Bandh fails to evoke any response in the Hills

Darjeeling: The bandh call by Left and Congress trade unions failed to evoke any response in the Hills. In the plains of North Bengal response was mixed. In the hills of Darjeeling and Kalimpong district, the bandh had no effect at all. Offices, banks and post offices remained open. Vehicles plied as normal. Hill tea gardens functioned normally. With the process of unlock after the lockdown tourists have started to trickle back to the hill station. "Though we support the issues for which the bandh has been called, we cannot afford a bandh. After suffering great economic losses for so many months owing to the lockdown, we cannot afford losing business for a single day also" stated Vishal Rai, a taxi driver.

The tourists were also happy that it was like any other day in the Hills. "I was caught in a bandh in the Hills while visiting a few years ago. We did not get food as all the restaurants were closed. We had too manage with tea and instant noodles that the hotel provided. Today we did not face any problem at all" stated Debesh Ganguly, a tourist from Kolkata. In the plains of the Darjeeling district, the bandh evoked a mixed response. In the Terai belt some of the tea gardens remained closed. In Cooch Behar bandh supporters vandalized State Government-run buses. Bandh supporters pelted stones and vandalized an NBSTC bus plying to Balurghat. Another bus was vandalized at Suniti road. A number of trucks were vandalized in Mathabhanga. 62 persons were arrested in the Cooch Behar district. In Raigunj the CPIM and Congress supporters picketed separately. The bandh supporters stopped goods train plying to Bangladesh, 200 m away from Raigunj. "Later the Railway police force intervened and the train continued its journey to Bangladesh," stated Raju Kumar, Station Manager, Raigunj.

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