SMC move on GJMM condemned

Darjeeling, 8:27 PM IST: The political parties in Darjeeling today condemned the Siliguri Municipal Corporation’s resolution to oppose the GJMM’s claim to include Siliguri and the Dooars in the Gorkhaland stir.

“Siliguri and Dooars are vital in the proposed map of Gorkhaland,” said GJMM spokesperson Mr Binay Tamang. The GJMM maintained that such resolutions would disrupt the communal harmony between the different communities residing in the Hills and plains.

Gorkhaland call may cause fresh upheaval

Siliguri, 8:33 PM IST: While the entire state seems galvanised with the question whether Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee would quit or continue to smoke in the corridors of the Writers’ Buildings, closer home, an issue with ominous undertones is unfolding.

Tea e-auction from November

Kolkata, March 20: The Tea Board under the government of India has signed an agreement with NSE.IT, a subsidiary of NSE, to enable electronic tea auction by November 2008.

Holi with sprinkles of song, dance – Siliguri readies for colour wash

Siliguri, March 20: Extended weekend has provided a fair amount of fillip to Holi celebrations tomorrow and the day after. Several organisations have lined up colourful programmes to welcome the festival with fervour.

A Holi Aayi Re night is being held at Devils, Siliguri’s only nightclub and disco. Specially selected songs for the occasion will be played in various forms, said DJ Keerat.

Tibetans off to Nathu-la

March 20: Around 300 Tibetans from Salugara today set off on foot for Nathu-la on the India-China border to protest against “Chinese aggression” in Lhasa, but the Sikkim government said they might not be allowed to enter the state.

Nathu-la, a mountain pass at 14,400ft connecting India and China, is located in North Sikkim.

Siliguri venue for statehood protests

March 20: Members of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in the Dooars will hold relay hunger strikes in demand of Gorkhaland for three days starting tomorrow. The venues are Kalchini, Madarihat, Birpara and Banarhat in Jalpaiguri district.

Not only that, central leaders of the party have planned to organise a meeting in Siliguri on April 20 and tour the entire Dooars after that.

“Our president Bimal Gurung, accompanied by six-seven central leaders, will make up the touring team,” confirmed Binay Tamang, the press and publicity secretary of the Morcha, today.

In-Depth Citizenship Issues plague Nepali speaking Indians!

The MNIC has led to bonafide Indian citizens being clubbed with other illegal migrants’ writes Jyoti Thapa Mani

KIRTI SINGH BIST, DEVENDRA GUSAIN AND KULDIP Singh Rana are among 48 residents of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand who, despite holding identity cards issued by the Election Commissioner of India, have been categorized as foreigners and have had their ration cards cancelled by the district supply officer.

Dispatching from Darjeeling

By Matthew Walls: For the around 250,000 Tibetan refugees living in northern India, the recent protests in Lhasa and China signify an opportunity to draw international attention to their ongoing crisis. Darjeeling, a city in the northeast Indian province of West Bengal, is barely 80 kilometres from the border of Tibet and is home to one of the largest Tibetan refugee populations.