Panchayat polls: Ex-serviceman runs 21 km to file nominations for a noble cause

Subba started his half-marathon around 4am from his home in Sonada and reached the BDO’s office at Jorebunglow-Sukhiapokhari around 8am

Ex-serviceman Saran Subba, a resident of Darjeeling in north Bengal, ran 21 km on Wednesday to file his nomination as an independent candidate for the upcoming panchayat polls in the hills for a noble cause.

The nomination process will end on Thursday evening. (HT photo)

“I could have easily gone to the block office in my car and filed the nomination. But I wanted to pass on a message. The hills are experiencing several traffic snarls every day, and this has become a serious issue.

We as individuals can do our bit by minimising the use of cars and two-wheelers to improve the situation,” 36-year-old Subba told media persons.

Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills governed by a semi-autonomous Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) will go for a two-tier rural polls after 23 years on July 8.

The nomination process will end on Thursday evening.

“When I was a student during 2004-2005, it used to hardly take us 35 minutes in vehicle to reach Darjeeling town, which is only 14 km from Sonada. Now, it sometimes takes more than three hours to cover the same distance as the traffic congestion has become a nightmare,” he said.

Subba started his half-marathon around 4am from his home in Sonada and reached the BDO’s office at Jorebunglow-Sukhiapokhari around 8am.

As the office opens at 10am, he had to wait for two hours before he could file his nomination papers.

“We must all try to minimise the use of vehicles. If the distance is short and can be reached on foot, we can walk. This way we can also reduce the burden of pollution,” he added.