Write to the President of India demanding her to react to the violation of women in UP

Dear Friends, 

Please write to The President of India demanding her to react to the violation of women in UP! If you can’t stand up for women, what good you are? Remember this is not the issue of Nepalese women, this is also about every single woman who gets raped, violated, trafficked, and demeaned. Please speak up come out with a determination, that we and we alone must make a difference. 

The time has come to make a difference, to no longer complain but to demand explanation from people who are supposed to serve us… remember the Chief Minister to The President of India is essentially there to serve the people and as such they are responsible and answerable and it is our right as the people and the citizen of this nation to demand and explanation as to what they are doing when women are being raped and violated. As women representatives of this nation they are doubly responsible towards the protection and betterment of women. 

If you do not write and feel that you have no time to react then please do not also complain as well. Because if you cannot stand up and accept your responsibilities towards your family, towards your daughters, sisters and mothers, then there is no hope for you and us as a whole.  But then again, I know that you can, spare a moment and demand explanation from the bureaucrats and politicans who serve you. 

Please do also write to the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Human Rights Commission and the National Media. 

Regs

Barun

Varanasi Akashdeep festival in the memory of martyrs

FROM ANI

By Girish Kumar Dubey

Shared by Aardee

Varanasi Festival. Photo by King in Exile

People in Varanasi celebrate Akashdeep festival in remembrance of martyrs by lighting earthen lamps on the banks of holy River Ganga on the beginning of auspicious Kartik month as per Hindu almanac.

The ritual is believed to have existed even centuries ago when it was held to pay tributes to the numerous soldiers who died in the epic Mahabharata war.

The Akashdeep festival is now devoted to the memory of jawans who lost their lives during wars like the Kargil and 1965 and 1971 wars against Pakistan.

Led by the Gorkha regiment, the Jawans of all the Armed forces lit hundreds of earthen lamps at Dashashavmegh Ghat to mark the Akashdeep festival as a tribute to war heroes.

These lamps will be lit everyday for a month and will conclude on Dev Deepavali, the festival celebrated after 15 days of Diwali, the festival of lights.

“We thought this was an ideal time to remember our martyrs, they were national heroes and they sacrificed their lives so that we could live in peace. In our day-to-day schedule we generally forget to remember them. So we thought that today we should celebrate this Akashdeep festival in their memory,” said Bhawna Trivedi, Secretary of Ganga Sewa Nidhi organisation.

Now playing at Beacon Online Broadband Radio – Nabin K. Bhattarai

Photo Source: www.jiwan-online.150m.com

Celebrating Ram – A Book Review by Jyoti Thapa Mani

BY JYOTI THAPA MANI

The Book of Ram

 

Celebrating Ram

The Book Of Ram

By Devdutt Pattanaik; Penguin;
Pages: 211; Price: Rs 250  

Why does the story of ram continue to capti-vate the imagination of millions of Indians, even 3,000 years after it was first penned by Sage Valmiki? Ayodhya, Ram’s birthplace, became such a bone of contention that it changed the face of mainstream Indian politics forever. Today, Ram finds himself in the middle of yet another controversy – the Ram Sethu bridge between India and Sri Lanka. But amid all this fighting and celebrating in the name of Ram, are we losing him somewhere?

Maryada Purushottom Ram, the upholder of civilised human values; Raghupati, the grandson of King Raghu; the pupil of Rishi Vishwamitra and Rishi Vashisht, teachers with two totally different philosophies; Ram who believed in violence for self-defence – which of these Rams is most relevant in today’s context?

Police fear terror threat in Siliguri after Assam bombings

FROM THAINDIAN

Kolkata, Oct 31 (IANS) Security has been beefed up in the northern districts of West Bengal as the police apprehend a serious terrorist threat in the region after serials bombings rocked neighbouring Assam, officials said Friday. “We’re apprehending a serious threat in the northern West Bengal districts – especially in Siliguri as it’s the biggest business centre in the region after Guwahati. We’ve implemented three-level security checking in our district to prevent any kind of subversive activity,” Darjeeling District Superintendent of Police Rahul Srivastava told IANS by phone.

He said Siliguri – a bustling town about 600 km from Kolkata – is also under serious security scanner in view of the Chhath puja, a major north Indian festival, which will be celebrated Nov 4.

“Since the men behind these subversive acts always try to strike at crowded places during religious occasions, we’ve sounded a high alert in Siliguri,” said Srivastava, adding that a huge religious conglomeration takes place in Siliguri during Chhath every year.

According to state intelligence sources, Siliguri has for long been a favourite haven for militants like the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).

Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar are the two districts in West Bengal that share a border with Assam.

West Bengal Home Secretary Ashok Mohon Chakraborty Thursday sounded an alert in the entire state and asked police stations to keep a close watch on the security scenario across all 19 districts.

Asked whether there was a possibility of terrorists taking refuge in West Bengal after escaping from the troubled northeastern states, a senior state police officer answered in the affirmative.

“The terrorists can easily shift their base to West Bengal territory, crossing the porous Kaziranga-north Bengal forest land,” Inspector General of police (North Bengal) K.L Tamta told IANS.

Admitting it was common for militants to move to a neighbouring state after commiting crimes, Tamta said: “The West Bengal-Aasam border is porous and partly covered by forest area. People from that region can easily sneak into the West Bengal territory using this forest route.”

“We’ve alerted all district police stations along the West Bengal-Assam border and asked them to keep a close vigil so that no suspicious person can enter our state. Police patrolling has also been increased and many preventive actions have been taken in the bordering areas to step up the overall security scenario.”

School Uniforms gives way to Traditional Dresses – Sardeshwari Government Girls High School students and teachers set standard

Sardeshwari Government Girls High School Class Eight Girls and Teachers in full traditional dresses. Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Young Gorkha Girls during Tihar Festival

Young Gorkha Girls during Tihar Festival in Darjeeling. Photo by Himalaya Darpan

IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

It is time the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha engages itself in responsible politics, writes Vivek Chhetri

A young girl signing on the proposed Gorkhaland Map

The demand for a separate state is being heard loudly again all over the Darjeeling hills for more than a year now. But the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the party at the forefront of the movement, seems to have landed itself in a quagmire now by practising a kind of politics that discards the ground realities. One year into the movement, it is time for the Morcha to reassess it programmes and strategies to pull off something beyond symbolic victories.

Overthrowing Subash Ghisingh, the leader of the Gorkha National Liberation Front, who had ruled the hills for nearly twenty years, was easy for the Morcha. The GJM leader, Bimal Gurung, could capitalize on the people’s frustration for having to endure years of political ineptitude and constant interference in their socio-cultural life. Having got rid of Ghisingh, the Morcha suddenly seems to have lost itself in an open playfield from where there are no roads down which it can go. This is perhaps the most challenging phase of the Gorkhaland movement and the leaders are yet to prove that they have identified the right path.

Instead of making sustained efforts to generate goodwill towards the statehood demand in the Centre, Gurung’s party is now busy enlisting the support of the hill people, who are in any case total converts to the cause of Gorkhaland. The Morcha’s earlier strategy of non-cooperation with the state government was understandable as a policy aimed at hurting the enemy. The hill people had stopped paying all forms of state taxes, including telephone and electricity bills, to the government. However, when the state government had just started feeling the pinch, with the collective electricity bill dues crossing the Rs 9 crore mark, the Morcha decided to pay the bills for a period of three months starting from October.

Six Nepali girls held captive & raped by UP policemen

FROM MAIL TODAY

By Piyush Srivastava in Lucknow

Shared by Aardee 

BSP CHIEF Mayawati recently took up the cudgels to bring the Maharashtra Police to book for killing a youth from Bihar and ” supporting” Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena ( MNS) for killing another youngster from Uttar Pradesh.

But, ironically, the UP chief minister failed to gauge the gravity of police atrocities in her own backyard.

In Gorakhpur, some police personnel celebrated Diwali by keeping six Nepali women in wrongful confinement at Cantonment Police Station and in a hotel for 48 hours, and gangraped them.

They later demanded bribe for the women’s release.

The Inspector General of Gorakhpur range, Harish Chandra Kashyap, learnt about the incident on Thursday morning and rescued the helpless women from the clutches of the men in uniform.

Responding to an anonymous call, Kashyap constituted a team which conducted raids at the police station and in the hotel.

Kashyap said he has suspended two police constables – Manoj Patel ( 34) and Harendrav Singh ( 35) – and asked the other policemen in the cantonment to register cases against the perpetrators under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The six women, whose identity has not been disclosed, had reached Gorakhpur from Kathmandu on Tuesday. They were accompanied by two men – Bahadur and Bhagiman – both in their mid- 20s.

They were supposed to board a train on the same day for Mumbai, from where they were slated to go to Dubai.

High alert sounded in Sikkim, north West Bengal

FROM THAINDIAN

Siliguri, Oct 30 (IANS) A high alert was sounded in Sikkim and northern West Bengal, and the police intensified patrolling and launched intense checks following the serial bomb blasts in various parts of Assam, including nearby Kokrajhar Thursday.Sikkim Director General of Police Akshay Kumar Sachdeva told IANS by telephone from Gangtok that security was beefed up in all districts of the state that has a common border with West Bengal.

“All the districts are on high alert. Orders have been issued to all the district superintendents of police to conduct special checking at the chekcposts between the two states at Rongpo and Mally,” he said.

Inspector General of police (North Bengal) Kundan Lal Tamta told IANS that sniffer dogs were pressed into service and there was increased police patrolling in the north Bengal districts.

With northern West Bengal sharing an extensive border with Assam, steps were also taken to pre-empt any possibility of militants sneaking into West Bengal, Tamta said.

The Border Security Force (BSF), which patrols the India-Bangladesh border, and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) that guards the country’s borders with Nepal and Bhutan, have also been asked to increase vigil.

“The militants have chosen crowded places to strike. So, we are paying special attention to crowded areas like market places,” Tamta said.

WCCB launches hunt for Czech entomologist

FROM DNA

By Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri

Friday, October 31, 2008 02:08 IST KOLKATA: The wildlife crime control bureau (WCCB) and West Bengal Forest Department are making all-out efforts to bring back Czech entomologist Emil Kucera, who fled the country while on bail after being arrested for smuggling rare insects from Singalila National Park, Darjeeling, West Bengal.

The agencies are also considering approaching Interpol for Kucera, who was awarded three years in prison by a judicial magistrate in Darjeeling but granted bail by a district court in north Bengal to allow him to appeal in the Calcutta high court.

Sources said the Czech embassy in India had promised WCCB all possible help in extraditing him, adding that the matter had been referred to the Czech foreign ministry.
WCCB and the forest department insisted all future trials of Kucera would be conducted in Indian courts.

Inspector general (law & order) of West Bengal Police Raj Kanojia said since WCCB was handling the matter, state police had no definite role to play in it.

“We are still to receive any orders in this regard. Once that happens, we will do the needful,” he told DNA.

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BHUTAN: Lhadom pip Zimdra to Veteran’s Cup

FROM KUENSEL

By Tandin Wangchuk

GOALMOUTH MELE – A set piece that gave the winners their first breakthrough

There was more energy than required as Lhadom outran Zimdra in a tense final of the second veteran football tournament fought out at the police ground in Thimphu on Saturday.

 

Zimdra were the better team in the first half with several attempts on the target. But they needed the help of the Lhadom goalkeeper, who passed the ball straight to Zimdra’s striker Karma Tsetop in the dying minutes of the first half. Karma Tsetop took full advantage of the blunder and chipped the ball neatly over the onrushing keeper.

Lhadom goalie’s blunder was redeemed when his counterpart in the other goal handled a back-pass from his defender and awarded Lhadom a free kick. Striker Ngawang made no mistake from outside the D area, levelling the game. Ten minutes before the final whistle, winger Karma of Lhadom scored the winning goal, placing the ball in the corner of the Zimdra post, following a neat move from their midfielders.

Zimdra tried their best but ran out of steam and the game ended 2-1.

Remnants of young blood rushed to a head as a Zimdra midfielder shoved a Lhadom defender and locked horns for a while. Referee didn’t book either of the players.

Clean Bhutan: a gift to the King

FROM KUENSEL NEWSPAPER, BHUTAN

All in a Day’s Work – Trashigang residents at work

30 October, 2008 - Determined to offer a “Clean Bhutan” as a gift to the new King, about 1,300 civil servants, police, business people, school children and local villagers equipped with shovels, sickles, spades and RSPN sacks carried out the “Clean Bhutan” campaign in Trashigang municipal area October 28.

Closing shops, homes and offices they marched in groups to clear clogged drains, pick garbage along side roads, cut overgrown grasses, and swept their town clean in just over three hours. Residents also cleaned their surroundings.

Trashigang Dzongda Dorji Norbu addressing the gathering said that it was a fitting way to celebrate the occasions of centenary of Wangchuck dynasty and coronation of the fifth king. “All of us can’t go to Thimphu to celebrate the occasions but we can definitely celebrate in our own little ways here itself,” he told the gathering.

“Through the campaign we can also pass the message of hygiene and sanitation to the people,” the dzongda said. He said that it was the responsibility of every citizen to keep the country clean. In order to ensure clean environment in the town, the dzongkhag has in place a routine of cleaning their surroundings every Friday afternoon.

BHUTAN: Who will bill the act?

By Tenzin Namgyel

30 October, 2008 – The winter parliament session starts in November, but there’s confusion between parliamentarians and local government on who would submit the local development agenda for discussion.

In previous National Assembly sessions, agenda were routed from the gewog yargay tshogdu (GYT) through the dzongkhag yargay tshogchung (DYT) for discussion in the Assembly.
However, the National Assembly is now made up of elected members, who have promised roads, electricity, schools and doctors in their respective constituencies. MPs have no jurisdiction over GYT and DYT plans, but would be keen to ensure that their promises are fulfilled. In reality, however, it’s the local government that decides much of the development activities at that level.

While agenda have to reach the National Assembly Secretariat a month before parliament reconvenes, only a few dzongkhags have prepared them. The chairman of the Thimphu DYT, Sonam Dorji, said that he was not sure whether he or the member of the parliament from his constituency should prepare the agenda. Thimphu dzongkhag has not conducted its DYT meeting. “I don’t know whether the agenda should be routed through the local government or the MP,” he said.

Gyen Khateo-Laya constituency’s MP Damchoe Dorji said that there could be duplication of agenda, with both MPs and the local office drawing them up. “Parliamentarians can’t interfere in GYT and DYT meeting or even ask them to submit their agenda. When the meday gothribs and the MP can’t come to the same table and discuss the agenda, there’s a problem,” he said. “The agenda prepared by GYT may not be quite convincing to us and the only compromise could be not going strictly by the Local Government Act.”

MPs said that there were no specific instructions on who should submit the agenda. Ugyen Dorji of Deothang-Gomdar constituency said he was going to propose his own agenda like road construction, electricity and drinking water, although the local government has their own.

BHUTAN:The Coronation of His Majesty The Druk Gyalpo

FROM KUENSEL NEWSPAPER

By Kinley Dorji

  Coronation of Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck 

His Majesty The Druk Gyalpo

It is the end – and the beginning – of history. On the morning of November 1, the third day of the ninth Bhutanese month, His Majesty the King will be empowered as the Druk Gyalpo in a unique and sacred empowerment ceremony, which symbolises his transcendence of the ordinary and the temporal and the personification of divine wisdom. 

His Majesty will receive the Dar Na-Nga, a special arrangement of the primary colours that signify the five elements. The ceremony will take place in the Machhen Lhakhang, and the Dar Na-Nga will be symbolically conferred by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, in the presence of the fourth Druk Gyalpo, with the empowerment prayer chanted by His Holiness the Je Khenpo.

The white, yellow, red, green, and blue silk scarves represent the elements – water, earth, fire, wind, and space – the basis of physical existence, that His Majesty personifies, as well as the underlying energies from which the physical world arises.

In Buddhist belief, the empowerment of the Druk Gyalpo mandates that he assumes the strategies of the Gewa Rigna (five Buddha families) – that of pacification, increase, magnification, power, and a combination of all.

In Bhutan the Druk Gyalpo personifies Jaro Dongchhen, the supreme warrior manifestation of Yeshey Goembo (Mahakala), who is the supreme protector deity. Jaro Dongchhen, with his wrathful raven head, is presented as a totally black figure, in the belief that all colours are absorbed and dissolved into black, just as all names and forms are absorbed into Mahakala. Black also signifies the total absence of colour, meaning ultimate or absolute reality, surpassing all quality and form.

The Coronation ceremony symbolises the expression of the will of the people in the person of the King. This common will, reposed in the Druk Gyalpo, is often called the Bhutanese system and the essence of the Bhutanese identity.

UN chief to meet prime minister

FROM GULF TIMES

KATHMANDU: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will hold parleys with Nepal’s first Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” on Friday when he arrives in Nepal on a two-day visit as part of his four-nation Asian trip.

The UN chief will be discussing the Maoist government’s mandate to draft a new constitution within two years and the difficult task of integrating the Maoists’ guerrilla army, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), with the Nepal Army (NA).

Ban, who met Prachanda in New York last month during the UN General Assembly, has expressed concern that little progress has been made by Nepal’s Constituent Assembly, which first convened on May 28, towards “its main task of drafting a new constitution”.

In his report tabled before the UN Security Council this month, Ban said: “This delay is raising concerns about the prospects for the completion of the Assembly’s task within the two-year period provided for under the Interim Constitution”.

Ban has also expressed concern at the inability of the Prachanda government to form a special committee that would oversee the key task of merging the PLA with the NA.

Though after several false starts, the government finally said this week it had formed a five-member panel headed by deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam to oversee the integration, the team is yet to be complete with the main opposition party, former premier Girija Prasad Koirala’s Nepali Congress, demanding it should have two members on the team, like the Maoists, instead of one.

Nepal Sambat 1129 celebrated

Nepal: Fresh tragedy brings Paras home

FROM THE TIMES OF INDIA

KATHMANDU: Three months after he left his homeland smarting under the abolition of monarchy and his shattered dreams of becoming the king of Nepal some day, ousted crown prince Paras made a grim return to Kathmandu on Thursday, compelled by a fresh tragedy in the family.

“Only yesterday, he had refused to return from Singapore,” said Kishor Shrestha, editor of Nepali tabloid Jana Aastha, known for ferreting out skeletons in the former royals’ cupboards. “His wife, former crown princess Himani went to Singapore to persuade him to return and join the family for the ongoing festivities. But he refused and so on Wednesday, she returned alone.”

However, 24 hours later, the former playboy prince had returned to Kathmandu to head for Arryaghat at the famed temple of Pashupatinath, where Hindus perform the last rites for their dear departed. Like a bolt from the blue, Paras’s confidant and brother-in-law Abhinesh Shah passed away in the early hours of Thursday after a massive heart attack.

Shah, 32, was married to former princess Sitashma, Paras’s cousin. Sitashma is the daughter of the late prince Dhirendra, desposed king Gyanendra’s youngest brother. While Dhirendra died in the shootout in the royal palace in June 2001, less than six months later, Sitashma’s mother, princess Prekshya, had also perished in a helicopter crash in Nepal’s remote Mugu district.

Shrestha said Shah, who owned a health club and was planning to foray into real estate, had had a nose operation recently and was suffering from nerve as well as bone problems. He leaves behind his wife and a daughter.

Dayaram Bhakta Mathema passes away peacefully

FROM NEPAL NEWS

A noted philanthropist and businessman, Mr. Dayaram Bhakta Mathema, passed away peacefully in Kathmandu on Wednesday October 29 at 4:36am local time at the age of 82. Late D.B. Mathema was instrumental in facilitating the 2007 Bikram Sambat Democracy in Nepal.

He is survived by his two wives, one son and daughter-in-law, three daughters and sons-in-law, and eight beloved grandchildren. He had a deep love for his country, family and friends. He will be deeply missed by all those who knew him.

LL

Wives	:	Indrakala Mathema and Krishnapyari Mathema
Son	:	Prajwal Mathema
Daughters	:	Neeva M Pradhan, Keepa M Handa and Meeka M Lee
Daughter-in-law	:	Luna Mathema
Sons-in-law	:	Rajesh Pradhan, Hemant Handa and Jun Lee
Grand Children	:	Neeraj Pradhan, Robbie Pradhan, Sabair Lee, Johee Lee, Gaurav Handa, Karan Handa, Luja Mathema and Sina Mathema

II

Bhai Tika celebrations bring on cheer

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, Oct. 30: The five day long Nepalese festival of Tihar came to an end as people in Darjeeling geared up to celebrate Bhai Tika amidst much fanfare today.

It is an occasion, when sisters invite brothers to their houses and pray for  their prosperity. It is a day that is eagerly awaited for. Paanch Rangi Tika (five colored) ~ yellow, green, red, blue and white coloured tika is put on the brothers’ forehead and they are garlanded with makhmali and saipatri (flowers) at a particular time which is considered to be auspicious by the astrologer.

The sisters then offer sweets and fruits as shagun and later treat them to a sumptuous meal. In return, brothers pamper their sisters with ‘dakshina’ in the form of gifts or money. “This is one time of the year when brothers visit our houses and we get a chance to show them our love and respect. We pray that they live a long life and no harm crosses their path,” said Ms. Anita Sharma, a resident of Darjeeling.

 

Assam blasts trigger alert

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Oct. 30: A red alert has been sounded in north Bengal and police are checking vehicles and passengers, while paramilitary forces have beefed up vigil along international borders in the wake of near simultaneous bomb blasts across Assam today.

K.L. Tamta, the inspector-general of police (north Bengal) who was on a visit to Cooch Behar today, said: “Following the explosions in different places of Assam today, a red alert (maximum) has been issued throughout north Bengal districts to check subversive activities. All police stations have been instructed to set up temporary checkposts on roads, search every vehicle and keep tabs on railway stations, bus stands, airport and other crowded places.”

According to the officer, policemen posted all over the region, especially along the borders with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, had been asked to start joint patrolling and search operations with the BSF and SSB.

“We are taking precautionary steps as places like Kumargram in Jalpaiguri and Baxirhat in Cooch Behar are located close to Assam and there may be a possibility of terrorists responsible for the blasts sneaking into the region for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal are within reach. Besides, these elements may engineer blasts in north Bengal as well,” said a police officer.

500 days Teesta relay fast still on

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Gangtok, Oct. 30: The relay hunger strike by the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) entered its 500th day today. The organisation has been spearheading a movement against mega hydel projects in Sikkim.

The fast has been going on since June 20 last year at BL House in Sonam Gyatso Marg here.

“We are thinking of devising a new strategy of protest against the hydel projects. Our members will meet soon to decide on new plans,” said Dawa T. Lepcha, the general secretary of ACT, here today.

Lepcha had also led indefinite hunger strikes on two occasions, one lasting for 67 and the other for 106 days.

He, however, did not reveal what the new plans were going to be.

In the morning, ACT members held a puja at the site while the rest of the state celebrated bhai tika. Monks from the Sangha at Dzongu were also present at the ceremony.

Commenting on the decision by the Sikkim government to hand over scrapped projects to its original developers, Lepcha said the state as well as the power department should stick to its decision and not deviate from it.

Last month, the government had decided to review its decision to scrap several hydel projects in a bid to placate private power developers who had moved the high court challenging the termination of some of them.

Tea tourism put to sleep

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Siliguri, Oct. 30: Five years have passed since the government proposed tea tourism as an alternative means of income for the brew sector, but not a single project has been sanctioned till date.

“We had sent four proposals to upgrade existing infrastructure in the gardens – for example renovation of bungalows – to start tourism, but none of them were considered,” said Prabir Bhattacharjee, the secretary of the Dooars branch of the Indian Tea Association.

“The delay comes at a time when inflow of tourists is increasing in the Dooars and private resorts are mushrooming at locations like Lataguri and Jayanti.”

In 2003, when the tea industry was facing a slump, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had announced the government’s tea tourism policy at Central Dooars Club in Binnaguri.

He had then said the planters could go in for tourism projects by using available resources like employees and bungalows.

Bhattacharjee had also announced that the government would upgrade the roads leading to the tea estates – many of them located in idyllic locations.

“But the objection raised by the state land and land reforms department for using land, which had been leased to tea gardens, for other (tourism) purposes created the hurdle,” Bhattacharjee said. “We were told to earmark land necessary to create the infrastructure for tourism projects in the garden, surrender it to the department and obtain a fresh lease on it.”

ASSAM AFIRE – 9 blasts kill 75, backlash prompts curfew in Guwahati – Huji-Ulfa cocktail suspected

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Vehicles set on fire by a crowd in Guwahati on Thursday. (Reuters)

Oct. 30: Nine explosions shook Guwahati and three western Assam towns this morning, leaving 75 dead and over 300 injured in the worst bombings in the militancy-hit state’s history.

Police and ministers pointed fingers at the Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami (Huji) but suspected that the state’s chief separatist insurgent outfit, Ulfa, lent a hand.

Guwahati bore the brunt with 41 killed and 167 wounded in three blasts – at the busy Ganeshguri market 1.5km from the seat of power in Dispur; in heart-of-the city Panbazar, and on the compound of the chief judicial magistrate’s (CJM’s) court in a high-security zone.

Windowpanes were shattered 300 yards away and tremors felt a mile from the sites, residents said.

A mass of burnt flesh lay in front of the CJM’s court, located near the district commissioner’s office and the general post office.

Thick, black smoke billowed over the Ganeshguri flyover as people ran helter-skelter, some limping to hospital on one leg, clothes soaked in blood. A driver was slumped inside a car, scorched to the bones.

At Panbazar, the blast took place 100 yards from the local police station in the neighbourhood of a hospital and a church.