BREAKING NEWS
KalimNews: There will be two days break in the indefinite strike that started from Sunday afternoon declared GJMM.The break that starts from wednesday is granted in view of the request made by DP Singh the SP stated GJM spokesperson to the media. (Photo: TT)CID of West Bengal has sought information for causing the arrest of Nickole Tamang absconding accused of Madan Tamang murder case. The person whose information leads to Tamang's arrest shall be rewarded with Rs 50,000. Informations may be sent or conveyed to 03324506100, , 9733008001, 9433295531, 9433352094.
The decision to relax the indefinite bandh for two days came after SP Devendra Pratap Singh assured that Nicol would be produced in a court within two days, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told reporters here.
GJM had called an indefinite bandh in the hills on Sunday itself alleging foul play in the disappearance of Nicol and demanded his production.
A close associate of GJM chief Bimal Gurung, Nicol is the prime accused in the murder of the All India Gorkha League president on May 21 and was arrested on August 16.
Traceless Nickole
GJM leader bolts from custody
IE, Kolkata, 23 Aug: DARJEELING is staring at a law and order problem with Nicole Tamang, the main accused in the murder of Madan Tamang, the president of All India Gorkha League (AIGL), escaping from CID custody at Pintel village near Siliguri on Sunday. While two police officers have been suspended in this connection, Bharati Tamang, wife of the slain leader, has demanded that the investigation pertaining to the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).PTI, Sili: There was no trace of Nicol Tamang, prime accused in the murder of All India Gorkha League president Madan Tamang, after his escape from CID custody from Pintail village, near Siliguri on Sunday. "We have left no stone unturned. All police stations have been alerted. Houses at Pintail village have been checked, but Nicol has not been found," Darjeeling SP Devendra Pratap Singh told PTI today.
CID sources said that the inspector-in-charge of the case, Ardhendu Sekhar Pahari, was removed and departmental proceedings were being drawn up against him for the escape of Nicol, a close aide of GJM president Bimal Gurung and a central committee member of the party.
The sources said that Nicol had told Pahari that he will give him full details of the May 21 murder on August 22. Following this Nicole was taken to the house in Pintail village from the lockup at the Pradhanagar police station.
Nicole, who was not handcuffed, escaped on the pretext of going to the toilet, the sources said.
CID officer Aniruddha Chatterjee and constable, Arabindo Kumbhokar, who were in charge of his custody were suspended yesterday.
Meanwhile, a Gorkha Jan Mukti delegation led by its General Secretary Roshan Giri met District Magistrate Surendra Gupta to state that All India Gorkha League president Bharati Tamang, the widow of Madan Tamang, who was currently in Delhi, would not be allowed to enter the Darjeeling hills.
GJM leader bolts from custody
Bharati and some top AIGL leaders have been camping in Delhi, meeting Union ministers to push for more arrests in the case. The AIGL team has met Home Minister P Chidambaram, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Law Minister Veerappa Moily. “The government of West Bengal has conspired with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and made it possible for the accused to escape from the custody of CID. We appeal to you to hand over the case to the CBI as we have lost all faith in the West Bengal government,” she has said in a letter to Chidambaram.
The GJM, on the other hand, has alleged that Nicole died of torture and his body was cremated clandestinely. It has called for an indefinite strike demanding that Tamang be produced alive within 24 hours. “Nicole was sick and we suspect he has fallen victim to excessive torture by the CID. The state government is hiding his body. We demand that he be produced within 24 hours or we will go for a bigger strike,” said Harka Bahadur Chhetri, GJM spokesperson. He added that he was going to write to Chidambaram and the National Human Rights Commission chairman regarding the issue. GJM posters dotting the hills have also threatened that AIGL leaders Bharati Tamang, Pratap Khati will not be allowed to enter the area.
“Bimal Gurung is not the zamindar of Darjeeling. It is a democratic country and everybody has the right to go anywhere,” Khati told The Indian Express reacting to the posters.
The AIGL has criticised the state government for its laxity in making arrests in the case and connected this to the secretarial-level tripartite talks held between the Centre, state government and the GJM on August 17. “Three things have happened simultaneously: withdrawal of CRPF forces from Darjeeling, announcement of Bimal Gurung dropping Siliguri and Dooars from his demand, and escape of Nicole from CID custody. This smacks of conspiracy of the Bengal government,” said Bharati’s letter.
Nicole was arrested on August 16, a day ahead of the talks, and there were fears that he would be used as a bargaining chip to persuade the GJM to agree on certain points.
“Nicole was kept at Pratap Nagar police station and on Saturday taken to Pintel village. What is intriguing is the fact that on that very day four policemen were allowed to go on leave. Nicole went to the bathroom at 3 am and never returned. But according to the CID at 6:30 am he was found missing,” said a source in Darjeeling.
The AIGL has called for a 24-hour bandh on Monday and its leaders have said that the GJM’s call for bandh was aimed at thwarting theirs.
“We will take steps according to the developments,” assured state DGP Bhupinder Singh. Regarding the withdrawal of two companies of the CRPF, he said, “What do you do if the Centre takes such a decision?”
Guard on phone, Nickole walks out Faint cell signal paves way
Avijit Sinha, TT, Siliguri, Aug. 23: Nickole Tamang apparently escaped yesterday morning when one of the policemen guarding him stepped away from him to take a cellphone call as the signal was feeble. 
“We carried out raids at Panchnoibusty but did not find anybody,” a police officer said. “If he had at all gone there, he must have escaped by now, knowing fully well that we would raid that place.”
Guard on phone, Nickole walks out Faint cell signal paves way
Avijit Sinha, TT, Siliguri, Aug. 23: Nickole Tamang apparently escaped yesterday morning when one of the policemen guarding him stepped away from him to take a cellphone call as the signal was feeble. CID officers said that a little before 6.30am, Nickole told constable Arabinda Kumbhakar he wanted to go to the toilet attached to the ground floor room of cottage No. 29, where he was being detained.
A few minutes later, the constable — the other on-duty guard had gone out for tea — received a call on his cellphone. But the signal being weak, Kumbhakar stepped out of the room and walked further away where the reception was clearer.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader came out of the toilet after some time and, finding the constable busy speaking over the phone in another corner of the cottage, quietly slipped out, the police said.
“It appears that Nickole cleverly guessed from the fading voice of the constable that he was moving away from the room. He grabbed the opportunity to escape,” a police officer said.
Kumbhakar found Nickole’s room empty after he finished his conversation and raised the alarm.
Police records show that Kumbhakar was away from his post between 6.32am and 6.40am, handing Nickole, the prime accused in the Madan Tamang murder case, eight minutes to make his getaway.
The police said Nickole probably slipped out of the back door of the cottage as it is closer to the boundary wall of the cottage. As the cottage was at one corner of the Pintail Village complex, the main compound wall was also nearby. Nickole could have scaled both the walls and escaped. The police said the whole episode would not have taken more than eight to 10 minutes for a fit person.
The police said Nickole had slipped out unchallenged as there were few people around because of incessant rain. Also, few in Pintail Village were aware of Nickole’s presence there.
“Nickole did not break any windows or squeeze out through the skylight,” said P. Nirajnayan, the inspector-general, CID, told The Telegraph today. “He simply walked out of the room as no guards were around. It was a serious lapse on the part of the policemen guarding him.”
“Nickole knows Pintail Village like the back of his hand as the Morcha had occupied it for several months,” an officer said. “He would know the quickest way of escaping from there.”
The police said that around the time Nickole escaped, some people saw a young man in a vest and a pair of shorts — the clothes the Morcha leader was wearing yesterday morning — walking towards Panchnoibusty, a Morcha stronghold 1km from Pintail Village.
“We carried out raids at Panchnoibusty but did not find anybody,” a police officer said. “If he had at all gone there, he must have escaped by now, knowing fully well that we would raid that place.”The police also carried out searches in various parts of Sukna and Matigara as well.
State home secretary Samar Ghosh said today: “We are trying to re-arrest Nickole Tamang as soon as possible. The borders are being monitored to stop him from escaping.” (Photo: Raids in the vicinity of Pintail village-BNS)
Nicole may have taken the front door
Redeploy CRPF company in Darjeeling
Nicole may have taken the front door
TNN, KOLKATA: Two days after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Nicole Tamang disappeared from CID custody, police are still in the dark even as the Morcha sets the Hills on the boil claiming Nicole was killed in a fake encounter. To add to the CID's embarrassment, initial investigation suggests Nicole may have simply walked out the main door rather than making a dramatic jump from a window as claimed by his escorts on Sunday.
CID special superintendent Nishad Parvez — who was sent to Siliguri to probe Nicole's 'escape' — has submitted an initial report to his superiors, reportedly pointing out instances of serious negligence by the CID team, led by inspector Ardhendu Sekhar Pahari.
Sources say that the CID team could not explain why he was kept in Pintail village for the night rather than being locked up in Pradhan Nagar police station. The CID apparently did not inform police that they were interrogating Nicole in a temporary camp (a duplex house in the tourist complex) that had no lock-up.
The probe report suggests that all members of the CID team are responsible for the incident. Two of them have already been suspended.
“Some others may face departmental action,” hinted a senior CID officer.
Insider angle in investigation ambit too
CID special superintendent Nishad Parvez — who was sent to Siliguri to probe Nicole's 'escape' — has submitted an initial report to his superiors, reportedly pointing out instances of serious negligence by the CID team, led by inspector Ardhendu Sekhar Pahari.
Sources say that the CID team could not explain why he was kept in Pintail village for the night rather than being locked up in Pradhan Nagar police station. The CID apparently did not inform police that they were interrogating Nicole in a temporary camp (a duplex house in the tourist complex) that had no lock-up.
The probe report suggests that all members of the CID team are responsible for the incident. Two of them have already been suspended.
“Some others may face departmental action,” hinted a senior CID officer.
Insider angle in investigation ambit too
TNN, KOLKATA: Some senior CID officers defend their colleagues in the Nicole Tamang "escape" controversy, saying there is no specific rule that bars them from keeping an accused in their camp at night. "We are also not bound to inform local police," said a CID officer. But some of his colleagues agreed that all probe agencies take the help of local police to hold an accused when the agency does not have its own lock-up.
Sources said the CID team escorting Nicole suggested to their leader, inspector Ardhendu Sekhar Pahari, that the accused be sent to the police lock-up for the night after the team returned from a day of futile raids. But Pahari personally wanted to interrogate Nicole throughout the night and sent back the district police escort team, say sources, adding that Pahari was questioning him even moments before he fled.
When Nicole wanted to relieve himself, he was sent with a CID constable to the toilet. The initial inquiry report suggest that the constable did not stand guard in front of the toilet door but went off to another part of the corridor.
CID investigators believe Nicole quietly out the main entrance of the cottage. "When he came out, there was probably no one in the corridor. He took the chance and fled," said a police officer. "It was raining hard and visibility was poor. Which is why the IRB jawans in charge of the complex did not see him," said another officer.
It was several minutes before the CID team in the interrogation room realized that Nicole had not returned. They sent another constable who found the toilet door ajar and no one inside. He raised the alarm but by then, Nicole had scaled the walls and fled.
"Senior CID officers are investigating how Nicole managed to flee. Whether it was negligence or any insider helped him to escape will be investigated," said home secretary Samar Ghosh.
Sources said the CID team escorting Nicole suggested to their leader, inspector Ardhendu Sekhar Pahari, that the accused be sent to the police lock-up for the night after the team returned from a day of futile raids. But Pahari personally wanted to interrogate Nicole throughout the night and sent back the district police escort team, say sources, adding that Pahari was questioning him even moments before he fled.
When Nicole wanted to relieve himself, he was sent with a CID constable to the toilet. The initial inquiry report suggest that the constable did not stand guard in front of the toilet door but went off to another part of the corridor.
CID investigators believe Nicole quietly out the main entrance of the cottage. "When he came out, there was probably no one in the corridor. He took the chance and fled," said a police officer. "It was raining hard and visibility was poor. Which is why the IRB jawans in charge of the complex did not see him," said another officer.
It was several minutes before the CID team in the interrogation room realized that Nicole had not returned. They sent another constable who found the toilet door ajar and no one inside. He raised the alarm but by then, Nicole had scaled the walls and fled.
"Senior CID officers are investigating how Nicole managed to flee. Whether it was negligence or any insider helped him to escape will be investigated," said home secretary Samar Ghosh.
Rajib Chowdhary, Asian Age, Kolkata: The police on Monday launched a massive manhunt to arrest Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Nicole Tamang who escaped from the CID custody on Sunday while his party paralysed normal life in the Hills by observing an indefinite bandh.
The slain Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) president Madan Tamang's widow, Bharati Tamang, rushed to New Delhi seeking help from the National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Minorities for the immediate arrest of Nicole, who is the prime accused in her husband’s murder.
In Darjeeling, the streets wore a deserted look as the shops were shut and vehicles remained off the road.
The GJM activists held agitation at various places.
“There was no report of any untoward incident during the agitation,” said SP
(Darjeeling) D.P. Singh. The GJM leadership which has demanded Nicole’s return within 12 hours, decided to continue its stir after meeting district magistrate Surendra Gupta. GJM assistant general secretary Binoy Tamang said, “The district magistrate told us that he had spoken to the state chief secretary and home secretary but failed to give any assurance to us about tracing Nicole. We will meet the SP on Tuesday. If needed, we will also
meet the CID chief and IG (North Bengal)," Mr Tamang added. On the other hand, working president of ABGL Dawa Sherpa from New Delhi said, "Ms Tamang has lodged a complaint with the NHRC and NCM authorities into the assassination of her husband and escape of the prime accused in the case. She also met Union minister of state for women and child development Krishna Tirath and submitted a memorandum to her." Redeploy CRPF company in Darjeeling
ENS, Kolkata:A day after Nicole Tamang, the prime accused in the murder of AIGL president Madan Tamang, escaped from CID custody, Chief Secretary Ardhendu Sen on Monday wrote to Union Home Secretary Gopal Krishna Pillai requesting him to re-deploy the three companies of CRPF that were withdrawn by the Centre from Darjeeling on August 16.
Meanwhile, the report of the IB under the state police, a copy of which has been accessed by The Indian Express, has put the CID in the dock for Nicole’s escape.
According to the report sent to Home Secretary Samar Ghosh, Nicole was kept at Pradhannagar police station after his arrest on August 16 and was brought everyday to Pintel village for interrogation and taken back to the police station in the evening. “It was on August 21, the day he escaped from custody, that Nicole, instead of being brought back to Pradhannagar police station, was kept at Pintel village,” said the IB note.
“The role of Ardhendu Sekhar Pahari, Investigating Officer of the CID, is highly suspicious. He is responsible for the escape,” said a senior police officer.
The police raided several places in and around Pintel village on Monday but failed to trace Nicole. “All neighbouring districts and states have been alerted as we have launched a massive manhunt,” said Ghosh.
PTI, Kolkata: West Bengal Government on Monday asked the Centre to re-deploy the three companies of CRPF in the Darjeeling hills in view of the volatile situation after the escape of Nicol Tamang, the prime accused in the murder of AIGL chief Madan Tamang. State Home Secretary Samar Ghosh told reporters that he had written a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs urging redeployment of the three companies of CRPF immediately to keep a check on the worsening situation arising out of frequent bandhs and the escape of Nicol Tamang from custody.
"When the three companies of CRPF were there in the hills, the state government had urged the Centre to send additional two companies, but instead of doing that the Centre withdrew them for deployment in Jammu and Kashmir," Ghosh said.
On Nicol Tamang's escape, Ghosh said efforts were underway to arrest him and investigations were being made by senior CID officials to see if there was any negligence or security lapses.
A sub-inspector and a constable had been suspended for dereliction of duty and an alert sounded in the district and state borders, he said, adding vigil in all police stations in north Bengal had been strengthened.
He said armed police would remain deployed in the hills till the CRPF arrived.
Tamang escape -a case of negligence
TH, KOLKATA: Even as normal life was affected in the Darjeeling hills on Monday following a bandh called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, a preliminary report on the escape of Nikol Tamang, one of the prime accused in the case of killing of prominent politician Madan Tamang, blames it on “negligence.”
Nikol escaped while in the West Bengal CID's custody early on Sunday.
“A preliminary report suggests prima facie that his escape is tantamount to negligence,” Additional Director-General, CID, Raj Kanojia, told The Hindu here. Two policemen have been placed under suspension.
The GJM, which called for the bandh from Sunday afternoon in the three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling district, alleges that Nikol had been “killed in custody.”
“We want him alive,” Roshan Giri, GJM general secretary, said from Darjeeling. There were others in the party leadership who feared that Nikol might be “a victim of third degree torture while in custody.”
Processions were taken out by GJM supporters in the hill town in support of the bandh which, political observers say, is a ploy to counter the bandh called by the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha Legue (ABGL) for Tuesday.
“Result of conspiracy”
The ABGL — opposed to the GJM which is demanding the creation of a separate Gorkhaland State — is blaming the escape of Nikol on a “conspiracy” by the West Bengal Government and the GJM. Its leadership has written to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee demanding that investigations into the killing of its president, Madan Tamang, in Darjeeling on May 21 be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, said ABGL adviser, S.B. Zimba, now in New Delhi.
Tourists hit
The sudden bandh call in the hills took tourists by surprise and the police made special arrangements for them to leave Darjeeling. Commercial establishments and educational institutions were closed.
TitBits
KalimNews: Total bundh in the three hill subdivisions was observed on Monday , however tea gardens remained open. NH31A was open for traffic while other vehicles didnot ply except on emergency duty. DMs, SDOs and other Officials were handed over memorandum with a demand for immediate production of Nicole Tamang alive.
Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh postponed its programme of Balidan Diwas scheduled on 24th at Kalimpong and 25th August in Hamiltangunj in which MPs Amar Singh and Jaya Prada were the guests.
PPP and KPP may join hands for a joint movement. Kamtapur Progressive Party President Atul Roy and Progressive People's Party President Kiran Kalindi expressed their satisfaction after the preliminary meeting held in Maynaguri yesterday. PPP a fraction of ABAVP was also happy to have KPP as their co partner for forming a joint platform if possible in the next meeting very soon to fight for their demands which is being ignored by the State government, both expressed in one voice.
TitBits
KalimNews: Total bundh in the three hill subdivisions was observed on Monday , however tea gardens remained open. NH31A was open for traffic while other vehicles didnot ply except on emergency duty. DMs, SDOs and other Officials were handed over memorandum with a demand for immediate production of Nicole Tamang alive.
Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh postponed its programme of Balidan Diwas scheduled on 24th at Kalimpong and 25th August in Hamiltangunj in which MPs Amar Singh and Jaya Prada were the guests.
PPP and KPP may join hands for a joint movement. Kamtapur Progressive Party President Atul Roy and Progressive People's Party President Kiran Kalindi expressed their satisfaction after the preliminary meeting held in Maynaguri yesterday. PPP a fraction of ABAVP was also happy to have KPP as their co partner for forming a joint platform if possible in the next meeting very soon to fight for their demands which is being ignored by the State government, both expressed in one voice.
Visitors blame agents for travel info
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| (Top) Tourists wait for vehicles at Motor Stand in Darjeeling on Monday during a strike called by the Morcha; and vehicles stranded on NH31 as Citu-affiliated auto rickshaw drivers’ and workers’ union blocked the road at Medical More near Siliguri to protest the bad condition of the highway. Pictures by Suman Tamang and Kundan Yolmo |
Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Aug. 23: Tourists today blamed travel agents for failing to inform them about the situation in the hills even as 40 of the nearly 100 visitors managed to leave a rain-lashed Darjeeling town in the first bus.
Two more buses were provided late in the evening by Darjeeling police, who claimed that most visitors have left the hill station.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which has called an indefinite shutdown in the hills after Nickole Tamang disappeared from Pintail Village, refused to issue any “passes” this time. The Morcha has demanded that Nickole, a central committee member of the party and a prime suspect in the Madan Tamang murder case, be produced alive. It has alleged that the police are trying to hide that he died in custody.
Groups of tourists stood at the Darjeeling motor stand with their luggage as local drivers refused to bring out their vehicles without a written permission from the Morcha.
Ishamani Pakhrin, the president of the Morcha’s Darjeeling town committee, said “permits” would not be issued this time. “We request the hoteliers to convey to their boarders (tourists) to stay in the hotels as we are not providing any permits this time around.”
Many tourists also lined up before the office of the Darjeeling traffic police from 7.30am. But with the entire town closed, there was not even a cup of tea or a quick bite available.
In the past, the Morcha had issued “passes” to ferry tourists during the strike. This probably made hoteliers underestimate the gravity of the situation.
S. Chatterjee, a resident of Calcutta who had a train to board this evening, said: “I was not completely aware of the situation. I was told that one could get a vehicle to reach Siliguri as in previous strikes such arrangements had been made for tourists.”
Even though the Darjeeling police did finally manage to get one of their buses to take 40 visitors to Siliguri in the morning, it came late for people like Sasha from Poland and Melloine from France, who could board the vehicle, but were sure to miss their 2pm flight. The bus started from Darjeeling around 11am and at least three hours would be needed to reach Siliguri. “Even though we will miss our flights, we are happy to get out of the town,” said Sasha.
N.K. Dhangar, a resident of Patna, who had to board Capital Express at 2pm, was at a loss, as he along with 60-odd people, could not manage a place in the first bus.
Dhangar alleged that his hotel had not apprised him of the gravity of the situation. “We were told about the strike around 3pm yesterday. It was already late to leave town,” Dhangar said. However, had the hotelier impressed upon Dhangar a clearer picture, he could have taken a chance. The Morcha had allowed vehicles to ply till 6pm yesterday, five hours after the strike had been enforced.
A hotelier, on condition of anonymity, did not rule out the possibility of some hotel owners suppressing information so that they had the boarders for an extra day or two. “As soon as I got to know about the strike, I immediately asked the tourists to leave the place. There is every possibility of some hoteliers suppressing information thinking that permits would be issued by the party anyhow,” the hotelier added.
Low budget hotels do not take the burden of arranging vehicles for tourists. During the season, the hills have around 10,000 visitors at any point of time. In monsoon, the figure comes down to as low as 100, but even then, nothing prompt could be done about their transport.
District magistrate Surendra Gupta said the administration would ensure that all tourists left town. “Since there is a strike it is taking time to arrange for vehicles, but we will definitely escort all the tourists out of Darjeeling,” he said. Late in the evening, the Darjeeling police said two more buses with tourists left the hill station. “We are sure that most of the tourists have now left,” a police officer said.
One killed in vehicle accident
Kalimpong, 23 Aug, KalimNews (Kalimpong Online News): In an accident near 7th Mile of Kalimpong one Munna Prasad Yadav (20) of Murgihatta lost his life while 15 others including a five year child are injured. The ill fated savari WB 76-2365 was returning from Jalpesh on Bol Bom pigrimage. It had left yesterday and on the way back home the driver Palden Lepcha (39) lost control of the vehicle and it went off the road about 15 ft down injuring all. Of the injured Devi Tiwari (33), Pinki kumari Saha (18) are seriously injured. As most of the injured are not in a normal condition attending Doctors refused to say about their state of injury. Injured are from Murgihatta, Chest Clinic and Hat Bazaar area. Shiva Thapa enters final in first Youth Olympic Games at Singapore
IE, Nitin Sharma, Chandigarh:For Shiva Thapa, the 54kg bout against Ramirez Robeisy Eloy at the Youth Olympics will be a rematch of the World Youth Boxing Championship final at Baku in May where the Cuban had come up trumps. The Indian wouldn’t like to settle for anything less than a gold this time around, after he pummeled Zack Davis of England on Sunday enter the final at the Youth Olympics.
The Indian, who got a bye to enter semis, dominated the bout from the start, opening up a 5-1 lead in the first round and extending it to 10-3 in the second.
Thapa attributed the result to his rigorous training in Pune and Mumbai during the last two months.
“The training at Pune and Mumbai helped me a lot and it meant that I was always match fit. We train in a group in the junior camp. It was tough match today, tougher than the result suggests. Davis started aggressively, but managed to gain from it,” said Thapa. Agencies: Shiva Thapa who hails from Assam assured India of at least a silver in bantam weight boxing after storming into the final with an overwhelming performance. Thapa, who got a bye in the quarterfinals, thrashed Zack Davies of Great Britain 14-4 at the International Convention Centre to give Indians something to cheer about.
The Indian World Youth Championships silver medalist made his aggressive intent clear from the beginning and he took a 5-1 lead at the end of first round as the Briton was left doing the catch-up job.
Thapa clinched five points to his opponent's two in the next round to take 10-3 lead after the second round. The Indian never let his opponent off the hook and sealed the bout 14-4 with four points to his opponent's one in the final round.
In the summit clash, Thapa will meet Cuban Robeisy Eloy Ramirez who beat Dawid Michelus of Poland 3-1 in the other semi-final. Ramirez had beaten Thapa in the final of the World Youth Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in May.
World youth champion Vikas Krishan, however, lost his 60kg semi-final bout 3-4 to Lithuania's Evaldas Petrauskas.
Vikas, who had beaten Petrauskas in the World Youth Championships final, went neck and neck with his opponent 1-1 and 2-2 after the first two rounds only to lose in the final round.
Vikas though will get a chance to clinch a bronze as he will fight the other losing semi-finalist Daniel Echeverria of Mexico on Monday.
The losing semi-finalists do not get bronze automatically in the Youth Olympics and they will have to fight out for the medal.
The Indians cut a sorry figure in athletics too. Kuldeep Kumar finished ninth in boys 10,000m walk final while Indrajeet Patel was 11th in boys 3000m race final.
In men's 10m Air Rifle shooting final, Navdeep Singh Rathore finished eighth with a score of 685.5 (587+98.5). He had a series of 96, 98, 100, 97, 98, 98 in the qualifying round at Singapore Sports School.
Indian paddlers also came up with disappointing performances. Mallika Bhandarkar lost to Mercedes Nagyvaradi of Hungary 2-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 2-11 in women's second stage singles match.
In men's singles, Avik Das lost to Elmurod Holikov of Uzbekistan 7-11, 11-8, 2-11, 14-16, 8-11.
Thapa clinched five points to his opponent's two in the next round to take 10-3 lead after the second round. The Indian never let his opponent off the hook and sealed the bout 14-4 with four points to his opponent's one in the final round.
In the summit clash, Thapa will meet Cuban Robeisy Eloy Ramirez who beat Dawid Michelus of Poland 3-1 in the other semi-final. Ramirez had beaten Thapa in the final of the World Youth Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in May.
World youth champion Vikas Krishan, however, lost his 60kg semi-final bout 3-4 to Lithuania's Evaldas Petrauskas.
Vikas, who had beaten Petrauskas in the World Youth Championships final, went neck and neck with his opponent 1-1 and 2-2 after the first two rounds only to lose in the final round.
Vikas though will get a chance to clinch a bronze as he will fight the other losing semi-finalist Daniel Echeverria of Mexico on Monday.
The losing semi-finalists do not get bronze automatically in the Youth Olympics and they will have to fight out for the medal.
The Indians cut a sorry figure in athletics too. Kuldeep Kumar finished ninth in boys 10,000m walk final while Indrajeet Patel was 11th in boys 3000m race final.
In men's 10m Air Rifle shooting final, Navdeep Singh Rathore finished eighth with a score of 685.5 (587+98.5). He had a series of 96, 98, 100, 97, 98, 98 in the qualifying round at Singapore Sports School.
Indian paddlers also came up with disappointing performances. Mallika Bhandarkar lost to Mercedes Nagyvaradi of Hungary 2-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 2-11 in women's second stage singles match.
WAYWARD: Zach Davies (R) throws a punch but Shiva Thapa is too quick for the Welsh bantamweight (Singapore Press Holdings)
The 18-year-old Davies was outclassed 14-4 by India's Shiva Thapa, but was up against it from the first bell with some questionable judging not helping his cause.
In what appeared a closely fought first round, the judges awarded it 5-1 in favour of Thapa, ensuring Davies had a mountain to climb in Singapore.
"I am pretty disappointed because I would have loved to have got into the final but the guy I fought was a good boy and he boxed well," said Davies.
"I felt like the scoring was a bit off sometimes and he got quite a big lead early on and that made it hard from then.
"He had a four point lead at the end of the first round and I thought that round was quite close really.
"It was a fair result and he deserved to win but it made it very hard for me after the first round because then I had to try and chase it a bit.
"That meant in the final round that he was able to pick me off a bit because I was having to do things that I wouldn't normally do."
Davies always knew he would be hard pushed to overcome Thapa, a world youth silver medallist, as well as Cuba's Robeisy Eloy Ramirez, who beat the Indian boxer to world youth gold.
And Davies is adamant he will quickly forget about Sunday's defeat and focus all his attentions on packing a punch in his bronze medal clash with David Michelus of Poland on Tuesday.
"I have got to put the defeat behind me now and focus on my bronze medal fight on Tuesday and try and come back and fight well in that," he added.
"If I could go home with a bronze medal it would be amazing for me."
As if it were yesterday people at Guwahati had come in large numbers to greet and cheer this humble and shy Gorkha son , who had just won a bronze medal at World Junior Boxing Championship 2009 held at Armenia.When asked by Gorkha Times correspondent Nanda Kirati Dewan what he wanted to become when he was a child, Shiva Thapa said,"I was born to be a boxer". Since then Shiva Thapa who idolizes Md Ali and Mike Tyson has never looked back.
Today, at the Youth Olympics he is on the verge of winning gold for India. Shiva has points to settle in the 54 kg category bout against Ramirez Robeisy Eloy at the Youth Olympics as Thapa had lost to the same boxer at World Youth Boxing Championship in May. Since his loss with Ramirez, Shiva Thapa has trained very hard at Pune and Mumbai and this time he's confident of winning.
India waits anxiously for a gold from this 'Gorkha son'. Go Shiva Go!Aizawl: As if it were yesterday people at Guwahati had come in large numbers to greet and cheer this humble and shy Gorkha son , who had just won a bronze medal at World Junior Boxing Championship 2009 held at Armenia. When asked by Gorkha Times correspondent Nanda Kirati Dewan what he wanted to become when he was a child, Shiva Thapa said,"I was born to be a boxer". Since then Shiva Thapa who idolizes Md Ali and Mike Tyson has never looked back.Today, at the Youth Olympics he is on the verge of winning gold for India. Shiva has points to settle in the 54 kg category bout against Ramirez Robeisy Eloy at the Youth Olympics as Thapa had lost to the same boxer at World Youth Boxing Championship in May.
Since his loss with Ramirez, Shiva Thapa has trained very hard at Pune and Mumbai and this time he's confident of winning.
India waits anxiously for a gold from this 'Gorkha son'. Go Shiva Go!
Aizawl: As if it were yesterday people at Guwahati had come in large numbers to greet and cheer this humble and shy Gorkha son , who had just won a bronze medal at World Junior Boxing Championship 2009 held at Armenia. When asked by Gorkha Times correspondent Nanda Kirati Dewan what he wanted to become when he was a child, Shiva Thapa said,"I was born to be a boxer". Since then Shiva Thapa who idolizes Md Ali and Mike Tyson has never looked back.
Today, at the Youth Olympics he is on the verge of winning gold for India. Shiva has points to settle in the 54 kg category bout against Ramirez Robeisy Eloy at the Youth Olympics as Thapa had lost to the same boxer at World Youth Boxing Championship in May.
Since his loss with Ramirez, Shiva Thapa has trained very hard at Pune and Mumbai and this time he's confident of winning.
India waits anxiously for a gold from this 'Gorkha son'. Go Shiva Go!
Aizawl: As if it were yesterday people at Guwahati had come in large numbers to greet and cheer this humble and shy Gorkha son , who had just won a bronze medal at World Junior Boxing Championship 2009 held at Armenia. When asked by Gorkha Times correspondent Nanda Kirati Dewan what he wanted to become when he was a child, Shiva Thapa said,"I was born to be a boxer". Since then Shiva Thapa who idolizes Md Ali and Mike Tyson has never looked back.
Today, at the Youth Olympics he is on the verge of winning gold for India. Shiva has points to settle in the 54 kg category bout against Ramirez Robeisy Eloy at the Youth Olympics as Thapa had lost to the same boxer at World Youth Boxing Championship in May.
Since his loss with Ramirez, Shiva Thapa has trained very hard at Pune and Mumbai and this time he's confident of winning.
India waits anxiously for a gold from this 'Gorkha son'. Go Shiva Go!
Aizawl: As if it were yesterday people at Guwahati had come in large numbers to greet and cheer this humble and shy Gorkha son , who had just won a bronze medal at World Junior Boxing Championship 2009 held at Armenia. When asked by Gorkha Times correspondent Nanda Kirati Dewan what he wanted to become when he was a child, Shiva Thapa said,"I was born to be a boxer". Since then Shiva Thapa who idolizes Md Ali and Mike Tyson has never looked back.
Today, at the Youth Olympics he is on the verge of winning gold for India. Shiva has points to settle in the 54 kg category bout against Ramirez Robeisy Eloy at the Youth Olympics as Thapa had lost to the same boxer at World Youth Boxing Championship in May.
Since his loss with Ramirez, Shiva Thapa has trained very hard at Pune and Mumbai and this time he's confident of winning.
India waits anxiously for a gold from this 'Gorkha son'. Go Shiva Go!
Hill stream swerves, floods Dooars park- Town spared as water breaches bank and gurgles into garden
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| (From top) The park in Malbazar under water; schoolchildren walk in the rain; a Malda street; and a rain-lashed road in Darjeeling on Monday. Pictures by Biplab Basak, Kundan Yolmo, Surajit Roy and Suman Tamang |
TT, Siliguri, Aug. 23: A hilly stream flowing along Jalpaiguri’s Malbazar changed course last night and entered a park, moments before foresters shifted the peacocks from an enclosure there.
Heavy rainfall in the hills had fed Shankhinijhora with water, which first inundated the park and then went on to Raja Tea Estate, sparing the Dooars town.
“Around 3.30am, we heard a gurgling sound and saw water from the stream entering the park. Within minutes, the entire park went under water. Just before that, we had shifted the peacocks,” said Prabir Roy, the beat officer of the state forest department which is in charge of the park, 50km from Siliguri. “The stream, after inundating the park, however, continued to head towards the adjacent Raja tea garden, saving Malbazar from inundation. Though it is still raining, water has started receding from the park.”
The rainfall, which was recorded the highest at Neora near Malbazar in the plains , led to the inundation of 30-35 houses at Paschim Tesimla on the outskirts of the town. “The Kumlai river flowing through the area changed its course too and flooded Pashchim Tesimla. Many families have left their homes while some are still trying to salvage some of their belongings before leaving. We have intimated the administration and have asked for relief,” said Amirul Haque, a member of the Malbazar Panchayat Samiti. “There has been a breach in the embankment which needs to be repaired to prevent further inundation or flash floods.”
The rain occurred mostly in the catchment areas of the Teesta, Siliguri and some parts of western Dooars. The North Bengal Flood Control Commission has issued secondary (red) alerts for the unprotected areas on both the banks of the Teesta— from Jalpaiguri till the Bangladesh border. Primary alerts have been sounded on both the banks of the Jaldhaka where it passes under NH31 near Nagrakata. Low-lying areas on the banks of the Teesta in Jalpaiguri are as usual under water with around 300 families moving to safer places.
Met Office sources said there was no indication of a halt in rainfall, at least in the next 48 hours. “The southwest monsoon is hovering over the region, which will cause heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 48 hours,” a Met official said.
According to the Met Office, during the past two and half months, that is from June 1 to August 20, there has been excess rainfall of 31 per cent and 29 per cent in the districts of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. The rain was average in Cooch Behar while it was 25 per cent and 21 per cent less in Malda and South Dinajpur respectively during this period.
The rain, however, did not cause any landslide or landslip in any of the two highways, NH31 and NH31A. Hill Cart Road or NH55 however, continued to remain closed because of rain that has affected repair. It, however, worsened the condition of NH31 and NH31D in the plains, causing traffic congestion that stretched several kilometres.
Doctor shifted
TT, Siliguri, Aug. 23: The government today transferred Sagar Narang, the surgeon who had been indicted by an expert panel probing a doctor-tout nexus at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. The surgeon has also been blamed for Bappa Debnath’s death.
The state directorate of medical education issued an order transferring Narang to the National Medical College, Calcutta.
The step against Narang has come after a three-member inquiry constituted by the NBMCH authorities published its report on May 17 finding the doctor guilty of negligence when Bappa, the victim of doctor-tout nexus, was admitted to the hospital on December 11. The report had been sent to the directorate for taking action against Narang.
On Sunday, the Debnath family filed an FIR against Narang alleging that because of him Bappa was forced to take his life.
“We received an order from S.N. Banerjee, the director of medical education, intimating us that Narang has been transferred to Calcutta National Medical College. The transfer will come to effect soon,” said J.B. Saha, the NBMCH principal.
This afternoon, around 50 Trinamul Congress supporters and relatives and neighbours of Bappa confined Saha and NBMCH superintendent Samir Ghosh Roy for two hours, demanding action on the basis of the inquiry report.
“During the two-hour siege, the principal received a fax from the DME saying that Narang had been debarred from attending duty at the NBMCH. We lifted our gherao at 1.30pm after Saha assured us that the order would be implemented tomorrow. Later, we got to know that Narang’s transfer order had been issued,” Vedabrata Dutta, a Trinamul leader said.
Bappa’s family demanded that penal action be taken against Narang. “We do not consider transfer a punishment. Narang’s guilt has been proved in the inquiry and the DME should take action against him,” said Paresh Chakraborty, Bappa’s relative.
Orange invite for visitors
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| Juicy draw: An orange tree in Miri |
Rajiv Ravidas, Kalimpong, Aug. 23: A fest centered around the luscious juicy fruit, the orange, is expected to be a big draw in December in the far flung hill areas, tour operators feel.
Samsing-Jaldhaka Orange Festival will be held at Samsing Phari, 100km from here, on December 6 and 7.
Although named after a fruit, the fest is likely to offer much more than just a glimpse of the orange orchards found here.
The villagers have formed a committee to oversee the preparations that they intend to fund themselves. An advisory committee comprising representatives of eco-tourism stakeholders in the area, like the Kalimpong division of the West Bengal Forest Development Corporation (WBFDC) and Wildlife Division II has also been formed.
“We will help the villagers with expertise and human resources during the festival. However, we will provide no funds,” said U. Ghosh, divisional manager of WBFDC’s Kalimpong division.
“Over the past few years our revenue generation has reached a saturation point. The overall occupancy rate in our resorts has remained stagnant at about 50 per cent. We want to go beyond that. That is why we are helping to organise this event that will help promote the area as an eco-tourism destination,” said Ghosh.
The fest is named after orange because the fruit is widely grown here.
“The idea is to showcase the culture, livelihood and food habits of these remote villages. The organisers are also planning to bring a cultural troupe from Bhutan to add more flavour to the event,” Ghosh said. They are also trying to invite participants from Sikkim and Nepal for an ethnic fashion parade.
“A quiz, a workshop, a seminar and a mountain bike rally from Lava to Jholung or Paren will also be held during the fest,” he added.
Public school soccer meet- Bhaichung’s TNA hosts
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| Two students of Tashi Namgyal Academy at the entrance of the school in Gangtok. (Prabin Khaling) |
TT, Gangtok, Aug. 23: Tashi Namgyal Academy, where Indian soccer captain Bhaichung Bhutia blossomed as a promising footballer two decades ago, will host the Indian Public Schools’ Conference Football Tournament from September 1.
Established in 1939, the IPSC is a conglomeration of public schools in the country. “The Indian Public School should not be confused with a large number of schools, which liberally adopt ‘Public School’ with its name,” reads a media release of the IPSC. The government of India recognises only such institutions as Public Schools which are members of IPSC, it says.
Currently, 78 public schools, including TNA, are members of the IPSC.
The Gangtok-based school is an autonomous institution established in 1966 by the then Chogyal of Sikkim. The school got into the IPSC list in 1983.
Bhaichung, as a student of Class X, had led TNA to win the IPSC soccer tournament on consecutive occasions in 1990 and 1991. In fact, he had been declared the best player of the tourney at Mayo College, Ajmer, in 1991.
This year, 15 school teams from across the country are participating in the five-day tournament being organised by the TNA faculty and the TNA Alumni Association.
Apart from TNA, the other teams are — Birla Public School (Pilani), Donyi Polo Vidya Bhavan (Itanagar), Mann Public School (Delhi), Modern School (Delhi), Motilal Nehru School of Sports (Sonipat), Phoenix Public School (Karnataka), Raj Kumar College (Rajkot), Sainik School (Goalpara), The Daly College (Indore), Hyderabad Public School (Ramanthapur), Lawrence School (Himachal Pradesh), Scindia School (Gwalior) and Yadavindra Public School (Patiala).
Mann Public School is the defending champion of the ISPC football tournament 2009 hosted by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Baroda, last year.
TNA principal A.C. Rai said the participating teams are scheduled to arrive in Gangtok by August 31 and they will be put up in five hotels in town by the alumni.
“On August 31 evening, an introductory function will be held at TNA where all the participating schools will be introduced. The tournament fixture will also be drawn out in the same evening,” said Rai.
According to tournament technical director Narbu Dadul, who is also the alumni association treasurer, the teams will be divided into five groups. The semi-final will be played on September 4, while the matches for the third place and the final will be held the next day.
“The league matches will be held on the first three days of the tournament,” said Dadul.
The TNA principal said according to the ISPC guidelines, 28 players would be selected from this tournament. “After the tournament, a camp will be held to shortlist 18 of the 28 players to represent the IPSC in the national-level tournament that will be organised by the National School Games Federation of India next month,” he said.
Prachanda loses again- Nepal stalemate continues
The Himalayan Times, KATHMANDU: With Unified CPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML sticking to their guns, the parliament today failed to elect new prime minister for the fifth time. The sixth round of polls will be held on September 5.
Neither Pushpa Kamal Dahal nor Ram Chandra Paudel could garner enough votes to become the next PM even in the fifth round. A candidate should poll at least 300 votes out of 599 to become the PM.
UCPN-M’s Prachanda garnered 246 votes out of 563 votes cast, with 111 NC members voting against him and 206 members belonging to CPN-UML, Madhes-based parties and other fringe parties staying neutral.
NC’s Paudel got 124 votes out of 567 cast votes, with 243 members, including UCPN-M’s 237, voting against him and 200 members belonging to CPN-UML, Madhes-based parties and other fringe parties sitting on the fence.
Parliament’s Business Advisory Committee debated for two hours before deciding the date for next round of polls. “NC wanted a gap of at least two weeks so that the parties could reach consensus. However, the UCPN-M proposed to hold next round of polls within a week,” NC’s chief whip Laxman Ghimire told THT.
PM Madhav Kumar Nepal said after the House meeting: “Either the parties should elect a new PM or let this caretaker government bring the fiscal budget at the earliest.” He said the UML was planning to float a novel proposal and initiate discussions among parties for consensus tomorrow.
IANS, KATHMANDU, 23 AUG: Though Nepal's Maoist guerrillas suffered only one suicidal loss in the course of their 10-year war against the state, their chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda was inflicted an incredible fifth defeat in a row when parliament went to vote today to elect a new Prime Minister.
The former revolutionary, who had won the same election two years ago with thumping majority, failed to garner even simple majority in the 599-seat parliament today. He remained restrained to just 246 votes while his rival, former deputy Prime Minister Mr Ram Chandra Poudel of the Nepali Congress, fared worse with about half of that, 124 votes.
The Maoist chief, who had entered the ring today claiming he could win since he had managed to woo a bloc of four parties from the Terai, which had been sitting neutral earlier, proved to have been deluded as 206 lawmakers abstained from voting, opposing the Maoists' failure to fulfil their peace commitments.
With 111 MPs voting against him, the 55-year-old former Prime Minister could get only 10 votes from outside his party, tantalisingly short of the halfway mark of 300 needed to form the new government.
Though the Maoists are the largest party in parliament with 236 legislators of their own, they have consistently failed to win in five rounds of election as the Terai parties and the communists, two of the four largest groups in parliament, have been sitting neutral all through, reducing the election to a farce. Nepal has been without a government since Prime Minister Mr Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned in June due to intense Maoist pressure.
The Communists, miffed at their candidate being out of the reckoning due to intra-party rivalry, have been sitting on the fence, saying the contestants had refused to heed their demands. The demands, mostly targeted at the Maoists, asked the former rebels to empty their cantonments harbouring nearly 20,000 fighters, dismantle their paramilitary units and return the public property captured during the People's War.
The Terai parties say they will support Prachanda only if he agrees on an autonomous Madhes state in the Terai plains, a demand that has been refused due to fears it will lead to disintegration of the state. Angered by the protracted crisis, the other parties in parliament have threatened they would begin a protest movement and boycott parliament. The continuing impasse caused President Ram Baran Yadav to express concern and ask the parties to create a consensus. A new crisis looms close next month when the tenure of the UN agency helping in the peace process comes to an end.
The UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), which has been monitoring the arms and fighters of the Maoists' People's Liberation Army, faces an uncertain future with the ruling parties and the army saying its tenure should not be extended.
Neither Pushpa Kamal Dahal nor Ram Chandra Paudel could garner enough votes to become the next PM even in the fifth round. A candidate should poll at least 300 votes out of 599 to become the PM.
UCPN-M’s Prachanda garnered 246 votes out of 563 votes cast, with 111 NC members voting against him and 206 members belonging to CPN-UML, Madhes-based parties and other fringe parties staying neutral.
NC’s Paudel got 124 votes out of 567 cast votes, with 243 members, including UCPN-M’s 237, voting against him and 200 members belonging to CPN-UML, Madhes-based parties and other fringe parties sitting on the fence.
Parliament’s Business Advisory Committee debated for two hours before deciding the date for next round of polls. “NC wanted a gap of at least two weeks so that the parties could reach consensus. However, the UCPN-M proposed to hold next round of polls within a week,” NC’s chief whip Laxman Ghimire told THT.
PM Madhav Kumar Nepal said after the House meeting: “Either the parties should elect a new PM or let this caretaker government bring the fiscal budget at the earliest.” He said the UML was planning to float a novel proposal and initiate discussions among parties for consensus tomorrow.
IANS, KATHMANDU, 23 AUG: Though Nepal's Maoist guerrillas suffered only one suicidal loss in the course of their 10-year war against the state, their chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda was inflicted an incredible fifth defeat in a row when parliament went to vote today to elect a new Prime Minister.
The former revolutionary, who had won the same election two years ago with thumping majority, failed to garner even simple majority in the 599-seat parliament today. He remained restrained to just 246 votes while his rival, former deputy Prime Minister Mr Ram Chandra Poudel of the Nepali Congress, fared worse with about half of that, 124 votes.
The Maoist chief, who had entered the ring today claiming he could win since he had managed to woo a bloc of four parties from the Terai, which had been sitting neutral earlier, proved to have been deluded as 206 lawmakers abstained from voting, opposing the Maoists' failure to fulfil their peace commitments.
With 111 MPs voting against him, the 55-year-old former Prime Minister could get only 10 votes from outside his party, tantalisingly short of the halfway mark of 300 needed to form the new government.
Though the Maoists are the largest party in parliament with 236 legislators of their own, they have consistently failed to win in five rounds of election as the Terai parties and the communists, two of the four largest groups in parliament, have been sitting neutral all through, reducing the election to a farce. Nepal has been without a government since Prime Minister Mr Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned in June due to intense Maoist pressure.
The Communists, miffed at their candidate being out of the reckoning due to intra-party rivalry, have been sitting on the fence, saying the contestants had refused to heed their demands. The demands, mostly targeted at the Maoists, asked the former rebels to empty their cantonments harbouring nearly 20,000 fighters, dismantle their paramilitary units and return the public property captured during the People's War.
The Terai parties say they will support Prachanda only if he agrees on an autonomous Madhes state in the Terai plains, a demand that has been refused due to fears it will lead to disintegration of the state. Angered by the protracted crisis, the other parties in parliament have threatened they would begin a protest movement and boycott parliament. The continuing impasse caused President Ram Baran Yadav to express concern and ask the parties to create a consensus. A new crisis looms close next month when the tenure of the UN agency helping in the peace process comes to an end.
The UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), which has been monitoring the arms and fighters of the Maoists' People's Liberation Army, faces an uncertain future with the ruling parties and the army saying its tenure should not be extended.
5 killed in school poll political clash
Kabita Mahati, TNN, BEHRAMPORE: A victory rally brought out by a school managing committee sparked a CPM-Congress clash in Ghughupara village in Murshidabad's Islampur on Monday, leaving five persons dead and 15 injured, some of them critically.
There were fears that the toll might increase. The violence occurred barely a kilometre from a police outpost.
Tension began after CPM won all six seats of Paharpur High School's managing committee on Sunday and organised a victory rally. According to locals, some of the participants in the rally ridiculed Congress for failing to win a single seat.
Around 6.30 am on Monday, a group of around 30 armed men — allegedly Congress supporters — attacked Ghughupara and raided a number of houses. Within minutes, it snowballed into a full-fledged clash, which continued for around two hours.
Of the five dead, four were CPM supporters — the party's Islampur zonal committee member Ruhul Amin, 45, and party workers Lal Mohammed, 40, Anarul Sheikh, 34, and Rabiul Sheikh, 37. Congress supporter Barjahan Sheikh alias Dilar Sheikh, too, lost his life.Policemen from the local outpost reached the spot during the clash but villagers said they were heavily outnumbered and failed to do anything. Murshidabad SP B L Meena rushed to the spot with a large police force around noon and "took control of the situation" by arresting 25 people. The violence had ended by then.
The tension is still palpable in the area and most male members of Hurshi, Paharpur and Lochanpur gram panchayat areas have fled home.
IG (law and order) Surajit Kar Purakayastha said the clash was apparently a fallout of the Paharpur High School managing committee election. "The election held on Sunday passed off peacefully. The IG (South Bengal) has gone to the spot," he aded.
There were fears that the toll might increase. The violence occurred barely a kilometre from a police outpost.
Tension began after CPM won all six seats of Paharpur High School's managing committee on Sunday and organised a victory rally. According to locals, some of the participants in the rally ridiculed Congress for failing to win a single seat.
Around 6.30 am on Monday, a group of around 30 armed men — allegedly Congress supporters — attacked Ghughupara and raided a number of houses. Within minutes, it snowballed into a full-fledged clash, which continued for around two hours.
Of the five dead, four were CPM supporters — the party's Islampur zonal committee member Ruhul Amin, 45, and party workers Lal Mohammed, 40, Anarul Sheikh, 34, and Rabiul Sheikh, 37. Congress supporter Barjahan Sheikh alias Dilar Sheikh, too, lost his life.Policemen from the local outpost reached the spot during the clash but villagers said they were heavily outnumbered and failed to do anything. Murshidabad SP B L Meena rushed to the spot with a large police force around noon and "took control of the situation" by arresting 25 people. The violence had ended by then.
The tension is still palpable in the area and most male members of Hurshi, Paharpur and Lochanpur gram panchayat areas have fled home.
IG (law and order) Surajit Kar Purakayastha said the clash was apparently a fallout of the Paharpur High School managing committee election. "The election held on Sunday passed off peacefully. The IG (South Bengal) has gone to the spot," he aded.
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