Victoria Hospital – Forgotten, disfigured and abandoned!

The entrance to the Victoria Hospital, Darjeeling

Dilapidation overrules here!

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Photos by Barun Roy

Schools and Colleges to open from Tomorrow!

Poster calling for the opening of schools and colleges

 

Darjeeling, Feb. 20: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has lifted schools and colleges from indefinite closure. A declaration to this effect was made to the press today. Schools and colleges will reopen from tomorrow. It may be noted that there were some concern amongst the people about the problems faced by the students since the Madhyamik Board Exams are going on. “Cars and taxis ferrying students will have to paste a board written ‘Students Duty’. Their could be checking by the party cadres but apart from that there should be no further problems for the students”, said the President of the GJM Darjeeling Town Committee.

Day One of the GJM Strike observed diligently by the people!

Where did all the people go? Any cricket on the tube!

 ’Garbage’ Queen of the Hills

Why are Medical shops closed?

There is still some hope left!

Can you count the number of locks! First person to do so will get a free strike day

At least there are no garbage on the potholes

All photos by Barun Roy

CPM activists oppose bandh beyond DGHC area

Siliguri, Feb. 20: [The Statesman] CPI-M supporters came out on the streets in Siliguri today opposing the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha bandh beyond the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) territory. Led by Mukul Sengupta, mayor-in-council (conservancy) of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and party leader, the CPI-M activists brought out a rally at Salbari on the outskirts of the town this morning, where the ‘GJMM was trying to enforce the bandh’. “The GJMM has called the bandh in the DGHC areas, but were forcibly trying to extend the same to Salbari, which is not within the council area. Hence, we opposed the move by taking out a rally to increase the confidence of the local traders,”  Sengupta said. He added that following the CPI-M’s assurance, traders opened up their shops and Salbari was today as normal as any other day. Serving a caution to the GJMM, Sengupta said: “The CPI-M would not tolerate hooliganism under any circumstances.” Following the CPI-M resistance, tension broke out at Salbari as a group of agitated GJMM supporters from Sukna were trying to march in. The presence of a huge police force, however, averted the confrontation. Tension also broke out at Panighata under Naxalbari Block, when both the GJMM and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) brought out separate rallies for and against the bandh. Rajesh Yadav, ASP, Siliguri, went to the spot and brought the situation under control. Amidst all these, the DGHC caretaker administrator and the GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh spent the third day at the Pintail village in Siliguri since he returned from New Delhi on Monday. Guarded by armed security personnel, Ghisingh took a stroll around the Pintail village campus towards noon, but did not step out of the resort.According to IN Pradhan, leader, GNLF, Kurseong, who is accompanying Ghisingh at Pintail Village, the GNLF supremo would continue his stay here for the ‘next few days’.

Residents join drive to clean town

Darjeeling, Feb. 20: [The Telegraph] Brooms in hand and slogans against the municipality on their lips, nearly 300 residents moved around the town today, sweeping the streets and clearing huge piles of garbage.

The GNLF-controlled civic board has not been collecting the garbage for the past couple of days, allegedly because it has been hamstrung by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-backed indefinite shutdown in the hills.

The Morcha, however, had claimed that essential services were exempted from the bandh.

Today, the residents, along with Morcha leaders, took the onus of cleaning the town on themselves.

“Last evening, we held a meeting and members of four business associations decided to contribute Rs 20 each to clear the garbage. We have formed the Non-Municipal Volunteers’ Organisation, which has hired 34 workers who will be paid a daily wage of Rs 60 for clearing the garbage,” said Dinesh Gurung, the president of the town committee of the Morcha and a civic commissioner.

Sunuwar on the threshold of a complete revival

This article has been contributed by Bhaktaraj Sunuwar, Darjeeling

Sunuwar (commonly known as Mukhia) is a pure Kiranti tribal group within the Gorkha community. Although this Tibeto-Burman speaking family group is sparsely scattered all across the country, quite a few majority of them are found within the District of Darjeeling and Dooars area of Jalpaiguri District in West Bengal. But proportionate to the total population of Sunuwar in the country, Sunuwar has a significant number of population in the state of Sikkim; because of this reason, the Government of Sikkim has been extending all possible support and cooperation in reviving an preserving the vanishing identity of this ethnic group since a few years now. To cite an example, the Government of Sikkim under the leadership of Dr. Pawan Kumar Chamling formally recognized the typical language of Sunuwar in September, 1996 thereby heralding a golden era of Sunuwar Society and placing their dignity in equal footing amongst every golden era of Sunuwar society and placing their dignity in equal footing amongst every major ethnic groups and communities found within the boundaries of Sikkim state. Besides, in the latest development a local newspaper in Sunuwar language has also been started in this state, which is considered to be the first of its kind in the history of modern Sikkim. [Photo by Sandeep Subba from Pratiwimba]

Physically speaking there is strong resemblance among Mangers, Gurungs, Rais, Limbus and Sunuwars of Gorkha community. Though Sunuwar is a Nepali/Gorkhali term, they like to call themselves ‘KOINCHA’ and their script is known as ‘KOINCH BREHS’. According to historical account the ancestors of Sunuwars lived on the either side of Sunkoshi – an important river in Eastern Nepal, and inspite of the fact that originally they were good hunters, their main occupation was dress and basket making. The method of worshipping and other related performances are totally Shamanistic and their priests are known as ‘POINBOS’ who is held in high estimation in the Sunuwar family.

Sunuwar has its own script, dialect and culture, custom, tradition and history. But outside the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal, even until a few years back such a precious identity and existence of Sunuwars was almost on the verge of extinction. Therefore, taken into account the massive dangers being faced by them a most renowned and hard working literacy and social figure, Mr. Buddhiman Pradhan took the challenging task by researching and preparing a historical book named “KIRAT BANSHI SUNUWAR (MUKHIS) KOINCHA” in full cooperation with the most dedicated, dynamic and farsighted Sunuwar personalities both from Sikkim and Darjeeling. Finally, the so called historical book came into full limelight in the year 1999 containing each and every conceivable aspects of Sunuwar right from the alphabetical and numerical introduction upto the comparative study of Sunuwar with every major Kiranti Clans and Communities.

Addition by  Dr Lal-Shyãkarelu Rapacha

Now the semantic aspect of the terms ‘Gorkha’ and ‘Gorkhaland’ shouldn’t necessarily be attached to the colonizer King PN Shah of Nepal. This is the global village Era of Decolonization and Subaltern. For instance, the process of Decolonization has already started from loconyms like Kolkata and Chennai in India itself. Therefore, Gorkha and Gorkhaland now should be redifined in the Nepali-Inidan Dictionary since Gurkhas from Nepal are guarding and winning the soil for the Post-colonial Indian Raj. India should respect its citizens’ rights in a real sense of the term.

This is the reason why the demand of Gorkhaland is very laudable. It actually promotes the harmony and progress of India and after all her people.

Now the Indian Government should take immediate action for Gorkhaland without spilling a single drop of blood of those Gurkha heroes and heroines since India is one of the civilized and properous nations on the face of our Mother Earth.

While allowing the Gurkhas to rule themselves in those areas of their demand, India and Indian civilization lose nothing but gain unity and strength thru their inner soul.

The Indian Government now should rise for hearning the call of the soul of those veterans who selflessly are fighting for the Indian cause.

Dr Lal-Shyãkarelu Rapacha
Founder/Director
Research Institute for Kirãtology
Kathmandu
N E P A L

House Rest Turns to House Arrest for Subash Ghisingh!

Darjeeling, Feb 20: The indefinite closure called by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha started today with people staying indoors. The streets were deserted and due to the sudden dip in the mercury after yesterday’s freak snowfall, the children usually engrossed in playing cricket during the bandhs stayed indoors as well. The indefinite closure has been called demanding the removal of Subash Ghisingh from the caretaker administrator of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has also vowed against the imposition of Sixth Schedule Status over the Darjeeling Hills. “There are no Law and Order situations today but if the Sixth Schedule status is forcefully implemented then there will be severe Law and Order situations in the Hills,” said Roshan Giri, General Secretary, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. Meanwhile, according to reports reaching here from the GNLF and the GJM sources, Subash Ghisingh, who had been ‘rested’ at Pintail Village have now found himself increasingly surrounded and seemingly unable to move even outside the Village precincts. The GJM supporters have been crying ‘Ghisingh Go Back’ continuously. The GNLF Kurseong branch President I N Pradhan who had only recently been arrested for firing at GJM supporters was able to sneak past the GJM barricade and join Subash Ghisingh at the Pintail Village. I N Pradhan is the only leader so far to try to and successfully reach out to their Party President. According to GNLF sources, Subash Ghisingh and I N Pradhan discussed almost for the entire day on the situation prevalent in the hills. I. N. Pradhan talking with some of the GNLF leaders here is said to have asked them to show restrain until the day Sixth Schedule Amendment Bill was passed by the Parliament. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters sensing a clandestine move reinforced their barricades and stopped cars checking out passengers. Rumours had quickly circulated that Subash Ghisingh could mingle with common travelers and travel in a disguise. The North Bengal police have now effectively converted Pintail Village into a fort by reinforcing from their own side late night on Tuesday. Inspector General of Police R. S. Nalwa and the Darjeeling Superintendent of Police Rahul Srivastava are themselves looking after the security of the GNLF President. The police have set up their own barricades at Sukna, Salbari and Dagapur. According to travelers, the Pintail Village and the adjacent National Highway looks like an international border, fortified on both the sides. [Barun Roy]