Pashupati businessmen scared over Maoist blockade

PASHUPATINAGAR: With the announcement of an economic blockade by Maoists of Nepal with effect from September 1 to 7 in places like Ilam, Bhiplatey, Pashupatinagar, Fikal and Aitabarey, the police have stepped up vigil in areas adjoining the Indo-Nepal borders of Darjeeling.
Besides the Special Services Burueau which has been manning Hiley Bhanjyang, Simana , and Pashupati Fatak in the Indo- Nepal border for the past three years, the Rapid Action Force and the State Armed Police have been deployed in places like Manebhanjyang, Pashupatinagar, Sukhia Pokhari, Soureni, Mirik and Chabesey.
Police sources said Nepalese citizens entering the Darjeeling district had been asked to register themselves in the nearby police stations for a thorough police checking. "We are keeping a strict vigil," Darjeeling police superintendent R Misra said.
Panic stricken residents of Pashupatinagar, located 30 kms from Darjeeling town, kept their shops closed on Wednesday, claiming it to be in mourning for 12 Nepalese killed in Iraq, they were also confused over the economic blockade called by the Maoists of Nepal with effect from September 1 to 7.
During the blockade in Nepal, goods vehicles would be stopped by the Maoists but passenger vehicles would be allowed to ply. According to a Press release , from August 23 to 31, people whose names are in the hit list of the Maoists would be made public through peoples'' courts.
It has also made an appeal, especially to the people of Ilam, a district headquarter of Mechi zone in the eastern part of the country, to vacate their houses on September 8, to make successful a programme organised to pay tribute to 9,000 martyrs.
Businessmen, especially of Pashupatinagar and Ilam, have temporarily shifted and are either staying at their relatives’ houses or have rented houses on the Indian side of the border. Pashupatinagar, a market of foreign goods dependent on tourists coming to Darjeeling, looks compeletely deserted with shops all closed and locked.
In this small town with some 10,000 population, especially businessmen , at present hardly 50 per cent of the residents can be seen. Dealer in foreign goods Ram Kumar Agarwal said, "Today the market remained closed to mourn the death of the 12 Nepalese in Iraq but from tomorrow I think we have to open our shops. But how to open as there is always a fear at the back of our mind."
He said due to the announcement of the economic blockade by the Maoists , around 50 percent of the businessmen with their entire families have taken shelter on the Indian side. "Many businessmen have locked their shops and homes and have started staying on the Indian side. This might again give rise to robbery", feared Laxman Sapkota, a resident. Hotel owner of Sher-e-Punjab, Amarjit Singh Randhawa of Gurudaspur, Punjab, who established this hotel at Pashupatinagar seven years ago, too looked depressed.
"Business here is totally dependent on Indian tourists visiting Darjeeling. For the past 3 years, business has really gone down. if it continues this way till Diwali, we will pack up," he added.