Fight For Existence: To the Land of the Thunderbolt

Sitting under the fan in this boiling room of hot summer night, as I think of home, a wave of soothing breeze rises from my soul encircling my entire being raising my spirits high, and I feel pure. I dreamily close my eyes and an imagery appears before me. Those curvy rough roads amidst the meandering ‘Teesta’ beckons me, to a land of paradise where natures purest form resides. I feel like escaping from this city’s hustle bustle and the din of maddening crowd to the place whose name itself is enchanting.

Once, the summer capital of the British Indian Empire , Darjeeling got its name from the two Tibetan words ‘Dorje’ meaning the thunderbolt (originally the scepter of Indra ) and ‘’Ling’ meaning land.

So Darjeeling literally means ‘the land of the thunderbolt.’ The name of ‘Darjeeling’ itself emanates unsurpassable beauty, serenity, pleasant weather and lovely people. In strenuous days when men struggle the sweltering heat of the plains, the very mention of Darjeeling recalls the memories of a visitor’s last stay in the ‘Queen of hills.’ This is why Darjeeling is one of the most delightful destination for tourists who wish to escape from the tiring monotonous reality into a realm of harmony and mystical beauty.

Geographically, Darjeeling is located where the plains meet the hills with ‘Mt. Kanchenjunga’ spreading its sun kissed glory over the entire district. This ‘Queen of hills’ is an integration of the terai areas of Siliguri, the hilly towns of Kalimpong, Kurseong and the headquarters Darjeeling which together stands as the Darjeeling District. Darjeeling before 1815, was a part of the British Sikkim (now, a state under the Indian Union). Nepal won it by conquest from the Sikkimese. But after 1815 with the treaty of Sugauli, Darjeeling was regained into British Indian Empire and because of its aesthetic beauty and favourable climatic conditions, Darjeeling was made the summer capital of the Britishers. In 1841, Chinese tea seeds from the Kumaon region of China was secretly brought to Darjeeling by the Britishers to experiment it on the slopes of this region. When the climatic conditions and topography of Darjeeling favoured tea cultivation, Darjeeling became the first region in India to have tea cultivation which belong to the authentic Chinese variety. Till date, Darjeeling manufactures the orthodox method of tea manufacture and contributes a large sum to the Indian Economy.

Recognized as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO, the little Toy Train takes one on a roller coaster ride back to the innocent days of childhood. When I think of home, I can hear the whistle from that little engine echoing in the valleys, I can almost see those wild orchids painted on the hills that seem to kiss the horizon. Those intricately designed colourful butterflies dancing over the valleys, those mystical flags of sacred monasteries fluttering in the wind and the cold, earthy smell of evergreen woods which seem to intoxicate my senses. I see those farmers sweating their labour on the terraced fields, those women plucking tea leaves with so much care, those young boys clinging to an old guitar with dreams of becoming a rock star( but never get a platform ) and those unfortunate children bare footedly playing on the mud, laughing away with the happiness that innocent childhood brings. These kids do not have the best toys, the best clothes or even proper schooling! Yet their joy is envious. Our people don’t get proper amenities. Ours is a region which has always been neglected by the government, a place where national mass media hardly reaches. A natural resource abundant region which is exploited by the government leaving the inhabitants with almost nothing. Poor infrastructure and medical facilities, disturbed Political conditions, bad economy, technological backwardness, government negligence, lack of institutes for higher education and unemployment are also some of the characteristics of our region. But still, we fight our every day battle with a smile on our face and our heads high! Our tomorrow is uncertain. The political parties and the government gamble with our lives. Nevertheless, we live, we laugh…..because we ‘hope’. We ‘believe’ that we will win over it. We are those orphans whom Mother Nature has adopted in her lap, Darjeeling. She never fails to provide our basic needs. We run with the wind, sing with the birds, laugh away our sorrows and take life as a struggle to stay happy and firm against difficulties and pain. We keep on fighting even if we don’t win , but never surrender! This is why there is no other place like ‘Darjeeling.’