Earthmovers seem to be shaking and shaping politics in the Darjeeling hills.
The Ajoy Edwards-led Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF) has alleged that four earthmovers that the party had hired for the past one year to construct roads and bridges across the hills had to be withdrawn on Sunday following threat calls to the machine owners.
Edwards stated that he had spent around ₹8 crore from his foundation to construct more than 270 roads in the hills.
“Four JCBs (a brand of earthmovers) had to be returned to Siliguri as the owners received threats that the machines would be set on fire if not withdrawn (from work) within 12 hours. We are hearing that the threats came from BGPM leaders,” said Adarsh Tamang, the coordinator of the IGJF, referring to the Anit Thapa-led Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha.
Thapa, the arch-rival of the IGJF, also heads the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
The monthly rent of each machine is around ₹1.1 lakh, sources said.
Edwards has told The Telegraph that he is now planning to buy earthmovers to counter the threat.
Ever since Edwards dissolved the Hamro Party and formed the IGJF on December 23, 2024, the new party has been witnessing a swell of support in the hills.
Edwards’s popularity, observers believe, has come through an extensive use of earthmovers to build roads and lately bridges in the region as his personal initiative.
“Edwards’s acceptance in politics came because of his decision to construct kutcha roads by using earthmovers from his personal funds about four years ago,” said
an observer.
However, his initiative to construct a 130-foot-long bridge at Balabas near Darjeeling in July 2024, followed by his decision to re-float a new party a few months later, gave his party new momentum.
Sources said that Edwards spent around ₹35 lakh to build the bridge.
“I only donate cement, rods and skilled masons, the rest of work such as collecting stones and sand and (forming teams of) workers are done voluntarily by villagers,”
said Edwards.
Following the Balabas bridge success, Edwards and his team are now constructing five other bridges.
The administration stated that private individuals cannot build bridges without prior clearance from the state government. Officials had been sent to stop work, but villagers refused to comply.
Edwards’s team, however, seemed to have circumvented the issue.
“I am just a donor of cement and rod. It is the villagers who are constructing the bridges. The onus lies with them to get the permissions,” said Edwards. “In fact, villagers have taken up these initiatives because those in power turned a deaf ear to their pleas.”
Edwards furnished data to claim that he helped build 273 roads and started work on five bridges in the region.
“Of the 273 roads, 12 are fully cemented and the rest are kutcha roads,” Edwards added.
Edwards comes from an affluent background. His family owns the iconic Glenary’s restaurant in Darjeeling town.
Edwards also said that in the last four years, he spent around ₹8 crore to build roads and bridges.
“The Glenary’s donates its profit to the Edwards Foundation for which Glenary’s also gets a tax rebate,” said Edwards.
This year, the IGJF has decided to build around 70 roads in the hills.
“I have now decided to buy second-hand JCBs to fulfil my commitments,” said Edwards.
A brand-new earthmover costs anything between ₹35 to ₹40 lakh. Second-hand ones are more affordable. “We can get second-hand ones for anything between ₹10 to ₹15 lakh,” said Edwards.
The BGPM leaders denied the IGJF’s allegation of issuing threats to earthmover owners.
“I welcome Edwards to use his JCB in my constituency. He is all about hype and has left most of the roads incomplete,” alleged Satish Pokhrel, the vice-president of the BGPM and an elected GTA Sabha member.
Pokhrel, who also started constructing a road in his constituency Relling since Sunday using his “personal fund”, alleged that Edwards only paid the rent of the earthmovers while the rest of the expenditure is borne by villagers. “Villagers have to bear the expenses of the drivers and fuel,” he alleged, adding that as he owned an earthmover he only had to spend on fuel.