While at Kathmandu!

Governor visits Police Stations; returns back impressed – “Be people-friendly and remain aloof from corruption”

By NIRMAL MANGAR

GANGTOK, May 28: Governor Sudarshan Agarwal today made his debut visit to the Police Stations around Gangtok. “Amongst all my visits to various Police Stations all over India, I must say the Police Station in Sikkim is of the highest standard,” said the Governor while addressing the cops during his visit to Ranipool Police Station this morning.

Highly impressed with the maintenance of the Police station, Governor Agarwal said, the station seems not less than a model police station with all ultra modern facilities.  In his brief remark, the Governor directed the Police fraternity to be more truthful and honest towards their duty. He also urged them to be more people friendly and to remain aloof from corruption.

“I am proud that Sikkim Police has always kept its dignity high by doing their duty honestly,” he said. The Governor also suggested the Police to continue with their good works, which can make a good impression of Sikkim Police not only amongst the locals but also in the mind of the visitors.

Indian Idol blown away by Bhutanese reception

THIMPU, May 28: The show kicked off three hours late. Most chairs were empty. Tickets were expensive and one of the performers, Charu, missed her flight.  Despite all that, Prashant Tamang’s show in Thimphu, though not a roaring commercial success, went down well with the waiting audience. The third Indian idol’s first song of the evening, Jab se tere naina from the film Saavariya followed by Bhegay hoot teri from Murder was welcomed with whistling and cheers as the short and perky singing sensation set the Thimphu crowd dancing with old sentimental Nepali and hit Hindi songs.

The show went on till midnight as more people poured in after the organizers slashed ticket rates to a uniform Nu 100 from the earlier Nu 300, 500 and 700. Many chose to watch for free from nearby buildings and the flyover area opposite the concert arena. The response overwhelmed the singer. Speaking to Kuensel, the 25-year old said that he was apprehensive about how the show would be received. “It’s my first time performing in Bhutan. I never thought that the response would be this good. It was unexpected. I’m very happy.”

TAAS to frame a policy to curtail shortcomings in tourism

GANGTOK, May 28: The Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS) today held a meeting here at a local hotel to discuss various tourism related subjects and also to highlight on the prevailing trend of tourism in the State and its rapid development over the past years.

SK Pradhan, the president of TAAS emphasised on various problems that needs to be dealt instantly. To curtail bottlenecks and shortcomings despite boom in tourism industries in the State, Mr. Pradhan expressed concern over vehicle problems that have greatly affected the visitors as well as spoke on the problems relating to travel operator and traffic problems. The president also informed that a policy will soon be implemented to tackle the situation. “As compared to previous years, the flow of tourists has increased by 40 to 50 percent in the State, which is a positive sigh, he said.

Since tourism sector is the highest source of revenue many additional development is required in the field, Mr. Pradhan added.

The meet was also attended by other office bearers of the association including its vice president KT Bhutia and treasurer Lukendra Rasaily. [Sikkim Express]

India surveys Sikkim border area after China lays claim

GANGTOK, May 28: India was conducting a survey in an area of Sikkim over which China has recently laid claim.  According to news reports, Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor has confirmed that India was conducting a survey in the region. He said that the Indian Army, along with civil authorities, has undertaken a survey on its side in the region.

This is seen as India’s move to reaffirm its position over a tract of border area in Sikkim, referred to as ‘Finger Area’ and on which China has laid claim.  “We are carrying out such exercises in other places as well. But there is no problem between us and the other side,” the Army Chief told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday, downplaying Chinese claims on the territory.

Referred to as the ‘Finger Area’ by the Indian armed forces, the 2.1 sq km territory falls in northern Sikkim and overlooks a strategically important valley known as the Sora Funnel. It contains several stone cairns, which are essentially heaps of stones that can be used for shelter.  The Indian stand assumes significance in the wake of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s three-day visit to China starting June 4.

Uprooted tree disrupts traffic; Singtam residents comes to the rescue

Traffic was halted for nearly two hours when a tree was uprooted at Singtam, National Highway following torrential rains at 8pm today. The locality was completely blacked out with power lines smashed by the force of the tree. A Maruti Alto parked at the roadside was also damaged. With no government machinery or work force seen around, local residents showed their gusto by volunteering themselves to clear the road for the traffic. [Photo Sikkim Express]

NO Regrets

In Siliguri recently to participate in a musical soiree, the legendary Manna Dey underlines the need for guidance by a maestro. Parag Biswas reports

THE legendary Manna Dey believes that to learn music, apposite guidance from an efficient and learned music maestro is necessary to achieve success. The veteran playback singer, who was in Siliguri to participate in a musical soiree at the Siliguri Indoor stadium on 18 May, said he owed his successful career to his gurus. “I was extremely fortunate to have my youngest paternal uncle, Sangeetacharya KC Dey, as my first music teacher. He inspired me to learn music and take it up as a profession.”

The 85-year-old singer, who is arguably one of the best-trained male singers of Bollywood, has lived life with positive attitudes. He has been the winner of the first “Akshaya Samman” instituted by the Akshaya Mohanty Foundation, set up in memory of Orissa’s most popular musician and singer, the late Akshaya Mohanty. He says, “I have always set realistic targets in my life and therefore have been able to achieve them successfully. I have achieved certain goals in life and I’m left with no regrets. I am a very happy and contented person.”

Probodh Chandra Dey later became our beloved Manna da. He says, “ Success was a long laborious process for me. I have done it all my life and I am still doing it. I have never accepted defeat.” Many who cannot afford to understand classical music also adore his work; and highly appreciate his way of imparting training, discipline and hard work. He harbours no grudges for the fewer opportunities he has had compared to some of his contemporaries. He has worked with all legendary music composers of his time and admits that despite their willingness they could not gave him more opportunities due to several reasons.

Despite singing some soul-stirring numbers in his first movie Ram Rajya, he could not achieve much fame and recognition for several years. “In those days, it was customary to mention the name of the actor in the films and not the singer who sang for him,” he reconciles.

The prolific singer, who excels in a variety of genres of music has sung playful qawwalis, intricate raga-based songs and romantic ballads, attributes his success to his successful married life. He says that “though I have sung the song Ami Sri Sri Bhajahari Manna, I have always remained committed to my wife and family”. Says Dey, “You know why I stayed on in Mumbai? I met my wife Sulochana there, and now that we are celebrating 55 years of togetherness we don’t plan to change our base.”

The renowned singer’s face still lights up when he talks about his wife, who is a Malayali. “She has been my beacon. She changed the course of my life. She was doing her master’s in English Literature from Bombay University but she chose to marry me and look after me,” he chuckles. It’s worth appreciating that someone whose singing career has spanned over six decades is so humble and modest. When asked whether the Padma Bhushan had been bestowed on him too late, he smiles and says, “I am satisfied with what am bestowed with.”

ABTA threatens school closure

SILIGURI, May 29: The All Bengal Teachers’ Association, Darjeeling unit, launched a stir at the District Inspector of Schools’ office in Siliguri over several issues and threatened indefinite closure of schools in the town if its grievances were not redressed in four days. Giving details of the grievances, Mr Biswanath Dutta, the assistant secretary of ABTA, Darjeeling unit said that it is because of the DI of Schools Mr Riajul Islam that a number of teachers were not receiving their pension after retirement.

“Besides, many school teachers are not receiving salary for some months. The lack of work culture in the DI office is principally responsible for the mess,” Mr Dutta alleged. Citing the example of Shew Mangal HS School in Siliguri, the ABTA functionary said that despite the School Service Commission’s approval, certain school managing committee’s were not appointing some teachers and the DI office was doing nothing to pressurise the school committees to comply with the SSC instructions.

“As far as the issue of pending pension is concerned, the excuses being cited are flimsy and unacceptable. Our organisation has raised these issues with the DI and several times without avail. We have thus decided to organise a sit-in-demonstration for four days,” the ABTA functionary said. “If our demonstration yields no tangible result within the time period we would close down all the schools in Siliguri to draw the attention of the higher authority,” he said.

Lawyers to observe ceasework at court

SILIGURI, May 29: The Bar Association of Siliguri would observe an hour’s cease work at the Siliguri Court from 12 to 1 p.m. tomorrow in protest against an alleged misbehaviour by the sub-divisional officer, Siliguri, with some of the Bar Association of Siliguri members. Mr Ratan Bhowmik, the secretary, Siliguri Bar Association, alleged the sub divisional officer Mrs Smita Pandey had misbehaved with representatives of the Bar Association when they had protested against the seizure of a client’s vehicle by the motor vehicle officials.  “The motor vehicle officials seized a vehicle of a client who came to the Court premises on summons from the Court.

The motor vehicle officials refused to provide a seizure list on the plea that it was the SDO’s instruction not to give seizure list in the matter of unlawful parking in the high security zone area. “We then went to the SDO and she misbehaved with the lawyers,” Mr Bhowmik said.

June date for Loreto handover – Time to thank and bid farewell

By Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, May 29: It is farewell time for the Loreto Sisters who have decided to hand over the college run by them here to the Bengal government by June-end. [Inset: Loreto College, Darjeeling. Picture by Suman Tamang]

The authorities of the institution, which is owned by the government but was so long administered and managed by the Sisters through the Darjeeling Loreto Educational Society, have maintained that the decision to let go was taken because of a shortfall in manpower.

“The time to bid farewell and express our gratitude to the Darjeeling Loreto Educational Society has arrived. It is a day we never thought would come. Loreto has seen us through 47 glorious years. She has nurtured us, strengthened us, has instilled in us her vision, values and spirit,” reads a message that the staff-members of the college are sending to all well-wishers who want to attend the farewell programme on June 11.

AIDS test centre at hospital

Kurseong, May 29: An Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) for AIDS was opened at Kurseong Subdivisional Hospital today.

D.T. Sherpa, the secretary of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council’s health department, inaugurated the centre on the hospital premises, which would also have a neo-natal care unit for pregnant women.

“The centre has been established keeping in mind the increasing number of patients and their social stigma. It has been set up under the instruction of the National Aids Control organisation and funded by the Bengal government. The neo-natal unit, however, is the effort of some of the prominent people here who have donated equipment for it” said P.K.Sharma, the superintendent of the hospital.

A test for AIDS is currently done at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri and at the voluntary counselling and testing centre in Darjeeling District Hospital.

Trek trophy for Hnaf

Siliguri, May 29: Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation (Hnaf) has been awarded this year’s Tenzing Norgay Memorial Challenge Trophy for its achievements in the field of adventure sports. [Inset: Hnaf members pose with the Tenzing Norgey trophy in front of the mountaineer’s statue in Siliguri on Thursday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo]

Besides the trophy, the prize comprises Rs 10,000 and a certificate.

The award was instituted by the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) on May 29, 2003 for promoting adventure sports in north Bengal and commemorating 50 years of the conquest of the Mt Everest by Tenzing and Edmund Hillary.

Two organisations — North Bengal Explorers’ Club and Anubhav — bagged Appreciation Trophies, which would be presented from this year, for their contribution in the fields of adventure sports and social activities.

Every year, the SJDA seeks applications from different adventure sports organisations through advertisements in the media for the award. Once the authorities received the applications, along with the documents of the achievements and activities of the organisations in a year, a committee would decide on the winner.

Cops fail to trace Bata employee

Siliguri, May 29: Police are still in the dark about the whereabouts of the employee of Bata India Ltd posted in Darjeeling who went missing from here on Tuesday.

Rana Bardhan was on his way home in Siliguri’s Sukantapally on Tuesday evening, but did not turn up. His brother Bappa lodged a missing person’s diary at Siliguri police station yesterday evening.

“We have informed all the police stations in the district to look for Bardhan. We have also talked to the driver of the vehicle in which he came to Siliguri on Tuesday. But we are yet to trace him,” said Siliguri deputy superintendent of police Pradip Dutta.

According to the police, the last time Bardhan talked to his mother Ramadevi and wife Paromita over the phone was on Tuesday afternoon. He told them that he was coming to Siliguri that evening.

Bardhan was appointed manager of the Bata store in Darjeeling’s Chowkbazaar about eight months ago, said his colleague L. Dewan.

“On Tuesday, Bardhan told us he had some problem at home and needed to go to Siliguri. The driver who took Bardhan down confirmed that he had dropped him off in Siliguri at 8.30pm. It is surprising that he then went missing.” [The Telegraph]

Boulder kills two

Gangtok, May 29: A 50-year-old and his son were crushed to death in sleep when a boulder hit their house at Nimtar in East Sikkim’s Pakyong around midnight last night.

The bodies of Santa Bahadur Thapa and his son Ram Bahadur (19) have been sent to the Singtam district hospital for post-mortem. Thapa’s wife Santa Maya has been admitted to a hospital in Gangtok with minor injuries. She is reported to be in a state of shock, police said.

The boulder came crashing some 40ft down after the rain for the past few days had loosened the soil in the nearby hillock.

East district collector, Vishal Chauhan said an advance ex-gratia of Rs 15,000 each had been paid to the next of the kin of the deceased. [The Telegraph]

Morcha gives ultimatum

Darjeeling, May 29: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today set a June 27 deadline for the Bengal government to dissolve the DGHC and create a separate state comprising Darjeeling, the Dooars and the Terai. [Inset: Gurung addresses DGHC employees at Darjeeling Gymkhana Club on Thursday. Picture by Suman Tamang]

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri made the announcement following a marathon meeting of the central committee at the party’s head office in Patlabas here.

“We believe that the council that was set up in 1988 has failed to fulfil the aspiration of the hill people… The council had also left out Siliguri, Terai and the Dooars. The central committee has unanimously decided to start an agitation if our June 27 deadline to dissolve the council is not met. The only alternative that we are demanding is Gorkhaland,” Giri.

The general secretary neither spelt out the details of the agitation, nor spoke about the fate of the contractual employees currently working in the council.

However, Morcha president Bimal Gurung told DGHC contractual workers at Darjeeling Gymkhana Club early this morning that none of them would lose their jobs.

CBSE scores better this time

Siliguri, May 29: At a time when private tuition seems to be the success mantra for most students, Sridevi R. from Kendriya Vidyalaya Bengdubi strikes a different chord.

With 96.4 per cent, Sridevi has topped in her school and is one of the top scorers of this region in the CBSE’s Class X examinations, the results of which were declared today.

She did not have any private tutor, except in Sanskrit, and depended on teachers in school, her mother Veena and father Lt Col. K.N. Radhakrishnan.

“My father helped me in science (physics and chemistry) and my mother (who was once a teacher) in maths,” Sridevi said. “I had a teacher for Sanskrit as we did not have the subject teacher for Class X at school since only three students had taken up Sanskrit,” said the aspiring software engineer.

Civic meet minus chief

Kalimpong, May 29: Fourteen councillors of the Kalimpong Municipality owing allegiance to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today went ahead and held a meeting of the civic board which the chairman, C. K. Kumai, had cancelled yesterday.

Kumai, a GNLF leader, had initially called the meeting following a request from the Morcha councillors. Yesterday, Kumai claimed that he had to cancel the meeting following death threats from one of them.

Morcha councillors have denied Kumai’s claims.

“We were all present in his chamber on May 26 when the threat was supposed to have been made. In fact, we had a cordial meeting and Kumai even offered us lunch,” said Norden Lama, councillor of Ward 7 and a member of the Morcha core committee.

Asked how they could hold the meeting without Kumai, Lama said the municipal rules stipulate that when the majority of councillors seeks a board meeting, the chairman has no other option but to call one. Kalimpong Municipality has 23 councillors, of whom 14 are with the Morcha.

Alma mater of kings recounts ‘royal’ days

By VIVEK CHHETRI

Darjeeling, May 29: One of them has been voted out of kingship, the other has wilfully given it up for democracy. [Inset: St Joseph’s School where the kings of Nepal and Bhutan studied. Picture by Suman Tamang]

The kings of the two Himalayan countries, Nepal and Bhutan, may be diametrically opposite in handling their national affairs, but they share a common alma mater: both have walked the corridors of St Joseph’s School (Darjeeling) or North Point during their formative years.

Old North Pointers who are still associated with the institution remember the “good times” that former King Gyanendra of Nepal had during his school years. The 60-year-old has from today ceased to be the king of Nepal. Yesterday, political parties in the Himalayan nation had voted at a special assembly to abolish the 239-year-old monarchy and declare the country a republic.

“Every one passes through good and bad phases. I would like to remember only the good times associated with King Gyanendra,” said M. Coutinho, who had taught English and elocution to the king. Many royal family members from Nepal, including Gyanendra, were in North Point for the decade starting 1960.

A family photograph of the king, taken at North Point in 1969, hangs on the school corridor. “Among all of them, King Gyanendra was the most polite and well behaved. He was extremely down to earth as well,” said Coutinho, who has now retired.

North Point remembers Gyanendra as a student who excelled in elocution and was a very good hockey player, making it to the school team. “There were hardly any speakers who could match Gyanendra in those days. He not only won the inter-school elocution competitions with ease but was also the inter-Jesuit elocution contest in the entire Northeast,” said Coutinho.

According to him, even crown prince Paras, who would have been the king had it not been for the people’s uprising, had studied for a brief period at North Point.

Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth king of Bhutan, was also a quiet student. “He was here for only a year. In 1962 when the Indo-Chinese war broke out he was taken out of school for security reasons,” said Fr Kinley Tshering, the rector of the school and a former North Pointer.

Wangchuk’s decision to usher in parliamentary democracy in Bhutan has earned him accolades from the international community.

Under him, the tiny Himalayan kingdom underwent many changes, a significant one in 1981 when the king introduced 20 elected district committees. The latest change and probably the most dramatic was the general elections held this year to bring in democracy in a country where people measure their success by the intangible yardstick of Gross National Happiness.

The GNH is a political philosophy that seeks to balance material growth with spiritual well-being. [The Telegraph]

Bridge kills two, traps two more – Saved from jaws of death

Gangtok, May 29: Two labourers were killed and two are feared dead after an under-construction concrete bridge collapsed in East Sikkim this evening. [Inset: Rescuers with one of the labourers caught in the bridge collapse. Picture by Prabin Khaling]

Around 25 people were injured in the mishap.

The labourers were trapped in a mesh of iron rods after the scaffolding supporting the bridge gave way while a concrete slab was being cast.

The incident occurred around 5pm at Chenzey, located 14km from Gangtok between Rey and Rumtek. The bridge is part of the 2.5km road to Lower Chenzey that is being constructed under the Pradhan Mantri’s Gram Sadak Yojna. It will connect Chenzey to the main road to Rumtek.

The 15m-long bridge over a stream was about 7.6m high from its base.

Superintendent of police (East) M.S. Tuli, who was overseeing the rescue operation, said one of the labourers trapped underneath the debris was rescued alive, while the bodies of two were brought out.

“Two other men are still trapped and rescue workers are trying to get to them,” Tuli added.

The rescuers are not optimistic about the survival of the two men trapped underneath.

Fire fighters and the rescue unit of Sikkim police had arrived at the site soon after the incident. Excavators are being used to remove the debris.

Around 100 labourers were working at the site when the bridge caved in.

The injured were rushed to Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital and the Central Referral Hospital in Gangtok.