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Governor’s Gold Cup: Mr. Pradhan’s Woes

Goal.com caught up with Mr. Shyam Pradhan, the Publicity Secretary of the Sikkim Football Association, and discussed with him the challenges he has been facing so far in organizing the Governor’s Gold Cup…..

FROM GOAL.COM

By Subhankar Mondal

The country’s FA doesn’t support it, the top clubs in the nation are unable to participate in it and the electronic media refuses to broadcast it. Yet the 30th edition of the Governor’s Gold Cup hasn’t been anything less than a success.

The gala football festival has been the centre of Sikkim for the past few days. Spectators have numbered over 20,000 for each match, the football on display has been pretty much exciting and the organization of the event has been perfect.

One of the remarkable men behind the success of the Governor’s Gold Cup is Mr. Shyam Pradhan, the Publicity Secretary of the Sikkim Football Association. His task is to reach out to the public and endear this competition to the football crazy Sikkim people and he has managed to do exactly that, as Goal.com found out.

Mr. Pradhan is over 50 years of age and has been connected with football and the Sikkim Football Association for quite some time now. A keen student of language and literature, Mr. Pradhan also works as a teacher at a school in Sikkim and understandably looks at football through the prism of art and poetry.

Mr. Pradhan has always been actively interested in football and has plotted huge things for Sikkim and Indian football. He started a football programme called Sidelights with Highlights at a local channel, a programme that is now known as Sidelights with Highlights- Gold Cup Special.

These days of course Mr. Pradhan has been deeply involved in the Governor’s Gold Cup. It is the 30th edition and Mr. Pradhan has been tremendously busy trying to garner as much crowd for the matches as possible.

Speaking to Goal.com, Mr. Pradhan explained the exact nature of his task and also outlined the several challenges he has to confront. Talking to him, Goal.com understood that it is not very easy for Mr. Pradhan and the Sikkim Football Association to mastermind such a popular event but that they have owes as much to their determination as to their unalloyed intention to make football really big in Sikkim and in the nation.

First off, as Mr. Pradhan explained, the county’s football association, the AIFF, doesn’t support or back the Gold Cup. There was a hint of disappointment in his voice when he explained that although the Gold Cup consistently attracts over 20,000 spectators for matches, it is taken very lightly by the AIFF.

The AIFF seems not be a huge fan of the competition and is also pretty much disinclined to allow the I-League teams to participate in this competition. This year even the defending Gold Cup champions Air India, who are featuring in the I-League 2008-2009, have been unable to participate in the competition due to league commitments.

Mr. Pradhan finds this pretty much disconcerting. He says, “We have no I-League team playing in the Gold Cup this year. There aren’t many people going to the I-league matches but here we have between 20,000 and 30,000 spectators on an average for every match.”

Mr. Pradhan is quite bemused as to why such a hugely popular event is not under the radar of the AIFF. He says that he is not happy that the AIFF doesn’t support the competition and is also frustrated at the lack of any I-League teams playing in the competition as the presence of the likes of defending champions Air India would have certainly endeared the competition even more.

A Nation in Turmoil

BY K. R. SURENDRAN

Raj Thackeray is freed again.  Lucky chap! Holding the whole state of Maharashtra to ransom, particularly the cosmopolitan city of Mumbai. Beating up and in the process, murdering one or two unemployed youth who came all the way from Bihar and U.P. to appear for a Railway Recruitment Board test in the city. I was shocked to see a horrible picture of one MNS activist mercilessly thundering blows on a hapless youth from Bihar in Navi Mumbai who came to appear for the RRB test. What for? The only reason being the “sole-heirs” of Maharashtra, the Marathis are being deprived of their rights by ‘aliens’ from the North Indian States. Yeah, ‘The sons of the soil principle’.

The legal process followed. Warrants issued to nab the master villain of the whole unfortunate happenings- Raj Thackeray, the megalomaniac. He was duly arrested from Ratnagiri of Maharashtra in the thick of night and put in prison for one night. The media wrote editorials demanding his long-term incarceration for holding the entire State to ransom and pleaded with the government and the law and order machinery not to allow the fellow and his group to disturb peace in the State particularly Mumbai. The news of his arrest spread like wild fire and all the hell broke loose. The leader’s followers ran like blood hounds carrying lethal weapons and went on the rampage. Train services held up, buses and shops torched, brutally assaulted the North Indian taxi drivers and street vendors to their heart’s content. The ever vibrant city of Mumbai came to stand-still and all the law-abiding citizens went indoors and locked themselves in their residences even then fearing the worst.

After one day of incarceration, the leader again let off the hook. Lucky chap! Celebrations were in the air, bursting of fire crackers followed, the city once again limped back to normality. Pathetic! A few lumpen elements could make the city life go haywire.

The man will be back to his business again. The one, who audaciously ignores the diktats of the Judiciary and State law and order machinery. Such is the plight of Mumbai and Mumbayites for the last two decades and more.

Parochialism, Terrorism and Communalism- the bane of a city and the bane of a nation. The tentacles of the monstrous hydra have spread even to remotest corners of the country. The whole nation is infact in the grip of a fear-psychosis.

“Identity matters” – D. R. Katel

FROM BHUTAN NEWS SERVICE

Bhutan Gorkha National Liberation Front (BGNLF) is one of those political parties especially advocating for rights to Nepali speakers southern Bhutan. The party projects itself an ethnic organization and tries to base the agenda that are important to Nepali speakers. While other parties call ethnic Nepalis for southern Bhutanese, BGNLF argues they are Gurkhas. For many this sounds acceptable since Nepali refers to be the nationality of Nepal, and for others it is not. Since its formation in 1994, BGNLF has been advocating for the ethnic-identity of Gurkhas in Bhutan.

Yadhap Neopane and Ichha Poudel of Bhutan News Service caught acting president of a faction of BNGLF D. R. Katel (another faction in led by D. B. Sampang and is part of the National Front for Democracy coalition) to talks on various issues of the exiled Bhutanese. He worked in survey department before being evicted and hails from Sarpang district. Excerpts:

BNS: Why Bhutan needs your party?
Katel: BGNLF is formed to address our identity which no party did. To be more accurate, it is not a party. We do not agree to be called Nepalis, Bhutanese of Nepali origin or Lhotsampas as these terminologies do not identify us. Nepali is the citizen of Nepal and Lhotshampa is the brand name given by the Druk regime with which it wants to nullify our existence. We are Gurkhas and it ensures our identity.

BNS: What form of system you envision in Bhutan?
Katel: We are for full fledged democracy with equal rights, justice and identity of every ethnical group.

BNS: How have you evaluated the latest political development in Bhutan?
Katel: You may be referring to so-called election in Bhutan. It’s a play to fool the international community and institutionalize autocracy. It is nothing more than lip service of the king of Bhutan. People have not felt any change.

BNS: Which model you admire: peaceful or armed rebellion?
Katel: Well, we take the side of peaceful struggle with people’s participation. However, if our justifiable demands are not met, or we are suppressed with iron hands time would determine what we would choose the next.

BNS: Bhutan police have often accused your party of planting bombs at Indo-Bhutan border?
Katel: I think it’s the result of their weak mentality. It’s a baseless allegation and they want to defame us by labeling as terrorist but we will continue our struggle in peaceful manner.

Gorkha chief threatens to ‘break’ Bengal

FROM TIMES OF INDIA

DARJEELING: Forty-eight hours after suspending the name-change agitation, GJM president Bimal Gurung was back to his aggressive ways on Friday.

He would wait only till March 10, 2010 – a self-appointed date – to achieve Gorkhaland “democratically”.

“We have based our agitation on Gandhian policy and principles and will stick to it till the last. But if the deadline expires, then I have the power to break Bengal into pieces,” warned Gurung. It was up to the Bengal government to ensure that Gorkhaland is achieved by March 2010, he said.

That wasn’t the only date he talked about on Friday. AIGL chief Madan Tamang – who had alleged on Thursday that GJM’s decision to suspend its name-change agitation had been planned “well in advance” at a meeting with home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti at Tinchulay in Takdah on October 11 – has been asked to prove this claim or “quit politics by November 7″.

“I am open to constructive criticism but spreading false rumors cannot be tolerated,” said Gurung, warning of “repercussions” from those who support Gorkhaland wholeheartedly. “People in Takdah are already agitated against the allegation made by the AIGL president and anything can happen. In such an event, the GJM will not be responsible,” he warned.

November 7 is also the day when college students will have to wear the Nepali traditional dress for three days of the week, he said.

“Nepal should not have two armies”

Prerana Marasini

KATHMANDU: The chief of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), Ian Martin, has said the peace process in Nepal can be completed only when the Maoists’ Army is integrated and rehabilitated.

Speaking at a programme to mark U.N. Day, he said: “No peace process can be said to be complete while there are two armies in one country.” He stressed on the need to form a special committee to oversee this task.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit Nepal next week. Referring to Mr. Ban’s visit, Mr. Martin said: “This visit is the highest symbol of the United Nation’s interest in Nepal’s peace process and commitment to see it fully realised.”

Nepal sets up title clash with Army Defensive blunder costs TFA the match

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

Gangtok, Oct 23: A costly blunder by Hardeep Singh at a crucial phase of the game allowed crowd favourite Nepal Three Star to gate crash into the finals of the 30th All India Governor’s Gold Cup being played here at Paljor Stadium.

With the game evenly poised after the regulation match had ended in a 1-1 draw, the TFA defender uncorked himself to clear a loose ball in the 2nd minute of the first half. The eyes of a 20,000 strong crowd moved into the Three Star box expecting the clearance to land there.

However, Hardeep Singh completely missed his shot and lost his balance in the process. A lurking Three Star striker Santosh Shaukhalah homed into the free gift, arched back, let the ball bounce to a kicking height and unleashed a thunderbolt from the box.

TFA goalkeeper Jagroop Singh did not even attempt to save the shot.

After taking the lead for the second time, the Nepal side played out the extra-time game to enter the finals of the coveted trophy.

Earlier in the normal period game, it was Shaukhalah had given Three Star the lead in the 42nd minute. The Nepal side captain Surendra Tamang ran past three TFA defenders and from a tight angle, crossed the ball to his teammate to head home into an empty net.

The Nepal side should have killed the game in the first half itself missing four chances in the first 20 minutes. The most glaring miss was from the team captain Tamang who failed to beat the TFA goalkeeper in a one to one position.

The fortunes changed sides after the lemon break with the TFA players coming back strongly in search of an equalizer in a 5-3-2 formation. Their consistent efforts paid off in the 50th minute when its striker Jagtar Singh glanced his header from a cross into the far side of the goal.

Despite good moves from both sides, the game remained tied in a 1-1 draw and was extended to extra-time where Three Star ultimately prevailed. With this victory, the Nepal side has set up a title clash against Army XI. Finals will be held on Saturday.

‘It is a surrender’ AIGL condemns ‘GL activities’ suspension, CPRM welcomes

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 23: AIGL president Madan Tamang today termed the suspension of ‘GL’ activities by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leadership as a ‘surrender’ before the West Bengal government.

“It was already pre-decided move. We knew that they (GJM) will do this. It is a surrender. All these are being coordinated with the West Bengal government”, said Mr. Tamang in a press meet here.

GJM had yesterday suspended all its two main ‘home rule’ activities- GL number plates and replacement of WB signboards with ‘GL’ signboards. The party president Bimal Gurung had said that it was due to a request from the Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi. The suspension is till the November tripartite talks.

“Let us not hear that the Gorkhaland movement has been dropped on somebody else’s request. Gorkhaland is not the private issue, it is the aspiration of the people”, said the AIGL president. He claimed that the ‘GL’ activities had been dropped during a meeting between GJM leadership and WB home secretary.

“A meeting had taken place between GJM leadership and WB home secretary on October 11 at Takdah”, Mr. Tamang said.

According to the AIGL president, GJM is preparing for elections. “Which elections will GJM contest? If anybody contest under West Bengal system, then he is more traitorous than Subash Ghisingh”, he said.

Commenting on the movement by GJM, Mr. Tamang said that the only achievements of GJM were that former Gurkha soldier and women were beaten up, houses and vehicles torched and Darjeeling tourism ended. “These are the achievements before the people”, he said.

Scientists ready to help Sikkim in medicinal plants sector

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 23: Eminent scientists of the country have expressed their readiness to help Sikkim in extracting medicines from medicinal herbs as well as in scientific training of its traditional faith healers.

This was revealed by the convenor of the 48th Guha Research Conference and director of the Lucknow based Central Drug Institute, Dr Rakesh Tuli in Gangtok yesterday to media.

Speaking to reporters yesterday after conclusion of the five day conference here, Dr. Tuli said that the participating scientists will be more than happy to help the State either individually or through their institutions. He said that some 90 scientists from all over the country attended the conference out of which 51 presented their research papers.
Dr Tuli told that this conference has been held in Gangtok for the second time after a gap of about 31 years.

Arguments concluded. Judgment reserved’ Supreme Court reserves its judgement on Chamling DA peititon

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, October 23: The Supreme Court today reserved its judgement on the writ petition filed by four senior Congress leaders that have alleged Chief Minister Pawan Chamling of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.

‘Arguments concluded. Judgment reserved’, reads a order from Court no.1 updated in the website of Supreme Court of India today. Court no. 1 belongs to the Chief Justice.

According to the order, the petition filed by Kunga Nima Lepcha and others was called for hearing today at the Court.

Vinod Bobde, the counsel for the petitioners started his arguments at 10.55 am and concluded at 12.20 pm.
Thereafter Ram Jethmalani, the counsel for the respondents started his arguments and concluded at 2.50 pm followed by another respondents’ counsel KK Venugopal who concluded his arguments at 3 pm.

Thereafter Mr. Bobde started in rejoinder and concluded at 3.15 pm.

Finally after hearing from both sides, the three bench judge headed by the Chief Justice reserved its judgement after deciding that the arguments have concluded.

It is not mentioned when the Court will announce its judgement.

GJMM refutes AIGL’s ‘secret meeting’ allegations

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, Oct. 24: The Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha leadership has issued a 7 November deadline to All India Gorkha League president Mr Madan Tamang to prove the efficacy of the allegation regarding their secret meeting with the state home secretary Mr AM Chakraborty at Teen Chulay in Takda during the official’s recent visit to the hill town.

“The allegation is completely baseless and false. I had not been even aware of the home secretary’s visit to Darjeeling until I read Mr Tamang’s allegation in the newspapers today”, party president Mr Bimal Gurung said.

Mr Tamang yesterday alleged that the GJMM and the state government had reached an understanding regarding the suspension of GL registration plates and government office signboards defacement programmes on 11October at one Naina Singh Gurung’s residence in Takda. “He has made a serious accusation. If by 7 November he fails to state specifically who had accompanied me to Takda, the numbers of the Sikkim registration vehicle in which we are supposed to have travelled and the exact timing of the alleged secret meting, the GJMM would not take responsibility for what the public may do to him”, Mr Gurung warned.

Rationalising his move the leader said that even Gandhiji had pulled the reigns on the non-cooperation movement when he had felt the need to do so.

Darjeeling police demand CID probe into ISI suspect’s death

FROM THE STATESMAN

By Bappaditya Paul

SILIGURI, Oct. 24: The Darjeeling district police will write to the state government, recommending a CID probe into the “mysterious death” of ISI suspect Muhammad Shamsul Zamana, alias Gulab of Chappal Patty in Siliguri on 20 October night even as a candlelit protest demanding a judicial probe into the matter was observed here today.

According to the Darjeeling SP, Mr Rahul Srivastava, he would “soon” despatch a letter to the director general of police recommending a CID investigation.

“I held a thorough discussion with the ASP, DSP and the IC Siliguri today over the issue and all of us unanimously resolved in favour of a CID probe into Zamana death. This is because the allegation involves a district intelligence branch (DIB) ASI who is part of the district police. We are of the opinion that investigation by some other agency would bring out the facts more appropriately,” the SP Said.

The DIB ASI in Siliguri, Mr Biman Chandra Poddar, accused of mentally torturing Zamana to death on the night of 20 October, has been suspended sent to Darjeeling.

Meanwhile, the protests demanding a judicial probe into Zamana’s “mysterious death” rose a level higher with his family members and neighbours initiating a candlelit protest at Hashmi Chowk here.

Placing a photograph of the deceased trader on a makeshift tomb at Hashmi Chowk, people lit candles at the site to press for the demand.

Charge-sheet against GJMM supporter murder accused

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, Oct.24: Chargesheet was filed by the police against those arrested for guilty of murder of GJMM supporter Pramila Sharma on 25 July before the chief judicial magistrate court. GNLF leaders Mr A R Dewan, Mr Tika Khati, Mr Deepak Gurung along with eleven others completed 91 days in judicial custody today. The court rejected their bail plea yet again and fixed 7 November as the next date of hearing.

In the absence of a defence lawyer, twelve of the fourteen accused defended themselves in court today. Mr Deepak Gurung and Mr N K Kumai have been undergoing medical treatment in Siliguri.

They complained that they had not received the certified copy, necessary to make an appeal to a higher court till date despite giving an application for it on 7 August. “The delay is politically motivated to keep us from appealing before the District Court on the 42nd and 56th day to which we are legally entitled”, Mr Khati said.

Decomposed leopard carcass found in garden

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

A file picture of the leopard that was run over on October 19

Siliguri, Oct. 24: Workers of Kurti Tea Estate in Nagrakata found the decomposed carcass of an eight-year-old male leopard this morning.

Around 8.30am, the pluckers spotted the carcass covered with mites, ants and insects in Section 19 of the estate and informed the garden management.

“Immediately, I rang up police and foresters, informing them of the incident,” said R.K. Rungta, the manager. “Those who saw the carcass said it seems to have died seven to 10 days ago.”

Ram Majhi, the worker who first saw the body, said they had not plucked tealeaves in the section for the past 10 days or so. “We suspect that the leopard might have died during the period.”

The foresters could not specify the reason for the death. The life expectancy of a leopard is 15 to 20 years.

“I have seen the body and primarily feel that it might have died a natural death,” Tapas Das, the divisional forest officer (wildlife-II), said. “However, we are not ruling out any other reason which will be clear only after the post-mortem is conducted at Gorumara National Park.”

Over the past few years, leopard deaths have become frequent in north Bengal. On October 19, a big cat was found run over on the tracks along the Diana tea garden. The animal was around 9 to 10 years old. Another male leopard was found dead on the tracks at Sonagachi in September.

“Leopard population has been increasing in the country, but our concern is that their deaths have become frequent now,” said Animesh Bose, the founder coordinator of the Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation.

Bus rolls into Nepal on budget trip

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

BY ANIRBAN CHOUDHURY

The NBSTC bus that left for Nepal on Friday. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Alipurduar, Oct. 24: The NBSTC is out to answer to the call of the green, this time it is from Nepal.

Seventeen tourists from different parts of Cooch Behar district today left for the Himalayan kingdom in a package tour introduced by NBSTC.

The transport corporation will also ply 15 buses from north Bengal to Assam from the 27th of this month. The service had been put on the back burner for five years because of route permit problems.

The Nepal trip has been introduced under the Sabujer Gaye Hatchhani (call of the green) programme of the NBSTC. In the past three years, under this programme, the corporation has organised tours to several spots like Lava, Loleygaon, Gangtok, Gorumara, Chapramari and Jaldapara. Last year, the trips were to Thimpu and Paro in Bhutan. “It is a six-day-five-night budget tour. The stay in Nepal will be for four days and three nights. Each tourist will have to pay Rs 6050. Charges for visiting different spots, fooding and lodging and entry fee are included in this package,” said Subroto Biswas, the divisional manager of the Cooch Behar NBSTC.

Since the entry to Nepal through Kakarbhitta is closed for the moment, the bus has to go via Raxaul in Bihar and Birganj. This means it has to cover 150km more than the usual distance. The bus that started today will reach Kathmandu tomorrow.

“After seeing some of the temple like Pashupatinath, Manashkamona, which one has to get to by a ropeway, Swambhu Buddha and Pathan Buddha Temples and sunrise point, among the other sites, the tourists will be taken to Pokhra,” said Biswas. Pokhra is 200km from Kathmandu and is famous for Bewa Lake, Devil’s Falls, Mahendra cave and Sarwang Kothi.

Chargesheet on firing

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Darjeeling, Oct. 24: A chargesheet against 26 people accused in the firing, which killed a Gorkha Janmuki Morcha supporter, was today submitted in the chief judicial magistrate’s court here.

The bullet had been allegedly fired from the house of GNLF leader Deepak Gurung on July 25 and had killed Pramila Sharma on the spot.

Technically, the submission of the chargesheet has paved way for the trial but with only 14 of the 26 arrested till date, it could take some time to start. The two main charges against the accused are murder and illegal possession of arms.

“A warrant will be issued against the absconders. If it cannot be executed, the court will issue another warrant for proclamation and attachment (WPA) of the properties of the absconders. Following this, the court can split the case for trial of those already arrested and those that have not been. They will then have to be committed (referred) to the sessions court,” said a lawyer.

The CJM’s court has no jurisdiction on murder cases. Except for Gurung, the president of the GNLF Darjeeling Branch Committee, and N.K. Kumai, the president of the party’s labour union, the rest of the 12 accused were produced in court today. The two leaders could not be brought on medical reasons.

“The bail applications of the accused were rejected by the court today,” said Govind Chhetri, assistant public prosecutor.

With no lawyers to defend the accused, A.R. Dewan, general secretary, GNLF Darjeeling Branch Committee, and Tika Khati, both accused, made submissions on behalf of all the arrested persons. Khati said he had earlier made a submission to the court for certified copies of orders rejecting the bail and the FIR but were yet to get them.

Hill dress code to stay in colleges

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Darjeeling college students before the dress code came into force and (below) in traditional clothes

Darjeeling, Oct. 24: College students across the Darjeeling hills must continue to wear traditional clothes three days a week, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has ruled.

The new diktat is a modified version of the Morcha’s month-long “cultural movement”, under which everyone in the hills must wear traditional clothes outside home seven days a week. The movement ends on November 7.

“College students in traditional dress will not be able to drink or smoke as they would be easily identified. This would create a healthy atmosphere in educational institutes. We want them to wear traditional clothes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,” Morcha president Bimal Gurung told a news conference.

He said a meeting would be held with college principals after Diwali.

Although most students, having just broken out of the shackles of school uniforms, were unhappy about losing their “freedom” all over again, few agreed to speak about it even under the cover of anonymity.

“We have just come out of school where we had to wear a uniform for 12 long years. Even if it is for three days a week, traditional dresses are like uniforms. We are mature and independent enough to choose the clothes we want to wear. Now that the announcement has been made, do we have much choice?” asked a first-year student.

Another college-goer said she did not mind wearing traditional clothes but attending classes in them would be difficult. Women have to wear a farayi, which is like a sari, over a choubandi choli (blouse). The men’s dress is called daura sulal.

“We are not really used to these clothes. Making us wear them on some special occasions would have suited us fine,” a student said.