Foothill hamlet defies strike

Deb delivers foodgrain to people at Garidhura on Wednesday. Picture by Passang Yolmo

Bireswar Banerjee, TT, Siliguri, Sept. 6: Garidhura in Kurseong subdivision today became the third place in the hills to defy the strike, emboldened by the presence of security personnel and Bengal minister Gautam Deb.

On Monday, shops in Panighata had opened shutters after around 80 days, followed by Mirik yesterday.

Garidhura is 25km from Siliguri and one of the major entry points to the hills. The tiny hamlet has around 30 shops and eateries, and is surrounded by tea estates.

"I have been running my shop here for the past 25 years. But it was for the first time that I had to keep it close for such a long period. When police assured us that we would get protection, I made up my mind and opened my shop for the first time today after almost three months," Shib Charan Ram, the owner of a shoe making shop at Garidhura, said.

The residents said the police and the administration had assured them of support if they wanted normality to limp back to Garidhura. "Besides, the presence of minister Gautam Deb added to our confidence," said a resident.

Meena Biswakarma, who runs a small eatery and also sells stationery, said: "I did not take the risk of opening my stall earlier because there was no customer and the market was closed. But since this morning, people started coming out in the market and some of them visited my shop. As the locals are defying the strike, I have no reason to keep my shop close."

Uday Goley, another shopkeeper, said: "We are the ultimate sufferers. I hope we don't have to close the shops again."

Garidhura in the foothills was once considered a stronghold of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. Today, over 150 families from nearby areas and tea estates severed their ties with the Morcha and joined Trinamul.

"The strike has already plunged us into uncertainty. Tea gardens are closed and we got hardly any work to earn something for our livelihood. The leaders who had promised us a separate state have left us. We have found it is better to join Trinamul. At least, it will ensure our regular earnings and jobs," Bhim Sen Oraon, the former treasurer of the Morcha's Rohini Tea Garden unit, said.

Uttam Mukhia, a contractual worker in the GTA's engineering division in Kurseong, echoed Oraon. "We are frustrated with the Morcha and its Gorkhaland movement," Mukhia said.

Minister Deb who was present at Garidhura since morning held a "peace" rally in which the local people took part. "It is nice to see that after the residents of Mirik and Panighata, people of Garidhura have showed that they want to work together with the state government for development in the hills. We will extend our full support to them and provide all necessary help to them so that there can be complete normality here," Deb said.