‘Anti-Chinese sentiment hampering border talks’

FROM TIMES OF INDIA

BEIJING: The Chinese leadership is believed to have protested against what it regards as a political hysteria in India concerning alleged incursions by troops of the People’s Liberation Army into Indian territory.

This is one of the issues raised during the two-day discussions on the border issue between Chinese leaders and National Security Adviser MK Narayanan, sources said. Narayanan held day-long meetings with Chinese leaders including the State Councillor Dai Bingguo before attending a dinner hosted by the Chinese government.

“The border has not been delimited. How can anyone claim that there have been incursions when the border issue has not been settled” Hu Shisheng, a researcher at the government think-talk, the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said. “The political hype on issues like the border is having a negative impact on the border talks,” he said.

The Indian side pointed out that Sikkim is not part of the border negotiations as its boundary is already settled. There can be no case for incursions along the Sikkim border, sources said. The two countries held the 12th round of talks after a gap of one year.

There was no comment from the Indian government on Thursday and Friday despite repeated requests. The Chinese negotiators, however, had given details about their side of the talks to the official Xinhua news agency on Thursday.

Sources said Chinese leaders also advised the Indian government to do what it can to calm anti-Chinese sentiments that could be an obstacle to settling the border issue, informed sources said. The Indian side reiterated that India was a multi-party democracy and Beijing will need to accept this fact in any dealings with New Delhi.

Hu said that the mass media in India has been almost hysterical over issues like the discussions at the meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. China’s concerns on the issue of nuclear non-proliferation have not been fully appreciated in India, he said.

“We have our own concerns and we also have to face pressures from other countries in the region. Our representatives acted in a responsible manner at the NSG before agreeing to go along with everyone in approving India’s case,” he said.

Sources said that Chinese leaders tried to find out if the Indian government can extend some help in solving its problems concerning the Dalai Lama and the alleged violent activities by Tibetan dissidents in China.

Czechs protest against entomologist’s arrest in India

FROM PRAGUE MONITOR

Prague, Sept 18 (CTK) – Dozens of people staged protests outside the Indian Embassy Thursday in support of the release of Czech entomologist Emil Kučera who was detained in India over alleged illegal insect collection, Vladislav Maly, from the Czech Entomological Society, told CTK Thursday.

Similar demonstrations were expected in Vienna and Ottawa yesterday.

The participants in the Prague demonstration sign a petition demanding that the Indian authorities acquit Kucera of the charges.

The organisers will hand the petition to the Indian Embassy, they said.

Petr Švácha 51, from the Czech Academy of Science’s Entomological Institute, and Kučera, 52, were detained in June near the Singalia National Park, some 90 kilometers away from Darjeeling. They allegedly kept more than 200 specimens of rare beetles and butterfly larvae for commercial purposes, but they did not have an official authorisation to collect them.

While known scientist Svacha was acquitted of the charges, amateur entomologist Kucera was sentenced to three years in prison.

The men have dismissed the accusations since the beginning, saying they did not enter the Singalia park at all.

Czech diplomacy and the Czech Academy of Science have intervened in favour of the two Czechs.

500 Nepali kids sold to Indian companies

FROM SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA NET

KATHMANDU: More than 500 Nepali children below the age of 14 have been sold to various circus companies in India last year, Nepal’s RSS news agency reported on Thursday, quoting a new report. The Report on Condition of Nepali Children – 2008 said around 500 Nepali children had been sold to Indian circus companies on various pretexts.

The majority of the children were from Nepal’s southern districts of Bara, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Janakpur, Nawalparasi, Morang, Udayapur, Sarlahi and Ilam, the report compiled by the government’s Central Child Welfare Committee said.

The companies lure poor parents with good money that oblige them to give away their children.

The report said 217 children had been rescued from various Indian cities between 2004 and 2007, adding that the number of children rescued this year reached 292 in May.

Parents who were promised 8,000 to 10,000 Nepali rupees per month in lieu of their children’s contracts with the circus companies had not even received Rs 500, the report said.

CPN-M land reform minister resigns

FROM PEOPLE’S DAILY

Minister for Land Reform and Management Matrika Yadav resigned from his post on Friday, local TV channel Kantipur reported on Friday.

Minister Yadav immediately resigned after the central secretariat meeting of his party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M), directed him to publicly apologize for his recentaction over land capture in Siraha district, some 150 km south of the capital Kathmandu.

Yadav was just sworn in on Aug. 31 when the first cabinet of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal got its full shape.

Minister Yadav submitted his resignation to his party chairman and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”.

Earlier, the CPN-M secretariat meeting concluded that the controversial involvement of Yadav in land seizure at Mirchaiya in Siraha district was against the party policy.

Yadav had locked horns with another party of the ruling party coalition, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)(CPN-UML), which holds the home ministry portfolio, over the seizure of house and land belonging to Birendra Shah and distributing it to landless squatters in Siraha.

However, Yadav has been defending his move claiming that he was working for the people.

Ex-Maoists gun down official in Nepal’s Terai

FROM IANS

Kathmandu, Sep 19 : As the Maoist-led government completed a month in office, their former comrades Friday gunned down a senior government official in the restive Terai in southern Nepal, proving that the smouldering violence in the plains was still far from over.

The Samyukta Janatantrik Mukti Morcha, led by Jay Krishna Goit, former senior-most Maoist leader from the plains, killed Mohan Mainali, the district administration chief in Parsa district, along the India-Nepal border.

This is the first political killing since the Maoists came to power.

The Morcha and its different factions, which broke away from the Maoist party and began armed movements in the plains demanding “freedom” and the right to self-rule for Madhesis, people of Indian origin, have refused to lay down arms even though the Maoists ended their 10-year armed war two years ago.

Newly appointed Home Minister Bamdev Gautam this month urged the armed groups to come to talks and warned that if they don’t do so, security forces would try to put them down by force.

Nepal Govt to announce budget of Rs 240 billion

FROM SOUTH ASIA MEDIA NET

Kathmandu, Sept 19 : The Nepal government is expected to announce a budget of about Rs 240 billion for the fiscal year 2008-09 here today.

Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai will present budget at Constituent Assembly at 4 p.m. today.

During a discussion with the representatives of 25 political parties represented in the Constituent Assembly here on Thursday, Bhattarai has said that the government has targeted at developing the sectors of agriculture, water resources, tourism, private investment, peace process, health, education and manpower production.

“The government has put emphasis on double digit growth within the next three years,” he added.

He said the budget would target to downsize the exports to reduce Nepal’s dependence on foreign goods. It will outline the relief and rehabilitation package for people affected by the decade long insurgency and control corruption in revenue collection.

Leaders of the Nepali Congress and other parties criticised the government for having started discussion belatedly.

They said that a budget pertaining to the present context including the suggestions of other parties could have been prepared if the discussion was carried out 15 days ago.

Nepal Maoist party directs Matrika to apologise

FROM SOUTH ASIA MEDIA NET

Kathmandu, Sept 19 : The central secretariat members of the CPN (Maoist) today directed its member and Minister for Land Reforms and Management Matrika Yadav to apologise for his unruly behaviour, as he accused Deputy Prime Minister Bam Dev Gautam of encroaching into works under his authority.

According to Maoist leaders, Yadav during the meeting, refused to accept any wrong doing in recapturing the land that was held by Maoist cadres in the past.

Talking to media persons here on Thursday, Yadav said that since the issue of land administration falls under his ministry, it was unnecessary for Bam Dev Gautam to send police to ‘free the land captured by Maoist cadres’ in Mirchaiya of Siraha district.

After the police freed the land, Yadav marshaled his cadres to the area and ‘recaptured’ it claiming that the land belongs to landless and poor people.

He also vowed to smash all kinds of nexuses of land mafia, Nepalnews reported.

Gazal evening by Sikkim Kalakar Sangh

FROM SIKKIM REPORTER

BY JANUKA SHARMA

Gangtok: Sikkim Kalakar Sangh (SKS) has organized Gazal Sanjh to be held at Janata Bhavan on 23rd September at 5.30. In a press conference at Press club of Sikkim on Thursday, Mr. D.B.Thatal, president of the organization, said they have invited Mr. Ajnis Rai, a brand name of Nepali Gazal, from Darjeeling, and Mr.Jagdish Sharma, Mrs. Sashi Sharma, Mr.Ganesh Dhungel, Miss Babita Ghatani, all of Sikkim, will also present Nepali and Hindi Gazal on the occasion.

For promotion of local talent, SKS has also planned to organize different cultural programme and painting exhibition, Mr. Thatal said. He regretted saying “local artists of the State are always overlooked by the people in spite of their talents”. SKS has also a plan to allow local children artists in the programme to showcase their performance.

“Expelled leaders slams SHRP Dr. Subba does not have mentality of Class III student: Lepcha SHRP’s conditions worse than ICU: Basnett

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, September 18: Expelled SHRP leaders Tseten Lepcha and Bharat Basnett today accused SHRP party of being bloated with ‘personal egos with no capacity to give Sikkimese people a proper leadership’.

“SHRP president Dr. AD Subba does not even have the mentality of a Class III student. He has no plans for building up Sikkim”, said Mr. Lepcha while floating his own party Sikkim National Peoples Party (SNPP).

Mr. Basnett accused Dr. Subba of being remotely controlled by the SHRP working president LP Tiwari. “SHRP is worthless. I felt its pulse and found it condition worse than in ICU”, he said.

Mr. Lepcha and Mr. Basnett had been expelled by SHRP party a week ago.

“We had deep faith on the SHRP leader but he has a petty mindset. I working diligently for the party and had no intention to oust Dr.Subba. But he was compelled to serve a showcause notice to me on the behest of a powerful leader within the party”, he said.

“SHRP party’s clean image has been negated by the presence of its working president LP Tiwari who can only do in house politics. Mr. Tiwari cannot face the public”, he said.

‘‘Daura Shuwral-Chaubandi Choli’ lineage traced to Rajasthan by Nepal weekly – Nepal’s headache, Darjeeling’s new found love

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

DARJEELING, September 18: Lampooning the ‘Daura Shuwral-Chaubandi Choli’ decree of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) to the Darjeeling people, a controversial article published in Nepal has questioned the identity of the traditional attire of Nepali community itself.

“What is the mystery behind the intense love among Darjeeling leaders to the dresses which has already become stale and a headache for Nepal”, reads the controversial article published in Nepali language by Mongol Vision, a weekly Nepali paper from Nepal.

Photo copies of the article are already doing rounds here.

The article had been published after the GJM’s appeal to the Darjeeling people to wear ‘Daura Shuwral-Chaubandi Choli’ for one month starting from October 7 as part of their cultural revolution against the West Bengal government. “The wearing of our traditional dresses is to show the world that Darjeeling people are totally different from West Bengal,” GJM leaders has repeatedly said.

Needless to say, the diktat had raised eyebrows among the different communities under the Nepali nomenclature here.

The article prominently questions the identity of ‘Daura Shuwral-Chaubandi Choli’ and tries to trace the dresses’ origin to Rajasthan. A loose translation of the headline runs like this: ‘Darjeeling leaders have fallen in love with Rajasthani dresses that is already a headache in Nepal. Why love is being shown to non-nation ‘Daura Shuwral-Chaubandi Choli’ dress in Darjeeling?’

DISRESPECTING HISTORY – Neglected by the Govt, bust of Sikkim’s first Political Officer finds refuge in a recreational park

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

BY KARMA SAMTEN YANGZOM

GANGTOK, September 18: Sir John Claude White is today a forgotten man, at least in Sikkim. Uprooted from the monument build in his memory, the White Hall here in the Capital, the bust of Sikkim’s first Political Officer has found a resting place in a recreational park near Ranipool. The bust is still well preserved and a broken engraved stone pillar with inscriptions has also been salvaged by the proprietor of the park.

The inscriptions say: “….John….Political officer in Sikkim 1889-1908…Erected by Public Subscription in commemoration of his valuable service to Sikkim State.”

Needless to say, the White Hall, situated on the Ridge Park here has historical value. It was built in the memory and the contributions made by Claude White towards Sikkim. The two-storied structure has typical British architecture and was built in 1932.

It is not clear why the bust and the epitaph were removed from its rightful place and discarded like a piece of old furniture. Doesn’t the State Government have a decent place for a piece of history in its larger scheme of things? Isn’t this totally neglecting our history in the name of so-called “development” and modernisation? This disregard for the past may have serious repercussions with the present or the future generations, who will grow up to be a generation clueless about their own past or history.

John Claude White (1853-1918) was a civil engineer by education, a colonial administrator by profession, and a photographer by vocation. He spent twenty-one years based in Gangtok, Sikkim as the first British political officer overseeing the British interests in Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet.

He served in the Indian Public Works Department from 1876 and as political agent for Sikkim, Bhutan, and Tibetan affairs 1905-8. White accompanied the Younghusband Mission to Tibet in 1903-4 and during the campaign made a series of mainly landscape photographs, including a number of impressive panoramas.

CM’s effigy torching strongly condemned – “Insult to entire Sikkimese people”

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, September 18: All Sikkim Youth Association (ASYA) and All Sikkim Buddhist Tamang Sangh (ASBTS) have strongly condemned the recent torching of the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s effigy in Siliguri by a fringe outfit.

As per media reports, the youth body of Shiv Sena had torched Mr. Chamling’s effigy in Siliguri on September 11.

Strongly condemning the incident, ASYA said that the disrespect shown to the Chief Minister is an insult to the entire Sikkim people.

“It is highly disrespectful to Sikkimese people that their Chief Minister’s effigy was torched. It is totally incorrect to question our Chief Minister’s nationality” said AYAS warning that this will not be tolerated if repeated in future.

The body claimed that the torching incident was done as it was feared that the Chief Minister’s growing popularity will break the Left parties’ record in ruling West Bengal.

CABINET DECISIONS – Cabinet nod to Sikkim University affiliation

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, September 18: The State Cabinet met at the Tashiling Secretariat here on September 11 and approved and sanctioned a number of proposals placed by various Departments.

The Proposal of the Human Resource Development Department for according approval for continuation of affiliation of all Colleges including Sikkim Government Law College to the Sikkim University was approved by the Cabinet.

The proposal of the Tourism Department seeking approval and sanction of Rs. 650 lakhs as Grant in Aid to Mani Chokerling Development and Management Committee, Rabong for the development of the Pilgrimage and Culture Centre at Rabong in the current financial year was approved and sanctioned.

Proposal seeking approval and sanction of Rs. 1,05,34,518 to acquire land for Traditional Bazaar Hat at Labdang block in West Sikkim by the Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department was approved and sanctioned by the Cabinet.

The Cabinet also gave the go-ahead signal to the RMD Department’s proposal seeking approval to carve out additional BAC at Namthang and Jorethang from the existing Namchi BAC which has a huge jurisdiction (16 gram panchayats units). Two gram Panchayats Units from Temi Block Administrative Centre is also proposed to be brought under newly created Namthang BAC.

MERGER GHOSTS ON SNPP’S MENU – Replace ‘merger’ with ‘annexation’: Adikhari – Sikkim National Peoples Party launched

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, September 18: Summoning the ghosts of merger period, the breakaway group of Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad (SHRP) today assumed a new political avatar to pitchfork a sensitive and emotional agenda-scratching the May 8, 1987 agreement to the bone.

This latest political kid in the block is Sikkim National Peoples Party (SNPP) and is represented by political leaders who had been expelled or resigned a week ago from SHRP.

SNPP is led by its interim president Biraj Adikhari. The other members are Tseten Lepcha, Sonam T Bhutia, Lokendra Sharma, SK Limboo, BB Pokhrel and DB Karki. Six SHRP members also formally joined SNPP today.
Announcing its political debut today before the media, SNPP demanded the Union government to replace the word ‘merger’ of Sikkim with India with the word ‘annexation’.

Accusing the Union government of putting a blanket on the tumultuous merger period between 1973 and 1977 through a well planned misinformation campaign, SNPP interim said that Sikkimese children are learning a very distorted version of their own immediate history.

“As per historical documents and literature, the word ‘merger’ hardly seems to describe the events that took place in Sikkim during the merger period (1973-1977) and it should be replaced by the word ‘annexation’ and history books should be rewritten to reflect this”, said Mr. Adikhari. People were living under a fear psychosis and works of eminent Indian intellectuals were banned so that people were kept in dark about the merger period, he added.

The foundation of erstwhile kingdom of Sikkim’s merger with India had been laid during the May 8, 1973 tripartite agreement between the political parties of Sikkim, the monarchy and the Union government.

CM, Cabinet must make their Sikkim Subjects public: SNPP

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

Leaders of Sikkim National People’s Party. Photo by Sikkim Express

GANGTOK, September 18: Slamming the flawed foreign policy of the Centre on the repeated stand of China on the sovereignty of Sikkim, the newly launched political party Sikkim National People’s Party (SNPP) today said that Sikkimese people are insecure even after 33 years of being a part of India.

“Our giant neighbour China is repeatedly claiming Sikkim to be an independent country and Sikkimese people are again feeling a sense of insecurity. It is indeed sinful that even after three decades as part of India, we the people of Sikkim are still insecure as we don’t know the intentions of our northern neighbour who refuse to acknowledge our Indian citizenship”, said Mr. Adikhari.

As a result of this mess, we have been reduced to such a situation where even our Chief Minister is accused to be a foreign national and is having to prove his nationality, he added.

A fringe outfit had recently torched the effigy of Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling in Siliguri of West Bengal alleging him to a foreign national.

China, India end border talks with no sign of progress

FROM M & C

Beijing - China and India on Friday ended their latest two-day round of talks on border disputes with an agreement to continue dialogue but no sign of progress.

‘Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Indian National Security Adviser MK Narayanan headed their delegations for the talks, which were pragmatic, candid and friendly,’ the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement released through the government-run Xinhua news agency.

The talks were the 12th round since China and India appointed special representatives in 2003 to explore solutions to their long-standing border disputes.

The ministry statement said the two sides ‘exchanged in-depth views on a framework to solve the issue,’ the agency said.

‘They agreed that both countries would carry out the guidelines of their leaders, maintain negotiations and seek a fair and reasonable solution acceptable to both sides,’ it said.

But the brief statement gave no indication of whether the two sides had narrowed their differences.

They agreed to hold the next round of talks in India, it said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also discussed the border issue earlier this month in New Delhi, where he held talks with his counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Rohit Sonar’s parents meet AASU leaders

FROM ASSAM TIMES

NEWS SHARED BY Y K SHRESTHA

Voice of India-2 contestant from Assam Rohit Sonar’s parents Hiralal Sonar and Sila Sonar today met Dr. Sammujjwal Bhattacharyya, Chief Advisor All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and top AASU leaders at Swahid Nyash seeking support from the apex organization of Assam. Mr. Bhattacharyya assured full support and co-operation. They were happy to learn that Dr. Bhattacharyya is also the Chairperson of North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) and expected that he would send a message across north east. Rohit Sonar is one of top 7 finalist of Bemishal Barah of Amul Star Voice of India -2 a singing reality contest promoted by Star Plus. To vote for Rohit type VOI 1 and send it to 57827, Tata Inicom users 12900-01, MTNL and BSNL users dial 1862 888 7827-01. Internet users can vote from www.starplus.in  by opening an id and clicking at VOI 1 (maximum 20 votes from one id). This is the 1st time that Brahmaputra valley will rise at Sr. level after Anamika Choudhury’s title at junior level. Debojit Saha is a known name of such reality shows who had won the title due to mass support of AASU. Rohit Sonar’s parents have plans to meet music legend of world from Sadiya Dr. Bhupen Hazarika to appeal him his concern for Rohit.

‘10000 children trafficked into NE annually’

FROM PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEWS SHARED BY AARDEE

SHILLONG: Not less than 10,000 people, mostly children, are trafficked into the Northeast with a good number smuggled in from Bangladesh, Nepal and other South East Asian countries, surveys by NGOs have revealed.

Most of those trafficking victims are engaged as cheap labourers in coal mines of Meghalaya, tea gardens in Assam and prostitution in several states.

“The region, besides being a transit point of human trafficking, has also emerged as a destination point. We have rescued a number of children hailing from Nepal and Bangladesh from Assam and Meghalaya who were trafficked to work as cheap labour there,” said Hasina Kharbhih, team leader of Impulse NGO.

“Cross border trafficking is very much relevant in N-E, with the region sharing borders with five countries. Some large international trafficking gangs are in operation in the region,” she said.

A minor girl from Nepal, who was brought to Assam along with three others, was rescued by Impulse from a house in Assam and sent her home on September 17.

Two other boys, who were trafficked from Bangladesh, were working in the coal mines of Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya were also been rescued and were likely to be sent home soon.

“It is estimated that some 6,000 to 10,000 girls are trafficked annually from Nepal to Indian brothels and a similar number are trafficked from Bangladesh. 27,000 Bangladeshi women and children have been forced into prostitution in India brothels,” a report by Childline India Foundation said.

Landmark event

FROM THE HINDU

THE HINDU EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL SHARED BY AARDEE

The success of the first official visit to India of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has set the stage for a new chapter in the relationship between New Delhi and Kathmandu. While the joint press statement issued on Wednesday suggests that substantive decisions have been taken, the real significance of the visit lies in the fact that it has allowed the Indian establishment to see first-hand the statesmanlike approach of the Maoist leader towards is sues that animate the bilateral relationship.

Prachanda was at ease with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and established a good rapport with Indian political leaders cutting across party affiliations. Of special significance – given the saffron brigade’s lament over the end of the Hindu monarchy in Nepal – was the effort he made to reach out to the top brass of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In doing so, he sent a clear message that the new Nepal he leads has broken with the practice of establishment parties in his country: it will not play favourites and is ready and willing to work with India regardless of which party is in power.

Prime Minister Prachanda’s interaction with Indian businessmen also sent the same message of openness and realism. At the same time, no attempt was made to hide his party’s radical agenda. The Maoists are committed to social and economic justice in Nepal, Prachanda told a gathering of Nepalis resident in India, and will pursue this goal even as they seek to provide greater room for business and industry, including Indian capital.

“Economic Liberation the main motive behind Gorkhaland” GJM

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE] EXCLUSIVE

BY BARUN ROY

Gorkha Women Protesting in their traditional dresses. Photo by Bikram Sashankar [Himalaya Darpan]

Darjeeling: “We want the separation of Gorkhaland from West Bengal in order to work towards economic liberalization,” Amar Lama, a member of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Central Committee said. “We have briefed New Delhi about the various scams and economic inconsistencies during Subash Ghisingh’s reign as the Chairman of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. Our focus has been economic liberalization and development of the Darjeeling Hills and hence we have told New Delhi that the same can only be possible after the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland.” Amar Lama was speaking to the press after having returned from New Delhi as a part of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha delegation to the Tripartite Meeting held in New Delhi. The Tripartite Meeting was attended by representatives from other pro-Gorkhaland Parties including Communist Party of India (CPI), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress I (Hills), Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) and All India Gorkha League (AIGL). Documents, which are yet to be made public have been presented to the Central Government by the representatives of GJM.

Amar Lama said, “It is true that we are also struggling towards political identity and separation from Bengal. People in the hills have been struggling for this for a long time. However, focusing mainly on the issue that we cannot accept to solely depend on the aids sent by the Central and the State Government, we have decided to work towards economic self reliance and that can only be possible after Government. This is what we are trying to make the Central Government known that it is in national interest that a separate state of Gorkhaland be established under laws stipulated by the Constitution and formulated by the Union Parliament. Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council after its formation in 1988 has so far not submitted a single copy of its financial statements. All the Central and State Government financial aids made to this agency must be made public and the financial statements made known.”

Aquatic diversity

FROM THE STATESMAN

The decline in abundance and distribution are indicative of dying fish species. Factors like river flow alteration, sedimentation and water pollution indicate that the natural ecological functioning of the system is at risk, says Prithwiraj Jha

The health of populations and communities of native fish species is an indicator of the overall condition of the aquatic ecosystem. Rai Gunakar Bharat Chandra Rai, in “Ananda mangal” has written about several species of fish widely available in Bengal. As an integral part of Bengali diet and lifestyle, fish finds a special mention in Bengali literature.

A research paper entitled “The fishes of northern Bengal” authored by British surveyors, GE Shaw and EO Shebbeare, got published in a journal -”The Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal” in 1937. During 1918 and 1933, Shaw and Shebbeare sampled fish species from the rivers, streams and ponds in the Darjeeling hills and adjoining Dooars. They had included some names of the fishes available in the local markets only.

Broadly speaking, the area of survey were Darjeeling and interiors of Jalpaiguri, though the authors were candid enough to disclose that the highest of the hill streams in Darjeeling and tanks located at the extreme southern region of Jalpaiguri were not explored. Keeping in mind the transport and communication networks that existed in pre-independent India, and the difficulties the surveyors could have faced during their sampling, this is an excellent piece of documentation.

Shaw and Shebbeare had identified 131 species from the region. His collections were kept in the Indian Museum, Kolkata and the Darjeeling Natural History Museum. Besides presenting the identifying characteristics and habitat of each species, the authors would have presented a brief and interesting note on the adaptive requirements of the species.

According to their observations, fishes in a hill stream must flatten themselves and stick to the bottom as best as they can during the rainy season, or be swept away. The catfish species have turned this to their advantage. The authors had reported the presence of fish like baruli, punti and danio from the roadside burrow pits in areas near Siliguri and Jalpaiguri. Punti and danio are found in some of these pits even now, however, perhaps as direct fallout of anthropogenic pressure, I have never come across a baruli fish in any of these pits in the recent past.

‘Historic’ India trip overwhelms Prachanda

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

BY J. HEMANTH

Kathmandu, Sept. 18: Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal today described his five-day official visit to India as historic and said it would take relations between the neighbours to new heights.

Addressing a news conference on his arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport here, Dahal, popularly known as Prachanda, said he was overwhelmed by the Indian leadership’s “positive response” to his concerns.

“I raised several issues of bilateral interest in a sincere manner. I was amazed at the positive response from the Prime Minister of India and the Indian bureaucracy,” he said, adding that Delhi had assured him of continued support to the ongoing peace process in Nepal.

“My visit was more fruitful than expected. We have arrived at a new understanding on the issues… pending for some time now.”

The 54-year-old former Maoist rebel said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had agreed to review, adjust and update not only the controversial 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, but all other pacts as well.

Prachanda said he had not met Indian Maoists during his trip as he was a guest of the government and had no reasons to insult Delhi’s hospitality. “I went with an agenda and am satisfied that it has been fulfilled,” he said.

He denied that his trip to Beijing had figured in his talks with the Indian leadership. “But for the media nobody raised the issue of my China visit,” he said.

Book-review: Getting Along in Life in Tricky Kathmandu

By Satis Shroff

Bhatt, Krishna: City Women and the Ghost Writer, Olympia Publishers, London 2008, 191 pages, EUR 7,99 (ISBN 9781905513444)

Krishna Bhatt, the author, a person who was ´educated to get a graduate degree in Biology and Chemistry,´came to Kathmandu in 1996 and has seen profound political changes. In this book he seeks to find an ´explanation for what is happening.´ Life, it seems, to him, is tricky, while political violence has been shocking him episodically. That´s the gist of it: twenty-one short episodes that are revealed to the reader by an author, who´s trademark is honesty, clarity and simplicity—without delving too deep into the subject for the sake of straight narration. What emerges is a melange of tales about life, religion, Nepalese and Indian society packed with humour. A delightful read, a work of fiction and you can jump right into the stories anywhere you like.

Additionally, Bhatt has published ´Humour and Last Laugh´ in October 2004, a collection of satirical articles published in newspapers in Kathmandu, which is available only in Kathmandu´s bookstores. The author emphasises that he has always written in English and adds, “Reading led me to writing.” He found his London publisher through the internet. Lol!

Did you know that people who are married wear an ´air of sacrificial glory´ about them in Nepal? The other themes are keeping mistresses in Kathmandu, sending children abroad for education, the woes of psychotherapists in Nepal (no clients). I´ll leave it to you to find out why. Nepal is rich in glaciers and the water ought to be harnessed to produce drinking water and electricity, but in Kathmandu, as in many parts of the republic, there´s a terribly scarcity of water among the poor and wanton wastage among the Gharania—upper class dwellers of Kathmandu. The Kathmanduites fight not only against water scarcity but also a losing battle against ants and roaches. The author explains the many uses of the common condom, especially a sterilised male who uses his vasectomy for the purpose of seduction. However, his tale about the death of his father in “The Harsh Priest and Mourning” remains a poignant and excellent piece of writing, and I could feel with him. It not only describes the Hindu traditions on death and dying but also the emotions experienced by the author.

Rare rhinos endangered by loss of habitat

FROM ENVIRONMENT NEWS NETWORK

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - South Asia’s endangered Great One-horned Rhinoceros is being driven out of its natural habitat in search of food into the hands of illegal poachers, experts said on Thursday.

A meeting of the Asian Rhino Specialist Group in Nepal said that the massive animal’s feeding grounds were being invaded by “exotic species” of weeds and wild plants and the rhino could soon run out of natural fodder.

“Grassland is being invaded by weeds and other unwanted plants that are not suitable for rhinos,” Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, co-chairman of the group said from the Chitwan National Park, home to 408 rhinos.

“We have to concentrate on how best to control the weeds and for this we have to intensify research.”

The endangered animal, whose numbers have been rising in Nepal and India, is found mostly in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, and in southwestern Nepal.

“The weeds and wild plants are an exotic species and how it came we don’t know. It is spreading fast in the habitat and we are looking into the reasons now,” Shyam Bajimaya, an expert with Nepal’s national parks said.

Nepal’s Chitwan National Park, located 81 km (51 miles) southwest of Kathmandu, is the second-biggest home for the rhinos after the Kaziranga National Park in the Indian state of Assam, which has 1,855 animals.

The number of rhinos in the Indian park has risen from about 1,200 in 1999, helped by a reduction in poaching, Talukdar said. The rhino population in Chitwan was also on the rise, he added.

Nepal prime minister calls his India visit a success

FROM EARTH NEWS

Kathmandu – Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Thursday ended his five-day official visit to India by describing it as a success. Speaking to journalists in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, after wrapping up his trip, Dahal, who is popularly known as Prachanda, said the visit had given a new dimension to relations between the two neighbours. “India has assured us of necessary support in the country’s peaceful transition into the new era,” the former Maoist guerrilla leader said. During his visit, Prachanda secured Indian pledges for continued support for Nepal as well as help in building infrastructure. “India’s assurance to build the 200-megawatt Naumure hydroelectricity project in west Nepal indicates India always wanted to contribute to Nepal’s development,” Prachanda said.

He also thanked India for an emergency relief package of 320 million rupees (431,000 dollars) for victims of the Kosi River flooding, which struck both sides of the border, as well as credit to ease fuel shortages in Nepal. Prachanda’s visit to India was his first to the country since the Maoist-led government was formed in August.