Fast-Unto-Death OF GJM started today- day One...Tea gardens may e closed ...विद्युत कार्यालय सिलगढ़ी सार्ने षड़यन्त्र -विरोधमा जकस ... पहाड़बाट पनि पदयात्रा... दायित्वदेखि भाग्ने कि शक्तिशाली रणनीति तयार पार्ने?

Morning Headlines, KalimNews,:Condition of nari morcha protestor Dipa Tamang is deteriorating in Bagrakote. Despite medical team's advice she is determined to take no medicines or any life saving drugs.

The fast-unto death by 10 ex-Gorkha soldiers and 15 Gorkhaland volunteers (GLP) in five different places of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Salugara, Gorubathan entered second day today. Ex-servicemen threatened to launch similar programme in Delhi and also to surrender different war medals they have won so far in defence of the nation to protest.

3 GLP volunteer girls and 2 Ex Servicemen started fast unto death in the premises of Office of the SDO, Kalimpong
Tea gardens may be closed
KalimNews: Tea gardens may be closed and state government will be responsible for that, said Sandip Mukhopadhyay, Secretary of Darjeeling Planters' Association. He said out of 87 Tea gardens Richington and Rangit TE are closed and producing Organic tea and exported about 8 million Kg tea to Germany, France Czechoslovakia, Japan and America. There are 55 thousand regular tea workers and 16 casual workers in these tea gardens. So far the production of these tea gardens have been decreasing to 50 percent due to the agitation in hills and the state government is doing nothing said Mukhopadhyay. 
Refuting the allegation Ashoke Bhattacharya, Civic Minister said that government is doing everything to control the situation and will not tolerate the  export prohibition Fatwa of Morcha. He further said of course the situation will force 75 of the tea estates to close down and thousands to starve from hunger but government will come forward to save the labourers. He blamed GJM to be against the poor tea garden labourers.

जीएलपी र भूपू सैनिकको आमरण अनशन शुरू
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 24 फरवरी।सिब्सुकाण्डमाथि सीबीआई जॉंच हुनुपर्छ। विमल गुरूङलाई डुवर्सको शान्ति पदयात्रा गर्न दिइनुपर्छ अनि तराई-डुवर्सलाई गोर्खाल्याण्डमा अन्तरभुक्त गर्नुपर्छ-यी तीनवटा मागमा मोर्चाले आमरण अनशन शुरू गरेको छ। अनिश्चितकालीन बन्दलाई पूर्णरूपले फिर्ता लिँदै मोर्चाले तयार पारेको नयॉं कार्यक्रम अनुसार नै आज कालेबुङमा पनि जीएलपी अनि भूतपूर्व सैनिक मोर्चाका पॉंच सदस्यीय टोलीले महकुमा अधिकारीको कार्यालय अघि आमरण अनशन शुरू गर्‍यो। अनशनमा भूपू सैनिक मोर्चाका दुइ वृद्ध भूपू मेजर होमसिंह छेत्री(53) अनि भूपू नायक सबीर छेत्री(43) लगायत जीएलपीका रीना मुखिया, सुशिला मुखिया अनि सुविना राई बसेका छन्‌। उनीहरूलाई मोर्चाको स्टडी फोरमका सदस्य डा.आरबी भूजेलले शगुन खुवाइ खदामाला गरेपछि अनशनमा राखियो।

विद्युत कार्यालय सिलगढ़ी सार्ने षड़यन्त्र -विरोधमा जकस
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 24 फरवरी। विद्युत सर्वराह पद्धतिलाई उन्नतशील बनाउने कारण देखाएर पश्चिम बङ्गाल विद्युत सर्वराह निगमले कालेबुङको महकुमा विद्युत कार्यालय अनि योसित सम्बन्धित अन्य कार्यालयहरू सिलगढ़ी स्थानान्तर गर्ने भएको छ। महकुमा अधिकारी एलएन शेर्पाले जनाएअनुसार निगमले कार्यालय स्थानान्तरणको निम्ति 19 फरवरीको दिन नै अधिसूचना जारी गरेको छ। कालेबुङको दश माइलमा विद्युत कार्यालय छ भने यो कार्यालय अनि महकुमा भण्डारण कार्यालयसमेत सिलगढ़ीस्थिति सम्बन्धित विभागको डीई कार्यालयमा स्थानान्तर गर्ने भएको छ। 

विभागको डीई कार्यालय कालेबुङमा छैन, यसैकारण कालेबुङका उपभोक्ता अनि सङ्घ-सङ्गठनहरूले डीई कार्यालय कालेबुङ महकुमामा नै हुनुपर्ने माग गर्दै आइरहेको थियो। यो कार्यालयलाई कालेबुङमा स्थापित गर्नको साटो सिलगढ़ीको डीई कार्यालयमा विद्युत कार्यालय स्थानान्तर गर्ने भएपछि उप्रान्त बिजुली सर्वराह सम्बन्धमा भएको गड़बड़ी अनि असुविधाको उजुरी पनि सिलगढ़ीमा नै गर्नुपर्ने देखिएको छ। यसै समस्यालाई ध्यानमा राख्दै गोर्खा जनमुक्ति कर्मचारी सङ्गठनले निगमको स्थान्तर अधिसूचनाको विरूद्ध कालेबुङ महकुमा अधिकारी एल.एन. शेर्पालाई ज्ञापन चढ़ाएको छ। ज्ञापनमा भनिएको छ कि दार्जीलिङ र खर्साङमा डीई कार्यालय छ, यसरी नै कालेबुङमा पनि डीई कार्यालय स्थापना गरेर बिजुली सर्वराहलाई उन्नतशील बनाइनुपर्छ। 

सङ्गठनका अध्यक्ष खड्कविक्रम सुब्बाले जनाए अनुसार कार्यालय सिलगढ़ी स्थान्तर गर्ने मात्र होइन यहॉं रहेका कर्मचारीहरूलाई पनि अन्यत्र स्थानान्तरको निम्ति सूचना जारी गरेको छ। यहॉंको संसाधनलाई यहीँ नै उन्नतशील बनाइनुपर्छ। यसो गर्नुको साटो सिलगढ़ी स्थानान्तर गर्नु सरकारी षड़यन्त्र हो, जसको हामी कठोररूपले विरोध जनाउँछौं। कार्यालयमा लगभग 70 जना कर्मचारीहरू कार्यरत छन्‌, जसलाई अन्यत्र स्थानान्तरको निम्ति विभागीय सूचना हात लागिसकेको छ। सुब्बाले विभागले षड़यन्त्र गर्दै स्थानान्तर गर्ने योजना बुनेको बताए। हामीले 27 फरवरीसम्म स्थानान्तरको सूचना फिर्ता गर्नुपर्ने अनि डीई कार्यालय यहीँ स्थापना गर्ने र सर्वराह प्रविधिलाई स्तरीय बनाइनुपर्ने अल्टिमेटम दिएका छौं। यसलाई अनदेखा गरिए जकस आन्दोलनको निम्ति सड़क उत्रनेछ-तिनले भने।

पहाड़बाट पनि पदयात्रा
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 24 फरवरी। अब डुवर्सका मोर्चा समर्थकहरूले मात्र कुमानीसम्मको निम्ति पदयात्रा नगरेर पहाड़का समर्थकहरूले पनि शुरु गरेको छ। यता विमल गुरूङको पदयात्रा कुमानीमा रोकिदिएकोले डुवर्सका समर्थकहरू रातीराती भए पनि कुमानी आइपुग्दैछन्‌। यसैगरी डुवर्सका समर्थकहरू कुमानी आइसकेपछि मोर्चाले 27 फरवरीको दिन पदयात्राको कार्यक्रम फिर्ता गर्ने सम्भावना देखिएको छ। 

27फरवरी को दिन कुमानीमा विमल गुरूङले जनसभा गर्नेछन्‌ अनि डुवर्स पदयात्रामाथि अवगत गराउने छन्‌। यता मोर्चाले घोषणा गरेको नयॉं कार्यक्रमहरू आजदेखि शुरू भयो। उता विमल गुरूङको सुनकोष यात्रा 27 देखि रद्द हुने सम्भावना छ भने यता पहाड़बाट जनमुक्ति अस्थायी कर्मचारी सङ्गठनले सुनकोषसम्म को निम्ति पदयात्रा शुरू गरेको छ। बिहिबार सङ्गठनका उपाध्यक्ष सन्दिप गुरूङको नेतृत्वमा दार्जीलिङबाट 34 जनाको पदयात्री टोली कालेबुङ आइपुगेको थियो भने कालेबुङमा के.सी.राईको नेतृत्वमा 12 जना थपिएर कुमानी अनि त्यहॉंबाट सुनकोषसम्मको यात्राको निम्ति आज प्रस्थान भएको छ। मोठ 46 जनाको टोली गोरुबथान, सामसिङ हुँदै कुमानी पुग्नेछ भने त्यहॉंबाट सुनकोषको निम्ति प्रस्थान हुनेछ। के.सी.राईले भने, यो पदयात्रा सिब्सुकाण्डको भर्त्सनाको निम्ति हो। सीबीआई जॉंचको माग अनि गोर्खाल्याण्डमा तराई-डुवर्सको अन्तरभुक्तिको दाबीको निम्ति हो।

दायित्वदेखि भाग्ने कि शक्तिशाली रणनीति तयार पार्ने? गोर्खाल्याण्ड अहिले नै हुँदैन, अहिले नै ल्याउँछु भन्ने महामुर्ख हुन्‌- डा. हर्कबहादुर छेत्रीले यो संवाद घरिघरि दोहोर्‍याउँछन्‌। किन?
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, 24 फरवरि: सबैलाई थाहा छ कि गोर्खाल्याण्ड दिल्लीमा बेच्न राखेको समोसा होइन। गयो किनी ल्यायो। गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति दैलो बनाउँछु भन्ने कि त धुर्त हुन्‌ कि त एजेेन्ट हुन्‌-म यसो भन्दिन्छु। किन भने अहिले जो कसैले जे सुकै भन्दा पनि हुन्छ। कसैलाई जिम्मेवारी र बचनबद्धताको सरोकार छैन। मुखमा आयो बक्यो। 

नेताहरूको भाषा सांकेतिक पनि हुन्छ, जसलाई आम नागरिकले झट्ट बुझ्दैन, तर बुझाउनु पर्ने भनेको नै आम नागरिकलाई हो, जसले राजनीति बुझ्दैन। तर आम नागरिकको असचेततामा राजनैतिक फाइदा देख्ने सचेतहरू यस्ता गठ्ठेहरू हुन्‌, जसलाई आमशक्तिको अनुभव छैन। गोर्खाल्याण्ड अहिले नै हुँदैन। जस्तो तेलङ्गना पनि अहिले नै हुँदैन। अहिले नै हुँदैन भनेर यसको निम्ति गरिनुपर्ने आन्दोलनलाई अर्कोतिर मोड्‌नुपर्ने अवस्था जब आँउछ, तब आन्दोलनको गतिमा अवरोध उत्पन्न हुन्छ। 

मोर्चाले अहिले नै गोर्खाल्याण्ड हुँदैन भनेर अन्तरिम प्राधिकरण थाप्दै गर्नुपर्ने कुरा नै मुख्यरूपले प्रसारमा ल्याइरहेको छ। सबैलाई थाहा छ कि  अन्तरिम प्राधिकरणको सावल दागोपापको साटोमा आउने अस्थायी व्यवस्थाबाट उपार्जित हो। दागोपापमा तीन महकुमा छन्‌, तर यतिले गोर्खाल्याण्डको मानचित्र बनिँदैन। यसैकारण तराई र डुवर्सको अन्तरभुक्तिको सवाल आयो। प्राधिकरण थाप्नुको कारण पनि यो अन्तरभुक्तिको सवाल नै हो। सीमाङ्‌कनको सावल गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति प्राथमिक नै हो। चाहे चुनाउपछि होस्‌ चाहे अघि सीमाङ्‌कनलाई निश्चित बनाउनको निम्ति अन्तरिम प्राधिकरणको गठन हुनुपर्छ भने यो कुरा स्पष्ट हुनुपर्छ। तर जसवन्त सिंह अनि मोर्चा अध्यक्ष विमल गुरूङले पनि पहिले प्राधिकरण थाप्ने अनि पछि कमिटीले जॉंच गरेपछि प्राधिकरणमा हाल्ने कुरा गरे। यो कुराले प्राधिकरणको आवश्यकतामाथि सन्देह उत्पन्न गर्‍यो। 

जबसम्म सीमाङ्‌कनबारे स्पष्ट निर्णय अघि आउँदैन, मानचित्रमा गाभ्ने कुरा आउँदैन तबसम्म प्राधिकरण थाप्ने सवाल आउँदैन अनि एकैपल्टमा गोर्खाल्याण्ड हुनसक्दैन भनेर प्राधिकरण थाप्नु  पनि भएन। अहिले नै राज्य निर्माणको परिस्थिति नबन्ने कुरालाई दलीय कमजोरी बनाएर, त्यो परिस्थिति नबनिञ्जेल कुनै पनि व्यवस्था थाप्ने धारणा गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्तिको कटिबद्धता होइन। सोझै केवल गोर्खाल्याण्ड हुनुपर्ने दवाबमा जबसम्म केन्द्र र राज्यमा दवाब बनाउने कुनै पनि कार्यक्रम हुँदैन तबसम्म राज्य निमार्णको परिस्थिति बनिँदैन।

मोर्चाको जुन आन्दोलन छ, त्यो अहिले नै केही पाइहाल्नुपर्छ भन्ने धारणाले ग्रसित छ। छोटो अवधीमा धेर कार्यक्रम शीघ्र प्राप्तीको नमुना हो। शीघ्र प्राप्ती सम्भव छैन। अहिले नै गोर्खाल्याण्ड हुन्छ भन्ने महामुर्ख हुन्‌ भन्नु जति मुर्खतापूर्ण कुरा हो उति नै मुद्दाको निम्ति हानिकारक पनि हो। राज्य र केन्द्रलाई यस्तो सन्देश हो कि गोर्खाहरूलाई अहिले नै राज्य गठन गर्नुपर्ने अनिवार्यता छैन, अहिले कुनै पनि व्यवस्था बहालीले काम चल्छ। यसै पनि पहाड़को समस्यालाई आर्थिक परिस्थितिसित जोडिएको मानिन्छ। बङ्गाल सरकारले पहाड़मा विकास नगरेको कारण नै छुट्टै राज्यको मुद्दा उठेको जसवन्त सिंह धरीले भनेकै हुन्‌। पहाड़को समस्या बातचितले मात्र हुन्छ तर गोर्खाल्याण्डको कुरा छोड़ेर आउ भनेर बङ्गालले बारम्बार भन्दैछ। 

केन्द्रले पनि अन्तरिम प्राधिकरणको प्रस्ताव त्यसै बनाएको होइन। राज्य र केन्द्रले पहाड़मा उपयुक्त विकासकोष उपलब्ध गराइए त्यहॉं कुनै पनि आन्दोलन हुनसक्दैन भन्ने ठान्छ। पहाड़को जनसंख्यालाई ध्यानमा राख्दै अन्तरिम प्राधिकरणको प्रस्ताव बनाएर केन्द्रले मुद्दालाई थन्को लगाउनको निम्ति घिसिङलाई दागोपाप दिए झैं नै रणनीति अप्नाएको स्पष्ट छ। यस्तो अवस्थामा आन्दोलनकारीको पक्षबाट गोर्खाल्याण्ड अहिले नै हुँदैन, बीचमा केही थाप्नुपर्छ भन्ने आशयको कुरा आए सचेतहरूले के बुझ्ने हो त? अहिले नै गोर्खाल्याण्ड नहोला। हतार कसलाई छ? एउटा दलले एकवर्ष आन्दोलन गर्‍यो भन्दैमा उसले गोर्खाल्याण्ड ल्याइहाल्छ भन्ने कुरा कसरी गर्न सकिन्छ? जबकी राज्य निर्माणको परिस्थिति बनाउने रणनैतिक चरित्र नै कतै पनि देखिएको छैन। दागोपाप थापेर पनि गोर्खाल्याण्ड बनिएन जब कि पॉंचवर्षको निम्ति ट्रायलमा यो व्यवस्था लागू गरिएको थियो। प्राधिकरण थापेर राज्य हुन्छ भन्ने ग्यारेन्टी लाइन नै कहॉं छ? यसै पनि प्राधिकरण विवादपूर्ण छ। डिफेक्टो स्टेटको स्टाटस रहेको व्यवस्था दुइवर्षको, चुनाउ पनि गराउने, कोष पॉंचवर्षे। आर्थिक प्याकेज छुट्टै। 

अधिकारहरू अन्योलपूर्ण, वैधानिकताहीन, अनेकौं विभाग र सहुलियत। यो भोगेर मात्र गोर्खाल्याण्ड। यी कुराहरूलाई नै मोर्चाले जनतामा छर्लङ्ग हुने गरी राख्न सकेको छैन न त कुनै पनि दलले मोर्चाको रणनैतिक चरित्र नै बुझ्न सकेको छ। यति विवादपूर्ण व्यवस्थाको वकालत आखिर किन? छिट्टै गोर्खाल्याण्ड हुँदैन भनेर नै? यति लामो आन्दोलन थेग्न सकिन्न भनेर नै? तेलङ्गनाले कुनै पनि विकल्प मानेन। सांसदहरू संसद भवनमा आत्मदाह गर्ने सोंचमा छन्‌। उनीहरूसित केवल छुट्टैराज्यको सपना मात्र छ। तेलङ्गना र गोर्खाल्याण्ड आन्दोलनको पृष्टभूमि मिल्दैन, आधारहरू मिल्दैन त के भो? उनीहरूसित सासंद र विधायकहरू धेरै छन्‌ त के भो? उसो भए गोर्खाल्याण्डको दाबी नै नगर्नु त? 

गोर्खाल्याण्डको दाबीको निम्ति संविधान उपयुक्त छ। यस्ता हजारौं आधारहरू छन्‌ जसबारे केन्द्र र राज्यलाई शिक्षित गराइनु अनिवार्य छ। यसको निम्ति डल्लै गोर्खा समाज आन्दोलित हुनुपर्छ। एउटा दल र केही बुद्धिजीवीले यत्रो ठूलो मुद्दाको वकालत गर्नै सक्दैन। यसकारण आफ्नो कमजोरीलाई गलतरूपले प्रयोग गर्न भएन। पहाड़का राजनैतिक दलहरू एक भएर सामुहिकरूपले रणनीति निर्माण नगरे गोर्खाल्याण्ड नै हुँदैन। एउटा दलले मात्र गोर्खाल्याण्ड ल्याउँछु भन्छ भने त्यो दल कि त मुर्ख हो, कि त ढोंगी हो। दलहरू एक भएर पनि हुँदैन, जति पनि सचेत नागरिकहरू छन्‌ उनीहरूबाट दाबीको निम्ति रणनैतिक सुझावहरू मागिनुपर्छ। बुद्धिजीवीहरूको कार्यकौशलगत सहमति हुनुपर्छ। अराजनैतिक सङ्गठनहरूलाई केन्द्रमा ल्याउनुपर्छ। सबै एकैठाउँ बसेर सामुहिकरूपले कार्यनीति तयार पार्नुपर्छ। यसो नगरे गोर्खाल्याण्ड त के प्राधिकरण पनि गठन हुनसक्दैन। किन भने गोर्खाहरूकोबीचको फाटोमा नै विरोधी शक्तिको चलखेल लुकेको हुन्छ। 

अहिले भागोपले गरिरहेको पहललाई सराहनीय मान्न सकिन्छ, तर भागोपले यसको निम्ति औपचारिकता मेट्‌ने काम मात्र गर्नु हुँदैन। दलीय मतभिन्नता, राजनैतिक परिस्थिति, यसले उपार्जन गरेको समस्या, हत्या, हिंसा र यसभित्र लुकेको महत्वाकांक्षाहरूलाई पनि केलाएर काम गर्नुपर्छ। दलहरूबीच कार्मिक भिन्नता यति बढ़ेर गएको छ कि यसलाई एकात्मक बनाउन गाह्रो कुरा भएको छ। एक्ला एक्लै काम गर्ने अनि खास उपलब्धीलाई छोड़ेर कुनै पनि व्यवस्था र पैसामा एक्लै मोज गर्ने राजनैतिक चरित्रलाई सुधार्नु सजिलो हुँदैन। मान्छे जति बुद्धिमानी देखिउन्‌, उसभित्रको चेतना नै कुनै पनि लोलुपताले ग्रसित छ भने उसले निदाउने नाटक मात्र गर्न सक्छ। जसलाई व्यूझाउँनु सजिलो छैन। 

यसै पनि भागोपले दलीय एकताको निम्ति पहल गर्ने बित्तिकै धेरैवटा शक्ति आत्तिएको देखिन थालेको छ। भागोपले बोकेको दलीय एकताको सपना विथोल्न कुनै पनि दललाई विरोधी शक्तिले प्रयोग गर्न सक्छ। भागोपले जसले पनि खुट्टा तान्ने काम गर्छ वा तर्किन खोज्छ उसलाई तर्कसम्मतरूपले नाङ्गो बनाउनुपर्छ। आखिर भागोपले चाहेको एकैचोटी, बीचमा केही नथापी सोझै गोर्खाल्याण्ड गठनको निम्ति शक्ति निर्माण हो। यसको निम्ति समय लागोस्‌ तर काम राम्रो होस्‌। यस्तो परिस्थिति बनाउनुपर्‍यो, जसको कारणले केन्द्र गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्य निर्माण गर्न बाध्य बनोस्‌। यस्तो नहोस्‌ कि कुरा गोर्खाल्याण्डको होस्‌ अनि यो ढिलो हुने बताएर अरू व्यवस्था नै थाप्ने चटुकारिता देखापरोस्‌। यस्ता मौकाखोरहरूलाई तह लगाउनको निम्ति पनि भागोपले गतिलै चालले ऱणनीति बुन्न अनिवार्य छ।
Fresh fast starts

TT, Feb. 24: Five teams, each consisting of two ex-servicemen and three Gorkhaland Personnel cadres, have started fasts-unto-death at Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Gorubathan and Salugara in support of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s statehood movement.

The three women GLP cadres and the two ex-servicemen on fast in front of the DM’s office in Darjeeling on Thursday. Picture by Suman Tamang

The hunger strike is also to demand a CBI inquiry into the February 8 Sibchu police firing that killed three Morcha supporters.

The former Gorkha soldiers have also planned an indefinite hunger strike in Delhi to be followed by the surrender of war medals if there is no response from the state government on the demands, said Lt. Col (retd) Ramesh Allay, the president of the Bharatiya Gorkha Bhutpurba Sainik Adra-Sainik Morcha.

Allay said the Gorkhas in India have till date received around 256 Sena Medals, 20 Visishta Sena Medals, 11 Maha Vir Chakras, one Ashoka and one Param Vir Chakra.

In Delhi, a meeting between Morcha leader Roshan Giri and Union home minister P. Chidambaram failed to break the deadlock on Darjeeling.

“It is the Bengal government which has disagreed to the territory issue. The Centre has been working to resolve it,” Giri told The Telegraph in Delhi after the meeting, hinting that the Morcha may listen to some requests from the North Block.

The Morcha wants the Gorkha dominated areas of the Dooars and the Terai in the new state that it is demanding. Giri conceded that the solution to the Darjeeling set-up imbroglio seemed likely only after the Assembly elections in May.

The party has threatened to impose an embargo on the despatch of Darjeeling tea from February 27 which Chidambaram is understood to have asked them to withdraw.

Allay seemed peeved that the state government had not yet disclosed the contents of the M.L. Meena Commission report on the lathicharge on the ex-servicemen’s rally in Siliguri on April 9, 2008. [KalimNews:Similar fast was started at Kalimpong, Kurseong, Gorubathan and Salugara. Last minute changes in selecting Salugara instead of Mirik was done by Morcha.]

Murder drama to cover up accident - Injured man dies without treatment

TT, Balurghat, Feb. 24: Police have picked up an autorickshaw driver who did not admit a man hit by his vehicle to hospital and instead created a murder scene to cover up the accident.

The autorickshaw, which knocked down Samay Oraon on Monday night, parked on the compound of Balurghat police station. Picture by Mithun Roy

Biswanath Barman, 27, the auto driver, was arrested on Tuesday night after police discovered that he had hit Samay Oraon on February 21 and fled the spot without admitting the injured person to a hospital. The driver tore off Oraon’s clothes and flung them some distance away to make it look like a murder.

The 35-year-old’s body was spotted at Dhiruhaji More, about 7km from Balurghat, the next morning with injuries on the head and neck. The body was identified by the victim’s wife, Namita Lakra, who filed an FIR saying he had been murdered by unknown persons.

“The police went to the spot and found marks which suggested that a vehicle had skidded off the road. Parts of broken tail lights and a silencer cover were also there,” said the inspector in charge of Balurghat police station, Santanu Kowar.

The investigators discovered that an autorickshaw had turned turtle at the spot about 9pm the previous day.

“We then began questioning the drivers of the three-wheelers plying this particular route and came to know that one autorickshaw was not running on Tuesday. The police also found that the particular auto belonged to Biswanath Barman,” said the officer.

The law enforcers got hold of Biswanath’s mobile phone number and called him up.

“The driver said he was in a garage. We asked him to come to the police station in 10 minutes. But he didn’t come and switched off his cellphone. We started searching the garages here and found Biswanath in a workshop at Mongolpur where he had almost got his vehicle repaired,” said Kowar.

Biswanath told the police that his auto had hit a drunken man who had suddenly come in front of his vehicle on Monday night.

“Biswanath had slammed the brake, but the auto turned turtle and he said he was totally confused. But drivers of a car and another auto passing by the area helped Biswanath set his vehicle back on its wheels. They also helped move the injured man a few feet away and suggested that his clothes be torn and flung away to make it look like an assault,” said the inspector-in-charge.

“We are also looking for the other two drivers, who did not come to the help of the injured man and instead, tried to cover up the incident. We charged Biswanath under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).”

But the chief judicial magistrate’s court began the hearing, charging Biswanath under Section 302 (murder) and remanded him in judicial custody till March 8.

Stop-knot plea to cops- 13-yr-old class topper stalls wedding

Mehedi Hedaytullah, TT, Islampur, Feb. 24: A 13-year-old class topper ran away from home in an Islampur village yesterday evening and turned up at a police outpost pleading for help to escape the marriage fixed by her mother that was supposed to have taken place today.

Seema (face blurred) on Thursday. (Mehedi Hedaytullah)

The marriage was called off after Seema (name changed) complained against her mother, saying she was being forcibly married off though she was good in studies and wanted to complete school. The groom had also taken Rs 10,000 as advance dowry.

Seema broke down soon after she arrived at the police station around 7pm. For the Class VIII student of a high school in Pamolhat in Goalpokhar, this was her first trip outside home all by herself. A desperate Seema had taken a trekker to reach the outpost 12km from her home on the advice of her best friend in school. “I felt bad complaining about my mother. But I didn’t know what to do. It was then that a friend of mine advised me to approach the police,” the girl said as she sobbed uncontrollably this morning. She is now staying with her aunt at Pamolhat itself.

She told the police that her father, a farm labourer, died four years ago and her mother was of a “very stubborn” nature. “My mother works as a domestic help and my elder sister is married. I have a brother who studies in Class V. I am good in studies but my mother is forcing me to get married. I want to study, please help me,” Seema told the police.

She said her mother and the two matchmakers had arranged her marriage to Sudarshan Mondal, a 26-year-old carpenter’s assistant from Ramganj in Islampur, a month ago.

The sub-inspector in charge of the outpost, T.N. Bhutia, sent a vehicle and brought the girl’s mother and elder sister to the police outpost yesterday evening. “We made them write a declaration that they would not force the girl to get married,” Bhutia said.

He said the police would start a case against the groom, matchmaker Sukhlal Biswas and his associate under the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act. If convicted, they can be jailed for two years or fined up to Rs 1 lakh or both.

Headmistress Ruma Das said she was proud of her student Seema. “She stood up against something that is our responsibility, to prevent child marriages. Seema is the best girl in the class. We on behalf of the school will help her in all ways,” she said.
Boy killed for marriage snub
TT, Malda, Feb. 24: The father of a boy who was found hacked to death today has alleged that the murder was the fallout of a marriage proposal that he had rejected for his 14-year-old son.
Sujit Mondol’s body was found in a field in the Bahanno Bigha area of town, barely 500 metres from his home. The boy was a painter in a workshop that manufactured steel almirahs.
Kanto Mondol, a farmer, alleged that his son-in-law Sukumar Mondol and his father were behind Sujit’s murder. Of late, Sukumar’s father Rajen, who owned the almirah workshop, had been insisting that the boy get married to his daughter. “I refused to get my son married off as he was still a minor and we used to have frequent arguments over the issue,” Kanto had told police. Since then Sukumar and his family had been threatening the boy with dire consequences.
Sujit’s uncle Agu Mondol said last night Galia Mondol and Makhan Mondol, who also worked at the almirah workshop, had come to look for the boy. They left with Sujit around 8pm. “Sujit did not come home at night. We searched for him. Around 8am today, we were told that Sujit’s body had been found,” Agu said.
Malda police chief Bhuban Mondol said: “The father of the victim has named two persons who had called his son out of the house last evening. He had also complained to the Englishbazar police that Rajen and one of his sons, Suren, had been threatening Sujit.” Sources said the police conducted raids this morning but the accused were not at home.
Bandh over, stink persists
G.S. RADHAKRISHNA, TT, Hyderabad, Feb. 24: The 48-hour Telangana bandh ended last night, but the stink wouldn’t go.
The stink from 3,800 million tonnes of garbage that had collected over the two days.
Civic authorities in Hyderabad deployed special teams to clean up the city and remove the stench of soaked garbage after a heavy downpour yesterday.
Hospitals, cinemas, public utilities and liquor shops resumed business, bringing the Andhra capital back to normal, while vegetable sellers and milkmen went back to work.
Newspaper boys, who had arrived at their whim during the bandh, were on time. As city buses returned to the roads, autorickshaws cut fares to their usual rates.
For a change, the people missed the routine clamour of legislators in the Assembly, which had closed for the day after the budget presentation on Wednesday.
On Thursday, even Telangana agitators and students at Osmania University took a holiday.
The political unrest apart, the Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday signed an agreement with the US-based Brighton Equipment Corporation to set up a Rs 2,900-crore nuclear power equipment manufacturing unit.
The nuclear plant will be built at an 800-acre site, a designated nuclear SEZ near Visakhapatnam, and is expected to provide one lakh jobs.
The 48-hour bandh did not impact the IT sector in Hyderabad, thanks to a strong security system and coordinated management decisions.
L. Suresh, president of the state’s IT industry association, said none of the IT or software companies had declared a holiday. “The protests might have posed problems for at the most five to 10 percent employees who come on their own,” he said.
The State Investment Promotion Board had yesterday cleared proposals for 25 industries, with investments amounting to Rs 25,672.43 crore that could create 1.60 lakh jobs.
The board had approved units in food and agriculture, automobiles, cement and steel spread over 14 districts.
SEPARATE WAYS
Opinion, TT, 25 Feb: If it is maximum visibility that the pro-Telangana agitators had in mind, they may be said to have gained it by holding Parliament to ransom on Wednesday. Having achieved that initial target, the agitators in the capital may still be convinced about the necessity of ceding ground to the other important issue of the national budget. But it is unlikely that a similar reasoning will hold water in Andhra Pradesh itself, where Telangana has become the sole factor determining the fortunes and relevance of certain political parties.
Not surprisingly, the budget session in the state assembly is caught in a limbo, and the stalemate, given the turmoil outside the House, is bound to continue for a while. The Telangana agitation, it can be said, is following its expected trajectory in the state after the minor interlude forced upon it while the Srikrishna committee was doing its job. This need not have been so. The reason why the Telangana issue remains as vexed as ever is perhaps because the Srikrishna committee, despite the energies and emotions invested in it, has failed to provide a clear direction as to where things could lead. The committee’s investigation has knocked off the central plank of the demand for Telangana — economic deprivation — by noting that Rayalaseema is equally, if not more, backward. But the committee has, strangely, desisted from debunking the demand itself and gone on to add to the confusion by providing more than one possible solution.\
It would be foolhardy to insist that dissenters would have tamely toed the committee’s line on Telangana had it come to a single, forceful conclusion. As the committee report noted, much of the Telangana issue has to do with the way disaffection — be it economic, social or cultural — has been used by politicians to further their own interests. This ugly truth is unlikely to go away in a hurry as political parties in Andhra Pradesh try to make the most of the unrest. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti, the Telugu Desam Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, as also sections of the ruling Congress, know the distinct political advantages that will accrue to them by pushing the cause of a separate Telangana. This, unfortunately, is not responsible politics. Forcing a fragmentation by political might will neither eradicate economic inequality nor do justice to the people on whose behalf the battle is being waged.