Darjeeling district administration propose not allowing public meetings at Sumeroo Manch

EOI, DARJEELING, 25 May 2017: What seems to be a counter measure, the district administration today proposed not allowing public meetings to be held at Sumeroo Manch located in the heart of town which comes after the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) said the Darjeeling municipality would not allow political programs at Chowrasta. Sub-divisional officer Avik Chatterjee to invited various political parties of the hills for a meeting to discuss the issue and take suggestions and feedback.

Sumeroo Manch is a popular venue from where different political parties and at time even social organizations hold their public meetings, to reach out people with their message. It is located at the busy Chowk Bazar, a market area on National Highway which is always inundated with people. Thus political parties clamour to hold their public meetings at the venue, given its vantage location.

The district administration reasoned that holding public meetings at Sumeroo Manch unnecessarily caused traffic jams and inconvenience to commuters. The SDO though said it was only a proposal and would only be implemented on consensus. 

“Holding meetings at Sumero Manch causes massive traffic snarls, as the road is narrow and is the main market area visited by thousands of people at any given time of the day. The problem gets aggravated during the tourist season. It is only a proposal and we will act on it if the political parties here give their consent. We will not force it,” Chatterjee said, after an all party meeting in the district magistrate office, today.

The SDO said political parties could hold their public meetings in the ground of the Gorkha Dukha Niwarak Sammellan, about hundred meters away below the main road from Chowk Bazar. “The GDNS ground can be an alternative venue for the political parties to hold their meetings,” he said. However, the GDNS ground too comes with its problems. The ground is small and putting up pandals eats up space. The lateral road too is very narrow and also serves as parking lot for vehicles coming to town from rural areas.

The GJM party has said that the municipality would not allow political and government programs in Chowrasta, a popular promenade of the hill town. GJM has said a resolution would be placed and passed in the Darjeeling civic board, after the swearing in ceremony.

The GJM gave the all party meeting a miss and also refused to comment. Representatives of the TMC, Jana Andolan Party (JAP) and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) party were however present in the meeting.

JAP, senior bureau member Amar Lama, who was present in today’s meeting said it would be difficult to uphold the district administration’s proposal. “Sumeroo Manch is politically an iconic venue with history. Not only prominent local leaders of various political parties but it is said even Mahatma Gandhi gave his speech from here. Also given its strategic location, it makes sense for political parties to hold their meeting at Sumeroo Manch to get maximum response,” he said.

GNLF representatives refused to come on record but echoed the JAP leader’s sentiments.