Sikkim’s last date to file income tax returns is Oct 31

FROM THAINDIAN

New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) The last date for filing income tax returns in the northeastern state of Sikkim has been extended to Oct 31 this year, the central government said here Tuesday.”The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the last date of filing of income tax returns to Oct 31 this year from July 31,” the finance ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the date has been extended in Sikkim in view of the delay in issuing instructions about the filing of income tax returns by non-Sikkimese residing in the northeastern state.

Sikkim’s annual plan budget for the current fiscal is pegged at Rs.8.52 billion ($185 million).

Hermonites’ Reunion Party

The reunion is finally on.
It is at Gymkhana Club, Darjeeling on 16th October 2008 6:00 pm onwards.
All Hermonites from beyond Ghoom are exempted from entry fee courtesy Darjeeling Hermonites.
Any queries one can get in touch with Darjeeling Hermonites at Anup Chachan – 9434153727, Dr. Lobsang T Bhutia – 9002311673, Surkamani Manaen – 9932231459 and Pasang Bhutia – 9832066871

Pictured: The Nepalese girl, 6, appointed a ‘living goddess’

FROM DAILY MAIL

At the age of six a Nepalese girl has been appointed a “living goddess” to be adored by thousands.

Shreeya Bajracharya was enthroned in a ceremony in the ancient city of Bhaktapur near Kathmandu.

Living goddess: Shreeya Bajracharya is fanned as she is displayed for the public to worship during the Bhoto Jatra festival at Jawlakhel in Kathmandu

As a Kumari – an incarnation of the goddess Kali – she will be worshipped by devout Hindus and Buddhists until reaching puberty.

Dressed in a golden costume with her eyelashes blackened by mascara, and sitting on a carved throne, she was visited by curious reporters.

Asked what she wanted to be in the future, the demure little girl, who loves to eat biscuits, said quietly: “A nurse.”

Enlarge  

Shreeya adjusts her ‘third eye’ while posing for photographers

She replaces her controversial predecessor, Sajani Shakya, who retired earlier this year, after nine years in the divine role.

Sajani made international headlines in 2007 after she visited the United States to promote a film by a British company about the Kumari system.

Under the system, the head priest of Nepal’s former monarchy appointed “Kumaris” – considered to be incarnations of the goddess Kali – in several towns in the Kathmandu valley.

Nepal’s new Maoist-led government appointed the 6-year-old girl

The monarchy was abolished in May when Nepal became a republic.

Some religious authorities criticised Sajani’s trip saying it was against tradition, and Sajani retired at the request of her family.

Army helped to avert damage by a bomb

FROM SIKKIM REPORTER

Gangtok: The GOC, 17 Mtn. Division, informs in a press release that on 24 Sep 2008, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was discovered in Geysing, West Sikkim, in close vicinity to the ground where Dr. Pawan Chamling, the Chief Minister of Sikkim, was scheduled to address a gathering. The device was placed adjacent to the boundary wall of the Government High School.

Having No experience of handling such incidents, the local police immediately sought assistance from the Army authorities at Gangtok. Following its glorious traditions of responding to the call of duty towards the nation, the Army reacted immediately. Captain Ashish Kumar Roy along with RHM G. Ananda Naidu of the Army based at Karponang, about 20 km from Gangtok, were immediately dispatched with bomb disposal kit to Men La, where a helicopter took them to the site at 2:30 PM.

The crude IED consisted of Gelatin placed in an old pressure cooker with Chinese alarm clock used as the timer device placed about 500 meters from the place where the Chief Minister was to address. “This had a potential for serious collateral damage due to panic in the massive gathering”, the release said.

After waiting for the crowd to disperse, the team carried out a controlled explosion to safely destroy the crude bomb. The civil administration and police authorities have placed on record their deep appreciation for the prompt and swift response to demolish this device, the release noted. (With IPR input)

AIGL president calls for unity

FROM SIKKIM REPORTER

Darjeeling: The All India Gorkha League leadership has said only collective leadership would see the ongoing movement attain the goal of a separate state.

“I had announced on 5 October 2007, even before the formation of the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha that only a collective leadership and unity in programme for the greater movement of Gorkhaland would achieve the objective,” AIGL president, Mr Madan Tamang said at a public meeting in Darjeeling.

The meeting is part of a series being held in the three Hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong after the AIGL’s last public meeting was obstructed by the GJMM’s women wing in June.

The AIGL chief’s comments come following the GJMM allegation that the AIGL representative at the 8 September tripartite meeting on Gorkhaland in New Delhi, Mr Laxman Pradhan had kept “mum” on the demand. The GJMM had also dubbed his “illness” as a lame excuse.

The verbal spat between the two parties began when Mr Tamang alleged that party delegates were unaware of the contents of the 51-page memorandum presented to the Centre at the meeting. (Media Watch)

CM points to opposition for effigy burning and bomb

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

Gangtok: “Burning my effigy in Siliguri was the handiwork of the opposition parties of Sikkim and some frustrated anti-social elements. The same elements and oppositions now in Sikkim had planted a bomb at Geyzing,” said Chief Minister Dr. Pawan Chamling addressing Janata Mela at Sichey public ground on September 28. He called the act of effigy burning “anti-Indian Nepali and anti-Sikkimese”.

Mentioning rapid development of Sikkim, he said the government will achieve revenue earning of Rs.700 crore this year while aiming at a target of Rs.2000 crore revenue in the coming years. He said per capita income of the State by 2015 will be more than rupees one lakh 2015 and the State will achieve cent per cent literacy and totally discrimination less. “Every people would have employment and nobody would suffer from unemployment and poverty,” he said.

The government has adopted policies of “holistic development” of the State, he said, adding, “We have many plans and programme of development as we want Sikkim to be not only a wealthy State but healthy as well”.
Highlighting decentralization of power in the State, he regretted that people are not taking advantage of it. “Unfortunately, he said, people in Sikkim are still Gangtok centric, even though there are facilities in the villages”.

He said there is lot of potentialand if the farmers can develop their capacity, Sikkim will be self sufficient in horticulture and floriculture. He revealed that the State government has made a plan of village development, to reduce the gap between urban and village areas and thereby control the influx of villagers into urban areas.

World Tourism Day celebrated CM calls for collective responsibiliy

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, September 28: Sikkim government is gearing up to prepare a tourism base from the villages itself by training the rural youths for taking Sikkim tourism to the next level.

Presenting a road map for cementing rural tourism in the State, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling informed to all the tourism stakeholders that more than hundred GPUs in Sikkim has been identified for promotion of rural tourism by the State government. Soon, the local youths of these GPUs will be given proper training to prepare a human resource in the rural areas for tourism sector, he said. He added that the State government has planned tourism related projects not only in the urban areas but also in rural areas of Sikkim.

The Chief Minister was addressing a large gathering of tourism stakeholders at Chitan Bhavan yesterday on the occasion of World Tourism Day organized by State Tourism department and Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS).

We are preparing to train local rural youths as guides and taxi drives besides measures to inculcate tourism specific behaviour, said the Chief Minister. The rural folks will also be trained to perform traditional dance programmes so that the tourists visiting the rural hamlets could enjoy the rich cultural heritage of Sikkim through our rich dances, he said.

Mr. Chamling reminded that the State government is fully focussed on the overall development of tourism industry in Sikkim for the benefits of the local people. However, matching contribution of the people are also required, he said.

“Contribution from every individual is needed to make tourism as a revenue generation industry by developing tourism sector in Sikkim”, said Mr. Chamling. Proper and good roads are being developed in Sikkim, an airport is all slated to come up at Pakyong at the earliest by 2011, he added.

Opposition lampoons SDF bandh

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, September 29: Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) president and former Chief Minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari today lampooned the ruling SDF party on its ‘double standards’ on bandhs.
“The SDF government cries hoarse and project revenue losses in crores of rupees whenever a bandh happens in neighbouring Darjeeling region. But it hardly cares over the revenue losses when it itself calls a bandh in Sikkim”, Mr. Bhandari told Sikkim Express.

The SPCC president also accused the SDF party of blowing the ‘effigy torching’ unnecessary out of proportion.

“Pawan Chamling should have taken a legal action against the people behind his effigy torching in Siliguri instead of calling a bandh and affecting the revenue and normal routine of Sikkimese people”, said Mr. Bhandari.

Stating that it was Mr. Chamling who had questioned his nationality when he was the Chief Minister, Mr. Bhandari asserted that ‘Pawan Chamling should now answer questions on his nationality’.

The SPCC had also called a Sikkim bandh today on the alleged violation of Article 371 F by the State government and ‘purported’ exemption of Income Tax to Sikkimese people.

Claiming success on the bandh, the party expressed its gratitude to the Sikkimese people in a press statement.

“That the people are becoming conscious is evident from their support for this Bandh and for its success”, states the release.

Sikkim crippled for 12 hours SDF’s ‘Prativad Diwas’ successful & peaceful Undue enthusiasm sees medical and newspapers shops shut down Entertainment channels goes off air NH 31 A deserted

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, September 29: As promised, normal life in Sikkim came to a total standstill today during a dawn to dusk bandh call given by the ruling SDF party.

The state wide bandh which came after a gap of 11 years was largely peaceful in all parts of the State which began from 6 am and ended at 6 pm. That the bandh will be successful was a foregone conclusion as it had been called by the ruling party itself.

‘Sikkim will come to a standstill on September 29 which we will observe as Prativad Diwas’, the SDF general secretary Bhim Dahal had said while announcing the bandh on September 24 at a press meet.

Barring some minor incidents, no untoward incidents were reported from all over the State during the Prativad Diwas and the bandh was a total success.

These some minor incidents were also due to undue enthusiasm shown by sections of SDF picketers on who should be observing the bandh and who should be not.

At Gangtok and other urban parts of the State, almost all the medical shops had their shutters pulled down despite the universal law that medical shops should remain 24 hours open everyday including during bandhs also. It may be added here that the SDF party had exempted milk supply services, army, police and emergency services from the bandh purview.

Emergency services also include medical outlets. This message was apparently lost among the SDF Cheli Morcha members who did not allow the medical shops to open.

Milk supply services were also disrupted; it is informed from unconfirmed channels.

Most of the newspaper shops also remained closed depriving readers of their daily dose of news in the morning hours.

The usually bustling capital of Sikkim depicted a deserted look with most of the people preferring to stay indoors during the whole bandh period. It was same in all the urban areas of the State.

However, the bandh followed the people right into their homes with television channels going off air as the local cable operators too joined the state wide protests. People were subjected to view only few news channels that were telecasted and all other entertainment channels blocked by the cable operators.

“All Sikkim Cable network operators are also expressing its solidarity to the bandh”, said one of the local cable operators when contacted.

Outside their homes, people got a feel of the bandh that came calling after a gap of 11 years.

Everything remained closed.

All the commercial establishments in the State remained closed down as the business community had already stated its support to the bandh.

“The executive committee of Sikkim Chamber of Commerce thanks all the business fraternity for their whole hearted support to make the Prativad Diwas a grand success”, said the body in a press statement.

Schools and government offices also remained closed. Central government offices were also deserted though it was not officially closed.

“We can’t force the Central Government offices to shut down but we wanted them to show harmony in the bandh”, said NK Pradhan, Gangtok MLA to Sikkim Express.

Sinclairs to upgrade its properties by next year

FROM HOSPITALITY BIZ INDIA

With presences in North Bengal (leisure properties at Darjeeling and Dooars and a business property at Siliguri), Ooty and Port Blair, Sinclairs Hotels Ltd is upgrading its properties, in order to counter competition in the burgeoning leisure hospitality market. Sinclairs properties are undergoing phase-wise renovations; they will be updated in terms of interiors, features and facilities.

Talking about the need to revamp all its five properties (three to four star categories), Navin Suchanti, CEO and Managing Director, Sinclairs Hotels Ltd, informs, “We are basically aim to target the leisure tourism market, which has boomed in recent times. Our only business property in Siliguri is facing tough competition from its local counterparts as the city becomes a popular business destination. We have carried out demand-and-supply studies for all our properties and that prompted us to take on such initiatives.”

With 66 rooms and three suites, Sinclairs Retreat at Chalsa, Dooars is not expected to add rooms as the eight year old property has the highest room inventory in the region.

GORKHA BOYS WIN FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIP

FROM GARHWAL POST

ORIGINAL HEADLINE: Shasank selected for scholarship

NEWS SHARED BY AARDEE

Shasank Rawat, a cadet of MP Sports College (Dehradun), was among the 16 sub-junior players selected for a Rs 10,000 scholarship (one time grant). He was the lone Uttarakhand player to figure in the list. The scholarship is provided on the basis of the performance of players in the Subroto Cup.

The complete list includes:

Shasank Rawat (Uttarakhand),
Vineet Noronha (Mumbai),
Mathura Beek (Jharkhand),
Uttam Rai (New Delhi),
Wanlamsuk Noagkhlow (Shillong),
Jatin Singh (New Delhi),
Bijoy Subba (Lucknow),
Richard Lepcha (Sikkim), Lunmin Lal (Nagaland), Shaibarlang Kharpan (Haryana), Ramengnawia (Mizoram), Prabal Pritam Deka (Assam), Sikandar (Haryana), Dilaram Sanyasi (Sikkim), Amit Roy (West Bengal) and Andon D’souza (Maharashtra).

Tea body to finalise project with Nepal institute

FROM THE HINDU BUSINESSLINE

NEWS SHARED BY AARDEE

Kolkata, Sept. 29 The Tea Research Association (TRA), Tocklai, Jorhat, Assam, is to shortly firm-up a project with Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the leader in integrated mountain development through remote sensing.

“Early this year we visited ICIMOD in Nepal and we hope to finalise a project later this year,” said Mr C.S. Bedi, Chairman of TRA. The thrust of the project would be environment protection and community development, Mr Bedi said.

TRA, the Chairman pointed out, was also working closely with ITC Netherlands on areas of drainage and water harvesting technologies.

MoU with Lanka

TRA’s recent MoU with the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, he said, was intended to carry out collaborative research on plant breeding, studies on maximum residue limits, biological control of pests and diseases, mechanisation of field and factory operations, development of software for better control of tea processing, development and improvement of existing tea machinery, development of chemical index of quality, studies on stress physiology to mitigate drought effects, development of water harvesting techniques and development of soil quality/ health index. “Research cannot be carried in isolation and I hope this collaborative effort will bring rich dividends to the tea industries of both the countries,” he observed.

First Foundation Day of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha

Dear All,

It gives us a great pleasure to welcome you to celebrate the first foundation day of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Delhi & NCR Branch.

Foundation day is also a time to look ahead at the challenging future that awaits us.

The programme for the “First Foundation Day” are as follows :

Date  :           October 07, 2008

Time :           10 am onwards

Venue :         Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

Regards,

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha,

Delhi & NCR Unit.

For Details Contact:

Ashok Biswa             :           +91 98999 67 301

Prakash Shanker       :           +91 98739 75 233

Bishal Rai ‘Kirath’    :           +91 98733 20 866

Navratri greetings from a Magar Girl from Bhagsu

Model: Devina Thapa. Photographer: Jyoti Thapa Mani

A Magar girl from Bhagsu

ITBP to raise all-women commando unit

FROM TIMES OF INDIA

NEW DELHI: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the paramilitary force which guards the border with China and a few important Indian installatio
ns outside the country, is set to have an exclusive women commando unit, especially trained in sniper skills and combat duties, for securing VVIPs.

The unit will also be deployed for the security of pilgrims during the annual Mansarovar Yatra.

Though ITBP has a number of women personnel in its ranks for civil duties, the new unit will perform commando duties besides being deployed on the Sikkim and Ladakh frontiers for guarding the border.

Extortion institutionalised in Northeast

FROM ASIA REVIEW

By Manoj Anand

The practice of engaging militant outfits in ceasefire for a longer duration in the Northeastern states has started proving counter-productive with the governments seem to have been perusing the policy – “buy peace for today, who has seen tomorrow”.

The quick fix approach of the subsequent governments has led the situation in trouble-torn Northeastern states to a level that extortion and existence of militant outfit has been institutionalised.

It may sound strange but its true that the Naga insurgent groups holding ceasefire with government of India is running a parallel government which has now been acknowledged by the state government, its employees and business houses in Nagaland.

There is no denial to the fact that if you have any business, linked to Nagaland, there is hardly any option but to pay the “taxes” to the Naga insurgent groups. The helpless people of Nagaland now justify it saying that it has provided security to their lives and property at least. Be it government employee or traders, everyone seem to have been buying peace in Nagaland. The political leadership also finds solace in enjoying the power instead of taking on the armed separatist groups.

The strength of NSCN (I-M) in 1997, when the ceasefire agreement was signed, was close to 2,500 but it has swollen to over 9,000 during these ceasefire periods. The NSCN (IM) is also regarded as a mentor of many separatist groups in the Northeast since it helped form these outfits, nurtured and armed them over the years.

The situation in neighbouring state of Assam is not much different. There have been instances of the state government “begging” or “buying” peace from outlawed Ulfa for holding national games and one day international match in Guwahati. This was established when the state government published advertisement “praying” for peace to Ulfa leadership just before the national games in 2007. It was equally embarrassing for the security agencies when Assam Cricket Association made similar appeal to the Ulfa leadership just before the last one day international in Guwahati through paid advertisement in the local newspapers.

It is also irony that those Ulfa rebels responsible for killing school children in Dhemaji are now holding peace rallies and allowed to collect fund for carrying out flood relief in Majuli, where noted social activist Sanjoy Ghosh was brutally murdered by these Ulfa rebels only. The Army and other security agencies are of view that majority of these Ulfa rebels of 28th battalion, now in ceasefire mode, were left with only option but to surrender. The ceasefire formula has not only provided amnesty to Ulfa rebels to escape the trial which they might have been facing in case of surrender or arrest but has also disappointed the parents of those innocent children who were killed by their bomb while participating the Independence Day’s celebration in 2004.

The security analysts say that the leaders of Ulfa’s 28th battalion have also proved themselves “wiser” than the political leadership of the state as they have succeeded in turning the table in such a way that those police officers who were victim of their bullets are now giving security to them. The 28th battalion, considered the most potent striking unit of the Ulfa, was also held responsible for the massacre of more than 100 Hindi speaking migrant workers in 2007. The strength of Ulfa rebels in ceasefire mode is also swelling since they have declared a unilateral ceasefire with the government in June 2008.

The glaring instances of extortion by militant outfits holding ceasefire keep on coming to light but the police and the state administration remain oblivious to these problems. The director-general of Assam police R.N. Mathur was caught advising the family member of late FCI general manager P.C. Ram to pay the money to the kidnappers (Ulfa rebels).

“GJM tactics – Gandhivadi or Ghodsevadi?” Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON EXCLUSIVE

BY BARUN ROY

DARJEELING: “Barring other political parties from holding public meetings is Gandhivadi or Ghodsevadi? We have never heard of such Gandhian practice ever. Did Gandhi bar other pro-freedom parties in India? Should there be such instances of dictatorship in a Gandhian Democratic Gorkhaland Movement? We condemn the move by Gorkha Janmutki Morcha to bar all political parties from holding public meetings anywhere in the Hills,” speaking to the press, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist, General Secretary said.”This is dictatorial. We strongly condemn the statement made by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Vice President Pradip Pradhan who during a public meeting organised yesterday barring all political parties from holding Public Meetings anywhere in Darjeeling Hills. He specifically said we will not allow any other political parties to hold public meetings from now on. This is absurd. We condemn it. Pradip further said now only Gorkha Janmukti Morcha will be allowed to move forward and all these thorns must be removed from their roots before Gorkhaland is achieved. What kind of statement is that? These kinds of statements are undemocratic and anti-Gandhism and anti-people. These people represent Ghodse and not Gandhi. It might be remembered that during the rule of Gorkha National Liberation Front when Gorkha Janmukti Morcha was not allowed to hold public meeting at Naxalbari by GNLF and CPIM combine, all political parties in Darjeeling Hills had come out in support for them. Then Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had declared CPIM as undemocratic. Now the same question is being asked – Is Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s move to bar all parties from hold public meetings undemocratic?” [Inset: R. B. Rai General Secretary, CPRM. Photo by Himalaya Darpan]

Speaking to the press, Darjeeling District Congress Committee (Hills) joint secretary, Chhabilal Rai said, “India is a democratic country. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, thought and belief. Every political party has the right to operate and this is intrinsic to democratic norms in this country. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s decision to disallow other political parties to operate is harmful to democracy in the hills. This is an injustice to the people of the Hills and Dooars Terai. We condemn it strongly.”

“Bimal Gurung is another avatar of Ghisingh” Madan Tamang

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON EXCLUSIVE

BY BARUN ROY

DARJEELING: The possibility of the come back of People’s Democratic Front (PDF), a combined front of Hill Parties seems eminent after the announcement made by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) barring all parties from holding public meetings. Speaking at a press conference, All India Gorkha League strongly condemned GJM’s declaration.”During the rule of Gorkha National Liberation Front, Subash Ghisingh barred any other party from holding public meetings. Though Subash Ghisingh has been chased away from the hills, things still seems to remain the same. The West Bengal Government is behind this. There is a conspiracy going on between the Government and some parties to get the Sixth Schedule Bill passed in the Parliament. Gorkhaland Autonomous Council or Gorkhaland Territorial Council is been negotiated under the disguise of Sixth Schedule Bill. Darjeeling MP Dawa Narbula knows all about this. Since we are set to expose it, under the command by the West Bengal Government, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has clamped down upon us and declared their verdict of not allow other parties to hold public meetings.” [Inset: Madan Tamang]

Speaking aggresively against GJM Tamang said, “GJM has become the new avatar of Ghisingh. The Sixth Schedule is still alive. This is what we are trying to tell the people. Since election is coming, GJM leaders went to Delhi and quietly got their party registered with the election commission. This was the very party which had told us that they do not need to get registered since they were not interested in elections. Now then since they had so called dedicated themselves entirely to Gorkhaland why did they get registered for election. This is because they are preparing for election. But then which election are they preparing for?” Are they preparing for election to be held under the West Bengal Municipal Act? Or under Panchayat Act or under Hill Development Act? Elections to the Council are done under Hill Development Act. There are pointers to incoming elections.”

Alleging that Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council caretaker Chairman, B. L. Meena has gifted furnitures worth 12 lakhs to the leaders of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Tamang said, “12 Lakhs worth furnitures were gifted by B. L. Meena to GJM leaders. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones around. I do not speak without facts.”

Nod to hill power bills

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Darjeeling, Sept. 29: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to relax its “ban” on the payment of electricity bills – part of its non-cooperation movement for statehood – for the next three months starting October.

The Morcha has, however, made it clear that the outstanding dues will not be cleared.

“Following a request from the chief minister, the Morcha decided to relax its non-cooperation movement with regard to non-payment of electricity bills. We will pay the bills for October, November and December. But no one will pay the outstanding dues which have accumulated so far,” said Roshan Giri, the Morcha general secretary.

The Morcha had begun its movement against collection of government revenues from April 1 this year. Since then, the hill people have stopped paying all state and central taxes including land revenue, motor vehicle tax and telephone bills.

In a meeting held at Writers’ Buildings in Calcutta on September 10, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had requested the Morcha central committee members to review their movement with regard to electricity bills. He had said the total outstanding electricity bill dues had accumulated to Rs 9.36 crore and it had hit the state exchequer hard. Given the Morcha stand, the state government is unlikely to press for clearing up of the dues.

“Keeping in mind the second round of tripartite talks in November this year, our party president, Bimal Gurung, decided to lift the ban on payment of power bills. We want to create a congenial atmosphere for the talks for our final objective is to achieve a separate state. We are ready to do anything to achieve our goal,” said Giri.

Tradition and Tourism Trumps Maoist Ideology

FROM THE WILD HUNT BLOG

Back in August I reported that Nepal’s new Maoist-led government seemed ready to scrap the tradition of the Kumaris (“living goddesses”), calling the practice an “inessential” and “evil” symbol of the former monarchy. A decision by the country’s highest court ordering the Kumari to attend school seemed to be a further harbinger of an outright ban on the practice. But it looks like the fears of this tradition being scrapped are somewhat premature.

Shreeya Bajracharya, the new Kumari of Bhaktapur.

“Nepal’s new Maoist-led government has appointed a 6-year-old girl as a “living goddess” in the ancient city of Bhaktapur, for the first time snapping the link between the ancient ritual and the ousted monarchy. For centuries, the head priest of the Nepali monarchy appointed the “Kumaris” in several towns in the Kathmandu valley. But with the abolition of the monarchy in May, that position has also disappeared. Instead, officials at the state-run Trust Corporation overseeing cultural affairs appointed Shreeya Bajracharya as the new Kumari of the temple-town of Bhaktapur near Kathmandu, Deepak Bahadur Pandey, a senior official of the agency said.”

So what made a government hostile to the Kumaris willing to get into the living goddess business? First off, the Nepalese people have been increasingly hostile towards Maoist attempts to curtail religious traditions, and secondly, the Kumaris are a major tourist attraction.

“The Kumaris are a major tourist attraction and are considered by many as incarnations of the goddess Kali and are revered until they menstruate, after which they return to the family and a new one is chosen.”

Stir likely to intensify if meet fails

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, Sept. 29: The Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union (DTDPLU), a GJMM affiliate has threatened to intensify its agitation in three state government-owned tea gardens if their demand for bonus hike was not met.

Workers of Rangmook-Cedar Tea Estate, Rangaroon and Pandam under the West Bengal Tea Development Corporation (WBTDC) went on a relay hunger-strike from 22nd September demanding a reasonable bonus hike.
Despite regular correspondence from the union, the WBDTC failed to reply and the union launched an indefinite hunger strike from 27 September.

“The administration has organised a meeting at the Siliguri Labour Commission with WBTDC officials tomorrow. If things are not resolved at the meeting we would spread the stir in all Hill tea gardens,” the union president Mr PT Sherpa said.

Oct. 2 date for opening – Science centre ready

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

The Kalimpong Science Centre set to be inaugurated on October 2. Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha

Kalimpong, Sept. 29: The Kalimpong Science Centre will be inaugurated on October 2, more than a year after the construction of the building was completed and all major appointments were made.

P.T. Sherpa, the Kalimpong subdivisional officer, said the Rs 2-crore centre would be opened by the DGHC administrator, B.L. Meena.

Although no official is willing to go on record what had held back the inauguration so far, sources said the DGHC, which wanted the facility to be thrown open by someone of the stature of the governor, failed to find a VIP. The authorities could not get a date from the governor, Gopal Krishna Gandhi, as he was preoccupied with the Singur crisis, the sources added.

Set up by the National Council of Science Museums over five acres of land at the picturesque Deola Hill, about 5km from here, the centre will be run by the education department of the DGHC which had chipped in Rs 30 lakh towards the project.

Initially, visitors will be charged Rs 10 as entry fee. They will have to pay another Rs 10 to witness a display on star constellations at the astronomy gallery and an equivalent amount to view science shows at the auditorium. If students come visiting the museum in group, the fare would be Rs 5 for each one.

The sources said the education department today appointed an electronic technician and an electrician for the centre. An electrician recruited earlier had resigned.

Cry for Nepali on cellphones

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Darjeeling, Sept. 29: The All Gorkha Students’ Union has demanded that cellular service providers in Sikkim and the area that the hills have been demanding as Gorkhaland should give their tariff-related information in the Nepali language.

At present, cellular operators in north Bengal and Sikkim provide such information in English, Hindi and Bengali.

“Nepali is a language that has been recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. We therefore demand that the information should also be provided in Nepali apart from the other languages,” said Hemant Rai, the general secretary of the union.

The demand of the apolitical students’ body has been spurred by a recent policy formulated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). Rai claimed that the Trai had issued a directive earlier this month encouraging such a move.

Referring to media reports that quoted the directive, Rai said: “The Trai has asked the operators to make the tariff-related information available in regional languages apart from English. The policy has been taken to ensure that the interest of the customers are taken into account,” the student leader added.

He said the union would write to all service providers operating in the region to start providing information in Nepali as soon as possible.

The representatives of the service providers could not be contacted for immediate comment.

The student body has raised the demand at a time when there is a general feeling among the literary circles in the hills that the use of the Nepali language has not been effectively implemented despite its recognition by the Constitution in 1992.

Decision eludes meet on tea centre – District magistrate to take up the matter with state

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

The meeting at the North Bengal Tea Auction Centre in progress in Jalpaiguri on Monday. Picture by Biplab Basak

Siliguri, Sept. 29: The North Bengal Tea Auction Centre in Jalpaiguri seems to be facing the same fate like some of the closed gardens of the district.

Although stakeholders, residents of Jalpaiguri and officials of the district administration today discussed for one-and-a-half hours on how to resume trading at the centre, none of them could come out with a concrete proposal and set a date from when the auction would start.

The trading at the auction centre in Jalpaiguri has stopped since April 28.

The sole development in today’s meeting was that Bandana Yadav, the district magistrate who is also the centre’s chairperson, asked for suggestions from the stakeholders on how the centre could be reopened and promised to take up the matter with the state government.

“No specific commitment could be earned from the buyers and sellers on supply and purchase of tea in today’s meeting,” said Gautam Paul, the secretary of the Save Jalpaiguri Tea Auction Centre Committee. “Nevertheless, we are hopeful that the stalemate will end soon.”

Paul, however, said if the situation continued to remain the same even after Durga Puja, they would have to go for strike, blockades and other forms of demonstrations to achieve their aim.

Since its opening, the auction centre in Jalpaiguri has been lagging behind its counterpart in Siliguri that trades around 85 million kg of tea every year. Poor inflow of tea is the sole reason for the present situation, say the stakeholders.

“In 2005, when this centre was opened, 7.90 lakh kg of tea was auctioned. The figure declined to 3.62 lakh and 1.62 lakh kg in the next two years,” said N.K. Basu, the secretary of the North Bengal Tea Auction Committee.

“This year, sales were supposed to be on 24 dates till April-end but only 10 were conducted because of acute shortage with only 6,000kg being auctioned.”

Even on the last three dates on April, not a single bag of tea reached the centre.

The sellers, including representatives from Duncans, Goodrieke and Andrew Yule, today said the price realisation was low at the auction centre at Jalpaiguri than that of Siliguri, 50km away.

Peaceful & ‘total’ bandh in Sikkim – Stranded tourists taken to govt guesthouse

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Children play on a deserted NH31A in Gangtok on Monday. Picture by Prabin Khaling

Gangtok, Sept. 29: Normal life was paralysed in Sikkim today in a state-wide bandh that went off peacefully.

The 12-hour shutdown, which began at 6am, was called by the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) to protest against the burning of an effigy of party president and chief minister Pawan Chamling allegedly by the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena, in Siliguri on September 11.

All offices, schools and business establishments remained closed. There was no movement of vehicles, except the ones of the emergency services, police and the army, to and from both the inter-state checkposts at Rangpo and Melli.

A few tourists who were stranded on NH31A were taken to the government tourist guesthouse at Rangpo and were asked to wait till the bandh got over at 6pm.

Small processions were brought out in some areas. SDF members, especially from the youth and the women wings, picketed in a few pockets to ensure that the bandh was successful.