Siliguri, April 13: The discovery of three caches of explosive devices from different parts of the town in the past 10 days has shaken the confidence of residents here, even as they grapple with a potential conflict between the hills and the plains that threatens to destroy their unity.

“I was shocked to hear about the blasts (at Champasari on April 3),” said Nibha Prasad, a homemaker in Dagapur. “Now, police are unearthing bombs every other day. It is surprising that something like this is taking place in our town, where we took our safety and security for granted. Are we safe any more?”

“I have been living in Siliguri for the past 18 years and have never seen the town so tensed before,” Abhijit Roy, a general physician, said. “Our spirit of unity has always helped us tide over our problems. When there was a blast at New Jalpaiguri station in 1997, we were not that afraid of unknown forces because all of us were united.

“But now sadly we have started placing ‘I’ above ‘we’. At this rate, Siliguri will no longer be the peaceful place it used to be because anti-social elements will try to take advantage of the rift among the people,” Roy added.

Cyaria Gurung, who was born and brought up here and now teaches at Siliguri College, agreed with Roy.

“It has always been a cosmopolitan place in letter and spirit,” she said. “In a bizarre turn of events, we have now resorted to doubting each other. My request to the political leaders is to think beyond the petty goals of politics and work together for a unified, cosmopolitan town.”

The turmoil will hit trade and commerce in Siliguri, said G.S. Hora, an executive member of the Confederation of Indian Industries’ north Bengal zonal council.

“Siliguri’s unique selling proposition has always been its peaceful atmosphere,” Hora said. “A lot of people are poised to invest here in the near future. If the situation does not improve, it will all go for a toss. The existing trade will also go down the drain because other cities, which depend on Siliguri, will look for more peaceful options.”

Prasad had a suggestion for protesters: show a little concern for common people.

“In a democracy, it is okay for people to demonstrate against the government, but they must also be sympathetic to the concerns of the common people,” the homemaker said. “Whenever there are demonstrations around Darjeeling More (where an ex-servicemen’s rally turned violent on April 9, prompting the police to take action), the residents of the area are forced into virtual house arrest, while school and college students face untold problems.”