There’s a movement for an autonomous state called “Gurkaland” that has Darjeeling at it’s center. It’s complicated, but basically, there’s a bunch of Nepalis in the state of West Bengal that feel like the are not getting enough respect from the Marxist-led W. Bengal gov. Shortly after I left, the protesters shut down everything in the region, and several travelers I met were told by their embassies to get out, or they would be stuck there for at least a month. It looks like the protesters may have some luck, as they’ve secured talks with the prime minister, and the issue may be used as a wedge against the marxists by the governing party in its quest to secure the US-India nuclear deal. On the other hand, the Marxist have the power to bring down the government and force new elections. Indian politics are complicated.
