Phulpati celebrated all over Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim

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Photo by Himalaya Darpan

People celebrating the foundation day of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha

Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Happy Durga Puja and Bijoya Dasami

Four mega tourist destinations to be developed

FROM PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi: To give fillip to tourism in the country, the Centre has sanctioned about Rs114 crore for integrated development of four mega tourist destinations.Hampi world heritage site in Karnataka, heritage tourist circuit in Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh (AP), Ganga heritage river cruise circuit in West Bengal (WB) and Gangtok in Sikkim have got the nod of the Tourism Ministry to be developed as mega tourist destinations, a release said.

The ministry has sanctioned Rs3,283.58 lakhs to develop the surroundings of Hampi world heritage site, which has immense potential as a cultural destination, illumination of historical buildings, sound and light show, solid waste management and creation of public conveniences.Kadapa, which has historical links with Hampi, also has several historical and cultural sites.

The project sanctioned for development of heritage tourist circuit in Kadapa district at a cost of Rs3,962.89 lakhs includes creation of tourist facilities around important temples, dams, reservoirs and forts, the release added.Realising that India has very good potential for development of river cruise tourism, the ministry has decided to develop the Ganga Heritage cruise circuit which will offer experience of river cruise and visits to historical settlements along the banks of Ganga in West Bengal.

No Politics, just celebration!

Members of Gorkha Janmukti Central Committee dances as they lead a cultural rally.  Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha General Secretary Roshan Giri as his jubilant best during the festivities. Photo by Barun Roy

Mrs. Gurung dances on the Chowrasta stage surrounded by other Gorkha women

Photos by Barun Roy

“Police to initiate steps against GL numbers” Asok Bhattacharya

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE] EXCLUSIVE

BY BARUN ROY [WITH ANIL ROY FROM SILIGURI]

SILIGURI / DARJEELING: Reactions are pouring in from around Siliguri over Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s verdict that all taxis plying from Siliguri to Darjeeling hills will have to sport the Gorkhaland (GL) vehicle registration numbers. Speaking to the Press, West Bengal Urban Development Minister, Asok Bhattacharya said, “We have intimated the Police about the GJM verdict and the Police will initiate steps against GL numbers. There is no such state as Gorkhaland in India and hence, no vehicles with GL numbers will be allowed to ply anywhere in the state. In one instance the Morcha says they welcome Tourists but my imposing such undemocratic verdicts strongly hampers the tourist flow to the hills. These type of verdicts are harmful for the people in the hills and will not affect Siliguri or the plains as such.” [Inset: Asok Bhattacharya. Photo by Himalaya Darpan]

Phulphati Celebrations in Hills and Dooars Terai

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Photo by Himalaya Darpan

For a glimpse of the magnificent

FROM THE HINDU

BY VRINDA RAMANAN

A trek to Goecha La during October and November offers clear skies and a view of the Kanchangdzonga.

Photo by J. Ramanan

Breathtaking : The sight of the Five Treasures of Eternal Snow.

For the adventurer, the finest trek in the entire Himalayas lies in the spectacular trail in Western Sikkim, that starts at Yuksom and leads to Goecha La (16,208 ft.), where the majestic Kanchangdzonga (28,210 ft.) also known as the Five Treasures of Eternal Snow, the third highest peak in the world, can be seen.

Up the mountain

The trail that begins at Yuksom runs through beautiful countryside. Oak and magnolia forests, fields of rhododendrons, cobra-lilies and orchids, embellish this trail. Pethang is a small clearing – a beautiful green meadow that is an ideal camping site. From Pethang a steep climb leads to Deorida La, which means ‘man meets mountain’. It is here that one gets the first glimpse of Kanchangdzonga.

The final stop over is Lamuyan. Stones carved with Buddhist prayers create a hallowed ambience to this place. A half-hour trek from here takes one to the Samithi lake (4,200 m).

The trail to the final viewpoint is interesting taking you down steep scree slopes, over the Zamathang plains – a vast, flat field which is the bed a dry lake, and then a climb over stones and moraine to the final glorious spot – the view point of Goecha La (Pass) (16,208ft.) which is marked by coloured prayer flags.

3 Indian kids injured in blast in Nepal

FROM XINHUA

Three Indian children were injured when a bomb left astray at a waste collection center went off on Monday morning in Nepal, Nepali national news agency RSS reported.

The accident occurred in Biratnagar, some 240 km east of Nepali capital Kathmandu and close to Nepal-India border.

The three children had gone to collect plastics from the waste collection center, when the bomb exploded on Monday morning, Area Police Office of Biratnagar said.

Those injured include nine-year-old Chote, 12-year-old Rijlal and eight-year-old Raja from Bihar of India, according to RSS report.

Two of them are reported to be in a critical condition. They have been referred to local B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Science in Dharan, the Koshi Zone headquarters from Biratnagar for further treatment.

The children belong to destitute families and were helping run the family by collecting plastics as rag pickers, according to the report.

Nepali police have initiated an investigation into the incident.

Hills reverberate with Phulpati celebrations

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, Oct. 6: Phulpati, a prelude to the biggest Nepalese festival of Dasai, was celebrated amidst much fanfare throughout the Darjeeling Hills today.

Historically, a victory rally to mark the conquest of the Kathmandu valley by King Prithivi Narayan Shah, the custom was established in the 18th century.

Originally organised for unification of the diverse communities in Nepal, it evolved as a cultural affair Nepalese observe worldwide on the seventh day of ‘navratri’ every year. In the contemporary age too, the occasion serves the purpose as members of different communities participate in the procession.

Today Darjeeling looked resplendent with people in the common traditional attire of daura suruwal, chowbandi choli and faria.

Tamangs, Lepchas, Sherpas, Bhutia’s, Bengalis, Biharis and Marwaris donning their respective traditional costumes presented a picture of unity.

“Phulpati signifies the beginning of Dasain. It is a time when families get together and an occasion for those across seven seas to come home. It strengthens friendship and brotherhood,” said Mr Pradeep Lama, a local resident.

The air resounded with nau-mati baja, madal, damphu and jhamta, traditional musical instruments while the maruni (women dancer) danced to beat of the madalay (drummer).

Different community organisations carrying dolis or palanquins of phulpati offerings (flowers and leaves) from shrines roamed the town before assembling at the Mall. While some people waited for the dolis to offer flowers to Goddess Durga from their household altars, young girls tried to pass beneath them as it is considered auspicious.

However, departing from previous celebrations under the GNLF banner, the GJMM refrained from active participation keeping it a completely apolitical affair. The GNLF, vouching for tribal status, used to organise ‘shila puja’ instead of Goddess Durga to portray a tribal character of the Hills.

Toy train service suspended

FROM THE TELEGRAPH THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, Oct. 6: Two toy trains of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) scheduled to leave from Darjeeling to Kurseong and Siliguri respectively were cancelled after coal labourers demanding annual bonus refused to load coal in the engines.

The 32 coal labourers engaged in Darjeeling, Kurseong, Tindharia and Siliguri were allegedly refused bonus by their coal contractor, who procured the contract in January this year. Most of them have been in this service for more than 25 years.

“After a new person gets the contract we prepare an agreement every year to determine our leave money, medical allowance, bonus, salary, uniform etc. But this new contractor refuses to negotiate despite requests,” alleged Mr Kishore Sunam, a labourer hauling coal for the DHR the past 27 years.

Five trains depart from Darjeeling of which one runs on diesel while the rest are steam engines. For a joyride to Ghoom and back they have to load around six quintals of coal and even more for those heading to Siliguri or Kurseong. “On normal days there are coaling three trips but during season we do five trips. For that we are paid just Rs 2200 and the DHR director says he would employ Railway police to do the job if we refuse,” Mr Sunam said.

Cong sets three-day deadline

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Siliguri, Oct. 6: The Darjeeling district Congress today set a deadline of three days to arrest the killers of one of its block leaders. The party also demonstrated in front of Matigara police station.

Kulen Burman, 60, a leader of the Matigara block Congress, died yesterday after he was hit by Sanjoy Roy of the same locality in a salisi meeting at Patiram. Roy, a CPM supporter, was arrested.

Shankar Malakar, the Darjeeling district Congress president, said: “Burman, a leading organiser, was murdered by the criminals sheltered by the CPM. If the police missed the deadline, we will organise a larger movement.”

Jibitesh Sarkar, a CPM state committee member, has denied the charge. Burman was killed following a scuffle at the salisi meeting, he said. “There was no political connection in the incident.”

Darjeeling district police chief R. Srivastava said: “We have arrested a person. If the Congress has specific complaint against any person, they should inform us and we will take action.”

Wage cry strikes toy trains

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Darjeeling, Oct. 6: A wildcat strike by five labourers forced the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway to cancel two of its trains today. The labourers were demanding immediate payment of bonus and salary.

However, the joyrides between Darjeeling and Ghoom remained unaffected as a diesel engine ran the trains instead of the steam ones.

The cancellation of the trains from Darjeeling to New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling to Kurseong was resented by travellers, many of whom had booked their tickets almost a fortnight back.

T.M. Veeriah, a scientist attached to the National Silkworm Seed Organisation, Bangalore, said: “For the past three days my holiday in Darjeeling was almost perfect. But the cancellation of the train has marred the journey.”

Trouble erupted today when the labourers refused to fill the steam locomotives with coal.

“We have stopped work today because we have not yet been paid our salaries for September and our annual bonus. How long can we survive in this condition?” said Kishore Rai, a contractual worker.

The labourers said they were paid Rs 2,500 as monthly salary. “We are also paid an annual bonus of about Rs 3,000 and a medical allowance of about Rs 100 per month. But we have not yet received the money,” said Rai.

The DHR appoints a contractor for the coal service. The contractor then engages labourers on contract to load coal into the steam locomotives from godowns. “We have been employed for the past 30-40 years without any major problems with the contractors. However, the present contractor who has been working for the past 10 months has not signed any agreement with us,” said Rai.