CPIM POLITICAL MEETING AT DARJEELING TODAY

Speaker General Secretary CPIM Darjeeling Hills

GJM observes Black Day - raises Ghisingh leave Darjeeling slogans

Darjeeling, 6th Feb, 7:30 PM IST: Alleging that Subash Ghisingh had a hand in the postponement of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Home Affairs visit to Darjeeling, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today observed a black day and took out a protest procession armed with black flags. The procession culminated at Chowrasta where the members of the Central Committee urged that Subash Ghisingh must now leave Darjeeling and promised that GJM would do everything possible to convince the Standing Committee to visit Darjeeling.

Jai Prithivinarayan Shah, Jai Gorkha, Jai Gorkhaland!

A MUST READ ARTICLE!

PLEASE READ AND COMMENT!

Dear Sir,

Herewith an article explaining the assumed confusion of the much hyped term Gorkha, or whatever it means, but arising a deep sense of parochial brotherhood leading the people to a dead end alley, blinkers over the eyes on route to invisible agenda for the benefit of some vested persons from respective communities. Accordingly, the article has been appropriately titled to bring out the truth, Jai Prithivinarayan Shah, Jai Gorkha, Jai Gorkhaland, which very name rings the alarm bell to the Indian mind vis-à-vis the kingdom of Nepal, even to consider statehood under such name. This article is basically to enlighten the public for further research and investigation on the topic.

Jai Prithivinarayan Shah, Jai Gorkha, Jai Gorkhaland

In your Darjeeling Times Vol. 1. No. 2 15 Jan – 14 Feb 2008, Pg 20 title letter from the Chief which designation is ambiguous, to ask the question, Chief ‘sitting bull’ or Chief ‘Udhyan Rai’ kindly explain.

Also the entire magazine contributively concerning the Darjeeling Hills prominently in the foreground printed to highlight the editorship of Barun Roy’s personal journalistic agenda, rough shod riding on Bimal Gurung’s GJMM nirvanic Gorkhaland salvation, and which too rodeo-rode on Prashant Tamang the Indian Idol III, the messiah of Gorkha chauvinism, distinct in the previous but recently established Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP), supposedly spearheading the cause of the Gorkhas, for some ominous reasons at the national level. The Indian intelligence, attributed to make an anthill out of a mole hole, pretending as the proverbial dumb witted sleuth, by asking unexplainable questions and rhetoric’s to the birth and existence of BGP as a large social cultural corporate.

The people of Darjeeling hills are more puzzled with themselves than with the gurus, read Gorkhaland leaders, whereas the issue remains simply the one and only separation from Bengal whether annexed with Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan or simply a unit state of India which has been denied for past 100 years by the British in pre-independent India and by Bengal in connivance with the Centre in post independent era, when the entire country professed democratic right to self determination but denied to the people of Darjeeling district.

Prachanda (does not use surname as its use would have divided the unity of the peoples of Nepal) on the contrary united the various tribes and non-tribes of Nepal under the downtrodden universal political philosophy of Maoism without a hint or mention of the mantra Gorkha or Nepali. This is an interesting for the intelligentsia to fathom. Herein some suggestions directed to arriving at the answer. In Pawan Chamling’s Sikkim, the word Gorkha is practically extinct and his once own associate B. M. Subba raising the word Gorkha was sent into oblivion and now to become a spokesman person for BGP. In Bhutan it is an unspoken word, and from which country the Nepalese refugee/émigrés has settled in large scaled in Darjeeling district specially in adjoining Kalimpong. So why is the term preserved in the socio-political background of Darjeeling hills and gaining a kick-start momentum in recent times. The Darjeeling hills is only small geophysical entity but strategically situated in the continuity of the above geo-political landmass. This is a million dollar question to be transparently answered by alt the organizations named with the prefix Gorkha, which word according to Nepal’s historical context referred to the Shah dynasty of Kings from the house of Gorkhas of Indian immigrant ruling class in Nepal and other high class Hindus comprising Ranas, Brahmins, Chettris and maybe Pradhans. Paradoxically and strangely the rule of the Prithivinarayan Shah Gorkha Kings are now terminated, primarily by Prachanda’s Maoist revolutioners’ inspite of Prime Minister Koirala’s soft corner for the continuance of the monarchy. Here’s a question for the BGP, should it not be inviting the Hindu monarchial Shah Gorkha Kings dethroned in Nepal to return to India after 250 years rule in Nepal, to help set BGP to set about a state in India if not a sovereign Kingdom?

The hill peoples of Darjeeling suppressed under British and now Bengal rule who openly claim the Darjeeling hills as the ‘crown of Bengal’ asserting a no compromise situation to let the people of Darjeeling secede from its fold whereas at the same time depriving the hill people of their cherished dream of self-determination, a fundamental human right for indigenous peoples enshrined in the Declaration by 143 members of United Nations. Is it the CPM rulers who are denying democratic rights or is it the Bengal of Rabindranath Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose who are denying the hill people their democratic rights (it is in record that many German POW Indian soldiers from the Darjeeling hill joined Netaji’s Indian National Army, as well as freedom fighters including the late Congressman Shri Sapkota (the hill Gandhi) and other hill personalities championed the cause for Indian independence). Are the fruits of their arduous labour being denied to the generations of these Indian nationalists is the question that the hill peoples of Darjeeling Hills are asking.

With no historical reason in support nor justification the hill people are seemed to be divided on tribals and non-tribals basis, whereas the reason is otherwise, but simply the inapplicability of the term Gorkha, whereas the term infers the non-tribals, who too would like to be recognized as tribals to derive the constitutional overtures. This situation has become conspicuous and an immediate relevance, wherein the Gurung and the Rai communities as a whole have appealed for a Scheduled Tribe designation (pending review by the Scheduled Tribe & Scheduled caste Minorities Commission) where already 34% of the population composing the following tribes Lepchas, (Bhutias, Sherpas and others) Tamangs and Limbus. If the Gurung and the Rai communities are conferred tribal designation, it is estimated over 60 % of the hill population will be Scheduled tribes, with the possibility of the area being considered under the Fifth as well as the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution as bonafide tribal areas.

In such eventuality what happens to the word Gorkha. Does it just vanish or is the banner carried on by the non-tribal communities, exclusive of the Scheduled caste who are already recognized by constitutional provisions. In the process of eliminations the communities who are left to raise the Gorkha flag, remaining are, the higher caste Hindus including the Brahmins, the Chettriyas and allied Hindu communities. Can marginalization of these high caste Hindus be the hidden agenda, i.e. to aspire and preserve this ruling statesmanship by conveniently using the word Gorkha, seem to unite the Darjeeling hills peoples under a common cause, Gorkhaland, initially maybe a state of India, and possibly a sovereign country under the auspicious of BGP, or corporate.

Thanking you

A Gorkha Girl modelling for a local Nepali/Gorkhali daily

MPs’ visit to Hills cancelled

Darjeeling, Feb. 5: The proposed visit of the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on home affairs to asses the situation of the Darjeeling Hills in relation with its anticipated inclusion in the Sixth Schedule has been called off. “The standing committee has officially conveyed to the state government that the scheduled visit has been cancelled,” the Darjeeling district magistrate (DM), Rajesh Pandey, said. He also said that he was unaware of the reasons why the visit had been called off. The cancellation of the standing committee visit has left the Opposition parties fuming in the Darjeeling Hills.

“I have spoken to a PSC member who said that the state government had forced them to cancel the visit citing law and order problem. But everybody knows that it is not so,”  Madan Tamang, president, All India Gorkha League (AIGL) said. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is also furious with the decision. “This is the outcome of a conspiracy plotted by the chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and the GNLF chief, Subhash Ghising,” Tamang, the GJM Press and publicity secretary, said over phone. “But we would not allow them to destroy the public mandate for a separate Gorkhaland state,”  Tamang added. To protest against this ‘conspiracy,’ the GJM workers would launch an indefinite huger strike from 7 February. The agitation would simultaneously commence in front of the administrative offices in Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik and Siliguri.  “Moreover, from 8 February, our activists would gherao Lalkhuti (DGHC headquarters), which would continue till Ghishing is dislodged,” Tamang said.

Mercury may dip again

The Statesman, Siliguri, Feb. 5: The chill in air is no more, and the cold in north Bengal has become soothing. Yet this respite may prove to be short-lived as there is still a possibility of western disturbances which might result in sharp drop of temperature.
Today, the minimum temperature recorded in Siliguri was 9.5 degree celsius and the maximum was 24 degrees celsius. During the previous week, severe cold wave conditions swept across the north Bengal region. Moderate to heavy snowfalls occurred in the hills of the Darjeeling district as well as in the plains. Temperature dipped considerably, giving the locals a real flavour of winter.  According to Prof. Subir Sarker of North Bengal University, there are possibilities of western disturbances throughout the month of February.  “At present, we should not assume that the winter would leave north Bengal. It is likely to continue at least for one month more. If western disturbances take place, snowfall may occur in the Hills again and the plains would reel under coldwave.

Gorkhaland Today or perhaps Tomorrow

(c) Barun Roy

Morcha fast from Feb 7

Risheehat Tea Estate, Feb. 5: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to start an indefinite hunger strike from Thursday to demand that the Standing Committee on Home Affairs visit Darjeeling.[Inset: Beacon File picture of Bimal Gurung]

“Citing law and order problem, the Bengal government has worked in tandem with Subash Ghisingh to cancel the committee’s scheduled visit and suppress our voices. We will start a fast-unto-death from February 7,” said Morcha president Bimal Gurung at a public meeting here, about 14km from Darjeeling, today.

Bengal Bandh!

Calcutta, Feb. 5: “Do-it-now” has finally worked in Bengal — in calling a bandh. [Inset: Bloc supporters attack a police vehicle. Picture by Main Uddin Chist]

The Trinamul Congress and the Forward Bloc — supposedly belonging to two irreconcilable political formations — took less than two-and-a-half hours to decide to shut Bengal down on Wednesday in response to Tuesday’s tragedy in Cooch Behar.

The violence was at its peak around 1.30pm, and the Bloc called the 24-hour bandh by 3pm. Quick thinking, in hindsight: any delay could have meant Mamata Banerjee offering support before the shutdown itself was announced.

By 4pm — within an hour of the Bloc calling the bandh — Mamata had offered support, displaying unparalleled agility and unity of purpose for causing disruption.

The Congress, the SUCI and some Naxalite groups soon jumped on the bandwagon, the rainbow coalition coming together not to construct but to cripple. None of these parties has shown the same initiative to make things happen in Bengal — the objective behind the now-forgotten “do-it-now” slogan.