Pell-mell at Darjeeling Mall

Amitava Banerjee, HT, 23 Oct 2016, DARJEELING: Darjeeling Mall, the most prominent public space in the Queen of the Hills, has once again been mauled, this time by a pandal that has sprung up in the centre, drawing flak from both the local residents and tourists alike. The pandal is to be used for an “Education and Trade Fair.” Owing to the pandal encroaching the entire pavilion, the GTA organised Tourist and Cultural Festival to be flagged off on Saturday failed to see the light of day.

The Mall which is the only public space where people can sit and walk around freely is the favourite haunt of both tourists and local residents. However, in recent times there have been incidents where government programmes and political programmes have been organised at the Mall thereby diluting the very essence of the public space.

Gautam Deb, tourism minister, also invited flak recently for parking his official vehicle in front of a tea store at the Mall which is a vehicle-free zone. The minister had said he did not know it was a vehicle-free zone and assured the mistake would not be repeated.

Amidst all this, a pandal has come up surrounding a permanent pavilion at the centre of the Mall. The pandal sports the signage “Education Fair and Trade Fair 2016, Chowrasta, Darjeeling.”

“We have spoken to the municipality about this. How can such a pandal come up in the middle of this public space? It is not a government programme also and is a commercial venture. Next they could even construct a commercial building in the centre of the mall. The municipality has assured us that it will be removed by Sunday. If they fail to do so we will take necessary steps,” said NB Khawas, TMC leader.

The municipality feigned innocence. “A group approached us asking permission to use the ground floor of the pavilion for an education fair. As it was related to education we had given them permission. However, the municipality had not granted permission to the group to encroach upon the entire pavilion including the stage on top and extend it to the Mall. We have ordered them to dismantle the structure by Sunday,” said Amar Singh Rai, chairman, Darjeeling Municipality.

Residents have raised the question that when the structure did not spring up suddenly and took time to build why did the GJM-run municipality fail to stop it in the construction stage.

Incidentally, the pavilion is a two-storied structure with a stage on top and a rest shed on the ground floor. The tourist and cultural festival organised jointly by the tourism and cultural department of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, which was to be flagged off at 3pm on Saturday did not take place. GTA authorities were not available for comments.

Meanwhile, the organisers of the Education and Trade Fair were nowhere in sight on Saturday. The trade fair was to start on Saturday but did not open in the wake of the controversy.

The municipality’s apathy towards Mall has time and again come to light. Though declared a “no vending zone,” hawkers and food stalls continue their business surrounding the “No Vending Zone” signage of the municipality.

“Along with government and police authorities, people with political clout can do whatever they please in Darjeeling. Rules are just for the common man,” complained a resident.

Like most of the hill stations founded by the British in India, Darjeeling too boasted of a Mall since 1909 when it was known as the “Pleasaunce.” “We have come to Darjeeling more than 100 times yet we return every year because we love the weather and lazing around at the Mall. However it is sad to say that each year we find this heritage space facing steady degradation,” said Aninda Chakroborty, a tourist from Kolkata.