Five days after the Darjeeling hills voted, leaders of three rival groups, the Bimal Gurung and Binay Tamang factions of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, and the BJP were back on the streets — this time to distribute masks and sanitise neighbourhoods.

Leaders and workers of the Tamang camp went around Darjeeling town distributing “around 10,000” masks to those not wearing them.

At the same time, Gurung supporters were seen sanitising the town and distributing “around 8,000” masks.

In Kalimpong, the BJP’s youth wing was also seen distributing masks.

Vikram Rai from the Tamang camp said that they had formed a group called Hamro Pahad Covid Warriors whose members were also actively involved in a “surveillance committee” formed by the GTA during the first wave of the pandemic last week.

“We basically have reactivated that group and today (Friday) we went about town distributing masks and encouraging people to maintain physical distance in the town,” said Rai. Back then, the surveillance team had essentially coordinated with patients and their families and kept an eye on outstation travellers. This time, the group volunteered their services at vaccination centres in Darjeeling and other places.

“We request the administration to open vaccination centres at places like the Gorkha Rangamanch Bhavan where there is more open space instead of the district hospital. At the district hospital, apart from a rush for vaccinations, there are other patients, including those who want to undergo a Covid-19 test. Space for people at the hospital could be a problem,” said Rai.

A Gurung camp leader and former municipality commissioner, Sailendra Chhetri said while they sanitised various areas in the town on Friday, they were looking such exercises at least once in three days or a week depending on the situation.

Apart from these two major hill parties, the BJP Yuwa Morcha also distributed masks and put up awareness posters in various parts of Kalimpong town.

“This is not a political exercise but a way to serve the community,” said Raju Rai, leader of the BJP Yuwa Morcha (Darjeeling hills). “Similar initiatives will be undertaken by our activists in Pedong, Sinji, Algarah and Gorubathan among other places in Kalimpong district.”