Posted by barunroy on January 13, 2008
By Ajoy Edwards,Conveynor, G.N.L.F (Youth Wing) Darjeeling
Everybody asks me today, “What is the point of me joining a party, the ruling party which has all but remained apparently stagnant since the inception of the Hill Council? A party whose deeds and actions have done nothing but caused resentment in the hearts of the people of the Darjeeling Hills? What was the point of the celebration of freedom and free will vis a vis the Darjeeling Carnival and all other bearings that I have taken alongside the governance in the past? Why, when, what, who, and how?” People ask me.Contrary to what people may think, my well wishers et al; I haven’t turned my back against them or the public. I am not here for selfish gains or for the lure of power. I speak today, not only in defense of my actions but also, for what I owe to the people of Darjeeling. My observation is not a conquest of any party. I still maintain that it is the commemoration of freedom and a belief system that reinforces humanity. What has happened recently is an indication of the end, an end which also marks the beginning of a completely new period in time. I stand with all good purposes at this juncture of my life with this enormous responsibility on my shoulders of leading in unison the promising youth of the Hills to a whole new era; that of positive change, rejuvenation, renewal and a glorious future.As GNYF, we are looking forward to a journey of peace, unity, progress and above all, liberty. If we have lived in failure for so long, a new society must be born out of this debacle, a society which all human kind will be proud of. Darjeeling is and will always be the nicest place in the world. Our endeavors as citizens of the Hills shall be those that will lead us towards liberating all our people from the ongoing repression of poverty, suffering, ingrained violence and discrimination. We hope to bring the needs and aspirations of the youth to the forefront because the concept of active citizenship for young people will recognize and sustain the various spheres in which the young people of Darjeeling will contribute in their own environment.The youth need a representative democracy so that they can build a ‘Darjeeling’ where all people will walk without any need for fear and be assured of their unchallengeable right to life, justice and human dignity. If you ask me at all, what am I here for? I am here to join our soldiers of duty, justice and above all peace. We are here to make peaceful revolution a possibility. Only Ahimsa will lead us to true victory. And we will win. Our dreams have not become reality yet, for there is no effortless road to realization. We know that we cannot act alone if we are to achieve anything at all. We must therefore, be united in our aspirations and aims. In order to give birth to a new Darjeeling, that of Peace, Unity, Progress and Liberty, we must under all circumstances stand together as a people. We must work so that every citizen of the Hills will not want for anything; be it bread, water, jobs, electricity, health care or education. We are a people that understand the meaning of freedom from oppression. So let us be free of hate, racism, communalism, violence and greed. We must be united in our cause. We must let peace prevail. We must let justice prevail. And above all, we must let LOVE reign in this beautiful region. So let us all work together to lead the land we love and we shall as one, pave the path to paradise. God bless Darjeeling!
Posted in Have your Say? | Tagged: ahimsa, ajoy edwards, conveynor, darjeeling, darjeeling carnival, darjeeling hills, gnlf, hill council, youth wing | 4 Comments »
Posted by barunroy on January 13, 2008
ACCORDING TO AN UPDATE FROM GNLF YOUTH WING NO INTERACTION BETWEEN SUBASH GHISINGH AND GNLF YOUTH WING IS SAID TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE. OUR INFORMATION HAD BEEN BASED ON A RELIABLE SOURCE WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE TURNED UNRELIABLE. WE REGRET OUR MISTAKE.
Posted in Breaking Story | 2 Comments »
Posted by barunroy on January 13, 2008
Citizen Forum of Darjeeling also popularly known as Darjeeling Civil Society was established under the active initiative of B. K. Pradhan, Advocate, Social Worker and former Municipal Vice Chairman of Darjeeling. The Civil Society is presently in a process of registration under West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961.
The following are some of the objects for which the society has been established:
• In case of public harassment under crisis period, work as advocacy group devoted to public interest and maintain the peace and harmony in the society.
• To help the formation of public consensus and provide with better option before the people.
• To work for enhancement of Democracy and Development of People’s conscience.
Who can Join?
Any individual, Association, Society, Body of Individuals, Religious Organisations, Cultural Organisations, Welfare Organisations, Educational Institutions, Non Governmental Organisation can be a member of the Society.
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Posted in Breaking Story | Tagged: darjeeling, dooars, kalimpong, kurseong, mirik, siliguri | 2 Comments »
Posted by barunroy on January 13, 2008
Let us assume for one point of time that the journey to ‘deorali’ is completed and we are in a position to form our dream the ‘GORKHALAND’. However, when we wake up from our dream the spoiler reality sets in. A reality of meeting the aspirations of thousands of Gorkhas living the dream of Gorkhaland. With reality comes the enormous responsibility of heading the new government. A responsibility similar to the one faced by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in a new independent India. Therefore, the million dollar question would be is there a Gorkha who can share this responsibility and guide us forward to an economically, politically, socially, and peace sustaining Gorkhaland? With this background I present ten major challenges ahead for us in a new Gorkhaland (strictly my viewpoint):
1. Chief Minister and his cabinet: The greatest challenge for a new state is a solid group of people with novel visions to lead. There is also no denying of the fact that a new state needs ‘financial machinery’ to meet and sustain the states bare minimum needs. It is therefore an absolute need for the individuals running the state machinery to have a lobbying capacity not only with the government at the center but also among business entrepreneurs. A great example set in recent times in this regard has been by Shri Narendra Bhai Modi. Modi and his cabinet’s hard work, grit, determination to grow, and straightforward attitudes in matters important for the state of Gujarat has made Gujarat a model state in modern India. We also need a figure of the stature and charisma of Modi.
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Posted in Cover Story | Tagged: bengali language, cabinet, caste, central university darjeeling, central university in darjeeling, chief minister of gorkhaland, corruption, darjeeling, darjeeling polytechnic, darjeeling tea, deforestation and ecology, gorkha, gorkha language, gorkhaland, gujarat, health care, kalimpong, kolkata, kurseong, manipur, pandit jawaharlal nehru, public and higher education system, public health system, sikkim, siliguri, social status of women, tea industry, tourism, tribal, tribe, unemployment, vellore | No Comments »
Posted by barunroy on January 13, 2008
If words could have portrayed our emotions, like colours in the hands of a painter; if words could have latched on to the reality of moment like a nestled dream in our mind… I would have been happy. I would have danced around the meadowed green like a cur training to catch a butterfly, like an unborn child trying to wiggle his way out from the womb of his mother. But alas, my words fail me… They leave me alone in the midst of battle surrounded by enemy, unarmed and baffled. Only to stop beyond the lines to look back and mock at the General, they once served well. True, I am a man of words, and just words, as Annabelle once pointed out. True, I am a man moist in the deluge of dreams and imagination as Sherry once evaluated. But still, I can’t make it. Words fail me, when I need them the most today……
Emerald green, divine blue, visions of dream perhaps.
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Posted in sunday special | Tagged: darjeeling, kalimpong, nepal, terai, sikkim, teesta, bhutan, bihar, africa, andhra, chechnya, Heritage, himalayan, house, kashyone, kipling, lepcha, monasteries, pedong, pradesh, rangeet, route, russia, shangrila, silk, traveller, uttar | No Comments »
Posted by barunroy on January 13, 2008
FAITHLESS YEARS The plantation class has been deprived of its land rights for
more than two centuries now.
Ever since Subash Ghisingh raked up the Sixth Schedule in 2005, almost every community among the Gorkhas — from the Brahmins to the Newars (the trading class) — is running from pillar to post to get itself enlisted as a schedule tribe.
The hill people believe that the ST status would lead to economic empowerment by opening up job opportunities. They are right in thinking along these lines, but there is still no hope for a certain section of the hill people who can broadly be classified as the “plantation class”.
This class comprises more than 75 per cent of the hill population. They were the first to clear the forests in the hills and set up tea gardens and cinchona plantations way back in the 1830s. They are Gorkhas and composed of Brahmins, Newars and other Nepali-speaking communities, but till this day they remain deprived of their land rights. Darjeeling perhaps has the largest tract of contiguous land in the country which has been housing landless people for nearly two centuries.
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Posted in Cover Story | Tagged: brahmin, darjeeling, darjeeling hills, gorkha, gorkhaland, kalimpong, newar, pachayat, sixth schedule, sixth schedule bill, subash ghisingh, tribal status | No Comments »
