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Even the Legacy cannot be spared

[source: http://darjeelingcrux.blogspot.com/2007/12/even-legacy-cannot-be-spared.html]

By Bidhan

‘Politics and Politics’ reverberate from every nook and corner - makes the head assume the shape of an inflated balloon and ultimately go dizzy. Stories relating to Bimal Gurung’s party is the talk of the town - you hear some and you face some. Gaining popularity is good, but taking all of Prashant Tamang supporters to be one’s own is a little hanging by the edge situation. And taking ‘talk of the town’ as a positive sign is also an effort to pierce the darkness mostly occupied by the Angels. Angels are being assigned to a dark region and the Dark Lord is trying to shove his advocates to the foreground - I am talking about B. ‘You face some’ story situation mentioned above has always been a pain in the neck and has drifted me further away from this newly formed. No support for another Bihar rising from my side! What about you? Yes, a change is needed, but in order to bring the change (or your personal resentment with Ghisingh - revenge time!), ARE YOU WILLING TO BE SO BLIND THAT EVEN IF THE WORSE PREVAIL - YOU REALLY DON’T CARE?

I really don’t blame Bimal Gurung because he is in the same situation as Ghisingh was, receiving falsity ‘wah wah’ which blankets the whole truth and doesn’t reveal the actual firmness of his foothold. Sixth Schedule definitely holds a secondary position in front of the Gorkhaland issue, but poking away is also not a sensible idea. Lack of development was there mainly due to low allocation of funds by the government and yes of course the corrupt chairs, but I believe if people support it right, it will slowly change. Sixth Schedule means greater funds and if we leave aside everything (the divide propaganda much focussed by the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha), more money is pouring into Darjeeling and that is really good. The casual workers now working can have a better stand and a lot of departments are going to come under us. The most important factor needed for the clamored development is money - why stop it, if it wants to flow in. Kicking away a better government is nothing but stupidity. Yes, Gorkhaland is my dream, your dream and every other Gorkha’s dream, but this dream is not possible right now - it will take time to materialize and the TIME FRAME IS UNKNOWN (Can you guarantee a certain time frame? Even Bimal cannot.), may take 5 years, 10 years or 30 years - even more, but a better government is right outside our door knocking and if we don’t open it now, we will be left with nothing. Gorkhaland demand can still continue after the Sixth Schedule and if we do get one, I guess it will be a Tribal state - What do you say? Huh!

The Last Supper (Darjeeling Style) By K. Thami

Roadblock staged in Kurseong

The Statesman, Kurseong, Feb. 10: Demanding immediate removal of  Subash Ghising from the post of DGHC administrative caretaker, today, the GJMM staged road blockades in different parts of Darjeeling hills, every alternate hour which started from 11am and it is still going on. Meanwhile, indefinite hunger strike which was called by the GJMM and staged in front of the administrative offices of the three sub divisions of Darjeeling hills completed its fourth day, today. Following which, there have been reports of deteriorating health conditions of the GJMM hunger strikers, from the three sub-divisions.Five hunger strikers have been reported sick in Kurseong. They have been identified as Deepa Singh, Roshani Rai, Puspa Chettri, Sabita Mukhiya and Urmila Pradhan. Among them, Urmila Pradhan (18), resident of Barbung- Gauri Shankar Tea Estate has been admitted to the Kurseong Sub-Division Hospital in the morning and presently she is under treatment. On the other hand, Pradeep Pradhan, chief, GJMM Kurseong branch, said that keeping in the mind the demands of the GJMM, today a meeting was held between the GJMM and the Darjeeling DM in Darjeeling .
He also said that as per today’s meeting of Darjeeling, a meeting will be held on 13 February in Kolkata, between the West Bengal State chief secretary, Amit Kiran Dev, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, CM and seven representatives of the GJMM party, where they will discuss on current political situation of Darjeeling hills. Pradeep Pradhan also said that their indefinite hunger strike would be continued and if their demands would not be considered seriously, then 10 of their supporters from Kurseong had already planned that they would immolate themselves at Kurseong Motor Stand.

Allies slam CPM over Sixth Schedule

Siliguri, Feb.10: The gulf between the CPI-M and its Front partners is widening on the sensitive Sixth Schedule issue in the Darjeeling hills. Two major constituents, the Forward Bloc and the CPI have come out in the open flaying the CPI-M’s ‘political bungling’ in this matter. With the political mercury rising within the Front with passing time Darjeeling district Forward Bloc and CPI leadership have expressed unhappiness with the clumsy way the grave issue is being tackled by the state government especially in regard to the Sixth Schedule issue. Smitrish Bhattacharya, the Darjeeling district general secretary, Forward Bloc, said that it was difficult to understand the state government’s logic behind keeping a stony silence for more than a year and half over the Sixth Schedule issue since the Sixth Schedule resolution was passed in the West Bengal Assembly in March 2006.
“We simply cannot understand why the state government kept silent over the issue for such a long time and why it has suddenly become hyper-active to have it passed by the Parliament. This procrastination has doubtlessly given fillip to the separatist and reactionary forces in the hills to turn the table on the state government. Now the situation has become extremely volatile with the Leftist forces on the run,” he added.
Cautioning against another impending danger he said that in the coming days a demand might be raised for inclusion of the Dooars and the Terai in the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) area.

Morcha accepts invitation for talks-Ready for dialogue but with rider

Darjeeling, Feb. 10: The Bengal government has invited Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders to Kolkata on February 13 for a meeting even as tension brewed in the Darjeeling hills with the party’s fast-unto-death programme entering the fourth day. [Inset:  Bimal Gurung with protesters on hunger strike in Kalimpong. Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha]

Urmila Pradhan (18) from Kurseong and Deepankar Rai (27) from Darjeeling, two of the protesters on hunger strike, were hospitalised after they developed kidney and respiratory problems. Nine Morcha supporters were attended to by doctors at the sites where they were fasting in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.

Pradip Pradhan, the Morcha convener of Kurseong, has threatened that he and 10 party supporters will immolate themselves if the state and Centre fail to take note of the agitation.

The Morcha supporters set up blockades on several roads — barring NH31A as it would hamper vehicular movement to Sikkim — at alternate hours. The blockades, which will continue for an indefinite period, were lifted at 6pm. Even army vehicles were not allowed to ply.

Morcha president Bimal Gurung visited Kalimpong on a whistle-stop tour to boost the morale of the protesters. P.T. Sherpa, the Kalimpong subdivisional officer, said the administration had ensured the availability of doctors at the site.

The government’s invitation to talks amid requests to call off the fast was conveyed by Rajesh Pandey, the Darjeeling district magistrate, during a meeting held at his office this morning.

An Appeal from the Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha!

Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha Central Committee Members

Youths of hills are career conscious but not politically aware, even majority of our educated people quotes that politics is dirty games in practice and discourage their younger to participate in politics which has resulted the current status of our politics in Darjeeling hills. We should not politicize our society but we should able to socialize our politics, only then we can see changes. Every common people should know their voting, social, political rights in order to change its society. We had beautiful society in the past and it is our youth’s responsible to bring it back. I appeal all the parents not to discourage their youths participating in this gesture of our own social changes - Alok Kantamani Thulung, President, Central committee youth wing.
Youths and students of plains are very conscious, we must learn from them, even hike of Rs 5 in their fee leads to big scandal, where as if there is hike of Rs 100/- in our case, we keep quite. In the present political scenario, I insisted students of college here to take active role in college politics but they like to refrain from it. Today our language has been recognized by the Indian constitution but why not we the Gorkha people? First SRC commission ignored us, generally due to our ignorance and illiteracy. Moreover, in context to our leader I would also like to specify that only an illiterate Emperor, Akbar the great, in the history of India had successfully ruled over because he used to listens intellectuals and people were happy and prosperous during his reign. We have to make our destiny by ourselves – Jeeten Rai, Vice president, Central Committee youth wing.
We are educated people but our certificates are useless but our younger generation should not face a same problem. Our educated, talented youths are being brain drained and some are leading towards drugs, our society dying young. Our political situation is in such a condition that they never had any vision or introduced any programme/plan for hills youths. They were simply using youths as their political tool. Therefore, we would like to integrate youths and bring them into discipline and fight for change of new system – Puran Thami, Secretary, Central committee youth wing.

Youth wing of Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha

Central Committee

Alok Kantamani Thulung, President

Jeeten Rai, Vice president

Priyabardan Rai, vice president

Puran Thami, Secretary

Surendra Pradhan, legal advisor