Although Covid-19 has severely affected the tourism industry since 2020, the Association for Conservation and Tourism (ACT), along with some other organizations, today observed World Tourism Day at the more than 100-year-old Siliguri Town Station, which is virtually abandoned for long time.

ACT selected the venue with a view to showcasing it as a heritage property and demand that authorities should sincerely take initiatives to protect the heritage status of the station where Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore
and other personalities in Indian history had once stepped foot on while visiting this region.

Notably, to mark World Tourism Day, ACT also organised two separate programmes in Siliguri on 25 and 26 September. The Second Homestay Congress was inaugurated by Bhaichung Bhutia, the former captain of the Indian football team, at the Mainak Tourist Lodge on 25 September. Mr Bhutia, who is also the brand ambassador for ACT, presented his model of sustainable tourism, ‘Gurubas,’ in his village in Tinkitam in Sikkim.

The First Himalayan Organic Day of World Tourism Day Festival 2021 was held at The Sunday Haat, on Church Road, in Siliguri on 26 September. Lt Gen AK Singh, the General Officer Commanding of the 33 Corps of the Indian Army,
was the chief guest, while the special guest was Tashi Tshering Bhutia, the chairman of the Sikkim Tea Board, Government of Sikkim.

Gen Singh stressed on the need to uphold sustainable ecology and described the role of the Army and how they maintain ecological balance where they work across the country.

On the other hand, former state tourism minister Gautam Deb, who is presently the Chairman of the Board of Administrators at the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, today inaugurated the programme organised at the Siliguri Town Station today.

Mr Deb expressed his unhappiness over the present position of the station and recalled memories as a Siliguri resident. “I am shocked to see the present situation in and around the station,” Mr Deb said, adding, “I took some steps with the help of Mamata Banerjee for its development. We can also keep maintaining the station if the Railway authorities allow us.”

Notably, the Railways has built a new Siliguri Town Station, which is now operated by an all-woman staff. There is a signboard for “proposed site for stabling 10 metre-gauge coaches for preservation and exhibition of Heritage
items (DHR) under PPP (Public Private Partnership) scheme.

Activists associated with ACT have been demanding preservation of the heritageproperty and a museum there. Notably, connecting the Siliguri Town Station and Siliguri Junction with the NJP Railway station, there are three types of railway tracks–narrow gauge, meter gauge and broad gauge.

Sources, meanwhile, said  large portions of the Railway land on the historic site have been encroached upon. Owing to lack of maintenance, a park there has converted into a dumping ground.

“Though pictures of Mahatma Gandhi at the station are still on display on the walls of the dilapidated structure, there is no proper maintenance, while no one cleans the area and it has become a spot for unsocial activities,” a source said.

Very significantly, Siliguri Town Station Manager Pratima De, accompanied by the Railway Protection Force, came to visit the spot, even as writers, poets, singers, artists and dancers performed cultural events there, and asked
organisers whether they had sought permission for organising such a programme.

Interestingly, Ms De was left speechless when the Convener of ACT, Raj Basu, asked her: “What if civil society here asks you how the entire area has been encroached upon? Did they seek permission from you for the constructions
here?”

Asked to comment on the problems facing an eviction drive in and around the railway station, Mr Basu said: “We always prefer reorientation programmes by authorities concerned to maintain and preserve heritage properties.”

Sources said a section of activists associated with the tourism industry was taken aback when they came to know that the official stoppage for the Vistadome coach, which was introduced especially for the development of tourism in this region, was at the Siliguri Town Station.

According to Mr Basu, there is an official stoppage for the DHR Toy Train here, but it stops here only for a moment and blows the horn to alert people on the tracks. To mark World Tourism Day today, activists associated with tourism industry welcomed the Toy Train and greeted drivers, passengers and tourists by offering the khada, the traditional scarf.