BENGAL: About 27,000 poultry culled in bird flu-hit West Bengal

FROM IANS

Siliguri (West Bengal), Jan 6 (IANS) About 27,000 poultry have been culled so far in the bird flu-hit areas of West Bengal’s Darjeeling district, a state official said Tuesday.

‘Veterinary workers have culled 25,000 poultry till Tuesday afternoon at Matigara in Siliguri subdivision. 6,000 more birds will be culled. Two-day mopping operations will start Wednesday,’ Siliguri sub-divisional officer Sharat Dwivedi told reporters.

About 2,000 poultry were culled at Pubang in Takdah of Darjeeling sub-division.

‘We have culled about 2,000 poultry in the affected areas of Darjeeling. The culling and mopping operations are almost completed,’ district magistrate Surendra Gupta said Tuesday afternoon.

Gupta said the the authorities have also started distributing compensation to the people.

‘We are paying Rs.500 per family. In addition, Rs.60 to Rs.160 will be paid per bird depending on its age, size and breed,’ Gupta said.

Following a bird flu outbreak, the district administration in Darjeeling ordered culling of about 33,000 poultry at Pubang in Takdah of Darjeeling subdivision and Matigara in Siliguri.

WARNING! HIGHLY INFECTIOUS TO YOUR VOCABULARY: THE ‘THEGOS’ OF DARJEELING!

BY SOULPOWER

READING OF MATERIAL GIVEN BELOW MAY CAUSE IRRECOVERABLE LOSSES TO YOUR VOCABULARY!!

Firstly, The word thego in itself is a thego!This is a term used to imply a certain word, words, term, terms, which by some mysterious force of Nepali tongue in cheek humor manage to delightfully enter the everyday lingo and spread far and wide at speeds that would even put the bird flu to shame! The most notorious carriers of this phenomenon range from school/college goers, the driver party which includes the khalasis, the joints where they eat and hang out and some really radical thinkers who have all the time and luxury in the world to take the most mundane of things and give it a wicked twist with a smear of the local raksi or the ‘imported’ liquor from Sikkim that flows at enviable rates in the area! Thus from any nook and corner a Thego is born.It could be from Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Kurseong , Mirik and all the other places in between, but a thego spreads and soon enough becomes a part of the everyday lingo which gives an entirely local and slightly humorous flavour to otherwise normal mundane speech. Through this post I would like to encourage all you people out there with a Thego or thegos that has unawarely entered your vocabulary to come forward and infect ours too!! Your thego can be from anywhere in the world but it has to be from the Nepali language…….:-)

A LIST OF THEGOS THAT IVE BEEN INFECTED WITH OVER THE YEARS THROUGH REGULAR CONTACT WITH THE CARRIERS OF THIS MALADY:

I WOULD PREFER PEOPLE FOLLOW THE SAME FORMAT IN ORDER:

MAMS- A regular form of address used between friends. Eg. “O mams timi ka thiyou?”

BHANIJ- A newer version of mams, more common in the Kurseong -Darjeeling line of drivers. (May have been innovated from the original mams)

DEATH- Term is used to denote something drastic, more often with a negative implication.Eg.”Mams ko khutta ta Death ganaudaicha!

SYAAKRI – Also used in similar tone as death, but in a more adventurous and admiring tone for someone who has achieved feats of daredevilry.Eg. “Tyo keti ta syakri rahecha ni, keta jasto jhagra pardarahecha!”

HEAVY – Also used in a similar manner as death but does not imply something negatively drastic, but rather a more sublimely admirable quality or action.”Heavy Pot!”, derived from the pool houses is also used in the same context, would be a good example.

KHATU – A word that substitutes the rough and coarse Rakshi for the more acceptable and urbane term to describe alchohol in any form. Definitely Sikkimese in origin as ive been informed!

SENTI- Commoly used to ridicule the emotional excess in a person. Eg. “Testo senti bhayis bhane ka keti pattincha ha!”

MASTA- Originating from the hindi “mast”, used to describe the state reached after smoking marijuana and also as a noun to describe the product.Eg. “Som ta masta taner masta bhayer basirako jasto cha ta!”

LYAAL LYAAL- Similar to masta as a verb, but implying more on the craving and the effect of eating sweet stuff after a smoke.Eg. “Masta taner guliyo khada lyal lyaal hudorahecha!”

FOODING, LODGING WITH DHARAWAHIK! – Term used to describe the generous hospitality offered at a place oby a person.Eg. “Tyo thau ma janu matai parcha fooding,lodging with dharawahik ko bandobast huncha!”

LAPAAX – word used in a variety of ways, the most common being used to describe an extremely drunk person. Also used to describe a mentally incapacitated preson.(which is how most drunk people become!).Eg. “Tyo manche ta lapaax bhayer bhitta chamdai jadaithyo!”

SAAP – Comes from the saap used for snake in Nepali, here used to refer to overtly drunk person, implying more on the dance that may be presented by him in the intoxicated state. Eg.”Mams le ta asti diwali ma heavy saap dance didaithiou ta!” or “Elai besi khatu nadehai! Yo ta aile saap bhaysakyo.”

CHAASPA – Originating from Kalimpong, a reversed version of the Pachaas, in terms of fifty rupees, used more commonly to tone down the embarassment while asking money from someone who is aware of borrowers bad borrowing repute. Eg. “Som malai chaaspa cha bhane dena!”

NESPATIC – Also another gem from Kalimpong, used to describe a vain or annoying person. Eg.”Tyo naya keta ta alik nespatic khalke cha hare.”

CHOORA – The nepali word for a sharp dagger used to describe a very sharp person, generally a master in some capacity. Eg.”Bro le ta choora gaudairahechau hai!”

MAAKORA – Similar in use as choora, but used more often to describe a guitar players profeciency with direct reference to the movement of his fingers on the fretboard being compared to a spiders ease in its web.

KIRAA – Nepali word describing insect finds itself as a thego when used to describe some one who has mastered something to the extreme or apparent end. Eg. “Tyo chaure ta science ko kiraa rahecha ni!”.

UMRADAI ADIDAS – The old adidas logo with three leaf like shapes finds itself used as a good thego in describing the excess smartness displayed by someone from the old Nepali “Umradai Teenpatey!”. Eg. “Ajkal ko keta keti haru ta kesaro umradai adidas!”

LAVISH – Used in a pretty similar way as its English counterpart, but use reserved to descriptions of a state of excess which generally last for a while, such as conditions brought about by excessive drinking or eating, wherein the individual is still enjoying it! Eg. “Hija ta lavish bahyer gahr pugeni, bihan ta death tauko dukhdaithyo!”

SATIS – Could be easily confused as lavish but this shortened form of the English ’satisfied’ is used to describe the optimum state achieved in a variety of things. More like the ‘just right’ feeling. Eg. “Yo thau ko khana le ta satis hudairahecha ni!”

KHAU PARTY – Used to refer to a member of the opposite sex who has just eaten away individuals resources and property by offering false indications of love and endearment. Eg. “Yo keti sanga nachamki hai mams. Yo chai khau party ho ni!”.

PROFILE: KUNTI MOKTAN

Kunti Moktan. Photo by Anup Prakash

Kunti Moktan was born in Darjeeling in 1962 on the 11th of  July.

She recorded her first song with the All India Radio at the age of 15. She was 18 when she recorded her 2nd song for Radio Nepal.

She married  her childhood friend and lover Sheela Bahadur Moktan at the age of 21. They used to meet regularly in their music  classes. 

Even after thirty one years of singing she still gets nervous while performing on stage.

She is currently teaching music in a total of twelve schools around Kathmandu Valley.

She loves to spend time playing the harmonium, listening to music of all genres and having quality time with her two daughters.

She also loves celebrating all kinds of festivals. She thinks festivals help to spread happiness and joy, brings together broken family and friends and simply because it is loads of fun. She even goes all the way to the Tarai to celebrate holi every year.

Giving birth to her daughters Shital and Shubani and seeing their pictures on their debut album cover are two of her most memorable moments.

FEATURED ARTIST: Kunti Moktan

GORKHA RECIPIES: Chicken Sekuwa

By Tulsi Regmi

Chiken Sekuwa

Ingredients

2 lbs. Chicken breasts, skinned, boned, and cut into 1-in. cubes. (Can be substituted with large shrimps

Melted butter for bastin

Bamboo skewers (pre-soaked for at least 30 min. in cold water

Marinade:
2 cup Nepali yogurt
1 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons musturd oil
1 cup onions, roughly choppe
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 fresh red chilie
1 teaspoon pepper cor
1 teaspoon timur
2 cloves garlic
1 in. ginger
1 tablespoon fresh dill weed, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt to taste
1/4 cup green onions, cut in 1-in. length

JOB OPENINGS: Canara Bank Recruits 1170 Probationary Clerks, Probationary Officers, Investment Officers and Specialist Officers

Canara Bank
Recruitment Cell, Personnel Wing
Head Office, 112, J.C. Road, Bangalore – 560 002
www.canarabank.com

CB / RP / 1 /2009 – Date : 30.12.2008

Canara Bank Recruits 1170 Probationary Clerks Probationary Officers Investment Officers and Specialist Officers

Eligible candidates may apply ON-LINE through Bank’s website

www.canarabank.com. 
No other means / mode of Application will be accepted.
The computer print-out of application is to be received by post, along with Demand Draft, Photo and other relevant documents

For Probationary Officers [Post Code-2] & Specialist Officers [Post Codes-4, 5, 6, 7 & 8]
On-line registration from 31.12.2008 to 24.01.2009
Last Date for Receipt of Application: 31.01.2009
Last Date for Far Flung Areas: 09.02.2009
Tentative Date of Written Test: 15.03.2009

For Probationary Clerks [Post Code - 1]
On-line registration from 31.12.2008 to 29.01.2009
Last Date for Receipt of Application – 07.02.2009
Last Date for Far Flung Areas- 14.02.2009
Tentative Date of Written Test- 29.03.2009

Investment Officer [On Contract] [Post Code-3]
On-line registration from 31.12.2008 to 09.02.2009
Last Date for Receipt of Application: 16.02.2009
Last Date for Far Flung Areas: 23.02.2009

HOW TO APPLY [for all posts]
The eligible candidates are required to apply ON-LINE through bank’s website www.canarabank.com. No other means / mode of applications will be accepted.

The link for registration of application will be open on our website on the dates indicated at the top of this advertisement

The guidelines for filling on-line application are as follows;

Ø Candidates should have a valid personal e-mail id. In case, candidate is not having valid e-mail id, he/she should create a new e-mail id. This e-mail id should be valid for the duration of the project.

SILIGURI: Radio Misty Partners Second Siliguri Theatre festival

FROM MEDIA NEWS ONLINE

Seven evenings of theatre shows to watch, theatre workshops to attend and lots of theatre history to feed on. From today, every day will be a feast for theatre buffs at the second Siliguri theatre festival. Radio Misty 94.3 fm, the first and number one fm of North Bengal and Sikkim partnered with Siliguri theatre Festival.

This event is being organised by theatre groups of Siliguri in association with the state information and culture department, Siliguri Corporation and Siliguri Mahkuma parishad. This event will continue till January 8. The weeklong fest will be inaugurated by theatre personality Rudraprasad Sengupta at Dinabandhu Mancha in Siliguri.

“The festival this year is dedicated to former mayor Bikash Ghosh and Amal Chakra borty, a noted actor from Siliguri who passed away recently. It will also mark the birth anniversary of writer Manik Bandyopadhaya,” said Asok Bhattacharya, the urban development minister and the chief patron of the festival.

Theatre lovers will get to see productions by Harimadhav Mukhopadhaya, Ramaprasad Banik, and Gautam Halder along with others. The groups that will take part in the fest are Thoughts Arena, Little Thespian, People’s Little Theatre, Rangpat, Gandhar, Chetna and Barasat Anusilani.

NATIONAL: Delhi Police rescue four minor Sikkimese girls

FROM THAINDIAN

New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) The Delhi Police Monday rescued four girls from Sikkim, aged around 12, in two raids in south Delhi’s East of Kailash locality and arrested a woman and the owner of a placement agency.The police received information Sunday that three minor girls kidnapped from Sikkim have been kept in Garhi area in East of Kailash. A raiding party managed to locate the house in Parkash Mohalla, in Garhi, where the girls were confined to a room by a woman, Srijana Subba Rai.

A case of kidnapping has been registered in Sikkim regarding the girls. Further investigations are on.

In another incident, the police rescued another 12-year-old Sikkimese girl from a house in East of Kailash and arrested Parlad Singh, owner of placement agency, Sky Group of Companies. Sikkim police and the parents of the kidnapped children have been informed.

NEPAL: PM to enforce SC ‘Pashupati’ decision

FROM SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA NEWS NET

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that he will abide by the interim order delivered by Supreme Court (SC) on Pashupati temple row. “We will respect the order of the apex court,” PM told reporters after emerging out of president’s office where he met with President Dr Rambaran Yadav.

The SC had earlier asked the government to maintain the status quo at the temple and suspend the appointment of new priests.

“The SC has given an order. We are consulting with attorney general to find ways of implementing it. We will definitely follow the order,” deputy prime minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam had told reporters.

The government had earlier said they defended their decision to appoint new priests at the temple. However, following fierce criticism from within and outside the country, the government has now decided to stick with the SC order in this issue.

SIKKIM: Chicken price has shot up

FROM SIKKIM REPORTER

BY SUBASH GURUNG

Woes at Chicken Market. Photo by Sikkim Reporter

Gangtok: Siliguri and other parts of North Bengal are currently in the grip of bird flue. So poultries in Sikkim are the only source of chicken in the State. However, to the woes of traders and consumers, poultry farms in Sikkim are charging a higher price than Rs.70 a kg declared by the Animal Husbandry department.

Chicken business is at a low key due to the higher price, says Shanti Rai, a shopkeeper. She told this reporter that at present chickens being sold in the town are from Kaluk, Dentam, Soreng and Kumbrek in Sikkim.

The current retail price is Rs.140 or more a kg, she said. She also spoke of her financial hardship due to fall in chicken sale consequent to the price hike. She hopes that the concerned department will act soon to bring the price under control.

 

SIKKIM: Divisions must not be created in Sikkimese society: KN Uperti on IT gaffe

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

Gangtok: A pillar of Sikkim’s three decade long politics, KN Uperti today made his objections clear to the skeletons coming out of the Income Tax cupboard and said that he is very much opposed to the ‘divisions’ created in the exemption aftermath.

However, at the outset, the former Law minister said that he welcomes the income tax exemption granted to the Sikkimese subject holders.

“The Central Income Tax exemption given to the Sikkimese subject holders is very much welcome. But at the same note, I protest the division created in the Sikkimese society due to the non exemption on basis of serial and volume numbers in the subject certificates. Its great injustice to Sikkimese people”, said Mr. Uperti during an informal chat with Sikkim Express.

Recently, Income Tax unit of Sikkim had made it clear that only Sikkim subject holders are granted exemption from paying income taxes and those without the certificates and even those Sikkim subject holders without serial and volume numbers are not granted this relief.

“The non exemption on basis of serial and volume numbers have done great injustice to those Sikkimese people who have settled in Sikkim for generations”, said Mr. Uperti.

It may be recalled that the former minister had shot to limelight when he vehemently protested over Sikkimese Nepali community being left out from the first income tax exemption exercise of the Centre in 1994. He had demanded that even the Sikkimese Nepali community must be exempted along with the Sikkimese Bhutia and Lepcha communities.

SIKKIM: Delhi centric movement of BGP is the best path: Prof Lama

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

Gangtok, January 4: Renowned academician and member of National Security Council member Prof Mahendra P Lama has endorsed the ‘Delhi centric’ movement of the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) for the upliftment of the Indian Gorkha community.

The endorsement was given by Prof Lama during a meeting with BGP delegation on January 3 at Gangtok. The BGP delegation led by its central committee general secretary Sukman Moktan had called upon him.

During the two hour interaction, the BGP team sensitized Prof Lama about its ongoing and future activities in the interests of the Indian Gorkha community, it is learnt.

SIKKIM: SDF has turned Sikkim into a private ltd company: Tsong

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

Gangtok, January 3: As the Assembly polls inches closer, political temperatures continue to scorch here with the opposition parties throwing all the muck it can against the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party.

Now it is the turn of eight month old Sikkim Pradesh Nationalist Congress Party (SPNCP) to slam the ruling party over the key issues of the State and term it as a ‘private limited company’.

“SDF government is becoming rich by exploiting the Sikkimese people like a private limited company which fleeces its workers”, said SPNCP president Ashoke Tsong in a press meet yesterday at Gangtok.

Supplementing his barrage, Mr. Tsong said that the Centre had enforced Income Tax Act in Sikkim by seeing the prosperity of the SDF MLAs and ministers. The Union government enforced the Income Tax Act in Sikkim by observing how rich the 34 SDF MLAs, ministers and MPs have become, he said. These elected representatives have committed the most heinous crime upon the poor and exploited Sikkimese with this Income Tax enforcement, he added.

If at all taxes are to be enforced then it must be levied on these rich MLAs and MPs of SDF, said Mr. Tsong.

The moot point of SPNCP’s onslaught against the ruling party was the controversial Burman commission report, the vexed Limboo Tamang seat reservation issue and the political security of the Sikkimese Nepali community. The party has decided to launch its second phase of movement against the SDF government which will be announced in coming days.

SILIGURI: Bird Flu – Culling to be over soon

FROM THE STATESMAN

SILIGURI, Jan. 5: The ongoing culling operation in Siliguri and its adjoining areas which started on Saturday is likely to be over in the next two days, said the Darjeeling district magistrate Mr Surendra Gupta today.

“The district animal resources development department duly assisted by the district administration and the local police has already slaughtered more than 10,000 birds by this evening and the target being 18, 000, we might just complete the operation by tomorrow or by latest day after tomorrow,” he said.

The additional district magistrate, Jalpaiguri Mr N G Hira also said that culling would be completed by tomorrow in the avian flu affected Rajganj block of the district.

Satisfied with the anti-bird flu operation, the Darjeeling  DM said that around 7,000 birds had been culled by this evening. “These culling figures mark progress in comparison with those of yesterday which was around 3,500. And if this continues the culling operation is expected to be over by Wednesday,” he said. Asked whether the administration had encountered any resistance from the poultry owners in course of the slaughter operation Mr Gupta, said that the teams faced some resistance by a handful of traders in the Matigara block. “We, however, succeeded in convincing most of them saying that the operation was undertaken to keep the dreaded disease at bay,” he said.

“A few traders have expressed reservation over not being provided with any official papers in support of the culling operation. But we have told them that the operation is being conducted as per the order duly issued by the district administration. We are, however, not in a position to provide the documents to the poultry owners,” he said.

Mr Gupta further said that the mopping would immediately follow the culling exercise to eliminate the birds left out in course of the culling operation. “The whole process would be complete, hopefully, within seven to 10 days,” he said.

Gurung in Delhi for ‘talks with Centre’

FROM THE STATESMAN

BAGDOGRA, Jan. 5: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supremo Mr Bimal Gurung left for Delhi this afternoon ‘for some important political appointments’ with the Centre on the Gorkhaland issue. Accompanied by five key GJM leaders, Mr Gurung boarded a delayed Jet Airways flight from Bagdogra airport at 4:10 pm.

According to the GJM  Press and publicity secretary Mr Binoy Tamang, the delegation led by Mr Gurung left for Delhi ‘for some political appointments’. Though Mr Tamang did not give details about the ‘appointments’, another reliable GJM source informed that the delegation was likely to meet the Union home minister Mr P Chidambaram, the leader of Opposition Mr LK Advani and a few more influential leaders besides some select Union government officials.

“Using authentic documents and logical arguments, they would try to convince the key Union leaders, justifying their reasons regarding their demand for Gorkhaland,” the source said. Mr Bimal Gurung, however, said that the purpose of his Delhi visit was to ‘strengthen party organisation in Delhi and Dehradun’ and he was unlikely to meet any Union leaders or officials during the next four-five days stay there.

“I am going to Delhi to further expand and strengthen our party organisation in the national capital. I might also visit Dehradun on 8 or 9 January with the same purpose. Besides this, I have a throat infection and I intend to get get a check-up done in some health institute in Delhi,” the GJM  chief said prior to his departure from the Bagdogra airport.

But the information that Mr Gurung was going to meet some important political leaders and officials in Delhi on the Gorkhaland demand found further base on the selection of his companions for the visit.

KAMTAPUR: Kamtapur party plans to step up statehood movement

FROM THE STATESMAN

Siliguri, Jan. 5: The Kamtapur Progressive Party is planning to step up its statehood movement. The proposed stir includes organising rallies and roadblocks in north Bengal spanning over January and February.

According to the Progressive president Mr Atul Roy today, his organisation along with allies, the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party and the All Koch Rajbanshi Students’ Union, would do everything possible to achieve the common goal of a separate Kamtapur state. “Apart from the paramount statehood demand we would press the Centre to stop infiltration from across the Bangladesh border and to bestow a Constitutional recognition to the Kamtapur language,” he said.

Spelling out the programmes, the KPP leader said that the renewed agitation would commence on 25 January when his party activists would stage rallies in as many blocks of the six north Bengal districts as possible.

“We will serve a memorandum to the chief election commissioner and the Union home minister through the office of the Jalpaiguri divisional commissioner demanding immediate deletion of the Bangladeshi infiltrators from the voters’ list and the cancellation of the foreign nationals’ ration cards,” Mr Roy said.

“The statehood movement would culminate in rail block and roadblocks on 8 and 9 February respectively. Two open meetings would be held on 12 and 15 of February, one in Malda and the other at Mainaguri in Jalpaiguri district,” the Progressive leader said.

SIKKIM: Sikkim gets a new party

FROM THE STATESMAN

Gangtok, Jan. 5: Sikkim has a new political organisation from today. Resigning a teachers’ job, Mr Lalit Sharma floated the party publicly at the Ranipul Tata ground in East Sikkim. Mr Sharma would be the president of the new organisation, which would go under the name of Jan Yuva Shakti Sikkim.

While the party chose its president in Mr Sharma today, it is yet to announce the rest of the office bearers.

Addressing a public gathering, Mr Sharma said his party would strive for democracy in the Himalayan state. “There is no democracy in Sikkim. The people have to obtain permission from the state government for the tiniest of things, which indicates that democracy is undermined in Sikkim,” Mr Sharma alleged. He also said that Article 371F of the Indian Constitution safeguarding the rights of the Sikkimese nationals was endangered in the state and his party would salvage it. The political circles, however, interpreted Mr Sharma’s show as an act with an eye on the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

SILIGURI: CPM calls for arrest of those behind Salbari, Kurseong stir

FROM THE STATESMAN

SILIGURI, Jan. 5: The Darjeeling district CPI-M would submit a memorandum to the district superintendent of police Mr Rahul Srivastava tomorrow demanding immediate arrest of those involved in the recent Kurseong court incident and the Saturday incident in Salbari in which the state urban development minister Mr Asok Bhattacharya and the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad sabhadhipati Mrs Moni Thapa were heckled by GJM activists.

Announcing this, the CPI-M state committee member Mr Jibesh Sarkar said that both the incidents were serious in nature and should be dealt with the appropriate stringency by the district police. “The gory incident in the Kurseong court premises last week is an attack on the sanctity of the judiciary. Besides, the hooliganism indulged in by the GJM activists at Salbari confirms that the hill-based outfit would not allow any development activity in the Hills and the plains of the district,” the CPI-M leader said.

Commenting on the Salbari incident the CPI-M leader wondered how the writ of democratic administration could run when a Cabinet minister was prevented by a politicised violent mob from inaugurating a water supply project in the area.

Few planters go for new tea logo

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Siliguri, Jan. 5: Only a handful of companies producing CTC tea in the Dooars and Terai have started using the logo formally introduced in Jalpaiguri last month.

Planters of the region, who contribute around 200 million kg of the total tea produced in north Bengal, have been over the years insisting on a logo, especially after a GI status was conferred on the Darjeeling brew.

This prompted the Tea Board of India to introduce a logo featuring an elephant in the backdrop of tealeaves to ensure that the brew produced in the Dooars and the Terai had an identity of its own.

“It would take at least another three months, after the next season starts in March this year, to gain popularity,” said Prabir Bhattacharjee, the secretary of the Dooars Branch of the Indian Tea Association. “About whether there would be an increase in domestic and overseas market for using the logo, it is too early to comment.”

Some tea houses in Siliguri, however, have started using the logo, although at a small scale. “I have already sent 2,000-3,000 packets of tea with the logo to Haryana and Kanpur,” said K.K. Mintri, a planter. “However, I think it would take some time to be popular.”

DARJEELING: On Pilgrimage to Darjeeling – Canadian filmmaker hunts for tibetan ‘monk’

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Debra Kellner in Darjeeling. A Telegraph picture

Darjeeling, Jan. 5: Driven by the need to understand the dichotomy of two generations, Debra Kellner, a Canadian cinematographer is set to start one of the biggest feature film ventures in the region.

Pilgrimage, a multi-million dollar project, has already been scripted by Kellner and Michel Fessler – famous for his screenplay in Oscar winning documentary March of the Penguins – and will be shot in Bhutan, Darjeeling, Calcutta, Bodh Gaya, Varanasi and Nepal next year.

The film scheduled for a premier in 2010 blends spirituality with comedy while questioning the struggles of two generations through the journey of a former Buddhist monk and his son.

“The monk from Bhutan renounces spirituality at the age of 55 but soon discovers that his life is a complete wreck. He decides to go on a journey with his 13-year-old son to build a monastery in India,” said Kellner, who has already made four documentaries.

The story is not just about the monk’s quest for spirituality once again, but also the conflict in his mind over the son’s decision to become an engineer. “Awed by the bridges they cross, the son wants to become an engineer. This is where we are looking at portraying the (monk’s) struggle for spiritual redemption while also helping his son fulfil his dream. During the journey the monk also meets a penniless and divorced Canadian lady,” said Kellner.

Kellner, who has contributed to National Geographic and The New York Times, believes that she will find a global audience which can relate to the film. “Such conflicts are everywhere and in all generations,” she said.

SIKKIM: Four killed in Sikkim mishap

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Gangtok, Jan. 5: Four persons, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed and three others were seriously injured when the vehicle they were travelling in fell 150 feet below the road near Soreng in West Sikkim last evening.

Besides Lolan Gurung, Basanti Subba, 21, Pintu Sarkar, 20, and Kush Kumar Rai, 28 died on the spot.

Subba and Gurung were residents of Siribadam in West Sikkim, while Sarkar was a small time trader in Soreng. Rai hailed from Karmatar, also in West district.

The Mahindra Maxx (with SK 04 3404 registration number) used to ply as a local taxi. It was bound for Soreng from Kaluk, a subdivisional town in West Sikkim, 15km away.

The police superintendent of West district, Ruchika Rishi, said the mishap occurred around 5pm. The site of the accident was narrow and investigations are on to determine the cause.

Central offices not spared this time

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Members of the Nari Morcha at a relay hunger strike in front of Darjeeling police station on Sunday, demanding the transfer of K.L.Tamta, the inspector-general of police (north Bengal). Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Jan. 5: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has decided to renew its non-cooperation movement and has called for an indefinite closure of state and central government offices from Wednesday onwards.

The announcement was made by Morcha  media and publicity secretary Binay Tamang today. “All state and central government offices in the areas we want as Gorkhaland will be shut from January 7,” said Tamang.

The Morcha  had called for a complete closure of state government offices from December 8. They were allowed to reopen at the end of the month, keeping in mind the disbursement of salaries and the second tripartite meeting that was held in Delhi on the 29th.

The hill party had then left out central government offices from the purview of its shutdown.

This time, to put “more pressure”, the offices of the Union government has been included in the agitation. “However, we have decided to keep the banks, post offices and insurance offices out of the strike’s purview keeping in mind public convenience,” said Tamang.

The Morcha  has also decided to allow the food and supplies department to remain open on Mondays and Tuesdays.

In another development, the Gorkha Janmukti Bhutpurba Sainik Morcha has decided to hold a rally in Siliguri tomorrow. “The rally will be held to protest against the terrorist attack in the country. We are expecting about 7,000 ex-servicemen and Gorkhaland Personnel (a voluntary unit of the Morcha ) at attend the meeting,” said Col (retd) Ramesh Allay, the president of the former army men’s organisation.

DOOARS TERAI: Villagers part with poultry eagerly, 15000 culled

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Siliguri, Jan. 5: More than 15,000 birds were culled in the subdivision till 9.30pm today with people eager to get rid of the H5N1 virus at the earliest.

Unlike Malda, there was no resistance in parting with the birds. Mop-up operations are still on in Malda, where the people of Narhatta gram panchayat had even attacked the culling teams.

“Twenty-six teams visited the different affected areas across the sub-division,” Sarad Dwivedi, the subdivisional officer of Siliguri, told a news conference. “The culling target has been reduced to 18,200 from 60,000. Earlier, the targeted area was 0-10 km, where the number of poultry birds was 60,000. It has been revised to 0-3km radius from the Benoy Krishna Pally, the epicentre of the flu, where it was detected first.”

The panchayat pradhans claimed that the villagers of the affected areas had responded well to the culling because of awareness drives conducted by the rural bodies. “I personally went to the villagers to request them to hand over the poultry birds to the culling teams. I told them that the disease may infect the human population too. Everybody wants the situation to become normal at the earliest and the villages virus free,” said Sabitri Roy, the pradhan of Matigara I Gram Panchayat.

Jibit Sarkar, a resident of Pelkujote under the same gram panchayat who came to collect his compensation, said he had given 200 birds to the culling team.

“Once I came to know over the public address system that bird flu has been detected in our area, immediately I decided to get rid of the birds,” Sarkar said. A day labourer, Sarkar had a thriving poultry business till the flu struck. “It brought me extra money, but I am ready to give it up. First we have to get rid of the virus.”

Cops let go of Pradeep for ‘larger interest Cops let go of Pradeep for ‘larger interest

Rohini arson accused walks away free

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Pradeep Pradhan at Bagdogra Airport on Monday. (Kundan Yolmo)

Siliguri, Jan. 5: Keeping in mind a “larger interest”, police today let go Pradeep Pradhan at Bagdogra Airport where they had come to arrest the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader accused of torching houses in Rohini.

While party president Bimal Gurung threw a tantrum threatening that there may be a law and order deterioration if his Man Friday was arrested, the Morcha  vice-president furnished his voter’s ID card to prove that he was not the Pradeep Pradhan wanted by the police. The card identified him as Bhupendra Pradhan. “But my nickname is Pradeep,” the Morcha leader is reported to have told the police, confident that he would not be arrested.

Twenty houses were torched in Rohini on Thursday afternoon in retaliation to the lynching of a Morcha  leader in a DGHC bungalow in the same area a few hours earlier.

Pradeep had been named in the FIR filed in the Garidhura outpost under the Kurseong police station for arson.

This afternoon, Gurung, Pradeep Pradhan, T. Dewan and K. Sharma, were at Bagdogra to catch a Jet Airways flight to Delhi scheduled for 2.45pm. Based on a tip-off, the police led by Siliguri deputy superintendent Pradip Dutta approached the four in the VIP lounge and asked Pradhan to identify himself.

They accused him of travelling under the false name of “B. Pradhan”.