Bengal does not deserve Darjeeling hills

Dear all,

I could not open the file on Amra Bangali because the file had a trozen horse (TR/Dropper.Gen) but nonetheless I am completely boggled as to why there is no active Amra Bangali in Raiganj, Malda, Murshidabad and for that matter in Kolkata. Doesn't it give you the creepers that it is ONLY there in Siliguri and surrounding areas to challenge us! (I know they will claim they are present elsewhere and pull rabbits out of the hat with namesake so-called representations here and there.) Anyway I got a mail from an old friend, who lives where the illegal immigration affects his welfare and existence, and I think the matter should receive a larger audience and so it is included here:

Yes there are a few of the more saner and less hypocritical Bengalees who admit that Bengal has, if at all, but a cursory "right" (for want of a better word) over the Hills. The ones who are protesting the most are the most recent (illegal) settlers - the Bangladeshis. The bone of contention remains Siliguri - an area which originally belonged to the Rajbangsis and whose earliest settlers were Nepalese / Gurkhas - NOT BENGALEES. Local historians say that Gurung Bustee, Pradhan Nagar came much before the other localities with Bengalee para names. As for the Bangladeshis their identity / country itself was established only in 1971 so the less said the better.

The situation is gradually turning more petty (does remind one of the most belaboured expression of the Communists of my college days - the petty bourgeoisie). Though I cannot confirm it the present news around is that NO STUDENT FROM THE HILLS HAVE BEEN GIVEN ADMISSION INTO ANY OF THE COLLEGES IN SILIGURI. I know for a fact that the Vice Principal of St Xavier in Calcutta used to openly remonstrate with the students for coming to Calcutta. His point was that students from the Hills should NOT TO APPLY TO ST XAVIERS AND SHOULD STICK TO THE HILLS AND STUDY IN NORTH POINT. In 2003 my son was one of the unfortunate ones to be deprived of a seat and the remark was directed to me by the priest. I do not know whether he was working on a personal vendetta (seems that a couple of Manipuri boys had roughed him up) or a CPI(M) hidden agenda since the Board of Directors has a few bureaucrats. I did write to the Archbishop and to the Minorities Commission in Writer's Building. The Archbishop sent me a note of apology whereas the Writer's Building let my complaint die a natural death - leading to rigor mortis from nil attention.

Fortunately, or unfortunately - depending upon the way you look at it - I live right in the middle of the action - SALUGARA. Two Tuesdays back when the Morcha boys wanted to enforce an indefinite bundh in Salugara the locals / CPI (M) and police broke the bundh. It was stupid on the part of the Morcha boys to even think that they would be able to enforce a bundh here but then they have no discipline within the ranks and it was just a few hot blooded young boys who tried to flex their muscles. They lost whatever respect and support they had garnered from the entire "gaon". In fact the morcha leaders had planned to have a procession thanking the local Salugara people (including the Nepalese CPI M Comrades) for the support. Salugara had observed a voluntary total bundh the day before on Monday - a Haat Day. The young guys tried to push the envelope - that's the modern management term I think - and as a result lost face and support. If any thing at all this movement MUST have discipline if it is to succeed. Someone pointed out to me that this movement could draw a lesson from the Sepoy Mutiny - that too failed because of lack of cohesion and lack of discipline. In the Mutiny one of the major disadvantage was that they bickered over whom to elect and accept as a leader and even then the leader - Zafar Shah ?? - turned out to be effete and ineffectual. At least here there is no doubt about who is ( supposedly ) leading the fight. Unfortunately every Saila, Maila and Kancha seems to have Bimal Gurung's personal number and they flash that around like free candy....doesn't do the organisation any good.

Anyway a few days later when the bundh was opened temporarily and the CPI M goons - in the thinly disguised veil of Amra Bangalee etc - had blockaded the rations going up to the Hills a huge gang of these Amra Bangalee drove into Salugara to enforce a bundh. The locals all ganged up and chased them away. And by the locals I mean everyone - irrespective of whether he was a CPIM comrade or a Morcha member or a Bihari peanut vendor. The scene was like a scene from Kurosawa 's Seven Samurai - about a hundred men and boys carrying "lathis" , khukris and swords swaggering down the middle of the road. And boy, did those Amra Bangalee guys run !!!!! It just took two boys to start throwing bricks and then the entire "gaon" streaming into the streets - those Amra Bangalee guys whirled around on their bikes and drove like the devil was behind them.

Anyway let's see what happens.

Take care

drukta