Little Impact of Bandh Call in Kalimpong Except in Gorubathan

 Vehicles stopped at Lava Damdim Road- Photo Source: Souraj Butang Rai

Yowan Mothay, EOI, Kalimpong, September 30, 2024: A 12-hour strike called by various tea garden worker unions brought life to a standstill in the Darjeeling hills on Monday. The strike was organized to demand a 20 percent Durga Puja bonus for the year 2024-25. The unions called for the shutdown after a tripartite meeting failed to reach an agreement.

The strike had a significant impact on key tea-growing areas such as Darjeeling and Kurseong, where life was disrupted from 6 a.m. onwards. However, parts of Kalimpong district, particularly Kalimpong town, remained largely unaffected. Schools, shops, and public transport operated as usual in the town. In contrast, in the Gorubathan area, where the few tea gardens in the Kalimpong district are located, tea garden workers blocked vehicles, causing disruptions in the movement of vehicles between Siliguri and Sikkim.

Now that National Highway 10, the main lifeline of Sikkim and Kalimpong, has been hit by multiple landslides, Sikkim-bound vehicles are using the alternative route via Gorubathan and Lava. Even then, on Monday, some Sikkim-bound vehicles took the risk of traveling via NH 10 in view of the disruption at Gorubathan.

This strike is the first of its kind in the past eight years. All major roads leading from Siliguri to the hills were blocked, and no vehicles were allowed to travel towards the hills. The timing of the strike coincided with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to North Bengal, adding political significance to the situation.

The strike followed the breakdown of talks in Siliguri, where tea garden owners expressed their inability to meet the workers' demand for a 20 percent bonus. After no agreement was reached in the fourth round of negotiations, the unions decided to go ahead with the shutdown. Major roads in Sukna, Rohini, and Kurseong were blocked, causing significant disruption during the festive season. The strike has received support from all major trade unions and political parties.