The Advent of a Blooming Spring in Darjeeling Hills

Spring in Darjeeling Hills is a short wonderful period and the most conspicious of all are the blooming Rhodondendrons

If Not Gorkhaland, then we can demand something beyond that!

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha President Bimal Gurung at the Bagdogra Airport after returning from New Delhi.

ASHOK BHATTACHARYA - THE DESPERATE CRACKPOT

By Suzie Basnet, Darjeeling

“Everybody has the right to express what he thinks.

That of course lets the crackpots in.

But if you cannot tell a crackpot whom you see one,

then you ought to be taken in”

Harry Truman

The recent remarks made by Mr. Ashok Bhattacharya, who is a Minister for Municipal Affairs and Urban Development of the Left Front Government in the state of West Bengal, labeling hunger strike activist belonging to Gorkha race and having Indian citizen from Darjeeling as “outsiders” is an extremely serious, sinister, disturbing, communal, derogatory, horrendous and provocative statement which deserves immediate and unanimous condemnation from all the citizens of India. This mad bull, charging randomly at peaceful activities, must be taken by its horns and dumped in the cold dungeons of correctional home/jail. He is a threat to mankind, democracy and India. The outburst of this communist leader resembles more that of a desperate fascist cum racist and less of a literate and democratically elected person. These comments indicate the following miserable state of mind of this crackpot who immediately needs to consult a psychiatrist and get admitted in asylum. First it shows that this sinister has lost his balance of mind and also the fact that he is only there due to the vote given to him by stupid people of Mirik hills. Secondly he has not only insulted the sentiments of Gorkha community but also has made a fun of the true spirit of Indian Constitution. It’s an attack on the “unity in diversity” concept. He is thus no longer fit enough to uphold the constitutional post and the flag of India as he is guilty of debauchery of the true spirit of the Constitution. He is a fascist and racist preaching hatred against other races. Thirdly his remarks show how thoughtless, intolerable, and reckless he is. Moreover he is highly ignorant about history, politics and sociology of this region. He lacks even the basic manners of civilized human society. Fourthly his remarks show how dastard his intentions are. He is the parallel version of junior Thackeray of Mumbai. Fifthly he is trying to survive by playing the dirty politics of communal hatred and division among races. This is totally anti national. Sixthly he is irresponsible to the chair and contradicting his own party ideology that preaches anti imperialism internationally and anti communalism domestically. His party needs to give him a good whip. He has tarnished the “Bhadraloke” image of the wise, peace loving and tolerant Bengali gentlemen. Lastly he contradicts himself as he preaches communism but is a practicing fascist cum racist. Why could you not ask the same question when the Gorkha soldiers both from India and Nepal were selflessly defending the boundaries of India in all the aggression by enemies. Where were you then? Were you at Bangladesh??? Why did you not say the same things when you were begging for votes from Mirik hills??? And can you say the same things to the Biharis, Bangladeshis and Uttar Pradesh people who have snatched more then half of Kolkatta??? When you cannot tolerate even a small peaceful non violent protest by Gorkhas at Siliguri then how can you expect the Gorkhas in Darjeeling to bear the atrocities and communal hatred created by people like you for 60 years? In fact your brand of communism is nothing but communalism coated with sugar. During the Prashant Tamang protest it was you who had orchestrated a communal attack on the peaceful crowd. You are hand in gloves with Amra Bengali Group. That is the Mr. Hyde side of you. You blackmailed Prashant to save your skin. All these activities have made Gorkhas more and more insecure in West Bengal. People and especially the so called political leaders of Darjeeling… it is a shame on you why you could not make the Prashant Tamang protest issue, and the retaliation on the gentle protesters, into a political issue. You have butchered the Indian constitution

CPM to set up research centre on marginalised tribes in Siliguri

Siliguri, March 7: The CPI-M Darjeeling district committee would be setting up a community research-cum-study centre at the party’s newly inaugurated multi-storied office building on Hill Cart Road, Siliguri. The proposed study centre has been conceived specifically to encourage original research on the various marginalised tribes and communities of north Bengal and alsoto preserve the existing literature on them.  According to the party’s district secretariat member, Mr Nur-ul-Islam, a separate room has been allotted at the ‘Anil Biswas Bhawan’ for the purpose and the study centre would surface in six to eight months’ time from now.

Kalimpong fate in limbo

Kalimpong, March 7: Fifteen ward commissioners, including 11 GNLF rebels, of the Kalimpong Municipality have expressed the hope that its chairman C.K. Kumai will resign given that he no longer enjoys the confidence of the civic body’s board.

The commissioners decided at a meeting here today to work out modalities for the smooth functioning of the board for the next five months since the present one, they believe, would have to resign on moral grounds. The board cannot be voted out immediately either, said Norden Lama, the Kalimpong branch president of the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League and the commissioner of ward 7, since the municipality rule says that after a no-trust motion is defeated, another could not be moved in the next six months. The total strength of the board is 23.

CM requested me to resign: Ghisingh Meena to take over hill council

March 7: Subash Ghisingh has claimed that Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had “requested” him to resign as the caretaker administrator of the DGHC and he had complied with it “keeping in mind the larger interest of the hills”. [Inset: Ghisingh at the rest house. A Telegraph picture]

In an interview today, the GNLF chief, who is set to resign on March 10, claimed that he became aware of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s movement against him when he went to Santiniketan on February 27.

“When I visited that place, I came to know that they (Morcha supporters) were organising a hunger strike and indefinite bandh in the hills. I rushed to Calcutta and met the chief minister. When he requested me to resign, I agreed, keeping in mind the larger interest of the hills,” Ghisingh said at the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd’s rest house in Second Mile, Siliguri.

Before he went to Santiniketan, however, the GNLF chief had already faced Morcha protesters who prevented him from entering the hills and forced him to spend four days in Pintail Village near Siliguri after his return from Delhi on February 18.

Morcha supporters had also started an indefinite fast near Pintail on February 21.

In Calcutta, home secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray today said Ghisingh’s exit would have been more graceful had he resigned earlier. Ray added that Jalpaiguri divisional commissioner B.L. Meena would be appointed as the administrator of DGHC “the day Ghisingh resigns”.

The chief minister had announced Ghisingh’s decision to resign on March 1, a day after the Sixth Schedule bills drafted to grant the special status to the hills were effectively sent to cold storage by a parliamentary committee scrutinising it.

“The state government at this hour is not willing to proceed with the bill,” said Ray today. [The Telegraph]

Gurung sings tourism tune

Bagdogra, March 7: Bimal Gurung today signalled he wants the turmoil in the hills to end, assuring the people that his party would not do anything that might affect tourism, Darjeeling’s biggest bread-earner. [Inset: Gurung at Bagdogra airport on Friday. Telegraph picture]

The indefinite bandh and fast launched by Gurung’s Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had crippled the hills.

“It was off-season then,” Gurung said when asked if the tourism industry had already taken a hit.

The tourist season starts from February-end.

“The hills will soon witness a steady flow of tourists. We will not resort to any activity that might affect the sector on which thousands of people depend for their livelihood,” he added.

Gurung left it to the people to decide whether to let Subash Ghisingh enter the hills after he resigns as caretaker administrator of the DGHC.

One of the conditions on which the Morcha withdrew its indefinite protest was that Ghisingh would have to step down from the hill council.

The Morcha has shut out Ghisingh from the hills since his return from Delhi on February 18.

In an interview, the Morcha chief had yesterday said that if the cry for Gorkhaland was ignored, it might spiral into something “beyond statehood”.

Ghisingh, too, has revived the Gorkhaland call, in a delayed bid to upstage Gurung, a former GNLF leader. [The Telegraph]

Morcha peace pledge

Bagdogra, March 7: Bimal Gurung today assured the people of the Darjeeling hills that his party would not resort to any activity that might affect the tourism industry.

The indefinite bandh and fast launched by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had crippled the hills for more than a week, although Gurung claimed that “it was off-season then”.

In the hills, the tourist season starts from the end of February.

“The hills will soon witness a steady flow of tourists. We will not resort to any activity that might affect the sector on which thousands of people depend for their livelihood,” he said, adding that the Gorkhaland movement would be democratic in nature.

Gurung, who came back from Delhi today, also said Ghisingh’s entry to the hills after he resigns as caretaker administrator of the DGHC would be decided by the people. “The Morcha has nothing to do with it.” He labelled the GNLF chief a “daydreamer”, taking a dig at Ghisingh’s announcement yesterday that he was ready to spearhead the Gorkhaland movement once more.

The Morcha president said the rejection from the hill people has shocked Ghisingh. “The dismal support base of the GNLF is enough indication that his hope of launching a movement for Gorkhaland would remain limited to his dreams. He is being impractical.”

While it is true that the Morcha alone cannot attain statehood and is willing to take the help of other like-minded parties, the GNLF is unwelcome in the forum that will be formed for the purpose, said Gurung.

“Ghisingh’s condition is so pathetic that even if he raises the demand for a country, he would hardly find any takers,” Gurung said. He added that the Morcha has been formed to spearhead the statehood movement and not to contest elections.

The Morcha chief had yesterday in an interview to The Telegraph said if the cry for Gorkhaland was ignored, it might spiral into something “beyond statehood”.[The Telegraph]