Comments on: The Forgotten Way: Recalling the road to Lhasa from Kalimpong

By: Sonam Tshering

Sonam Tshering — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 09:52:35 +0000

Ghesing surely does not have any love lost for the people of Kpg.

By: Angsumala Tamang

Angsumala Tamang — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 23:21:31 +0000

Sikkim, as a state in its full right, commands and attracts more power both economically and politically by virtue of its unique geographical location. Kalimpong, which lies in a different state, regionally falls within one of the most neglected and poorly maintained regions of North Bengal. The central government doesn’t seem to care and the state, less so. Sikkim achieves more in comparison to its neighboring hill regions because it has a political position (state of India) and hence all its major development schemes are proposed, developed, and executed with direct dialogues between Sikkim and New Delhi. Kalimpong, unfortunately has to undertake a longer route -DGHC, state government (West Bengal), and central government (New Delhi). This coupled with the corrupt political power struggle within the fore-mentioned political levels, which Kalimpong has to sojourn to prevent being called “The Forgotten Way,” squelches and dilutes much of her voice.

Personally, I have always wanted Darjeeling and its neighboring hill regions including Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik, and the Doors to be under the jurisdiction of the government of Sikkim. With every socio-economic and political right over-looked, with every wrong justified, and personally facing issues of cultural identity being a native of this region, my conviction for the merger to form a â€˜greater Sikkimâ€™ gets stronger with each passing day. This, I believe, will not only bring in greater revenue for a more balanced overall hill development scheme but will also help its natives form a â€˜so-calledâ€™ clear-cut and precise definition of what it is to be a â€˜Nepalese Indian

By: Deo Bahadur Rai

Deo Bahadur Rai — Wed, 16 May 2007 15:59:35 +0000

Tibet trade route via Jelepla into Kalimpong must be pressed as this is a historic, economic and geographic right of the people of Kalimpong and Darjeeling Hill Council.

By: Anup Pradhan

Anup Pradhan — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 16:04:30 +0000

In light of the final plans to open up the Nathula Pass in the month of June 2006, it is an eye opener for our people in the Darjeeling Hills to wake up and press our leaders to discuss the opening up of the Jelepla-Kalimpong-Lhasa trade route to our major economic interest. After all, Kalimpong was previously the main and dominant trade center between Tibet and India, and we surely must not lose another important historic right as we have lost many other privileges through concessions with Bengal over our right to Gorkhaland statehood.

By: Sagar Tamang

Sagar Tamang — Sat, 06 Aug 2005 20:24:13 +0000

It seems that if Jelepla is opened for border trade, then the revenues that will bring to the Darjeeling Hills from this trade will be far greater than that of the small annual sum DGHC gets from Bengal.

By: Gopal Chettrie

Gopal Chettrie — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 02:34:19 +0000

The folks of Kalimpong and the Darjeeling Hills must be sleeping, while great progress and advancement is being done by Sikkim. The historic trade center once Kalimpong via the Jelep Pass has been robbed of its rightful place. Unfortunately, no trade mobilzation or lobby to this effect has yet begun for the economic welfare of the Darjeeling Hills, i.e. Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Kerseong. Compared to Gangtok, Kalimpong a far less conjested town has huge land access for warehouses, some still standing empty since 1961. The fact is Kalimpong has a trade infrastructure, as it was once the official trade hub center, and all it needs is to built on it and develop, which is easily possible. The roads are there, still better and gradual than that of its counterpart Nathula, that even Colonel Young Husband used the Jelep route for his military expedition to Lhasa in 1904. The impact of this trade route will quickly grow leaps and bounds into gigantic volumes of trade passing between these two emerging giants, creating a whole new trade bloc in South Asia. This is evident as China and India are two of the fastest growing economies in Asia, and making major presence in global economic sphere. Trade through the Jelepla Pass must be sought, if the Darjeeling Hills is to have a share of that golden pie, which currently seems to be giving it up without a cry. For all it seems destined at this rate is to get a sniff of prosperity, and not a pass to prosperity!

By: P MOKTAN

P MOKTAN — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 12:35:30 +0000

COME SEPTEMBER THE BORDER TRADE BETWEEN CHINA AND INDIA WILL OPEN UP THROUGH THE NATHULA WINDOW. AS FAR AS DEFINITIONS GO KALIMPONG IT SEEMS STANDS TO LOSE OUT BECAUSE TECHNICALLY IT DOES NOT SHARE A â€˜BORDERâ€™ WITH CHINA. ALSO IT IS ONLY BUSINESSMEN WITH SIKKIM TRADING LICENCES WHO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO HEADLONG INTO TRADING WITH CHINA. THE CONCEPT OF BORDER TRADE HOWEVER IS A LIMITED ONE INVOLVING ONLY CERTAIN ITEMS( TOURISM IS AT THE MOMENT OUT OF THE PURVIEW OF THIS TYPE OF TRADE) THAT ARE GOING TO BE SHORTLISTED BY THE GOVT. ITâ€™S YOUR MODERN DAY VERSION OF THE PRIMITIVE EXCHANGES THAT WERE SO NECESSARY FOR THE PEOPLES LIVING ACROSS THE DIVIDE. HOWEVER IN TWO YEARS TIME WHEN THE â€˜INFRASTRUCTURE â€˜IS IN PLACE BORDER TRADE WOULD BE REPLACED OR RATHER TAKEN OVER BY TRASIT TRADE. THEN WE WOULD BE TALKING OF TRADE BIG TIME AS IT WOULD BE A VIRTUAL FREE FOR ALLAND NOT JUST LIMITED TO SOME OLD SIKKIM MARWARIS. HOWEVER THOSE WHO ARE EYEING THAT BIG PIE ARE ALREADY ARRIVING. PEOPLE FROM PLACES AS FAR AS KATHMANDU ARE ALREADY IN SIKKIM NETWORKING WITH THEIR SIKKIM COUNTERPARTS TO TEST THE WATERS AND STEAL A MARCH OVER THEIR LATE ARRIVING RIVALS.
AS FOR KALIMPONG, ALTHOUGH THE JELEPLA ROUTE MAY SEEM VIABLE AND ATTRACTIVE FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS ONE SHOULD MAKE NOTE OF THE FACT THAT TRANSIT TRADE HAS NOT YET TAKEN OFF BECAUSE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT IN PLACE. IN KALIMPONG THIS IS NON EXISTENT.
NO WAREHOUSES.NO ROADS AND OF COURSE NO MONEY.