After 101 days of bandh, shops plan to open up in Darjeeling from Sunday
Darjeeling: Different trade associations of Darjeeling have decided to open up shops and business establishments from Sunday. The ongoing indefinite bandh in the Hills hit the 101st day mark on Saturday.
The decision to open up comes on the wake of a semblance of normality steadily emerging in the Darjeeling Hills. On Saturday the Path Pashaley Sangh (PPS- association of roadside stall owners and hawkers) convened a meeting with different trade associations of Darjeeling. The meeting was attended by 19 trade associations including cloth merchants' association, pan stall owners association, hardware association.
"We are all eager to open. However we are worried of becoming victims of political retribution" stated a shopkeeper requesting anonymity.
The meeting was held at the NNBH Hall in Chandmari, Darjeeling. "Till now we have been supporting the strike. However off late we have noticed that roadside stalls are opening up on all major thoroughfares and footpaths. We feel that either there should be a total bandh or everything should remain open. Friday's meeting decided that all shops and business will remain open from 9am to 5pm in Darjeeling town" stated Khudu Tamang, President, PPS.
Soon after the meeting posters were pasted in Chowk Bazaar with the appeal to open up from Sunday. Miking was also done in different parts of the town and adjoining areas.
"The
district
administration
and
police
are
keeping
a
close
tab
of
the
situation.
Any
attempts
to
disrupt
peace
and
tranquility
or
trying
to
forcefully
impose
the
bandh
will
be
dealt
with
firmly" stated
a
police
officer.
With
bonus
to
be
distributed
in
the
Hill
tea
gardens
before
Dusserah
and
the
festival
already
knocking
on
the
doors,
the
business
community
are
looking
forward
to
normality
in
the
Hills.
Already Government schools, offices and banks have opened up. Some tea gardens are already running; Vehicles including taxis from Siliguri have already started plying.
The
GTA
has
introduced
two
new
buses.
One
of
the
buses
plies
from
Motor
Stand
to
Ghoom
and
the
other
from
Motor
Stand
to
Lebong.
Roadside
stalls
have
sprung
up.
Some
shopkeepers
even
opened
up
their
shops
partially,
in
the
name
of
cleaning
and
clearing
away
dead
stock.
OneIndia News