Dalai Lama appeals Tibetans to stop protest at Rangpo

Tibetan Protests in Lhasa

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Gangtok, Mar 26: The Dalai Lama today appealed all the 400 odd Tibetans at Rangpo on West Bengal-Sikkim border to withdraw their protests and not commit any violence. A senior representative of the government-in-exile at Dharamshala arrived at Rangpo carrying the spiritual guru’s message urging the protestors to withdraw the strike, that entered its second day today.The Tibetans were on strike demanding entry to Sikkim and Nathu La border intending to participate in the protests against the Chinese authorities in Tibet.Meetings are still going on between the envoys from Dharamshala and the Tibetan protesters at Rangpo, sources said.Earlier today, a Tibetan protester tried to immolate himself but was thwarted by volunteers.The protester, who hails from Shillong, was taken to the Teesta Primary health centre where he has been taking rest under watch so that he does not repeat the act.” Some of our members spotted him when he was trying to set himself ablaze, but we managed to foil this attempt at the right time,” said Zimba Pencho, the president of the Tibetan youth club, from Rangpo.The Tibetans, who reached Rangpo on Monday after four days of marching, continued their fast for the third day today. Their entry is still being denied by the Sikkim administration and the police, they alleged.Sikkim police said the situation was under control and their entry was still being denied at the border.However, the embargo for tourists to Nathu La border will be lifted tomorrow. This famous tourist point had been put off limits for the tourists by the state government since March 21 in the backdrop of the Tibetan marchers. [UNI]

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Bhutan elects its first democratic leader in history, however religious freedom is yet to be seen

Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - On March 24, in their first democratic elections ever, the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan elected a new government and Prime Minister: Jigmi Thinley, leader of the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPR), the Bhutan United Party, that won a landslide victory, claiming 44 of the 47 seats in the lower house, in a vote which was proposed by Bhutan’s royals to transform the country into a constitutional monarchy. The tiny Himalayan state wedged between India and China is governed by the king, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, who rose to the throne December 14, 2006, at 26 years of age. Bhutan has 2.3 million inhabitants, with a Tibetan culture (and it is the only country in the world that maintains Tibetan as its official language) and the official religion of Buddhism. In fact, it is the only country on the planet where the Buddhism of the Dalai Lama is the official state religion.

This is where observers are focusing their attention: the road to full democracy in Bhutan cannot ignore full religious freedom. There are currently about 20,000 Christians in the country (among which there are about 400 Catholics) and 200,000 citizens who belong to the Hindu religion, all of whom continue living with limited freedom. Consequently, although Christians in Bhutan look with favor on the new democracy, they wait in hope that the principles of freedom of conscience and inalienable rights for each person will be fully promoted among all political and social sectors, beginning with the right to religious freedom that symbolizes the “pulse” in all healthy democracy.

Top Headlines in Himalaya Darpan Today!

- West Bengal Communist Party is scared to accept the demand of Gorkhaland

- Four Students die due to Wall collapse in school

- “CBI has not come to ask anything to me” Indrakala Pradhan

- New Chairman election for Darjeeling Municipality on 2nd of April

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Home secy in Darjeeling, to meet officials today

SILIGURI, March 28: The state home secretary Mr Ashok Mohan Chakroborty arrived in Darjeeling to take stock of the emerging political unrest in the Hills over the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state. Mr Charboborty landed at the Bagdogra airport by an afternoon flight and straightway headed for Darjeeling.  According to the DM Darjeeling Mr Rajesh Pandey, the home secretary has convened a meeting senior administrative and police officials at the district collectorate tomorrow. The meeting is to discuss the latest political situation in the Hills and preparedness of the administration in case of political unrest, vis-à-vis the rejuvenation of statehood movement by the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM). The home secretary’s visit is crucial in view of the Kamtapur Progressive Party (KPP) and the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCDP) joining hands with the GJMM and deciding to launch vigorous movement demanding statehood.
While the GJMM is demanding the formation of Gorkhaland by including the whole of Darjeeling district and the Dooars, the KPP and GCDP have been demanding a separate Kamtapur state to be sliced out of north Bengal. [The Statesman]

ARD to disinfect vehicles to check Flu

SILIGURI, March 28: With the outbreak of Bird Flu in neighbouring Jalpaiguri district, the animal resources development department In Siliguri has decided to disinfect vehicles entering Siliguri from the flu-affected district from tomorrow. As decided, the ARD’s Matigara block wing would launch the disinfection drive at Gopal More in Siliguri and near the Coronation Bridge at Sevoke from tomorrow. Simultaneously, the SDO Siliguri has written to the Jalpaiguri DM to order similar drives at Hati More, Gandar More and Fulbari in the neighboring district. About the existing ban on the import of ‘country’ chickens in Siliguri, the civil administration has asked the police to depute a surveillance team at Muruligoch, Bidhannagar at the North Dinajpur border.

Culling delayed

Lack of trained personnel and mandatory personal protection equipments delayed the scheduled culling operations in Jalpaiguri district today. The exercise, which was to begin in the morning, could not take off till 6 pm. The DM Jalpaiguri, Mr R Ranjit, however, stated that the culling teams have reached the affected villages and the drive would be initiated today under any circumstances. In addition to the delay in initiating the culling drive, other incidents indicate an indifferent attitude of the Jalpaiguri administration in addressing the problem. Despite the suspicion of Bird Flu, samples of dead chickens from Mondalghat gram panchayat in Jalpaiguri sadar block were sent for tests to the Regional Disease Diagnosis Laboratory, Kolkata on 11 March and to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal on 23 March.

GJMM, GCDP & KPP alliance termed as inconsequential

SILIGURI, March 28: The state urban development minister Mr Asok Bhattacharya today dismissed the alliance between the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha; Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party and the Kamtapur Progressive Party as politically inconsequential.
The GJMM, with its Gorkhaland demand struck an alliance yesterday with the GCDP and the Progressive, who too have the statehood demands of Greater Cooch Behar and Kamtapur respectively. “The alliance could hurt the social fabric of north Bengal and create law and order problems but it has no political substance,” the minister, said today.
“They are secessionists forces in essence with the single objective of weakening the social harmony that exists in the region. The state government would tolerate any attempt by these separatist forces to foment trouble especially at a time when development projects are knocking at the door in north Bengal,” the minister added.

Expressing apprehension that such alliances between separatist forces could turn the situation volatile in the region Mr Bhattacharya said that the state government is watchful and would not allow an Assam-like anarchy in West Bengal. “The grim prospect of all the separatists in the region coming together reminds one of the havoc ULFA and its associates wrecked in Assam affecting the state’s economy and loss of innumerable lives. All development works got held up. We have to ask ourselves whether we want a a similar situation in this part of West Bengal or not,” he said.

Civic body to begin development work

DARJEELING, March 28: While the election of the chairman of the Darjeeling Municipality is still due, the civic authorities have decided to take up development works in the town. To start with, the municipality has undertaken repair of the roads that involve patching of pits. “These are minor works but important,” claimed the chief executive officer of Darjeeling Municipality Mr R Thatal.

Reopening after a month’s closure on 24 March, the Darjeeling Municipality is all set to plunge itself into developmental activities. According to Mr Thatal, major schemes and development plans involving drainage, sewage, drinking water and road repairs are on way. “All these plans are tentative in nature but we are hopeful that those would be finalised soon,” he stated.

Focus on support base before statehood fight

Darjeeling, March 28: The joint movement to carve separate states out of Bengal must wait while the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the Atul Roy faction of the Kamptapuri People’s Party (KPP) and the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCBDP) tackle the task of consolidating their support base in the region.

Leaders of the three parties met in Singmari on Wednesday and decided to support each other’s demands, principal among which are separate states of Gorkhaland and Greater Cooch Behar.

While the Morcha holds sway on the Darjeeling hills, it is yet to penetrate into the Siliguri subdivision and the Dooars, which are part of its proposal for Gorkhaland.

Boys on rampage for right to copy

Kalimpong, March 28: A section of HS candidates vandalised the exam centre here today. Their grouse against Scottish Universities’ Mission Institution (SUMI), one of the three centres for boys in the subdivision, was that the invigilators would not let them engage in malpractice in the exam hall.

According to the invigilators, soon after the exam was over, some boys went to the back of the school and started hurling stones at the building. Windowpanes of classrooms and the prayer hall were broken. The teachers alleged that a handful of policemen on duty remained mute spectators as the students went on the rampage. “The students also hurled filthy words at us,” said Bipin Syangden, a teacher of SUMI.

Even after the incident, the students allegedly approached the principal, Nava Ratna Pradhan, and urged him to let them copy at least in the last one hour of the remaining exams.

Man fights leopard, lives to tell tale

Alipurduar, March 28: Ganesh Gurung saw an animal lying on the road and thought it was a dog. Minutes later, the 35-year-old tea garden worker found himself grappling with a leopard. [Inset: Gurung at Alipurduar Hospital. Picture by Anirban Choudhury]

Gurung has lived to tell the tale with 22 injuries on his head, hands and left leg. According to doctors at Alipurduar Hospital, he is still not out of danger. They referred him to Siliguri after he started vomiting this morning.

Officials of Buxa Tiger Reserve are yet to trace the leopard, believed to be not quite full-grown.

Gurung, a worker of Bhatpara Tea Estate in Kalchini, was returning home last evening from the Gangutia forest of the tiger reserve, where he had gone to graze his cow. On the way, he spotted an animal lying on the road.

“I thought it was a dog and threw stones at it and tried to shoo it away. Suddenly, the animal pounced on me and bit me on my left hand and leg. That is when I realised that it was a young leopard,” Gurung said from his hospital bed here early this morning.

With no help around, Gurung somehow managed to get his hands around the leopard’s neck. “I pressed it with all my strength. The leopard thrashed around for a while and then became absolutely quiet and I thought it had died. But the moment I loosened my grip, the animal sprang back to life and attacked me. I put up my right hand to ward it off, but failed,” said Gurung.

Delhi eye on Tibetan schools

By CHARU SUDAN KASTURI| New Delhi, March 28: A hoarding screaming for support against the alleged incarceration of the Panchen Lama by China covers the front wall outside the primary school for Tibetans in north Delhi’s Majnu ka Tilla.

Inside, English teacher Rinchen Tsering (name changed) battles a sense of suffocation. [Inset: Children at a school for Tibetans in Delhi on Friday. Picture by Prem Singh]

“I feel like a prisoner. I want to participate in the protests, but we have been ordered not to miss school at any cost. Also, we have been warned that if we get caught protesting even outside work hours, we may lose our jobs,” says Tsering as a gaggle of six-year-old girls crowds around her.

India has asked the 79 schools it runs for Tibetans to ensure that their students and teachers are not identified with the raging protests against China in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics.