GTA help desk rescues students: Train stoppage points kick up a row

SNS, DARJEELING, 22 MAY 2020, SILIGURI: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chairman, Anit Thapa, has appealed to traders not dealing in essential commodities to keep their shops closed for some more days so as to avoid over-crowding.

While Mr Thapa made the appeal today, the GTA Help Desk, which has been helping stranded people return to the Hills, rescued at least nine students hailing from the GTA region and who arrived at the NJP station from New Delhi at around 1:15 am this morning in the Agartala-bound Rajdhani Express train. The pouring rain did not deter members of the Help Desk from receiving the students at such an odd hour.

Most shops in the hills reopened today, following new government guidelines and more people were seen in Darjeeling town today.

"It looks like everything has become normal in Darjeeling and Kurseong and people have forgotten that coronavirus is still there. In India the ratio of the virus has increased and it has so far not been controlled. If we are not conscious, it will be hard to save the hills," Mr Thapa told the Press.

"Even if thegovernment has opened certain things we all should remain the shops selling essential items were already open and we should follow the same system. I request the business community to save our place if they love it. The government has issued new guidelines, but what is important is that we save our place, as if our place remains, your business will remain," he said, adding that people should remain cautious for another 20 to 25 days.

Among the many shops that opened today in Darjeeling town included hardware stores and shops selling clothes and other non-essential commodities.

Meanwhile, as the students arrived in Siliguri early this morning, Binny Sharma, the GTA Help Desk in-charge, said: "Among the returnees was a boy named Sachin Rai, hailing from Sonada, who recently got his legs operated on and is walking with the help of crutches. Our GTA Help Desk team has been working round the clock to ensure safe travel of every individual, and to provide for proper home or institutional quarantine."

Train stoppage points kick up a row

Mr Thapa also appealed to Darjeeling MP Raju Bista to talk to the Railway Minister so that all trains passing through north Bengal stop at the NJP station in Siliguri too. "We are seeing that most trains passing through this area are stopping at Cooch Behar, so people returning here have to be brought all the way from there, " Mr Thapa said.

He also said that the GTA would start paid hotel rooms for those returning to stay until their Covid test results arrive.

On the trains not stopping at NJP, GTA Help Desk chief, Mr Sharma said: I was disheartened to see a video clip on social media where police and railway staff are manhandling, humiliati ng, intimidating and harassing my brothers and sisters from the Hills who are travelling to the warmth of their homes."

Like Mr Thapa. Mr Sharma also questioned whether the Darjeeling MP had done anything about the train stoppage, and the harassment faced in trains by the Hill people. "You are sitting in the capital of our country where you have one thing in common with the railway minister-BJP. Have u arranged for any special train that will end at NJP and is specifically only for people of the Terai and Hills? You have claimed in the past that trains headed to Assam will pass through NJP and therefore, our brother and sisters can get back home through those trains, but for the last two days, they were not allowed to disembark at NJP station. They were told to get down only at Guwahati, the destination of the train." he said, referring to Mr Bista.

On the other hand, Mr Bista said GTA offitials should inform the state government's nodal officials, who are responsible for bringing migrants and other stranded people in trains so that they inform railway authorities about stoppages

"I have spoken to the Katihar DRM today. A total of 183 passengers got down from the train at NJP. It was also discussed that passengers will get down at NJP, but railway authorities need prior information to stop the train," Mr Bista said.

He further said that he was aware of how a ticket examiner misbehaved with hill people in a running train. "The incident took place on 16-17 May. I came to know on 19 May and wrote a letter to DRM Southern Rail. The TTE was suspended on 20 May," he said.

(Courtesy, source- The Statesman- https://epaper.thestatesman.com/2683603/Siliguri-The-Statesman/23RD-MAY-2020#page/2/2 )