Darjeeling Town is finally gearing up for its municipality elections after a long wait of 5 years.
The last elections were held in 2017. Following the 109-day fiasco, the elected local body was suspended and superseded by the State administration.
As we inch closer to finally exercising the right to elect our local government, my mind wanders off to the story of Rajiv.
Rajiv is the protagonist of the short story “A Missed Blessing”, in Prajwal Parajuly’s celebrated novel, A Gurkha’s Daughter.
Meet Rajeev Da From Darjeeling
Orphaned at a young age, Rajiv grows up with his Grandmother, brother, and cousin in a two-room home at Zakir Hussain Road, Darjeeling. His higher education has been sponsored by his relatives, and despite his difficult circumstances, one can say that Rajiv has played his cards right. Having completed his education in IT Engineering from Majhitar, Sikkim, Rajiv could easily land a job in any major city in the country.
But today, Rajiv lives in his hometown with his ailing Grandmother. He is unemployed.
In many ways, Rajiv represents Darjeeling’s post-1986 hopeful youth. One that did everything “right” but was still led to disappointment by the hopelessness of their socio-political and economic circumstance.
Darjeeling forged by colonial exploits remains loyal to a few industries since time immemorial. So any out-of-the-box economic opportunity remains grim. Despite slim chances, many have fought against the winds to migrate to cities with better options. Admission into the Armed Forces still remains a beacon of light for many, while others spend years preparing for coveted government posts or even resort to petty corruption. That is as good as it gets for those that stay behind by illness, obligation, comfort, or hope.
Sandeep Som And His Shrunken Space
While we get a glimpse of the Darjeeling Youth in Rajiv, we cannot ignore the character of Sandeep, Rajiv’s younger brother. Sandeep has been more interested in making paper planes from the torn pages of his hand-me-down books. One cannot deny that he is also an embodiment of the Darjeeling youth. One with free-flowing creativity and untapped talents, Sandeep is often found escaping out in the streets away from the shrunken space of his urban home.
Access to physical space plays is a crucial aspect in a citizen’s growth and well-being. In over-constructed urban settings such as Darjeeling, vulnerable groups keep bearing the brunt of lack of space. The insecurity of shelter often exposes them to low self-esteem in their social interactions and relationships.
Paisa, Mayalu
In the story, we find Rajiv caught up in social obligations. As he navigates through Dasai preparations, the shame he feels over his economic health finally surfaces and erupts in a violent outburst unto his cousin from the rural fringes of Darjeeling, Tikaram. Here Rajiv states,
When I beat Him, I felt less like a victim. The more he screamed in pain, the less my pain became, the less I felt like I was suffering
This is a remarkable point in the story, which subtly brings out the truth that mistreatment trickles down economic classes to lend a false sense of power and control over one's own life.
Rajiv's Safe Haven
Rajiv does find solace: in the intimacy that he shares with photographs of his dead parents, and in the “Darjeelingey spirit” of his gauleys. The act of communities sharing hardships and supporting and celebrating with each other, often forging a stronger family feeling than actual blood ties has been a quintessential element of Darjeeling on its better days.
Rajiv, an alumnus of St. Paul’s School Darjeeling also seeks spiritual refuge in two American missionaries. The characters of Michael Scott and Christa Scott cast light on the missionary efforts that have had a significant impact on Darjeelingey youth’s psyche and perceptions of life.
In the end, we find Rajiv in his bed singing a Christian prayer he learned in school, and I am left wondering.
The Darjeeling Dilemma
Why do citizens from geographically marginalized communities choose between economic opportunities and familial security? Why not both? Why is taking care of an ailing Grandparent and putting a successful career on halt a moral obligation rather than a choice? Why does it spring feelings of guilt and stagnation in the person?
The post-pandemic era has brought a welcome wave of entrepreneurial opportunities and sustainable efforts in small towns such as Darjeeling. The endeavors of self-help organizations, samajs, NGOs, etc are equally encouraging. The work-from-home scenario has also opened up avenues of outsourcing talents from Darjeeling without them having to leave behind their homes or communities. The pulse is feeble, yet an awakening of a new-age sustainable circular economy keeps nudging at my nerves.
It is welcoming and keeps me hopeful that it's the start of something new. I wouldn’t want to jinx it. Maybe today, Rajiv, Sandeep, and his Grandmother might have started a pickle-making e-commerce site from their two-room home at Zakir Hussain Road. I am glad to live in a world where this is a possibility.
* In Picture: Darjeeling's young citizens volunteer at a waste segregation programme as part of Tieedi's Zero-Waste Andolan
However, the lack of administrative infrastructure and policy for job creation, loan procurement, skill-building, or nurturing the latent talents of the Darjeeling youth is still evident. Will the next decade initiate something wholesome, proactive, and honest, or will it be yet another round of the silent minority corruptly administering as citizens learn to cope?
Only time will tell. Let's wait as the Capitol Clock keeps chiming.
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