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| The truck owned by Bimal Diyali burns at Rohini on Thursday afternoon. Picture by Kundan Yolmo |
Rohini (Kurseong), Jan. 1: A cloud of smoke and ash covered the otherwise idyllic and plush greenery in Rohini this afternoon as Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters went on the rampage, torching houses.
It was 1.30pm and the two-year-old DGHC rest house stood half-burnt with blood splattered on the floor. A few women and old men wailed while frisking through piles of ash to retrieve their belongings as the sound of heavy police boots doing the rounds broke the uneasy calm.
A group of Morcha supporters had arrived at 12.30pm and for the next 45 minutes they went on a ransacking spree.
“Everything in my house got reduced to ashes in minutes. All my family could save was some money and garments,” said Man Bahadur Tamang, whose hutment, located opposite the rest house, was one of the first targets of the Morcha supporters. “I have no clue as what I should do now. I cannot believe that my house has been gutted in a fire set by the Morcha even though I am an ardent supporter of Gorkhaland and the party as well,” he said.
While most of the residents fled their homes, a few of those affected had courage enough to stay put at the spot, 45km from Kurseong. “The fire has burnt down all my certificates. How can I seek a job now? Why do we have to face the loss when we too are Morcha supporters and firmly believe in Bimal Gurung’s demand for Gorkhaland,” said a young girl. She pleaded the reporter not to disclose her name.
Slightly ahead, the house of Bimal Diyali, a concrete structure with tin roof, lay abandoned with smoke billowing out of the remains. His shop, known to be the largest grocery store at Rohini, was beyond recognition. A truck, parked on a plot —owned by Bimal who was the guard at the rest house and one of those arrested for murder — was burning with no one at hand to douse the flames.
“My son is a driver while I manage to plough a small plot near my house,” a septuagenarian, too, scared to introduce himself by name, said. “The entire paddy I harvested has burnt along with my home. I don’t know why we had to encounter this horrible experience.”
The Morcha, however, said today’s incident was a “spontaneous outburst” after the death of party leader Subodh Pradhan, a schoolteacher of Ishwarmaya Primary School in Pankhabari. But the local people had a question for the Morcha.
“Yesterday’s incident was unfortunate and at least five people have been arrested. We, too, want the guilty to be punished. Why would then we, despite being Morcha supporters, have to face a retaliation,” a resident of Rohini said.
Policemen, including cadets of the district commando force, have been posted at Rohini since afternoon.