Bengal scrambles to pacify fleeing tourists in Darjeeling

Kolkata, June 12 (IANS) Amid the indefinite shutdown called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland, the West Bengal government on Monday said it has stepped up security measures for tourists even as tour operators flayed the Trinamool Congress regime for not doing enough.

"So far 45 buses, small, medium and large, have been operating to ferry stranded tourists to the plains in Siliguri and to the nearest airport (Badgodgra) and railway station (New Jalpaiguri). There are still thousands of tourists there," State Tourism Minister Goutam Deb told IANS on Monday, failing to give the approximate numbers.

"We appeal to the tourists not to panic as we have stepped up security measures for them. Hotels and shops are still open in their service," he added.

Deb had earlier said that around 45,000 tourists were in Darjeeling and nearby areas of the eastern Himalayas.

The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), however, rubbished claims of safety, saying the state government didn't do enough.

"For the last couple of years, Darjeeling has had a very bad name among tourists. The state government didn't provide the required marketing and the amenities needed for travellers, especially the international tourists," IATO's Gour Kanjilal told IANS.

"They don't have proper crisis management cell. Whatever they are saying is just a sympathy statement," added Kanjilal.

Darjeeling -- due to its vantage location in the Eastern Himalayas, straddling nature reserves and Buddhist sites, as well as proximity to northeast India, Nepal and Bhutan -- draws around 600 tourists per day during summer till July, as per data provided by the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI).

He said tourist arrivals during this time of the year are mostly concentrated around north India and northeast India.

"June, July and August are not peak months. And the demand is for destinations like Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. Because of stone pelting concerns, we are not taking tourists to J&K, although there is a substantial demand for the region," Kanjilal said.

"Tour operators in Kashmir valley are luring tourists with promises of safety aboard houseboats as the towns may come under attack. Because of the unrests in Darjeeling, we are avoiding that destination. After all, tourists want tension free hill holidays," he added.

He said the international tourists fly into New Delhi and fan out to the Himalayan destinations in north India while for the northeast circuit, they arrive at Bagdogra airport and start their sojourn from Sikkim.

"To see rainfall, they prefer Munnar, Ooty etc in south India. The long-term impact of the Darjeeling unrest will be bad for the tourism sector if the state government does not take the tourism sector seriously and come to a steady solution," Kanjilal warned.

A tourist said, "We ran out of money to make arrangements for travelling back to Siliguri as the cab operators in Darjeeling had hiked their fee up to three fold. What used to cost us Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 is now priced at Rs 5,000 (cab ride to Siliguri from Darjeeling)."

"ATMs were shut and shops downed shutters as well. I never thought we will have to flee like this. I will come back again but when peace is restored," he added.

The state government has been advertising tea tourism, eco tourism and homestays in the north Bengal hills.