A ghost organisation, Sevika Sangha, was trying to discreetly replace the old statue of Sister Nivedita – a disciple of Swami Vivekananda – with a new one. New marble plaques with Hindi quotations were also installed.

After Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first to ascend the mountain on May 29, 1953, the news was kept a closely guarded secret and announced on Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Day on June 2.

Out of the 277 candidates in the 45 constituencies of the GTA, 171 are independent candidates – the highest ever. Parties have alleged that the independents are 'proxy candidates' fielded by those who have stayed away from the polls.

As more and more Bengali families leave the areas of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong in search of educational and employment opportunities, Durga Puja celebrations in the regions have been hamstrung due to a lack of manpower.

The talks have been scheduled for October 12, the same day as Phulpati, an important holiday for Gorkhas and a state holiday in West Bengal on account of Durga Puja.

Under pressure, the BJP has announced tripartite talks for a permanent solution. But while this has eased the protests in the Hills, the opposition has pointed to the enormous delay in the process.

After the phone numbers of the Dalai Lama's closest advisors and several Tibetan officials appeared on a list of potential targets for surveillance, poet Tenzin Tsundue said India would be better off focusing its attention on China.

As demand for Gorkhaland grows, two of the main parties that pushed for this in the Bengal Hills have now seen a sudden spate of changes.

Political participants across parties in the state are opposed to the idea and fear an impending dilution of Article 371F in case a merger takes place.

Political unrest has already negatively impacted livelihoods and the region is also bearing the brunt of the pandemic. Future political upheavals would be the final nail in the coffin for North Bengal.

It may seem logical for at least one of these movements to back the BJP’s idea of creating a separate state. But it appears there is no room for compromise.