Hike in DA & daily wage

Gangtok, April 4: The minimum daily wage of labourers in Sikkim has been increased to Rs 100-Rs 150 depending on their level of skill, making them one of the best paid workforce in the country.

There is good news for government employees as well. The cabinet on Wednesday also approved the proposal to revise their dearness allowance (DA) from the existing rate of 41 per cent to 47 per cent with effect from April 1, 2008.

For labourers, the current minimum wage of Rs 85 has been discarded in favour of a four-tier pay package for different categories of work in both government and private sectors.

The additional secretary of the state labour department, P.W. Rinzing, said the slabs are Rs 100 for the unskilled, Rs 115 for the semi-skilled, Rs 135 for the skilled and Rs 150 for the highly skilled. Ringzing’s department will be in charge of the classification.

The new system is expected to be implemented with retrospective effect from April 1.

An appeal to help Varsha

Hi Everyone,

Few days back I received a call from Varsha from Darjeeling presently in Delhi. She informed that she is in Delhi with her Grandmother. Few days back she had gone for duty and her grandmother was sleeping. Her landlord was repairing their house (fence) using welding machine. Because of the sparkles coming out from that welding machine all her belonging were burnt (amounting approx 1 lakh). At first her land lord promised for compensation. However, now the land lord is denying for any kind of compensation. Police is also not lodging FIR Any suggestions for her would be appreciated and it would be of great if you could call her up and console her.

I have personally spoken to her regarding this matter and have provided some legal help and offered any kind of help from Gorkha Welfare Society. Also, some members of Gorkha Welfare Society is going to meet her on Sunday.

Varsha Phone Number : 98998 54 555 (Delhi)

Regards,

Gorkha Welfare Society,

New Delhi

Bishal Rai

The Telegraph Must render unconditional apology

The Telegraph Must Render Unconditional Apology

To: This petition will be sent to The Telegraph, Kolkata, India

Dear Madam/Sir

Your esteemed news paper has portrayed the people living in Darjeeling hills, as being foreigners and not Indians, in one of the article published on April, 2nd 2008 by Sumanta Sen under the title “Fight for A New Home”. We are not just hurt but we are shocked too as the idea and the article is both baseless and slandering in nature. Mr. Sen seems to be both ill informed and disillusioned and he is also hurting the very fabric of national integration, by leveling us as being foreigners.

We feel that Mr. Sen acted irresponsibly, and by publishing the article The Telegraph in general and The Editor in particular have also shown their irreverence and ill will towards our community. Just because ethnically we are Nepali, no one has any right what so ever to call us foreigners in our own mother land, India.

We demand unconditional apologies from The Telegraph, The Editor and the author of the article Mr. Sen. We also demand that acts and activities like these are not repeated in the future.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The The Telegraph Must Render Unconditional Apology Petition to This petition will be sent to The Telegraph, Kolkata, India was created by Darjeeling Public and written by Upendra Mani Pradhan (pradhanum@gmail.com).

To vote please go to the following link

http://www.petitiononline.com/b4tav09o/petition.html

FIGHT FOR A NEW HOME

Fifth Column -Sumanta Sen

Strictly speaking, the Nepalese in Darjeeling can be dubbed ‘foreigners’ because they have come from another country. The question is how valid is the Nepalese claim to Darjeeling, which includes Kalimpong and Kurseong? Are they the original inhabitants? The answer, unfortunately, is a ‘No’ writes Sumanta Sen

First it was Subash Ghisingh. Then it was Bimal Gurung’s turn. Now, both of them have separately demanded for a Gorkhaland. Of course, the two are not the only players in the hills — the demand for Gorkhaland has also been voiced by the Gorkha League and by the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists. Right now, it is not so much a question of whether the demand will be met as to who will upstage whom. In the midst of the tussle, a pertinent question seems to have got lost.

The question is how valid is the Nepalese claim to Darjeeling, which includes Kalimpong and Kurseong? Are they the original inhabitants? The answer, unfortunately, is a ‘No’. The area concerned had been gifted to the British by the king of Sikkim for driving away the Gorkha invaders from Nepal. The East India Company needed a place of rest and recuperation for its servants and the hill resort came up with Dr Campbell’s help. So, if one looks at history, it is evident that it is the Sikkimese, and not the Nepalese, who can lay a rightful claim to Darjeeling.

Ghisingh himself is aware of this truth. He also knows that Sikkim will never press for such a claim. With Sikkim safely out of the way, Ghisingh demanded that since the treaties signed with the British had become null and void after Independence, Darjeeling ought to be gifted to him as his fief. However, when nobody paid him any attention, he had to change tact. The fact remains that the Nepalese are not the original inhabitants of Darjeeling. Neither Ghisingh nor the others will be able to change the truth.

Rights and wrongs

In the Eighties, Ghisingh sought to establish links with the Gorkhas, who had overrun the territory before being forced back. The Gorkhas, however, are a small community in Nepal. They fought their way to win power in Kathmandu, and then looked around to extend their territory. But this does not mean that every Nepali is a Gorkha. Strictly speaking, the Nepalese in Darjeeling can be dubbed ‘foreigners’ because they have come from another country. Nobody calls them foreigners because they have now become a part of the population. Some of them have even got themselves elected to the state legislature.

At the same time, there is the issue of influx from the Indo-Nepal border. Is the demand for a new state legitimate in an area with such a high rate of influx? The time is ripe for a discussion on the issue of immigration from Nepal. Perhaps measures such as the fencing of borders would have to be put in place. But whether India takes this up with the new dispensation in Kathmandu remains to be seen. Also, will the supporters of Gorkhaland agree to this? Ghisingh perhaps will not, considering the fact that he was supported by the palace in the former kingdom. The Maoists in Nepal may not be too happy with the proposal to fence off the border either.

GJMM forms board in Darjeeling municipality

Darjeeling April 4: The Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha formed the board in the Darjeeling Municipality under the chairmanship of Mr Pemba Tshering today. This is the second victory of the GJMM after it took hold of the Kurseong Municipality in March. “We have formed the board under the banner of the GJMM,” Mr Tshering said.
The GJMM which had 13 commissioners against 15 of the GNLF enjoyed a majority after 3 GNLF commissioners, Ms Nirmala Ghaley, Mr Babar Gazmer and Mr Ramesh Chettri joined the GJMM camp. However, the 12 Opposition commissioners have since then resigned from the GNLF and are presently independent.
Today at the oath taking ceremony on the premises of the Darjeeling Municipality, the chairman nominated Mr Dinesh Gurung, commissioner of ward no. 25 as the vice-chairman along with the 7 members of the chairman-in-council. Also, the 16 members of the Board were allocated their respective departments today. Though the members have another year as their term, Mr Tshering assured that the new board would initiate a survey of all the 32 wards and work towards solving problems of water, road and other civic amenities. “We will do our best to redress the grievances of the people”, stated Mr Tshering. He added that the civic body would maintain transparency in future and speed up its proceedings. [The Statesman]

Opposition calls for bandh in Mirik

DARJEELING, April 4: The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha has called for a 12-hour bandh in Mirik to stall the state urban development minister and CPI-M leader Mr Asok Bhattacharya’s proposed visit to the Hill station on 6 April. Mirik is a part of the Siliguri Assembly ~ Mr Bhattacharya’s home constituency. The GJMM decision comes following Mr Bhattacharya’s reported statement terming the GJMM supporters demonstrating in Siliguri as “outsiders” in the month of February. “The strike has been called under the central committee’s directive and we shall strictly observe it,” stated Mr Sanjay Pradhan, convener of the GJMM’s Panighatta-Soureni unit. The GJMM leadership claimed it had decided to organise a rally in Mirik on 6 April but the administration denied them the permission. “Although the district administration denied us the permission of a peaceful demonstration on 6 April, it is allowing Mr Bhattacharya to address a party meeting at the Soureni Busty community hall on that same date. This is unfair and under the circumstances we have called the bandh,” Mr Pradhan said. In addition to the bandh, the GJMM also plans to burn the minister in effigy on 6 April at the location of the CPI-M meeting.

Sikkim units lose excise relief

Gangtok, April 4: A central government notification to do away with the existing 100 per cent excise duty exemption in Sikkim has sent manufacturing companies into a huddle, with some contemplating packing up and others hesitant about new ventures.

An association of the industries hit by the order is also contemplating legal action so that status quo is maintained.

The companies had been enjoying the exemption since 2003. The notification issued by the finance ministry on March 27 re-imposed the excise duties in 12 different slabs for various manufacturing units in Sikkim and the northeastern states.

These states were earlier exempt under the Northeast industrial and investment promotion policy of 2003. The sop providing a 10-year waiver was renewed in 2007 for a decade under the new northeast industrial and investment promotion policy. This meant that the benefits should have been available to all the industries setting up their units and starting production in Sikkim and the Northeast before March 31, 2017.

According to the new notification, which came into effect from April 1 this year, the duty payable will be calculated on the basis of the excise that the companies already pay to the Centre, but get back as refund. Under the new directive, the refund would be minus the excise rate charged for each category of industry.

Pharmaceutical companies that had made a beeline for Sikkim, following the waiver, will be hit the maximum as they will have to pay excise at the rate of 56 per cent, the highest in the state.

Yesterday, 13 manufacturing units met under the Sikkim Industrial Association to chart out the next course of action. The companies claimed that the exemption had been a major incentive for investing in Sikkim.

Siliguri wary of outsiders

Siliguri, April 4: Residents of the town have been asked to keep tabs on outsiders living in their areas as tenants following yesterday’s twin blasts that occurred when four persons with links to the Bhutan Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist) mishandled an improvised explosive device.

Three of them were killed in the blasts, while the fourth one was badly injured.

“Citizens should be alert. They must cross-check identities of tenants and give us the details,” said the inspector-general of police (north Bengal), R.J.S. Nalwa. “It is difficult for police alone to track down militants.”

Nalwa added that house-owners should be wary of people offering high rents, leading an unusual lifestyle or staying in groups.

CID officers, too, reiterated that the multicultural character of Siliguri has added to its vulnerability. “The Bhutan Communist Party cadres would have found the town a safe place to stay and make explosive devices,” an official said.

Fast for dowry death arrest

Jaigaon, April 4: The parents of an alleged dowry death victim have started an indefinite fast in front of the Banarhat police station demanding the arrest of the woman’s mother-in-law.

Police had arrested the husband and the father-in-law after the victim’s parents filed an FIR, but failed to catch the mother-in-law, the alleged mastermind.

“Arpita, our only child, was married to Sital Dey of Telipara in January last year. I sold two cottahs of land and took loans from neighbours to pay a dowry of Rs 1.75 lakh. Sital runs a grocery store and owns a truck,” said Shankar Raha Roy, the father, who lives in Dhupguri.

Shankar added that two months after the marriage, Arpita’s in-laws began demanding Rs 60,000 more. “They would constantly torture Arpita and in August, I handed over Rs 10,000 to them,” said the father.

Hill school bats to forge UK ties

Kalimpong, April 4: Dr Graham’s Homes today played hosts to a cricket team from Cockermouth School in northern England to foster ties between the two institutions.

The boys from Cockermouth played two 15-over matches as part of a tri-series. They beat Graham’s Homes by 25 runs before losing to St Augustine’s School by 33 runs. Graham’s Homes, however, had beaten St Augustine’s by 18 runs a few days ago, which meant all three teams ended with one win each.

The 15 English students accompanied by two teachers arrived here from Calcutta last evening after playing two matches against Future Hope School and Calcutta Cricket and Football Club earlier in the week.

“This is an attempt to encourage links (between the two schools),” said Peter French, the assistant head teacher of Cockermouth. “Our kids will gain by interacting with different cultures. Broadening their horizons is an important part of education.”

The English students, for starters, seemed focused on broadening their cricketing horizons.

“There is nothing like playing in conditions very different from home. To bat for 15 overs in 35-36 degrees Celsius (in Calcutta) was difficult,” said Hugh Gimber, a 17-year-old left-hander, who sounded as if he was still smarting from the losses against the two Calcutta teams. “Had the same teams played in England, the results would have been different,” he added.

Deserted coach, lack of guards spur rape

Siliguri, April 4: The presence of only four armed policemen on the 4084 Up Delhi-Alipurduar Mahananda Express and eight persons (three of them children) in the unreserved coach were the two key factors behind the gang rape and dacoity on it last night.

The train was almost six hours late, running well into the night, making conditions favourable for the rapists.

Seventeen-year-old Sushila Oraon (name changed), a resident of Rungamuttee Tea Estate in Malbazar, was gang-raped by four youths on Seat No. 32 in the 90-seater coach (14/903) between the Siliguri Junction and New Mal Junction stations.

Terror link ‘hurts’ evicted Nepalese

Siliguri, April 4: Senior refugee leaders in eastern Nepal have condemned the alleged involvement of youths from their camps in militant activities.

“We are shocked and deeply hurt that some youths from our camps have been found to have links with extremist outfits,” Balaram Poudyal, president of the Bhutan People’s Party (BPP), said from Birtamore in eastern Nepal. “We will fully support the Indian government in taking action against the guilty.”

Poudyal said the solution to the refugee problem lay in peaceful negotiations.

Mohan Tamang, convener of India-Bhutan Friendship Association, said extremist outfits were taking advantage of the frustrated youths in the camp.

“There are thousands of them who were either born in the camps or came here with parents when they were very small. They have nothing to do and no future to look forward to. They are a frustrated lot and want a way out. The extremist groups are taking advantage of this helplessness,” he said. Poudyal also feared the youths could be part of a larger ploy of the Bhutan government “to show the refuges in poor light”.

Over 1.1 lakh people of Nepalese origin live in seven camps run by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Jhapa and Morang districts of Nepal ever since their mass eviction from Bhutan in the late 80s and early 90s.