Where the Himalayas Whisper in English: Darjeeling’s Youth Stand Between Memory, Migration and a Waiting Horizon
When a youth delegation from Darjeeling met Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan at Uprashtrapati Bhavan on February 24, 2026, the exchange was framed in the language of aspiration and identity. Welcoming what he described as “vibrant young minds from a region known for its natural beauty, rich culture and significant contribution to the nation,” the Vice President said India’s demographic strength is among its “greatest assets” and that the vision of “Viksit Bharat” and “AatmaNirbhar Bharat” calls upon young citizens to contribute with “innovation, integrity and enterprise.”
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| Members of Darjeeling Youth Delegation at Uprashtrapati Bhavan today; Via: VP India |
The interaction, attended by Rajya Sabha member Harsh Vardhan Shringla, touched on outmigration, sustainable tourism, disaster resilience, Darjeeling tea and sports infrastructure. On migration, the Vice President observed that it is “a global phenomenon driven by economic aspirations,” while stressing the importance of preserving identity, culture and traditions.
He emphasized environmentally responsible tourism to strengthen the regional economy and underlined the vulnerability of hilly regions, calling for enhanced disaster preparedness and coordinated infrastructure initiatives, including through platforms such as the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
Those themes resonate sharply in Darjeeling, a Himalayan town whose distinct cultural and linguistic profile has long set it apart within India. English proficiency among young people in Darjeeling is widely recognised to be of the highest order, shaped by decades of missionary and boarding school education that once made the town a hub for students from Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Thailand and beyond.
For generations, elite residential schools in the hills drew families from across South Asia seeking an English-medium education in a disciplined, cosmopolitan environment. That educational ecosystem not only created a pipeline of globally fluent graduates but also supported a local economy built around schooling, hospitality and seasonal tourism.
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— 🍂 (@heyyshonaaaa) February 16, 2026
But the youth who met the Vice President raised questions about outmigration. That was obviously for a reason. After schooling, Darjeeling offers limited higher education opportunities, compelling most students to move to metropolitan centers such as Bengaluru, Delhi, Pune and Mumbai.
The Vice President too acknowledged migration as a global economic reality, but emphasised on preserving identity underscores a structural challenge. The question that rises then is how to create pathways for skilled youth to contribute locally rather than depart, more often than not, permanently.
The region’s demographic dividend risks becoming a demographic drain if higher education, professional training and employment ecosystems do not evolve in tandem with school-level excellence.
Tourism remains a pillar of Darjeeling’s economy, and that is anchored by its tea estates, colonial-era architecture and panoramic Himalayan vistas. The Vice President’s call for “environmentally responsible development” reflected the fragility of this model.
Hilly terrain, seismic sensitivity and erratic rainfall patterns expose the region to landslides and infrastructure stress, and have made disaster resilience central to economic planning. By invoking CDRI and the need for coordinated preparedness, the Vice President placed Darjeeling’s local vulnerabilities within a broader global conversation on climate adaptation and infrastructure resilience.
Darjeeling tea, which he described as enjoying a “global reputation,” represents both heritage and economic opportunity. Encouraging “value addition and entrepreneurship” signals a policy direction toward moving up the value chain, rather than relying solely on raw exports.
For a region whose brand recognition, read "First Flush", extends far beyond India’s borders, integrating branding, agri-tech innovation and sustainable practices could anchor a new phase of growth.
The strategic geography surrounding Darjeeling adds another layer to its significance. The Siliguri Corridor, often referred to as India’s “Chicken’s Neck,” connects mainland India to its northeastern states. Stability, development and integration in this corridor carry implications for national security, regional diplomacy and economic connectivity.
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— 🌙 (@sanamterikasaam) April 30, 2019
Spotlighting Darjeeling’s educational strengths, linguistic capital and cultural distinctiveness within that context intersects with India’s broader integration strategy and its outreach to neighboring Himalayan and South Asian countries.
In his remarks, the Vice President said he had “immense respect for those who make conscious efforts to preserve their culture and traditions,” expressing confidence that the youth would contribute meaningfully to nation-building. For Darjeeling, preservation and progress are intertwined imperatives.
Its multilingual, outward-looking youth population, its historic boarding schools, its tea economy and its tourism potential together form a distinctive ecosystem that, if strengthened through higher education, resilient infrastructure and sustainable policy, could reduce outmigration while reinforcing India’s diplomatic and strategic positioning in a sensitive corridor.
The policy challenge ahead thus will be to ensure that regions like Darjeeling are equipped with the institutions and investments necessary to retain and leverage that capital in place.