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Greetings from Darjeeling!

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Regs

Barun

Rai Khambus in their ethnic dress

Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Gandhigiri taking course in the Hills

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha cadres requesting people to wear their ethnic dresses by giving them a flower. Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Nepal: Surendra Tamang Is Back

It was cent percent true that Nepalese team missed the speedster Surendra Tamang for two years, who is now back in business after recovering his fractured knee.

FROM GOAL.COM

By Bikram Thapa

After coming back from dreadful two years, Tamang has also been appointed the captain of Three Star Club for Governor’s Gold Cup.

National striker Tamang had met an accident with other players in Eastern City of Nepal when they were travelling to India to play football tournament two years ago. “I am thankful to god that I am able to back in business”, Tamang said, “I am fully fit now. I waited for two years though physicians had requested me to have just one year rest”.

“The injury was so fierce”, Tamang thanked all, “I am grateful to them who supported me during my injury period. Had they not supported me, I wouldn’t have been seen in ground so early”.

Tamang also clarified that he need some time to be same “Surendra Tamang”. “I need some time. I will work hard to achieve same form”. Tamang is famous for his speed and powerful shot.

Before leaving for Gangtok, Sikkim to play Governor’s Gold Cup, Tamang poured his desire to score in the tournament. “I want to start my new era scoring goals in Governor’s Gold Cup”, Tamang told Goal.com.

“I was completely in frustrating mood after fracturing my knee so badly”, Tamang clarified, “But I controlled myself thinking I could continue my football career though after one or two years gap”.

CHEETRI ON LEEDS UNITED RADAR EAST BENGAL STRIKER FROM DELHI ‘FLATTERED’ BY ENGLISH CLUB’S INTEREST

India’s highest-paid footballer on Leeds United radar

FROM TIMES NEWS NETWORK

By Marcus Mergulhao

MARGAO: Sunil Chhetri’s explosive performance for the National team has caught the interest of English first divisioners Leeds United.

A spurt of strong performances both for club and country and a recommendation from coach Bob Houghton was enough for Leeds United to express their interest in the dimunitive striker. “The interest is flattering, but I am keeping my feet firmly on the ground,” Chhetri told TOI on Saturday. In the past couple of months, the East Bengal striker has had several round of talks with agents in London bringing him close to following in the footsteps of his idol, hero and strike partner Baichung Bhutia.

“Nothing has been confirmed as yet but yes, I think I am close to getting there,” said Chhetri, who has been a rage with the Indian team ever since he won coach Houghton’s confidence.

“Beyond India, not many are aware of our abilities so it is imperative we park ourselves wherever we get a chance. We have to start from scratch, prove ourselves and then move forward,” continued Chhetri, who overtook Bhutia as India’s highest paid footballer with a Rs 38-lakh annual contract.

The interest from Leeds United follows another offer letter from Estoril Praia, a second division league team from Portugal.
Officials of Estoril Praia watched Chhetri demolish a select Gouveia XI during the Indian team’s tour of Portugal but could not convince India’s highest-paid footballer that a place in the Portuguese second division was his passport to European football.

Leeds United, though, is different. The English club is a big name in European football and enjoyed its best season in 2001 when they made it to the semifinal of the UEFA Champions League until Valencia brougth their European adventure to an end.

Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh Rally at New Delhi – 21 December 2007 – A Look Back

ALL PHOTOS BY JYOTI THAPA MANI

Click on the photos to enlarge

Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh Public Meeting organised at New Delhi on the 21 December 207

SuryaVikram Shahi, Gorkha Democratic Front at the BGP public meeting

Enos Pradhan

Madan Tamang, President, All India Gorkha League addresses the people during the public meeting organised by BGP

C K Shrestha, Working President, Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh arrives at the meeting

Playing today at Beacon Online Broadband Radio and Beacon Online Videos – Abhya & The Steam Injuns

Is GJMM a political party or a mob?

BY ABDUL KALAM EZANI

The statements made by the GJMM chief yesterday has raised some questions. Chaos may just be creeping in the hills again. I am amazed at the double standards of GJMM. Why on earth do they have to come up with such irrational and irrelevant statement.

In history each and every part on this earth has been ruled by different rulers and dynasties. The lands are conquered, new government formed and so on, it has been going on for centuries.

Kalimpong was a part of Bhutan no one can question that but now it is a part of India, no one can question that either.

I say double standard by the GJMM because they are making statements which are consistent with being an anti-national organization. A political party need to respect the boundary and integrity of its country. One may argue that it is the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the fundamental rights of the constitution but if we are to enjoy the fundamental rights then we also need to abide by the fundamental duties laid down in the constitution under which each citizen is to respect and work for the integrity of the nation.

Digging graves will not bear any fruits, GJMM has to be relevant and contemporary in approach.  It cannot lobby on the past and certainly not on the issue of Kalimpong and the adjoining areas.

According to GJMM the status of Kalimpong may seem to be a bargaining point or simply a blackmail for the center.  But the leaders of GJMM need to understand that this will be a baseless claim as Bhutan herself cannot claim this.

So what is GJMM trying to do. Does it have any plans or is it playing with the emotions of the people. Why has GJMM announced that the talks in November is going to fail. Is it not ready or are they incompetent. What happens if the talks fail, will there be the same chaos as 20 years before.

GJM supporters booked for defacing govt signs

FROM TIMES OF INDIA

BY DEEP GAZMER

DARJEELING: West Bengal police on Saturday registered cases against Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) activists on the basis of complaints by officials against them for defacing government and office signboards on Friday.

“The government’s policy has already been made clear. We will maintain peace in the Hills but action will be taken soon against the perpetrators,” said Darjeeling DM Surendra Gupta. SP Rahul Srivastav confirmed that he had received complaints from the government offices against GJM activists.

“We have initiated cases on the basis of complaints that we received from government offices and started investigations,” said Srivastav.

Officials of Bengal Natural Museum, situated on Bishop Eric Benjamin Road, and National Voluntary Forum, on Mall Road, were among those who lodged complaints after the signboards were defaced. “So far, four to five complaints have been filed. We will take legal action,” said the SP.

In response to GJM leader Bimal Gurung’s call to replace the words “West Bengal” with “Gorkhaland” on government office signboards, the party activists had on Friday painted black the signboards of some government offices in Darjeeling.

In Kurseong, the GJM activists had painted black signboards of West Bengal Electricity Distribution Company Limited, State Bank of India, Central Bank of India and Allahabad Bank. Although GJM leaders claimed that they had sent letters to government offices requesting them to replace “West Bengal” on their signboards with “Gorkhaland”, government officials remained tightlipped on the matter.

GJM leaders said that the drive will be in full swing from Monday. On Sunday, the GJM will burn “western” clothes, such as jeans and T-shirts, at the Gorkha Dukha Niwarak Sammelan grounds.

Prachanda opens Pashupati Festival ‘08

FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA NEWS NET

Kathmandu, Oct 18 : Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda inaugurated the ashupati Festival ‘08 in Kathmandu on Friday.

Expressing hope that the festival would be instrumental in promoting religious tourism in Nepal, Prachanda said, “The event would further consolidate the friendly relations between Nepal and India.”

The festival is being organised by the Pashupati Area Development Committee and the Manav Dharma Sewa Samiti.

Around 50,000 people are expected to attend the festival from India, nepalnews quoted Sunil Baidya, secretary of the organising committee, as saying.

Regions ceremonies, documentary shows and lectures from Hindu religious gurus are some of the features of the event.

Nepal’s ruling party considers party name change

From Xinhua

Nepali Prime Minister and chairman of the ruling party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” Friday said his party had been considering change of the party’s name for the last one and a half years at its in-house discussions, state-owned newspaper The Rising Nepal reported Saturday.

“We want to integrate all communist parties of Nepal. In that sense, there is no need to ‘dangle a tail’ in the name of the party,” Prime Minister “Prachanda” told journalists in Nepalgunj, some 365 km west of Nepali capital Kathmandu.

The merger plan of the CPN-M with another communist party, Unity Center-Masal was part of this integration campaign, Prachanda said, while rejecting there were controversies within the CPN-M party regarding the merger. “That is silly,” he said. “The entire party is one on the merger issue.”

The Prime Minister informed General Secretary of Unity Centre-Masal Prakash and he had signed on some important aspects of the merger.

KFA humbles SAI, Kolkata

FROM SIKKIM REPORTER

Namchi: In the ongoing All India Chief Minister’s Gold Cup Football Tournament 2008, on Friday.

Kanchandzonga Football Academy (KFA) of Darjeeling humbled Sports Authority of India (SAI), Kolkota, in a decisive defeat by 3-1.

In the third match of the tournament played at Baichung Stadium here, KFA displayed skill and entered the pre quarter round of the tournament. From the beginning of the match, players from Darjeeling dominated. In the 8th minute the first goal of the team was remarkably netted by Subash Dewan (10) giving KFA 1-0 lead. When SAI was trying to level the score, Dewan (10) scored his second at 17th minute. KFA lead was further consolidate when brother of Subash, Pranish Dewan scored the third goal at 25th minute. However, SAI players did not give up. Instead, they played energetically and at 35th minute of the first half and made the score board of 3-1.

Elections likely on March 2009: Bhandari

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 17: Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) today held a State-level Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sangathan convention at the party head office here at Development Area.

The meeting was chaired by the party president Nar Bahadur Bhandari.

A party release informs that the meeting started with the SPCC senior vice president cum chairman of the party Panchayati Raj cell, Major T Gyatso explaining about the objectives of Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sanganthan to the gatherings.

Major Gyatso also appraised the large gathering about the ‘atrocities unleashed on the people of Sikkim and in particular the members of Sikkim Pradesh Congress by the Panchayats of SDF party, who have not been elected but selected by the Chief Minister of Sikkim through intimidation and threats’, the release adds.

Addressing the gathering, SPCC president Bhandari divulged ‘a number of confidential issues which he had discussed with Sonia Gandhi, President, Indian National Congress during his meeting with her on September 1 at her residence’. He informed that the general elections in Sikkim is likely to be held in March, 2009 and exhorted the party-men to dedicate themselves sincerely for bringing Congress into power in the State in the best interest of the people, ‘who are suffering at the hands of the SDF Government’, the release states.

Quality should be the hallmark of Sikkim University: Governor

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 17: Governor Balmiki Prasad Singh today called for developing Sikkim University as a prized and pride possession of the people of Sikkim.

The Governor was inaugurating the first meeting of the first Academic Council of Sikkim University, a Central University, as its Rector at Chintan Bhawan in Gangtok today.

“The first meeting of the first Academic Council of the newly established Sikkim University is not just a historic event in itself but a historic opportunity as well”, said the Governor in his inaugural speech.

Expressing concern over the fact that the glaciers in the entire Eastern Himalayan Region including Sikkim are increasingly being threatened by the global warming process, Mr Singh said that the Sikkim University must contribute to the State government’s efforts to study the critical issue by creating its own research facility and drawing expertise from national and international sources.

The Governor also launched the University’s web-site as well as Post Graduate Courses of the University in International Relations, Sociology, Peace and Conflict Studies and in Micro-Biology. He said that he would be delighted to see a set of enthusiastic, committed and accomplished faculty members and young bright students to start these programmes.

Mr. Singh urged the members of the first Academic Council that the university must work to develop a series of degree and research programmes that which are need-based rather than merely routine in character. The university requires a good mix of faculty and students drawn from local, national and global level to effectively operationalise the school of non-traditional programmes including schools of sustainable development, indigenous, folk dances, peace conflict and human security studies, he added.

Erosion of ‘WB’ from Darjeeling hills

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

DARJEELING, October 17: West Bengal government is slowly being erased off from Darjeeling hills in face of ‘GL no’ for vehicles and ‘Gorkhaland’ signboards movement by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).

With most vehicles plying in Darjeeling hills already sporting ‘GL nos’, GJM today started its second part of its homeland rule from today targeting the signboards of all commercial and State government establishments.

The ‘West Bengal’ title in signboards of different departments in the town was smeared black today.

These signboards of these units will be replaced with ‘Gorkhaland’ in place of ‘West Bengal’ in due time.

Darjeeling DC Surendra Gupta said that the signboards will be removed by the administration. Action as per law will be taken against those defacing the government boards, he said.

Most of the shops in the town had pasted ‘Gorkhaland’ in white papers in their signboards.

Meanwhile, Darjeeling municipality vice chairman Dinseh Gurung said that jeans and other western attire will be burned during a ceremony on Sunday at a local ground here.

 

Bigger movement from Nov 7: Bimal Gurung

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

DARJEELING, October 17: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung today warned the West Bengal government that the tempo of the present Gorkhaland movement will be spiked up from November 7.

“The pace of the present movement will pick up from November 7. CRPF and State Armed Police will come. We must not disturb them and they must also not disturb us”, said Mr. Gurung while address a cultural programme organized here.

Appealing the women’s wing of the party and parents to be strong during the November blitz, the GJM chief said this present movement is the final battle for Gorkhaland, a fact, which he said, the State government is aware. He warned that Bengal state will be divided into pieces if his words not nor properly heeded by the State government.

Regarding the upcoming November tripartite talks, Mr. Gurung said that it will be ‘good’ if the talks do not succeed. “After this, it will be uncomfortable”, he said.

Stating that a test match is going on at Delhi and Kolkata, Mr. Gurung said that intellectuals have been handed over the responsibility for these preliminaries. I will go to deliver the knock out blow, he said.

BJP demands a CBI probe

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 17: State BJP unit today demanded a CBI probe in financial management of Sikkim Distillery Limited.

The party also expressed its deep concern and unsatisfactory feelings over the manner in which Sikkim heritage industrial Sikkim Distilleries Ltd Rangpo is being run and by way the best interests of Sikkim state and its people are being sidelined by the ‘present management of the Unit and apathy of government to act in protecting state’s interests and heritage that it represent’.

BJP also demanded the State government to immediately dismiss ‘the entire board of directors of SDL with severe penalty and punishment especially to it government nominee directors and reconstitute management of SDL by dismissing present management’.

“It is also clear from the episode in past of labour unrest arising out of non-payment of daily wages by present management of SDL as per labour policy prescribed by Government of Sikkim its that appropriate measures are to taken by concerned authorities in greater interests of people of Sikkim and also in safeguarding the assets of Sikkim Distillaries Limited which also includes its brands, trade secrets, product formulas and plant and machineries”, BJP said in a press statement.

BJP also slammed the State government for allowing SDL to be taken over by outsiders and not protecting its heritage industry.

Management feud of Sikkim Distillery hints embezzlement of funds

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK/RANGPO, October 17: One of Sikkim’s oldest and best known industry, Sikkim Distilleries Limited (SDL) has fermented a potential embezzlement of funds with its management locked in a bitter turf war.

The 50 year old distillery is now crawling with financial accountants with interim audit being conducted from today to find out whether this distillery has actually bleed in the past years.

Everything will be clear in a few days, said an excise official.

We are not sure how much misappropriation of the distillery’s funds has been done and an interim account has begun from today, said the official. Everything will be clear in a few days, it was informed.

The State Excise department has taken over the company from yesterday and deputed its senior official Mahendra Pradhan as OSD in view a legal verdict which booted out the incumbent MD Kunwar Onkar Singh on October 15.

Mired under management and financial controversies, Sikkim Distilleries has not stopped production but its products will not be sent to the market till everything is resolved.

The whole issue had cropped up due to a feud in the management of the company that ended on October 15 in a court battle with the District and Sessions judge (east and North) at Gangtok S. W. Lepcha passing an ex-parte ad interim injunction order restraining Kunwar Onkar Singh, the managing director of SDL, his nominees, his agents and representatives or any person acting under his instruction or on his behalf from transferring his or his nominee shares of the distilleries to any other person and or third party.

Simultaneously the court has also passed an order of injunction restraining Mr. Singh from operating or functioning as the managing director of SDL.

‘GL’ block on road to hills

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

A car with a GL plate below its real number after the check. (Kundan Yolmo)

Siliguri/Darjeeling, Oct. 18: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha activists today blocked vehicles entering Darjeeling district without “Gorkhaland” number plates, forcing most drivers to switch to GL numbers.

Vehicles coming via Sukna and Sevoke were told to go back to the plains if they only had WB (West Bengal) number plates. “We will not allow any vehicle to enter the hills without a GL number plate,” said Binay Tamang, Morcha press and publicity secretary.

The outfit has opened camps at Sukna, about 10km from Siliguri, and other points where hill-bound vehicles can get GL numbers. From these camps, activists are running their “checks” on vehicles during this peak tourist season.

“We are intercepting every vehicle with a WB number plate. In case they have a GL registration, we are insisting that they change the number,” said Madhusudan Thapa, secretary of the Morcha’s Siliguri subdivision.

“Those who don’t have the registration need to get it from the camp office. They have to fill out a form, pay Rs 30 to Rs 50, take the number and write it on stickers pasted on the WB number plate.”

Hundreds of vehicles were stopped and most drivers took the GL numbers. A few, however, returned to Siliguri.