“Why should we celebrate our entry into Asian Games? Our goal should be to play in the World Cup.” Shyam Thapa

Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Students march to Kolkata for Gorkhaland

Bimal Gurung, President Gorkha Janmukti Morcha flagging off students march to Kolkata

Students cheering the student contingent marching to Kolkata

Photos by Himalaya Darpan

Students on their way to Kolkata for dharna before Writers Building

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Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Rohit Sonar – A rising Star

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Age: 22 yrs

Academic Qualification & Profession: I am in my first year, BA.

Family Background: My dad is a teacher and my mother is a nurse in the Civil Hospital. I have a brother and a sister.

A few lines about yourself: I am a simple guy. I am very down to earth and I firmly believe in simple living and high thinking.

What inspired you to pursue music?
It is my parents dream and everyone in my village has supported me. I have their love, hope and aspiration to live up to.

Your Dream: To live the dream of my family and my village.

Your Idol & Why? My parents. I come from a small village and my parents have sacrificed everything to help me follow my dream.

Favourite Singers: Shaan, KK, Kunal Ganjawalla.

Favourite Music Director: Darbar, Monty Sharma and Shankar Ehsaan Loy.

Favourite Film: Taare Zameen Par and Page 3

An Actor/Actress you dream of singing for: Shah Rukh Khan because I want to be the King of Playback Voices.

Favourite Food: Anything mom cooks.

Bharatiya Gorkhali Welfare Association to organise Gorkha Saanjh at Bangalore

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“It’s the Police’s responsibility to protect Life and Property”, Asok Bhattacharya

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE] EXCLUSIVE

BY BARUN ROY

Siliguri, 31 August: “It is the responsibility of the District Administration and the Police to protect life and property of all opposition leaders and supporters in Darjeeling Hills,” said State Urban and Municipal Affairs Minister Asok Bhattacharya. “We have informed the Chief Minister and the State Party President on the degrading law and order situation in the Hills,” added Bhattacharya. [Inset: Asok Bhattacharya]

The Urban and Municipal Affairs Minister alleged that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha cadres at Sonada and Bijanbari had asked Communist Party of India Marxist cadres and supporters to surrender. “If they did not surrender within a week they would be killed,” Bhattacharya said. “Ten of our cadres were even injured when Gorkha Janmukti Morcha cadres attacked them. We have called for a secretarial level to deal with the issue. We will take out a protest procession at Siliguri on the 5^th of September. On the 6^th we will hold meetings and protest processions at Bagdogra, Panitanki and Siliguri. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is adding fuel to the fire. On one side they are talking about attending the Tripartite Meeting to be held at New Delhi on the other side they are determined to destroy the harmony between the Hills and the plains. This is very dangerous for the unity and solidarity of the country. We should try to solve all the problems through dialogue and not violence.”

All Party Meeting Tomorrow!

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE] EXCLUSIVE

BY BARUN ROY

Darjeeling, 31 August: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has called for an all party meeting on 1^st of September to discuss on the issue of Tripartite Meeting to be held at New Delhi. “The all party meeting will be held at Gymkhana Club on the 1^st of September. The meeting will start at 2 pm and will be attended by All India Gorkha League (AIGL), Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM), Gorkha Rastraiya Congress (Gorkha National Congres – GRC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Darjeeling District Committee), Communist Party of India (CPI) and All India Congress among other parties,” said Roshan Giri, the General Secretary of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. [Inset: Roshan Giri with D. K. Pradhan. File Photo]

Roshan Giri further added, “The all party meeting has been called to come to a consensus on the issue of Gorkhaland and to prepare for the Tripartite Meeting.” It may be noted that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha President, Bimal Gurung had previous in various occasions said that representatives from other Pro-Gorkhaland Parties, Minorities and Tribes from Dooars Terai region will also be included in the GJM delegation which will be attending the Tripartite Movement. It is believed that the leaders will discuss on the formation of delegation which will be attending Tripartite Meeting at New Delhi.

When asked what will be the main agenda at the Tripartite Meeting, Roshan Giri said, “We will only discuss about Gorkhaland and nothing else. We will not accepting anything beside Gorkhaland. And for the first time we are trying to come up with an all party delegation so that there is a transparency and accommodation of all party ideologies. If this is successful, we will be able to bring about a unified Gorkhaland movement first time in our collective political history.

Water great effort –Rotarians lend a hand in India

FROM SOUTHERN REPORTER

Kalimpong Rotary Club President Laying the foundation

AROUND 500 primary students of Scottish University’s Mission Institution (SUMI) in Kalimpong in India will soon have access to clean sanitation thanks in part to members of Rotary Club of Kelso. The project to install on the school premises a rainwater harvesting system to ensure uninterrupted supply of water is expected to be completed in six months.

In all, 17 urinals and 10 toilets with modern amenities will be built.

The rainwater harvesting units to be set up in the school compound as well as on the terrace of the nearby Disha building, which, like SUMI, is run by the Church of North India, will ensure uninterrupted supply of water.

Bagpipers of Scottish University’s Mission Institution (SUMI)

The money for the project was raised by Rotary Club of Kelso in Scotland, Rotary Club of Kalimpong and Rotary Foundation.

The foundation stone for the construction of toilets, along with the rainwater harvesting system, was laid at a ceremony held in the institution recently.

Rajen Raghavan, the club’s public relations in-charge, said the club chose SUMI for the project in view of the school’s contribution in the field of education.

In its 117 years of existence, SUMI has helped spread the benefits of education not only in Darjeeling and other parts of Bengal, but also in Northeast, Nepal and Bhutan.

Nava Ratna Pradhan, the principal of SUMI, has thanked Rotary Club for implementing the project in his institution.

Congress can learn lesson from Hillary

FROM SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA NET

KATHMANDU: On Wednesday Senator Hillary Clinton vowed to work to elect the man, who thwarted her presidential dreams, Barack Hussein Obama, now waiting to become the first black president of the United States. In an emotional speech she backed Obama as the Democratic party’s nominee for the presidential election, due on November 4, and appealed to her supporters to stand by Barack. “Whether you voted for me or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose,” she told a party convention in Denver, Colorado.

Back home, Nepal’s “oldest and largest democratic institution” – the Nepali Congress (NC) – is groping for a way forward five months after suffering a humiliating defeat in the historic CA election. The party began its Central Working Committee meeting on Monday and practically spent the entire week discussing too many different issues that centred around General Secretary Bimalendra Nidhi’s paper. Key among them are calls for the party’s re-organisation, announcement of fresh dates for the General Assembly and General Convention, revival of collective leadership and creating an atmosphere for emotional unity. Each speaker raised these issues that mean different things to different speakers.

The CWC members need to come out of the shells in which they reside. Sooner or later, the Assembly and the Convention will have to take place to elect the party leadership. But voting a faction in and another out of the leadership ladder hardly contributes to unity in the party unless, like Hillary Clinton stated, the NC rank and file ‘unite as a single party with a single purpose’ irrespective of who wins or who loses. The thing called team spirit seems to be lacking in the NC. What’s important at this stage is that the NC men and women pledge to stand by the party – irrespective of who they would want to see commanding the ship. Or else, rushing for a vote to choose a new team or re-elect the old guards will only prove to be a purpose defeated.

Nepali police gun down armed group chief

FROM IANS

Kathmandu, Aug 30 : Nepali police have shot dead the chief of an underground extremist outfit called Terai Army, responsible for a series of subversions in the capital, a media report said Saturday.

Kausal Sahani, also known as “Mr. John”, along with his security guard, was shot dead by police in Raghunathpur area of Rautahat district Friday night, news website Nepalnews.com reported.

The outfit is a relatively unknown militant group supporting the autonomy movement of the ethnic Madhesi community in the Terai region.

It was one of the groups that refused to participate in the 2008 election that brought former Maoist rebels to power and facilitated the end of the Nepalese monarchy.

Sahani has been accused of masterminding several explosions in the capital and elsewhere in the country in the past.

The so-called “Terai Army”, active in southern Nepal’s Terai region, once claimed responsibility for the serial bomb explosions which killed at least two people and injured more than two dozen in the capital Kathmandu last September.

Prior to this, the group also reportedly claimed responsibility for bomb blasts in the southern district of Rautahat.

Landslide victims being compensated

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

By D. B RAI

Gangtok: The twenty five families of Ranka block who were affected by landslide due to incessant rains on Thursday will be given compensation Rs.10, 000/- each on Saturday by Ms. Urbasi Paudyal, BDO, Ranka, at her office.

Speaking to Sikkim Reporter she said the affected families have been shifted to safer places and given Rs.1000 each for their immediate expenditure. The BDO office has also collected ten tarpaulins from District Collector’s office on Friday which will be distributed to the affected people and some of the tarpaulins of BDO office will be used to cover the part where landslide took place.

The most affected villages of block level are Pabing, Changram, Doksing and Thami Dara. On Thursday BDO and Sub Divisional Magistrate (East) Dr. A.B.Karki visited the affected places and District Collector, Mr. Bishal Chauhan, followed on Friday.

Destinations loses their road connections

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, August 29: Several areas in the State have lost their road connections temporarily due to landslides that have blocked the roads.

As per information from State Roads and Bridges department, 13 roads leading to various destinations in the State have been blocked due to landslides and other related reasons.

In the South District, the road from Ravangla to Yangang (14 kms) and to Ralan-Phamtam (25 kms) have been blocked at Km 9 and Selelay respectively. The road from Melli to Phong (22.75 kms) has been blocked at Km 5.

In the West, the road from Dentam to Uttarey (9.6 kms) is blocked at Km 2 while transportation from Nayabazaar to Daramdin-Pureytar (28.5 kms) is not possible due to blockages at Bojek.

Commuters are also facing problems due to road blockage at Heudey Jhora from Khangong Linzey to Tintek (26 kms) in East Sikkim.

North district is also inaccessible from Singtam as the Makha-Dikchu road (18.2 kms) is blocked at Km 5.
The route from Kimbotey to Sokpey (14 kms) is blocked at Km 3 while transportation from Gangtok to Yangang is not possible along Pabong-Simchulthang road due to blockages at Km 2.

Missionary schools in Sikkim join the national shutdown call

FROM SIKKIM EXRPESS

GANGTOK/PAKYONG, August 29: Joining the nationwide protests by Catholic educational institutions over the continuing anti-Christian violence in Orissa’s Kandhamal district, Christian missionary schools remained closed today in Sikkim today.

Thousands of Catholic schools in the country shut down today in protest against the Christians being targeted in Orissa.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India - the highest body of Catholic Bishops – has announced that all Catholic schools and colleges across India would remain closed today. The organisation runs almost 25,000 schools and colleges in India.

Christian missionary schools in Sikkim also followed the nationwide shutdown. It is informed that St Thomas, Don Bosco, St Joseph, Holy Cross (Tadong), St.Xaviers (Pakyong) and other missionary schools remained closed for the day after the school authorities had declared an unscheduled holiday today, school sources said.

The faculty and students of missionary schools in Sikkim were informed about the shutdown yesterday. The shut down decision was taken in compliance with the directive of top missionary authorities, it was informed.

SDF refutes corruption charges

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, August 29: The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party has condemned the news item published in one of the vernacular newspaper alleging corruption behind the construction of Pakyong Community hall.

In a press release, the party said that the allegations made against the contractor are very much unfounded and baseless. The party claimed that the construction of the community hall was started as per the rules and the regulations after a proper tender process in 1997.

The construction work is still going on and to make any kind of comment on it by the opposition parties does not make a sense at all, states the SDF release.

Jharkhand team on Sikkim tour

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, August 29: The Directorate of Field Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has been organizing conducted tours for opinion leaders of various regions.

With the aim of bringing awareness among youth leaders on economic development, protection of environment, women and child development, Ranchi Unit of Jharkhand and Central Bihar Region has brought a seventeen member team led by SMN Rizvi.

The team left Ranchi on August 18, 2008 and visited Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Siliguri, Darjeeling and arrived in Gangtok today. The team visited Sikkim Flora Anthodium, Majitar, Sikkim Jewels Factory, Sikkim Himalayan Orchid Cultivation and Rose Cultivation at Assam Lingzey. The team will be visiting various projects in Ranka tomorrow.

During their fifteen day tour of different states, the knowledge of the Opinion Leaders on India’s cultural heritage, necessity of protection of endangered species, protection of the environment has been increased. After their return to their villages in Jharkhand they would pass on their knowledge to people of their area. (PIB)

Countdown to Pang Lhabsol Silver Jubilee festival begins

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, August 29: A fortnight of introspection, revelry and obeisance to the guardian deities will begin from September 1 at Rabongla in South Sikkim on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of Pang Lhabsol festival-a historic joyous moment for the composite Sikkimese society.

Year 2008 marks the 25th edition of Pang Lhabsol celebrations at Rabongla whose stature and the scale of the grandeur of commemorating the festival increases every year since 1984. This festival is unique to Sikkim and is observed to pay respect and reinforce the beliefs of Sikkimese people to their guardian deity, Mt.Khangchendzonga.

Traditionally, Pangtoed Chaam or the Warrior Dance holds centre stage which was originally choreographed from a dream sequence by Chakdor Namgyal, the fourth Chogyal.

The aura of the dance brought alive from a dream is still maintained at Rabongla.

Today, the festival has evolved into a surreal fusion of tradition, culture, music and sports. In the process, this Southern town has now become a volley ball hub of the entire Sikkim Himalayan region.

Congress youth cries foul over CC footpath at Middle Syari; demands State Govt to ensure proper implementation of NREG scheme

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, August 29: A four-member fact finding team of Sikkim Pradesh Youth Congress (SPYC) headed by the District Returning Officer for East District, T. Gyatso visited Middle Syari under Syari Constituency on August 28 to check the implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) scheme in the area.

In a press release issued by Kunga Nima Lepcha, General Secretary, Media-cum-Spokesperson, SPCC, the team discovered that the construction of CC Footpath under NREG has not been constructed where it was required the most.

The release alleges that the recently completed footpath is of sub-standard quality and leads to nowhere.
During interaction with the people of the area, it was found that the disbursement of the daily wages was done in an irregular manner resulting in non payment of wages to many of the wage earners, the release further alleged.

Further, it was revealed that the deserving beneficiaries have not been distributed job cards consequent upon which such beneficiaries have been deprived of employment opportunities adding that no social audit has been done as per NREG Act, 2005.

No Reliance network till demands are met – Tower sentinels call for an indefinite strike

Communications services to come to a standstill in Sikkim, Darjeeling hills and Siliguri

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

DARJEELING, August 29: In case your mobile with Reliance number does not ring for most hours on Saturday, do not be fooled by ‘No network’ or ‘Out of Range’ messages from the service provider and instead pray that the 11 demands of the personnel operating the Reliance towers in this hill region are quickly dealt with.

Reliance telecommunication services in Sikkim, Darjeeling hills and Siliguri will remain paralyzed from tomorrow with the 700 odd employees manning the mobile towers in this region announcing an indefinite strike demanding regularization and proper facilities.

Till their demands are addressed, the Gorkha Janmukti Reliance Employees Association will stop taking care of the towers for an indefinite period forcing the reliance internet and mobile services to come to a standstill.

The association said that they were compelled to call the indefinite strike as their 11 demands were not fulfilled. The clampdown decision was reached during a meeting held today at Darjeeling between the management and employees’ body of Reliance. The meeting however Assistant Labour Commissioner could not progress due to the absence of any representative from Reliance company.

India could have won Olympic medal in boxing in 1964 – Padam Bahadur Mall

FROM GARHWAL POST

NEWS SHARED BY AARDEE

Dehradun, 22 Aug: Indian boxer Vijender Kumar brought cheer for the country by winning a bronze medal in boxing at the Beijing Olympics. He lost to Cuban Emilio Correa Bayeaux in the semi-finals of the 75 kg category on Friday. He created history by becoming the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal.

But India could have won its first Olympic medal way back in 1964, when the boxing squad was sent to Tokyo owing to a rift between the Indian Olympic Association and Indian Amateur Boxing Federation. Dehradun’s own Padam Bahadur Mall was in devastating form and was being considered a medal prospect for the Summer Olympics.

It is said that the IOA wanted to send Padam Bahadur Mall alone for the Tokyo Olympics, while the IABF was insisting on a three member team. Both the organisations never reached a compromise and, as a result, no boxer was allowed to participate in the Tokyo Olympics.

Padam Bahadur Mall caught the attention of the world of boxing by winning the first ever boxing Gold medal for the country at the Jakarta Asian Games in 1962. Mall thus became the toast of a nascent sporting nation. He thrashed Kanemura Shiratori of Japan in the final to bring home the Gold and also the Best Boxer’s title, the only Indian to achieve this feat in the Asian Games till date.

Remembering Shahid Durga Malla

FROM GARHWAL POST

NEWS SHARED BY AARDEE

By LP Thapa

DEHRADUN, 25 Aug: “The sacrifice I am offering shall not go in vain. India will be free. I am confident. This is only a matter of time, Sharda! Don’t worry, crores of Hindustanis are with you.” These were the last words of Major Durga Malla to his young wife before he was sent to the gallows for defying the British in favour of his motherland, India. He was hanged on 25 August 1944. He was the first Gorkha soldier of the Indian National Army (INA) to sacrifice his life for the cause of the nation. His martyrdom day is now celebrated as ‘Balidan Diwas’ by the Gorkha community every year.
The equestrian figure of this legendary hero now stands proudly in the precincts of the Indian Parliament.

The eldest among four sons and three daughters, Durga was born on 1 July, 1913 at Khate Gaon, Doiwala, to Parvati Devi and Ganga Ram Malla, an army man.

Durga Malla was an extremely self-respecting, laborious, dedicated and honest person. “He was a good elder brother for all of us younger siblings,” says 84 year old Prem Singh Malla, the youngest brother of Durga, who resides, presently, in Ranjhawala. Though he is hard of hearing and losing his memory, he recalled that his elder brother was a good footballer. “I remember, he used to study in the Gorkha Military Middle School (presently Gorkha Military Inter College) and play football passionately and wrote poetry in Nepali and Hindi.”

Since when he was a student of ninth standard, Durga was actively engaged in anti-British activites in his locality. He was greatly inspired by Gandhian freedom fighters of Dehradun like Thakur Chandan Singh, Kharag Bahadur Singh Bisht, Pandit Ishwaranand Gorkha and Amar Singh Thapa.

He was much influenced by Gandhi’s Dandi March in 1930. Due to his anti-British activities, his family was frequently subjected to interrogation by the British government. To avoid being arrested by police, he moved to his uncle’s house in Dharamshala in present day Himachal Pradesh, and in 1931 joined the 2/1 Gorkha Rifles at the age of 18 years.

CM & Public pay tribute to martyr – Rifleman Pankaj Gurung

FROM GARHWAL POST

NEWS SHARED BY AARDEE

DEHRADUN, 26 Aug: Chief Minister B C Khanduri today paid floral tribute to martyred Rifleman Pankaj Gurung at his residence in Johri village and took  part in his funeral ceremony. Gurung lost his life in an encounter with terrorists in Manipur, recently.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister expressed his condolences to the soldier’s father, Prabhu Gurung, brother Prashant Gurung and other family members, and said that his sacrifice had made his family and state immensely proud. He also praised the Gurung family for their contribution towards the defence of the nation.

Rajpur MLA Ganesh Joshi, ADM UC Kabadwal and others were among the hundreds of people present on the occasion.

Gurung was taken on his last journey in procession, with an Army Band leading the way. People from all walks of life attended the cremation to pay their respects to the brave soldier.

Bhaichung Bhutia Foundation for Stadium and Football Academy at Barasat

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE] EXCLUSIVE

BY ANIL ROY [FOR BEACON ONLINE]

Kolkata, 30 August: All India Football Federation (AIFF) has accepted Indian Football Captain Bhaichung Bhutia’s proposal to establish a Football Academy at Barasat. Speaking to the press at Mohammedan Sporting Club,  AIFF President Priyaranjan Das Munshi said, “Bhaichung’s proposal of making a stadium and a football academy at Barasat is fantastic. We at AIFF are even ready to help financially in his quest.”

According to sources close to Bhaichung Bhutia, the Bhaichung Bhutia Foundation has sent a proposal to the administrative authorities of North 24 Paraganas. The proposals calls for the renovation of the Barasat Stadium to international standards and establishing a football academy there. According to the proposal by Bhaichung Bhutia Foundation, there will be facilities for swimming. A gymnasium will also be established.

Barasat (Bangla: বারাসাত) is a city in the outskirts of Kolkata and is the district head quarter of the district North 24 parganas. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. The town is an important railway and roadway junction. Barasat is also the name of a sub-division centering the city.

Cultural Mannequins – Preparing for Dasain Festivals

Cultural Mannequins

Photo by Himalaya Darpan

A monkey looks for ticks on a woman’s head

A monkey looks for ticks on a woman’s head. Photo by Himalaya Darpan

State Secretaries to attend the Tripartite Meeting

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE] EXCLUSIVE

BY ANIL ROY [FOR BEACON ONLINE]

Kolkata, 30 August: “West Bengal State Principal Secretary Amit Kiran Deb, Home Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty and Jalpaiguri Departmental Commissioner and Caretaker Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Biharilal Meena will attend the Tripartite Meeting to be held at New Delhi on the behalf of West Bengal Government,” said Principal Secretary Amit Kiran Deb at Writers Building here in Kolkata. [Inset: Amit Kiran Deb]

The Principal Secretary further added that the Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya took stock of the Gorkhaland movement that has entirely engulfed the hills. The Chief Minister took information on the ground realities from District Secretaries. The Principal Secretary said, “The West Bengal Government will not take any legal steps against the implementation of Gorkhaland vehicle registration plates in the hills at least before the Tripartite Meeting. The Government is trying to work patiently towards the restoration of normalcy in the Hills. The Chief Minister is of the hope that all problems will be discussed and solved through the Tripartite Meeting.”

Meanwhile, news emanating from Siliguri and Darjeeling Hills suggesting forceful implementation of Gorkhaland vehicle registration plates on even the Governmental vehicles have raised grave concerns at Kolkata.