Transport strike & reunion

Vivek Chhetri, TT, 1 October 2013: No public transport will ply from 6am to 6pm in the hills on October 3, the All Transport Joint Action Committee, an umbrella organisation of various transport unions in Darjeeling, said on Tuesday.

The Puja tourism season is round the corner, so early travellers to Darjeeling would be left without vehicles to take them to the hills from Bagdogra of NJP to the hills.

St Joseph’s School, North Point, in Darjeeling , will hold its 125th year reunion from October 3. Alumni from several countries are expected to attend the event, which will go on till October 5. This event is an informal one, as the school will host a formal reunion in April 2014.

The committee has called the 12-hour strike to demand the release of its president and secretary.

An office bearer of the committee, who did not want to be named, said: “On Thursday even two wheelers will not ply. Only vehicles for services such as funeral, marriage, ambulance and media will ply on October 3.”

He said that the drivers associated with supply of milk and cooking gas cylinders will also not ply their vehicles.

“The secretary of our committee, Pramod Srimal, was arrested on August 4. The president, Narbu Lama, was arrested on September 28. We are protesting to demand the immediate release of our leaders,” the office bearer said.

At St Joseph’s, Father Santy Mathew, the rector, said: “We have decided to postpone our celebration (for the 125th year) to April next year. However, around 100-odd students from across the world are planning to come up Darjeeling on October 3 and the school will host an informal musical evening and dinner on October 5.”