Comment Moderation! Please check yourself!

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Darjeeling! I hope you are all doing well!

Wow, it seems there is a comment every second!  I know we are all worked up and on the edges of our seats, flared up with our emotions and ready to go banging. There have been people calling names, threatening each other and declaring revolutions. And as you may realize it is becoming harder and harder for me to read all comments and moderate. It is good that we rather discuss here and pass pleasantries and revoke online then out in the streets face to face. Yet, there must be some extent of self refrain. I want you all to feel free but also at the same time accept responsibility. If we go on commenting in this way sooner or later the Government will shut down Beacon Online under one pretext or the other. I cannot deleted or moderate all comments as well. Hence, let us be productive instead. Let us concentrate of the Roadmap to Gorkhaland and pitch in our ideas as to what should be done, peacefully, democratically and collectively.

Please friends, I beg of you, we are all answerable to the history…let us, thence be known as ‘those who made the difference’. Wear your thinking hat and come out with a solution instead of raising hell. We are as much responsible of things happening around us as others are. Let us do our bit…Let us do our duty…Let us come up with ‘The Roadmap to Gorkhaland.’

Regs

Barun

GJM relaxes indefinite bandh in Darjeeling for few hours

2NDLD GJM (NATIONAL,GENERAL)
Created on : 06/11/2008 17:25 (PRI)
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Siliguri, Jun 11 (PTI) As the indefinite bandh in the Darjeeling hills entered its second day today, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha declared a 15-hour relaxation to enable locals to stock food and essential commodities.

The relaxation, from 0300 pm onwards today, was announced by GJM President Bimal Gurung at a public meeting at Mal in Darjeeling town.

A GJM source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the relaxation period might be extended further as a crisis in food and essential commodities was already being felt in the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling district — Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.

If the bandh was resumed from tomorrow, the spontaneous support that the GJM enjoyed, might be affected, the source said.

A meeting of the GJM central committee would meet in the evening to evaluate the situation and take “practical decisions”, the source said.

Gurung, meanwhile, said that a memorandum had been faxed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opposing deployment of the CRPF in Darjeeling, “which will lead to panic” among the locals.

GJM General Secretary, Roshan Giri told PTI that his party had rejected the call of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to give up its demand for creation of a separate state of Gorkhland.

Hindustan Times News Report

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Nav Bharat Times Report!

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Unrest in the Plains

frontline story

GJM crumbles on popular pressure calls off Indefinite strike until Saturday evening

BREAKING STORY!

Darjeeling: After a marathon meeting, the Central Committee of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to call off the Indefinite Strike starting today 6pm until Saturday 6 pm. The decision was taken over mounting pressure from people and citizen’s group requesting Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leadership to allow people to prepare themselves for the long strikes and shut downs. Hotel Owners have lamented that if the Strike was to be as suddenly called off as it was called for, why had the tourists been forced to leave the hills. There were no clarifications from the leadership. However, Bimal Gurung, GJM President lamented on the hardship the Tourists had to suffer.lamented on the hardship the Tourists had to suffer.

Just Another Man’s Opinion!

By Anonymous

An estimated 80,000 plus tourists domestic and foreign left Darjeeling hills since 9^th of June. If one individual tourist was to spend One Hundred Rupees an estimated 80 lakhs earning per day was lost. Who were benefiting from a bumper tourist season except for local hotel owners, travel operators, travel agents, vehicle owners, vehicle drivers and porters? The tourists casually indulged in shopping local goods and eating at restaurants. If one tourist was to spend Rs. 10 in buying goods and Rs. 50 in eating at restaurants, an additional 48 lakhs per day earnings can be calculated. These earnings would have been made by petty and big shop owners and restaurant operators.

There are an estimated 10,000 plus daily construction workers in Darjeeling alone who live on daily wages. A helper earns Rs. 100 a day, while a mason, carpenter or a plumber earns Rs. 150 to Rs. 180 a day. These workers are paid weekly. They have no possibilities of savings. A week long shut down and the close of construction works will lead their families to starve.

An estimated 3,000 plus porters, popularly known as ‘Namleys’ work in Darjeeling. They earn by carrying goods. A quintal of Goods could be carried for 5 to 6 kilometers for Rs. 15 and thereof. Namleys who are basically illiterate do not have avenues of savings. A week long shut down will lead their families to starve.

A Tea Garden worker earns Rs. 65 per day. Their earnings are distributed weekly along with rations which are offered to them in concessional rates on Saturday of every week. A Tea Garden worker basically has no other avenues of earnings. A week long shut down will lead their families to starve. So will the Chincona workers face the same fate.

Around 8,000 DGHC contractual workers are on the verge of losing their livelihoods. While the need for ‘Supreme Sacrifice” has been forced upon them no provisions has been made to offer them compensation; without salary, how are they suppose to take care of their families?

The call for indefinite strike might have brought about Global media coverage but almost all of them have been negative. The Global opinions are not sympathetic. There has been outrage at how Tourists were forced to leave. This is not something to be proud of. This is something to be shamed of. It will be a long time when Darjeeling Hills will have tourists coming back again. It took almost ten years after the Gorkhaland Agitation I to bring back the tourists to the hills.

Bimal Gurung has declared that he will bring Gorkhaland by March 10, 2010. I don’t know whether he gave the exact time of liberation from Bengal or not but doesn’t it sound like he is making fun of our aspirations. How is he going to achieve that – does any one know? There are gossips and rumours about 2 months shut down at a stretch, how will the people survive. Is this the ‘ULTIMATE SACRIFICE’ he is talking about? His children are not in Darjeeling, will he bring them back for their share of ‘Ultimate Sacrifice’? Will GJM provide food aids for the poor and below the poverty level families? A good deal of forest cover including the benches at Chowrasta and the Mall were used as fuel wood during the previous agitation, would Botanical Garden survive this time?

Now for the Million Dollar Question! We have given up our jobs and plunged into the struggle for Gorkhaland forgetting our families. We are willing to go hungry. Boil Grass and eat it if we need. Follow our beloved leader to the hell’s door. ARE YOU willing to do the same? Are you willing to give up your jobs, future prospects, keep everything in your life on hold come to Darjeeling Hills and struggle with us side by side? Or are you going to give that same old excuse that you have done your bit or are still doing so – That you can sit there in the Cities and fight your own 1 hour a day struggle for Gorkhaland. That you raised Rs. 100 for Gorkha Janmukti Morcha during your night shift or afternoon shift and welcomed GJM delegates at your respective railways stations and discussed over coffee or beer the fate of Gorkhas and Gorkhaland.

Darjeeling Hills Yesterday and Today

GJM OFFICE FURNITURES BEING BURNED IN DOOARS TERAI

Tourists Stranded in Siliguri

GJM supporter being arrested in Siliguri

Carbon Markets good for corporate governance

The author of this article Bishal Thapa is the Managing Director of ICF International (India). This article was originally published in The Financial Express.

For the first time in history, oil prices breached the $135 per barrel mark last month. Since then, prices have ebbed slightly but the fallout in India is just the beginning. On June 5, the Central Government bravely increased petrol, diesel and LPG prices. This year oil subsidies are likely to cost the country over Rs 2,20,000 crore—more than five times the outlay for education in the 2008-09 Union Budget.

How does a country like India deliver on development in an era of sustained high energy prices? There are schools and hospitals to be built, roads to be paved and electricity access to be expanded. All of these require access to secure and cheap energy. But oil prices, the primary determinant for energy prices, are now well in excess of $120 per barrel and are likely to remain there.

High energy prices have threatened to put development out of the reach of many developing countries. These economies have relied on a combination of low energy-efficiency, low cost technologies and cheap labour for growth and development. They paid little heed to energy use and failed to develop incentive structures that promoted use of new, clean or energy efficient technologies. Aside from imported oil dependence, there was little cause for concern. And justifiably so. With oil at less than $20 a barrel, governments could afford to keep the lights burning and the old-engines churning.

GJM CPIM CLASH AT HAMILTONGANJ

Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Indian PM assures support to Nepal

New Delhi, Jun 10 (PTI) As Nepal moves on the path of transition, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured it of continued Indian support for its economic development. Singh conveyed this to Nepalese Ambassador Durgesh Mansingh here when the latter called on him to express gratitude for Indian support. Issues related to the ongoing movement of Nepal towards democracy came up for discussions during the meeting, sources said. The Prime Minister hailed the recent Constituent Assembly elections in Nepal and expressed hope that the leadership of the Himalayan country would continue to display the wisdom in future also. India has appreciated Nepal’s movement towards democracy and voiced readiness to extend all possible help in its development and progress. Singh’s assurance came at a time when Nepal is set to see its first democratic government after abolition of 240-year-old Monarchy. PTI AKK ALM 06102224 DEL

CPI(M)’s no to Gorkhaland demand

GJM-PARTNERS (NATIONAL,GENERAL)
Created on : 06/10/2008 00:17 (PRI)
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Kolkata, Jun 10 (PTI) CPI(M) today ruled out the West Bengal government entertaining the separate statehood demand for ‘Gorkhkaland’ revived by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha in Darjeeling. “The demand for a separate state is absurd and unacceptable. The state government cannot entertain such a demand. A state within a state is not possible,” state secretary of the CPI(M) Biman Bose, who is also the ruling Left Front chairman, told reporters here.

He accused the GJM, which is enforcing an indefinite bandh in the hills, of trying to disturb the unity of the people living in the plains and the hill areas of the Darjeeling district. Manoj Bhattacherjee, a central committee member of LF constituent RSP, however, blamed the state government’s inordinate delay to solve the problem. Ashok Ghosh, state secretary of Forward Bloc, another Left Front constituent described the situation in Darjeeling as alarming and said that the state government should immediately ask the Centre to hold talks with the agitators to arrive at a solution. “But under no circumstances can the demand for a separate state be accepted,” he said. PTI PKC PC SMK 06110024 DEL

Thousands of tourists hit by Darjeeling unrest

By Andrew Buncombe in Delhi
Wednesday, 11 June 2008

Tens of thousands of tourists were left stranded in India’s main tea-growing region yesterday as ethnic Gurkhas demanding their own state announced an indefinite general strike and closed down the entire area.

All shops and businesses were shut in Darjeeling, one of the main hill stations in the area, and up to 40,000 holidaymakers were struggling to find a way home after the leaders of a Gurkha political movement asked them to leave immediately. The Gurkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) wants to break away from the state of West Bengal and establish a state for Gurkhas, similar to neighbouring Sikkim, which would be called Gurkhaland.
The group claims the state government in Calcutta has done nothing to help the “hill people” and that only by dealing directly with federal authorities in Delhi will the situation improve. “We will not settle for anything less than a separate state this time,” said the GJM president, Bimal Gurung. Tourism is a vital source of income for the breathtakingly scenic but economically depressed area. In recent years, local authorities have been promoting “tea tourism” to lure foreigners and Indian visitors to visit and stay in upmarket hotels on tea estates.

The Gurkhas, an ethnic group from north-eastern India and Nepal, are renowned for their fighting skills. Since 1815, they have served as soldiers in the British Army.  The campaign for an independent Gurkha state gathered pace in the 1980s when 1,200 people died in violence surrounding the breakaway effort and the subsequent suppression by state authorities. Peace was eventually secured by the creation of the Darjeeling Gurkha Hill Council, a body which was supposed to provide a degree of autonomous rule for the Gurkhas. But in the 20 years since the creation of the DGHC, many people have apparently become dissatisfied with the Gurkha politicians involved, particularly Subash Ghisingh, who led the Gurkha National Liberation Front (GNLF).

Last year, the newly-created BJM – a breakaway from the GNLF – drew publicity during the television talent show Indian Idol when a Delhi radio presenter described the ethnic Nepali winner as a chowkidar or caretaker, a term of abuse for people from north-east India. While the station subsequently apologised, Mr Gurung seized on the moment and made it a rallying cry for his party, whose popularity soared.
Yesterday, thousands of Mr Gurung’s supporters took to the streets, waving his party’s green, white and yellow flag and chanting: “We want Gurkhaland.” No violence was reported.

Darjeeling on the boil, again, CM hardens his stand

By Mouparna Bandopadhyay

Kolkata, June 10 Hundreds of tourists were trying to head out of Darjeeling in West Bengal as the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), which is demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland, enforced an indefinite bandh, shutting down the hills and leaving an estimated 10,000 plus stranded in the plains. Sikkim was also cut off with GJM supporters blocking the arterial National Highway 31A. Violence was reported from neighbouring Jalpaiguri district and at least 350 people were arrested. Authorities said a special train would ply from New Jalpaiguri railway station to Howrah tonight. Darjeeling District Magistrate Rajesh Pandey said most tourists began leaving Darjeeling yesterday. Transport was off the roads in the hills.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said the GJM must give up its demand for Gorkhaland. “Tripartite or bipartite talks are possible only if they give up their demand for a separate state. Until then no talks are possible,” he told reporters in Kolkata. Bhattacharjee said he had suggested more autonomy with administrative and financial powers for the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council during his recent talks with the GJM. The council manages the administration in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong hill sub-divisions.

“Barring the statehood demand, we are prepared to discuss with them any other issue,” he said. A majority of people in Dooars, Terai and Siliguri — which the GJM has demanded be included in Gorkhaland — are opposed to the statehood demand, he said. At Kalchini, about 60 agitators attacked a police jeep and assaulted the driver. They also blocked roads at Kalchini, Odlabari, Birpara and Nagrakata. Police cleared road blocks at Birpara. GJM general secretary Roshan Giri claimed that CPM activists beat up party supporters at Birpara and Kalchini, ransacked a GJM office and set afire some motorcycles.

Tourists felt the brunt of the latest GJM showdown with the state. Despite earlier assurances by GJM leaders that they would be “completely safe” in the hills, tourists were running from pillar to post, desperate to leave Darjeeling. An estimated 40,000 tourists were present in Darjeeling and Sikkim on Monday, the numbers high as this is the last week of summer vacations in most schools and colleges. In Darjeeling, tourists have been on the move since last night. Taxi drivers who usually charge Rs 1500-2000 for a trip to Siliguri were demanding up to Rs 6,000.

Gorkha supporters attack tourist bus near Darjeeling

11 Jun 2008, 0309 hrs IST,Pinak Priya Bhattacharya & Deep Gazmer,TNN

SILIGURI/DARJEELING: In the hills, a total shutdown. In the plains, complete chaos. And in the Dooars, an area just below Darjeeling Hills, widespread violence. By Tuesday evening, there was more grim news — the first attack on tourists.  Gorkha Janamukti Morcha supporters, demanding a separate state be carved out of West Bengal for Nepali-speakers, stopped a bus of tourists being evacuated from Darjeeling at Kalijhora and pelted them with stones. The attack came within 24 hours of GJM’s diktat to visitors to get out of Darjeeling.

Clashes also broke out in regions bordering Bhutan as those opposed to the sudden shutdown took on GJM supporters bent on enforcing the indefinite bandh. A GJM party office was attacked in Birpara and supporters beaten up. GJM men at the receiving end in Hamiltongunj too. In retaliation, Gorkhaland supporters carried out attacks on anti-bandh activists at Kalchini (in the Dooars) and Salugara on the outskirts of Siliguri.

With the situation spiralling out of control, the Darjeeling administration sent an SOS to the state government for paramilitary forces. The government, however, is giving the GJM a long rope. Chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb said, “The government prefers to wait and watch.” He scotched speculation that the state was calling in the army.

Caught in the turmoil, thousands of tourists clambered on whatever vehicle they could find and reached Siliguri exhausted and bleary-eyed. Hundreds more are still stranded in Darjeeling and Sikkim. Efforts are being made to bring them to Siliguri. The state government arranged for a special train (that left Siliguri late Tuesday night) and 15 buses to ferry the stranded to Kolkata. The Darjeeling district administration claimed to have evacuated 90% of the tourists.

State Employment Bill recast with Constitutional attributes

Sikkim Legislative Assembly Photo by Sikkim Reporter

Gangtok: The Sikkim Promotion of Local Employment Bill No. 9 of 2008 was withdrawn and, in its place, a revised Sikkim Promotion of Local Employment Bill No. 18 of 2008 with Constitutional attributes was introduced by Chief Minster and Minister in-charge of Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department, Dr. Pawan Chamling in the State Assembly on June 9, first day of a two-day session.

As to the “object and reason” of the new employment bill, CM stated: “A rule similar in character with regard to service under government in the Sikkim Government Service (Establishment) rules, 1974, has been upheld by the Supreme Court as a good law in the case of S.P.Sharma-vs-State of Sikkim, reported in (1994) 4SCC 282. Sikkim being governed by Article 371 F of the Constitution, which is a special provision in respect of Sikkim reflecting the historical incidents of the past, it would be permissible to make such legislation giving preference to local people in matter of the employment in organization outside the government”.
“It would also be permissible”, CM said, “to enact such legislation in view of the nine judges’ constitution bench judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Indra Sawhney & Others -Vs- Union of India & others reported in 1992 Supp (3) Supreme Court Case 217 permitting the governments to adopt policies of the kind which is being sought to be done in the present legislation.” The new Bill No.18 will be discussed in the House on June 10, second day of the session.

TOURISTS FLEE SIKKIM, DARJEELING – National Highway 31A to remain close for traffic; Sikkim not exempted

GANGTOK/DARJEELING: The indefinite bandh called by the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) from tomorrow in the Darjeeling Hills has once again put Sikkim in a difficult situation. Panic-stricken tourists thronged the motor stands in the Capital since the afternoon as the news of the indefinite strike called by the GJMM spread. The fact that the GJMM has not left the National Highway 31A connecting Sikkim with the rest of the country out of the purview of the bandh, has made matters worse for the tourists.

Desperate tourists, in an attempt to get out of the State before the bandh tomorrow were seen at the motor stand in Deorali and the SNT Bus stand, looking for vehicles to take them to Siliguri. They were even willing to pay whatever the money the drivers demanded just to get out of the situation poised by the indefinite bandh call. “I arrived just two days ago and had hotel reservations till Wednesday. But I have been forced to cut short my visit and rush out,” said Sudipta Dutta, a tourist from Calcutta, even as he searched for vehicles leaving the Capital for Siliguri around 5 pm today with four other members of his family in tow. The scene at the Mainline Taxi Stand at Deorali was chaotic. Harassed tourists were seen pleading with drivers to take them to Siliguri immediately. “The situation is very bad. There are hardly enough vehicles to ferry the stranded tourists. We are doing the best we can,” a visibly troubled tour operator said.

Some tourists had also reached the SNT bus stand, hoping that the Government would press emergency bus service to take the tourists to Siliguri.  The Sikkim Police tried to assist the tourists in getting vehicles although the drivers were charging double the actual fare. According to the drivers, the reason for the double rates is because they have to return back from Siliguri tonight itself. Earlier, in a meeting held in Darjeeling today, GJMM leaders told the Police to leave the hills by this evening. They also told the tourists to leave the hills. The situation was similar in Darjeeling today, where hundreds of tourists attempted leave the town. “It is utter chaos here. We’ve already have had 80 percent cancellations and most of our guests have already checked out. This is not good for the tourism industry,” Sandeep, a manager in a local hotel in Darjeeling said.

Opposition JAC leaders begin Jan Jagaran Aviyan – “Undeclared Emergency in Sikkim”

GANGTOK, June 09: Leaders of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of opposition parties in the State began their public awareness campaign from today by distributing pamphlets among the masses, beginning from the MG Marg here in the Capital. The pamphlet, titled “Undeclared Emergency in Sikkim,” was released by the JAC leaders here yesterday by its chief convener and president of Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) NB Bhandari.

The JAC members, that included leaders from the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC), Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad Party (SHRPP), Sikkim State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Sikkim State Communist Party of India (Marxists), Sikkim Gorkha Prajatantrik Party (SGPP) arrived at the Secretariat here today to kick-start the programme by personally handing over the pamphlets to the government employees. Calling the campaign “Jan Jagaran Aviyan”, the contents of the pamphlet alleges the suppression of democracy in the State by the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front party.

At the same time, JAC had written to the Superintendent of Police, East seeking permission for the use of a microphone in a public meeting to be held at Pakyong on June 11, Singtam on June 13 and Rongli on June 15 from 10am to 5pm. “The permission from the SP is sill waited for as he was not in his office today due to the ongoing Assembly session. We will pursue the request with the SP tomorrow,” JAC members said.
In a press conference held yesterday, Mr. Bhandari said that they will begin their Jan Jagaran Aviyan for undeclared democracy from June 9 onwards.

Indian Army Vehicles movement to be restricted in the Hills by GJM

Indian Army Vehicles movement to be restricted in the Hills by GJM

Photo above: Indian Army Convey at Indo-Chinese Border (North Sikkim). Indian Defence Experts treat Darjeeling Hills Sikkim zone as Critical Defence Zones.

Vehicle ban on CPRM too! Even Army not Spared!

Darjeeling, June 10: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has refused its one-time ally, the CPRM, permission to use vehicles to leave the hills for Calcutta where the party has scheduled an agitation programme to press for statehood. As a result, 122 CPRM members started for Siliguri on foot from Ghoom railway station around 7am today.

The two parties were till a few days ago known as brothers in arms in their struggle for statehood — the CPRM had openly supported the Morcha — and the move denying permission has only exposed the widening rift.

“There is no way we could defer the programme. The Morcha is demanding Gorkhaland in Darjeeling and we, too, wanted to raise the same issue in Calcutta,” said D.K. Bomzom, the spokesperson for CPRM.

The CPRM has lined up dharnas and rallies in Calcutta on June 12 and 13 and it supporters were scheduled to leave for the state capital tomorrow. Since no vehicles were available, the CPRM team started for Siliguri today itself.

“By the time we reached Rangbul-Sonada, the number of supporters swelled to 170,” said Sekhar Chhetri, the chief of the CPRM’s youth wing who is heading the delegation, over the phone from Rangbul, 20km from here.

The CPRM contingent is confident of covering the 65km stretch between Ghoom and Siliguri by late evening. The party, however, made it clear that it had “no hard feelings” towards the Morcha for its decision. However since all of us are focused on achieving Gorkhaland, it is time we set aside petty issues,” said Bomzon.

Binay Tamang, the spokesperson for the Morcha, said he was not aware of the issue. Chhetri, on the other hand claimed, that the CPRM had requested Morcha president Bimal Gurung for permission last evening. “He said permission could not be given as the Morcha has decided to stop even army vehicles from plying in the hills,” said Chhetri. [The Telegraph]

Morcha office ransacked

June 10: The first day of the indefinite bandh called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha passed off peacefully in the hills, but there were a few incidents of violence in the Dooars this morning.

In Birpara, a section of local people opposed to the Morcha demand for shutdown barged into the office of the hill party near the bus stand and ransacked it. They took out furniture and some documents from the office, dumped them on the roadside and set them on fire. A motorcycle of a Morcha supporter was also set ablaze.

The Morcha later gheraoed the police station, shouting slogans for an hour, Manilal Jain, a local leader said. “I was sitting inside the Block Congress office which is next to the thana when Morcha supporters, without any provocation, started throwing stones at the building,” Jain added.

“We have arrested around 300 persons for breaking the law. Senior police officers are in Birpara with forces, monitoring the situation,” S.R. Mishra, the additional superintendent of Alipurduar, said.

In Odlabari, also in Jalpaiguri district, local people protested when Morcha supporters tried to force shop-owners to down shutters. “They left only at 11.30pm,” said a resident.

Students miss examinations

Siliguri, June 10: Vicky Biswakarma was supposed to sit for the philosophy paper of North Bengal University’s BA first-year examinations today, but could not reach his college in Malbazar because the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s indefinite bandh had shut down all transport in the area.

The resident of Gandrapara Tea Estate, 40km from Malbazar, is now hoping that the varsity will let him sit for the exam on another date.

“I waited on the main road for hours but could not get even a truck to reach Malbazar,” the student of Parimal Mitra Memorial College said over the phone. “Later, I talked to the college authorities who said the decision for a re-examination rests with the varsity. They said some more students could not make it to the college today.”

Samir Toppo of Banarhat Tea Estate was one of the others who missed the exams. “It was no fault of ours that we could not reach the exam hall,” he said. “We hope the university holds our exams on another date with a new set of question paper.”

Sudden bandh blow to school larders

Boarders with their luggage near Damber Chowk in Kalimpong. The Morcha had allowed the students to return to their hostels after the summer vacation. Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha

Darjeeling, June 10: Boarding schools across the Darjeeling hills are apprehensive about what might happen if their food stocks do not last till the indefinite bandh is lifted.

Education, after tea and tourism, is one of the backbones of the hill economy with around 30 private schools in the three subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong boasting of students even from neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan, besides the plains.

“There are around 9,000-10,000 boarders in the hills,” said Robi Subba, a former president of the Association of ISC Schools, West Bengal chapter, and one of the directors of Himali Boarding School in Kurseong.

Many schools have maintained that their stocks can last them only for a week.

“We have 460 boarders in our school and since the strike was called suddenly, we can only carry on for a week. We are just hoping that the bandh will not continue for long,” said Father Kinley Tshering, rector, St Joseph’s School, (North Point), Darjeeling.

“Gorkhaland by 10 March 2010″ Bimal Gurung

KURSEONG, June 10: Having brought life to a standstill in the Darjeeling hills, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha organised a public meeting at Kurseong today. The first indication of a relaxation in the bandh soon, also came today. Addressing the meeting, the GJMM chief, Mr Bimal Gurung urged the people of the hills to have patience for the greater cause of Gorkhaland. He also assured to fetch the Gorkhaland state by 10 March, 2010. Cautioning party supporters against individual political ambition Mr Gurung said that the movement launched by the GJMM is the last battle and “ we shall achieve our target by hook or by crook.” Stating that the party would relax the bandh sometime soon to minimise the inconvenience of the people, the GJMM president said: “The GJMM is against communal tension between Bengalis and the Nepalis. Our fight is for our land and the Bengali community living in the plains should understand this. Our fight is not against the Bengalis, it is against the state government.” Social activist Ms Medha Patkar, who was supposed to attend the rally, could not reach Kurseong today. [The Statesman] [Inset: Bimal Gurung]

JEE results Today

KOLKATA, June 10: The results of this year’s Joint Entrance Examination for admission to engineering, technological, medical and dental courses will be declared on 12 June, three days ahead of the deadline set by the Supreme Court to declare results of competitive examinations. The websites and time at which results can be assessed will be informed later.  The examination was held on 24 May. The State Joint Entrance Board’s step of on-spot evaluation by 250 examiners seemed to have worked well since results would be declared within a record time of 19 days this time.  Around 76,450 candidates appeared for the examination from 193 examination centres across the state.