Vehicles back on road in Kalimpong on Wednesday evening after the announcement of the two-day bandh breather. Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha

Siliguri, June 11: Long queues snaked their way out of the two most prominent terminuses in town today as traders rushed to fill up buses with food supplies and stranded hill residents determined to go back.

The three-day breather in the indefinite bandh called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has triggered an exodus here with residents of the hills and Sikkim crowding the office of the Sikkim Nationalised Transport in search of vehicles.

Not only that, with the shutdown suspended for a few days, several traders attempted to send supplies to the Darjeeling hills from the regulated market at Champasari and the wholesale market at Khalpara.

On hearing this, members of Jana Jagaran, an organisation of Siliguri residents opposed to the Morcha demand for Gorkhaland, blocked Darjeeling More and the gate of the regulated market this evening. But police intervened and drove them away, detaining some of the Jagaran members.

Tapan Saha, an official of the Fruits and Vegetables Merchants’ Association at the regulated market said: “We have resumed supplies to the hills. It is good news that the movement of goods has started, even if it is for a few days. We hope to recover some of our losses.” By evening, seven buses had left SNT terminus. Huge queues were also seen at Tenzing Norgay terminus. Buses from Kalimpong, Kurseong, the Dooars and Calcutta leave from this terminus.

Neena Basu, her sister and a child from Kalimpong were exhausted of all their money when they met members of the women’s wing of the CPM at Tenzing Norgay. “We arranged for food for them and took them to the tourism office,” said Snigdha Hazra, one of the members at the tourist help camp.

“They were on their way from Kathmandu, when they heard of the strike,” Neena’s mother said when contacted over the phone. “Since it would be difficult to get accommodation in Siliguri, they stayed put at Kakarvitta (a border town in eastern Nepal) for three days. I am waiting for my two daughters and grandson to come back home.”

“We made arrangements for those who either came to us or called up,” Gopal Lama, deputy director of tourism, north Bengal, said. “We put the two women in a bus to Kalimpong,” he added, referring to Basu and her sister.

With the number of tourists in Sikkim, especially in Gangtok and the North and East districts, wanting to return home, a significant number of inquiries were made at the state’s tourism office about the helicopter service to Bagdogra.

“Following the rush of passengers wanting to use the chopper, we increased the number of trips today,” said L.B. Chhetri, chief executive officer of Sikkim Tourism. “We usually have just one trip every day, which leaves Gangtok at 11am and reaches Bagdogra airport by 11.30am. But today, we operated four extra trips, the first one leaving at 9.30am.”

The department has a tie-up with Pawan Hans to operate the chopper service between Bagdogra and Gangtok. The Dolphin helicopter can carry five passengers plus some light luggage. A one-way trip costs Rs 3,000, as the fare is subsidised by the Sikkim government, Chhetri said.

Airport sources at Bagdogra confirmed that the tourism department had flown four extra trips today. “The return trip usually leaves for Gangtok at 2pm. But today, the first trip back was a little after 10am. Although the incoming choppers were full, the outgoing had two or three seats empty,” the sources said. They added that most of the outgoing flights from Bagdogra, especially those to Calcutta, were heavily booked.