Letter exchanged with the 1950 Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty

KATHMANDU
Dated the 31st July 1950

EXCELLENCY,

In the course of our discussion of the Treaties of Peace and Friendship and of Trade and Commerce which have been happily concluded between the Government of India and the Government of Nepal, we agreed that certain matters of details be regulated by an exchange of letters. In pursuance of this understanding, it is hereby agreed between the two Governments:

(1) Neither Government shall tolerate any threat to the security of the other by a foreign aggressor. To deal with any such threat, the two Governments shall consult with each other and devise effective counter-measures.
Any arms, ammunition or warlike material and equipment necessary for the security of Nepal that the Government of Nepal may import through the territory of India shall be so imported with the assistance and agreement of the Government of India. The Government of India will take steps for the smooth and expeditious transport of such arms and ammunition through India.
In regard to Article 6 of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship which provides for national treatment, the Government of India recognize that it may be necessary for some time come to afford the Nepalese nationals in Nepal protection from unrestricted competition. The nature and extent to this protection will be determined as and when required by mutual agreement between the two Governments.
If the Government of Nepal should decide to seek foreign assistance in regard to the development of the natural resources of, or of any industrial project in Nepal, the Government of Nepal shall give first preference to the Government or the nationals of India, as the case may be, provided that the terms offered by the Government of India or Indian nationals, as the case may be, are not less favourable to Nepal than the terms offered by any other Foreign Government or by other foreign nationals.

Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Kathmandu, July 31, 1950

THE government of India and the Government of Nepal, recognising the ancient ties which have happily existed between the two countries for centuries;
Desiring still further to strengthen and develop these ties and to perpetuate peace between the two countries;
Have resolved therefore to enter into a Treaty of Peace and Friendship with each other and have, for this purpose, appointed as their plenipotentiaries the following persons, namely,

The Government of India:

His Excellency Shri Chandreshwar Prasad Narain Singh, Ambassador of India in Nepal.

The Government of Nepal:

Maharaja Mohun Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, Prime Minister and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Nepal,
who, having examined each other’s credentials and found them good and in due form have agreed as follows:

Article I

There shall be everlasting peace and friendship between the Government of India and the Government of Nepal. The two Governments agree mutually to acknowledge and respect the complete sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of each other.

Article II

The two Governments hereby undertake to inform each other of any serious friction or misunderstanding with any neighbouring state likely to cause any breach in the friendly relations subsisting between the two Governments.

Article III

In order to establish and maintain the relations referred to in Article I the two Governments agree to continue diplomatic relations with each other by means of representatives with such staff as is necessary for the due performance of their functions.
The representatives and such of their staff as may be agreed upon shall enjoy such diplomatic privileges and immunities as are customarily granted by international law on a reciprocal basis:
Provided that in no case shall these be less than those granted to persons of a similar status of any other State having diplomatic relations with either Government.

Article IV

The two Governments agree to appoint Consuls-General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls and other consular agents, who shall reside in towns, ports and other places in each other’s territory as may be agreed to.
Consuls-General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls and consular agents shall be provided with exequaturs or other valid authorisation of their appointment. Such exequatur or authorisation is liable to be withdrawn by the country which issued it, if considered necessary. The reasons for the withdrawal shall be indicated wherever possible.
The persons mentioned above shall enjoy on a reciprocal basis all the rights, privileges, exemptions and immunities that are accorded to persons of corresponding status of any other State.

Article V

The Government of Nepal shall be free to import, from or through the territory of India, arms, ammunition or warlike material and equipment necessary for the security of Nepal. The procedure for giving effect to this arrangement shall be worked out by the two Governments acting in consultation.

Article VI

Each Government undertakes, in token of the neighbourly friendship between India and Nepal, to give to the nationals of the other, in its territory, national treatment with regard to participation in industrial and economic development of such territory and to the grant of concessions and contracts relating to such development.

Text of the Tripartite Agreement Between the Government of the United Kingdom, the Government of Dominion of India and the Government of Nepal

Memorandum of Agreement

At a meeting held at Kathmandu on 1st May 1947 between representatives of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom, the Government of India and Government of Nepal, His Highness the Prime Minister and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Nepal stated that he welcomed the proposals to maintain the Gurkha connection with the armies of the United Kingdom and India on the following basis “If the terms and conditions at the final stage do not prove detrimental to the interest or dignity of the Nepalese Government, my Government will be happy to maintain connections with both armies, provided men of the Gurkha regiments are willing so to serve (if they will not be looked upon as distinctly mercenary).”

Discussions have taken place in Delhi between representatives of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and of the Government of the Dominion of India and the points of agreement are embodied in the Memorandum dated 7th November 1947 a copy of which forms Annexture I of this document. Necessary financial adjustments between the two Governments are still under consideration.

Further discussions between the representatives of the three Governments have taken place at Kathmandu during which the Government of Nepal have put forward certain pertinent observation on the memorandum of agreement referred to in the preceeding paragraphs which are set out in Annexture II. In regard to these points, the representatives of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and of the Government of the Dominion of India have replied as follows:
a. Location of the Recruiting Depots
The use of the existing depots at Gorakhpur and Ghum has been sought by His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom for a temporary period only pending establishment of their own depots in Nepal. The wishes of the Government of Nepal have been noted and arrangements for the establishment in India of the Recruiting Depots required to meet the needs of the Gurkha units of the British Army will be settled between the United Kingdom and Indian Governments.

b. Desire of the Government of Nepal that the total number of Gurkha Units to be employed in the Armies of the United Kingdom and of India shall be limited and brought down to the peace-time strength of 20 Battalions out of which 8 Battalions will be alloted to the British Army.

The representatives of Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and of the Government of Dominion of India have taken note of the wishes of the Government of Nepal.

SOUGAULEE TREATY

TREATY of PEACE between the HONOURABLE EAST INDIA COMPANY AND MAHA RAJAH BIRKRAM SAH, Rajah of Nipal, settled between LIEUTENANT – COLONEL BRADSHAW on the part of the HONOURABLE COMPANY, in virtue of the full powers vested in him by HIS EXCELLENCY the RIGHT HONOURABLE FRANCIS, EARL of MOIRA, KNIGHT of the MOST NOBLE ORDER of the GARTER, on of HIS MAJESTY’s MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL, appointed by the Court of Directors of the said Honourable Company to direct and control all the affairs in the East Indies, and by SHREE GOOROO GUJRAJ MISSER and CHUNDER SEEKUR OPEDEEA on the party of MAHA RAJAH GIRMAUN JODE BIKRAM SAH BHAAUDER, SHUMESHEER JUNG, in virtue of the powers to that effect vested in them by the said Rajah of Nipal, – 2^nd December 1815.

Whereas war has arisen between the Honourable East India Company and the Rajah of Nipal, and whereas the parties are mutually disposed to restore the relations of peace and amity which, previously to the occurrence of the late differences, had long subsisted between the two States, the following terms of peace have been agreed upon:

ARTICLE 1^ST

There shall be perpetual peace and friendship between the Honourable East India Company and the Rajah of Nipal.

ARTICLE 2^ND

The Rajah of Nipal renounces all claim to the lands which were the subject of discussion between the two States before the war; and acknowledges the right of the Honourable Company to the sovereignty of those lands.

ARTICLE 3^RD

The Rajah of Nipal hereby cedes to the Honourable the East India Company in perpetuity all the under mentioned territories, viz, –

First – The whole of the low lands between the Rivers Kali and Rapti

Secondly – The whole of the low lands (with exception of Bootwul Khass0 between the Rapti and the Gunduck.

Thirdly – The whole of the low lands between the Gunduck and Coosah, in which the authority of the British Government has been introduced, or is in actual course of introduction.

Fourthly – All the low lands between the River Mitchee and the Teestah.

Fifthly – All the territories within the hills eastward of the River Mitchee including the fort and lands of Nagree and the Pass of Nagarcote leading from Morung into the hills, together with the territory lying between that Pass and Nagree. The aforesaid territory shall be evacuated by the Gurkha troops within forty days from this date.

Going for the goal

FROM INDIAN EXPRESS

By Vandana Kalra

Dharamsala, July 15: When Spain was taking on Germany in the Euro Cup final, a group of Tibetan teenagers in Gopalpur, a nondescript village in Himachal, sat rapt in attention in front of their television screen, carefully studying the strategy followed by the European players. They were developing their own game plan for the Gothia Cup in Sweden. The group was excited that the Spaniards took the cup from the Germans in the final match. “They concentrated on the basics and that worked for them. We hope to do the same,” noted Gelek Palden, captain of a team of 15 players who made an international debut in the Swedish tournament that begun this Sunday. Wearing blue uniforms, this group of Tibetans — under the name of Snow Lions — were all geared up to play against IF Elfsborg in Gothenburg in their first match.

“It is the first time that a team of Tibetans is participating in the tournament and we hope to give our best,” smiled team manager Tseten Phuntsok, as he looked at the players who would represent India on the world stage. “Deliberate efforts were made to ensure that the participation is not politicised. For instance, we rejected the idea of calling ourselves team Tibet or Himachal,” he added.

Comprising students from different branches of Tibetan Children’s Villages — an institution that was established to provide education to Tibetan children in exile — the support for this team comes from the Dalai Lama’s sister Jetsun Pema. “She got in touch with the organisers and arranged sponsorship for the team,” said Phuntsok, recalling how the team failed to make it to the tournament two years ago due to lack of funds. “Now that we’ve managed the finances, we aspire to make our mark,” he said.

Sam Manekshaw remembered

FROM THE HINDU

NEW DELHI: A Field Marshal, a valiant soldier and a loving grandfather in whom even children felt comfortable confiding in was how SHFJ Manekshaw or ‘Sam’ was remembered by different people at a Memorial Ceremony here on Tuesday.

The ceremony was attended among others by Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal F.H. Major and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta.

On the occasion a number of retired services personnel made an appeal for honouring him with the highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.

Recalling his achievements, the Defence Minister described him as the “greatest soldier” to lead the Army during a critical period. The Minister said Manekshaw was a great leader who provided immense motivation to the soldiers and who never allowed himself to be bothered by the presence of “mighty powers” during the 1971 war.

The Minister also described him as one of the finest “military strategist” who led the forces with great skill during the India-Pakistan war.

General Deepak Kapoor said he was a compassionate, humane general always concerned about the welfare of his men and their families.

Lieutenant General (retd.) Deepinder Singh, who had served as Manekshaw’s military assistant from 1969 to 1973, termed the 1971 victory against Pakistan as the most decisive one in recent times.

JD(S) mum, TRS aligns with BSP

FROM THE TIMES OF INDIA

NEW DELHI: With the number game keeping Congress managers busy, hard bargaining was the order of the day with some “undecided” elements like JD(S) upping the ante while other parties like Telangana Rashtra Samiti deciding to join forces with BSP.

The three-member TRS was not likely to support UPA as Congress is in no position to make any commitments on Telangana. Now it is has formally aligned itself with the BSP-Left combine and its leader, K Chandrasekhar Rao, is expected to meet UP chief minister Mayawati on July 20 in Delhi. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu is also expected to meet Mayawati in the
Capital a day earlier.

TRS has a problem in that one of its MPs, A Narendra, is a rebel. But the party is hoping to wean him away from Congress as it is pointed out that Narendra cannot ignore the Telangana factor.

Congress managers still need to get the formal endorsement of groups like JMM and RLD even though these parties are certainly inclined to support the UPA. Both are not really in a position to cut deals with BJP which has announced seats like Kairana in west UP. In Jharkhand, whatever deal BJP can work out with JMM is in the future.

JD(S) chief Deve Gowda maintained his mercurial ways and penchant for brinksmanship. The party said on Tuesday that it would take a decision on July 18 after a meeting in Bangalore.

Small parties show their clout

FROM SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA NET

NEW DELHI: Smaller parties and Independents are keeping the national parties on tenterhooks in this fluid political situation but UPA managers claim the ruling coalition is “comfortable” and will sail through the July 22 trust vote in the Lok Sabha.

The JD(S), RLD and TRS together have nine MPs while the Asom Gana Parishad and National Conference together have four MPs. Besides, the Kerala Congress, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and National Loktantrik Party have three MPs. The Independents are Thupstan Chhewang (J&K), Harish Nagpal (UP), Charenamei Mani (Manipur), Dr Sebastian Paul (Kerala) and S.K. Bwiswmuthiary (Assam). And this group of 21 MPs, if it votes collectively, could decide the fate of the trust vote.

The five-MP JMM has also become important despite being a UPA constituent.

The three-line whips issued by the UPA and NDA constituents will have little impact in the sense that those who are unsure of getting tickets could either abstain from voting or vote against the party line, fear political managers. Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi (Congress) and Mr Dayanidhi Maran (DMK) are not the only MPs completely isolated in their respective parties. The two parties have nothing to offer them after dumping them.

A leader of the South Indian party and a sitting MP on Tuesday told this newspaper that JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda could play a role at the national level if he remains with the Left and the UNPA because they could be relevant after the general elections in case the UPA fails to get 272 seats on its own.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti poser to UPA Government

FROM THE HINDU

NEW DELHI: Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhara Rao on Tuesday wondered why the UPA government was still dilly-dallying on the separate Telangana issue, as the Left, which according to the Congress, was a hurdle in approving the separate State, had already left the combine.

“We are not asking anything new. We only wanted what is already there in the common minimum programme of the UPA government and the President’s address to the joint session of the Parliament on Telangana,” he told The Hindu from Hyderabad.

The TRS was not ready to get deceived further by the ‘sweet words’ of the Congress. “We have already been betrayed. Enough is enough.”

Reiterating that the three-member TRS would vote against the UPA government in the confidence motion to be moved by the latter on the nuclear deal, Mr. Rao said the party would not change its stand unless the Union Cabinet passed a resolution for the formation of a separate Telangana. “The Cabinet resolution is the beginning of the official process which will lead us to achieve our goal.”

He did not deny that the Congress had sent feelers to him to change his stand vis-À-vis the motion. He charged that the Congress was having some mental block on the subject due to the game played by Andhra CM.

TRS prays for statehood

ADILABAD: TRS activists led by former ZP Chairperson Ch. Suhasini Reddy on Tuesday offered prayers at the Shivalayam in Ramnagar seeking divine intervention for realisation of a separate State of Telangana. Later, the activists picketed the offices of the APTransco protesting the power cuts and charged the government with failure in providing power even in cities.

Seeking blessings: TRS activists praying at the Fateh Khan dargah in Sangareddy on Monday.

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) launched its five-day agitational programme ahead of the crucial vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha on July 22 by offering special pujas in the temples and other places of worship to mount pressure on Congress MPs from the State to impress upon the high command to concede separate State.

As part of the agitation, TRS leaders and cadres visited temples, churches and mosques in Telangana and offered special prayers. Reports reaching here said the Medak unit cadres offered prayers at the Bhavani temple in Sangareddy and later visited the Saint Mary’s Church to offer prayers. Prayers were also offered in the local dargah.

TRS legislator T. Harish Rao offered prayers at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Siddipet town. In Hyderabad former MLAs, Nayani Narasimha Reddy and T. Padma Rao led the party cadres to Sivalayam near Banjara hills.

In Adilabad, former Zilla Parishad Chairperson Ch. Suhasini Reddy led the prayers. Reports said the TRS workers performed puja at the famous Bhadrakali and Thousand Pillar Temples in Warangal, Ramalayam in Nalgonda. In Karimnagar, party activists and women cadres offered prayers and then went in a procession.

NCC Girls on Arms Training – Go Girls Go!

NCC Girl Cadets receive arms training at the Kurseong’s Eastern Forest Rangers College

Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Czech Ambassador to India shocked by Judiciary in Darjeeling District

“What can I wait for….nothing seems to be working here” Czech Ambassador to India

The Ambassador is in Darjeeling to seek the release of the the Czech Czech entomologists Petr Svacha and his companion Emil Kucera

Photo by Rabin Rai [Himalaya Darpan]

Find of Mortar Shell in Siliguri creates public scare

Photo by Bikram Sashankar [Himalaya Darpan]

15 rebel APF personnel held

FROM INDIAN EXPRESS

Kathmandu: : Fifteen personnel of the armed police force (APF) who had taken their commandant into captivity three weeks ago were arrested on Tuesday. The decision to arrest the rebel APF personnel came after security agencies, including the Nepal Army, quelled fresh revolt in the Nepal police in Banke district. The personnel had rebelled against the oppressive brass and held around two dozen high ranking officers captive, demanding fair treatment. Soon after the mutiny in the APF, an Assistant Inspector General of the Police, and a joint secretary rank officials reached the spot and signed an accord with the rebels. The senior officials had not only promised on behalf the Government that they would not be tried, but they had also praised the personnel for raising issues of general concern.

Nepal Constituent Assembly passes advance expenditure bill

FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA NEWS NET

Kathmandu, July 15 : The Nepal Constituent Assembly has passed the Advance Expenditure Bill that authorizes the Government to incur expenditures totaling Rs 73.54 billion in the new fiscal year that begins from July 16.

Nepal Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat had presented the advance expenditure bill, which will be replaced by a full-fledged budget to be presented by the new government later.

According to Mahat, the current fiscal year recorded 5.6 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, the highest in the last seven years. The agriculture sector registered a 5.65 percent growth, while the non-agriculture sector registered a 5.57 percent growth.

The gross domestic saving increased to 11.5 percent, up from 9.7 percent last year. The government hopes that revenue generation by the end of this fiscal year would increase by 22 percent more than initial estimation.

Likewise, foreign assistance has substantially increased from Rs 37.2 billion in the last fiscal year to Rs 57.6 billion in the current fiscal year. The government debt, during this period, has decreased from Rs 329 billion to Rs. 324 billion.

Korean students pouring in for volunteering services

FROM GORKHAPATRA SANSTHAN

Kathmandu, July 15: As Nepal is becoming a very favorite destination for the Korean people, many Koreans from various walks of life are visiting Nepal these days for different purposes.

In this connection, among many students visiting Nepal for various volunteering works, the students of Seoul National University have come here for volunteer services.

Seoul National University has a group called “Sathi”. Through this group 14 students being led by Professor Jong Tae Won are currently in Nepal for volunteer service.

The students are rendering services at Bahira Balak School in Naxal and Sweta Sadan School in Lele of Lalitpur with the cooperation of Cooperation and Participation in Overseas NGOs (COPION), a Korean NGO.

COPION is an organization working for solving global poverty problems and improving education level with local NGOs worldwide.

In Nepal, two centers of COPION, Korea-Nepal Culture Center and Korea-Nepal Welfare Center have provided Korean language education, working for development issues, Nepalese language education, library service and various classes for children such as art, English and mathematics.

“Sathi”, which means a friend in Nepalese language.

The students were also involved in the discussions aimed at sharing information about Nepalese education system.

Nepal’s Constituent Assembly passes guidelines to elect president, vice-president

Kathmandu, July 15 : Nepal’s Constituent Assembly (CA) meeting on Tuesday passed the guidelines for electing the president and vice-president which is scheduled to take place on Saturday.

As the major political parties locked horns over the presidential candidate and power-sharing in the soon-to-be formed government, the parties finally decided to put the issues to a vote at the 601 member CA.

As per the guidelines, both candidates need five CA members as their supporters and five members should propose their candidacy.

The candidates for the posts should file their candidacy by Wednesday and the final list of the candidates would be published on Thursday.

According to Kantipur, the CA procedure advisory committee today decided to hold the elections for electing the new president and vice-president on July 19.

Likewise, the political parties have intensified their homework to elect the first president of the country and form a new government.

Nepal Maoists back off giving Gurkhas the chop

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL NEWS LAHORE

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s legendary Gurkha mountain men, whose service in the British army helps support tens of thousands of people in their impoverished homeland, will now get to fight another day.

The country’s new Maoist leaders, former far-left rebels who oppose foreign imperialism in all its guises, had threatened to end what they see as the humiliating recruitment of young Nepali men into the British armed forces.

But in what appears to be a nod to hard-nosed practicality in a country where the annual average salary is $470, the Maoists have backed off, saying they must first oversee the new republic’s “economic revolution”. “We don’t have any immediate plans to stop the recruitment of Nepali youths into the British army,” Nanda Kishore Pun, a deputy commander from the Maoist’s People’s Liberation Army, told AFP.

“For the next few years we will be concentrating on bringing an economic revolution,” said Pun, whose party is poised to form Nepal’s first government following the abolition of the centuries-old monarchy. “Then we will deal with this issue,” he added, saying a review of the recruitment policy would not come for “five to seven years.” Another deputy Maoist commander, Janardan Sharma, described their recruitment into the British army as “shameful and humiliating.”

“It’s wrong to sacrifice Nepalis to protect the sovereignty of foreign countries,” he said. But the Gurkhas themselves don’t necessarily agree. “At least 30,000 families depend on the salaries and the pensions of the British Gurkhas,” said Lok Bahadur Gurung, from the Nepal chapter of the British Gurkha Welfare Society. “They have been significantly contributing to Nepal’s economy since the practice started nearly 200 years ago.” Nepalis were first recruited into the army of the British East India Company after the short but bloody Anglo-Nepali war that ended in 1816.

Impressed by the bravery and ferocity of their foes, the British saw to it that a peace deal gave them the right to enlist prisoners of war in a private army. The East India Company’s troops were eventually merged into the British Army, and the Gurkhas have fought in all of Britain’s conflicts since, from Africa to Argentina — often on the frontlines. Their reputation for loyalty and fearlessness is legendary, as is their use of the Khukuri, a long, curved knife employed in hand-to-hand combat.

Around 200,000 Gurkhas fought for Britain in World Wars I and II, and more than 45,000 have died in action. Entire front lines of Argentine troops were said to have surrendered during the Falklands war on the mere whiff of a rumour that they would be facing the Gurkhas.

Maoist-UML meet inconclusive

FROM DAILY INDIA

Kathmandu, July 15: A disagreement is likely to have arisen between the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML), the two closest communist allies of the country.

The CPN-M, CPN-UML, the single largest and the third largest party in the Constituent Assembly (CA), which has singled out the Nepali Congress (NC) now seem to be divided over the presidential post.

A meeting between the two held in Kathmandu on Tuesday ended inconclusively following a conflict over the presidential candidate.

The UML has recommended its outgoing General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal for the post of the next president while its counterpart has opposed the proposal.

No official reports on the Maoist’s choice for the president have been made public so far.

According to Kantipur, the Maoists urged the UML leaders not to stick to ‘an individual-wise’ issue, but to forge a consensus in forming the new government and to elect the country’s first president, during the meeting.

Emerging from the meeting, Maoist chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal told reporters that the general public will know who is going to be the first president by Wednesday once today’s CA meet finalises the election process of the president.

UML leader Bharat Mohan Adhikari informed that the meet mainly dwelt on the structure of power sharing. A consensus will be forged after holding consultation with other parties, he added.

A UML source on Monday said the Maoists will agree on the name of former UML chief Nepal for the next president once the Nepal Congress formally decides to stay in opposition.

Czech entomologists threaten hunger strike

FROM SAHARA SAMAY

Siliguri, July 15: Czech entomologists Petr Svacha and Emil Kucera who are lodged in a Darjeeling jail for about a month now have threatened to launch a fast-unto-death protest demanding normal functioning of the district court and the bar so that their bail petitions could be moved.

The scientists were arrested on charges of illegally collecting insects from a national park. Both of them claimed ignorance of such a prohibition in the park.

Svacha and Kucera along with 68 other undertrials in a letter to the Darjeeling sub-divisional officer Sripriya Rangarajan said they were languishing in jail for a month as the court was closed and the lawyers ceased work.

“We cannot move bail petitions even. If the situation is not back to normal by July 16 all the undertrials will go on fast-unto-death go on fast from July 17,” the letter said.

Rangarajan confirmed that he had received the letter.

The Darjeeling court has remained closed due to the indefinite bandh by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha in support of their demand for a separate state.

The Darjeeling Bar Association was observing a cease work since June 25 to protest against the Siliguri Bar Association’s demand for delegation of powers of the district and sessions judge to the additional courts in Siliguri in view of the inconvenience faced by petitioners due to the GJM bandh and blockade.

Three mortar shells found on SMC grounds

FROM THE STATESMAN

SILIGURI, July 15: The Bhaktinagar police today recovered three mortar-shells from near the Siliguri Municipal Corporation’s dumping ground at Sevoke Road in Siliguri. Police are yet to ascertain if the shells are active or not even as the CID bomb disposable squad and the explosive experts from the Army are already on the spot to examine the ammunitions. Kept in a nylon bag, the three shells were hidden inside a dried up drain a little away from SMC dumping ground.

According to police, while clearing up the drain at around 11.20 a.m. this morning, the municipal corporation’s conservancy workers spotted the abandoned nylon bag and intimated Bhaktinagar police station.  “On inspecting the bag, we found three mortar-shells each measuring about eight inches in length and six inches in diameter. We are still in a fix as to how the shells came to the area as those resemble the ones used by the Army,” said Mr Rajen Chhetri, inspector-in-charge, Bhaktinagar police station.

PG courses for techies

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

A file picture of the engineering college

Siliguri, July 15: The Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College will introduce post graduate courses in electrical and mechanical engineering streams from the current academic year.

Faculty members of the college confirmed that the institution has earned the approval of the West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT) and the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to introduce the courses.

The principal, J.Jhampati, however, refused comment when contacted in Calcutta.

“Our college is affiliated to the WBUT. The varsity has approved our proposal to introduce PG courses in electrical, mechanical and civil engineering courses,” a professor said, on condition of anonymity. “When the proposal was sent to the AICTE for its approval, MTech courses in electrical and mechanical were only endorsed.”

There would be 15 seats in both the streams. “Following the sanctions and considering the necessity to appoint faculties in these two departments to start the PG courses, the state Public Service Commission has issued notice for recruitment in these posts,” said the professor.

Morcha on Delhi recce

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

BY VIVEK CHHETRI

Darjeeling, July 15: A Gorkha Janmukti Morcha team has left for Delhi on what party insiders described as a “confidential visit”.

The five-member team, led by Amar Lama, a central committee member of the Morcha, reached Delhi last evening.

The visit has been confirmed by party general secretary Roshan Giri, who however, refused to divulge the details.

The team is expected to prepare ground work on two fronts. “At a time when the equations are changing at the Centre and relations are developed with a new set of people who matter most, it does make sense to send a team. The team may not get enough time in this hectic situation to interact with all those it intend, but there is no harm in giving it a shot,” said a party source.

This also explains why the party is not too keen in publicising the visit before something concrete emerges out.

The decision to visit Delhi at this juncture is also important as Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has already written to the Centre for a tripartite meeting.

The Morcha is keen on talks and wants to ensure that the invitation reaches it once the government gets stable.

During its stay in Delhi the delegation would also prepare its groundwork for a seminar that the party would host here on July 21, the source said.

Fined for bus seat change

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Balurghat, July 15: The district consumer court has slapped a fine of Rs 11,000 on the owners of a private transport company for denying a group of passengers the seats they had booked.

Manoj Chakrabarty, one of the petitioners, said he was a part of a 30-member team, including women and children, which had booked tickets on a night bus to Siliguri on April 26 this year.

“We had purchased the tickets for a bus being run by Mahanta Travels and we also booked seats for the return journey on April 30,” Chakrabarty said.

He added that they were all members of a morning-walkers’ club, Sakal, and were on a journey to Sikkim. “We had booked tickets from seats 1 to 30 and during the uphill journey, we sat on these numbered seats,” he said.

But during the return journey, the conductor made them take the seats from 17 to 40 and another six rearmost seats.

“We got to know that the seats in the front of the bus had been sold off at a premium. When we returned to Balurghat, we filed an FIR against the transport company,” he said.

They had also filed a complaint with the district consumer redressal forum.

Bidyut Roy, the lawyer who fought the case in the consumer court for the morning walkers, said the court had asked the transport company to pay Sakal Rs 10,000 and another Rs 1,000 as court expenses. If the payment is not made in one month, the company will be charged 15 per cent of interest on the amount, the lawyer said.

The owner of the transport company, Gopal Mahanta, said he was yet to receive a copy of the order.

SFI accused of campus assault – Five injured in clash at new college

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Trinamul Chhatra Parishad and Chhatra Parishad supporters block Hill Cart Road at Sevoke More on Tuesday and (below) Mukhtar Ahmed at the nursing home. Pictures by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, July 15: Five supporters of the Chhatra Parishad and the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad were injured in clashes with members of the student and youth wings of the CPM at one of the new colleges here today when the admission process was going on.

One of the injured was admitted to a private nursing home. Supporters of the Congress and the Trinamul Congress along with members of their student wings, the Chhatra Parishad and Trinamul Chhatra Parishad, blocked Sevoke More for an hour from 11.30am.

They have called a students’ strike across the sub-division tomorrow and filed a complaint with Bhaktinagar police station, demanding the arrest of those responsible for the attack.

The admission to the new college had started yesterday at Shew Mangal High School where the new Munshi Premchand College is functioning.

“We were on the campus this morning to assist students who came to collect admission forms, when a group of SFI and DYFI supporters, on the orders of Dilip Singh, the Dabgram zonal committee secretary of the CPM, attacked us with rods and sticks,” alleged Kuntal Roy, the president of the Darjeeling district of the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad. “Muktar Ahmed, Abhijit Roychoudhury, Roni Dutta, Dhiman Bose and I were badly beaten up by them.”

Muktar was admitted to a local nursing home and the others were released after they were administered first aid at Siliguri District Hospital. Pradip Dutta, the Siliguri deputy superintendent of police, visited the spot.

“I have received a complaint and I am looking into the matter,” said Rajen Chetri, the officer-in-charge of Bhaktinagar police station. He confirmed that five persons have been injured.