Gorkha stir hits tea industry

"This is the peak season for the tea industry in the sense that the best quality of tea from Darjeeling and Dooars region of West Bengal come out of the gardens. If the crisis is not resolved soon, the transport of tea from Assam gardens would also be affected," Khaitan, who is also the managing director of McLeod Russel India, said.

The agitation began in the Gorkha stronghold in Darjeeling earlier this week. But it has snowballed into a major crisis, with clashes breaking out in Siliguri, a major logistics hub in north Bengal which connects Darjeeling and Assam to the rest of the country, following a counter protest by Amra Bangali opposing the GJM's demand.

"Siliguri is an important transport hub for the tea industry of West Bengal and Assam. If normalcy in Siliguri does not return soon, it would become difficult to bring tea from Assam," Khaitan said.

Assam is the largest producer of tea in India, contributing to almost half of the country's total output of 945 million kg in 2007 while West Bengal accounted for 25 per cent.

Khaitan declined to give any figures when asked about the quantum of losses the tea industry has been suffering because of the agitation. But media reports have quoted Siliguri Tea Traders Association Secretary Rajiv Lochan as saying that the industry was losing an estimated Rs 20 million everyday because of the shutdown.

Although West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has started efforts at a consensus by announcing an all-party meeting on June 17 and hinting that the GJM was likely to be invited, Khaitan expressed doubts on an early resolution of the crisis.

"What we have learnt is that West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has already rejected the demand for a separate Gorkhaland. It that scenario, it appears that the crisis might linger on for sometime," Khaitan said.