Darjeeling: “Baghpool Banchbey Paharo Banchbey, Banchbey Prani o Udhbid Kul; Jodi Gorey Othey, Ei Teestar Buketey Shobar Swapner Ditiyo Baghpool” (the Coronation Bridge will be saved, the Hills will be saved and so will the flora and fauna; if only the second bridge, which is the aspiration of one and all, is constructed on the heart of the River Teesta)–Much water has flown under the Coronation Bridge, monsoons have come and gone; endless protests have been held, yet the demand for a second Sevoke Bridge connecting parts of Dooars to Siliguri still remains unfulfilled. Seeing nothing happen, Jaydip Dutta, a resident of Malbazar, decided to pick up his pen.
“The picturesque land of Dooars specially Sevoke is straight out of the picture postcard. It is a land of tea gardens, forests, rich flora and fauna. It’s a strategic, ecological and tourist hotspot. Despite all this road connectivity is a horror. Accidents occur, landslides occur specially during monsoons, precious lives have been lost. Yet nothing has changed since my childhood. Except empty assurances by governments, we have got nothing, as our protests and demands continue,” stated 45-year-old Dutta while talking to Millennium Post.
It is then when he decided to write a song to reach out to the masses and add more muscle to the justified demand. “Since childhood till today, I have been experiencing the horrors while travelling to and from Siliguri. The landslides, the 4 to 5 hour long waits in jams; the daily horror. What is a better form of protest than a song?” stated Dutta. Though associated with a renowned school in Siliguri occupation wise, Dutta has had a musical background, having started writing songs from a young age. His songs have been sung by Rupankar Bagchi, Raghav Chatterjee and other renowned singers. Dutta had earlier released an album.
“As this is a local issue, I got together with very talented artists Megha, Soham and Sougata for this project. I used very simple language for this theme based song so that it would have an appeal among all sections of society,” added Dutta.
The song ‘Ashi Te Dilam Pa’ is a heartfelt monologue from the perspective of the Coronation Bridge (popular as Bagh Pool), now over 80-years-old. It has been silently witnessing history while serving as a vital link between Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri. Over the decades, it has endured increasing traffic, pollution and neglect. Despite connecting people and places, it now suffers from overuse and environmental damage. The bridge makes an emotional plea for a second bridge over the Teesta River, urging the government and public to act before it’s too late and let the aging bridge finally rest.
“Where words and slogans end, songs begin. It is one of the strongest forms of protests having influenced many important revolutions worldwide. Why so much apathy? Why do we have to live in constant fear while commuting to Siliguri from Dooars because of the age-old narrow Coronation bridge? Why can’t it be declared a heritage and an alternate bridge be built to aid connectivity to this vital region?” questioned Chandan Khan, an academician from Malbazar.
The strategically-important Coronation bridge connecting the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Dooars to Assam was built to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937 and was commissioned in 1941. The bridge is fragile with damaged pillars and cracks appearing after the 2011 earthquake. Vehicles carrying weight upto 10 tons are only allowed on the bridge.
The issue of a second bridge was raised in Parliament also. “Earlier it was a case of passing the buck by the Centre and state. Now the Centre has taken over the project. Answering a public grievance filed by us, the National Highways Authority of India on June 12, 2025 wrote ‘....that DPR for a new alternative bridge parallel to Coronation Bridge over Teesta River is in progress,” stated Chandan Ray of The Dooars Forum for Social Reforms (DFSR- a welfare organisation).