KURSEONG, July 28: A rare animal ‘caecilians’ has been discovered in Makaibari Tea Estate near Kurseong. The animal belongs to the amphibian family. It is being claimed that the animal was sighted after a gap of over 100 years. The creature found for the first time in 1881 at Rangliot Valley in Sikkim was named as Icohthyophis Skkimmennis. Robin Suyesh, a student from Delhi University made the discovery in the tea estate recently.
Suyesh informed that the species was found in the area of Sikkim and Darjeeling and hence he had come here to investigate about the species about which not much was known. Suyesh has collected two samples, which he would take to Delhi for further studies. “I will take these samples to Delhi and show it to my seniors and study its anatomy to gather more information about the species,” he said.
When we arrived at the border between Sikkim and Darjeeling (West Bengal) we encountered a taxi strike.
There was no way to get the 26km from the border to the city of Darjeeling unless we walked. So off we went. We forgot to look and see what elevation the city of Darjeeling was at. Turns out we had to go 1500 meters up over those 26km. We started out at 3 in the afternoon. We were taken 2 km by a local school bus driver who dropped us off and pointed straight up the ridge saying that this was the shortcut. Up we went following a group of kids. Straight up. For over an hour until we reached the road. Up and up the road went with no end in sight. At 730 or so we stopped for tea. It was pitch black out with fireflies swarming around. We were only 8 km from town. Almost there. And pretty tired too. We had all of our stuff with us and no supplies. We hadn’t planned our excursion out very well.
Then the guys in the tea shop started muttering about how were were in a bad spot. They offered to give us a ride, sneaking us in to town so as to not break the strike. We debated whether or not to take their offer, or push on through. Eventually we decided it was probably a good idea to go with them.
In to the mini-minivan we went. Turns out the next 5 kilometers from where we had tea to the top of the ridge was straight up. Steeper than anything we had hiked yet. At one point we had to get out of the car and push, it was that steep. Turned out to be the best 300 rupees we ever spent.
This boy and his two friends were coming up the hill from the river below with vegetables to eat. I think they might have burned more calories getting the food than the food was going to provide them. They had fun hiking with the crazy foreigners.
Someone once said, “Snowflakes like people are all different and beautiful, but they can be a nuisance when they lose their identity in a mob.” What happened in Darjeeling Hills this past week cannot be justified in any manner civilized or dignified.
To begin with there was the shooting of an innocent civilian Pramila Sharma, aged 36 when she was struck by a bullet fired from the house of a former DGHC councilor and GNLF Darjeeling Branch President, Mr. Deepak Gurung. It is alleged that GNLF had been storing firearms with the intention of assassinating certain people, which would have brought this party back from its present state of political wilderness. How rational is this?? Were GNLF councilors deciding to make Darjeeling another civil war zone like present day Iraq??
Barun Roy of Himalayan Beacon was the 1st person to bring this news to people living outside Darjeeling before anyone else, and he did a remarkable job in informing the truth as it was. He did not sensationalize the news in any way; it was done later by the local dailies and national news channels. Reporting on July 25th as soon as the incident had taken place Barun Roy had written, “…. 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.” By the time local dailies and national news channels got to reporting the death of an innocent civilian slowly transformed into the death of a GJMM supporter over the hours and by the next day to the death of a GJMM Woman Leader. Remember this is the same press that had failed to report when our ex-servicemen and women were being brutally beaten up by the CPI (M) cadres in Siliguri few months back. Read the rest of this entry »
West Bengal’s ruling Left Front expressed concern on Monday over the “critical” situation prevailing in Darjeeling hills in the wake of the agitation launched by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), demanding a separate Gorkhaland state.
The LF Committee, which met in Kolkata, also expressed its concern over GJM’s decision to launch an agitation signifying “non-cooperation” with the state government.
“The situation in Darjeeling is critical where civic life has been seriously hit. We have asked the state administration to take appropriate steps as boycott of certain sections of people was being planned”, the Left Front chairman Biman Bose said after the meeting.
Calling for the unity between the people living in the hills and plain areas of Darjeeling district, Bose said “such boycott is not proper especially on the basis of linguistic division and is fraught with dangerous consequences”.
Bose said support base of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) headed by Subhas Ghishing, the former chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council had eroded but the GJM should take steps so that the state’s tradition of communal harmony and social equilibrium was maintained.
“There is an attempt to segregate the people on the basis of language. This will only harm the state’s harmony”, he said.
Bose’s comment came in the wake of GJM chief Bimal Gurung’s announcement on Sunday to launch a non-cooperation agitation in an apparent bid to prove that he wields control in the hills after Ghishing was hounded out of the hills, following the recent killing of a GJM supporter.
The GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told PTI from Darjeeling on Monday that as part of the non-cooperation movement with the state government the hill people had been urged by the GJM not to pay any taxes to the government to press for its demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland. Read the rest of this entry »
West Bengal is under severe threat. GJM, which has been demanding Gorkhaland in Darjeeling, has announced that they are proceeding towards introducing Home Rule in the hills and have already initiated certain steps towards it..
DARJEELING HILLS seems to be going out of control of the state government very fast. After months of democratic movement, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), the refreshed agitating group, has initiated a move to introduce home rule in the entire hills.
This is a direct challenge to the state and the Centre that amounts to rebellion against the Constitution of India.
A few weeks back, the GJM issued fatwa on the vehicle owners that their vehicles would have to change the number plate. Instead of West Bengal number they had to write Gorkhaland (GL). On Sunday (July 27), at the commemoration meeting of Pramila Sharma, GJM, under the leadership of Bimal Gurung announced that henceforth, the hills would be administered under Home Rule.
The rules will be in tradition to the Home Rule League that was formed during British rule in India. As the first step towards total autonomy, the GJM has taken over the charge of Gorkha Ranga Mancha in Darjeeling and bestowed the responsibility of the same to Biddwajjan Committee formed by the intellectuals of the hills.
Home Rule League was basically a political party that campaigned for self-government for Ireland in 1873. In India, two nationalists Bal Gangadhar Tilak in Pune and Annie Besant in Madras (now Chennai) introduced the same movement during First World War.
The All India Home Rule League (AIHRL) was a national political organisation founded in 1916, to lead the national demand for self-government and to obtain the status of a dominion within the British Empire as enjoyed by Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Newfoundland at the time.
The movement was for political liberation from the British regime. GJM, however, stepped further ahead. Read the rest of this entry »
Bharatiya Gorkhali United Front Forum (BGUF) raised several demands for the upliftment of the Gorkha community all over India and Gorkhas of Delhi in particular. Several prominent person of BGUF discussed about the demands raised on the protest, those who were present in the discussion were- T. L Shrestha (President), Bijay Pradhan (General Secretary), Uttam Chetri (Adviser, central committee), B. B Biswakarma (Chief Adviser), Andrew Gurung (supporting member), Mahendra Gautam, Praneem Subba (General Secretary President, Safdurjung unit), Gauri Prasad Rasaily (Vice President), Lalita Chetri (social activist) and Manoj Shankar (member)
The demands raised in the protest:
1.OBC status to the Gorkhas of Delhi. The Gorkhas of Punjab, Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh have already been granted this status.
2.Establishment of a park in the name of the freedom fighter Durga Malla to commemorate the contribution of the Gorkhas in India.
3.A community centre in Delhi for the Gorkhas.
4. Nepali language, after being recognized by the 8th schedule in 1992, has stillbeen largely neglected. Several steps have been taken and a considerable amount of work has been concluded in most of the regional languages but Nepali language has been left aside.
Therefore:
(a) Human resources ministry should be notified about the discrepancies in Nepali language and literature.
(b) Publication department, National Book trust, Sahitya Akademi, AIR, Prasar Bharati should elect officers in vacant Nepali departments.
(c) To include in D.A.V.P for facilitating the Indian Nepali newspapers to get advertisements.Read the rest of this entry »
Article shared by Aardee It is a trivial looking rusted cannon ball, weighing 8.5 kg and 14 to 15 inches in diameter. It was fired by a 15 Pound Cannon by the British Army during the Anglo-Gurkha war sometime between 24 October and 30 November 1814, at the Khalunga Fort, Nalapani, here.
This insignificant looking cannon ball lying at the Archaeological Survey of India, waiting for chemical treatment, is a historical witness to that memorable war that changed not only the political history of two neighbouring countries, but also the future of Gurkha soldiers.
The battle, popularly known as ‘Battle of Khalunga’, fought between the British Army under Major General Rollo Gillespie and Nepal’s Gurkha soldiers under General Bal Bhadra Thapa in October-November 1814 was the turning point for the Gurkhas, who had reached as far as Dehradun in their invasion of Garhwal. As the battle was won by the British after intense combat, the invasion of Garhwal by the Gurkhas came to the end. The other turning point: the British were so much impressed by the bravery and courage of Gurkha soldiers that they immediately began enrolling Gurkhas in their Army, which is continuing till today.
This cannon ball has seen Gurkha soldiers, their women and children facing British cannons, musket shot, guns and other modern arms with mere Khukris, bows and arrows, and stones as their only remaining ammunition from inside the Khalunga fort.
John Parker, an English writer who has written a series on the Gurkha Soldiers, described the Kalunga (Khalunga) fort in one of his books. “It was a typical Gurkha garrison, built on a hill 500 feet high and surrounded by dense undergrowth and palisade of rough-hewn logs and rocks piled 12 feet high. It held a mere 600 men and women who stood on its wall watching Gillespie’s men approaching.”
They kept the strong British Army from entering the fort for about six weeks despite being reasonably fewer in number and weaker on the ammunition front. The British officers were so much impressed by the foes, that one officer James Baillie Fraser has recorded in his memoirs, ‘They fought us in fair conflict like men, and in the intervals of actual combat, showed us a courtesy worthy of a more enlightened people.’ Read the rest of this entry »
Kolkata (PTI): The Centre will continue to help the West Bengal government in its efforts to resolve the Darjeeling crisis despite the Left’s withdrawal of support to the UPA government, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said.
This assurance was given during a meeting between Mukherjee and Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee here yesterday.
“We discussed the Darjeeling problem. He (Bhattacherjee) has given his opinion and I will discuss it with Union Home Minister (Shivraj Patil),” Mukherjee told reporters after a hour-long meeting with Bhattacherjee.
The situation in Darjeeling deteriorated in the wake of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, spearheading the campaign for a separate state of Gorkhaland, asked the leaders of the Gorkha National Liberation Front to leave Darjeeling hills soon.
The chief minister has already requested Patil for a tripartite talks to resolve the Darjeeling deadlock.
Commenting on the meeting between Mukherjee and Bhattacherjee, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told PTI from Darjeeling, “We are for tripartite talks with the Centre. Discussions on Gorkhaland should be opened”.
SING IT! BELIEVE IT! GORKHAS OF THE WORLD COME TOGETHER! HUMANITY COME TOGETHER! WE ARE THE WORLD!
There comes a time
When we head a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it’s time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
We can’t go on
Pretneding day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of
God’s great big family
And the truth, you know love is all we need
[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me Read the rest of this entry »
Subash Ghisingh inaugurating a community hall in Mirik while he was the Chairman of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. Photo by Barun Roy
Kolkata: The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leadership said on Monday that the people were against the return of Subas Ghising, the chief of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), to Darjeeling. He had hurriedly left the hill town two days ago for reasons of security.
“He has betrayed the aspirations of the people of the Darjeeling hills who will not allow him to return. It is they who removed him from here,” GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told The Hindu over telephone.
Mr. Ghising arrived in Siliguri on July 26 after violence broke out in Darjeeling in which a GJM woman activist was shot dead allegedly by GNLF supporters the previous day. He was given 15 days by the GJM to leave the hill town following the incident “for the sake of peace” in the region.
Remarks ridiculed
Mr. Giri also ridiculed Mr. Ghising’s remarks on Sunday that he supported the move for a tripartite meeting involving the Centre, the State and those leading the movement for a separate State — a campaign that he had launched in the mid-1980s till the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council of which he was chairman was formed in 1988. Read the rest of this entry »
BALUWATAR, July 27: Ending a dull period of 44 days at the Teesta Stage V Power Station in Balutar in East Sikkim, the two of its three units were synchronized with the grid at 7:15 pm on July 25 and the third one was synchronized at 9 am on July 26.
A press release informs that heavy rains accompanied by abnormally high levels of silt in the river water, in the month of May, June and early July, had compelled complete shut down of the power station from June 12. It also informs that the silt depositions altered the course of river and caused damages to the river banks at various places in and around the Dikchu town.
While stating that the silt depositions etc are a common phenomenon observed in most of the hydroelectric projects with run-of-the-river schemes in India especially during the monsoons, the release mentions that all the repair works were undertaken on a war footing and have been completed within shortest possible time paying due regards to the sentiments of the local people. “With full cooperation of the State Government as well as the local people, the work could be completed in a record time,” reads the release.
The progress of the ongoing restoration works was being, personally, reviewed by the Chief Engineer (I/C), D Chattopadhyay on daily basis apart from the other senior officials of the project who were monitoring the situation, day and night.
Considering the gravity of the situation, the Executive Director (Region-III Kolkata), NHPC, Subhash Roy, stayed in the project for couple of days and made frequent visits to monitor the progress of restoration works. “The work was also regularly monitored by the various local bodies, media persons, different state government officials and the local politicians. Overall, everyone has appreciated the efforts of NHPC in undertaking the repair and restoration works for the safety and security of the people living in the area,” the release further reads. Read the rest of this entry »
GANGTOK, July 27: The Convener of the Association of Old Businessmen of Sikkim, SK Sarda has said that the old businessmen of Sikkim have not made any statements opposing the Income Tax exemption accorded to Sikkim Subjects. Referring to the statement, published in a National English daily, Mr. Sarda said that the statement was “so erroneously reported” in the said daily dated July 25, 2008.
The paper had quoted Mr Sarda’s statement as stating that “the old businessmen of Sikkim was not against paying Income Tax, but was opposed to the exemption accorded to Sikkim Subject holders.” Reacting to this statement, the Sangha MLA, Acharya Tshering Lama had said that the statement was highly condemnable, discriminatory and against the constitutional rights of the Sikkimese people”
In a press release dated July 22, circulated to the press on July 24, the association had “congratulated Chief Minister Pawan Chamling for having fulfilled the aspiration of the Sikkimese people by exempting them from Central Income Tax.
Earlier in April 10, 2008, a delegation of old businessmen had also called on the CM at his official residence at Mintokgang and drawn his attention to the request of the old businessmen for not letting them be isolated from their Sikkimese brethren with whom they have lived harmoniously for generations, in the matter of Central Income Tax
GANGTOK, July 27: The Officers’ Services of Sikkim Government felicitated Chief Minister Pawan Chamling for its efforts in securing exemption from the Central Direct taxes for the Sikkimese people here yesterday. The Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, Chief Secretary, Head of Departments and other government officers also attended the function.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that the people who misuse democracy and its norms are viruses in the society and its democratic set up. Remembering that there were many who looked upon him as a weak leader during his initial stage as a political leader, Mr. Chamling said that he had proved everybody wrong today adding “positive thinking has always been the governing force beyond every successful person.”
Speaking on the restoration of democracy, he informed that his main idea before the formation of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) Government was not for the accomplishment of his selfish goal of becoming the CM of the State but the sole aim was to restore democracy at large. He informed that the proposal to exempt the Sikkimese people from the payment of income tax and related works were undertaken by SDF since the party emerged as the ruling governing party. Read the rest of this entry »
DARJEELING, July 28: The residents of ward number nine along Dr Zakir Hussain Road in Darjeeling have lodged a mass complaint against 10 GNLF supporters claiming that they possess illegal firearms. This is a follow-up to the alleged firing from GNLF leader Mr Deepak Gurung’s residence that killed a GJMM supporter Ms Pramila Sharma on 25 July.
The houses of GNLF president Mr Subash Ghisingh, GNLF leader Mr. Deepak Gurung and Mr N.B. Khawas, who recently resigned from the party, are situated in the locality marked by violence three days ago.
According to the complainants, the people against whom an FIR was lodged were not original inhabitants of the area and live as tenants. They are also staunch supporters of Mr Ghisingh. The residents are apprehensive after the firing which provoked the violence and have appealed to the administration to remove the people mentioned in the FIR from the neighbourhood.
“They have lodged a formal complaint with the Sadar police station, Darjeeling. We shall look into the matter and take adequate steps,” said IG (Special), Mr DT Lepcha.Read the rest of this entry »
DARJEELING, July 28: The All Gorkha Students’ Union (AGSU) and Assam Gorkha Sammelan (AGS) of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam have appealed the GJMM to speak for the political and social rights of Gorkha’s living in BTC and Assam region.
A 14-member delegation of the two organisations met the GJMM President Mr Bimal Gurung with their request. “Gorkha’s living in BTC have no political rights as we just have one nominated member in the government which makes us socially and politically insecure. We request the GJMM not to keep its movement confined to the Darjeeling hills, Siliguri and the Dooars but also raise voice for us,” stated AGSU President Mr Padam Dagi.
The two apolitical organisations are striving for their political rights and identity and have extended their support to the Gorkhaland movement launched by the GJMM.
“It is a question of identity of the entire Gorkha community spread all over India. We have the right to a state on linguistic basis and the Gorkha’s of Assam would materially and physically support the movement in future,” Mr Dagi said. “Darjeeling, Dooars and Siliguri historically belong to the Gorkha’s and it is our legitimate right to carve a separate state out of these regions,” he added.
Siliguri, July 28: Four youths were arrested from near Dagapur on charges of stealing household items from Deepak Gurung’s residence after setting it on fire in Darjeeling on Friday.
The police have recovered a foot-high brass idol of a goddess, a few utensils used for puja and three dishes, perhaps received during some felicitation programme, from them.
Identified as Rakesh Thapa from Sonada, Deepankar Darnal of Pandom, Kunal Rai of Bhutia Bustee and Deba alias Deepankar Gurung of Jawahar Bustee, all four were picked up by the Pradhannangar police on Saturday.
“They were found roaming the stretch between Darjeeling More and Dagapur. Their movement seemed suspicious and our mobile patrol picked them up. We found the items on them. They admitted that the articles were stolen from Deepak Gurung’s house in Darjeeling,” said Swapan Ghosh, the inspector-in-charge of the Pradhannagar police station. Gurung’s house in Darjeeling was ransacked by a mob after a bullet fired allegedly from there killed a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporter on Friday.
The details of the arrested youths have been sent to police stations in the hills for verification and to find out if they are members of any political party or not.
“They have claimed that they do not belong to any political party. But we have contacted the police stations under which their houses are located for more information,” he said.
There was no way to get the 26km from the border to the city of Darjeeling unless we walked. So off we went. We forgot to look and see what elevation the city of Darjeeling was at. Turns out we had to go 1500 meters up over those 26km. We started out at 3 in the afternoon. We were taken 2 km by a local school bus driver who dropped us off and pointed straight up the ridge saying that this was the shortcut. Up we went following a group of kids. Straight up. For over an hour until we reached the road. Up and up the road went with no end in sight. At 730 or so we stopped for tea. It was pitch black out with fireflies swarming around. We were only 8 km from town. Almost there. And pretty tired too. We had all of our stuff with us and no supplies. We hadn’t planned our excursion out very well.
BALUWATAR, July 27: Ending a dull period of 44 days at the Teesta Stage V Power Station in Balutar in East Sikkim, the two of its three units were synchronized with the grid at 7:15 pm on July 25 and the third one was synchronized at 9 am on July 26.
