It is my pleasure to inform you that Beacon Online will be releasing videos and films exclusively and in collaboration with Gorkha directors and Western and Eastern Bands from Darjeeling Hills and beyond. This will be Beacon Online’s attempt to give these creative individuals a forum to showcase their works. And to kick off the Today’s Must Watch Video Pick, Beacon Online is proud to feature the short film of a budding Gorkha Director from Edinburgh, England, Mr. Aman Adhikari. A Day and Forever is a romantic tale of a Scottish boy and a Gorkha girl. I hope you folks will like it.
Based on a romantic story between a Scottish boy and a Gorkha girl, a day and forever is short rendition of the life of a Global Gorkha. Aman Adhikari churns out a simplistic yet heartfelt film.
Tula Bahadur Pun was awarded a Victoria Cross for the valour shown at the battlefield of Mogaung on the night of 6/7th June 1944. After his comrades were killed around him, he had single handedly charged upon a group of Japanese who were dug in 30 yards away, across open ground, firing his bren-gun from the hip. The enemy shocked by his valour thus, giving up to be taken in by one man.
Mogaung is considered as the 3rd Gorkha Rifles most glorious day as it won two Victoria Crosses (the second was a posthumous award to Captain Michael Allmand), one DSO (Distinguished Service Order), one IOM (Indian Order of Merit), three MCs (Military Cross), two IDSMs (Indian Distinguished Service Medals) and 9 MMs (Medal of Merit).
We Darjeelingas, as we move out of our hills have no identity. Even though we have been living here since many centuries back we have been facing this problem called identity crisis in India and will be facing this until the day we are given a separate state of “Gorkhaland”. I would like to share a few of the instances where I have faced some instances of identity crisis. Three years back when I had gone to Bangalore for admissions the people there used to call me Chinese but when I told them that I am an Indian , judging by my chinky eyes they used to call me Northeastern i.e. Manipuri, Naga so are we entitled to this. Do we deserve this, when our parents are working in Government office providing service and earning revenue for the country.
Is the voter’s right given to us considering Indians is just to be used at the time of election. I feel sorry for all the people who have moved out of Darjeeling in search for a bright carrier and future but have no identity and can’t even call him/herself an Indian. Please suggest us, the darjeelingas outside whether we should hang the voter ID card along our neck to prove that we are Indians. Being the subject of Bengal we become a Bengali and our mother language being Nepali we become a Nepali so please let us know “WHO WE ARE ?”
GANGTOK, May 12: Prashant Rasaily, the first runner up of the television reality show “Gateway to Hollywood” was felicitated in glittering function held at Nepali Sahitya Parishad Bhawan here today. The ceremony was organized by the Sikkim Filmmakers and Artist Society for his landmark achievement in the show. Shyam Pradhan, a film maker based in Sikkim and Chandra Prakash Ghimirey, a cinematographer also from Sikkim chaired the occasion as the chief guest and guest of honour respectively. [Inset: Prashant Rasaily being felicitated]
Prashant was felicitated with a citation, shawl and a memento.
Expressing his gratitude towards the Association, Prashant said he was touched with the gesture and the support that he received from the people of Sikkim. The young director said that there are very talented youths in Sikkim who are in desperate need for proper guidance and mentoring, especially in the area of filmmaking. He further expressed his desire to make a film on Sikkim for which he sought the support of the people. Read the rest of this entry »
NAMCHI, May 12: In a shocking incident, a 35-year-old woman was killed in cold blood in a village in South Sikkim today morning. Jeewan Sharma, 40, killed Sabitri Biswakarma, 35, with a sharp Khukuri at about 10:30 am today at the Payoung village in South Sikkim. According to the villagers, the victim, along with her 12-year-old son, had come to the village yesterday to meet her father and other family members.
On her way back home this morning, Sabitri was asked by the accused Jeewan to stay in his rented room for a while. It was at this time that the accused brought out an old letter and told Sabitri to read its contents.
Few minutes later, Jeewan took out a sharp Khukuri from a bag and hit Sabitri on her cheek causing grievous wound. In the second attempt, his knife directly hit the victim’s neck and she died on the spot. Her son was the eye-witness to the whole incident.
After a FIR was lodged at the Melli Police Station by the victim’s father, Bal Krishna, the Melli Police arrested Jeewan from Melli Chalisey were he was trying to cross the border to West Bengal. As per the source information, Savitri was married to one Ram Kumar Biswakarma of Sorok, South Sikkim and were residents of Samardung in South Sikkim under Rateypani constituency. She is survived by her husband, a son and a daughter. Read the rest of this entry »
GANGTOK, May 12: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today said that the State Green Mission, “a mission of the masses” would be successful only if there is total dedication and support from the common people. He said this during the formal launching ceremony of the third phase of the State Green Mission held at Chintan Bhawan here today. The Chief Minister also expressed dissatisfaction over the slow progress of the Green Mission and said that it has not been as successful as it was expected at the time of its inception.
He also regretted the low-key participation of the people in the mission. “The green mission programme would be a matter of great pride to all the people of Sikkim if we are listed in the map of the world as the greenest State and serve as a role model for other states,” Mr. Chamling said.
While expressing his concern over the global environmental issues such as melting of glaciers, global warming, and bio-diversity conservation, he urged the people to go for mass forestation. The Chief Minister also informed that Sikkim has become the first State in the country to set up a commission to study impact of global warming on glaciers. He further informed that a request has been made with the World Heritage Center, London to recognize Kabi Longtsok, Drubdi Monastery and Namgyal Institute of Tibetology in the list of heritage places. Read the rest of this entry »
DARJEELING, May 12: Even as the Darjeeling district was just about recovering from the news of bird flu surfacing in the area, a fresh report of birds’ death worsened the situation. Culling operations have begun but the progress was not as expected because of non-cooperation by poultry owners in some areas. Darjeeling District Magistrate Rajesh Pandey today said that the deadline was extended till tomorrow as only 9,500 birds were culled against the target of culling 18,000 birds by yesterday. Culling in Poinikumari, the affected village, and areas within a 5 km-radius started yesterday. Twelve fowls also died at Pulbazar, 30km from Darjeeling town. Unofficial report, however, claimed death of 100 birds. Mr. Pandey said samples would be sent to test the presence of the H5N1 virus. The ban on the sale of chicken within the 5km radius of Poinikumari has been enforced from yesterday after a meeting between the district administration and the North Bengal Poultry Association.
The bird flu scare has severely affected sales in Darjeeling District as well as the commercial hub of Siliguri. People have once again stopped buying poultry products and the demand as well as prices of local desi chicken and eggs has sky-rocketed once again. The fact that Sikkim has once again imposed a ban on import of poultry products from the district has added to the slump in the demand. The outbreak of avian influenza at Bagdogra, Matigara, Naxalbari in Siliguri and Sukna in Kurseong sub-division was confirmed by High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal. The administration has banned trading on chicken and poultry products in the affected areas.
LOUDONVILLE — Snake charmers and street entertainers are a few of the memories John Allerding brought home from India at the end of World War II.
Cholera victims lying dead in the streets of Calcutta and naked maniacs wandering those same streets were others.
“We once saw a large crowd and walked up to see what was happening,” Allerding recalls. “We saw it was a dead cow in the street with vultures all over it.”
Life in India was far different from life in his hometown of Loudonville. [Inset above: In World War II, Loudonville's John Allerding served in Calcutta, India; China; and Burma. In Calcutta, he spent months living in a tent city. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)]
Staff Sgt. Allerding and his buddies manned a huge supply center where shiploads of food, medicine, vehicles and ammunition were unloaded from ships in the Hooghly River and readied for the long trip to the fighting front in Burma. [Inset: John Allerding discusses his experiences in World War II at his Loudonville home last week.]
“We were in receiving,” Allerding said. “We would check in supplies and make sure they were sent to the proper warehouses. Some of the warehouses were huge.”
To do the heavy lifting, Allerding hired local labor. He learned a valuable cultural lesson.
“I’d only hire the men who looked like the best workers, but nothing got done. So I let local foremen do the hiring and found out that the people I hired were a mix of Hindu and Moslem,” he said. “Instead of working, they’d spend all day arguing. So, when the locals did the hiring a lot more work got done. Read the rest of this entry »
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The Human Rights Organization of Bhutan (HUROB) has called for urgent action to save the Bhutanese refugees from victimization and torture of police in the West Bengal state of India.
The rights organization, which has been speaking up against discrimination suffered by Nepali speaking Bhutanese under the Druk regime in Bhutan and the problems of the country’s citizens who have been exiled in Nepal and India, said that a “witch hunting” of Bhutanese refugees has begun in the state especially in North Bengal and Darjeeling Hill Council.
The “witch-hunting” started after the incidence of bomb explosion on 3rd April 2008 in Siliguri, a town in West Bengal state, in which three Bhutanese refugees had died. The West Bengal police later arrested five Bhutanese refugees including two girls in Siliguri in connection with the incident.
“Innocent refugees are being harassed and students studying in the schools and colleges are doubted and even arrested,” said HUROB in a statement Sunday. The statement was signed by HUROB chairman SB Subba.
Bhutanese students Ashok Gurung and Kamal Subba studying in standard 12 in Kamal Jyoti School and Som Nath Rai, a BA final year student in Kalimpong College in Kalimpong, Darjeeling Hill Council were arrested without any warrant by the West Bengal police on Sunday. Their whereabouts are not known and as well as the reason of arrest. Read the rest of this entry »
SILIGURI, May 12: The Congress leader Mr Somen Mitra slammed the state government for the Darjeeling Hills bungling. “The problem, being more than a mere political problem requires a more sensible handling and the state has been bungling it for years in a most irresponsible manner,” Mr Mitra said. He further criticised the CPI-M for reducing the ongoing state panchayat election to a farce with the help of the state administration. He came to Siliguri today in connection with panchayat poll campaigning in north Bengal. Mr Mitra said the Congress is still demanding an all-party meeting on the Hill situation. “A solution may evolve in the course of analytical discussions among all the political parties of the state. But the chief minister is reluctant to convene it. We cannot understand which way the state government’s mind is working,” he said.
“The chief minister seems to be blindly toeing the line being chalked out by the state urban development minister Mr Asok Bhattacharya. And the problem is Mr Bhattacharya seems to have lost touch with the Hill’s ground reality. The initial inflexibility on the part of the state regarding the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha rally in Siliguri clearly indicates that the government is resolved to handle the sensitive issue with mere state force,” Mr Mitra alleged.This apart, the Congress leader also castigated the CPI-M for reducing the on-going panchayat election in the state to a veritable farce with the active assistance of the state administration. “The party has been browbeating the courageous administrators into submission. This has been amply proved recently in the case of strife-torn Nandigram,” Mr Mitra said. [The Telegraph]
GANGTOK, May 12: Almost all the major political parties of Sikkim boycotted the merger of Sikkim and Darjeeling but pledged to give moral support for the fight for Gorkhaland. Opposition party Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad (SHRP), State Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), and ruling Sikkim Democratic Party has boycotted the merger. “No doubt we have the same culture, tradition and language but we don’t have the same political scenario here, like Darjeeling” said Mr Tara Shresta, general secretary SHRP. “We are emotionally bound to Darjeeling so we will always support their good cause and they are fighting for Gorkha’s identity but we are fighting against corruption and for the welfare of Sikkim,” he added. State BJP president echoed his words but he refused to comment claiming it is entirely Darjeeling’s matter so speaking on behalf of them would be incorrect. “Unless we don’t discuss the matter in the Centre and get permission from high commands we are not allowed to talk,” said Mr HR Pradhan. “But as per my knowledge our colleagues in Darjeeling are demanding a separate state instead of a Darjeeling-Sikkim merger,” he added.
When contacted Dr GS Yonzon president of BJP Darjeeling unit, said: “Other political parties are demanding Darjeeling-Sikkim merger just to be free from Bengal but our first priority is for statehood instead of merger. This is our movement for our identity so either this way or the other way we just want to be free from Bengal”.Read the rest of this entry »
Darjeeling, May 12: Hotel owners here will organise daily cultural shows at Chowrastha from May 17 to woo tourists who have been advised by a Bengal minister to give Darjeeling a miss this summer because of the political situation in the hills. [Darjeeling]
“The shows, organised by the Darjeeling Gorkha Hotel Owners’ Association, will be held between 5pm and 7pm,” said Association president Sangay Tshering. The current season, which began last month, ends in June.
The hotel owners said so far, tourist flow from Calcutta was less compared to last year. “The state government has done nothing to promote tourism. Instead (urban development minister) Asok Bhattacharya and (former chief minister) Jyoti Basu have asked tourists not to visit the hill town. We are organising the shows to tell visitors that things are fine in Darjeeling,” said Tshering.
Bhattacharya and Basu’s comments came in response to the revival of the movement in the hills for a separate state, which is being spearheaded by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
The hotel owners added that foreigners and visitors from other parts of the country are still flocking to Darjeeling. Read the rest of this entry »
Cooch Behar, May 12: The CPM in violation of election commission norms has openly held a rally with lethels (traditional lathi-wielding fighters) in Sitalkuchi, known to be a party bastion. [Inset: The CPM rally with its lethels in Sitalkuchi on Sunday. Picture by Main Uddin Chisti]
The model code of conduct debars campaigners from taking sticks and sharp objects that can be used as weapons in election rallies and processions. The CPM flouted the code yesterday.
Today, a clash between the CPM and one of its Left Front partners, the Forward Bloc, in Sitai left five persons injured. Four of them belong to the CPM while one is a Bloc supporter. Read the rest of this entry »
Darjeeling, May 12: The DGHC has decided to probe into various financial irregularities allegedly committed during the 20-year tenure of hill council under Subash Ghisingh.
The decision was taken after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today submitted a list of 15 schemes, which they alleged were executed or implemented without conforming to rules, to B.L. Meena, the administrator of the council, at the latter’s office at Lal Khoti
“The council had a cell to facilitate fast and easy payment to contractors who were awarded the projects. No cash book or payment register was maintained to record these transactions,” said D.K. Pradhan, the central committee member of the Morcha. He, along with the party’s general secretary, Roshan Giri, had met Meena today.
The Morcha also demanded a thorough inquiry into the construction of a 5km road between Rambi Bazar and Tarzam busty, for which Rs 55 lakh was spent.
The leaders also told the administrator that proper payments were not made to the beneficiaries of the Swarna Jayanti Rojgar Yojna. “Under this scheme, a worker was to be paid 60 per cent of his wage in cash, while the rest in kind by giving them food grain. However, there is no record of any food grain being distributed to the labourers,” said Pradhan. Read the rest of this entry »
Siliguri, May 12: The flavour will come packed with the history of the product.
If the proposal of a Netherlands-based NGO is accepted, consumers of Indian brew across the world will be able to identify its origin from a code stamped on the cover of the packages containing the tea.
The aim, officials of Solidaridad, the NGO, said, is to help tea producers and consumers by inducting them into a mechanism known as UTZ certification, conferred by the UTZ Foundation, another Netherlands based-organisation. The Foundation is famous for running one of the largest coffee certification programmes of the world, which has been recently extended to tea.
“Under the mechanism, a tea garden or seller, exporting from India, would be granted an unique code number which would be printed on the packets, bags or cartons sent outside the country by the company,” Satadru Chatterjee, director of Southeast Asia for Solidaridad, said today. “Any consumer can access the Foundation’s website to crack the code that will give the history of the tea.” Read the rest of this entry »
Siliguri, May 12: The forest department has been losing crores of rupees in sales proceeds for the past 15 days as dwellers in fringe villages with support from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha have stopped the movement of timber from 13 depots across the region. [Inset: A timber depot in Jalpaiguri district’s Lataguri, 70km from Siliguri. Picture by Biplab Basak]
Roshan Giri, the Morcha secretary, said timber felled in the Darjeeling hills was the property of the people there and that “there should be a moratorium (temporary stay) on felling for 10 years”. Among the closed depots, only two, Kodalbusty and Taipu, are located in the plains.
Members of the National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers, which is also backing the protesters, said the agitation was against the non-implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006.
“We want the forest department to follow the legislation by introducing the sharing of revenues. The refusal to part with the sales proceeds of timber has prompted dwellers to close the depots,” said Shibo Sunuwar, the north Bengal convener of the Forum. Read the rest of this entry »
DARJEELING, May 12: Even as the Darjeeling district was just about recovering from the news of bird flu surfacing in the area, a fresh report of birds’ death worsened the situation. Culling operations have begun but the progress was not as expected because of non-cooperation by poultry owners in some areas. Darjeeling District Magistrate Rajesh Pandey today said that the deadline was extended till tomorrow as only 9,500 birds were culled against the target of culling 18,000 birds by yesterday. Culling in Poinikumari, the affected village, and areas within a 5 km-radius started yesterday. Twelve fowls also died at Pulbazar, 30km from Darjeeling town. Unofficial report, however, claimed death of 100 birds. Mr. Pandey said samples would be sent to test the presence of the H5N1 virus. The ban on the sale of chicken within the 5km radius of Poinikumari has been enforced from yesterday after a meeting between the district administration and the North Bengal Poultry Association.
Cooch Behar, May 12: The CPM in violation of election commission norms has openly held a rally with lethels (traditional lathi-wielding fighters) in Sitalkuchi, known to be a party bastion. [Inset: The CPM rally with its lethels in Sitalkuchi on Sunday. Picture by Main Uddin Chisti]
Siliguri, May 12: The forest department has been losing crores of rupees in sales proceeds for the past 15 days as dwellers in fringe villages with support from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha have stopped the movement of timber from 13 depots across the region. [Inset: A timber depot in Jalpaiguri district’s Lataguri, 70km from Siliguri. Picture by Biplab Basak]