सीमाना पस्छ भने प्राधिकरण थाप्छौं-डा.हर्कबहादुर छेत्री
मनोज बोगटि, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ,16 फरवरी। आखिरमा मोर्चाले मागेको कुरा पायो भने अन्तरिम प्राधिकरण नै थाप्ने स्पष्ट पार्यो। कुमानीमा केहीदिन अघि राष्ट्रिय मिडियासित कुराकानी गर्दै मोर्चा अध्यक्ष विमल गुरूङले अन्तरिम प्राधिकरणको मुद्दामा मोर्चाको हॉं पनि नरहेको ना पनि नरहेको कुरा गरेर अहिलेसम्म अन्तरिम प्राधिकरण कै दाबीमा मोर्चा रहेको छनक दिएका थिए। विमल गुरूङको यसप्रकारको छनकले फेरि सबैले मोर्चा आन्तरिकरूपले प्राधिकरणमा नै रहेको कुरा बुझेका थिए। आज मोर्चा प्रवक्ता डा.हर्कबहादुर छेत्रीले मोर्चा अध्यक्षको वयानबाट उठेको सबै शंकालाई स्पष्ट पार्दै भने, यदि प्रस्तावित गोर्खाल्याण्डको मानचित्रमा तराई-डुवर्स पस्छ भने, टेरीटोरीबारे सरकारले निर्णय गर्छ भने, कुनै पनि व्यवस्था मान्छौं। तर तोकिएको सीमाना हुनुपर्छ अनि व्यवस्था दुइवर्षको निम्ति हुनुपर्छ।
तिनले किन मोर्चाले सेटअपको च्याप्टर क्लोज गरेको भनेको हो त भन्ने प्रश्नको उत्तर दिँदै भने, 11 पल्टको वार्तामा सीमाङ्कनको निम्ति कमिटी बस्ने तय भएको थियो, यो रेजुलेशनमा राज्य सचिवले पनि हस्ताक्षर गरेका छन्, तर अहिले अशोक भट्टाचार्यले मोर्चाले सीमाङ्कनको कुरै गर्न पाउँदैन भने। यस्तो झुट बोल्छ भने कसरी सम्झौतामा जान सकिन्छ?यसै कारण प्राधिकरणको च्याप्टर क्लोज भनेका हौं। तिनले अझ भने, भोली नै गोर्खाल्याण्ड हुँदैन। गोर्खाल्याण्ड बन्ने प्रक्रिया लामो हुन्छ। यसकारण गोर्खाल्याण्ड पुग्ने दैलो प्राधिकरण हो। यसको निम्ति जे जे पनि सहमति भइसकेको छ, त्यो नभएको जस्तो रवैया बङ्गाल सरकारले देखायो। यसैकारण पनि हो कि मोर्चाले प्राधिकरणको च्याप्टर क्लोज भन्यो। दुइवर्षको निम्ति हुने व्यवस्था, प्रस्तावित गोर्खाल्याण्डको मानचित्रमा दाबी गरेको सीमाना पस्ने स्पष्ट हुन्छ भने, सीमाङ्कनको निम्ति सरकारी निर्णय हुन्छ भने कुनै पनि व्यवस्था मान्नेछौं।
तिनले सिब्सुकाण्डमा जतिले पनि ज्यान गुमाए अनि जति पनि घाइते बने उनीहरूको त्याग सीमाङ्कनकै निम्ति रहेको बताउँदै डा.छेत्रीले भने, एग्रिमेन्टमा जुनजुन बुँदा पुगेको छ, बङ्गालले त्यसलाई नकार्दैछ। यसैकारण च्याप्टर क्लोज भनेका थियौं तर गोर्खाल्याण्ड अहिले नै नबन्ने अनि राज्य गठनको प्रक्रिया लामो हुने भएकोले नै गोर्खाल्याण्ड नै पुग्नको निम्ति जनतालाई प्रचुर सुविधा दिने प्राधिकरणको कुरा मोर्चाले गरेको हो। तर यसमा मोर्चाले दाबी गरेको सबै कुरा हुनुपर्छ। यता मोर्चाको प्राधिकरणको विरोध सबै दलले गरिरहेको छ।
विपक्षको भूमिकामाथि प्रवक्ता छेत्रीले क्रामाकपा बाहेक अरूको अस्तित्व नै नरहेको अनि उनीहरूसित जनता नै नरहेको बताए। तिनले भने, हामी आन्दोलनमा छौं, जङ्गलमा क्याम्प हालेर बसेका छौं, जनता नभएका नेताहरू होटलमा छन्। प्रेस कन्फरेन्स गरेर आन्दोलन गर्दैछन्। तेलङ्गनाको निम्ति कंग्रेसका सांसद, विधायकहरूले राजिनामा दिँदा यता हाम्रा विपक्ष भन्नेहरू सामुहिक आन्दलनको कुरा गर्दै हामीलाई पनि नेता बनाउ भन्दैछन्। उनीहरूलाई केही गर्नु छैन, यता हामीलाई आजभरै पुलिसले उठाउन सक्ने स्थिति छ। यस्ता विपक्षले गरेको विरोधको कुनै अर्थ नै छैन। यता तिनले मोर्चाले विधानसभा चुनाउमा भाग लिने तर आफ्नै प्रतिनिधि दिने वा कसैलाई सघाउनेबारे छलफल गरिने बताए। तिनले भने,जोसित तालमेल मिल्न सक्छ, हाम्रा मागलाई स्वीकार्न सक्छ, जनताको निम्ति धेरै थोक पाउने हो भने कोहीसित पनि सम्झौतामा आउनसक्छौं।
“Without this, tripartite talks to resolve the crisis will be meaningless”
Special correspondent, TH, Kolkata, Feb 16:Even as the bandh called by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha in the Darjeeling hills entered the seventh day on Tuesday, the GJM leadership reasserted that the Centre should give credence to its demand for inclusion of Gorkha-dominated areas in the Terai and Dooars regions in north Bengal within the jurisdiction of any “interim” administrative arrangement that might be under its consideration till, what the GJM describes as the “ultimate solution” — the creation of a separate Gorkhaland State.
“What we are looking for is some kind of declaration from the Centre on the territorial issue without which tripartite talks to resolve the on-going political crisis will be meaningless,” Harka Bahadur Chettri, senior GJM leader and member of the party's central committee, told The Hindu over telephone from the Kalimpong sub-division.
“Whatever the shape of an interim arrangement, there should be an announcement of — as earlier agreed on — the setting up of a joint verification committee comprising members of the Centre, the West Bengal government and the GJM to ascertain which pockets in the Terai and Dooars regions could be included within the territorial jurisdiction of the arrangement,” Dr. Chettri said.
Time for negotiations
“The tenure of such a body should be limited to two years to give us [the GJM] time for further negotiations on the statehood issue,” he added.
The West Bengal government has made clear its opposition to any division of the State.
Only a few days ago, did the GJM leadership reject a draft proposal for an interim set-up for the region, reportedly sent to it by the Centre and which it dismissed as a “non-statement.”
Its views on the matter were communicated to the Centre's interlocutor Lt. Gen. (retd.) Vijay Madan, Dr. Chettri said.
चुनाउ आयोगका टोली कालेबुङमा
मनोज बोगटि, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ,16 फरवरी।चुनाउ आयोगका प्रतिनिधिहरू जाकिर हुसैन अनि बीएस पाण्डेले आज कालेबुङमा परिस्थितिको जायजा लिए। उनीहरू हिजो सॉंझ नै कालेबुङको सर्किट हाउस पुगेका थिए। सर्किट हाउसमा नै रात बिताएपछि टोलीले कालेबुङ नगरमा आएर परिस्थितिको जायजा लिए। उनीहरू मोर्चा प्रतिनिधिहरूसित पनि बसे भने जेएसटीओले टोलीलाई चुनाउ हुनुपर्ने अनि परिस्थिति सामान्य रहेको कुरा जनाए। पत्रकारहरूसितको कुराकानीमा दुवै प्रतिनिधिले भने, कालेबुङमा स्थिति सामान्य नै देख्यौं। बन्द चलिरहेको अवस्थामा यहॉंको परिस्थितिबारे नागरिकहरूसित सोधखोज गर्यौं। यहॉंको परिस्थितिको रिपोर्ट आयोगलाई बुझाइनेछ।
तिनलाई चुनाउ आयोगको निर्देशमा पहाडमा भइरहेको धड़पकड़बारे प्रश्न गर्दा, आयोगले यस्तो कुनै निर्देश नदिएको अनि आफूहरू यहॉंको अवस्था बुझ्न आएको जनाए। नागरिकहरूले बङ्गाल सरकारले सैनिक हालेर पहाड़मा जनतालाई त्रस्त पारेको अनि सरकारी आतङ्क चरममा पुगिसकेको कुरा धेरैले चुनाउ आयोगका प्रतिनिधिहरूलाई बताए। मोर्चाले पनि केही कुरा नगरी बसेकामाथि गोली चलाएर पहाडमा चुनाउको परिस्थिति बङ्गालले बिगारेकोबारे अवगत गराएको मोर्चा प्रवक्ता डा.हर्कबहादुर छेत्रीले जनाए। तिनले भने, बन्दको परिस्थिति पनि बङ्गालले नै बनाएको, मोर्चालाई हिंसामा उतार्न सरकारले चालेको षड़यन्त्र अनि पुलिसबल लगाएर जनतामा आतङ्क उपार्जन गर्ने बङ्गालको रवैयाबारे अवगत गरायौं। तिनले चुनाउ हुनुपर्ने अनि मोर्चाले चुनाउमार्फत नै सबैकुराको समाधान मागेको कुरा पनि चुनाउ आयोगका प्रतिनिधिहरूलाई राखेको पनि जनाए। अहिले पहाड़मा जुन परिस्थिति छ, यो कृतिम हो। चुनाउ हुनुपर्छ-तिनले भने। यता थानामा आज मोर्चाका 444 जना समर्थकहरूले सामुहिक गिरफ्तारी दिएका छन्।
Vivek Chhetri and Abhijit Sinha, TT, Feb. 16: The poll panel’s observer team today said since everybody in the Darjeeling hills wanted an election, there was no basis to think that it could not be held.
Yesterday too, Jibesh Sarkar, a CPM state committee member told the observers in Siliguri: “If elections are held in the hills anytime soon, it would not be possible for us to depute polling agents, booth agents or campaign due to the terror unleashed by the Morcha.”
TT, Jaigaon, Feb. 16: The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad has called an indefinite bandh in the Dooars from tomorrow, the day supporters of Bimal Gurung will march from Sankosh to Kumani.
TT, Siliguri, Feb. 16: An 80-year-old UK steam enthusiast’s wish to relish the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway for the seventh time and snap photos of the Unesco heritage site could not be fulfilled because of the ongoing indefinite strike.
Lawrence Marshall, a writer and photographer of steam railway in India, has come to Siliguri after 18 years, along with three steam enthusiast friends, to take rides on toy trains.
“This is my seventh visit to the DHR but this time I could not get to ride the toy train since there is a strike going on in the Darjeeling hills. It was extreme bad luck that our visit coincided with the strike. Had the situation been otherwise, we had plans to ride a special train from the Siliguri Junction to Tindharia and from Kurseong to Darjeeling. The main purpose of the visit was to take fresh photographs of the stations along the DHR and of course the steam locomotives and other antiquities to add to my collection,” said Marshall.
He had prepared the DHR itinerary much in advance when he had been invited to attend the annual conference of the Indian Steam Railway Society (ISRS) — an association of steam enthusiasts most of whom are retired officials of the Indian Railways.
The conference was held at the National Railway Museum in Delhi where Marshall spoke on his recently released book, Indian Steam Broad Gauge Remembered, on February 12.
“We had got an inkling of the situation here from ISRS members but still didn’t change our itinerary in the hope that the situation might get normal while we are here,” said Marshall, who hails from Sussex in south east England. He arrived in Siliguri on February 14.
Marshall has been visiting India since 1970 and has a keen interest in the narrow, meter and broad gauge railways in the country. After retiring from a bank in 1987, he has devoted his time photographing and writing about different rails in the world. Indian Railways was always his favourite.
He has visited India 27 times and has taken over 50,000 photographs and shot three extensive documentaries on the last days of steam railways in India back in 1993-1994.
“I have photographed and shot almost all the railways in India from the broad, narrow and meter gauges to the tracks in the sugar industry. In the documentaries, I wanted to capture the last days of steam locomotives in India. These are incredible antiquities and should be valued,” said the writer.
Apart from Indian Steam Broad Gauge Remembered, he has penned two other books:India Steam Narrow Gauge Remembered and Indian Steam Meter Gauge Remembered. All the three types of rail are illustrated with photos taken from 1970 to 1994 in the books.
“Although my fascination for steam locomotives was there since childhood, the credit for my tryst with the Indian Railways goes to an Indian doctor who was one of my clients at the bank. The doctor’s sister was the deputy headmistress at Mount Hermon. Once he invited me to India. I accepted it and visited the country for the first time in 1970. That’s how the disease of fascination for Indian steam locomotives got me and it got worse and worse with each of my visits to India,” said Marshall.
>During his two-day stay in Siliguri, Marshall and his three friends had to be satisfied with taking photographs of steam locomotives at the loco shed in Siliguri Junction. “But we expect to have a better luck when we visit Darjeeling next,” said Marshall.
Yesterday, the members of the DHR India Support Group — the Indian chapter of the UK-based Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society — screened the steam enthusiast’s three documentaries at a hotel here.
“In future, I plan to contribute all my photographs, negatives, prints and slides to the Indian Railways. I hope they will accept and preserve them,” said Marshall.
The four left Siliguri for Chennai today.
Degree students in exam form fiasco
VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, Feb. 16: Hill students appearing for degree examinations under North Bengal University have not been able to fill up their forms for the test though the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha claimed that it has announced bandh relaxation for all exam-related work.
Most of the hill colleges have not opened their offices where the forms will be filled, seemingly unaware of the Morcha relaxation. Other institutions claimed that they were not sure about what would happen to outstation students who came to fill up the forms: where they would put up and if the paying guest accommodations where they usually stay would be ready to take them in during the strike.
“We are not aware of the details of the relaxation. We are not sure whether we should open the offices or not,” said a college teacher.
Students of the 13 hill colleges, appearing for Part I, II and III degree examinations tentatively scheduled for April, are expected to fill up their forms between February 15 and 21.
Nima Sherpa, spokesperson for the Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarathi Morcha, the students’ wing of the party, blamed the colleges for not taking enough initiative. “We have already announced a relaxation to all examination related work and if colleges face any problem they can contact us. However, most of the principals and the staff are out of station and reluctant to attend work, using the strike as an excuse.”
Sherpa said any teacher or student who has to travel to fill up forms could always use “on exam duty” stickers on the vehicles.
“Despite several announcements in this regard, most of the colleges are unwilling to open the institutions. If the students do not get enough time to fill up their forms then the colleges must be accountable,” said Sherpa.
The Vidyarathi Morcha also said if the colleges faced further problems, they should approach the university to extend the last date — February 21 — for filling up the forms.
Sources said the NBU under-graduate council was meeting on Monday to discuss the problems faced by the hill colleges.
“We have already written to the North Bengal University authorities requesting extension (of the date to fill up the forms). We need to be doubly sure that there will be no harassment if we open the office,” said Father George, principal of St Joseph’s College (North Point).
“There are also a lot of factors. Where will the students stay as some have to come from places like Sikkim and Bhutan? Will the paying guest people accommodate them during the strike period? Will the students be assured of harassment-free travel? These are some issues,” said Father George.
The principal, however, added that since he had heard about the Morcha assurance he would definitely reopen the offices to fill up the forms from tomorrow.
Lobsang Gyaltsen Bhutia, the teacher in charge of Darjeeling Government College, said: “It would be better if the students’ wing (of the Morcha) had intimated us in writing. This would help us a lot.”
Bison kills one
TT, Jaigaon: The owner of a jewellery shop in Malbazar was gored to death by a bison near Khunia More on NH31C on Wednesday. Police said Gopichand Sonar, 45, was returning home on his motorcycle when the animal attacked him. He was taken to the block hospital at Sulkapara from where he was referred to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. Police said he died on the way.
Sikkim Two make it to NE Super Star final
Gangtok, Feb. 16:Two youths from Sikkim have secured final berths in a talent hunt contest organised by the North East Council.
While 24-year-old Remanti Rai has qualified for the singing event, Robin Mukhia, 20, will be competing in the dance category in the finals of Northeast Ke Super Star.
The duo will compete with 14 others at the grand finale of the show that is scheduled to be telecast live from Guwahati in April.
The semi-final was held in Guwahati on February 8 after which two contestants each from the seven Northeastern states and Sikkim were selected as the finalists.
“Ten participants from Sikkim, five each in dancing and singing, had been selected for the contest after the auditions were held here in Gangtok last December,” said Remanti from Rhenock in East Sikkim.
The Sikkim contingent along with the other participants had gone to Guwahati in the second week of January to take part in the next round.
At each round the singers had to croon in local language and in Hindi while each dancer had to perform a local and a Hindi number.
“After the elimination rounds all 10 of us qualified for the semi-finals. All ten of us were placed in one group out of which two of us, one in singing and the other in dancing, were selected for the grand finale,” said Remanti.
“We both were declared state champs and received Rs 25,000 each from the organisers,” Remanti added.
Remanti and Robin returned to Sikkim yesterday.
A television crew will be shooting their profile and interviewing their parents, friends and well-wishers here later this week.
All’s well for polls in hills, says EC team -Peaceful but not normal: Rakesh
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| Sudhir Kumar Rakesh (centre) in Darjeeling on Wednesday. Picture by Suman Tamang |
“When everybody, every section of the people is saying that elections should be held, what is the basis of thinking why elections cannot be held,” Sudhir Kumar Rakesh, the chief electoral officer of Bihar leading the six-member team sent by the Election Commission, told journalists in Darjeeling.
The Left Front, in a letter submitted to the election commission in Delhi, had said: “Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has unleashed a reign of terror in the name of agitation for a separate Gorkhaland state”.
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| Rakesh in Darjeeling on Wednesday. (Suman Tamang) |
Asked specifically about the CPM’s complaints, Rakesh said: “Some people said they have problems (about holding election in the hills) but none have said that election should not be held.”
In fact, Udaymani Pradhan, who led a delegation of “concerned citizens from Darjeeling”, said after a meeting with the EC team that the observers had “categorically told us during the interaction, that they are convinced that elections can be held in the hills”.
Even though Rakesh maintained that “matters of opinion and assessment” could only be shared with the election commissioner, there was a general feeling that the team was satisfied and that conditions were conducive to hold elections even though normality was yet to return.
In Siliguri, Rakesh said: “During our trip, we never had any feeling that the polls could not be held. The situation, as we have seen, is peaceful there but lacks normalcy. There had been no problems during our visit. “People from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha have met us and their submission was that they have resorted to a peaceful agitation over their demand and have been victimised. They have also expressed eagerness to see that free and fair polls are being held in the hills like other parts of Bengal.”
The team, which split into three groups and toured the Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong sub-divisions, also interacted with the local people and sought their opinions on the elections. “The majority of the people said elections can be held peacefully but there were a few from Monteviot and Panighatta (in Kurseong) who said democracy had to be first restored before elections could be held in the hills,” said a source.
The Kurseong team of observers interacted with the local people at Monteviot tea garden, Chilaunadhura, Longview and Panighatta.
“All of them have insisted that elections should be held in time. Most of them have said they were not facing any problem in the hills while some have expressed apprehensions and articulated certain complaints. We have exchanged notes among ourselves, and soon, our report would be tabled before the EC,” Rakesh said.
In certain tea gardens of Kurseong, sources said, GNLF leaders told the visiting team that in the present situation they could not contest the elections or launch pre-poll campaigns.
The team, sources said, collected details, including news clippings and photographs of the Morcha camp set up by party president Bimal Gurung at Kumani on the Dooars border. They have been also apprised of the police firing at Sibchu, 7km from Kumani.
Rakesh said so far there is no schedule to visit the other districts of the region. “We had been here to check out the situation in the hills and will soon complete our assessment. Right now, there is no schedule or decision to visit the other districts of north Bengal,” he said.
EC team finds Hills’ situation bad, but not grave for poll
SNS, DARJEELING, 16 FEB: The special team of observers sent by the Election Commission to assess the law and order situation in the Hills is poised to give a positive nod despite the dissenting views presented by the ruling CPI-M and the Opposition parties in the Hills. After talking to the cross-sections of the common people and the political parties, Mr Sudhir Kumar Rakesh today hinted that the situation was bad, but not grave enough to postpone the democratic engagement in the Hills.
A two-member team comprising Bihar's chief electoral officer, Mr Sudhir Kumar Rakesh and the deputy inspector general of Orissa's armed police, Mr PS Ranpise arrived in the Hills last night. A GJMM delegation led by central committee member, Mr Jyoti Kumar Rai met the EC observers last night. Mr Rai sounded positive on the matter, saying that the majority of the people in the Hills were favouring elections.
Mr Rakesh said that he would send the report to the chief election commissioner in New Delhi soon.
Apart from the GJMM, an AIGL delegation by a senior leader, Mr Pratap Khati met the EC officials in Kalimpong last night. According to Mr Khati, they submitted a deputation to the officials attesting with it a copy of the FIR lodged in the Madan Tamang murder case. “We also provided them with a list containing one thousand names involving those who have been displaced from Kalimpong in the wake of the GJMM-sponsored violence. We tried to bring home the point that the elections if held in May along with the rest of the state would be reduced to a travesty of democracy with the GJMM out to gag dissenting voice,” he said.
“We also demanded immediate transfer of those officials whose wives are associated with the GJMM women affiliate. Besides, the GJLF chief, Mr Subash Ghising and the party MLA from Kurseong, Mrs Shanta Chhetri must be allowed to return to the Hills to participate in the electioneering,” the AIGL leader said. The EC observers have left the Hills for Siliguri accompanied by district magistrate, Mr MK Gandhi, the district superintendent of police, Mr DP Singh and several other officials today. “We would interact with the common people on our way back to Siliguri to gauge the collective mood of the people regarding the feasibility of elections in the hilly terrain,” said Mr Rakesh before leaving Darjeeling.
EC team finds Hills’ situation bad, but not grave for poll
SNS, DARJEELING, 16 FEB: The special team of observers sent by the Election Commission to assess the law and order situation in the Hills is poised to give a positive nod despite the dissenting views presented by the ruling CPI-M and the Opposition parties in the Hills. After talking to the cross-sections of the common people and the political parties, Mr Sudhir Kumar Rakesh today hinted that the situation was bad, but not grave enough to postpone the democratic engagement in the Hills.
A two-member team comprising Bihar's chief electoral officer, Mr Sudhir Kumar Rakesh and the deputy inspector general of Orissa's armed police, Mr PS Ranpise arrived in the Hills last night. A GJMM delegation led by central committee member, Mr Jyoti Kumar Rai met the EC observers last night. Mr Rai sounded positive on the matter, saying that the majority of the people in the Hills were favouring elections.
Mr Rakesh said that he would send the report to the chief election commissioner in New Delhi soon.
Apart from the GJMM, an AIGL delegation by a senior leader, Mr Pratap Khati met the EC officials in Kalimpong last night. According to Mr Khati, they submitted a deputation to the officials attesting with it a copy of the FIR lodged in the Madan Tamang murder case. “We also provided them with a list containing one thousand names involving those who have been displaced from Kalimpong in the wake of the GJMM-sponsored violence. We tried to bring home the point that the elections if held in May along with the rest of the state would be reduced to a travesty of democracy with the GJMM out to gag dissenting voice,” he said.
“We also demanded immediate transfer of those officials whose wives are associated with the GJMM women affiliate. Besides, the GJLF chief, Mr Subash Ghising and the party MLA from Kurseong, Mrs Shanta Chhetri must be allowed to return to the Hills to participate in the electioneering,” the AIGL leader said. The EC observers have left the Hills for Siliguri accompanied by district magistrate, Mr MK Gandhi, the district superintendent of police, Mr DP Singh and several other officials today. “We would interact with the common people on our way back to Siliguri to gauge the collective mood of the people regarding the feasibility of elections in the hilly terrain,” said Mr Rakesh before leaving Darjeeling.
No Gorkhaland-Pranab Mukherjee
KalimNews: Speaking to Roshan Giri and Dr RB Bhujel Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister said that GJM should be satisfied with Interim Set up and Gorkhaland is not possible. GJM leaders met Mukherjee at his Kolkata official quarter. Giri also offered GJM's possible support to Congress-TMC for the forthcoming election. Mukherjee in reply said that INC in now busy with the budget, it may think over the matter afterwards but the proposal is acceptable TMC-INC coalition election.
Meanwhile ABAVP has called an indefinite bandh in Dooars from today, 17th February. ALl police stations have been cautioned to stall the proposed Padyatra of GJM.
Condition of two hunger strikers Binda lama 29 and Nirmala Diyali 59 is deteriorating at Bagrakote. Other participants of the fast unto death Dipa Tamang 32, Mamta Chhetri 35 and Devi Banori 42 are normal.Till yesterday no health staff were deputed for the demonstrators. Bandh called in Dooars to scuttle march
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| Morcha members queue up in front of Darjeeling Sadar police station to court arrest on Wednesday. (Suman Tamang) |
With the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha vowing to carry on with the march, the Jalpaiguri district administration has put all police stations in the Dooars on full alert.
The Terai-Dooars regional committee of the Parishad met at Banarhat today to discuss the Morcha’s plan to carry on with the march tomorrow in a bid to stake a claim to the Dooars and the Terai in the proposed state of Gorkhaland.
“We have decided to declare a bandh in the Dooars from tomorrow. All institutions and establishments, even tea gardens, will be under the purview of the bandh for an indefinite period. The Morcha’s plan to hold the padayatra is nothing but a ploy to create trouble in the otherwise peaceful region. We cannot allow that to happen,” said John Barla, the president of the Terai-Dooars regional committee.
Barla said garden workers would take to the streets to prevent the Morcha from carrying out the march. “We had made several written appeals to the administration not to grant permission to the march. We are hopeful that the administration will prevent them from vitiating the peace in the area. Otherwise, we will take to the streets,” said Tezkumar Toppo, a president of the Parishad who chaired the meeting.
The Parishad had written to the district administration yesterday that it would call a bandh from February 17 to 27 to protest the Morcha march.
The vice-president of the Morcha central committee, Kalyan Dewan, termed the bandh call a gambit by the CPM and the government to prevent his party from carrying out their “peaceful and democratic movement”.
Gurung has been camping at Kumani since January 19 after being prevented from entering the Dooars. Following the police firing at Sibchu on February 8, he announced that Morcha supporters in the Dooars would start marching from several places towards Kumani on February 17. The marches would culminate with a rally at Kumani on February 27.
“The CPM has been depriving and exploiting the people of the Dooars, regardless of their community. We are fighting for the democratic rights of the people of the region, be it Adivasis, Nepalis, Bengalis or Biharis. We hope that our march, that will take place as announced, will be supported by one and all,” said Dewan.
The Morcha also asked the administration not to fall prey to the CPM-led government’s machinations. “I appeal to police and the administration not to look through the glasses the CPM is wearing and judge the situation without any bias. Please allow our democratic movement to take place and not be provoked by politics,” said Dewan.
Jalpaiguri police chief Anand Kumar said all police stations in the Dooars had been put on maximum alert. “The Morcha has not approached us for permission to take out marches and Section 144 is still in force. We are keeping a close watch on the situation,” said Kumar.
Asok's grim assessment of Hills situation explained
Bbappaditya Paul, SNS, KOLKATA, 16 FEB: Incidental it might be, but the state urban development minister and CPI-M leader Mr Asok Bhattacharya is likely to gain electoral benefit in terms of his Assembly seat from the latest spate of unrest perpetrated by the GJMM in the Darjeeling Hills. Ironically, this is despite the fact that the GJMM considers Mr Bhattacharya ~ the sitting MLA from Siliguri ~ to be its enemy number one.
The prospective gain for the CPI-M strongman stems from a remarkable rise in the Bengali parochial sentiment in Siliguri and the adjoining areas that has surfaced as a counter to the Gorkhaland statehood demand in the Hills being led by the GJMM. The more the unrest in the Hills, the more benefit is likely to accrue to Mr Bhattacharya in electoral terms.
It's no surprise, therefore, that the urban development minister is doing his best to project the unrest in the Hills as “grimmer than the situation in Lalgarh and Netai” and even going to the extent of saying that “election is not possible in the Hills in the present scenario” despite the embarrassment this caused to his party which is being buffeted by allegations of a law and order breakdown in all parts of Bengal.
The self-styled strongman's stand, however, would not have been the same had the Siliguri Assembly constituency ~ his home turf ~ not been part of the delimitation exercise leaving out Nepali-dominated Mirik. Post-delimitation, the Siliguri Assembly constituency is now confined within the limits of the Siliguri town ~ to be specific, between wards number 1 and 30 and 45 to 47 of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation. Barring ward number 1 and 47 that has some ethnic Nepali population; the rest are dominated by Bengalis, followed by sizeable numbers from the Bihari and Marwari communities.
The sentiment of these "plains people" seems, by all indications, to be overwhelmingly against the GJMM and the Gorkhaland agitation. Just before the poll, much to the benefit of Mr Bhattacharya, the feeling is now getting stronger, thanks to the recent unrest in the Darjeeling Hills and the Dooars, and his ilk have left no stone unturned in whipping up parochial sentiment to consolidate this "gain".
The very next day after the 8 February violence in the Dooars and the Hills, the CPI-M was quick to bring-out a "peace rally" in Siliguri ostensibly against the unrest. In fact, in 2008, it were the pro-CPI-M intellectuals in Siliguri, who floated the first anti-Gorkhaland body ~ “Jana Jagaran Mancha” ~ in the plains. Its founder members included pro-Asok figures such as Mr Haren Ghosh, Mr Malay Karanjai and others. The CPI-M's links exposed by their presence, these intellectuals later distanced themselves from the anti-Gorkhaland body but not before others took up the slack.
The anti-GJMM sentiment is now quite prominent in Siliguri with a number of new outfits vigorously taking up the cause. The last thing Mr Bhattacharya will want is to see the anti-GJMM/Gorkhaland sentiment abate, at least not before the crucial state Assembly poll in which his seat too is at stake.
Asok's grim assessment of Hills situation explained
Bbappaditya Paul, SNS, KOLKATA, 16 FEB: Incidental it might be, but the state urban development minister and CPI-M leader Mr Asok Bhattacharya is likely to gain electoral benefit in terms of his Assembly seat from the latest spate of unrest perpetrated by the GJMM in the Darjeeling Hills. Ironically, this is despite the fact that the GJMM considers Mr Bhattacharya ~ the sitting MLA from Siliguri ~ to be its enemy number one.
The prospective gain for the CPI-M strongman stems from a remarkable rise in the Bengali parochial sentiment in Siliguri and the adjoining areas that has surfaced as a counter to the Gorkhaland statehood demand in the Hills being led by the GJMM. The more the unrest in the Hills, the more benefit is likely to accrue to Mr Bhattacharya in electoral terms.
It's no surprise, therefore, that the urban development minister is doing his best to project the unrest in the Hills as “grimmer than the situation in Lalgarh and Netai” and even going to the extent of saying that “election is not possible in the Hills in the present scenario” despite the embarrassment this caused to his party which is being buffeted by allegations of a law and order breakdown in all parts of Bengal.
The self-styled strongman's stand, however, would not have been the same had the Siliguri Assembly constituency ~ his home turf ~ not been part of the delimitation exercise leaving out Nepali-dominated Mirik. Post-delimitation, the Siliguri Assembly constituency is now confined within the limits of the Siliguri town ~ to be specific, between wards number 1 and 30 and 45 to 47 of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation. Barring ward number 1 and 47 that has some ethnic Nepali population; the rest are dominated by Bengalis, followed by sizeable numbers from the Bihari and Marwari communities.
The sentiment of these "plains people" seems, by all indications, to be overwhelmingly against the GJMM and the Gorkhaland agitation. Just before the poll, much to the benefit of Mr Bhattacharya, the feeling is now getting stronger, thanks to the recent unrest in the Darjeeling Hills and the Dooars, and his ilk have left no stone unturned in whipping up parochial sentiment to consolidate this "gain".
The very next day after the 8 February violence in the Dooars and the Hills, the CPI-M was quick to bring-out a "peace rally" in Siliguri ostensibly against the unrest. In fact, in 2008, it were the pro-CPI-M intellectuals in Siliguri, who floated the first anti-Gorkhaland body ~ “Jana Jagaran Mancha” ~ in the plains. Its founder members included pro-Asok figures such as Mr Haren Ghosh, Mr Malay Karanjai and others. The CPI-M's links exposed by their presence, these intellectuals later distanced themselves from the anti-Gorkhaland body but not before others took up the slack.
The anti-GJMM sentiment is now quite prominent in Siliguri with a number of new outfits vigorously taking up the cause. The last thing Mr Bhattacharya will want is to see the anti-GJMM/Gorkhaland sentiment abate, at least not before the crucial state Assembly poll in which his seat too is at stake.
Strike derails toy train photo ride
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| Lawrence Marshall (second from left) with his friends in Siliguri on Tuesday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo |
Lawrence Marshall, a writer and photographer of steam railway in India, has come to Siliguri after 18 years, along with three steam enthusiast friends, to take rides on toy trains.
“This is my seventh visit to the DHR but this time I could not get to ride the toy train since there is a strike going on in the Darjeeling hills. It was extreme bad luck that our visit coincided with the strike. Had the situation been otherwise, we had plans to ride a special train from the Siliguri Junction to Tindharia and from Kurseong to Darjeeling. The main purpose of the visit was to take fresh photographs of the stations along the DHR and of course the steam locomotives and other antiquities to add to my collection,” said Marshall.
He had prepared the DHR itinerary much in advance when he had been invited to attend the annual conference of the Indian Steam Railway Society (ISRS) — an association of steam enthusiasts most of whom are retired officials of the Indian Railways.
The conference was held at the National Railway Museum in Delhi where Marshall spoke on his recently released book, Indian Steam Broad Gauge Remembered, on February 12.
“We had got an inkling of the situation here from ISRS members but still didn’t change our itinerary in the hope that the situation might get normal while we are here,” said Marshall, who hails from Sussex in south east England. He arrived in Siliguri on February 14.
Marshall has been visiting India since 1970 and has a keen interest in the narrow, meter and broad gauge railways in the country. After retiring from a bank in 1987, he has devoted his time photographing and writing about different rails in the world. Indian Railways was always his favourite.
He has visited India 27 times and has taken over 50,000 photographs and shot three extensive documentaries on the last days of steam railways in India back in 1993-1994.
“I have photographed and shot almost all the railways in India from the broad, narrow and meter gauges to the tracks in the sugar industry. In the documentaries, I wanted to capture the last days of steam locomotives in India. These are incredible antiquities and should be valued,” said the writer.
Apart from Indian Steam Broad Gauge Remembered, he has penned two other books:India Steam Narrow Gauge Remembered and Indian Steam Meter Gauge Remembered. All the three types of rail are illustrated with photos taken from 1970 to 1994 in the books.
“Although my fascination for steam locomotives was there since childhood, the credit for my tryst with the Indian Railways goes to an Indian doctor who was one of my clients at the bank. The doctor’s sister was the deputy headmistress at Mount Hermon. Once he invited me to India. I accepted it and visited the country for the first time in 1970. That’s how the disease of fascination for Indian steam locomotives got me and it got worse and worse with each of my visits to India,” said Marshall.
>During his two-day stay in Siliguri, Marshall and his three friends had to be satisfied with taking photographs of steam locomotives at the loco shed in Siliguri Junction. “But we expect to have a better luck when we visit Darjeeling next,” said Marshall.
Yesterday, the members of the DHR India Support Group — the Indian chapter of the UK-based Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society — screened the steam enthusiast’s three documentaries at a hotel here.
“In future, I plan to contribute all my photographs, negatives, prints and slides to the Indian Railways. I hope they will accept and preserve them,” said Marshall.
The four left Siliguri for Chennai today.
Degree students in exam form fiasco
VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, Feb. 16: Hill students appearing for degree examinations under North Bengal University have not been able to fill up their forms for the test though the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha claimed that it has announced bandh relaxation for all exam-related work.
Most of the hill colleges have not opened their offices where the forms will be filled, seemingly unaware of the Morcha relaxation. Other institutions claimed that they were not sure about what would happen to outstation students who came to fill up the forms: where they would put up and if the paying guest accommodations where they usually stay would be ready to take them in during the strike.
“We are not aware of the details of the relaxation. We are not sure whether we should open the offices or not,” said a college teacher.
Students of the 13 hill colleges, appearing for Part I, II and III degree examinations tentatively scheduled for April, are expected to fill up their forms between February 15 and 21.
Nima Sherpa, spokesperson for the Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarathi Morcha, the students’ wing of the party, blamed the colleges for not taking enough initiative. “We have already announced a relaxation to all examination related work and if colleges face any problem they can contact us. However, most of the principals and the staff are out of station and reluctant to attend work, using the strike as an excuse.”
Sherpa said any teacher or student who has to travel to fill up forms could always use “on exam duty” stickers on the vehicles.
“Despite several announcements in this regard, most of the colleges are unwilling to open the institutions. If the students do not get enough time to fill up their forms then the colleges must be accountable,” said Sherpa.
The Vidyarathi Morcha also said if the colleges faced further problems, they should approach the university to extend the last date — February 21 — for filling up the forms.
Sources said the NBU under-graduate council was meeting on Monday to discuss the problems faced by the hill colleges.
“We have already written to the North Bengal University authorities requesting extension (of the date to fill up the forms). We need to be doubly sure that there will be no harassment if we open the office,” said Father George, principal of St Joseph’s College (North Point).
“There are also a lot of factors. Where will the students stay as some have to come from places like Sikkim and Bhutan? Will the paying guest people accommodate them during the strike period? Will the students be assured of harassment-free travel? These are some issues,” said Father George.
The principal, however, added that since he had heard about the Morcha assurance he would definitely reopen the offices to fill up the forms from tomorrow.
Lobsang Gyaltsen Bhutia, the teacher in charge of Darjeeling Government College, said: “It would be better if the students’ wing (of the Morcha) had intimated us in writing. This would help us a lot.”
Bison kills one
TT, Jaigaon: The owner of a jewellery shop in Malbazar was gored to death by a bison near Khunia More on NH31C on Wednesday. Police said Gopichand Sonar, 45, was returning home on his motorcycle when the animal attacked him. He was taken to the block hospital at Sulkapara from where he was referred to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. Police said he died on the way.
Sikkim Two make it to NE Super Star final
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| Robin Mukhia and Remanti Rai in Gangtok on Wednesday. Picture by Prabin Khaling |
While 24-year-old Remanti Rai has qualified for the singing event, Robin Mukhia, 20, will be competing in the dance category in the finals of Northeast Ke Super Star.
The duo will compete with 14 others at the grand finale of the show that is scheduled to be telecast live from Guwahati in April.
The semi-final was held in Guwahati on February 8 after which two contestants each from the seven Northeastern states and Sikkim were selected as the finalists.
“Ten participants from Sikkim, five each in dancing and singing, had been selected for the contest after the auditions were held here in Gangtok last December,” said Remanti from Rhenock in East Sikkim.
The Sikkim contingent along with the other participants had gone to Guwahati in the second week of January to take part in the next round.
At each round the singers had to croon in local language and in Hindi while each dancer had to perform a local and a Hindi number.
“After the elimination rounds all 10 of us qualified for the semi-finals. All ten of us were placed in one group out of which two of us, one in singing and the other in dancing, were selected for the grand finale,” said Remanti.
“We both were declared state champs and received Rs 25,000 each from the organisers,” Remanti added.
Remanti and Robin returned to Sikkim yesterday.
A television crew will be shooting their profile and interviewing their parents, friends and well-wishers here later this week.
The profile and videoes will be telecast along with the duo’s messages to the viewers to vote for them through SMS.
According to Robin, 22 episodes have been prepared by the organisers starting from the auditions to the semi-final round.
“The episodes will be telecast in March till the semi-final round where our appeal for votes will be made. Voting will be open only for two days after the semi-final is telecast,” said Robin.
The duo will leave for Guwahati in the second week of March to prepare for the final event.
Robin, a resident of Tadong, will perform a Sikkimese folk dance and a Hindi item while Remanti will be singing a Nepali folk song along with a Hindi number in the final.
“The competition is tough as every finalist is good and talented. We will be giving our best and we need support from our well-wishers,” Remanti said.
The young singer, who already has two Nepali albums to her credit, said she has gained valuable experience and learnt the value of hard work while participating in the contest.
Robin,who has won many local dancing competitions, believes that his skills have acquired a new imension after taking part in the contest.
The winner in the singing and dancing categories will get Rs 5 lakh each along with a flat in Guwahati, a car and a one-year contract with a music company chosen by the organisers.
Bolly, Tolly stars to bat for charity
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| A hoarding on the match in Siliguri. (Kundan Yolmo) |
TT, Siliguri, Feb.16: Bollywood and Tollywood stars will wield the bat and ball in a T20 cricket match at Kanchenjungha Stadium here on Sunday to raise funds for charity.
Cricket buffs in Siliguri are now gearing up to see actors like Suniel Shetty, Mahima Choudhury, Aftab Shivdasani and Shakti Kapoor confront Bengal’s latest heartthrobs Dev, Kanchan and Jishu on the green top of Kanchenjungha.
The match will be organised by the Siliguri Mahakuma Krira Parishad in association with the Pakurtala Yubak Brinda.
“We are organising the limited over cricket here to raise money to treat four cancer patients and two persons who have renal problems. A portion of the money will be donated to an old age home near Matigara also,” Nantu Pal, the secretary of the Krira Parishad, told journalists here today.
Dino Morea, Prachi Desai, Manoj Tiwari and Rimi Sen will also play for the Bollywood brigade.
“We can confirm that they will represent the Mumbai film industry in the match. Actors from Tollywood also consented to play here,” said Pal. Shrabanti, Soham, Biswanath, Suvashree and Hiron are the other Tollywood players, he added.
The secretary of Krira Parishad, along with members of the Yubak Brinda, visited the ground today to check the arrangements.
Pal said the total budget of the event was estimated to be Rs 70 lakh and each ticket would cost Rs 300. The stadium has 29,000 seats and the organisers hope most of them will be filled by sport lovers on Sunday. The match will begin at 1pm.
Centre nod to advance forces
TT, Calcutta, Feb. 16: The Union home ministry has approved the state government’s request for 100 companies of central forces to be deployed in sensitive zones across Bengal.
“The forces will start arriving from Sunday,” chief secretary Samar Ghosh said.
The state government had made the request earlier this month and the plea was endorsed by the poll panel.
Additional director-general of police (law and order) Surajit Kar Purkayastha said the forces would be deployed in areas affected by violence and political clashes in recent months. They will also be used to intensify the drive to seize illegal arms.
“The state chief electoral officer (Sunil Kumar Gupta) will be consulted on the deployment. The forces will be handled by the district magistrates and the police chiefs of the districts where they will be deployed,” Kar Purkayastha said.
“Every district, except Calcutta, is expected to get around five companies of the forces. The remaining will be kept as backup to tackle incidents of violence,” a senior government official said.
Prof, accused of rape, fraud
TNN, AGARTALA: Police are on the lookout for an assistant professor of Tripura Central University who has been charged with rape, cheating and bigamy. He is reportedly hiding in Darjeeling now. The victim, a student of MBB College, recently filed a case against Sunil Koloy, assistant professor of mass communication. Last Thursday, she also gave a statement to a magistrate under Section 164.
The girl alleged Koloy had promised her marriage and that they had a physical relationship for a long time. But after sometime, he started avoiding her. She found out that Koloy had tied the knot with another girl by the name of Roshni Rai, a history teacher. Koloy had become a regular teacher in the central university only some months ago.
Vice-chancellor Arunaday Saha said, "Koloy was given a show cause notice and asked to reply within 15 days. Legal action will be taken after that."
He added, "The news shocked us. If what we hear is true, it can bring a bad name to the university."
Koloy's wife Roshni, in a statement, said her husband was being framed by the girl. The police learnt this week that Koloy had escaped to West Bengal.
DSP (Central) H M Das said, "First, we got information that he was in Kolkata. But when we contacted the local police there, we were told he was in Darjeeling." In all likelihood, Koloy has gone to his in-law's house there. He is expected to be arrested shortly. Tripura Women's
Commission took strong exception to the case. Its chairperson, Tapati Chakrabarty, asked for proper investigation and said, if necessary, it would also take up the matter.
Centre nod to advance forces
TT, Calcutta, Feb. 16: The Union home ministry has approved the state government’s request for 100 companies of central forces to be deployed in sensitive zones across Bengal.
“The forces will start arriving from Sunday,” chief secretary Samar Ghosh said.
The state government had made the request earlier this month and the plea was endorsed by the poll panel.
Additional director-general of police (law and order) Surajit Kar Purkayastha said the forces would be deployed in areas affected by violence and political clashes in recent months. They will also be used to intensify the drive to seize illegal arms.
“The state chief electoral officer (Sunil Kumar Gupta) will be consulted on the deployment. The forces will be handled by the district magistrates and the police chiefs of the districts where they will be deployed,” Kar Purkayastha said.
“Every district, except Calcutta, is expected to get around five companies of the forces. The remaining will be kept as backup to tackle incidents of violence,” a senior government official said.
Prof, accused of rape, fraud
TNN, AGARTALA: Police are on the lookout for an assistant professor of Tripura Central University who has been charged with rape, cheating and bigamy. He is reportedly hiding in Darjeeling now. The victim, a student of MBB College, recently filed a case against Sunil Koloy, assistant professor of mass communication. Last Thursday, she also gave a statement to a magistrate under Section 164.
The girl alleged Koloy had promised her marriage and that they had a physical relationship for a long time. But after sometime, he started avoiding her. She found out that Koloy had tied the knot with another girl by the name of Roshni Rai, a history teacher. Koloy had become a regular teacher in the central university only some months ago.
Vice-chancellor Arunaday Saha said, "Koloy was given a show cause notice and asked to reply within 15 days. Legal action will be taken after that."
He added, "The news shocked us. If what we hear is true, it can bring a bad name to the university."
Koloy's wife Roshni, in a statement, said her husband was being framed by the girl. The police learnt this week that Koloy had escaped to West Bengal.
DSP (Central) H M Das said, "First, we got information that he was in Kolkata. But when we contacted the local police there, we were told he was in Darjeeling." In all likelihood, Koloy has gone to his in-law's house there. He is expected to be arrested shortly. Tripura Women's
Commission took strong exception to the case. Its chairperson, Tapati Chakrabarty, asked for proper investigation and said, if necessary, it would also take up the matter.
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| A walk in gangtok rain:Monks take cover under umbrellas at MG Marg in Gangtok on a rainy Wednesday. Picture by Prabin Khaling |
Gorkha Gallantry versus Bengal Brutality
Prahar Josh, SIkkim Express:In the state of West Bengal, there is an unfair and shocking tale of two communi¬ties building up for a long time. That the tale is of the Bengali and Gorkha Com¬munities is not a hard con¬jecture to make. The Gorkha community with their territories joined the state of West Bengal hop¬ing that they would pros¬per under their leadership. That the Gorkhas, a politi¬cally and socially back¬ward people did not have the strong leadership re¬quired to vigorously push for a separate Gorkha state is a different story. Ever since the union of the two communities the events have unfolded in a manner that betrays the typical In¬dian majority versus mi¬nority mentality.
The Bengali community, the majority by leaps and bounds progressed onward and the Gorkhas in the Hills and the Dooars be¬came the mere cheering squads singing the praises of their big brothers in the plains. The premier educa¬tional and professional institutes were mushrooming everywhere except in the Gorkha dominated areas. An enumeration of the medical colleges, engi¬neering colleges, manage¬ment institutes and univer¬sities existing in the Darjeeling Hills and the Dooars will tell us why the Gorkhas are still languish¬ing. All the top-notch in¬stitutes are confined to Bengali dominated areas except the British-built age-old institutes, nothing significant happens in these Bengal-forsaken ar¬eas.
The official language being Bengali, non-Bengali speaking people obviously fared poorly in academics and other lan¬guage oriented fields. The result - the administrators. doctors. engineers, advo¬cates and other premium professionals came from the advantaged commu¬nity and the Gorkha and other non-Bengali speak¬ing (Adhivasi) communi¬ties gaped at their seemingly better intellect. If that was not enough, some Bengalis with dubious citi¬zenship (due to their Bangladesh connection) branded Gorkhas as for¬eigners as if the Darjeeling and Kalimpong areas were conquered by the Bengal Maharaj before indepen¬dence. But the Gorkhas somehow showed a tre¬mendous gallantry and grace through these Ben¬gal brutalities.
The re¬peated atrocities against the GJM supporters in West Bengal culminated in the Kumani firing.
On a serious note, let us admit that the Bengal government is one of the funniest governments in the world. They are vehemently and arrogantly opposed to the demand of a separate state for Gorkhas. They say "Bengal cannot be divided" as if their emotional statement is more important than the constitutional provision.The social and political backwardness of the Gorkhas of West Bengal due to their misrule, the Gorkha's cry for rightful identity and many other issues of national importance can be easily suppressed by four magical words "Bengal cannot be divided".
They have never given a constitutionally valid reason to justify their arrogant statement. What is more, even one of the senior most political leaders of national repute, Mr Pranab Mukherjee,from his busy schedule can at least manage a little time to express his anti-Gorkha feeling in solidarity with his Bengali brethren in Writers Building and says "Bengal cannot be divided". But he has no time to justify it. It is their typical arrogance that has made West Bengal what it is today. The Gorkhas will have to continue to bear the brunt of it until the country says. "We have had enough of your
blind arrogance. Bengal will be divided and the country's bravest and yet most downtrodden community Gorkhas will have their Gorkhaland". Sadly, India listens to the Bengalis more than the Gorkhas because the former have a stronger political clout in national politics.
The arrogance or the Bengal government reached its climactic height when the murderous bang of police guns was sounded in Kumani on 8th August, killing three young lives. There is no denying that government is run by mor¬tal beings and mortals are emotionally finite. How¬ever. democratic govern¬ment is ideally more than human It embodies the as¬pirations, hopes and prom¬ises of its citizens and there¬fore there is an onus on it to safeguard them. The gov¬ernment is beyond the bounds of human emo¬tional outbursts. However, the Bengal government has proven itself to be very in¬ferior to what it should be.
The emotional outburst triggered by the resentment of the Gorkhas' demand got the better of their discretion. This is the unrestrained des¬peration, despondency and anguish of a defeated mind. The government's opposi¬tion to the demand is understandable and therefore the resentment against any political activities on the part of GJM is also understandable.
But what can never be under¬stood or forgotten is. 'What was the need for the police to kill the young GJM sup¬porters participating in a peace rally?' How will the history of democratic India present the brutal story of a government mercilessly killing its 'own' young citi¬zens when they came to the streets to cry out for their century old demand? The government's weapons are raised to kill those who are antinational and the enemies but never are they raised to kill innocent citizens.
Among the three young people who were shot dead, two of them were girls named Bimala Rai and Nita Khawas. The boy. Vicky Lama, aged 16, was a minor. Their deaths tell an even more grievous story of the Bengal government's gruesome-ness.The young down¬trodden, hapless children of India were ruthlessly gunned down by their own government just because they wanted a more secure future.
These three young people who had unfulfilled dreams and aspirations had to leave this world cutting short their lives by more than half of a normal life span, for no fault of their own. They are not here now merely because a desperate incumbent political party. Overwhelmed by the bur¬geoning political pressure from the GJM and intimi¬dating onward movement of the arch political rival. 'Trinamool Congress’ lost the plot. They came out to the streets to demand a bet¬ter future and the police sent them to their graves. What else to expect' It hap¬pened in the biggest de¬mocracy of the world and the country was a mute spectator to one of the most merciless killings of its own young citizens.
What appals us even more is the stony and piti¬less gestures of the admin¬istrators following the po¬lice atrocities at Kumani. No word of sympathy to the families of the deceased, no humanitarian gestures whatsoever on the loss of these young lives. They are swaggeringly celebrat¬ing these deaths as if they had killed Pakistani terror¬ists at Kargil. How shame¬less, how sad and how biased! West Bengal's politi¬cal history was tainted with the blood of the nearly 1200 lives that were lost in the 8Os in Darjeeling dur¬ing the GNLF led Gorkhaland movement. With the brutal episodes of Nandigram and Singur and now the brazen Kumani killing, the history is get¬ting even bloodier.
Will the country ever get to know why the WB police could not in a better way ease the situation that erupted at the denial of per¬mission to the GJM support¬ers who wanted to undertake a peaceful "padyatra"? Are they not better equipped or trained to calm down a tense situation without landing bullets on the foreheads of people? Will the country ensure a fair investigation of the incident? Does our country have enough cour¬age to protect the human rights of minority communities? Whether the answers come or not the Gorkhas will do well to hold onto their gallantry. Non-vio¬lence must see them through no matter how bru¬tally and how long they are tested. The Gorkhas who have shown their unbeliev¬able bravery for national security at the boarders must show gallantry for the national pride within the boundaries.
Now, finally can somebody tell me, how can the hapless and helpless Gorkhas live under an ad¬ministration that not only ignores and resents them, but can so easily shoot them to death? Can some¬body explain- if the Gorkhaland demand cannot be achieved through politi¬cal movements how can the Bengal government sup¬press it by killing the sup¬porters of the movements?
praharjosh @ gmail. com
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