Are we the people of Darjeeling normal!!

According to Zenneti, the famous social behaviour theorist, human beings can be broadly categorized into two groups, normal or abnormal. But unknown to him,there is a special group of people who do not fall in either of the category. That special group is us i.e. We- the people of Darjeeling; “If we belong to neither of the group, then what are we???” You may ask. But, I am not an expert on human behaviour to say what exactly we are - normal, abnormal or something else …… I leave the judgment in your hands.

Normal people have a threshold limit for tolerance, when pinched normal people tend to feel hurt and when pushed to a corner they tend to fight back. You cannot take normal people for granted, as they are intelligent, can take care of themselves and can demand and protect their rights if need arises. Normal people tend to act and react; they strive to make something better of their life and their surroundings, they set goals and targets and give their best shot to achieve it. If things don’t turn the way they had expected, they change their approach or they change their goals and targets. We - the people of Darjeeling, don’t do that, we don’t act in the first place, forget about reacting. We don’t bother to strive higher, and we don’t put in any effort to achieve anything. We - the people of Darjeeling, are immune to almost everything; and I sincerely and strongly believe that we are not “normal human beings” ask me why??? …

* Like a ping-pong ball, our fate and future is being tossed from end of the board to the other by, the Centre, State, Mr. Ghishing; from Gorkhaland - Hill Council - Sixth- Schedule-Article 371; what do we do??? Shrug our shoulders - and move on with life.
* Our people toil day and night in the tea gardens, to make profit for somebody who does not even know where exactly Darjeeling is; depending on his/her mood the owner shuts down the garden, rendering hundreds of our people jobless, with no money to feed their family…. Our people commit suicide as they are unable to see their family dying because of hunger… and what do we do??? Shrug our shoulders - and move on with life.
* Our demand for a Central University is negated by offering outdated Master’s course in English to two of the colleges, and the same demand for a Central University is made by the Chief Minister for Jalpaiguri; what do we do??? Shrug our shoulders - and move on with our life.
* Our leaders demand income tax exemption, for hotels, resorts, precision engineering, biotechnology, flour and rice mills etc. How many of our people own hotels, indulge in findings from biotechnology, or precision engineering???? We don’t bother asking for whom is this exemption being asked and why??? We simply - Shrug our shoulders - and move on with our life.
* We have to celebrate a particular festival, in a particular style, we cannot pray to idols, we have to pray to stones and get drunk, as it signifies our tribal status, so comes the dictum from his highness (mahamahim) Mr. Ghishing; in our deepest hearts we laugh at his stupidity, even question how dare he??? But in reality we - Shrug our shoulders - and move on with life.
* The free press, the fourth estate, the pillar of a democratic society, is threatened against writing anything about the tyranny, atrocities, stupidity. The press gets mad, crazy and they threaten lawsuit, but the ultimate out come??? We shrug our shoulders - and move on with life.
* Landslide - so many of our people have lost their lives, almost every two years we have a tragedy, the municipality can prevent it by imposing stricter norms, but it does not bother, what do we do??? Shrug our shoulders - and move on with life.
* Water - We don’t have water to drink, or money to start a drinking water project... but somehow, somewhere there’s enough money to keep on building Bhanu Bhawan for past 7 years non- stop. Do we question how that’s possible??? What do we do??? We shrug our shoulders - and move on with life.
* Our cinchona plantation and lives of thousands of people working in the cinchona plantations has been hanging in mid-air for past decade, how many of us are aware of the problem??? And those that are aware what did we do??? Shrug our shoulders - and move on with life.
* Most of the hotels/ travel agencies in our place are owned or leased by people from the plains, they earn the profits, our people are employed as cleaners, waiters, washers, watch men, the money meant for Darjeeling is drained back to the plains what do we do??? Shrug our shoulders - and move on with life.
* Darjeeling is warming up faster than anyplace in the world, mindless urbanization, pollution, deforestation is taking its toll and the day is not far when it may not be possible to live in Darjeeling any more, how do we react??? Shrug our shoulders - and move on with life.

Don’t agree with me…. Well carry out this experiment… Try asking any one, why there’s no water in the house or why he did not shave or why he/she did not clear his/her exam this year or why he/she did not sit for WBCS??? Trust me, 9 out of 10 will give you this reason - “what’s the use??? System nai tyesto cha.... Hami lai ta victimize gardi halcha”. Perhaps the easiest way out of any question that involves answering to “WHY NOT???”

Tell me sincerely do you still think we are normal human beings????

For me I guess, we are Para-normal, we are a cut above the rest of human society; we are tolerant, friendly, easy to please and happy-go-lucky. We do not intentionally harm others, and if some how we offend some one else, we apologies profusely. May be that’s what makes ours a soft society, a society which is like a herd of sheep - easier for the shepherd and his dogs to control.

Lastly I leave you with immortal lines by Theodore Roosevelt “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat”.

Hope! I made some sense.