Impact of Gorkhaland Movement

Reportedly, indefinite bandh in the #Gorkhaland have primarily impacted Siliguri City the hardest. According to reports:

1). Siliguri is losing INR 12.5 crore per day.
2.) 75% of the business of Siliguri has been hit due to strike.

3.) Darjeeling Tea Industry has lost INR 340 crore in 19 days
4.) NHPC's TDLP III and IV are suffering a loss of INR 2.5 crore daily.

What do these figures reflect?

While we can have an extended discussion on these figures, in short:

Points 1 and 2 are very critical pointers that Siliguri has no meaning without Sikkim-Gorkhaland or in other words...it means Siliguri owes its existence and maintenance to Sikkim-Darjeeling! They also raise a serious concern that 1,057,438 (as per Census of India, 2011) people residing in metropolitan Siliguri and people living in adjoining Terai have little contribution to the growth and development of the economy in the region. This clearly means, they are big economic burden to the area and the state at large! Who are these people by the way ? and why are they living in Siliguri ? .... This is a big question that we need to seek answer for? Here....the whole issue of Informal Bangladeshi migration needs to be debated!

Secondly, point numbers 3 and 4 make us clear on how important is Darjeeling hills for West Bengal. Such a small place and such huge economic potential! More importantly, It makes us further confident on the fact that #Gorkhaland is an economically viable proposition and after being declared a state would be one of the fastest growing states of the country!

We really need to worry about points 1 and 2 for several reasons and from different perspectives. The national security perspective should be discussed on priority basis.