24 students of St Alphonsus School participate in Hunger Strike at Kurseong – A Photo Feature by Nandan Pradhan

Pemendra Gurung GJYM President Kurseong Branch, introducing the students while Anit Thapa, a Central committee member lying down with the students and cheering them up.

Students of St. Alphonsus School, Kurseong. Photos by Nandan Pradhan

Names of the students are as follows

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Name Age Class

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1. Shyam Chettri 21 years XII Com

2. Ramkrishna Shrestha 19 years XII Com

3. Rohan Pradhan 13 years VI

4. Sandeep Mallick 18 years XII Arts

5. Prashant Pradhan 19 years XII Arts

6. Rajeev Shrestha 16 years IX

7. Bivek Chettri 16 years IX

8. Sugam Rai 15 years IX

9. Pemba Lepcha 19 years XII Arts

10. Ronit Manandhar 17 years XII Com

11. Sunit Thapa 18 years XII Com

12. Raj Routh 17 years XII Com

13. Jeetendra Mallick 18 years XII Arts

14. Sameer Routh 17 years X

15. Rupesh Singh 16 years X

16. Yogen Khati 18 years XI Arts

17. Prasant Kharka 15 years IX

18. Pramod Kharka 17 years XII Arts

19. Subam Pradhan 15 years IX

20. Bishal Chettri 17 years X

21. Neeraj Tamang 16 years IX

22. Kamal Bhujel 17 years XII Science

23. Ashish Tamang 18 years XII Com

24. Denish Gurung 16 years X

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Signature Campaign At New Delhi – A photo feature

All Photos by Kamal Pradhan

WB Govt warns of legal action against GJM for flouting laws

FROM PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Kolkata, Jun 30 (PTI) The West Bengal Government today warned of proceeding with legal action against the agitating Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), if they flout the state’s transport laws and go ahead with ‘GL’ registration mark on vehicles replacing ‘WB’ illegally, as part of their movement demanding separate Gorkhaland state. [Inset: A scooter with GL Registration Plate. Photo by Barun Roy]

Expressing concern over the issue regarding change in vehicle number codes from WB to GL by the GJM, state Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty said that the state government would first direct them to stop this illegal practice.

“If they still continue with this practice, the state government will immediately draw the Centre’s attention followed by legal action against the illegal act by the GJM,” Chakraborty said.

“State government can never accept this illegal practice by any authority flouting its transport laws. No authority other than the state government can also do this legally,” the minister said.

Releasing a list of registration mark on vehicles for states and Union Territories, Chakraborty said, “no other authority can opt any registration mark on vehicles which are not in the list.” PTI AKB rg RSH 06302230 DEL

Porter Exodus from Kalimpong

Porters in large numbers are leaving Kalimpong and other hill towns due to lack of work

Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Students of Rockvale Academy participate on the Relay Hunger Strike in Kalimpong

Students of Rockvale Academy participate on the Relay Hunger Strike in Kalimpong

Photo by Himalaya Darpan

“Replace plastic by local handmade paper bags”, Dr. Zimba

“Replace plastic by local handmade paper bags”, Dr. Zimba, Kalimpong Municipality Medical Officer says

Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Children rally for Gorkhaland at Mirik

Children rally for Gorkhaland at Mirik

Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Bhutan students return from Darjeeling

BY SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA NET

THIMPHU: A group of Bhutanese students studying in colleges in Darjeeling arrived in Phuentsholing this week. The students were escorted by Indian security personnel in Darjeeling. Two Zimpom Woongmas were also sent from the office of the Gyalpoi Zimpon to receive the students. Our reporter Tenzin Wangda says 16 students who completed their exams entered Bhutan safely. A total of over 40 students were supposed to come along with the escort.

Our reporter says there are still Bhutanese students who are sitting for examinations taking courses like B.Com and Bachelor in Computer Applications. Their examination is due to end with another phase of shut down likely to begin by next weekend.

Schools, colleges and other educational institutions remained unaffected by the shutdown so far. This was done to avoid disruption of regular classes. Tea gardens and Cinchona plantations, which employ the largest workforce in the hills, also functioned normally. [Inset: Bhutanese Students back in Thimpu. Photo: Tshering Dukpa]

However, students said the situation during the strike was sometimes problematic leaving them even without basic necessities. This is due to the restriction on the movement of people. They said getting transportation was out of question.

The students who were escorted said it was still not safe to travel on their own. According to Indian media reports, another strike is likely to resume from the July 5. It said the shutdown this time could even affect educational institutions.

Meanwhile, the Bhutanese students expressed gratitude to Indian government for providing security escorts so far. The President of the Bhutan Students Association however, said it would not be safe to go back if the strike resumes.

St. Teresa Girls participate in Relay Hunger Strike at Darjeeling

St. Teresa Girls participating in relay hunger strike at Darjeeling

Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Gorkha Veterans bid farewell to their former Field Marshal Sam Bahadur

Members of the Gorkha Janmukti Ex-Servicemen Association salutes at the portrait of Sam Bahadur in Darjeeling. Photo by Himalaya Darpan

12 year old sit on Hunger strike at Agam Singh Giri Nagar, Siliguri

Youngest hunger strikers ever in the Hills!

“It is important to hold dialogue between the State Government and the aggrieved parties in the hills to restore peace,” State Home Secretary Asok Mohan Chakraborty

State Home Secretary Asok Mohan Chakraborty in a meeting with District Administration Officials at Siliguri. Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Morcha’s signature campaign reaches Delhi

DARJEELING, June 29: The signature campaign initiated by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) to press for their demand of a separate Gorkhaland State today began at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. At least 800 people put their signature on the banner, with a background of a map of India and Gorkhaland. Pradip Gurung, vice president, GJM said that the signature campaign will be taken up in a national level now. ‘The campaign will be taken to each and every state in the country to collect signatures, after which both the Central Government and the West Bengal Government will be submitted a banner each,” Mr. Gurung. Led by a team  of four members of the Morcha consisting of Gyanendra Arel, Vishal Rai, Hari Timsina and Prabhakar Mainali, the signature campaign kicked off in Darjeeling on June 23 with the openings done by GJM chief Bimal Gurung.

Meanwhile, slogans like “We want Gorkhaland” rent the Jantar Mantar air today.

15 yr old found dead in Kurseong

Upesh Thapa, a 15 year old student of St. Alphonsus School was found murdered within the premises of Kurseong Municipality. The orphan had been living with his grandmother. Severe assault marks have been found in his body. So far, the Police have had no lead in the murder. Photo by Mohan Prasad

Demand for a separate state was initiated by the Britishers

By P.P. Gurung, Joretang

On the 26th April, 2003, I came across a very important article in “The Statesman” under North Bengal and Sikkim Section which reads as follows-“Return of Mal Mateli in Darjeeling constituency demanded”. After reading the article I instantly felt that it as my moral duty as a citizen of the country to express my opinion and simultaneously to bring an awareness. I can sincerely say that I had made a detail survey of the area. Since I was sent as an observer from the AICC office at New Delhi to monitor the parliamentary and assembly elections in 1987 when Shri D.P. Roy (Mithu Bhai) was contesting for the Jalpaiguri Parliamentary Constituency as a NIC Candidate. After being briefed by the local congress leaders of the District I instantly took the initiative to go the Bakhrakot, where I interacted with the local businessman and the public. I was the advised to meet Shri Sukman Moktan who at the time was spearheading the agitation for Gorkhaland in the Dooars area. The said meting with the latter was not successful inspite of my waiting for him till 3 O’clock in the morning, his whereabouts was not known. But I was confident that my message had reached him in right earnest. Finally, later at 5 a.m. I met him on the appointed time and place desired by him. The meeting was short but not fruitful. [Inset: Ari Bahadur Gurung. Photo: Fallen Cicada - Unwritten History of Darjeeling Hills. Copyright Barun Roy]

During my entire tour of Jalpaiguri district even to the interior of Kalchini a S/T constituency which returned the Congress Candidate successful. I witnessed the misery not only of the general populace due to various economic disparities, but the pitiful condition of the children who were deprived of the basic amenities of education and health facilities was heart breaking. I also learnt that their grievances and reports of omission and commission had never reached Writers Building or New Delhi.

High tension wires & weak protective walls pose threat to residents – Villagers seek CM’s intervention to provide them with safe shelters

BY SUREN MOHRA [SIKKIM EXPRESS]

NAMCHI, June 29: The people of in and around Namchi are already feeling the pinch from the monsoon rains. It is evident from the cracks developed on the protective walls constructed around high tension power line towers in Maniram Bhanzyang and Rongbul areas thus posing grave threat to the lives of the residents nearby. According to residents, cracks are visible on protective walls built around high tension power lines at various places of the District, particularly in Maniram and Rongbull areas. In some areas, the protective walls have fallen and there are chances that the towers may collapse anytime.

The high tension power line towers are constructed under Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, for the 400 KV new transmissions D/C, Teesta Stage V from Phongla to Maniram Bhanzyang areas. Unheeded by the Power Grid over their repeated requests, the villagers have submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, who is also the Minister for the State Power and Energy. The memorandum is also submitted to the Secretary of the State Energy and Power Department, Divisional General Manager, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, Ranipool Head Office and Chief Manager, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, Jorethang, South Sikkim.

In the memorandum, which was also made available to the press states that the “carelessly constructed towers and the weak protective walls will any time collapse and the public of the locality have to face a great loss.”

ASGEA holds a massive rally to thank CM for IT exemption – Sikkimese women who marry a non-Sikkimese would also be exempted from the Income Tax: CM

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, June 29: More than 7000 government employees braved the rain to be a part of the Dhanyabaad rally organized by All Sikkim Government Employees Association (ASGEA) on June 28 as an expression of gratitude to the Chief Minister for having exempted government employees from Central Direct Taxes. [Inset:  ASGEA holds a massive rally to thank CM for IT exemption.]

The rally saw the participation of government employees of all four grades from the 24 government departments. The rally started from Convoy Ground and was rounded up at Paljor Stadium where the Chief Minister addressed the mammoth gathering.

The Chief Minister was accorded a warm welcome by the government employees and offered flowers as a token of gratitude.  In his address, the Chief Minister said that government employees in Sikkim enjoy a lot of facilities in terms of salaries compared to other states in the country. He informed that government employees in Sikkim receive Rs 48,000 more than the employees of other states. Talking on income tax exemption for Sikkimese, he informed that all government employees would be exempted from Income Tax from the month of April 2008 in retrospective effect. It was our persistent effort and endeavor which has proved fruitful finally with the accomplishment of the demand, the CM said.

He informed that all those Sikkim Subject holders who carry business outside will be kept out from the tax purview and obtaining a Permanent Account Number (PAN) would be easier. The Chief Minister also assured that Sikkimese women who marry a non- Sikkimese would also be exempted from the Income Tax.

Integrated traffic system in Siliguri

FROM THE STATESMAN

SILIGURI, June 30: The Siliguri traffic police have decided to introduce an integrated traffic system to meet the challenges posed by the chaotic traffic in Siliguri and its outskirts. Mr Prashanta Chanda, DSP, traffic said that under the new plan, many areas within the Bhaktinagar and Pradhannagar police stations would come under the jurisdiction of the Siliguri Traffic Police.  The DSP revealed that the plan was chalked out at a meeting of traffic personnel, at Jalpaiguri on 26 June attended by the ADG, traffic, Mr Utpal Dutta. The plan, which will be sent to the traffic headquarters in Kolkata for approval, contains details of the infrastructural requirements for the new system, he said.

Outlining the objectives of the plan, Mr Chanda said: “Our aim is to extend the jurisdiction of the STP to Sukna, Salugara, Panitanki, Ghoshpukur, Bhutikirhaat and Susrutanagar for better control and supervision”. To make the plan effective, the STP would also undertake steps to enlighten the public about safe traffic. “We are planning to organise slide shows in schools to generate awareness among the children about the need to follow traffic rules and also to inculcate traffic sense among them,” Mr Chanda said.

Worker’s wife’s surgery generates political storm

FROM THE STATESMAN

SILIGURI, June 30: A critical surgery held at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital today has taken a political turn with the Opposition’s keen eye on the entire process.

Wife of a tea plantation worker Mr Ram Chandra Das, Mrs Fulbati Das’s surgery has been in the news lately because of repeated failures. A series of surgeries conducted upon Mrs Das since last year at the NBMCH yielded no result except that her case got more and more complicated with each surgery. Continuous surgeries and their subsequent failures made the patient appeal for euthanasia to the medical superintendent, NBMCH. Today’s surgery is hopefully the last one of the hitherto futile series.

The NBMCH authority once threw up its hands in despair, admitting the hospital’s incompetence in restoring normalcy in the patient’s body- functioning through a final, albeit most critical, surgery until the media highlighted the failure of the premier medical institution of north Bengal in this case.

It seems that the NBMCH authority took the gauntlet under adverse media pressure and resolved to undertake the required final corrective surgery. The surgery was done today. Yet a question arises as to why the hospital authority took such a risk when the state government, as per the version of the state urban development minister Mr Asok Bhattacharya, was ready to make all surgery-related arrangements for the ailing Fulbati Das at a state-run hospital in Kolkata.

Meanwhile the Opposition Congress and the Trinamul Congress have raised questions over the efficacy of the NBMCH’s decision to proceed with the surgery.

CPM ‘will not be intimidated’ by GJMM

FROM THE STATESMAN

SILIGURI, June 30: The CPI-M leaders from the hills today declared they would not be intimidated by the GJMM. This comes in the backdrop of the ‘ceaseless threats’ being issued by the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha activists against the CPI-M leaders and party supporters in the Darjeeling hills. Veteran CPI-M leader Mr Ananda Pathak and the party’s Darjeeling district secretary, Mr S P Lepcha, today stated that they would not give up under pressure from the GJMM and would stay on in the Hills with their pro-development politics.

Mr Pathak said that the CPI-M was the last party to give way to pressure, especially when an ideological issue was involved. “Resisting anti-development and divisive elements is not a new challenge for us. We fought against such forces in the past and would continue to do so in the future too,” said the ex MP. Taking strong exception to the GJMM threat to Mr Lepcha and others to leave the Hills immediately, the CPI-M leadership said: “Adherence to the Gandhian principles of non-violence is nothing but a mere trick to decieve people. GJMM is, in reality, a fascist outfit and the common people of the Hills would soon get the real taste of this organisation.”

Parties in Sikkim back Gorkhaland

FROM THE STATESMAN

GANGTOK, June 30: A number of political organisations including the ruling Sikkim Democratic front and the Congress (Sikkim) have expressed concern and provided support for the Gorkhaland issue. The BJP however did not comment and the CPI-M leadership said it would adhere to the party line on the subject. “The Gorkhaland demand is justified for the fulfillment of democratic aspirations of the Gorkha people living in the hills and adjoining areas in West Bengal,” said Mr BB Gooroong political advisor to the chief minister of Sikkim. “The lack of economic development in Darjeeling and discrimination against the Gorkhas by the West Bengal government since Independence are the main reasons behind the demand for a separate state,” he added.

“The present agitation was a culmination of the discrimination by the West Bengal government against the people of the Hills for years,” said Mr Nar Bahadur Bhandari, the Sikkim Congress chief. He also slammed the Congress leadership at the Centre for remaining silent on the entire issue.

Workers withdraw strike after job assurance

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, June 30: The Jana Mukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan (JAKS), an organisation of the ad-hoc workers under the DGHC has withdrawn its indefinite hunger strike after they received an order from the DGHC securing their job for the interim period today. “We are accepting this as a temporary agreement,” said Mr Machendra Subba, President of JAKS. The ad-hoc workers refusing to work under the 6 month contract system that ended today, had launched an indefinite hunger strike from 28 June, after they received no assurance from the state government regarding job security. “It will take a year for the authorities to regularise all 8,000 workers. The draft for our job security has not yet been passed by the state government and as the end of our contract period was near we satged a protest,” Mr Subba added.  Accepting the security of their job during the interim period, as a temporary arrangement, the JAKS has threatened to intensify its agitation if the state government delays its regularisation process.

Uprooted trees block highway for 5 hours

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Kalimpong, June 30: NH31A was blocked for more than five hours today after five trees uprooted by a landslide fell on the highway near 27th Mile, about 25km from here.

Vehicles travelling between Kalimpong, Sikkim and Siliguri were caught in the traffic jam that stretched for kilometers on both lanes of the busy highway.

This is the third time in the past eight days that the road has been blocked.

Sources in the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which maintains the highway, said traffic on the road initially came to a standstill for nearly three hours from 8am and again for another two-and-a-half hours from 2.30pm.

In between, traffic was stalled for another 15 minutes.

The first tree came down a little before 8am bringing down with it an electricity pole. BRO personnel were forced to delay the clearing operation as the live wires entangled with the branches came in their way.

“We immediately got in touch with the subdivisional officer (SDO) of Kalimpong, P.T. Sherpa, and the district magistrate of Darjeeling, Rajesh Pandey. But despite their intervention, employees of the electricity department did not turn up. We then sought Pandey’s permission and removed the tree at great risks to our lives,” said a BRO worker.

The BRO personnel had a narrow escape about half-an-hour after removing the tree when a second one came crashing down right on the road. “We had to run for our lives when we saw the tree falling down,” said another worker.

The BRO personnel had a tiring day as three more trees came down almost simultaneously around 2:30pm.

“We had to cut the trees to make way for the long queue of vehicles that had reached the spot by then,” the sources added.

Among the hundreds of passengers who got caught in the traffic jam was the Kalimpong SDO, who was on his way to Siliguri to attend a meeting called by the Bengal home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti.

Jumbo calf isolated again

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Siliguri, June 30: An elephant calf, which had been reunited with its herd by foresters after it got injured and fell behind, was again found alone at Bengdubi near Bagdogra today. It has been brought to Gourmara National Park.

The female calf was first spotted in a cornfield at Tarabari, close to Trihana Tea Estate in Bagdogra, by forest guards on June 26. It was part of a herd that had been driven away from India-Nepal border into Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary.

The calf was rescued from villagers, who were pelting it with stones, treated and released among the elephants by the guards.

The forest officers were keeping their fingers crossed as there was a possibility of the calf, which had come in contact with humans, being rejected by the herd.

Their fears came true when the calf was found isolated in a field near an army ammunition depot today.

As the elephants reached Bamanpokhri en route to Mahananda sanctuary, the foresters today combed the entire stretch from the India-Nepal border to the Balasone to see if any elephant had strayed from the herd. That was when the guards spotted the straggler.

Asked why the pachyderm had been left behind even after if had been left with the herd, Sumita Ghatak, the divisional forest officer (wildlife-1), said: “A herd never takes in a frail elephant. Any pachyderm which cannot keep pace with the others in the group is isolated. The calf in this case was limping, so that is why it might have been isolated.”

The “hula party” (expert elephant chasers) from Bankura is likely to be pressed into service today or tomorrow to steer the herd towards Mahananda. The elephants are in Bamanpokhri forest now, close to the sanctuary.

2 held for felling trees

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

The stump of one of the three trees that were felled. (Kundan Yolmo)

Siliguri, June 30: Two supervisors of an under construction commercial complex were arrested by foresters today for cutting down three trees on Sevoke Road. The Siliguri Municipal Corporation had planted the trees as part its beautification project three years ago.

“Rakesh Kumar and Ashok Sharma were arrested for chopping down sishu, jarul and radhachura trees in an overnight operation without obtaining permission from the forest department. The duo had violated the West Bengal Trees (Protection and Conservation in Non-Forest Areas) Act 2007,” said Sailesh Anand, the divisional forest officer of Baikunthapur.

The under construction complex is in Ward 41 along Sevoke Road. Ujjal Sarkar, the secretary of the ward committee, said Subrata Saha of Prakashnagar was the first to notice that the three trees had been cut while he was out for his morning walk.

“After Saha reported this to us, we rushed to the spot and found that the trees were dumped inside the complex. We informed the officials of the Baikunthapur forest division,” said Sarkar.