DARJEELING BURNS – CHAOS REIGNS SUPREME – GJM SUPPORTER SHOT DEAD BY UNKNOWN ASSAILAINTS – SUBASH GHISINGH, DEEPAK GURUNG, N.B. KHAWAS ATTACKED

BREAKING NEWS

A Beacon Online Exclusive

By Barun Roy

Darjeeling: Rapid round of firing from Deepak Gurung’s house by unknown assailants over GJM Rally led to one dead. Pramila Chettri, aged 36 and resident of Merryvilla, an employee of the HDFC Bank was mortally wounded. She was declared dead at the District Hospital at 2:55 pm and the cause of death as excessive bleeding and punctures on the left ovary. Anu Sharma, Pramila’s sister said that Pramila was not even the part of the GJM Rally and was returning with her friends after attending a religious function. The firing by assailants led to massive unrest in the town as mobs of disgruntled people marched to the GNLF leaders house and stoned them. Subash Ghisingh, Deepak Gurung and N. B. Khawas all prominent leaders of the GNLF were attacked by the people. An outraged mob set fire to Deepak Gurung’s house. Two cars were burn and the house ransacked. As chaos spread out towards the town more cars were burnt purportedly of GNLF sympathizers. There are no reaction from the Police and Section 144 have not yet been imposed.

Benoy Tamang, the Press and Publicity Secretary of GJM said, “We have been giving information to the police that arms and ammunition were being stored in the GNLF leader’s houses but no action was taken. This is the result of the same. We demand that the State Government immediately arrests GNLF leaders including Subash Ghisingh, Deepak Gurung, N. B. Khawas and the rest.” Asked if GJM would call an strike on the issue, he said, the GJM Central Committee will organize an emergency meeting and decide on what steps to be taken.”

According to unconfirmed reports, Deepak Gurung has been arrested but his whereabouts remains unknown.

Darjeeling shuts down after reports of attack on Subash Ghisingh, N. B. Khawas and Deepak Gurung

BREAKING NEWS

DARJEELING: Reports of attack on Subash Ghisingh, N. B. Khawas and Deepak Gurung led to massive tension in the town and the town has virtually shut down. Unknown groups of people attacked houses of Subash Ghising, N. B. Khawas and Deepak Gurung pelting stones on their houses and upturning cars. A clash is also said to have taken place between the attacking group and the attackers. One woman are said to have injured in firing. It remains unconfirmed as who fired. The incident took place before the house of Deepak Gurung.

Deepak Gurung is the Darjeeling Branch President of Gorkha National Liberation Front and N. B. Khawas is a former councillor from the Gorkha National Liberation Front.

Bhartiya Gorkhali United Forum to organise a protest rally at Jantar Mantar on the 27th of July

A Bharatiya Gorkhali United Forum Communique

Bhartiya Gorkhali United Forum announces (BGUF) it’s registration with the Registrar of societies (Govt of Delhi. Registration No. S/61053/2008 )

BGUF is a Delhi based social organization formed in 2007. Its head office is located at M-6 Prem Nagar, Mangal Puri, New Delhi-110041. It has 9 Branches across the NCR.

Aim and Objectives of BGUF:

To create a sense of brotherhood, co-operation and mutual harmony among the members and to uphold the fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution of India. This is to ensure that the Fundamental Rights of the members will be fully protected and any encroachment of the rights of the members will be challenged legally by the BGUF in a court of law.

BGUF aims to uplift the social economic condition of the Gorkhas in general and its members in particular. Our focus is to eradicate illiteracy and to work towards the upliftment of the community irrespective of their cast, creed, color and religion.

This is further to inform the media and the common people, that on the 27^th of July, 2008 BGUF will hold a protest program to look into the grievances of the entire Gorkha community in Delhi. People from all walks of life are heartily welcomed to embrace the occasion.

The demands include:

OBC status to the Gorkhas of Delhi. The Gorkhas of Punjab, Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh have already been granted this status.

Establishment of a park in the name of the freedom fighter Durga Malla to commemorate the contribution of the Gorkhas in India.

Narbula’s Statement on Gorkhaland differ from that of the Central Leadership – Shyamal Chakrabarty

The Himalayan Beacon Exclusive

BY BARUN ROY

The Communist Party of India Marxist is brainstorming on Dawa Narbula, the Darjeeling Member of Parliament’s role in the Gorkhaland Movement. CPIM Central Politburo Member and CITU State (WB) President Shyamal Chakrabarty said, “The Central Government says one thing about the Gorkhaland movement while the Darjeeling MP Dawa Narbula says the other. The Congress Party hence must reprimand the MP.” Speaking at CITU organized function in Siliguri, the senior Marxist went at length to prove his point that the Darjeeling MP was cheating both his party and his people by lying on every issue he could think of. Chakrabarty also warded off alleged threats to the state resulting from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha President, Sibu Soren’s recent demand that the three districts of West Bengal be merged with Jharkhand. “The threat to the state must be resisted at all cost,” the veteran politician said. [Inset: Dawa Narbula consulting with Indian Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee]

Whatever might have irked the Marxists wrath on the Darjeeling Member of Parliament, Dawa Naruba, the resentment at least to some extent resonates in Darjeeling. The political analysts here believe that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha who had exerted considerable pressure on the Darjeeling MP to make his stand on Gorkhaland clear after a concentrated effort of the same was made through Beacon Online. Ramesh Adhikary, a teacher employed at a local Government School says, “Strangely, Dawa Narbula should have been aggressively striving for Gorkhaland right since the day he was elected. So much so that he should resonate the people’s aspirations in the floor of the Lok Sabha. But I think he has never done that and will never do. In fact, he has actually made all possible excuses from refraining to make his stand clear on Gorkhaland.”

“In the recent no confidence voting, Dawa Narbula had perhaps the best chance to come clear on the issue of Gorkhaland. He could have used the deliberation to speak at the floor on the issues concerning his people. With the intense interest of the media and the people, the cause of Gorkhaland would have been brought out before the nation to bear. But our MP was neither visible nor audible. It seems he merely disappeared amidst the multitude of Congress ‘Wafadars’ whose own personal political ideology and commitment to the people is nonexistent.” Sonam Tshering, a senior Government officer said. “The fact remains that Dawa Narbula, a die hard Congressman is more faithful to the party than to the people whose cause he swore to champion.”

Modern Day Slavery-trafficking of human beings

BY PINKY PRADHAN

Pinky Pradhan is Communications and Advocacy Officer, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime

Kumari and Jayanti start their day’s work at 4 am every morning. This is the only time these two women get to talk and discuss their problems, before the others arrive. Jayanti has been upset for the last few months. Her teenage daughter ran away with the boy in the next village. How could she have done that? Did she not think of the shame it would bring to the family ? Did she not think of what repercussions it would have for her sister who was yet to be married or the difficulty her father would have now to raise a loan for the tractor? But Kumari was wise, she was a true friend. She tried hard to explain to Jayanti that the only way was to accept and forget; after all, 3 years ago her daughter had run away with someone too but with time life had return to routine comfort for her and her family.

While this family rejoices the return of normalcy, there are others, elsewhere who have stopped waiting for normalcy to return. Instead they have gone ahead and created a different normalcy for themselves, very different from what you and I understand.Rashmi, a teenager on the brink of adulthood, likes music, jeans and Bolywood movies. She giggles while saying that, she is an ardent fan of Hrithik Roshan and doesn’t miss a single movie of his. But, Rashmi faces a daily cruel ordeal which she fervently prays no other human being or child faces. In any given day, she has to serve to 5-6 men-her clients. She is a commercial sex worker, operating from a house which has 7 other girls like her. Rashmi is seventeen years old; she was taken away from her village when she was only fourteen.

Click here to read the rest of the article

“Kayar Huno Bhanda Marnu Ramro” – (It is better to die than be a coward)

FROM GARHWAL POST

ARTICLE SHARED BY AARDEE

By Lt Colonel VK Sharma (Retd)

A great military lesson of the first battle with British Forces, in Indian soil, at Khalanga–Nalapani Fort, during Anglo- Gorkha War 1814-15.

Background

The Khalanga–Nalapani war memorial has been constructed to commemorate the inspiring leadership and indomitable courage of 36 year old Gorkha Commander (General) Balbhadra Singh Thapa (Kanwar) under whose command a small force of about 500-600 Gorkha soldiers fought fiercely against a nearly 100 times numerically superior in manpower and war materials British force. The battle lasted for over 30 days (24 October 1814 to 30 November 1814), in which, many Gorkha soldiers, women and children made the supreme sacrifice and achieved martyrdom.

The British Forces

On 24 October 1814, the 3rd Infantry Division under Major General Sir Robert Rollo Gillespie comprising a total of 20 battalions of British Infantry, Cavalry and Pioneer companies, irregular force of about 6668, supported by 20 pieces of artillery and two troops of the Horsed Artillery, launched an attack to Capture Khalanga–Nalapani Fort, defended by Balbhadra Singh Thapa and his soldiers, numbering about 500 to 600.

The Gallant Gorkhas Battle

The Gorkha soldiers, women and children under the leadership of their commander Balbhadra Singh Thapa put up a stiff resistance and repulsed the British attack thrice. Major General Gillespie and many of his officers and soldiers lost their lives. The battle of Khalanga is also remembered for having taken the life of a British Major General in close–quarter-battle, an unparalled feat of the gallant Gorkhas in world history. Later, due to very adverse conditions of war and in face of the numerically superior British Force, with heavy reinforcement of manpower and war-equipment arriving from Meerut and the treachery resorted to by the Britishers by cutting-off the only source of spring–water supply to the Fort, Balbhadra and his remaining force of 70-80 men decided to abandon the Fort, rather than surrender to the British Commander. The message asking Balbhadra Singh Thapa to surrender was sent by the British Commander but it was promptly shunned by Balbhadra Singh Thapa, which made the British Commander more furious and they employed every piece of Artillery to pound the Fort and raze it to the ground.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHENEVER YOU’RE USING A PC AT A PUBLIC PLACE (Like INTERNET CAFES..ETC) THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS ISSUED IN PUBLIC INTEREST

SHARED BY AARDEE

CHECK THE BACK OF THE PC AND SEE IF THIS DEVICE IS THERE…IF INSIST ON REMOVING IT…

This storage device fits at the end of the keyboard cable connecting to the PC. It specializes in saving save all typed keys in it… Mostly could be used in net cafes, exhibitions, hotels and airports therefore please be careful especially when using the internet in these places to enter your bank accounts on-line or any other important sites.
After you enter the bank account and leave the PC it will be easy to open your account again as everything you had typed will have been saved in the Black device.

Everyone is thus requested to check the PC for any suspicious piece behind it before using the net in public places.

THE BLACK DEVICE

Tree falls on house partially damaging it

A tree falls on a house partially damaging it in Kalimpong

TDP letter to Pranab panel raises doubts

FROM THE HINDU

HYDERABAD: Has the Telugu Desam submitted its letter favouring integrated State to Union Minister Pranab Mukherjee committee on Telangana or not?

At a press conference here on Thursday, TDP spokesman M. V. Mysoora Reddy surprised the media by contending that the party has not given any such letter to the committee. He was responding to a question on whether the party would withdraw its letter as requested by the TRS legislator T. Harish Rao. The latter had said that the coming together of the two parties would be possible if this representation was withdrawn.

Dr. Reddy’s contention came as a surprise as it was everybody’s knowledge that the party had indeed submitted its strong views on the issue to the committee. When a senior leader was contacted by media persons, he confirmed that the party did send in the letter.

Probe urged

The TDP spokesman demanded a thorough inquiry into “ugly incidents” in the Lok Sabha during the trust vote and amendment to the anti-defection law.

At another press conference, Varla Ramaiah, convener of the SC Cell of the party charged the party’s Member of Parliament M. Jagannath with hurting the sentiments of SCs by voting in favour of the UPA government and thereby denying a chance for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to become the first SC Prime Minister of the country.

Guerrilla politics

The Maoists learn that not all power grows from the barrel of a gun

FROM THE ECONOMIST

IT HELD elections in April. But Nepal is still without a government. On July 23rd, however, it did acquire a president, Ram Baran Yadav, a peasant’s son from the southern Terai plains. This follows the abolition of the 239-year-old monarchy. The former king, Gyanendra, has been granted an official forest retreat to sulk in. [Inset: Prachanda: still learning]

The election, for a Constituent Assembly, which, besides being responsible for drafting a new constitution, doubles as a parliament, was won by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). For a decade from 1996, the Maoists waged a vicious insurgency against the government. Now, they took 220 of the assembly’s 601 seats but were unable to form the government. As the other parties reeled from defeat at the polls, the Maoists seem to have overestimated their own strength. Rather than forge a government of national unity, they were arrogant, publicly deriding other party leaders as “losers”.

An interim constitution calls for consensus. It was assumed that this would mean a Maoist-led coalition, with big jobs shared: the second-largest party, the Nepali Congress, would take the presidency (a largely ceremonial role); another big party, the United Marxist-Leninist, would chair the assembly; and a relative newcomer, from the Terai, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, would have the vice-presidency.

No one challenged the Maoists’ right to lead the government. So foreign donors and diplomats ingratiated themselves with Pushpa Kamal Dahal, known as “Prachanda”, the Maoists’ supremo. The Maoists started announcing their policies—a “radical transformation”, including land reform and a doubling of government expenditure (without explaining where the resources would come from). In a more abandoned moment, Prachanda even said that the current political exercise was just a way-station on the road to a “people’s republic”, to be achieved, if necessary, through an “October revolution”.

China pressed Nepal to target Tibetans-rights group

FROM REUTERS

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - China pressured Nepal into cracking down on peaceful Tibetan protesters, violating their human rights with arbitrary arrests, sexual abuse of women and beatings in detention, a global rights group said on Thursday.

Tibetan exiles have regularly protested in Kathmandu, demanding freedom for their homeland and against Chinese action to crack down on demonstrations in Tibet in March.

“Nepal’s government is turning the screws on peaceful Tibetan protesters at the behest of China,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, which said its findings were based on direct observation of Tibetan protests in Nepal.

“How can a government that came to power on a wave of public protests justify crushing peaceful protests by Tibetans?”

China rejected as “groundless accusations” the report by New York-based Human Rights Watch.

More than 20,000 Tibetans live in Nepal. Many of them fled their homes after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

The report said Nepali authorities arrested 8,350 Tibetans, many of them more than once, between March 10 and July 18.

But a Chinese official said his country had no role to play in it.

“Nepal is a friendly neighbor of China, and we don’t use pressure that this report claims against friends or friendly places,” Liu Jianchao, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said.

“Applying pressure is not an external policy of the Chinese government.”

Nepal President Yadav was handpicked by Koirala

FROM EXPRESS INDIA

Kathmandu, July 24: Even after resigning as Prime Minister, octogenarian leader G P Koirala calls the shots in post-monarchy Nepal with his handpicked candidate elected as the first president, a move that sidelined the Maoists and won his party the support of Indian-origin Madhesi community.

“It is my father who proposed the name of Ram Baran Yadav (for the post of president,” Sujata Koirala, the daughter of the veteran Nepali Congress said.

Yadav was the family physician of Koiralas since 1980s and was picked up to join the politics by Girija Prasad Koirala himself.

The Nepali Congress had initially proposed Koirala name for the post, but after strong opposition from Maoists and Madhesi groups, Koirala approached his party colleagues former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, party Vice-president and Peace Minister Ram Chandra Poudyal and Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat.

However, after the three did not show much interest Koirala thought that Madhesi candidate of the party will give a good fight against Maoist candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh, another leader from the Madhesi community, revealed Sujata, also a central committee member of Nepali Congress.

The Maoists, who were trying to install a “weak” President, proposed the name of Ram Raja Prasad Singh in a last minute decision though they had earlier promised to support CPN-UML candidate Madhav Kumar Nepal.

Protest against Nepal Vice President for taking oath in Hindi

FROM ANI

There were minor demonstrations in Nepal against the newly elected Vice President Parmananda Jha after he took his oath of office and secrecy in Hindi.

Kathmandu, July 24 : There were minor demonstrations in Nepal against the newly elected Vice President Parmananda Jha after he took his oath of office and secrecy in Hindi.

According to Nepalnews, student organisations affiliated with different parties staged demonstrations today. They demanded that Jha apologize for taking oath in a “foreign language”.

Residents of Gajuri in Dhading district also barred vehicles from plying on the road by imposing transportation strike.

They said that this was a matter of grave concern, putting at risk the sovereignty of the country.

In Butwal, youths chanted slogans against Jha. They blocked traffic on major roads and intersections. There were reports of protests in Makwanpur, Rupandehi, Nawalparasi, Dadelhura and Tahahun also.

On Wednesday, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, clad in the Nepal costume, had taken the oath of office and secrecy in Nepali. However, when he administered the oath of office to Vice President Jha, who was clad in a dress many identify with Indian parliamentarians, the latter preferred to take it in Hindi.

According to an independent statistics, only 0.05 per cent of people living in Terai speak Hindi. The majority of the people there speak Bhojpuri, Maithali, Avadhi and other local dialects.

Race is on to form Nepal Government

FROM ANI

Following the election of Dr. Ram Baran Yadav as President and Paramananda Jha as Vice President, the race to form the new Government in Nepal has started.

Kathmandu, July 24: Following the election of Dr. Ram Baran Yadav as President and Paramananda Jha as Vice President, the race to form the new Government in Nepal has started.

The decks have been further cleared with the formal resignation of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala who tendered his resignation to President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav.

The election of chairman of Constituent Assembly (CA), too, is likely to take place today with the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) candidate Subas Nemwang set to be elected unopposed.

The three-party alliance among the Nepali Congress (NC), the UML and the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) has divided President, Vice President and Constituent Assembly chair among themselves.

However, top leaders of the three parties have still said that the Maoists being the largest party should take the initiative to lead the Government.

Meanwhile, UML General Secretary Jhal Nath Khanal said that the drafting of a new constitution was impossible without unity and agreement among the CPN-Maoist, the UML and the Nepali Congress.

Speaking at a programme in Pokhara on Wednesday, Khanal stressed the need for agreement among the Big three in order to pass the new constitution through the Constituent Assembly.

Nepal: Abuses Against Tibetans Protesting China’s Tibet Crackdown

China Leans on Nepal to Stifle Demonstrations

FROM HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

New York, July 24, 2008: The government of Nepal, under pressure from China, has arbitrarily arrested hundreds of Tibetans and restricted their right to demonstrate against the March 2008 crackdown in Tibet, Human Rights Watch said in a new a report today. Human Rights Watch called on Nepal to respect Tibetans’ rights to free expression and assembly, and for China to end its pressure campaign against Nepal.

“Nepal’s government is turning the screws on peaceful Tibetan protesters at the behest of China,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “How can a government that came to power on a wave of public protests justify crushing peaceful protests by Tibetans?”

The 60-page report, “Appeasing China: Restricting the Rights of Tibetans in Nepal,” documents numerous violations of human rights by the Nepali authorities, particularly the police, against Tibetans involved in peaceful demonstrations in Kathmandu, including:

• unnecessary and excessive use of force;
• arbitrary arrest;
• sexual assault of women during arrest;
• arbitrary and preventive detention;
• beatings in detention;
• unlawful threats to deport Tibetans to China;
• restrictions on freedom of movement in the Kathmandu Valley;
• harassment of Tibetan and foreign journalists; and
• harassment of Nepali, Tibetan, and foreign human rights defenders.

In preparing the report, Human Rights Watch directly observed protests and arrests, conditions in detention, and treatment in hospitals. Human Rights Watch carried out regular observation visits to Tibetan areas of Kathmandu, interviewed more than 90 Tibetan protesters and conducted interviews with non-Tibetan protest eyewitnesses, Tibetan community and religious leaders, Nepali medical personnel and police officers, and United Nations personnel in Nepal.

Nepal, which borders the Tibetan region of China and is home to approximately 20,000 Tibetan exiles, refugees and asylum seekers, has seen numerous protests since March 10, “Tibetan National Uprising Day,” the anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan rebellion against China’s rule in Tibet. Protests in Kathmandu intensified in reaction to the Chinese government’s violent suppression of protests in Tibet and neighboring provinces in China.

Nepali authorities have made at least 8,350 arrests of Tibetans between March 10 and July 18 (many people have been arrested more than once). While the frequency of protests has diminished since May, protests have continued to take place regularly. Few of those arrested have been provided with a reason for their detention, and virtually all have been released without charge.

Human Rights Watch said that Nepal’s police have used unnecessary or excessive force to carry out arrests, at times with the apparent intent to disperse crowds of peaceful protesters. Police have beaten protesters with lathis (canes) on the head and body, and kicked and punched them, and sexually assaulted Tibetan women during arrest. Police, especially at Boudha police station in Kathmandu, have severely beaten detainees. Many detainees, including those who suffered injuries while being arrested, have been provided limited or no medical care. Threats of violence, sexual intimidation and deportation to China by the police also appear to have been used to deter future demonstrations.

Body of infant found

RANGPO, July 23: An unidentified body of an underdeveloped infant, about eight month old, was found near the Golden Cross Pharmaceutical company, a sister concern company of CIPLA Limited at Rorathang today.

On the information given by the locals to the Rhenock Police station, the Police arrived at the spot and buried the body.

The immediate act of the Police has aggravated the local people. Since the body was not fully developed, there was no law under which to register the case, so the body was buried, Police sources said.

GJM keen on tripartite talks to begin soon

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

DARJEELING, July 23: With the UPA government winning the trust vote, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) has expressed hope that the process for beginning the tripartite talks between the Centre, West Bengal government and the GJM on the issue of separate statehood of Gorkhaland will begin soon.

The GJM leader, Bimal Gurung in a letter to the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Central leaders has asked the UPA Government to seriously take up the issue of Gorkhaland and initiate a tripartite talk at the earliest.

Mr. Gurung has also congratulated the UPA leaders on winning the trust vote yesterday in the Lok Sabha. “Taking into consideration the fact that the crisis in the Centre is over, we have written to the UPA leaders reiterating our demands for Gorkhaland,” GJM general secretary, Roshan Giri said here today.

The GJM president, in the letter, has asked the UPA government to take the initiative to organise the tripartite talks and consider the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland by bringing together the Darjeeling Hills and the Dooars region, Mr. Giri said.

Basnett’s statements against the party leadership irks SHRPP

Party demands explanation within 15 days

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, July 23: Bharat Basnett, the convener of Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad Party (SHRPP) may have to face a political set back in the days to come.  The party has issued a show cause notice (ref no- 2015/SHRP/gtk) to him here today demanding an explanation for “creating confusions within the party” by allegedly making statements against the party leadership.

SHRPP has also hinted suspending the convener from the party if he fails to give explanations within 15 days of the date of the issue of the letter.  “In spite of his devoting his time on party works at the grass root level, he has created unwanted controversies and confusions in the party with his irresponsible statements like the change in the party presidentship and other functionaries of the party,” the SHRPP alleged.

Stating that Mr. Basnett has breached the party discipline, party chief, Dr AD Subba has said that if he fails to explain his conduct within 15 days from the date of the letter issued, he will be suspended from the membership of the party.

“If Mr Basnett gives his explanation within 15 days, then the party will think over his membership,” Dr Subba said adding “Our party is the party of the people and everyone should follow its regulation and discipline strictly.”

He further said that the party has taken up a decision to clear up the misunderstanding, which has come up since the past two day.

“Discipline is what matters in running a political party and we abide with the decision of the party president,” said PT Gymatso, the chief advisor of SHRP while speaking with SIKKIM EXPRESS over the phone. On the other hand, sources said that the indulgence of the SHRPP convener in such unconstitutional activities of the party has raised several speculations about the disparities within the party.

Bhandari supports Gorkhaland

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, July 23: Nar Bahadur Bhandari, president, Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) has wholeheartedly supported the demand of a separate Gorkhaland state. “Gorkhaland is my unfulfilled dream. So, I will definitely do whatever I can do for the fulfillment of this demand, even it means pressure from the party high command or resignation from the party,” the former Chief Minister said.

He further said that the withdrawal of the Left Front from the UPA is a good sign for Gorkhaland demand.
“Every one has his/her right to support Gorkhaland but no one can oppose their demand as Gorkhas are fighting for their rights. I am hopeful that the demand for Gorkhaland may be possible only after the coming general election,” Mr Bhandari said.

Sikkim leaders react on UPA trust vote victory

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, July 23: Political leaders from various parties have expressed their views on the UPA Government at the Centre winning the crucial trust vote yesterday. The Press Advisor to the Chief Minister, BB Gooroong today said that the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party was happy that it supported the UPA. “Since we supported the UPA unconditionally whenever it was in trouble, we are optimistic that the Central Government would positively help us in fulfilling our political demands, especially in the reservation of Limboo-Tamang seats, increase of seats to 40 in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly and the Burman Committee Report” Mr Gooroong said.

The president of Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC), Nar Bahadur Bhandari said that winning the trust vote by a comfortable margin is a sign of great ability of the UPA. “It is unfortunate that BJP and Communist parties played nasty games to topple the UPA Government. It is sad for the opposition leader LK Advani to make allegations on the image of our Prime Minster Manmohan Singh,” Mr Bhandari said.

Asked to comment on the support of SDF to UPA, SPCC chief had this to say, “Pawan Chamling had supported UPA to free himself from the CBI. That is why his support was unconditional.”

He said that by supporting UPA, SDF Government cannot be optimistic about getting Limboo-Tamang seat reservation as there are no seats allocated for the LTS in the delimitation report prepared by the SDF. “Up to 2026, you cannot play with the delimitation report so how can the SDF provide seats for the LTs, he questioned.

Mr Bhandari further accused the SDF Government for politically betraying the LTs. The Sikkim State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has it own story on the trust vote. “UPA has won the trust vote only by numbers but they have defeated on the moral ground. The people of the country have witnessed that UPA tried to buy MPs,” said HR Pradhan, president, Sikkim State BJP.

HAPPY STOMACHS, HAPPY FACES

Children enjoy their mid-day meals at Rabitar Primary School in Sikkim. Photo by Suren Mohra

Planters Corner

FROM THE STATESMAN

By Sudipta Chanda

The Coordination Committee, which is the largest platform of tea workers’ unions in north Bengal, has decided to launch an indefinite strike in the industry from 18 August. The decision comes following the three rounds of inconclusive debate on workers’ wages and other demands as proposed by the unions.

It was learnt that the Coordination Committee would intimate the industry about its decision officially on 28 July and then hold convention and campaign programmes from 30 July to muster support for the strike programme. Already aware of the CC’s decision, the industry captain feels that such a movement would hurt the already ailing tea industry.

Man stopped from selling son

FROM THE STATESMAN

MALDA, July 24: Intervention from the Malda district administration today saved the father of a poor family from selling off a male child to meet his wife’s treatment expenses. The incident occurred at Budhia village in English Bazaar block of Malda district.

Mahela Bibi (30), a resident of Budhia village is suffering from cancer. Her husband Samsuddin Haque, a wage earner and who himself does not keep well either, was forced to sell off all their belongings including the homestead land for Mahela’s treatment. Left with nothing else to sell, a desperate Haque finally decided to sell one of his sons to raise money for Mahela’s treatment.

The couple has three daughters, and two sons,. Learning of the situation and what Haque had planned, Mrs Arunima De, the SDO Malda, asked the local BDO to visit the family and inquire into the matter. Accordingly, Mr Ananda Sarkar, the BDO, English Bazaar, met the family and handed over Rs 120 as government cash relief to the family and ensured to provide food grains as well.

The SDO, in the meanwhile, contacted the assistant chief medical officer, Malda, Mr S Datta and decided to provide Rs 5,000 to the family from the District Illness Assistance Fund.  “Mahela Bibi would be admitted to Malda district hospital and from there would be taken to Kolkata for treatment with government assistance,” the Malda, SDO, said.

The SDO said that she would approach the State Bank of India to adopt one of Haque’s school-going child Rezina Khatun, who is a student of Budhia High Madrassa.

Prosenjit pursues film city plan – Actor wants land near Siliguri

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

BY AMIT UKIL

Prosenjit after filming near Fulbari-Patan Tea Estate, about 15km from Siliguri, on Wednesday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, July 24: Prosenjit began his movie career about 25 years ago with a shot in north Bengal and the national award winner is determined to realise his dream of a film city in the region.

“I have been nurturing the idea since those early days, when we had to stay in Siliguri for three months at a stretch, shooting as many films simultaneously,” Prosenjit said.

“I am in love with this region; it’s so close to nature. A team from Big Motion Pictures (the Reliance group’s venture into the film industry) met me here this time. The members were surprised to see the variety of locations (available here). Why go all the way to Switzerland when you have such wonderful mountains in Bhutan and Sikkim, a member asked me.”

The patchwork of rivers, forests and the mountains and, of course, the friendly and peace-loving people of the region, are the reasons why Prosenjit is bent on setting up a centre “that would beat all others in the country hands down”. He even conjures visions of the city being a major tourist attraction, like the Warner Brothers studio in Hollywood, once it is developed.

A film city by itself, he added, was a non-profitable business and needed to be tied up with the tourism sector. “We will have to do it in a proper way — at least 100 acres if it is set up in the open areas near Siliguri or 25-30 acres if the location is within the suburbs.”

Prosenjit had approached the Bengal government for making land available at a discounted price, keeping in mind the employment and tourism potential. “Both the chief minister (Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee) and his colleague (urban development minister) Asok Bhattacharya have shown keen interest and reacted positively. Several investors, too, have made promises. After all, the project will involve nearly Rs 250 crore, which is not easy to get.”

Income tax office in Sikkim

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Gangtok, July 24: An income tax office will start operating here from August 6, the announcement of which triggered a fresh round of protest from the non-Sikkimese residing in the state.

People possessing the Sikkim Subject Certificates or the Certificate of Identification have been exempted from paying the central income tax.

Around 400 business families, who are not of Sikkimese origin but have been residing in the state for years, will be affected by the act.

Under the banner of Old Businessmen of Sikkim, the community has approached chief minister Pawan Chamling to recommend their case to the Centre.

“We request the chief Minister to give strength to this cause by bringing a suitable resolution to this effect in the ensuing session of the Assembly,” S.K. Sarda, convener of the body, said. He added that the community was not against paying the tax but was opposed to the exemption to Sikkim subjects, which, he said was discriminatory.

A workshop was organised to enable government officials to grasp the provisions of Income Tax Act 1961. Additional chief secretary T.T. Dorji, who announced the setting up of the central income tax office, said: “It will not be difficult to enforce. It is just a matter of getting used to it.” Finance minister P. Chidambaram had through an amendment in the act during the budget this year announced the exemption.

The act had been extended to Sikkim in 1989 but had not been enforced because of stiff opposition from locals, who felt it would overrule the old laws of Sikkim protected under Article 371 (f) of the Constitution. The Sikkimese feared that under the central laws they would have to pay income tax at a rate applicable to the rest of the country.