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Dear Friends,

Books have been the first love of my life. Yes, I read them and for long been guilty of authoring some of them. I started writing short stories when I was in school and in 1998 came up with a collection of short stories titled ‘Portraits of Life’. Till date, I have authored 11 books. You have been greatly forthcoming when it came to the general contents of this blog. I hope that you will also be that much interested in my books and hopefully buy them. If you would like to know more about the books, you could click on the covers for more information. And further if you are interested in buying them a comment at the appropriate page of your desired book would immediately have been responding to your desire. You could find more information on how to buy the books on the respected books page. However, to summarize here the same, you can simply post in the comment desiring to buy the book. I would get in touch with you through email. You will have the liberty to pay the price of the book through Paypal, Bank Draft or Money Order. Once the money is received, I acknowledge the receipt of the payment and send you the details of the books dispatched to you. As simple as that. Further, you could read the chapters of the book before buying the book. You could also gift the books to your friends and family members.

Thanking you,

with best regards

Barun

P. S. Though I have authored 11 books so far, the following are presently available for online sale. Still negotiating with my publishers. However, I hope that in due future I am able to including all my books on this blog. Friends, you can also avail yourself of the PDF versions of the book. Details are included in the respective pages.

DGHC Files Seizure

Police and GJM Central Committee members creating an inventory of files seized from DGHC officials

Move to promote Darjeeling tea

New Delhi, March 11: The much sought after Darjeeling tea is to be projected as a global brand of Indian tea. The Union minister of state for commerce, Mr Jairam Ramesh, said this in the Lok Sabha today in response to a supplementary by Trinamul Congress MP, Ms Mamata Banerjee. Ms Banerjee drew the minister’s attention to the death of 3,000 tea plantation workers due to starvation and its impact on the tea industry. She pressed for a concrete action plan to revive the production of tea and promotion of Darjeeling tea. The minister told the House that a detailed state-wise action plan for Darjeeling and North Bengal was already in place. “I hope to get international recognition for Darjeeling tea,” he said, adding that he had personally visited the areas and invited the Trinamul MP to come and see for herself the implementation of the action plan for improving quality and increasing volume of tea production. On the issue of reviving the sick tea gardens, Mr Ramesh said Kerala had performed better than West Bengal in this regard.He said in West Bengal so far only one out of 14 tea gardens could be revived. In Kerala, he said, majority of the closed tea gardens had been opened.

Between the cup & the lip

This winter of 2008 in Darjeeling has been less about idle basking at Chowrastha. The political flurries blowing across the hills are keeping almost everyone busy: while some indulgences are aimed at a bigger share of the power pie, for a vast majority it’s the call for realising that much-treasured dream of sub-regional identity. This season of discontent in the hills has its genesis in the summer of 2007. Interestingly, it all started as a plain and simple support campaign for a local crooner who made it to become “Indian Idol” in a reality television show. But as it turned out, the mobilisation has now culminated into a renewed demand for statehood, albeit under the veil of frenzied opposition to the proposed Sixth Schedule status for Darjeeling and a denouncement of the dogmatic Subash Ghisingh, who has ruled the DGHC uninterruptedly since 1989.

DGHC topmost files at local residence

Darjeeling, 11 March: People of Darjeeling witnessed lots of activities in Lal kothi, DGHC headquarter, on the day Subash Ghisingh resigned from the care taker administrator of DGHC. Although, Rajesh Pandey, district magistrate has taken over the responsibilities of principal secretary of DGHC, and has assured to GJMM that all the files will remain intact.On the basis of reliable source, GJMM supporters gheraoed the residence of Sonam Wongdi, DGHC executive at Toongsoong since morning, later Darjeeling police were called and recovered 134 files belonging to diverse DGHC departments including account of ‘Bhanu Bhawan’ from the residence of DGHC executive at Tungsung.Local residents also witnessed the activities of trucks relocating DGHC files and accessories from the Lalkoti since last few days.DM should be responsible for it and we will approach legally in this matter, said, Mr. Amar Lama, member GJMM central committee. GJMM has taken it very seriously.

Ghisingh out but not down

Siliguri, March 10: It probably would go down as a ripple in the national political scene, but what was unthinkable in these parts even three months ago, has happened.Mr Subash Ghisingh’s resignation from the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council caretaker administrator’s post today under compelling circumstances is significant. It marks the end of a two-decade hegemony of the GNLF in the Darjeeling Hills. With GJMM chief Mr Bimal Gurung catapulting into the political arena riding the emotional wave of Gorkhaland, scuttling the Sixth Schedule Bill for Darjeeling and removing Mr Ghisingh from a position considered sacrosanct till some time back, he now has the unenviable task of not just consolidating his position politically but also of delivering. Definitely not an easy job or why would the GJMM chief be found busy in organisational activities at Goke, an almost obscure spot in the Darjeeling sub-division on a day when his political adversary Mr Ghisingh was demitting office? The rapid sequence of events that saw the GNLF, a cadre-based organisation, lose ground faster thanone believed was possible, has also put a question mark on what used to be the binding force in the GNLF ~ Mr Ghisingh’s personal charisma. Whether it still works or not only time can tell but it would be naïve to believe that hijacking the “Gorkhaland” theory from Mr Ghisingh would be as easy as snatching candy from a child. The chips may be down for Mr Ghisingh, but given his past, he is definitely not out. If it is a moment of reckoning for the GJMM and its chief Mr Gurung, Mr Ghisingh too probably has to build from scratch and he is already at it. [The Statesman]

Morcha youths for change

 

Kalimpong, March 11: The youth organisation of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha claims to have set its mind on bringing about positive changes in the society, without losing focus on the greater struggle for Gorkhaland. [Photo: HB Archives]

The Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha believes that corruption is one scourge that the society can do without, one of the reasons why the members of the organisation were at the forefront of the party’s anti-corruption drive carried out in some DGHC departments today.

“Corruption has been the bane of our society and it will be our endeavour to root out this scourge,” said A.M. Thulung, the president of the Yuva Morcha.

He said the youth organisation’s leadership was clear about the areas it wanted to work on. “Matters like education and employment are issues concerning us and we intend to take them up in an organised manner in future,” he added.

Harka Bahadur Chettri, a central committee member of the party, said there was a need to bring about radical changes in the education system both in terms of finalising the syllabus as well as appointment of teachers.

“The DGHC randomly recruited the ruling party’s cadres (read the GNLF) as teachers although they were not cut out for the job,” alleged Chettri, who is himself a teacher. The challenge is to ensure that the fruits of development trickled own to the lowest strata, he added.

Chettri said the party must send a clear message that the rule of law will prevail at all times.

“The common man should never fill deprived, which is why it is important to punish people found guilty of corruption, as they have siphoned money meant to benefit the poor,” Chettri added. [The Telegraph]

Lal Kothi curtain lifts, 20 years on

Darjeeling, March 11: The doors of Lal Kothi, Subash Ghisingh’s administrative bastion, were thrown open to reporters today, the first time in two decades. [Inset: Lal Kothi. Photo Courtesy Zubin]

The stark trespassers-will-be-prosecuted sign that kept at bay all those without “special permission” will be removed, promised B.L. Meena, soon after entering the building this afternoon. Meena has been made the new caretaker-administrator of the DGHC.

The two-storeyed building, which once belonged to the maharajas of Cooch Behar, was made famous by the 1978 Bengali film Lalkuthi, a suspense thriller starring Danny Denzongpa.

Today, however, its walls are painted cream and the sloping tiled roof the colour of GNLF green. Once inside the reception area, Meena and district magistrate Rajesh Pandey, who is the principal secretary of the DGHC, decided to hold a news conference.

But the reporters and photographers had only one thing in mind: to enter Ghisingh’s chamber. After much persuasion, Pandey and Meena agreed to allow journalists inside the second-floor sanctum of the GNLF chief. “Only on condition that no one can take photographs, not even from mobile phone cameras,” the two officials insisted.

Ghisingh’s desk was against the eastern wall of the spacious room. A huge map of the world was painted on the wall behind the chair. Ghisingh had last sat on it in the first week of February when he left for talks in Delhi on the Sixth Schedule.

Meena to focus on unfinished work

Siliguri, March 11: The newly appointed caretaker administrator of the hill council, B.L. Meena, will meet the heads of all DGHC departments on Friday before he focuses on the unfinished projects, including schemes associated with drinking water, roads, rural electrification, education and tourism. [Inset: Meena]

Meena, who is also the divisional commissioner of Jalpaiguri, went to Darjeeling this morning to assume charge of the council at its headquarters in Lal Kothi.

“Officials heading all departments have been asked to attend a meeting on March 14 with detailed information on the status of unfinished schemes, list of proposals yet to be executed and unspent funds available,” said the new council chief.

Sources said 19 departments were handed over to the council after its formation in 1988. However, the GNLF-led council and its erstwhile chairman Subash Ghisingh had increased the number to 40-45 by dividing each department.

“We are thinking of concentrating on schemes associated with drinking water, roads, power, rural electrification, education and tourism,” Meena added. “However, the list will be finalised only after the data is tabled before us at the meeting.”

Meena added that he would ask the Bengal government for more manpower. Currently, the DGHC has only three deputy magistrates who, along with other senior officials like executive engineers, look after all the departments.

In Siliguri, Ghisingh — the man Meena replaced — is showing sings of recuperating from a bout of flu. However, he may not go to Darjeeling on Thursday as originally planned, so that he can rest for a couple of days more, said Dawa Pakhrin, the Kalimpong branch president of the GNLF.

Asok for polls

In Calcutta, state urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya today said elections to the DGHC must be held at the earliest to restore peace in the hills and suggested that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung would have to play a key role in the process.

“Although we are opposed to Gurung’s call for Gorkhaland, he has been spearheading a movement on this demand involving the majority of hill people. So he should play a key role in restoring peace in the hills,” said Bhattacharya.

Two rebel GNLF MLAs, Pranay Rai and Gaulan Lepcha, today submitted a memorandum in support of Gorkhaland to the chief minister’s principal secretary, Deepankar Chakraborty. The duo have been allotted separate seats in the Assembly following their request to the Speaker. [Inset: TheTelegraph]

The third GNLF MLA, Shanta Chhetri, said in the Assembly that the House should bring a resolution for Gorkhaland.

Files fly off DGHC offices- DM orders probe as retired officers come under scanner

Darjeeling, March 10: More than 100 official files were seized from residences of retired DGHC officers today, prompting Darjeeling district magistrate Rajesh Pandey, in his capacity as the principal secretary of the hill council, to order an inquiry. The probe order comes a day after Subash Ghisingh resigned as caretaker administrator of the DGHC. [Inset: Police prepare an inventory of the seized files at Tshering’s house. Picture by Suman Tamang ]

The raids started after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders complained to Darjeeling police that the former officers were removing files from Lal Kothi, the administrative headquarters of the council, and other DGHC offices.

The police confirmed seizing 117 files from Sonam Tshering, who had stepped down as the officer in charge of power (rural electrification) on February 25. A photocopy of a note, where Ghisingh had asked officials to expedite the process of transferring Rs 30 lakh to a current account held by him on February 27 1992, was recovered from T. Wangchuk, a former finance secretary of the council. According to the note, the sum was to be transferred from the rural development fund.

Although government officials could not immediately confirm if a chairman is entitled to have a current account, Morcha leaders have questioned the legality of the funds transfer. “How can retired officers keep official documents with them? We are also trying to find out whether money meant for rural development can be transferred to the chairman’s current account,” said Amar Lama, a central committee leader of the Morcha.

The police have also acted against other council officers and are preparing an inventory of the seized files, the number of which is expected to cross the 150 mark. Tshering said he had brought the files home as no officer had been appointed to the post of central technical adviser from which he was transferred in 2007.

Pandey said officers have been told not to move any files without permission from the secretaries. [The Telegraph | Vivek Chhetri]