From the veil of culture

It all started in the year 2008 when a sudden announcement by the Bimal Gurung led Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) created faux pas among certain residents of the Darjeeling Hills. The announcement to wear traditional attires by each and every community was a part of the era long agitation for the creation of the state of Gorkhaland.

Gorkhaland comprising Darjeeling district, Dooars and the Terrai region was traditionally and culturally different from the rest of Bengal was a point to be settled by this part of agitation. Not only Nepalis and Lepchas but the region is home for almost all religion, caste and culture that flourish throughout the vast India.

One thing that was to be common to all the community was the Nepali Topi, but it was abjured by some hill residents especially the Lepchas as their attire had its own traditional headgear. Although the particular agitation program was run and thrown down the gauntlet it finally got underway during the Dussera festival of 2008.

This agitation program was paralleled with a series of cultural program during the one month where all community of the hills participated. Each community or group was assigned a date, when they brought their dance, play or whatsoever program to the audience. The whole attire and cultural program thing was to stay for a month ending just before Deepawali. Despite some earlier hiccups it was some success.

It was indeed very pleasing to the eye to see people, men and women with children clad in their respective traditional dress. The Nepalis’ Daura suraal, for men and daka sari with chaubandi cholo for women was the most common; others sported kurta payjama bhaku churidars etc as per their culture. The programs were wonderful as well some day it was a Nepali dance, the other a Rajasthani Kutputli dance. A Bhojpuri song today and a Bengali program tomorrow.

Very colorful indeed! It showed India’s diversity; people from different caste, religion, ethnicity, true to anyone visiting the place during this period.

Photographs with videos take, talks being made with the locals, eyes glued to the color and variety of fashion of different people, by the foreigners, something I guess they have never seen, so many different people at the same time in the same place conversing and living like nail and skin.

This agitation program was adjured only in the hill region of the agitated area, and did meet its motive but only partially. Partially because such diversity in religion and culture is everywhere in India, in its aim to actually show the culture different from Bengal what came forward was it to be no different the idea of India. Every people in India are everywhere.

What was worthy to be seen was the enthusiasm and excitement of the foreign and domestic tourists coming to Darjeeling at the time when the air was full with the aroma of culture; it seemed to travel you through the time when Indian culture was at its peek. It was a pleasant surprise for them, a kind of added benefit from the travel and tour operators. The place was alluring, although it did make the tourists feel a bit alien at times. Their excitement was however visible in the way they enquired about the clothing and the cultural program schedule.

May not be possible for big cities but if some towns bring similar concepts into play can really foster tourism. The thing not being done for a month can work for a week or ten days.

As this was part of the agitation, it could be carried out successfully may be a point, but at small places it should not be that hazardous a task.

The same was carried out again in 2009 with the same purpose during the same time, at time when it is the biggest festival of the Nepalis, but with very little success.

It is true to carry such attires to all work places may be difficult but not herculean. A little discomfort for an economic upsurge can be a deal worth bargaining for.

What the particular agitation program brought into focus pronto to me was an idea to coagulate the deteriorating tourism in Darjeeling hills and it to be swarming very much with the idea of India’s diversity.