Unrest hits Darjeeling beggars' economy: Will starve to death here, say homebound paupers

As the crisis in Darjeeling refuses to subside and the tourism industry takes a toll, the beggars who earn a living in the Hill town have also decided to return.

According to a report in Bengali daily Anandabazaar Patrika, beggars assembled in Darjeeling from the nearby districts as tourist footfall went up. They used to send money to their homes as well but now with tourists, including foreigners, deciding to stay away from the Hills because of continuous strikes, the beggars have decided to return home at the first given opportunity.

Along with the beggars, the rag pickers, cobblers and others who make a living in the Hills have also decided to leave the Hills for it is not helping their cause any more, the report said, adding that the local police administration came out to their rescue by arranging for their exits from the Hills.

Darjeeling has been on the boil over the past several weeks as neither West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee nor the local outfit – Gorkha Janmukti Morcha – deciding in favour of a compromise.

The GJM has been resentful about the Banerjee administration making Bengali compulsory in schools and holding a meeting of the cabinet in the Hills. The raid on GJM chief Bimal Gurung's house whereby arms and cash were recovered made the confrontation between the GJM and state administration even more inevitable. The clash also led to the deaths of a few people, including a policeman and GJM supporters and the hill outfit gave call for indefinite strike, dealing a blow to the local economy.