DARRANGA MELA (Nalbari), Nov 7 ? The hundred-year-old Darranga Mela town of Nalbari district (now in Bagsa) situated in the Indo-Bhutan border area today wears a deserted look following the ?Operation Flush Out? carried out by the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGB) against the Indian militants especially those of ULFA and NDFB camping in Bhutan territory in December last year.
As the Bhutanese authority strictly restricted the free movement of Bhutanese people to the Indian side and closed the Samdrup Jongkhar main gate and Sengaline gate, the flow of the Bhutanese people to the once prosperous commercial township has been totally stopped. As a result the trade and commerce of this town has been adversely affected.
It may be mentioned here that the Darranga Mela township was developed only depending on the people of entire Samdrup Jongkhar district in Bhutan whose purchasing capacity is very high compared to the Indian people residing in and adjoining areas of Darranga. Earlier, the Bhutanese people in thousands came down to Darranga Mela to purchase house hold items like food, clothes etc. They stayed here for a week or month when they came down for marketing.
The season from September to March was the peak time of the businessmen of Darranga Mela as by this time large member of Bhutanese came down in different vehicles or on horse back. For that reason a good number of domestic picnic parties used to rush to Darranga Mela which has various tourist spots.
Now the situation in Darranga Mela is quite different as not a single Bhutanese comes here for marketing. This was the lamentings of an ex-councilor Ramotor Singhania who is presently running a yarn and clothes shop in Darranga.
He said, ?Now I have no alternative but to close down my shop as I can?t earn my livelihood with this business. He further informed that finding no other option about 20 big businessmen of this area have already left Darranga closing their business houses. Singhania also said that now the Bhutanese people come to Darranga with escort party of SSB or Indian Army to carry meat, fish and vegetables.
The local chamber of commerce president said that as the government failed to rehabilitate the surrendered militants, they resumed business in Darranga mela solely depending on the Bhutanese customers but they were now frustrated. He observed that while the Indian government has given top most priority on border trade, Darranga mela is now gasping for breath due to lack of government policy.
Talking to this correspondent who visited the border area recently, Emmanuel Mosahary, president of Indo-Bhutan Border Area Citizen Forum which was formed with the representatives of ABSU, AASU, AJYCP, Gorkha Students? Union, Chambers of Commerce and Indo-Bhutan Labourers? Union said that the ages long relation between Indo-Bhutan people have been deteriorating day by day due to lack of appropriate policy initiated by both the governments.
He said that as the Bhutanese authority closed down the Sengaline gate and restricted the Samdrup Jongkhar main gate from September 5 immediately after the Galengpu bomb blast it poses a serious impact on the border trade. He revealed that since then the Bhutanese authority on their demand issued some entry passes to Indian labourers working there for free entry to Bhutan.
Besides some traders of only meat, fish and vegetates are allowed into their territory. However, the Bhutanese vehicles are plying regularly through the Indian side of entry point. The policy of the Royal Government of Bhutan is definitely resented by the Indian people.
Emmanuel further said that on January 23, 2004 following Operation Flushout, the Bhutan-India Friendship Association (BIFA), the Bhutanese organisation formed with the crown prince as head invited a 40-member delegation to discuss various problem faced by the border people of both the countries. They also demanded the intervention of the Government of India.