NO PATH IN DARJEELING IS STRAIGHT

Parimal Bhattacharya

The author Parimal Bhattacharya’s memoir of working in Darjeeling in the 1990s is a sympathetic and elegantly written account of everyday life in the Himalayas. It steers clear of well-worn tropes about the iconic hill station and the stereotypical views held by outsiders about its Nepali-speaking community. Instead, it explores the complex social and political dynamics at play in contemporary Darjeeling. The book’s examination of the Gorkhaland movement makes it particularly relevant for our times.

Speaking Tiger, 200 pages, Rs 450