Life cut short, dream kept alive- The people who sustain the link

Darjeeling, April 21: The memory of a teenage schoolgirl who was raped and murdered in faraway UK continues to live in the Darjeeling hills, thanks to links that extend over 4,000 miles. Hannah Foster’s parents might visit Darjeeling at the end of this year to see it for themselves.

Hannah had her life cut short by a rapist. The prime accused, Maninder Singh Kohli, was caught in Kalimpong in July 2004, a little over a year after the murder. The hills shared the Fosters’ nightmare and anguish then. [Inset: Jason (centre) with Roger and Christine. Picture by Suman Tamang]

Four years later, the hills want to share the teenagers’ unfulfilled dream — that of becoming a doctor — with her parents. Hannah Memorial Academy, first started by Jason Lepcha with the Rs 3.75 lakh he got as reward for helping to track down Kohli, now has 122 students. There were only 22, when the English-medium school was first set up in Dooteriah Tea Garden, 21 km from Darjeeling town

The hills owe the growth to Roger Mactaverty and Christine Browning, a couple from Hampton, UK, and the most important link.

“We had come to Darjeeling in November 2006 and while driving up, Jason told us about his school. One day we visited it and that was how it all started,” said Roger, who is a retired lawyer back home.

What followed was a chain reaction. The couple went back and collected funds. They also informed the Fosters. Soon the tin roofed building became a concrete structure and teachers’ salaries were no longer a problem. Students — most of them children of garden workers — are also given free textbooks. Land for the school was donated earlier by Jason’s family.

“We were so lucky to have had a decent education and provided the same for our children too. Hannah had gone out never to return and when our (two) daughters go out we also stay awake waiting for them. The school reminded us of all these,” said Roger. Jason said the academy also sponsors students in other institutions after they complete their Standard IV from this school.

Helen Wilde heard about Jason’s project in London and extended the maximum help. Wilde is part of a group of philanthropists who meet twice a year and decide to help genuine and good projects. “I gave a seven minute presentation to the members and they were impressed,” said Christine.

The couple now feels that the sustainability of the project is their responsibility.

“We must ensure that poor children — some of whom want to become doctors like Hannah — have a reason to look forward to life,” said Jason. [The Telegraph]

GJMM delegates to meet chief secy

SILIGURI, April 21: A three-member Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha delegation would be leaving for Kolkata tomorrow to hold talks with the state chief secretary, Mr Amit Kiran Deb on reviving the panchayats in the Darjeeling hills and other issues. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. on 23 April at the Writers’ Building, the GJMM general secretary Mr Roshan Giri said today.  Other than Mr Giri, the GJMM central committee members Mr DK Pradhan and Mr Tilak Roka are in the team. “We would discuss a host of issues with the chief secretary, including that of reviving the panchayats in the hills,” the GJMM general secretary said. He avoided clarifying if the “revival” demand means the hill party wants an early election to the hill panchayats, which is due since 2005.  After Mr Subash Ghisingh resigned as the DGHC caretaker administrator on 10 March, the GJMM leaders had come out in support of elections to the panchayats and restoration of a three-tier panchayat system in the hills. The GJMM delegation would also raise the issue of biases of the Darjeeling district administration, which has been denying the GJMM permission to hold political programmes for Gorkhaland in Siliguri. The GJMM announced they will hold a public rally at Baghajatin Park in Siliguri on 27 April, but they have not beengranted permission yet. [The Statesman]

Forest clearance first for fringe hotels

Calcutta, April 21: The Bengal environment department has directed all hotels, resorts and even tents for tourists within a kilometre of forest areas to take the state pollution control board’s permission to continue operations.

The directive follows a string of complaints of violation of environment norms against hotels and resorts — both government and private — near forest areas, particularly in north Bengal. [Inset: Green relief at hand]

The directive will apply to all reserve forests and wildlife sanctuaries, both new and old.

Hotels and resorts inside forest areas will have to get a clearance from the forest department before approaching the pollution board.

According to the department’s notification, circulated to all district magistrates and superintendents of police, the pollution board will consult the tourism department before giving its nod to applications within a month of their submission.

CPM seeks Morcha shield

Siliguri, April 21: The Darjeeling district CPM submitted a memorandum to the divisional commissioner of Jalpaiguri today, seeking his intervention in the hills so that its party workers do not feel threatened.

“The leave-CPM-or-leave-the-hills diktat issued by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha against our workers indicates the hollowness of the so-called Gandhian movement and democratic principles that the party often speaks of,” said Jibitesh Sarkar, a state committee member of the CPM. “They are confining our workers, burning our offices and threatening our leader Asok Bhattacharya. They have even imposed restrictions on the movement of administrative officials.”

The Morcha had refused to allow district magistrate Rajesh Pandey to go back to Darjeeling after a lathicharge on a rally brought out by ex-serviceman injured 25 of them. The party had blamed Pandey for the violence.

The district CPM leadership has requested the former jawans not to tarnish their image by aligning with parties like the Morcha.

“They (ex-servicemen) have fought for the country and we feel proud of them,” Sarkar said. “They should directly approach the government with their suggestions and not come through a political party which is violent in its activities and can tarnish their image.”

Cops to be trained in mob-control tactics

Siliguri, April 21: Darjeeling district police authorities will send a team of 20 selected officials to Calcutta for training in the use of “non-lethal ammunition” while controlling and dispersing a mob.

The decision comes in the backdrop of the April 9 incident at Darjeeling More. Policemen posted had used batons and stones to control a rally of ex-servicemen affiliated to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

“Police are not supposed to use stones as their weapon, contrary to what was done on that day. We are trying to make them aware of how to control the mob without using lethal weapons,” said Darjeeling police chief Rahul Srivastava.

The training will be held at Barrackpore Police Training Centre (BPTC) in Calcutta. Although the date and tenure of the training have not yet been finalised, senior officials here said the short-listed officers from the district would be sent next month. The trained officials will return and teach the others.

Tenant drive in Jalpaiguri

Siliguri, April 21: The Jalpaiguri Municipality and the Jalpaiguri district police have launched separate exercises to collect information on people renting houses in and around the town.

The move is significant in the wake of twin explosions that rocked Champasari on April 3, killing three alleged bomb makers, followed by a series of hauls that led to the recovery of a number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and timers. Most of the IEDs were found in rooms or houses that had been let out.

Mob brings down godown- Fire protest in tinderbox town

Darjeeling, April 21: A mob today tore down a godown, alleging that the structure would narrow the approach road beyond Ava Art Gallery in a tinderbox town where fire tenders find it difficult to get near burning buildings.

The crowd of around 70, mostly consisting of women, hit out at the godown and an under-construction septic tank adjacent to it with hammers and rods, bringing them down in two hours. [Inset: The godown that was razed. Picture by Suman Tamang]

“People will feel insecure if the structures come up. The site is encroaching on the road. We also think that the owner has no valid papers,” said Sudha Subba, one of the protesters.

The residents had been complaining against the godown for the last two years. Five local samajs (village bodies) had complained to Rajesh Pandey, the district magistrate, on March 24, reminding him that the structure could pose a threat to the lives of the people in the area.

S.N. Pradhan, the owner of the godown, however, said he had all the permits required for the construction.

Following the people’s protest, the previous GNLF-controlled board of the Darjeeling Municipality had decided to cancel the building plan that the civic body had sanctioned earlier. Pradhan then approached the high court against the civic body’s decision.

Soumitra Pal, a judge of Calcutta High Court, while disposing the writ petition on February 6 last year said: “I find from the impugned order…of the writ petition that the plan which was sanctioned earlier ……was cancelled by chairman, Darjeeling municipality, without giving the petitioner an opportunity of hearing. In my view, since cancellation of plan affects to fundamental right of the petitioner and as such cancellation was carried out without giving the petitioner an opportunity of hearing, the order impugned cannot be sustained. The order dated 31 July 2006, there is set aside and quashed.” The court had, however, noted that the municipality was at liberty to move afresh in accordance with law.

Tibetans observe Black Monday – Shaven heads held high in protest against China

Darjeeling, April 21: Lakpa Bhuti overcame her natural embarrassment and got tonsured in public to show the Tibetan men and women standing around her that nothing should come before their love for phayul (fatherland).

It was 10am at Chowrastha in Darjeeling and the Tibetans had gathered there to observe Black Monday to protest against the recent Chinese crackdown on their brethren in Tibet.

Until the moment Bhuti came forward and got her head shaved, the crowd appeared hesitant about its chosen form of protest. Bhuti’s act broke the spell.

Within seconds, the men and the women made a beeline for the nine barbers sitting at the busy crossing.

For the next one hour, the barbers worked without a break as 60-odd Tibetans from across the hills followed Bhuti’s example.

“Genocide is the only word to describe what is taking place in Tibet under the Communist rule in China. We are protesting against the Olympics because a successful Games will encourage China to carry on with the genocide,” said Bhuti, speaking with emotion after tonsuring her head.

The protesters were all dressed in black to observe Black Monday. [Inset: Bhuti (top) shows the way to the other protesters and children with tonsured heads and the Tibetan flag painted on their faces. Pictures by Suman Tamang]