Nepal, March 13 -- Election fever has once again gripped the violence prone hill town of Darjeeling. For the next one month, large-scale manipulation, 'purchase of seat', backroom defections, false promises and casteist and communalist agendas will mar this otherwise famous tourist destination. It was never like this till at least the mid-1980s when the fierce Gorkhaland movement changed the entire landscape and contents of hill politics. Despite far reaching objectives and modest achievements, this movement brought unnervingly vicious trends.

Firstly, the dominance of one political party with heinous violence became the rule. With survival as the only objective, these political parties consistently compromised on all demands and aspirat...