Letter to the Editor

To,

Mr. Barun Roy,

The Editor,

Beacon Online,

Beacon Publications,

P. O. Box No. 41, H. P. O.,

Darjeeling – 734101

Dear Barun,

Herewith a rejoinder to two blogsite news (1) Fifth Column by Sumanta Sen and (2) Direct Interaction to stop all mega hydroelectric power construction projects in Dzongu by Rapden Rongkup.

(1) In the first instance, Sumanta Sen’s assertion that “it is evident that it is the Sikkimese, and not Nepalese, who can lay a rightful claim to Darjeeling itself answers to the question that Darjeeling District, historically and rightfully belongs to Sikkim, now a state of India but at the time of the British exit from India, was a foreign country under the status of a protectorate. Rightfully, as the British had acceded from Sikkim while winding up its rule in India who became a sovereign Republic, Darjeeling District should have been returned to Sikkim, morally more than under international laws, as the district was acceded under unequal terms to suit the British rulers of India. Historically, the entire district composed of three different Treaties with Bhutan and Sikkim, which is detailed after citing an important aspect of the history of Darjeeling (not the district) related to Nepal, which country conquered and ruled Western Sikkim, both the hills and the plains east of the territories along the river Teesta, after the invasion by the Gorkha rulers of Nepal in 1780-88, during which period in 1788 the Gorkha commander Jai Singh overran Darjeeling and performed a Hindu sacrifice to Kali to commemorate this victory atop Darjeeling Hill, since whence, the Observatory hill was referred as Mahakal Sthan by the Hindus. As per some sources, the hill contained a monastery founded by Dorje-Ling-Pa, after whose name the town is supposed to be named, and that the Lama happened to be the great uncle of Late Rai Bahadur S. W. Laden La. Jai Singh in process of Hinduising the conquered Sikkim territories is alleged to have destroyed the monastery and converted the place into a Hindu place of worship. All this goes to show that Nepali invasion by the troops of the King of Gorkha, was an expansionist conquest to acquire land from the weakling State of Sikkim, primarily to settle the displayed tribes of Nepal and many of whom had already migrated to Sikkim and settled with the Bhotia Lepchas, as labourers and agriculturists, besides being under the domination of Gorkha King’s troops till the foreigners were thrown out from the Sikkimese territory and all the lands conquered was ceded to the vast tracts of land ceded by Nepal included the present Terai (lowlands of the plains) which now comprises Siliguri subdivision as well as contiguous portion of Jalpaiguri (pass of Nagarcota).

Categorise Gorkhas: JJM

SILIGURI, April 23: Demanding a clear identification between the Indian Gorkhas and those from Nepal, ‘Jana Jagaran Mancha’ served a deputation today to the sub-divisional officer, Siliguri. A number of noted academics are associated with the organisation. JJM secretary Mr Asoke Hore said it was frustrating that no government mechanism has evolved to differentiate the Nepalese migrants from the Indian Gorkhas since the 1950 treaty between the two nations. “Those who migrated before 1950 were provided with citizenship rights including political franchise and those coming into India after 1950 were given rights to stay and enjoy all the facilities except the political rights. The two categories of people of the Nepali origin are indistinguishably mixed up. We demand that the two categories should be distinguished and the immigrants should be identified by a well-defined government mechanism.” Mr Hore said. Prof Ashru Kumar Sikdar, an eminent academician expressed concern over the dragging of Siliguri in the Gorkhaland agitation. “Siliguri should be cleared out of the movement once and for all,”he said. [The Statesman]

Forum minus party affiliation

Siliguri, April 23: A cross-section of citizens here has formed Jana Jagaran, an apolitical forum, to protest against the demand to include Siliguri in Gorkhaland. The demand was made by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and other associations in the hills. [Inset: Members of the DYFI and SFI bring out a procession in Siliguri on Wednesday, spreading the message of peace and unity. Picture by Kundan Yolmo]

“Considering the tension in brewing in Siliguri and Darjeeling district after the movement launched by the Morcha and some other organisations, we felt it imperative to form the forum,” said Ashoke Kumar Hore, the joint secretary. “It opposes the demand and seeks intervention of the state and Centre.”

The forum, with writer Haren Ghosh as the president, has critic Ashru Kumar Sikdar, physician K.C. Mitra, Siliguri College principal Moloy Karanjai, bar association president Arun Kumar Sarkar, former army captain J.K. Sengupta in the advisory committee.

Gorkhaland march nears finishing line

Darjeeling, April 23: Fighting against tired bodies and the blazing sun, the ever-swelling group of marchers tracing the Gorkhaland area is slowly inching towards the last frontier along the Sankosh.

“We are going strong. The heat is almost unbearable at times but our spirits are high as people are joining us everyday,” Ravi Shanker Sharma, the president of the Gorkha Janmukti Agsu, said over the phone from Kalchini in Jalpaiguri district.

Sixteen Agsu members had begun marching from Darjeeling on April 13 with the aim of planting the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s flags up to the farthest boundary of the new state that the party is demanding. Their number has now swelled to 203.

“We covered 42km from Birpara to Hasimara yesterday. Today, we will definitely reach Rajabhatkhawa and we expect to reach the Sankosh either on Friday or on Saturday,” said Sharma.

Infection rate rings alarm bells for region’s HIV monitors

Siliguri, April 23: The HIV infection has assumed an “epidemic-like” proportion in north Bengal, with Siliguri and Islampur having the highest concentration of positive persons, the latest sentinel surveillance carried out by the West Bengal State AIDS Prevention & Control Society says.

At a time when infection rates in the rest of the country are plateaued out, the number of new cases in north Bengal is on the rise. “We had to change our approach to the interventions being carried out in the region because of the almost epidemic-like situation here,” said Mahesh Nathan, the team leader of the society’s Project Support Unit, over the phone from Calcutta today.

The areas of concern that have emerged are the injecting drug users in Darjeeling district (see chart), with a high concentration in Siliguri, and the female sex workers of Islampur and Panjipara in North Dinajpur. Sex workers in Khalpara, in Siliguri, also appear to be susceptible. A new and growing category where infections are occurring is men who have sex with men (MSM).

The surveillance — an annual exercise carried out at ante-natal centres, clinics for sexually transmitted diseases, and targeted intervention sites for female sex workers and injecting drug users — reveals the recent trends and epidemiology of the spread of the virus in the state. The latest, 11th round, was held between October 2007 and January 2008.

NBU gesture for disabled

Siliguri, April 23: North Bengal University has begun the work of creating barrier-free accesses to its buildings in order to facilitate the movement of disabled persons.

While the initiatives are in keeping with the tenets of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights & Full Participation) Act, 1995, they are also part of the varsity’s long-term plans of setting up a centre for special persons.

“We have begun the work of constructing ramps and rails at the major entry points of three important buildings —library and the administrative and humanities blocks,” said vice-chancellor Arunabha Basumajumdar. “In due course, all our buildings will have ramps, rails, lifts and disability-friendly toilets with wheelchair access.”

Basumajumdar also said the university had decided to take up a project of setting up a centre for differently-abled persons. “We have submitted a proposal to the University Grants Commission (UGC).”

“We are expecting a UGC team to come and inspect the campus before giving the final nod to the centre. Among other things, the centre will publish books in Braille, promote knowledge and awareness of disability and help in mainstreaming special persons,” said the VC.

TT camp from May 10

Siliguri, April 23: The North Bengal Table Tennis Association will centralise its annual summer coaching camp, training paddlers from all the six districts of the region under one roof for the first time.

The nine-day exercise will commence here from May 10.

Till last year, training camps organised by the association were held separately at the district headquarters.

“We are expecting about 70 selected Under-14 paddlers at the camp. This time the association has decided to hold the coaching camp centrally as this will help develop the skills of the players,” said Mantu Ghosh, the secretary of the association.

The camp will be held at Siliguri Indoor Stadium, she added.

Siliguri too ‘tense’ for rally: Chief secretary

Calcutta, April 23: The chief secretary of Bengal, Amit Kiran Deb, today told a visiting delegation of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha that the situation in Siliguri was “tense” and that it would not be proper for the government to allow them to hold a meeting there on April 27. [Inset: Chief Secretary, Amit Kiran Deb]

“On September 28 last year, there was large-scale violence in Siliguri and the army had to be deployed. Since then, things have not been in the right shape in Siliguri. That is why I told the Morcha that it would be difficult for the government to grant permission for the April 27 meeting,” said Deb after a meeting with the Morcha leaders at Writers’ Buildings today.

“Even then, I will have a talk with the final authority (read the chief minister) and then inform the Morcha tomorrow or the day after as to whether permission can be given.”

Rumours of hooliganism by supporters of Indian Idol 3 winner Prashant Tamang had led to street riots in Siliguri, police firing, army intervention and an indefinite curfew in September last year.

There’s no problem if the Morcha changes the venue to Birpara or Jalpaiguri, Deb added.

The Morcha leaders have also told the chief secretary that they want to hold a meeting in Calcutta on May 8 and 9.

“I told them that IPL matches would be held at that time and requested them to consider whether the date can be changed. But we don’t have a problem with their meeting in Calcutta,” said Deb.

Siliguri meeting disallowed

Calcutta, April 23: State chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb told Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders today that the government would not allow them to hold a meeting in Siliguri on Sunday as the situation there was still “tense”.

The Morcha delegation met the chief secretary at Writers’ Buildings.

“On September 28 last year, there was large-scale violence in Siliguri and the army had to be deployed. Since then, things have not been normal,” Deb told reporters.

He said the Morcha could consider changing the venue to either Birpara or Jalpaiguri.

The chief secretary gave the green signal to a Morcha meeting in Calcutta next month, but urged the leaders to change the date as it would clash with cricket.

“We have no problem with their Calcutta meeting. The Morcha leaders told me they would set off from the hills on May 7 and reach Calcutta the next day. However, I told them that IPL matches would be held at that time and requested them to consider changing the date,” Deb said. [The Telegraph]

Hill strike halts toy train- Railways lose Rs 30000 a day, tourists miss their ride

Siliguri, April 23: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s ongoing strike in state and central government offices in the hills has pulled the chain on the toy train, causing the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) to lose Rs 30,000 a day.

The political party claims that “tourist facilities” have been kept outside the shutdown’s ambit, but the DHR, a Unesco world heritage site and arguably one of the biggest tourist attractions in the hills, has not got the relief. Apart from the eight-hour ride up the hills from New Jalpaiguri, even the short trips between Darjeeling and Ghoom have been cancelled.

DHR director Subrata Nath said his request to Morcha leaders to allow the toy train to run was turned down. [A group of foreign tourists alight from the Deccan Odyssey. Their ride on the toy train was cut short because of the Morcha strike. A Telegraph picture]

“They (the Morcha leaders) said they would allow only the Darjeeling-Ghoom joyride to run, but under a condition,” the DHR director said. “They asked us to operate the service without opening our stations and offices. They must understand that it is not possible to run a train that way. The tickets have to be issued, the locomotives need to be serviced and a lot of back-room work has to be done.”

The railway official added that in emergency, the trains have to be taken to the Tindharia workshop, but that too has been shut down by the Morcha.

“We are losing out on about Rs 30,000 daily,” Nath said. “This is the peak season, a time when our trains are fully booked with the daily earnings sometimes shooting up to Rs 40,000. But for the past 10 days, we have had to withdraw all our services.”