TODAY’S VIDEO PICK: Total Solar Eclipse on 22 July 2009

SIKKIM: Incessant rain prevents viewing of total eclipse in Sikkim

FROM INDOPIA.IN

Gangtok: Incessant rains proved to be a dampener with the people unable to watch the total solar eclipse in Sikkim this morning.

Moderate to heavy rains occurred since last night and the weather worsened with mist preventing the people from viewing the celestial event.

Sikkim was one of the few places across the country where the eclipse took place lasting more than one minute between 0530 hours and 0733 hours.

Scientist had earlier said that eclipse would be clearly visibly in South, West and East districts of the Himalayan state.

NEPAL: India promises to resume arms supplies to Nepal

FROM TIMES OF INDIA

NEW DELHI: Eager to counter China’s strategic inroads into Nepal, India has promised to bolster defence cooperation with the Himalayan country, including resumption of arms supplies which had run into rough weather in recent times.

This came after visiting Nepal defence minister Bidya Devi Bhandari, leading a 10-member delegation, held talks with her Indian counterpart A K Antony and other top military brass on Tuesday.

The recruitment of Nepalis in Indian Army’s Gorkha Rifles also figured in the talks. The earlier strife engulfing Nepal ensured no recruitment rallies were held for the purpose since September 2006.

It was only in February-March this year that the Indian Army once again began the process, with rallies in Dharan (eastern Nepal) and Pokhara (central Nepal), attracting over 15,000 applicants.

There are over 30,000 Nepali Gorkhas currently serving in Indian Army’s seven Gorkha Rifles (Ist, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th and 11th), each of which has five to six battalions, and some paramilitary forces.

India, of course, had been caught off-balance after the Maoists emerged victorious in Nepal’s constituent assembly elections and Pushpa Kamal Dahal `Prachanda’ was sworn in as the PM last year.

BENGAL: West Bengal sets terms to discuss Gorkhaland

FROM THE HINDU

KOLKATA: The West Bengal Government has informed the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leadership that it is willing to discuss the issue of a separate Gorkhaland State as demanded by the latter “along with all its implications” at the forthcoming tripartite talks proposed by the Centre but the discussions should be at an official level, at least for now.

In a letter on Tuesday to GJM president, Bimal Gurung, the State Home Secretary, Ardhendu Sen, repeated the government’s request to withdraw the indefinite bandh called by the GJM leadership that entered its ninth day in the Darjeeling hills.

Only if the agitation is called off could future talks be meaningful, the State Government had earlier pointed out.

The letter was in response to the GJM leadership’s seeking clarifications regarding the status of the tripartite talks proposed by the Centre that is to be held in New Delhi on August 11. The discussions had earlier been slated for August 24.

It stated that the State Government felt that the talks should be held at the official level as more ground needed to be cleared before the discussions could be taken up at the political level as demanded by the GJM leadership earlier, Surendra Gupta, District Magistrate, Darjeeling, told The Hindu over telephone from Darjeeling.

There where some indications after a meeting of the GJM leadership in Darjeeling in the evening that in view of the developments it could consider calling off later this week the indefinite bandh in support of its demand for a separate State.

The State Government has been considering the deployment of central paramilitary forces in the event of a protracted bandh.

EDITORIAL: SAME OLD SHOW

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

SHARED BY JTM

How much change can Bengalis really take? Not much and certainly not in their politics, it seems. Jawaharlal Nehru knew it when he described Calcutta as a “city of processions”. Had he witnessed how the city was stopped by Mamata Banerjee’s show on Tuesday, he would have known how little the city and its politicians have changed in half a century. After all, the ability to stop things has been the measure of Bengali politicians’ success. The Marxists were the original sinners, but their rivals have taken a leaf from their book on how to disrupt public life in order to rise in politics. If Ms Banerjee’s rally was one of the biggest the city has seen in recent years, the hardships it caused to the people were also the harshest in a long time. In Bengal, street shows that violate all norms of civilized conduct are supposed to be the road to power. The ruling Marxists rose through them and Ms Banerjee emulates them. This cynical indifference to the people’s suffering and norms of political decency go on irrespective of whether a party is in power or in the Opposition. In Bengal, this affront is legitimized in the name of radicalism.

Yet, Ms Banerjee’s rally was all about the “change” she is said to represent. She wants to oust the Marxists from power and change everything that she thinks has been wrong with the state during the Marxists’ long reign. It is possible that her mission to capture Writers’ Buildings will succeed in the assembly elections in 2011. In fact, she used the rally to promise changes in the state’s economy and politics if she comes to power. The irony is that she stopped Calcutta and forced the people to suffer in order to promise all those changes. Many of the promises have been made, and broken, by other leaders in other times. But the biggest message from her show does not inspire much hope for any real change in Bengal’s political culture.

DARJEELING HILLS/SIKKIM: Govt sends paramilitary to clear National Highway 31 A

FROM PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, July 21 (PTI) The government today rushed about 700 Central paramilitary personnel to open the crucial highway (NH 31 A), connecting Sikkim with the rest of the country amid an ongoing indefinite bandh called by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in support of their demands.

Four companies (about 400 personnel) of Central Reserve Police Force, two companies (about 200 personnel) of Sashastra Seema Bal along with a company of women personnel (comprising about 100) were sent to clear the highway, a senior Home Ministry official said.

The GJM has called for an indefinite bandh in the Darjeeling hills since July 13 in support of their demands despite the Centre preponing the tripartite meeting on the Gorkhaland issue.

“The Highway has been blocked for the long time. The Central forces will open the route in order to bring life to normalcy in the region.

ASIA: Solar eclipse shrouds Asia in cloak of darkness

FROM THE AGE.COM

The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century plunged millions across Asia into temporary darkness on Wednesday, triggering scenes of religious fervour, fear and excitement in India and China.

Ancient superstition and modern commerce came together in what was likely to end up being the most watched eclipse in history, due to its path over Earth’s most densely inhabited areas.

A woman was killed in a stampede in the holy city of Varanasi where tens of thousands of devout Hindus had crowded the river Ganges at dawn.

Police said the 80-year-old fainted in the crush to enter a temple near the banks of the river and suffocated, triggering panic. More than 20 people were injured.

With Hindu priests conducting special prayers, the crowds in Varanasi cheered and then raised their arms in salutation as the sun re-emerged from behind the moon, before they took a spiritually purifying dip in the river’s holy waters.

A total solar eclipse usually occurs every 18 months or so, but Wednesday’s spectacle was special for its maximum period of “totality” — when the sun is wholly covered by the moon — of six minutes and 39 seconds.

Such a lengthy duration will not be matched until the year 2132.

State-run China Central Television provided minute-by-minute coverage of what it dubbed “The Great Yangtze River Solar Eclipse” as the phenomenon cut a path along the river’s drainage basin.

Millions of people in areas of southwestern China enjoyed a clear line of sight, according to images broadcast on CCTV, but the view was obstructed along much of its path by cloudy weather.

SIKKIM: CS heads committee to study Income Tax exemption to ‘Left Outs’

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK: The State government has constituted a six member committee headed by chief secretary ND Chingapa to consider exemption the left out individuals of Sikkim from the purview of Central Income Tax.

The other members of the committee are additional chief secretary TT Dorji, law secretary RK Purkhayastha, Chief Minister’s principle secretary RK Basnet and transport secretary KN Bhutia.

HB Rai, additional commissioner, commercial taxes division is the member secretary of the committee.

The high level committee has been tasked to examine all matters relating to grant of exemption of Central Income Tax (Direct Tax Law) to the ‘left out’ individuals in Sikkim and make recommendation to the State government for taking up the issue with the Centre. The committee has also been directed to submit its report at the earliest.

It may be added that the ‘left outs’ as referred by the State government implies those persons living in Sikkim for generations and had not been granted exemption from paying income taxes as provided to people with Sikkim Subject Certificates.

The Union government had last year exempted Sikkim Subject holders from paying Direct Income Tax by passing an amendment in the Finance Bill of 2008.

People of Sikkimese origin having Sikkim Subject Certificates have been exempted from Direct Taxes as per the 26AAA clause paving way for the Act to be enforced in the state.

However, the old business community who has been living in the State for generations but without Sikkim Subject certificates have expressed their objections for being left out of the Act.

DARJEELING HILLS: GJM leaders off to Delhi to prepare its reply to SC

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

DARJEELING: Two top leaders of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM)-Amar Lama and Anmole Prasad-today flew to New Delhi to prepare the party’s response to the directions of the Supreme Court over the NH 31A issue.

The Supreme Court had yesterday given two weeks time to GJM to submit its reply to the fresh petition filed by OP Bhandari regarding the shut down of the lifeline of Sikkim during the ongoing bandh period.

The GJM general secretary Roshan Giri however blamed the government for delaying in sending the letter for tripartite talks for the indefinite Darjeeling bandh which also affected the NH 31 A.

At the same time, Mr. Giri claimed that the party has not formally received any notice of the Supreme Court over the NH 31 A issue. Once we get the notice, we will make the necessary observations, he said.

Mr. Giri also expressed the party’s satisfaction over the preponement of the tripartite talks to August 11 by the Centre.

Regarding the reports over deputation of paramilitary forces in Darjeeling hills, the GJM general secretary said that no forces can suppress the democratic demand for separate State of Gorkhaland.

Darjeeling SP Rahul Srivastav has informed about the decision to bring 6 companies of CRPF in the hills.

IN PERSPECTIVE: Schools and Colleges shut down AGAIN!

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE] EXCLUSIVE
BY BARUN ROY

IN BLACK AND WHITE: Onwards to Gorkhaland

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE] EXCLUSIVE
BY BARUN ROY

DARJEELING HILLS: GJM lifts blockade as Centre sends central forces

FROM ZEE NEWS

Siliguri (WB): Barely a few hours after the Centre on Tuesday rushed central para-military forces to reopen the arterial national highway 31A connecting Sikkim to the rest of the country, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, today decided to allow all vehicles on the highway from tomorrow morning.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told PTI that they were opening the highway ‘for the time being’ from six am, but insisted the indefinite bandh, they had been observing since July 13, in the Darjeeling hills would continue.

Four companies (about 400 personnel) of Central Reserve Police Force, two companies (about 200 personnel) of Sashastra Seema Bal along with a company of women personnel (comprising about 100) were sent to clear the highway, a senior Home Ministry official earlier today said in Delhi.

Bandh supporters allowed vehicles registered in Sikkim to ply on the highway yesterday and also relaxed the bandh for 10 hours yesterday to carry essential commodities in the hills and Sikkim.

Government had decided to open the highway linking Sikkim capital Gangtok with the rest of the country ‘at any cost’, chief secretary Ashok Mohan Chakrabarti told newsmen at the end of a security meeting here.

Chakrabarti said they had requested GJM leaders to withdraw the bandh in Darjeeling hills before tripartite talks with GJM, state government and the Centre due on August 11 in New Delhi.

The state government was in favour of a peaceful solution to the ongoing stalemate in Darjeeling, Chakrabarti said.

The Supreme Court had also issued a notification to the GJM asking why it blocked the highway despite the apex court barring any blockade on NH-31.

BENGAL: BJP misjudges Darjeeling cause

FROM EXPRESS BUZZ

The BJP does not seem to have considered all aspects of its decision to nominate a man from Rajasthan to contest a Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal. Its only focus was the candidate’s chances of success notwithstanding his unfamiliarity with the local scene. The party was right in this respect because Jaswant Singh had little difficulty in winning from Darjeeling at a time when the BJP itself wasn’t faring too well elsewhere. But his victory appears to have created problems for the party, which the winning of one seat will not compensate. Yet, the BJP should have anticipated them since Singh’s support for the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha’s demand for a separate state was bound to antagonise the party’s West Bengal unit.

As it is, the BJP does not have much of a presence in the state. Whatever little influence it may have acquired in a few areas was entirely due to its alliance with the Trinamool Congress. Since that partnership has ended, the party is very much on a weak wicket. It is this vulnerability which may have induced it to contest a ‘sure’ seat since the GJM had virtually ousted the CPI(M) from Darjeeling because of the latter’s opposition to the formation of Gorkhaland. But, even as the BJP took the advantage of accepting the GJM’s offer to contest from there, it should have clarified its own position on the sensitive question. The Gorkha organisation’s compulsions were clear. It wanted a leader of stature to present its case in the national capital. The GJM also preferred the BJP because of its supposed preference for smaller states. But the latter should have remembered that West Bengal is not Bihar or Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh, which have all been bifurcated. First, the state is much smaller and, secondly, it has already suffered partition at the time of Independence. The loss of the ‘queen of hill stations’, therefore, is unacceptable to the people in the plains.

NEPAL: Crows put Nepalese in the dark

FROM AFP

Kathmandu: A power cut caused by errant crows brought Nepalese government ministries to a halt as they returned to work this week after four days of strike action, the electricity authority said Tuesday.

The lights went out in the main government headquarters in the capital Kathmandu early on Monday, forcing civil servants who had just returned to work after the strike to down tools again.

By the time the electricity returned late in the afternoon, most of the government workers had gone home, the Kathmandu Post daily reported, saying the impact of the power outage had been “huge”.

The Nepal Electricity Authority said they initially struggled to find the cause of the problem, but eventually discovered crows had landed on the main power line and been electrocuted.

“There was a short circuit after some crows came to land on the main power line,” said Khagendra Bhandari, the maintenance official on duty at the time.

“It took almost 10 hours to fix the problem.”

Nepal’s Supreme Court was also affected by the incident, which followed four days of strike action by civil servants demanding higher pay and came amid growing complaints of government inefficiency.

“We at the Supreme Court do not have any power back-up,” court official Ram Krishna Timilsina told AFP.

DARJEELING HILLS: Morcha withdraws NH closure – CRPF for strike-hit Darjeeling

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Morcha supporters at a picket at Sukna on Tuesday to issue emergency passes to vehicles. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Darjeeling, July 21: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today decided to keep NH31A out of the purview of its ongoing strike, hours after Bengal government had announced the deployment of CRPF across Darjeeling district.

However, the Morcha sought to relate its decision to a letter sent by the Bengal home secretary, Ardhendu Sen, that offered to discuss the issue of Gorkhaland at the tripartite talks in Delhi on August 11.

The national highway is the only arterial road connecting Sikkim with the rest of the country. The Supreme Court had yesterday sent notices to the Morcha, the CPM and the Bengal government among others, asking them to explain in two weeks why its earlier order to not allow blockades on the highway had not been complied with. The state government’s decision to deploy seven companies of the CRPF in the hills ought to be viewed in this context.

The Supreme Court issued the notices on a petition filed by O.P. Bhandari, a resident of Sikkim, who had pointed out the troubles his state faced whenever parties like Morcha called strikes in the hills.

After a meeting of the Morcha central committee this evening, Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the party, said: “This is a victory of sorts for us. The state government has agreed to discuss Gorkhaland for the first time. The tripartite meeting had already been advanced from August 24 to August 11. In the wake of these developments, we have decided to allow all vehicles to ply on NH31A. Police vehicles can also now move in the hills.” Asked about the fate of the indefinite strike, Giri said the party would hold discussions and take a decision “in a day or two”.

When contacted, Sen said: “The Morcha wanted to know whether Gorkhaland would figure in the talks in Delhi. I have sent them a letter, saying we are ready to discuss anything, including the demand to create a separate state, but only at the official level.”

In the morning, when told about the deployment of CRPF, Giri said: “Even if 100 companies are deployed, our movement will not be crushed.”

“We had requested the Centre to make paramilitary forces available in Darjeeling district. The Union government agreed to our plea and seven companies of CRPF will be deployed in the hills,” said Rahul Srivastava, the superintendent of police, Darjeeling.

Sources said the forces were expected to reach Siliguri tomorrow.

DARJEELING HILLS: Call to close schools in hills

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Darjeeling, July 21: Educational institutions in the three hill subdivisions here have once again been asked to shut down by two frontal organisations of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to protest against Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s stand that Gorkhaland would not figure in the tripartite talks in Delhi.

Keshav Raj Pokhrel, the general secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarthi Morcha, said today that Mukherjee’s remarks needed to be condemned. “Mukherjee is trying to derail the tripartite talks at a crucial juncture and we will not tolerate any attempt to disrupt the process of negotiation. So, we are calling a strike.”

Mukherjee said at Raiganj on Sunday Bengal would not be divided at any cost and “muscle-flexing” in the hills would not get anywhere. He said without naming the Morcha that a status under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for the hills would be preferred and, if need be, more powers could be accorded to the DGHC.

The president of the Janmukti Secondary Teachers Organisation, Binay Dewan, said it, too, joined the call for an education strike to “further strengthen the demand for Gorkhaland”.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said the two organisations had written to the party’s central committee that they would like to call a strike. “We gave them the nod, but the decision is entirely theirs”

The Morcha had exempted educational institutions from the purview of the indefinite strike from yesterday.