Do not integrate Maoists with the Army, says Poudel

FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA NEWS NET

Kathmandu, Oct 3 : Nepali Congress Vice-President Ram Chandra Poudel has said that the Maoist combatants should be integrated into the structure of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).

Speaking at a function organized by the Mahendra Narayan Nidhi Memorial Foundation on Thursday, Poudel said that the Maoist combatants should be rehabilitated instead of integrating them in the Nepal Army.

“The rebel army has nothing to do now since the Maoists have entered mainstream politics,” he added.

He said that the Maoist leadership was using only the word ‘integration’ even though the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) reached with the then government clearly states that the combatants would be either integrated or rehabilitated.

He criticised the Maoists for failing to honour past agreements and misusing the state treasury for partisan interests.

He also urged the coalition partners in the current government to check the unruly activities of the Maoist cadres, Kantipur reported.

Nepali ruling parties to form political mechanism

FROM PEOPLE’S DAILY ONLINE

Nepali ruling parties on Thursday decided to form a high level political mechanism to coordinate with the government and help settling any differences among the ruling parties regarding the operation of the government, The Rising Nepal reported on Friday.

“The mechanism will help when needed guide the government to operate as per the spirit of the common minimum program,” said Mohan Baidhya, also known as “Kiran”, senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) after the meeting.

The meeting was held at the official residence of the Prime Minister at Baluwatar in Nepali capital Kathmandu.

“The mechanism will comprise of one member from each of the party and it will be in place within two days the timeframe for the parties to name their representative for the mechanism,” Chandra Dev Joshi, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified, said.

He, however, said that the parties had to discuss more to draw concrete conclusion on the purpose of such a mechanism. “As we have seen that such panels were formed in the past as well with the same objective and they had remained defunct in many ways, we have to set a concrete objective for such a mechanism.”

Official Press Release – By the Royal House of Tripura (Tripura serial Bomb Blasts)

DIRECT PRESS RELEASE FROM HIS HIGHNESS MAHARJA PRADYOT BIKRAM KISHORE MANIKYA

As the head of the royal family  of Tripura, I strongly condemn the serial blasts which took place on the 1st October 2008 in Agartala. According to me these people have no religion, consciences and any regard for human life and their action speak for itself. I am not shocked that they chose Tripura because our beloved state is an example for peaceful coexistence and communal harmony for centuries. If it is true as said by the authorities that a foreign hand is involved in the blast then we as a nation should have an ability to hit back. I believe that ‘hot pursuit’ for the terrorist across borders is necessary and pre-emptive steps should be taken so that these people think twice before targeting our innocent civilians. The blasts in the palace compound is the first ever attack on any of our residences. That this happened in the Raj Andar and not in the Government section of the palace raises many questions. This also is the only blast which took place in an area which is never crowded and its intention was not to create  human casualties. This I think is a clear message sent to us. Let me warn these terrorists that the attack on the palace and Tripura will not go unanswered. Their attack on us (Royal family) has only made our resolve stronger and I challenge them to openly confront us. You cannot subdue our love and our connection with the people of Tripura and our resolve in tackling all forms of evils. I take this opportunity to request all political parties not to blame each other and unitedly fight this terror. This I feel is a time of healing and political blame game is not the order of the day. My sincere gratitude to the doctors whom I met during my visit to the hospital and also to the Police, Red cross, District Administration and the people in general who worked selflessly to ensure that the relief was met to the victims. Tripura cannot be ever intimidated, divided and threatened, because the Spirit of Tripura is second to none .

Hambai (thank you)

Maharaja Pradyot Bikram Kishore Manikya

Ujayanta Palace

Agartala Dated

3rd October 2008

Gorkha recruitment be based on equal treatment: Minister Badal

FROM TELEGRAPH NEPAL

Defense Minister Dr. Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal has said that the Gorkha Recruitment will be closed in a phase wise basis.

“There is the need to abrogate past agreements signed with India and the United Kingdom as regards the Gorkha Recruitment from Nepal”, said the defense minister.

“All the past agreements must be replaced by new one; in the name of the Gorkha Recruitment Nepal has been facing injustice since long”.

Nevertheless, Mr. Badal also said that after replacing the old treaties with the new ones, the Gorkha Recruitment can continue adopting new procedures”.

“Unless Nepali nationals receive equal salary and benefits similar to their British counterparts, the recruitment process must come to a halt”.

“The latest verdict of the British Court in favor of the Nepali Gorkha Soldiers was a welcome move and it has adjudged Nepal to be the winner”.

Recently the British Court providing a verdict in favor of the Nepali Gorkha Soldiers had granted “the right to settle” to the Gorkha Soldiers in the UK.

Minister Badal was speaking in the capital on Thursday October 2, 2008.To recall, minister Badal was recently on a trip to Nepal’s northern neighbor-China.

24 detonators recovered from north Sikkim

FROM TIMES OF INDIA

Gangtok: A total 24 detonators were seized from north Sikkim by police from the roadside between Toong and Reychu highway, police said on Thursday

The detonators were found by patrolling policemen on Monday, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Range, Akshaya Sachdeva said.

The seizure closely followed the recovery of a powerful improvised explosive device in south Sikkim.

Sachdeva said it was suspected that the detonators were thrown off a vehicle by its owner who might have become frightened with intensified patrolling on the highway, he said.

A case under the Explosive Substances Act has been registered in connection with the seizure of the detonators and an investigation launched to find out as to whom the haul of explosive materials belonged to, Sachdeva said.

Meanwhile, the security at public places and Durga puja pandals here and elsewhere in the state have been tightened and the local police directed to monitor day-to-day security measures in view of the growing incidents of subversive activities across the country, he said.

Indo-Nepal Relations: When Believing Is Seeing

FROM HAMRO NEPAL

BY BHAVESH SHAH

Nepal’s new Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ created waves during his recent visit to India. From politicians to academics to the media, Indians were charmed by the former Maoist rebel chief’s words and gestures. In the exhilaration, it was easy to forget that the Maoists had begun their anti-monarchy insurgency 13 years ago on a charter full of anti-India diatribes.

Yet until the eve of his election as premier, Prachanda had been accusing India of interfering in Nepali affairs, specifically to prevent the Maoists from taking charge of the new government. He, like most Nepali politicians, conveniently forgot that without Indian ‘interference’, Nepal would perhaps still be languishing under royal absolutism.

Undoubtedly, credit for the restoration of democracy in April 2006 goes to the millions upon millions of Nepalis who took to the streets of Kathmandu and other Nepali cities against the rule of then-king Gyanendra. It is equally undeniable that New Delhi was actively involved in creating an alliance between the Maoist rebels and the mainstream Nepali opposition parties. The perceived impossibility of such cooperation between then-fierce rivals is what had emboldened the royal palace.

The monarchy, which was never a friend of India, is now consigned to the history books. However, the anti-Indianism it had fanned to consolidate its power since the 1950s remains a living feature of Nepali politics. Cutting across party lines, this sentiment emerges with vengeance, such as in the aftermath of the Koshi floods and the vice-president’s decision to take his oath in Hindi. As New Delhi struggles to come up with a rational post-monarchy Nepal policy, it must not lose sight of the collective Nepali psyche.

Ordinary Indians remain genuinely perplexed by the antipathy their country engenders at almost every turn of Nepali life. A common religious, cultural and social heritage, after all, should have been conducive to far more tranquil relations. India, despite its own needs, has over the decades contributed generously to Nepal’s socio-economic development. What went wrong and how? A new book, “The Raj Lives: India in Nepal” (Vitasta, New Delhi)  helps put things in perspective.

Brown Suger – A Poem by Dipak Shrestha

I destroy homes, I tear families apart.
Take your children, and that’s just the start.
I’m more costly than diamonds, more precious than gold,
The sorrow I bring is a sight to behold.
If you need me, remember! I’m easily found,
I live all around you – in schools and in small Darjeeling streets.
I live with the rich; I live with the poor,
I live around the mall, and maybe near the station.
I’m made in a lab, but not like you think,
I can be made under the kitchen sink.
In your child’s closet, and even in the woods,
If this scares you to death, well it certainly should.
I have many names, but there’s one by which you know her,
I’m sure you’ve heard of me, my name is brown suger.
My power is awesome; try me you’ll see,
But if you do, you may never break free.
Just try me once and I might let you go,
But try me twice, and I’ll own your soul.
When I possess you, you’ll steal and you’ll lie,
You do what you have to — just to get high.
The crimes you’ll commit for my narcotic charms
Will be worth the pleasure you’ll feel in your arms, (your lungs, and your nose).
You’ll lie to your mother; you’ll steal from your dad,
When you see their tears, you should feel sad.
But you’ll forget your morals and how you were raised,
I’ll be your conscience, I’ll teach you my ways.
I take kids from parents, and parents from kids,
I turn people from God, and separate friends.
I’ll take everything from you, your looks and your pride,
I’ll be with you always — right by your side.
You’ll give up everything – your family, your home,
Your friends, your money, then you’ll be alone.
I’ll take and take, till you have nothing more to give,
When I’m finished with you, you’ll be lucky to live.
If you try me be warned – this is no game,
If given the chance, I’ll drive you insane.
I’ll ravish your body, I’ll control your mind,
I’ll own you completely, your soul will be mine.
The nightmares I’ll give you while lying in bed,
The voices you’ll hear, from inside your head.
The sweats, the shakes, the visions you’ll see,
I want you to know, these are all gifts from me.
But then it’s too late, and you’ll know in your heart,

That you are mine, and we shall not part.
You’ll regret that you tried me, they always do,
But you came to me, not I to you.
You knew this would happen, many times you were told,
But you challenged my power, and chose to be bold.
You could have said no, and just walked away,
If you could live that day over, now what would you say?
I’ll be your master, you will be my slave,
I’ll even go with you, when you go to your grave.
Now that you have met me, what will you do?
Will you try me or not?

It’s all up to you.
I can bring you more misery than words can tell,

Come take my hand, let me lead you to hell.

Gorkhaland Movement gaining ground

FROM PEOPLE’S REVIEW ONLINE

BY JASUDA PRADHAN

NEWS SHARED BY PRANAVESH PRADHAN

The Gorkhaland movement has reached a peak at present.  The movement headed by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is no longer confined to Chowk Bazar and Chourasta of Darzeeling. Like  a slow spreading fire, it has spread to different tea estates in the area.

It has been announced that a Gorkha Janmukti Sena (Gorkha Liberation Army) will be established to make the movement successful. A call was made to recruit 2500 youths for the GLA, however, more than one hundred and fifty thousand youths volunteered to join the proposed GLA. Only about fourteen thousand youths have been recruited for now. It has been said that the rest would be put on call and can be called anytime when they are needed.

The youths who have been recruited are being trained at Mirik, Okaiti, naming, Deoors, Rimik, Kharsang and Kalebung among others.

For these youths who have been recruited, the Nepali cap with the logo of late King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the unifier of modern Nepal has been made compulsory. Not only that, it has been mandatory for all the men to wear “Daura suruwal” and for the women to wear sari and chaubandi, the traditional dress of Nepalese.

Whether they are financially well off or economically lower down the ladder, everyone is starting to sew “Daura suruwal and topi” and also buy sari and chaubandhi. There is already a rush to do this in Darzeeling and many are also seeking the help of their relatives in Nepal to get the Nepali dresses. Some have even gone to the extent of traveling across the border to get the Nepali dress.

All those people are saying, “We will wear our Nepali dress and we will definitely make a success of our movement to establish Gorkhaland.”

When these people hear that Nepal’s Vice President took his oath in Hindi and also wore a dhoti during the ceremony, they don’t hesitate to say, “Shameless Nepalis”. They are also offended by the fact that ministers in Nepal are going to office in their casual dress, instead of the Nepali dress.

Interview – ‘India, Bhutan are model neighbors, an example to rest of world’: Thinley

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DESI TALK

By Jyotirmoy Datta

NEWS SHARED BY THE AUTHOR

Of all the world leaders who came to New York City for the opening of the U.N.

General Assembly, none carried a finer gift than Jigme Thinley, Prime Minister of Bhutan.

Thinley’s gift to New York was the first exhibition of the sacred arts of Bhutan ever to be held in North America.

Indeed, except for Hawaii, the exhibition at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City , ‘The Dragon’s Gift,’ is the first such exhibition held anywhere outside of Bhutan, the picturebook Himalayan kingdom which was the model for James Hilton’s 1933 novel, ‘The Lost Horizon.’ Prime Minister Thinley spoke with Desi Talk about the reasons for the reluctance of the Central Monastic Body of Bhutan to let the sacred objects featured in ‘The Dragon’s Gift’ travel out of the country.

“These are living objects of worship, having their abode in Bhutan’s holy shrines, and extending their benign influence over the entire land,” Thinley said in his Oxford-accent English.

“For example, these thangkas are not like your easel paintings that can just be hung anywhere. They are unrolled only on specific days and hours, to the accompaniment of rituals as old as the mountains. Do not think of the statues as just clay or metal objects. The alloys are rare and unknown combination of metals, with immense powers, and negative energies can be unleashed in their absence.”

Thinley, whose party ‘Druk Phuentsum Tshogpa,’ or Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party, won 45 of the 47 seats in the March 2008 elections, was eloquent not only about the powers of the sacred objects, but also of the special relationship his country had with India.

Bhutan at Rubin Museum of Art – Bhutan’s 1st elected Prime Minister travels to NYC to open ‘The Dragon’s Gift’

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DESI TALK

By Jyotirmoy Datta

NEWS SHARED BY THE AUTHOR

In a gesture of casting aside its veil of centuries, Bhutan’s first elected Prime Minister, Jigme Y Thinley, traveled to New York to open the much-anticipated exhibition, ‘The Dragon’s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan,’ at the Rubin Museum of Art (RMA) on September 18.

Thinley’s party, Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party, won 45 of the 47 elected seats in the Himalayan kingdom’s elections in March; he assumed office on April 9.

The move from absolute monarchy to parliamentary democracy comes at the initiative of the former king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has abdicated his throne. His son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has taken over and will be formally crowned next year.

‘The Dragon’s Gift’ is part of the former monarch’s vision gently nudging Bhutan into the light of the modern age. The exhibit features 87 objects that are loaned by living Buddhist places of worship. This is the first time these are to be viewed in continental United States.

That ‘The Dragon’s Gift’ came to happen at all is due to the changes initiated by the former monarch, as also the sheer tenacity and dedication of a team of experts at the Honolulu Academy of Art, where the show opened last year. After its stay at the Rubin Museum (Sept. 18 – Jan. 5, 2009), ‘The Dragon’s Gift’ travels to the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (Feb. 20, 2009 -May 10, 2009), and then on to Cologne in Germany (Nov. 2009 -Feb. 2010).

Prime Minister Thinley had cause to draw satisfaction from the size of the opening day crowd at the RMA auditorium. Eager New Yorkers filled up even the standing only space at the rear of the theater. Thinley had a hand in making ‘The Dragon’s Gift’ possible. He had helped to steer the proposal through the official corridors of Thimphu.

The idea for this exhibition was first proposed by Ephraim (Eddie) Jose, Asian Paintings Conservator at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. In the summer of 2003 Dr. Stephen Little, Director of the Honolulu Academy of Arts; Guest Curator Terese Tse Bartholomew, Curator of Himalayan Art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco; and Eddie Jose traveled to Bhutan and presented an initial exhibition proposal to an official in the Department of Culture in Thimphu.

Nepal ex-king goes to temple

FROM GULF TIMES

Nepal’s deposed king yesterday visited a Hindu temple in his first public appearance since the abolition of the monarchy in the Himalayan nation.

Former king Gyanendra Shah – regarded by loyalists as the incarnation of a Hindu god – has been living a quiet life since being ousted in May by Nepal’s Maoist-dominated assembly.

He now lives as a commoner in a former hunting palace on the outskirts of Kathmandu, pushed out of public life as a result of the peace process that saw the Maoists end their decade-long insurgency.

“Let peace prevail in the country and all Nepalese people be able to live and work as per their wish,” the unpopular former king said in a brief response when questioned by reporters at the temple on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

“I would like to extend my best wishes to all Nepalese on the occasion of Dashain festival,” the former king said.

Gyanendra looked relaxed and cheerful and put his hands together in the traditional greeting as crowds of people gathered to see him, witnesses said.

The former monarch – who drove himself in a jeep to the Hindu temple in Bhaktapur, 13km east of Kathmandu – just smiled when asked to comment on Nepal’s political situation.

Youth Unemployment Pain and Depression In Nepal

FROM NEWS BLAZE

By Kamala Sarup

This is a real Story.

These days, my friend Bimal is mostly found staying at home. As far as he can manage he does not go out at all, but if he does come out he selects the shortest route if possible, but if he fails to do so, prefers an isolated way even if he may have to cover a longer distance.

He has learned to suppress his desires of walking or strolling, or to say it frankly, his present condition and mental state have taught him to kill his desire. That’s why he mostly stays at home.

The busy streets of Kathmandu are rarely without people and the possibility of meeting acquaintances is rather great. The small town forces him to imprison himself within his home. In case he came across some relatives or friends, he would be bombarded with questions like “where is your job nowadays, what have you been doing, why is a highly capable man like you keeping yourself aloof…,” and on and on and on.

Thus, he has experienced an inferiority complex many times, trying to answer their nosy enquiries. On several occasions he has felt low in front of his former class-friends seeing them walking proudly. It is to save himself from depression and an increasing inferiority complex arising out of such chance encounters that he does not like to go out for a walk.

It’s true that he does possess good intelligence. As a student at his school and college, he had proved to be quite brilliant. Due to his poor financial background, he could not carry on his higher studies beyond his bachelor’s degree. He had, therefore, no other option but to rush to get a job. He needed a job not only for himself but to maintain his entire family.

He would get a job and begin to work but it was always temporary. He studied hard, took his tests but he was always denied a permanent job because of violence, bad leadership and bad government in the country.

Due to political instability and disruption in the economic activities, the job market continues to shrink, and a large number of youths have difficulty landing jobs. From time to time, his self-confidence and efforts deceived him and gradually he reached a state of his mind when not a single trace of self-confidence remained within him. He lost even his temporary job. As a result, his talent died with his mental spirit and now he has remained hollow like a dry log, living a meaningless life.

In the literary field, however, he was able to establish himself quite strongly. He naturally drew the attention of renowned critics toward his subject matter, style and innate capabilities. But nowadays, he has completely withdrawn himself from that field too.

Today he has doubts that what he wrote was appropriate, his style attractive and his thoughts powerful. That is why his energy to create literary works has almost dried up. Whatever self-satisfaction he derived from his literary creations earlier, has now changed into equal dissatisfaction.

Due to this very dissatisfaction, he has completely severed himself from his literary connections. Nowadays, there is not a single field where he is attached. He is limited to his own loneliness and within his own household environment.

Ex-King Gyanendra says he wants peace in the country

FROM NEPAL NEWS

In his first public appearance since the declaration of republic, former King Gyanendra visited a shrine of a Hindu religious sect in Bhaktapur on Thursday.

Ex-King Gyanendra Shah speaks to media persons at Shyama Shyam Dham in…

Speaking briefly to journalists after visiting Shyama Shyam Dhama in Thimi, Bhaktapur, the ex-King said he wanted peace in the country. He also said wished for a peaceful festival (Dashain) for Nepali people. He, however, dodged political questions.

He stayed there for nearly an hour when he met Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, the leader of the Hindu sect. It was not known what transpired during the meeting, but the ex-King is known to have gone there to receive blessings from the Indian god-man.

He had left Nargarjuna ‘palace’, his new home in the middle of a forest in the northwestern suburb of Kathmandu, at 11am, without security escort.

Gyanendra has lived a reclusive life ever since he moved to Nagarjuna palace on June 11 after the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a federal democratic republic on May 28 this year.

Deposed king goes public

FROM NEWS AUSTRALIA

NEPAL’S deposed king has visited a Hindu temple in his first public appearance since the abolition of the monarchy in the Himalayan nation.

Former king Gyanendra Shah – regarded by loyalists as the incarnation of a Hindu god – has been living a quiet life since being ousted in May by Nepal’s Maoist-dominated assembly.

He now lives as a commoner in a former hunting palace on the outskirts of Kathmandu, pushed out of public life as a result of the peace process that saw the Maoists end their decade-long insurgency.

“Let peace prevail in the country and all Nepalese people be able to live and work as per their wish,” the unpopular former king said in a brief response when questioned by reporters at the temple on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

“I would like to extend my best wishes to all Nepalese on the occasion of Dashain festival.”

Gyanendra looked relaxed and cheerful and put his hands together in the traditional greeting as crowds of people gathered to see him, witnesses said.

The former monarch – who drove himself in a jeep to the Hindu temple in Bhaktapur, 13km east of Kathmandu – just smiled when asked to comment on Nepal’s political situation.

Nepal is currently celebrating the 15-day Dashain Hindu festival, which marks the triumph of good over evil.

Nepali HIV-infected women claim for free treatment

FROM THE PEOPLE’S DAILY

KATHMANDU, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) — Nepali HIV-infected women have complained that the present policies and programs of the government have failed to address their problems and claimed for free treatment, state-run newspaper The Rising Nepal reported on Thursday.

At a press conference in the Nepali capital of Kathmandu on Wednesday, organized by Shakti Milan Samaj, a social organization working for HIV infected women, they said though they had heard that a great amount was received in aid for the HIV/ AIDS sector from donors, their problems could not be addressed in the government’s policies and programs, according to the report.

Similarly, expressing regret that the perception of the society towards them has not changed yet, they demanded the government to guarantee for free treatment, care, resettlement, social security and jobs, and announce a special program for them to eke out livings.

“The government should make arrangements for free education to our children and announce legal action against all violence against us regarding it as a crime against the state,” they further demanded.

Around 55 HIV infected women were provided with a skill development training whereas 65 children were provided with support in education so far by the Samaj organization, informed its Chairperson Goma Rai.

Likewise, stating that the women had to suffer from HIV infection due to the cultural, economic and domestic violence against them, Program Coordinator of the Samaj, Mamata KC shared her bitter experiences from the society and urged all to save her life as how to live is the foremost problem.

Nepal’s ex-princess says her family not to reside permanently in Singapore

FROM ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Former Nepali princess Himani Shah on Wednesday (Oct 1) said that her family moved to Singapore for education of her children but not to settle there permanently.

She went to the Pashupatinath temple today with her elder daughter Poornika on the occasion of her 32nd birthday. She distributed foods to the elderly living in an old-age home in Devpattan.

When the media asked her about the difference she felt in the life as a royalty in past and as a commoner at present, the former princess declined to respond.

In July, former princess Himani Shah left the country for Singapore to join her husband Paras Shah. However, she along with her kids returned to the capital Kathmandu last month.

Thirty-three days after the Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a republic state by abolishing the centuries-old institution of monarchy from the country on May 28, former crown prince Paras left for Singapore.

High security registration plates in Sikkim from Oct 14 Existing plates to be phased out in 2 years

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 1: Sikkim government will be introducing high security registration plates from October 14 and replacing the old system of number plate design and registrations in order to curb the growing menace of crime and terrorist activities using motor vehicles as tools in the country.

“Sikkim is one of the few states in the country already prepared to implement the scheme”, states an IPR release.

The release said that all new motor vehicles registered in Sikkim after October 14 will be fitted with high security registration plates. Vehicles with existing registration plates and plying have been directed to get the high security registration plates in a phased manner within a period of two years as per the arrangements made by motor vehicles division of the State Transport department.

The State government said that the motive behind introducing the new registration exercise is being introduced to ‘curb the growing menace of crime and terrorist activities using motor vehicles as tools’. The new system is highly technical and specialized job leaves little room for misuse by terrorists or car thieves, the government said.

Once this scheme is implemented it will contribute towards strengthening national security and safely also, states the release.

Instead of the old method of obtaining registration numbers from the RTO and getting the number plates made from the open market, a new system is being introduced which will regulate the issuance and fixing of the number plates.

In this system, the manufacturing and affixing of the registration plates on the vehicles is highly technical and specialized job and leaves little room for misuse by terrorists or car thieves. Thus, this scheme once implemented will contribute towards strengthening national security and safely also. This is a national goal and all the States and Union territories are being pressurized to implement the scheme as early as possible to curb the menace of terrorism and vehicle theft, the release adds.

ABGL to release tripartite talks documents

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

DARJEELING, October 1: A week before Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) was to official release the ‘tripartite talks documents’ in the internet, its bitter hill rival Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) will be distributing the 51 page documents to the people from tomorrow.

GJM had submitted a series of documents to the Centre during the September 8 tripartite talks at Delhi. The documents spoke on the justifications behind the Gorkhaland demand by Darjeeling people.

Though GJM had taken all the major political parties from Darjeeling in the Delhi meet to show a united front, internal bickering between it and ABGL soon followed leading the former to term the latter as an ‘agent of West Bengal’ and acting against the aspirations of Darjeeling people.

GJM had also accused ABGL of not speaking on the Gorkhaland issue during the tripartite talks.

Addressing a press meet today here, ABGL president Madan Tamang said that the party has got its hands into the much debated documents only yesterday.

“In 1952, ABGL had submitted a memorandum for separate state to the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawarhalal Nehru. This was admitted by GJM itself its 51 page documents submitted during the tripartite talks”, said Mr. Tamang. He advised GJM to first study and then only issue statements.

Responding to the ‘West Bengal agent’ allegations, Mr. Tamang attempted to turn the tables on GJM. “ABGL does not make statements but is also ready to prove it. Why an office was opened in Pintal village by a supposedly Gorkhaland movement party. Who stuck a board of GJM president’s name in another cottage of Pintal Village?”, he questioned.

The ABGL president claimed that the Pintal Village encroachment by GJM came to light only yesterday. How can a Gorkhaland movement party buy furniture from DGHC, he questioned.

Mr. Tamang also slammed GJM for consenting to West Bengal Chief Minister’s request for paying electricity bills from Darjeeling hills. “GJM is ready to pay electricity bills on the request of the Chief Minister. Will they also call back Gorkhaland movement on another request?” he said.

Accusing GJM of being greedy of holding power by scheming elections in Darjeeling, Mr. Tamang said that if GJM contests for municipality elections then it an acceptance of West Bengal’s slavery.

Deadline extended to Oct 31 for filing income tax returns in Sikkim

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 1: The Centre has extended the last date of filing of Income Tax returns to October 31 for Sikkim. The filing of returns for Sikkim had earlier ended on July 31.

The Finance Ministry said in a statement today 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 Sikkim.

“The Central Board of Direct Taxes has extended the last date of filing of income tax returns, due by 31st July 2008, to 31st October 2008 in the state of Sikkim in view of the delay in issuing of Instruction No. 8/2008 in respect of filing of income-tax return by non-Sikkimese residing in that state”, states a PIB release issued today.

The synopsis of the above Instruction No 8 was that non-exempted Sikkimese people living the State were liable to be taxed under the Income Tax Act, 1961 from the assessment year of 2007-08 and other clauses. The Income Tax Act had been implemented into Sikkim from this year and Sikkimese persons with Sikkimese Subject Certificates have been exempted from direct taxes.

However, the instruction had been issued on July 29 directing the non-exempted Sikkimese people to file their returns by the next two days, ie July 31.

This was practically not possible for the non-exempted Sikkimese people (who were also not very keen) to file their returns in a span of two working days. At this time, the Income Tax office in Sikkim was also non-existent and only started its operations from August 6.

NIT’s golden jubilee celebrations begins

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 1: The five day golden jubilee celebrations of world famous Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (NIT) was declared open by Sikkim Governor Balmiki Prasad Singh today in presence of a galaxy of national and international Buddhist scholars.

Exactly fifty years ago to the day, the first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru had declared this institute on Northern Buddhism open in 1958. His daughter and late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had attended the silver jubilee celebrations of NIT.

The XIV Dalai Lama had laid the foundation stone of this institute on February 10, 1957.

In his inaugural address, the Governor said that NIT continues to work on the story of the movement of Buddhism from Nalanda in Bihar to the remotest parts of Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan.

“The institute has been able to trace the history of passage of Buddhist faith from ancient India to Central Asia as well as its transmission across Eastern Himalaya to Tibet”, said the Governor. The institute in its own way has been trying to fill in the gap that has been created by loss of Sanskrit manuscripts in their original by keeping the Tibetan translation of some of these ancient Sanskrit manuscripts in its library, he said.

Mr. Prasad said that the trinity of great minds of Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru, the then Chogyal of Sikkim and the Dalai Lama wanted NIT to be a centre of conservation of heritage, research and publications and a forum for scholars and academics to interact and meet and ‘to understand their understanding of the Buddhist way of life’.

“There is no doubt that the institute has well served the vision of its founders”, the Governor said. He added that NIT is a product of its times and the founding fathers wanted this Institute not only to be a store-house of ancient manuscripts but also to provide a forum for discussion of every aspect of the Buddhist philosophy and way of life amongst the scholars from all countries to the world.

“The institute was accordingly envisaged as an all comprehensive centre for the wisdom and material treasures of Tibetan Buddhism. The Chogyal Sir Tashi Namgyal donated the land for the institute”, Mr. Prasad said. He added that the museum and library of NIT boasts of one of the largest collection of Tibetan works in the world as well as Tibetan iconography and religious art.

The Governor pointed out that the efforts of the Institute had a good beginning. In 1956-57, the Dalai Lama made the first contribution and a gift to the Institute’s Tibetan collection – a set of valuable books and texts.

In his address, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling said that the NIT will work hand in hand with Sikkim Central University in the fields of history, religions and cultures of Sikkim.

Darjeeling to have a Mahatma bust soon

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, Oct. 2: The GJMM affiliated Darjeeling Municipality has proposed to install a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the hill town. “The movement for Gorkhaland is guided by Gandhiji’s doctrine of non-violence. But we do not have a single statue of Gandhi in Darjeeling. Therefore, the municipality would install one soon,” said Mr Pemba Tshering Ola, the DM chairman today.

A bust of the Mahatma stood in the garden of Gorkha Rangamancha Bhawan previously known as Rabindra Sadan Bhanu Bhawan from where it was shoved to oblivion during the violence that marked the previous Gorkhaland agitation in the 1980s.

As if by co-incidence, with the Gorkhaland agitation being revived for the second time on Gandhian lines by the GJMM, the bust too was traced after more than two decades in the waterworks shed of the municipality.

Attempts to restore the original marble statue failed as it had disintegrated beyond repair. Thus a new statue would be made, which in all probability would stand where the original bust stood before the 1980’s agitation. “We need a place that is prominent and the Gorkha Rangamancha Bhawan is quite suitable. However, we have not finalised it and would take a decision in a board meeting,” Mr Ola said.

Gandhi meet for ‘first’ time in hills

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

A resident of Darjeeling poses as the Mahatma at Chowrastha on Thursday. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Oct. 2: Gandhi Jayanti was commemorated in the hill town today in a first such open-air public programme in many years.

Old timers could not recollect when the Mahatma’s birthday was last observed at an open space like the Chowrastha. However, many private institutions like schools commemorate the event every year, but they are closed to the public.

The Mahatma had visited Darjeeling on June 3, 1926 for three days to meet Desbandhu Chittaranjan Das.

The Darjeeling Municipality has announced that a statue of the Mahatma will soon be installed in the town.

The student wing of the Morcha was the organiser of today’s programme at Chowrastha. Speech and drama competitions were held. However, the focus was more on the need for Gorkhaland than the Gandhian philosophy. “We are talking about non-violence and tolerance but their implementation is difficult,” said Alok Kant Mani Thulung, the chief of the youth wing.

PM visit

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has agreed to lay the foundation stone of the proposed airport at Malda, reports our correspondent.

The Congress MP from Malda, Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury, said today that the Prime Minister would be in Malda town November 1, the birth anniversary of the late A.B.A. Ghani Khan Chowdhury.

SMC team to check hotel food

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Siliguri, Oct. 2: The Siliguri Municipal Corporation will carry out special drives to check the hygienic condition of fast food stalls and roadside eateries here during the four-day Puja festivities.

For the first time, a four-member team has been formed by the health and conservancy departments of the civic body to conduct raids on the hotels and slap spot fines if they are found to be floundering rules regarding the quality of food and hygiene.

Tulsi Pramanik, the assistant chief medical officer of health, Siliguri, said the decisions were taken after a recent meeting with the mayors-in-council of the conservancy and health departments.

“I have asked the team to visit all hotels and see whether necessary steps were taken to keep them clean,” said Pramanik.

The SMC will distribute leaflets on dos and donts for people to keep the town clean.

“If we find that the restaurants are not following the rules, we will seize all food items and utensils. The owners will be charged a fine on the spot,” said Ganesh Bhattacharya, the food inspector of the civic body.

Yes to puff ban, but smoke cloud stays – Siliguri yet to work out a plan

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

A no-smoking sign at a bar-cum-restaurant in Siliguri on Thursday. (Kundan Yolmo)

Siliguri, Oct. 2: The ban on smoking in public places, effective from today, has enveloped restaurant and bar owners here in a cloud of confusion with many of them undecided on how to comply with the restriction coming as it does a few days before Pujas.

Most restaurant owners and managers here said ban was a “step in the right direction”, but in the same breath added that, for the majority of drinkers, a smoke with a peg or two had been a combination they had grown up with.

“Changing a culture and way of life, albeit harmful, overnight will be very difficult,” said Balwinder Singh, the owner of Shiraz bar and restaurant. He said he would put up no-smoking signs and set up separate areas for smokers but admitted that it would take time.

The joint secretary of the Siliguri Hotel and Restaurant Owners’ Association, Ujjal Ghosh, too, said the plan on how to implement the ban would be chalked out after Pujas.

There are about 250 hotels, restaurants and bars in the greater Siliguri area. Many of these do not have the capacity to set up a separate smoking zone although the seat arrangement may be for 30 guests – the minimum number required by the stipulations accompanying the ban order to set up such a zone.

Even the district administration is not in a position to help implement the ban. “We are waiting for the circular from the government… The priority will be to publicise the ban,” said Darjeeling district magistrate Surendra Gupta.

Small herd of jumbos kills guard

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Looking for company

Siliguri, Oct. 2: An employee of the military engineering service (MES) was trampled to death when he probably came face-to-face with a group of three-four elephants this morning.

Although there were no eyewitnesses to the incident, foresters said reports of some elephants entering Adabari near the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary had reached them. An MES camp is located in the Adabari beat of the forest.

Khagen Karmakar, 37, a resident of the area and a guard at the MES, had probably stepped out of the camp, 10km from here.

“It is not the work of a big herd, but stray elephants that roam the stretch between the sanctuary and the Nepal border. In the past three months or so, there were no problems save some isolated incidents of rampage, till the attack last night,” said Sumita Ghatak, the divisional forest officer (wildlife I). It was usually the solitary elephants and the maljurias (male pachyderms in groups of not more than five) which create problems.