shutdown affects tourists visiting the hill town | | Darjeeling: Hundreds of tourists have been left stranded in Darjeeling hill town in the wake of a sudden strike that followed the murder of Gorkha leader Madan Tamang on Friday. Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) President Madan
Tamang was stabbed to death by unknown miscreants during a public meeting in the city.
On Sunday, all shops remained closed here on Sunday even two days after the incident.
The roads are still deserted with hardly any movement of vehicles. However, the
tourists, who have come to Darjeeling from far off places, are facing difficulties,
as they are left stranded. "Our days here are going absolutely wasted. We are
afraid of coming out on the streets. Even the driver of the car we took said that
he would leave us behind if we take time to get back to our hotels," said Shila
Paswan, a Maharashtrian tourist. "Tourism should not be hampered, as it would
affect the locals economically as well. Whatever are the demands of the (political)
parties, it is fine but it should be carried out peacefully," he added. Meanwhile,
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
probe into Tamnag's killing. "From our side, we demand CBI inquiry...number one...number
two, immediate action on the culprits till CBI inquiry is effective, and the main
thing that is to be seen would be how much the government is interested to bring
normalcy to Darjeeling," said Dawa Sherpa, Secretary for Darjeeling unit of BJP.
Armed supporters of the regional Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) are suspected for
the attack on Tamang. Police have detained 45 people who are GJM supporters; however,
the GJM has denied the allegations. The GJM is the forum spearheading the crusade
for a separate state of Gorkhaland in West Bengal. Tamang also demanded a separate
state, but was considered to be a moderate leader. Tamang was a vocal opponent
of Bimal Gurung, chief of GJM, and had levelled corruption charges against him.
The Gorkha population in West Bengal is around one million out of the state's
80 million people. An overwhelming majority is concentrated in Darjeeling. At
least 1,200 people died in the first Gorkhaland campaign in the 1980s, but protests
ended a few years later, after Gorkha leaders had accepted limited autonomy. | |
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