GJM Naxalbari Activists Protest!

GJM Naxalbari activists protest before the BDO’s office for not being allowed to conduct political meetings in the Dooars Terai. Photo: Himalaya Darpan

Gorkha Janmukti Nari Morcha lays seize to GNLF leader Dawa Pakhrin’s House

Photo Himalaya Darpan

‘Fraud Press Reporter’ could be a victim of Fraud himself!

BREAKING STORY!

Dear Barun,

Greetings !!

You might have read a news about a fraud press reporter – Tufan Subba in most of the daily hindi, bengali and nepali newspapers published from Siliguri on 2nd May 2008.

I, Tufan Subba of Gorubathan would like to give my written press statement through you that “I am one of the reporter of Police Samachar Service, New Delhi. Police Samachar Service is one of the non-govt. news, television and detective agency. Its office is located at 236 Satyam Tower, 2nd Floor, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi – 110063 and its registration no. is 38840. The website of this organisation is www.policesamacharservice.com and e mail address is policenews31@rediffmail.com headed by its Managing Director Mr. M. Hussain. It has been operated and supported by Zed News ( RNI. No. DELHIIN/2003/10908 ) and Speed Aajtak. Police Samachar Service collects the information and news from its reporters throughout the country and sends to the News Channels, Newspapers and Magazines for telecast and publication. It also sends secret information, important news and events to Home Minister of India and India Security Agencies. Any interested person can directly either contact and get the authentic information through mobile, e mail or web site. I am also enclosing whatever the documents or web site information I could collect from Police Samachar Service for your kind information and publication through you.

I shall remain very grateful to you if you could publish my statement given above for the general people who are eagering to know clarification from me as not being fraud reporter but identifying me as legal authent, transparent and legally idenfied reporter.

Thank you for its publication,

Tufan Subba

Mal busty, Gorubathan

Fresh GJM batch start hunger strike

GJM (REGIONAL NEWS – EAST)

Created on : 06/03/2008 13:01 (PRI)

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Siliguri (WB), June 3 (PTI) A fresh batch of 11 Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters started a hunger strike at Bagdogra, 10 KM from here, demanding permission to hold a public rally at Naxalbari from 1100 hours today.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri today said that yesterday 11 GJM activists had started a fast-unto-death at Naxalbari in front of the Block Development Officer’s office, 35 KM from here to press for the same demand.

The hunger strike was launched also to protest against denial of permission to hold a public rally on May 25 and June seven earlier.

Giri said that refusal of permission to a political party to hold a public meeting was a ‘violation of democratic rights’.

”We would compel the civil administration to allow us to hold the rally through non-violent movement and we consider hunger strike as a powerful weapon to win the battle,” he said.

The SDO of Siliguri, Smita Pandey, told PTI that the administration was keeping a strict vigil over the situation. A medical team was monitoring the health condition of the strikers at Naxalbari and another would travel to Bagdogra.

The additional superintendent of police, Siliguri, Rajesh Yadav, said that adequate security arrangement was in place to take care of law and order at the hunger strike venues. PTI UBR dkc MD DD 06031228 K 06031307 DEL

MISSION POSSIBLE

The new Nepal needs to recognize that it cannot do without India  writes Sunanda K. Datta-Ray

The spotlight that has shifted from Shri Panch Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva should rightly fall on Sitaram Yechury, to whom the United Progressive Alliance government virtually outsourced India’s relations with Nepal. Since he has been the principal interlocutor between the two countries, our expectations of a stable and responsible regime that is mindful of India’s interests on a strategic border are largely concentrated in him. Much will depend on how Yechury has presented the Indian national position, as distinct from his own ideological inclinations, to Prachanda and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).

Strictly speaking, the transformation of the world’s only Hindu kingdom into a republic is no concern of India’s. Forms of governance are internal matters. But since domestic evolution is intertwined with foreign policy, especially for a landlocked country whose fortunes are so closely linked with those of its southern neighbour, New Delhi will carefully watch how the new men in Kathmandu conduct themselves in the coming weeks and months. The jubilant crowds we see on television screens speak of relief and hope. Since neither is a permanent factor in the merry-go-round of politics, those crowds can just as easily turn either into the Maoist mobs that have ravaged Nepal for years or protesters to be mown down like the civil war’s 13,000 victims.

This column has earlier cited statistical evidence suggesting that however conclusive Tuesday’s voting might have appeared, abolition of neither the monarchy nor of Nepal’s Hindu status enjoys universal endorsement. Despite Prithvi Narayan Shah’s merger of some 60 principalities in 1768, Nepalese society remains extraordinarily diverse for the country’s size.

But adherents of unfashionable causes find it expedient to lie low for the time being with 10,000 Maoist supporters out in the streets of Kathmandu. The four Rastriya Prajatantra Party royalists must be the most courageous persons in Nepal. The other parties might be crushed into permanent silence. On the other hand, they might surface again one day, especially if the new regime does not deliver.

Getting rid of an unpopular monarch was the least of Nepal’s problems, an easy one-point diversion dazzling a hungry populace with circus instead of bread. Even the formal framework of democracy will not satisfy basic needs in a land where the conservative official unemployment rate of 42 per cent — high by any international reckoning — does not reveal the full extent of deprivation. The looming economic challenge concerns India profoundly because of the open 1,700-kilometre border that can, in theory, allow all 29 million Nepalese, most of whom survive on less than a dollar a day, to debouch into India’s plains if they are pressed hard enough in their native hills and valleys.

India must be prepared for some version of that danger. But poverty is not the only challenge. Nor the most immediately pressing one. A rudimentary feudal society must see its way towards forging a democratic coalition that can agree on a new constitution and actually work it to ensure growth and establish social order, security and welfare. Considering conditions in some adjoining parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh after 61 years of India’s independence and democracy, that is a tall order. But unlike Indians, the Nepalese have now seen how violence can topple the established order. The precedent is a reminder that even if revolutions don’t devour their children, they can beget other revolutions.

Mount Neverest

The debate about the cycle ofoiolence between the State and its knemies’ is getting louder
BY HARSH MANDER

THESE ARE momentous times for the people of Nepal. Two years ago, in the late spring of 2006, for 19 exhilarating days, tens of thousands of Nepali students, farmers and workers surged on to the streets of Kathmandu peaceful, resolute and uncompromising in their demand for the end of monarchy.

The Rhododendron Revolution, as it came to be known, has culminated two years later with notice to the last monarch after 240 years of the reign of the Shah dynasty to vacate the palace, and the metamorphosis of a Hindu kingdom into a secular republic. The same people’s power again unexpectedly asserted itself, when it elected through the ballot, for the first time anywhere in the world, a Maoist revolutionary party with a still standing ‘people’s army’.

Not many observers had anticipated the wave of popular support for a party that was leading an armed insurgency since 1996. Political commentator Kanak Dixit sees the vote for the Maoists as fuelled by the aspirations of youth, and of the silenced and suppressed minorities – by caste, ethnicity and class – disenfranchised by all earlier regimes, regardless of whether they were democratically elected, monarchic or panchayats.

But the turbulent Maoist insurrection has left a bloody trail of an estimated 14,000 deaths, the economy virtually stopped growing, and impoverished people fled the mountains and plains in droves as they found themselves not only in hopeless poverty but caught in the crossfire between the royal and insurgent armies.

The unexpected popular mandate to the Maoists to lead (in collaboration with the Congress and Marxist parties) not just the new republican government but also the Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution of the newly born republic, has raised critically important debates about the legitimacy of violence for political transformation that both resonate and have vita11essons for India as well.

Gurkha rifles move out of Fort William

By Drimi Chaudhuri

GURKHAS, THE age-old sentinels at the Fort William, have moved out of the Eastern Command headquarters bag and baggage for the first time, barring a few months during the Kargil War in 1999.

Said to be a routine affair, the movement itself is extraordinary, with Gurkha Rifles (GR) being the traditional garrison battalion at Fort Waiam. Sources said the movement had become necessary with a change of political scenario in neighbouring Nepal and several restrictions imposed by Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chief Prachanda.

“The Gurkhas are beyond suspicion because they are true patriots… This is more of a political decision that the Army has to abide by,” a senior Army official said. The Ministry of Defence spokesman in Kolkata, Group Captain R.K. Das, however, said, “This was a normal rotation of peace and field movements, nothing out of the way”. [Hindustan Times]

The king gone, Nepal must confront a new danger

By Siddharth Varadarajan

Unless the deadlock over government formation is broken soon, the constitution writing process will be compromised.

Nearly a week after the abolition of the monarchy in Nepal, a democratically formed coalition government still eludes the world’s youngest republic. Instead of introspecting over the reasons for their defeat in the elections to the Constituent Assembly, the Nepali Congress and the Unified Marxist-Leninists are behaving like victors. And the Maoists, who came first but still lack a majority, have yet to master the art of compromise without which there can be no coalit ional politics. At stake is not just the question of governance but something much more fundamental. For unless the deadlock over government formation is resolved quickly, the political atmosphere in the country will get so vitiated that enormous and perhaps irreparable harm will be done to the prospects of writing the country’s new constitution.

Nepal’s voters want the Maoists to lead the government and process of constitution writing, but only on the basis of power sharing. That is why they gave the former rebels 220 out of the 575 elected seats in the Constituent Assembly (CA) but withheld the two-thirds majority needed to allow them to run a single-party government under the terms of the interim constitution. Of course, the Maoists have never said they wanted to run the government by themselves. As soon as the election results became known six weeks ago, Chairman Prachanda extended an invitation to the others to join a government under his leadership. The terms of power sharing had been clearly spelt out by both the text of the interim constitution and the spirit of its working over the past 18 months and it was assumed that these arrangements would carry over.

As the single largest party in the interim legislature, the Nepali Congress got to keep the post of Prime Minister as well as the defence, home and finance portfolios. Moreover, the interim constitution specified that the Prime Minister would discharge the functions of both head of government and head of state and that he could only be removed if a two-thirds majority of legislators voted him out. Now that the Maoists have emerged as the single largest party, however, the Nepali Congress and the Unified Marxist-Leninists are demanding that the terms of power sharing be arbitrarily redrawn. Some of the changes demanded are objective, the product of changed circumstances such as the formal abolition of the monarchy. But some — such as the demand that the two-thirds majority rule for the removal of the Prime Minister be changed to a simple majority — are totally subjective. As the Maoists correctly argue, such demands would never have arisen if the NC or the UML had won the elections.

Be that as it may, the current deadlock over government formation in Nepal can only be broken if the Maoists and the political parties make some effort to address each other’s fears and insecurities in an open and transparent manner. Obviously, both sides must decide on what is vital to their interest and be prepared to compromise on what is not.

Constitutional amendment: Since the Maoists have more than one-third of the seats, the other parties say the provision in the interim constitution requiring a two-thirds majority vote to remove the Prime Minister means Mr. Prachanda can never be ousted once he is elected. The same, incidentally, was true of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala in the interim legislature. On their part, the Maoists say changing this provision to allow the Prime Minister to be removed by a simple majority would make the government unstable and encourage horse-trading.

Nepal as a secular state, a negative development: BJP

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI: The declaration of Nepal as a secular state is a “negative development,” but the end of monarchy in what was till recently the world’s only Hindu kingdom is the result of the “wishes of the people,” says the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Releasing the party’s seven-page foreign policy resolution here on Monday, the former External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh, clarified its views in response to questions.

Clearly, the BJP did not think that the recent election gave the Communist Party of Nepal(Maoists) any mandate, although it expressed its “satisfaction” with the poll. It said the CPN(M) needed to be restrained in its conduct and utterances “as they had only about a third of the popular vote, and that too, obtained through intimidation.”

As for abolition of monarchy, Mr. Singh said, “It is for the people of Nepal to decide not to have a monarchy.”Was the BJP happy about Nepal becoming a secular state? He said: “As an Indian and a believer in ‘sanatan dharma’ [Hinduism], I feel diminished. … There are four ‘dhams’ [pilgrimage centres] in India and the fifth, Pashupati Nath, is in Nepal. There is nothing more secular than ‘sanatan dharma’. … This is a negative development [in Nepal].”

The BJP resolution charged the UPA government with dereliction of duty and violation of the oath of office to safeguard the country’s interests. It said India’s relations with its neighbours, including China, had worsened; with Russia the ties had been allowed to stagnate; and with the United States, the UPA government’s “maladroit handling of matters” reduced the relationship to a single issue — the nuclear deal.

Mr. Singh demanded that the government “stop the charade” on the nuclear deal and “take a call.” The Congress should not waste its time pleading with the BJP to support the deal. Instead, it should put the UPA house in order. [The Hindu]

High altitude rubbish

The International Trade Mart at Sherathang in East Sikkim is one place that has put Sikkim on the international map. Since it is located on the way to the famous Nathula border post, this place has also become very popular with tourists who stop here to have a look at the place where international trade takes place. However, of late, Sherathang is facing a problem caused by too much human activity and a lack of concern from the concerned authorities.

I would like to turn attentions of the concerned authorities to the increasing problem of garbage accumulation in this high-altitude Trade Mart. Since its opening two years ago, the place has seen garbage accumulate all over the area because there is no mechanism in place for waste management. Garbage is littered all over the place, which is giving the Mart an ugly and unhygienic look.

The authorities are aware of this problem and have been informed of the need to provide some concrete solution to this problem but have remained silent so far. There is an urgent need to provide garbage collective bins at the Trade Mart and its surrounding area. A mechanism also has to be provided in order to dispose non-biodegradable products like plastic bags, water bottle etc, left behind by the visitors. I am sending attachment a picture of the garbage littered in the area.

The concerned department has to take immediate action before this fragile high-altitude place is turned into an urban nightmare with unattended garbage and wastes.

Rinsing Wongyal Sherpa,
Gangtok.

SOS to organise bird watching trip in the periphery of Gangtok

GANGTOK, June 02: The Sikkim Ornithological Society (SOS) will be holding two days of bird-watching field trip in the periphery of Gangtok on June 14 and 15.

A press release issued by the Secretary of SOS, Lukendra Rasaily informs that a field trip groups will be divided to explore different areas within a radius of 7 kms. The groups will be headed by experts like Usha Lachungpa, Dipanker Ghosh, Chungda Sherpa, Chewang Bonpo, Madan Gurung, Arun Bhagat and Lukendra Rasaily.

The release also says that a small group of SOS member has been doing survey in 10 kms radius around Himalayan Zoological Park for the past six months. So far, 90 species of birds have been recorded and three species unidentified. Slender Bill Scimitar Babler, Golden Babler, three species of sun birds have been seen in the area which is an interesting discovery, the release further informs.

Participation is open to members as well any non individual members interested in protection and conservation of species. Interested participants can contact Information Centre for registration forms at Hotel Delamere, Church Road, Gangtok.

The International Trade Mart at Sherathang in East Sikkim is one place that has put Sikkim on the international map

GANGTOK, June 02: The president of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment, Prof Kamal Bawa called on the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling at the latter’s official residence in Mintokgang here yesterday. [Inset: Prof. K. Bawa]

During the meeting, the Professor expressed his appreciation for the effort being put in for conservation of environment with personal intervention of the Chief Minister. According to him, the exemplary work of the Chief Minister towards protection of environment and biodiversity has created a safe environment for the people of Sikkim. He also said that as per his study, Eastern Himalayas in comparison to the other parts of the country is better as far as environment is concerned and at the same time expressed his desire to contribute his knowledge for the cause of environmental protection in Sikkim.

In the meeting, the professor also discussed the possibility of Sikkim University pursuing research on the subject of Biodiversity and environment.

On the other hand, the Chief Minister assured to look into the suggestions made by Prof. Bawa and take up the matter with the concerned authority. He further said that he dreams of converting Sikkim as a school of nature by protecting its environment and other natural wealth.

Suman Rai, Regional Director, Eastern Himalayan Office, Ashoka Trust of Research in Ecology and Environment who was also present during the meeting briefed the Chief Minister about the trust which was founded in 1996. Earlier, Prof. Bawa presented a book on Biodiversity and environment to the Chief Minister. (An IPR Release by Govt. of Sikkim)

Session Court overrules CJM”s order to arrest Thukchuk on medical grounds – High drama at Hospital

GANGTOK, June 02: High drama today prevailed at the Central Referral Hospital here when the Sikkim Police headed by SP East, SDPO, Gangtok and PI Sadar Thana came to arrest former minister Thukchuk Lachungpa in connection to the recent PMGSY bridge collapse at Chenzey village killing four persons.

An FIR under section 304/336/337 of IPC has been lodged against the former Minister, who is the contractor of the project at Ranipool police station under whose jurisdiction the bridge comes. However, following Medical Superintendent’s medical certificate that Mr. Lachungpa was unable to make any kind of body movements, the Police could not take him along.

Mr. Lachungpa, the contractor of the project, who sustained injury in the accident, is under treatment at CRH with a broken rib.  The medical certificate also reads that Mr. Lachungpa has serious three rib fractures. “We have taken the permission from the CJM which directs that Thukchuk Lachungpa should be procured in the court by tomorrow 11am,” DIG Range Akshay Sachdeva told SIKKIM EXPRESS. The CJM has also issued a notice to the Medical Superintendent of CRH to make necessary arrangement to procure Mr. Lachungpa before the court, the DIG said.

However, at the time of filing this report, it was learnt from KT Bhutia, Advocate of T Lachungpa that the Session Court has overruled the CJM’s order to produce Mr. Lachungpa before the court tomorrow on medical grounds. Interestingly, a spectacular event developed today when Abdul and MB Tamang, the supervisors of the PMGSY project revealed that the Divisional Engineer and other officials from the State Rural Management and Development Department (RM&DD) met them a day before (May 28) the bridge collapse instructing them that there should be some immediate modifications in the structure.

Zoo-keepers’ Training Opens in Patna

Patna: June 2, 2008

An 11-day training program for zoo officials designed to raise awareness about the needs of the animals and their proper upkeep within a confined environment opened at Patna’s Sanjay Gandhi Zoological Garden with officials from Bokaro, Tata, and Darjeeling Zoo taking part in the program opened on Monday.

The Patna Zoo resident veterinarian Dr. Shashi Kant urged the zoo officials to treat the animals with kids’ gloves. “They are your responsibility and you must treat them like your own children. If you see slight change in their attitude and behavior, you must report to your seniors without delay so proper steps are taken to prevent them from getting sick,” Dr. Kant said.

Apartment ban on plastic

Siliguri, June 2: Residents of a housing complex here have pledged not to allow non-biodegradable material on their premises even as the civic authorities struggle to educate people about the ban on plastic bags, which was supposed to have been imposed this month. [Inset: Green Valley Apartments. A Telegraph picture]

Almost 100 residents of Green Valley Apartments off Sevoke Road took part in a meeting yesterday evening and decided to give up using plastic carry bags.

“We have even convinced the department store owner in the complex to convert to paper and jute bags,” said Neeraj Chowdhury, one of the residents.

The meeting was held to mark the launch of Green (Green Earth, Environment and Nature), an organisation aiming to improve the environment in and around the growing trade hub.

Currently, the organisation has 34 members, including doctors, teachers, financial consultants, businessmen and chartered accountants. R.P. Chowdhury, the president of Green, added that he was happy with the response shown by the residents of Green Valley. “They not just attended our meeting, but also wholeheartedly agreed to make their complex a plastic-free zone.”

A proposal has also been taken up with the army authorities at Sukna for planting trees in a barren area within the cantonment, the president said.

Entry forms fly off counters

Siliguri, June 2: Colleges across the Siliguri subdivision were witness to long serpentine queues from early this morning as students collected admission forms for BA, BSc and BCom courses.

At the end of the first day, almost all colleges said the forms have been over-subscribed.

“We have 1,100 seats in all (honours and pass course together), but by the end of the first day, more than 3,000 forms were sold out,” said Malay Karanjai, the principal of Siliguri College.

“Our first-day sale of forms has surpassed all previous records and is threatening to disturb our estimates. We get our prospectus and forms printed from a Calcutta press. If the sale of forms goes on in this manner, we are afraid we will run short of forms and prospectus. Let us hope the rush will subside in the coming days.”

“The timing for form distribution had been fixed from 11am to 2pm,” Karanjai said. “But students had lined up as early as 6.30 in the morning. Thousands had lined up when I came.”

Sikkim police miss court date

Gangtok, June 2: Police today missed a 24-hour deadline to produce government contractor T. Lachungpa in court in connection with the bridge collapse in East Sikkim on May 29 which killed four workers and injured around 25.

Doctors in Manipal Central Referral Hospital at 5th Mile, Tadong, did not allow the police to shift Lachungpa out of the facility because of his injuries — three broken ribs and accumulated fluid — suffered in the same incident.

The contractor had been arrested at the hospital yesterday and was supposed to be produced in court within 24 hours.

The divisional engineer (East) of the state rural management and development department had filed an FIR with the Ranipul police station against Lachungpa after the mishap. He has been charged under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt by such an act) of the IPC.

On Thursday, the workers were casting the slab of a new reinforced concrete cement bridge in Chenzey, East Sikkim, when it caved in. Four labourers were trapped under the debris and died.

Today, when senior police officials arrived at the referral hospital and wanted to take Lachungpa to court, the on-duty doctors told them that the patient could not be shifted.

Leaders of the Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad, a regional outfit, and family members of Lachungpa soon gathered at the hospital to protest against what they called “the violation of human rights by the police in trying to forcibly drag a bedridden patient to court”. Lachungpa, a former All India Congress Committee member, is currently the chief convener of the Parishad.

“Since the doctors said he could not be shifted, there was nothing we could do,” said superintendent of police (East) M.S. Tuli.

Lachungpa today spoke to reporters from his hospital bed and refuted allegations of flouting all guidelines and going ahead with the casting of the slab despite being asked not to do. Instead he accused the divisional engineer (East) of making changes in the scaffolding without his knowledge the evening before the incident occurred. “The DE visited the site and wanted certain changes to be made to the scaffolding. She also paid Rs 500 to my supervisor as advance for the overtime work,” Lachungpa alleged.

2 engineering students barred from writing exams

SILIGURI, June 2: Two engineering students, among the six accused who were arrested in connection with the 22 May sensational murder of a Siliguri call centre executive Abhishek Chachan (19) would not be able to appear for their third year engineering examinations that commences tomorrow.

The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Siliguri today turned down separate pleas in this regard by the advocates of Roman Sarkar and Anand Gupta, both third year engineering students at a private institute located at Salbari on the outskirts of Siliguri.

Roman and Anand were arrested on 27 May night along with Saidur Rahaman , Surajit Das, Amit Kumar Mondal and Nilkamal Sharma. The six have been booked under section 464/302/120B/201 of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly murdering Abhishek Chachan, whose decomposed body was found in a canal at Phansidewa on 24 May morning.

Following a five day police remand, the six accused were produced before the ACJM court for hearing on Monday. Six advocates separately represented the accused at the hearing on Monday. While none of the advocates paid bail for their clients, the two who were representing Roman and Anand urged the court to permit the duo to take up their engineering examinations scheduled to begin tomorrow.

The advocate representing Saidur appealed for leniency and urged the court to allow the 12th standard pass out to apply for under-graduate studies in Siliguri colleges.

The acting ACJM, Mr Justice Kamal Sarkar was however not convinced and turned down all the pleas. The court has sent the six accused to a 14-day judicial custody, setting 16 June as the next date for hearing. Expressing utter dissatisfaction at the development, Mr Akhil Biswas, counsel for Anand Gupta said that he would soon move to a higher court challenging the judgment.“The court could have released the two engineering students on payroll for the examinations or arrange for the examinations to be taken in the Siliguri jail itself. But by rejecting the plea, the court has denied the duo the right to education, which is absolutely illegal,” Mr Biswas said. [The Statesman]

GCDP threatens hunger strike

COOCH BEHAR, June 2: Demanding unconditional release of 56 supporters from jails, the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party has threatened to launch an indefinite hunger strike from 5 June. The GCDP president Mr Ashutosh Barma today announced that GCDP activists would start the fast-unto-death programme at Shahid Baag near the offices of the DM and SP.

“The decision has been conveyed to the district magistrate and the superintendent of police,” he said. According to the GCDP leader, religious rituals would be observed before the fast programme is launched. Mr Barma said they have sent memorandums stating their demands to the President, the Prime Minister and the chairman of National Human Rights Commission.

The GCDP leader alleged that armed CPI-M supporters had attacked GCDP supporters at Uttar Nababganj Balasi village of Dewanhat prior to the panchayat elections. “In that incident, a GCDP leader Md Ruhul Mian sustained severe head injury,” Mr Barma said demanding arrest of the persons involved with the crime.It may be recalled that the situation turned violent three years ago on 20 September when a large number of GCPA supporters had tried to enter Cooch Behar town for a fast programme at the office premises of the district magistrate. Fifty-eight persons were arrested in connection with the incident and the GCPA chief Mr Bangshi Badan Barman had surrendered. Later, two of the undertrials died in custody. [The Statesman]

Ailing woman favours euthanasia

SILIGURI, June 2: Mrs Fulbati Das (19) a resident of Phansidewa has appealed to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital administration for mercy killing following a series of futile kidney stone removal surgeries over one year at the NBMCH. The appeal was submitted to the medical superintendent vice principal of NBMCH on 27 May but the hospital administration is delaying it with the MSVP on leave in Kolkata. Mr Ramchandra Das, the patient’s husband also agrees to the euthanasia appeal, beseeching the hospital administration to put a painless end to Fulbati’s life.

The bizarre story began on 17 June last year when Mrs Das was admitted with belly pain at the NBMCH. Then started the surgery story. One surgery followed another and the condition of the patient kept deteriorating. Instead, fresh complications arose with each surgery and finally the condition reached such a state that the patient lost the urge to live.

In the mercy killing appeal, the woman has demanded all information related to her treatment and the series of surgeries done upon her as per the Right to Information Act.

Fulbati Das and her husband alleged that the doctors were not attending her. “As the news of the futile surgeries came out in the open the physicians adopted a vindictive attitude towards us. Save for the meals no care is being taken,” Fulbati and her husband alleged in the appeal.

However, Dr Udayan Ganguly, the NBMCH Principal today said that it was not true that the medical college authority had done nothing for the patient. “A medical board was formed comprising the Principal, MSVP, surgical department head and an urologist. Following a thorough medical investigation it has been found that given the critical condition of the patient, another surgery at NBMCH is not feasible. We have recommended her to the SSKM hospital,” he said.

As for euthanasia is concerned, the Principal avoided answering the question saying that the appeal had been sent to the MSVP. “I cannot comment anything on the matter,” Dr Ganguly said.However, Mr Ramchandra Das said that he was financially broke and could not afford another surgery. “It is better to end Fulbati’s life clinically,” the frustrated husband said.

GJMM launches hunger-strike

SILIGURI, June 2: The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha, which launched a hunger strike at Naxlabari this morning over permission for holding a public meeting there, has decided to extend the agitation to Bagdogra tomorrow.  According to the GJMM general secretary, Mr Roshan Giri, 11 of his party cadres would join the fast-unto-death agitation near the Bagdogra police investigation centre tomorrow.

“Our cadres are already on hunger-strike at Naxalbari since this morning. But so far the administration has shown no sign of conceding to our democratic demand hence we have decided to extend the fast to Bagdogra from tomorrow,” Mr Giri said.

11 male GJMM cadres initiated the fasting agitation from 11 a.m. today at the Naxalbari BDO office premises. The agitation is so far continuing peacefully. Local GJMM leaders informed that another batch of party cadres would join the fast tomorrow.

“We first sought permission to hold a public meeting at Naxalbari on 25 May, but the administration turned it down. The meeting was rescheduled to 1 June only to meet denial again.

Now we are demanding permission to hold the meeting on 8 June and until the administration concedes the hunger strike will continue,” said Mr Durga Pradhan, convener of the GJMM’s Naxlabri block unit.

Darjeeling Municipality to rehabilitate hawkers

DARJEELING, June 2: The Darjeeling Municipality has decided to remove hawkers from the town and rehabilitate them in the periphery areas from 8 June onwards. The stalls along JP Sharma road, NB Singh road, Nehru road and the vegetable vendors in front of the G Building of the Municipality will be removed to free the town from congestion. “No specific area has been allocated to rehabilitate the hawkers but we can only provide space in the periphery areas which the hawkers are not willing to accept,” stated Mr Pemba Tshering, chairman, Darjeeling Municipality.

The decision has hit the hawkers hard, they have completely refused to budge from their present locations.
“There is no other place more profitable than these sites. No customer would travel all the way to Ghoom or Lebong to buy goods from us. It is unjust and we will be deprived of our livelihood,” said Mr Dilip Pradhan, secretary of the Hawkers’ Union, Darjeeling.

The hawkers have already cut down on the space they use on the roads to display their wares. “Earlier our shops extended to about two feet on the road but now we have reduced it to one foot. The municipality can work on widening the space of the road in these locations instead of removing us,” said Mr Basant Chettri, a stall owner at Orient Line.

Morcha cadre on fast for plains meeting

Siliguri, June 2: Eleven Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters began an indefinite hunger strike in front of the Naxalbari block development office today to protest against the administration’s refusal to grant the party permission to organise a public meeting at a local ground. [Inset: Morcha supporters on fast in front of the Naxalbari block office. Picture by Kundan Yolmo]

Thousands of Morcha supporters from Naxalbari, Bagdogra and the surrounding areas descended on the block office and raised slogans demanding permission. Large forces from the Naxalbari and Bagdogra police stations were posted at the spot, around 40km from Siliguri town, although there were no untoward incidents.

“We had earlier asked for permission to hold a public meeting at Naxalbari Adivasi Maidan on May 25. After there was no response from the administration, we again applied for permission to hold the meeting on June 1. But once more, the administration kept silent, so we decided to hold an indefinite hunger strike,” said Durganarayan Pradhan, the convener of the Naxalbari block committee of the Morcha.

Bata manager back home

Siliguri, June 2: An employee of a shoe company showroom missing since May 27 returned to his house in Siliguri today.

Rana Bardhan, the manager of the showroom of Bata India Ltd in Darjeeling’s Chowkbazaar, was tracked down in Mayapur, Nadia. His brother Bappa had gone to Mayapur after he received a call from an ashram there. Police have ruled out foul play. “It seems that he went there willingly,” said Rajesh Yadav, the additional superintendent of police, Siliguri.

The 35-year-old went missing while on his way home in Sukantapally on Tuesday. The driver of the car that brought him from Darjeeling had confirmed dropping Bardhan in Siliguri around 8.30pm that day. Bappa said his brother had no idea how he went missing from Siliguri.

Bardhan, who had married around six months ago, today appeared at a news conference at his residence with his head tonsured. “Please don’t ask him anything. He is very tired,” said his mother Rama.

According to Bappa, Bardhan had boarded a bus from Siliguri on May 27 and the next day on arriving at Esplanade in Calcutta, he met a sanyasi, who took him to Puri. “He returned to Calcutta on the 29th and went to Mayapur the next day. During his stay in Puri, he got his head tonsured,” said Bappa.

Himalaya

Greetings.

I happened upon your website and thought that I you make you aware of the fact that I am currently creating several hundred new aerial panoramas of the Himalayas. Here is an example of one looking south from an elevation of 200 kilometers. This is the second of six overlapping panoramas that may be digitally glued together so as to give you a nearly complete view of the Himalaya Range from the Tibet side looking south. If you are interested in receiving new images periodically and news about the project’s progress. I am sending you a second image made from a much lower elevation

Dr. William Bowen
California Geographical Survey