Tukai (An Excerpt Taken From the Book 'The Hills Are Burning' by Anirban Bhattacharyya)

27 July 1986 "Lapchey, Bhotey, Nepali . . . Hami Sabai Gorkhali!" (Lepchas, Bhutias, Nepali...We are all Gorkhas.)

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A neverending sea of people flowed down Rishi Road in Kalimpong, past the Dambar Chowk. Hundreds, maybe thousands, Tukai estimated. Tukai stood at the entrance of Gompu's Restaurant, hypnotized, watching this sea advance, wave after wave, holding placards, and banners, chanting with their proud, loud voices. Bang! Bang!! Bang-Bang!! The sounds of gunfire rent the air above the din of the chants. Tukai gasped as he suddenly saw people being lifted off the ground with wide gaping holes in their chests. There were screams, pandemonium, rushing feet... With a blood-curdling scream of 'Jai Gorkha', a man swung his kukri at a CRPF jawan who was charging at him. The head still wearing the American Gl-style helmet, was sliced clean and it rolled down the street and came to a standstill. The eyelids of the jawan fluttered for a moment, like a malfunctioning robot before it shut itself down. The decapitated body though, ran for a short distance with its arms swinging wildly and blood gushing like a fountain from the neck before its knees buckled and the body collapsed. 16-year-old Tukai felt bile rise at the back of his throat. He felt his bowels let go as he excreted into his trouser. He sensed his own warm shit trickle down the inside of his leg. He vomited and with his shaking legs, ran. Roshan 23 April 1987 Roshan was out of breath. He could barely see through his swollen left eye. As he blinked, he felt a warm tric