Watch Out Darjeeling!

STOP PRESS!
In Kenya, James Finlay and Sotik Tea Companies are trying to introduce tea plucking machines! The move was opposed by country's labour minister and now the companies have taken the matter to the Court. They contend that the minister has broken a trade agreement with them in opposing the introduction of the plucking machines.
Gut feeling is that the companies will win. And not too far in future, one dark night, these machines will make their way up to our hills on trucks. We have to prepare. Is anyone listening?

Vote the swagger out!

What are the Leftists going to say after the US election results? Oh that this is just another tactics in Imperialism where they rig the votes so that they can pull out of a no-win war? Or may it was their rallies that influenced US voters?
The US has its problems but when it comes to empowerment of people and practice of democracy - which our leaders keep reminding that our country is - it is certainly in an enviable position. In our state the Marxists who bring out mammoth rallies to protest US Imperialism, like they did several times against the Iraq occupation, do not hesitate to let loose their hooligan cadres to intimidate the voters. Not to forget the notorious "scientific rigging" that the Leftists can be found to be proud of in many unguarded moments.
Now that the US voters, as we all understand have voted against the war, will the Leftists agree that US is not all about Imperialism? Or will it be too much to give up their bogeyman? Nay, their raison d'etre - the only reason why the Leftists are around is because they have US Imperialism to fight. Going by their own talk they have no other ideological reason left.
From Darjeeling such a voting outcome literally seems a million miles away, although we both practice democracy. No matter how big the leader, or the leader's swagger, people have to cut him/her down to size. Ours is badly in need of a good pruning.

Parliament of Bottom-Smoochers

The CPI-M's show of strenght was good enough in the form of the DYFI anniversary rally. Ghisingh is doing good enough by touting Sixth Schedule as Gorkhaland's equivalent and Buddhadev Bhattacharya as our Santa Claus. AIGL has done good enough by thrashing CPI-M as the sponsors of Ghisingh's totalitarian rule.
And what is good enough for us to do, as people, to show all the above three that it is about us and not about them? CPI-M is about Kolkata's interests. GNLF is about Ghisingh's interests and his interests lie elsewhere than in Darjeeling. AIGL is about Madan Tamang's interests and he refuses to be beholden to us.
Personality politics like in South India, like in the times of Indira Gandhi, is a nasty front-bottom approach: everybody on their fours, ass-kissing their lives away. Why this is what is going on now!! Some one said, Lalkothi is the Parliament of ass-kissers, presided by one of Delhi's biggest bottom-smoochers.

Deconstructing Darjeeling

Just learnt:
The mammoth Ajit Mansion, erstwhile Stephen Mansion, came up after razing down three hotels that existed at the spot - Drum Druid, Buffins Bower and St Georges. The old crumbling house in which Nepal Curio is located, and where downstairs our "to sir with love" Mr Manuel Cutinho lives, was formerly known as St Patrick and even earlier Dorset House.
All this property belongs to Shasheesh Prasad's family. And the house in which the family presently lives - a house whose banal design SP was never proud of -was where the popular store Hathway used to be.

Dawa's take on terrorism

Have you heard about a padyatra from Darjeeling to Gangtok on the Sikkim-Darjeeling merger issue being organised by the Gorkha Rashtriya Congress? Saw the cadres with their leader Dawa Bomzan at Das Studio yesterday. They were out "shopping" for donations towards the march.
Heard Bomzan argue that it was stupid of Ajay Dahal and his men to kill a panchayat member. "If they are really about terrorism they should have instead bumped off a Sikkim minister and not one petty panchayat member. Imagine the impact then! In Bengal there have been so many political murders - including that of sitting DGHC councillors - that it has little effect."
The man has hungry looks; leaders with hungry looks are an unsettling sight. They recall crocs, and the tears those creatures shed in our name!