As September passes the monsoon will gradually
start to lessen its impact on the weather in Darjeeling and days will start to
turn from being days of continual rain to days of mostly mist. The prospect
exists that the sun will start to shine more regularly and buildings, people
and building sites will start to dry out.
It would be satisfying to be able to report that
despite the wet weather building works had continued at the orphanage site and
completion of Phase 1 was now in prospect. Sadly this is not the case as for
the last four weeks or so Darjeeling has been in a state of almost complete
shutdown. Political agitation has returned to the town as a consequence of the
long running dispute concerning the local wish for the establishment of a
semi-autonomous state centred on Darjeeling and separate from the existing
administration of the West Bengal government. This is based in Kolkatta about
400 miles away on the plains to the east.
The issue of the creation of a Gorkhaland state has been a long running one
which led to disruption and violence in the mid 1988’s and which has never been
resolved.
Following an indication that the Indian Congress is
about to create a separate state in the area of Telangana in mid central India,
the ruling Gorkha Janamukti Morcha party (GJM) in Darjeeling called an all-out
strike to try to put pressure on Congress to do the same for the hills.
Everything has closed down in Darjeeling – hotels, shops, colleges and schools
and of course transportation and building sites. As
you might imagine this situation is causing huge difficulties for local people,
many who are paid daily rates and therefore currently have no income. In
addition, food is scarce with nothing and no-one moving around the hills or
able to transport goods up to the town from the plains.
There is currently some small change in
circumstance as there is to be a two day break on September 10th and
11th when shops will be able to restock and schools will be allowed
to open and to remain open. We will have to wait and see whether this means
that gradually things get back to normal. In the meantime the children and young people continue to look forward to the completion of the next stage of construction.
Meanwhile, rather than do nothing, architect for the
project Raghavan is investigating the costs of different items which will be
required for fitting out the new dormitories. Darjeeling Children’s Trust continues to work to raise funds for the project; it is great news that the Bricks and Mortar Ball due to take place in London in
November and which is raising money specifically for the orphanage project is a
sell-out.
