Boarders of Hill schools evacuated safely to Siliguri

Boarders of Darjeeling Hill schools were evacuated to Siliguri on Friday amidst the ongoing indefinite bandh in the Hills.

Since June 15, Darjeeling is in the grip of an indefinite bandh called by the GJM. With vacations in the Hill schools slated for June 23, the schools were chalking out plans as to how to evacuate the boarders. The GJM finally announced a 12-hour window allowing boarders to leave the Hills on Friday.

"Usually, my parents collect me from school. This time we will be going to Siliguri together. I am very excited," stated Atithi Das, a Class XII student of Mount Hermon.

"We took the students to Siliguri from where the parents collected them," stated Partha Pratim Dey, Senior Master, Mount Hermon School.

The St Joseph's School cavalcade had started at 5 am from Darjeeling and reached Siliguri by 8 am. They were dropped at the St Xavier's campus located at Gurung Bustee, Siliguri. "It is a great relief that the students have arrived safely. We hope that normalcy returns to the Hills soon," stated Dibesh Rana from Kathmandu, Nepal. His son studies in Class VIII at St Joseph's School.

St Joseph's will be reopening on July 3 after the vacation. "We will keep in contact with the parents if the bandh continues and we have change in plans," stated Father Shajumon, Rector, St Joseph's School.

Students from all over the globe study in Darjeeling Hill schools. Unrest in the Hills has dealt a huge blow to the image of Darjeeling as an education hub. Schools fear that if unrests continue there will be mass withdrawals from the schools.

The Gorkha Janmukti Vidhyarthi Morcha (students' wing of the GJM) cadres were present at the Darjeeling Motor Stand in Darjeeling conducting checks in the vehicles for non-students and also issuing passes to the students.