Forest guard shoots youth

Siliguri, Feb. 8: Barely a month since the Centre notified the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) ACT, 2006, forest guards at the Buxa Tiger Reserve in Jalpaiguri district shot dead a teenager hailing from a local forest village, today.  The forest officials claimed that the victim was a ‘timber smuggler’, while locals and family member said that the 16-year old tribal boy had gone to the forest to collect firewood for domestic use. According to the Kalchini police, the victim Shyamal Rabha and three of his companions had entered the Uttar Poro jungles in the Buxa Tiger Reserve early this morning. On their way back, they were spotted by forest guards who asked them to halt. “But the boys tried to flee instead, prompting the forest guards to open fire at them. Shaymal Rabha died on the spot and the others managed to escape. The bullet hit the teenager on the left side of his forehead,” said RS Chhetri, OC, Kalchini police station. Contacted on the issue, the state forest minister Ananta Roy termed the incident as ‘unfortunate’. “I have instructed the BTR field director to inquiry into the matter and submit a report at the earliest. Let me assure, if found guilty, severe action would be initiated against the forest guards,” the minister said.

Angered with the death of the teenager, the villagers at Poro blocked the National Highway 31 for over two hours in the afternoon demanding a thorough probe into the killing and adequate compensation for the victim’s family. The blockade was withdrawn after police assured “appropriate action”. The victim’s parents have lodged a compliant with the Kalchini police accusing the forest guards of killing their son without provocation. The Buxa Tiger Reserve authorities have in turn lodged an FIR, labelling the victim and his three unidentified companions as “timber smugglers”. 

Morcha eyes youth power

Kurseong, Feb. 8: Thousands of supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha — the youth wing of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha — are expected at Kurseong Motor stand tomorrow for what will be the first ever convention of the outfit to discuss the strategy for achieving Gorkhaland.

Subash Pradhan, the press and publicity secretary of the Yuva Morcha in Kurseong, said similar conventions would be held in Darjeeling and Kalimpong as well.

“We are expecting at least 14,000 youths from every part of the subdivision to attend the convention which will be a historic one for the party,” said Pradhan.

He said the convention would mainly focus on the need for the separate state of Gorkhaland.

“Since youths are our future, the party wants them to know why Gorkhaland is necessary. The Morcha will also hold a discussion on what the youths could do towards achieving a separate state,” said Pradhan.

He said the party would conduct classes for the youths and “we will see how many civil servants could be produced from the community over the next 20 years.”