Darjeeling:
If Telengana is given statehood, so must Gorkhaland. That's the demand of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) that has called a three-day bandh in Darjeeling in West Bengal from Monday to press for its cause. The Morcha is not alone. Activists for a separate state of Vidarbha in Maharashtra have also joined the chorus.
The immediate result in Darjeeling: tourists have had to leave in droves as the scenic hill station teeters towards turmoil. But in the longer run, it seems the agitation for Gorkhaland, which went on the backburner two years ago, is back.
"We will intensify our movement in a very vigorous way until Gorkhaland is achieved," said GJM's Roshan Giri.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's reaction? An angry post on Facebook accusing the Centre and "a particular party" of fomenting trouble in Darjeeling.
"Telengana cannot be compared with Darjeeling. When everything is settled, why Delhi is insisting to disrupt peaceful situation and play with fire?" she wrote.
But the Left Front feels that the pact Ms Banerjee and the Centre signed with the Morcha two years ago never really resolved the problem.
"We had said the pact was an eyewash," said Left Front chairman Biman Bose. "Our chief minister is all the time saying Darjeeling is smiling... shining smile... This is the result of the shining smile," he said.
Meanwhile, activists for a separate state of Vidarbha have announced an agitation outside Parliament on August 5.
"We shall try to
gherao the ministers and those against the demand for Vidarbha. No minister will be allowed to enter Vidarbha. If our demand is not met, we shall make life difficult for our opponents," said Ahmed Kader, Organiser, Nag Vidarbha Andolan Samiti.
The Telangana effect is clearly threatening to take a toll.