Gorkhaland | At crossroads, an emotion: Gorkhaland is still the nucleus of Darjeeling politics telegraphindia.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from telegraphindia.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Sumendu Lake, the top tourist attraction in Mirik, will be closed from Tuesday, making it the first major tourist point to be closed in north Bengal after the surge in Covid-19 cases during the second wave of the pandemic. The lake is managed by Mirik municipality.
L.B. Rai, chairman of the civic body, said: “We have decided to close the gates of the lake from tomorrow (Tuesday) as part of our effort to contain the spread of the virus.”
The civic chairman said Mirik had recorded 11 Covid-19 positive cases in a single day on Monday.
“Tourists are coming, local residents are also gathering (near the lake). This is why we decided to close the lake as it is the top draw among the tourists in Mirik,” said Rai.
Gorkhaland invariably becomes the major plank of all elections in the Darjeeling hills, but family members of Gangamaya Biswakarma, who lost her life during the statehood agitation in 1986, maintain that “martyrs’ families” are in most deplorable conditions and they have no faith in the present political leaders and their slogan.
Gangamaya was 56 when she was killed in a police firing in 1986. She was apparently charging at the paramilitary forces with a sickle in the hand at Thana Dara in Kalimpong when the shots were fired.
In recognition of Gangamaya’s contribution to the statehood agitation, Gangamaya Park was built in Darjeeling in 1996 by then chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC). The park is now a popular tourist point in Darjeeling.