Wednesday, June 2, 2010

The Burning Hills

By Sandip C. Jain
Even as I write this piece, I am under tremendous pressure from my family, friends and well wishers not to do so. .. They fear I may end up like Madan Tamang…. But my conscience does not allow me to keep mum not just because I respected Madan Tamang the man, though not necessarily the politician, but more so because I believe that violence and assassinations should never be a part of a civilized society which all of in the Hills want to create.
Weeks after the brutal slaying of the ABGL leader I still am having sleepless nights for the fact that despite calling myself a journalist I still hadn’t written a single word on the biggest political assassination in the Hills, in all times. Of course some will argue that C.K.Pradhan’s murder in the broad day light in the streets of Kalimpong was probably bigger but that is their opinion. Considering the timing, considering the stature of the man and considering the brutality of the act, I think this one act of brutality is the darkest moment in the Political history of Darjeeling.
The motive of this article is not to speculate about who enacted this bloody drama, if I did then the worst fears of my friends and family will come true, sooner than later, but rather this article is aimed at trying to make sense of the all that has been happening around us in the Hills in the last few weeks. I know it’s a big ask trying to analyze something as complex and ill logical as the present situation in the Hills but then an effort has to be made even if the effort actually leads nowhere.
First the Madan Tamang killing needs to be put into proper prospective- of course who actually killed him??? Who ordered the killing??? Why was he actually so brutally slain??? Was there a bigger motive behind his killing than which actually met the eye??? I guess no one will ever come to know the right answers to these questions which everyone seems to be asking in the Hills and elsewhere. Well actually, the truth will come out through the investigations that are taking place at the moment and in future but I doubt if this truth will actually ever be made public like the C.K.Pradhan slaying. The CID has already started its investigation, maybe the CBI will probe the affair too but my feeling is that all of it will be just another eye wash… another drain of public money and another “natak”. And even if they one day place their finds on the public domain, not many will be too inclined to believe what they have to say. Actually the general public has probably made its own opinion about the protagonists of this gruesome episode and this opinion will stick whatever the CID or CBI will want us to believe. But one thing is clear and is for sure and it’s the fact that Madan Tamang was one of the tallest and most dynamic political leaders the Hills of Darjeeling ever had. He had dedicated his public life for the people of Darjeeling and for their welfare. One cannot deny the fact that this man lacked nothing, he had the power, he had the influence, he had the aura and he had the money… in fact a lot of money, which he earned not due to his association with politics but despite it. An owner of Tea- gardens, several hotels and business interests in a lot of other fields, he was a man who did not need politics to make a fortune or earn fame and he was in politics because he genuinely was concerned about the innocent and gullible public of the Hills. His death will leave a vacuum which will be hard to fill up again. Of course he had his defects… but then who does not and they definitely were not so bad that he should have been butchered like a lamb right in the middle of Darjeeling town. His loss has done more harm than good to our quest for separation from Bengal.
The commotion that was sparked off on the day of his funeral is another focus of this article. I have not seen a weirder political occurrence than this in my life. The entire public of Darjeeling seemed to have turned against the GJM. The tearing down of posters, the slashing of all GJM Banners and the full throttle cry against the ghastly killing as well as its against the system that allowed this heinous crime to take place all combined to project a picture which suggested that the days of the GJM were numbered. It seemed that Darjeeling was ready for another political upheaval and the opponents of GJM found themselves rubbing their hands in glee. The massive waves of protests against Bimal Gurung and his party was something unfathomable and it seems that Madan Tamang’s death had done what he could not do all his life. With the BIG B camping in Kalimpong, debates took place in every sitting room and tea stall alike on whether this was the end of GJM, Bimal Gurung and the Statehood demand and those in favour seemed to be winning the debate.
Then in the very next day of the funeral, the tide seemed to have turned the opposite direction again… Gurung and his supporters entered Darjeeling in a convoy numbering more than a hundred cars, despite supporters of the opposite camp blocking his path and it was back to normal for GJM. Nothing seemed to have changed for it. On the contrary the rhetoric had become stronger and shriller and forgotten was the fact that the Hills should have been in mourning on the death of one of its most famous sons. It seemed that Bimal Gurung’s stars had favoured him again with no political leader of sufficient repute and goodwill being able to capitalize of the outpour of public outrage against him on Darjeeling.
Meanwhile, Gorkhaland is now Gorkha-Adhivasi Pradesh… Is this just another bargaining clip or a significant policy change remains to be seen. How and why are we trying to cajole/drag the Adhivasis into being a part of a proposed Gorkha State is something that baffles me no ends and I am sure it does all the readers of this magazine too. But I guess trying to get an answer to this may be treated as questioning the Almighty and may be injurious to my health so its best not to be too nosy about it.
Till a few months back I thought I could write without fear and without any apprehensions but today after the Madan Tamang killing I fear writing on political subjects. When someone like him could be slaughtered like the way he was, its best to leave the public make its own judgment rather than trying to offer my opinion. Lets leave it to this for now……….