DARJEELING: A couple of Duara Suruwal clad ‘Cultural Vigilantes’ boldly smearing paint on the face of the people who dared not wear the Gorkha Traditional dresses in the middle of the market under full police glare has put up a number of questions on GJM’s professed Democratic Movement.
"What is going on? I had made two Duara Suruwals and all my family members brought their traditional dresses and we were all very happy. Today when I came to the market wearing my casual dresses and a Dhaka Topee I was stopped on my way and inquired by a couple of youths as to why I was not wearing Daura Suruwal. One of them even went to the extent of cursing me and calling me Anti-Gorkhaland. This was right in the middle of the market. However, a couple of friends intervened and saved me from humiliation. I have never been more shocked in my entire life. For a Professor who is nearing his retirement to be humiliated in the middle of the market is something one can’t forget," said Suryakant Thapa, a prominent educationist who is presently based in UK.
Speaking to Beacon Online, a couple of youths gathered at the Market after the smearing of faces took place said, "This is certainly a most brutual act. We girls, were harassed when we were returning after a Badminton practice. We still have our rackets in our hands. We told them that we were returning from practice and they threatened us saying that we should wear our traditional dresses. So should we now practice in Choubandi Cholos?"
Political Analysts believe that Gorkha Janmutki Morcha must control its cadres becuase the youths especially those belonging to the colleges and schools and those who have either completed their degrees as such may not be to pleased to wear the traditional dresses every day even though it may be for only a month. The youths are the most independent section of the society and fiercely protect their independence. Soon acts like these may only lead to more youths speaking against the party. The youths with technical knowhow and having using friendship and peer circle may also use tools like internet to speak out against these moves. True, what Gorkha Janmutki Morcha is trying do can be accepted as its attempt to make the people aware and proud of their own culture but enforcing these as diktats may backfire with a section of the people being ultimately antagonised.
In the foundation day speech, Bimal Gurung, the President of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had repeated stressed that the Dress Regime was not compulsory. He had also repeatedly stressed that though the dress regime was not compulsory those who did not obey it would be declared anti-Gorkhaland. He had further entrusted the Nari Morcha and the Yuva Morcha (Women’s Front and the Youth Front) to enforce the regime. Possibly, the smearing of the faces of those who did not obey the dress regime yesterday in the middle of the market was the result of Gurung’s verdict. However, it was learnt yesterday that the Cultural Vigalantes were chased away by some of the leaders of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha itself who stressed that the dress regime was not compulsory.
However, still complicating GJM’s stance on the dress regime whether it was compulsory or not, a poster was pasted at the Chowk Bazaar before the Gitangee Dara threatening all concerned that people not found obeying the dress regime would have their faces smeared with black paint.
Whatever might come out of the confusion as to whether GJM wants the dress regime to be compulsorily followed by the people or not, the general people have found themselves questioning – whether spending more money on the second set of the Daura Suruwal and Choubandi Cholo for the entire family would be good idea then having one’s face smeared in the middle of the market.
Mahesh Tamang said, "GJM at the onset may want to clarify to most that two or three sets of the cloths are a good idea. Since I can’t afford it, I can only suggest others to use Tapa over coal fire to quickly dry up the dresses. It is alright to wear Daura Suruwals instead of being asked to carry a Khukuri or a Khaduwa and go to the forests during the last Gorkhaland Movement. We had been wearing Daura Suruwals for our entire life and we had moved on to some good dress like piece pants and shirts and now we are back to the same old Daura Suruwal. I feel happy though that a lot of the rich people are wearing Daura Suruwals these days otherwise it were only the porters and us poor farmers and those who worked at the Tea Gardens who wore Daura Suruwals. "