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BENGAL: West Bengal Chief Minister rules out Gorkhaland state

FROM THAINDIAN

Kolkata, Dec 6 (IANS) Ruling out a separate Gorkhaland state as demanded by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Saturday said he will not permit the division of the state.”I do not want divisions within West Bengal and will try my best not allow anyone to divide the state,” he said, addressing the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) peasants wing, All India Kishan Sabha’s (AIKS) district conference in Darjeeling, the epicentre of the Gorkhaland state issue.

Bhattacharjee termed poverty the root of terrorism and called for an united fight against it.

“Poverty is the root of terrorism. I am not saying this for the masterminds of terrorism but the young boys who fall into their trap for pecuniary pressure and become their cadre. Hence we have to stress on overall economic development of the state and the country,” he said.

At the same time, he condemned terrorists as “inhuman”.

“Even after understanding the root of terrorism, I must say that what the terrorists have done in Mumbai is shameful and condemnable. They are inhuman”.

Reminding the audience that 16 years back this day (Dec 6,1992) the Babri Masjid was destroyed by Hindu nationalists in Ayodhya, Bhattacharjee said: “We are reaping what we have sowed.”

PHOTO FEATURE: BGP intiates simultaneous Anti Terrorism meetings all over the nation

Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh working President C K Shrestha during an Anti Terrorism sit in at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. Click on the image to enlarge. Photo courtesy A K Rai, Kalimpong Press Club

PHOTO FEATURE: Peace may still have a chance

Peace still may have a chance. A youth hold a poster as he joins in the Anti Terrorism Protest procession in Kalimpong. Photo by Samten Kabo. Click on the image to enlarge

KALIMPONG: All United Anti Terrorism Demonstration in Kalimpong

TEXTS BY A K RAI

IMAGES BY SAMTEN KABO

Anti Terrorism Procession in Kalimpong

People of Kalimpong representing more than 40 different organisations including Kalimpong Press Club, Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh and Reyukai participated in a demonstration this evening at Damber Chowk. People with candles and placards demonstrated silently condemning the recent terror of Mumbai and paid homage to the fallen heroes of Mumbai attack.

On the call of Rohit Bal an International Designer of intelligent United India the demonstration was organised in all parts of India at 5 pm . People with candle lit in their hand observed a two minute’s silence paying tribute to the people killed during the terrorist attack in Mumbai. Those nineteen Police and NSG Officers and personnel were specially remembered during the demonstration.

Petition: Fellow Blogger requests to share a petition

Dear All,

Please allocate some time if you can.

Subject: Petition to be submitted to Prime Minister of India for Assertive Action

Please view and endorse the enclosed page at PetitionOnline.com:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/26novAct/petition.html

On 7th December 2008 this petition will be presented to the Prime Minister of India. Till 7th December, endeavour is to collect at least 1 million signatures.

Probably such mass is needed to stir the administration to take visible and needful action.

Please sign and forward to as many people known to you as possible.

DARJEELING HILLS: Darjeeling issue to be solved through talks: Buddha

FROM THE HINDU

Siliguri (PTI): The issue of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha’s (GJM) demand for a separate state out of Darjeeling and some of its adjoining areas will be solved through talks, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee said today.

Addressing the inaugural programme of Darjeeling district conference of All India Krishak Sabha, peasants’ wing of the CPI(M), at Phansidewa near here, he said some elements were trying to destroy the harmony of the region. “People should be united and resist this move,” he said.

Besides the drive for industrialisation, the government has been trying to provide all help to farmers and to generate employment, Bhattacharjee said.

 

SILIGURI: Buddha to address AIKS rally today

FROM THE STATESMAN

SILIGURI, Dec. 5: The CPI-M peasants wing, the All India Kishan Sabha (AIKS) has failed to hold its formal block level conventions in the Darjeeling hills this time due to the ongoing political turmoil there over the demand for a separate state.

The chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is scheduled to address the open rally of the AIKS’s 24th Darjeeling district conference at Phansidewa tomorrow, which however, is suppose to be the culmination of the block level conventions across the districts.

According to the AIKS Darjeeling district secretary Mr Anil Saha, the farmers body could not hold the formal block conventions in the three hill subdivisions of Kurseong, Kalimpong and Darjeeling as the situation was “not conducive” there.

“But in order to meet the organisational discipline, we somehow have managed to hold the hill conventions secretly, almost like an underground party,” Mr Saha claimed.

The AIKS leader further claimed that around 80-90 delegates from the hills would take part in the district conference at Phansidewa tomorrow, even as the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha imposed “political monopoly” was still in place.

According to the AIKS sources, the peasants wing’s district conference is held once in every three years and the block level conventions are an integral part of that.

 

NATIONAL: INDIAN GORKHAS MARCH FOR INDIA WITH FASHION DESIGNER ROHIT BAL

BHARATIYA GORKHA PARISANGH

Central Office: Shanti Niwas, Tenzing Norgay Road
Pradhan Nagar, Siliguri, West Bengal

PRESS RELEASE

THE BHARATIYA GORKHA PARISANGH, a non-political social organization of the 1.25 Indian Gorkhas, has supported the effort of fashion designer Rohit Bal’s INTELLIGENT UNITED INDIA to show the world that terror will not divide India. As part of this initiative, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, Intelligent United India and other organizations and people will observe a National Solidarity Moment on December 6, 2008 with a candle-light gathering at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi at 6 pm.

Under the aegis of Intelligent United India, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh is organizing similar Solidarity Moments at prominent landmarks in many cities and towns to offer a silent prayer in remembrance of those who died in the terror attack on Mumbai on November 26.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, as a national organization with units in 22 states of India, will support this programme throughout India and has taken the initiative to organize silent rallies in many towns and cities in Uttarakhand, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, the entire Northeast, North Bengal, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and other regions.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh feels that the most important way to combat terror is to render infructuous the efforts of terrorists to create a religious divide and foment communal disharmony in India. This, we can achieve by reiterating our oneness as a country and as a people.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh rededicates itself to the social unity of India at a time when the country needs all its citizens to rally in unity.

(S. M. Moktan)

Secretary General
Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh

For more information, contact:

Mr C K Shrestha: Phone no 09871566405

Rev Dr Enos Das Pradhan: Phone number 9811228058

DARJEELING: Tamang’s plea

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, Dec. 5: The All India Gorkha League president Mr Madan Tamang has urged the Left Front to officially adopt a resolution in the Bidhan Sabha for the withdrawal of the Sixth Schedule Bill for Darjeeling from Parliament.
This development comes after the Left Front constituents suggested that pull out of Sixth Schedule Bill is not a problem for them as long as it settles the imbroglio in the Hills. “If they are sincere they should officially adopt a resolution at the Legislative Assembly. We can move on with Gorkhaland demand only if the Sixth Schedule Bill is withdrawn. This can prove a victory for us,” Mr Tamang said today.

TRIPARTITE TALK: Cong calls for a fixed date

FROM THE STATESMAN

SILIGURI, Dec. 5: The state Congress leadership today asked the state government to fix a date for the next round of tripartite dialogue on the Darjeeling tangle in consultation with the Centre. Senior state Congress leaders Mr Pradip Bhattacharya and Mr Manas Bhunia said that everything should not be left on the Centre. “The state government’s role in this matter is paramount as the tripartite talks idea is a state government conjecture,” they said. Meanwhile, The Darjeeling Congress MP Mr Dawa Narbula, said that he had no idea whether the next round of talks would be held during the remainder of the present UPA government’s tenure or not.

Taking umbrage at the Left Front’s penchant to hold the Centre responsible for the delay in the second round of talks, Mr Pradip Bhattacharya said that throwing the ball in the Centre’s court would not serve any purpose. “The state government should realise that its responsibility in the matter is greater than that of the Centre as the tripartite talks is the former’s conjecture,” he said.
He further claimed that the Centre had merely accepted the proposal put forward by the state chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. “The Centre has neither accepted nor rejected the Gorkhaland demand. It has taken initiative to resolve the tangle through dialogue as the state government was apparently bungling with the matter,” he said.

Another senior Congress leader Dr Manas Bhunia said that his party was committed to break the prolonged impasse in the hills. “The Congress led UPA government has offered its good office to start dialogue when the situation seemed to be turning from bad to worse due to rigidity on both sides,” he commented.

Darjeeling Hills: Cop tabs on hill SIMs – Darjeeling police to collect documents on regular basis

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Darjeeling, Dec. 5: Darjeeling police have decided to keep tabs on SIM card applications by collecting all relevant documents from mobile phone service providers on a regular basis.

As of now, documents related to customers’ identification and proof of permanent address remain in the custody of the service providers. The police ask for them only when they require them for investigation.

A.K. Chaturvedi, the additional superintendent of police of Darjeeling, who held a meeting with the service providers at the Sadar police station here, said: “We will now collect the documents and the photographs from various service providers on a daily basis. A formal letter will also be sent to them.”

Currently, there are seven service providers operating in the hills. “On an average, they sell about 600 SIM cards daily,” said Narayan Goenka, a SIM card distributor of a service provider.

Customers will now have to submit two sets of passport-size photographs and documents while procuring SIM cards. Not only that, they will also have to keep a photocopy of the application for a cellular connection.

“The documents and the photographs can be submitted at the respective police stations as well,” said Chaturvedi.

This means a retail shop selling SIM cards in a place like Sonada can submit the customer’s details to the local police station.

Goenka, whose company that has about 100-odd retail outlets in the hills, said: “At the moment, the SIM is activated through a text message. Once activated, we wait for 48 hours for the documents to reach us from the retail shop. If the documents do not arrive within the stipulated time, we disconnect the lines.”

DARJEELING HILLS: State govt to extend aid to closed Pubong tea estate workers

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, Dec. 5: The West Bengal government has certified the workers of the locked Chotta Pubong Tea Estate for economic aid through the Financial Assistance to Workers in Locked Out Industrial units, a Central scheme.

The scheme is entitled for industrial units that remain locked out or closed for more than a year. The units should have been in operation for more than five years prior to such closure. Among the 87 Darjeeling hill tea plantations the Pubong and Ringtang remain closed. The state labour department has decided to procure aid for the two tea plantations. While the aid for Ringtang is in process, the department has received a confirmation for workers of Pubong.

“Pubong is liable for the scheme effectively from 1 October this year. But first we will carry out a verification process through application forms distributed from our office in order to determine if the workers satisfy the specified criteria of the scheme,” labour department official, Mr BS Chettri informed today. Each worker will receive a monthly remuneration of Rs 750 through the scheme. However, they will have to be regular workers employed for at least one year in the plantation and less than 58 years of age as on the date of application. Pubong was closed last year in May after the management abandoned the plantation. “The management abandoned the plantation on 7 May, 2007 without formally informing the unions of their act or the duration of the closure,” said Mr KB Subba, general secretary, Darjeeling Terai Dooars Chia Kaman Mazdoor Union.