गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा बँचाउन भोट कसैले हाल्नु हुँदैन-गक्रायुमो|
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज,कालेबुङ,15 अप्रेल|गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति अहिलेको परिस्थितिमा आन्दोलन गर्न होइन, गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा नै पहिले बँचाउनुपर्ने परिस्थिति निर्माण भएको छ-क्रान्तिकारी मार्क्सवादी कम्युनिष्ट पार्टीको युवा एकाईं गणतान्त्रिक क्रान्तिकारी युवा मोर्चा कालेबुङ आञ्चलिक समितिका अध्यक्ष सन्तोष प्रधानले भने। पत्रकार सम्मेलन डाक्दै तिनले गोर्खाल्याण्ड प्रेमी युवावर्गमा अपील नै गर्दै भने, यदि कोही पनि गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दाप्रति इमान्दार छन् भने उनले भोट हाल्ने छैनन्, किन भने यसपालीको भोट गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दालाई सधैंको निम्ति दफ्नाइने षडड़यन्त्रमा भइरहेको छ। तिनले अघि भने, विधानसभा चुनाउ गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति जनमत देखाउने होइन, विभिन्न मुद्दामा जनमत विभाजित रहेको देखाउने चुनाउ हो।
पहाड़का जनता गोर्खाल्याण्डको पक्षमा नभएर मोर्चाको गोर्खाल्याण्डको छाप भएको अर्को दागोपाप(प्राधिकरण), कंग्रेसको युनियन टेरिटोरी, गोरमुमोको छैटौं अनुसूची अनि वामदलको स्वायत्त शासनको पक्षमा जनताको आकांक्षा विभाजित गर्ने चलखेल हो। कुनै पनि दल गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति इमान्दार नरहेकोले यो चुनाउ गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दामा इमान्दार रहने हरेक गोर्खाको निम्ति चुनौती हो। मुद्दा बँचाउनको निम्ति कसैले पनि यसपल्ट मत खसाल्नु हुँदैन। तिनले केन्द्रमा छुट्टैराज्यको परिस्थिति छैन भन्दै दलको वर्चस्व बँचाउन लामो आन्दोलन गर्न नसक्ने परिस्थितिबाट स्वार्थी राजनीति विकास गरेको बताउँदै भने, दलहरूले नै केन्द्रमा परिस्थिति छैन भनेपछि परिस्थिति हुँदैन, हाम्रो लड़ाईं परिस्थिति बनाउने हो।&
यसैको निम्ति सर्वदलीय एकताद्वारा नै आन्दोलनको नीति निर्माण गर्नुपर्ने हाम्रो प्रयास थियो, तर आन्दोलन लामो जाने अनि त्यसबीच दलहरूको अस्तित्वमा ग्रहण लाग्ने देखेर कुनै पनि व्यवस्थाको निम्ति दलहरू आफै छोटो बाटो अप्नाउँदै गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दालाई पछिल्तिर धकेल्ने कोशिशमा छन्। दलीय एकतालाई छोड़ेर यो चुनाउबाट उनीहरूले दलीय स्वार्थलाई अघि लगाएर जनाकांक्षालाई लात लगाउने कार्य गरिरहेका छन्। जनतालाई भ्रममा पारेर स्वार्थपूर्ति गर्नेहरूलाई मत दिनु, ठूलो धोका हुनेछ। अर्कोतिक गक्रायुमो प्रवक्ता सुदन प्रधानले पनि भने, गक्रायुमो र क्रामाकपाको कॉंधमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा बँचाउनुपर्ने दायित्व आएको छ।
मत विभाजनले गोर्खाल्याण्डको विरोधमा जाने सन्देशलाई रोक्नु नै हाम्रो कर्तव्य हुनेछ। तिनले अझ भने, अहिले मस्तिष्कमा समझदारी, कॉंधमा जिम्मेवारी अनि ह्रदयमा इमान्दारी रहेका दलहरू कोही पनि देखापरेनन्। एकताले नै केन्द्रमा छुट्टैराज्यको परिस्थिति तयार पारिनुपर्छ। यसको निम्ति क्रामाकपाले सबैसित दलीय एकताको कुरा गर्योम , तर कोही पनि इमान्दार नरहेकोले हाम्रो प्रयास नै असफल बन्यो। हाम्रो प्रयास असफल पार्न ठूलो षड़यन्त्र भयो। यसकारण षड़यन्त्र रोक्नको निम्ति नै मत प्रयोग नगरिदिने अपील गरिरहेका छौं।
लेप्चा समुदायले भोट हाल्ने-नहाल्ने निर्णय आज - विमलको पहल सराहनीय छ-एसोसिएसन
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज,कालेबुङ,15 अप्रेल| कालेबुङ, 15 अप्रेल|60 वर्षदेखि पहाड़का भूमिपुत्र लेप्चा समुदायका समस्याहरूलाई राज्य र केन्द्र सरकारले सम्बोधन नै नगरेको कारण दुवै सरकारमा लेप्चा समुदायले भोट नहालेर आफ्नो दाबीलाई बलप्रदान गर्ने भए पनि यससम्बन्धमा व्यापक अन्योलता देखापरेको थियो। आज इण्डिजिनस लेप्चा ट्राइबल एसोसिएसनले एक बैठक गरेर भोली शनिबार भोट हाल्ने नहाल्नेबारे आधिकारिक घोषणा गर्ने भएको छ। एशोसिएशनका अध्यक्ष ल्याम्सङ तामसङले यस सम्बन्धमा भने, आजको दिनसम्म चुनाव वहिष्कारको कुरा यथावत नै छ। वहिष्कार नै गर्ने वा वहिष्कार फिर्ता लिने कुराको चुड़ान्त निर्णय कार्यकारी समितिको वैैठकपछि हुनेछ। शनिबार बैठक हुनेछ। तिनले अघि भने, लेप्चाहरू पहाड़का भूमिपुत्र समुदाय हुन्।
अहिलेसम्म अनेकौं मागपत्र प्रेषित गरिए पनि हाम्रो समस्या समाधान गर्ने कुनै ठोस पहल गरिएन। हामीले भोट हाल्दै आएका हौं तर हाम्रो समस्यालाई सम्बोधन नै गरिँदैन भने भोट हालेको कुनै औचित्य रहेन। यसकारण हामी केन्द्र र राज्यसित खुसी छैनौ भन्ने कुरा प्रमाणित गर्न चुनाउ वहिष्कारको घोषणा गरेका हौं। यो निर्णयमा समग्र लेप्चा समुदायको हीत लुकेको छ। हामीले कुनै क्षेत्रीय वा राष्ट्रिय दललाई ध्यानमा राखेर चुनाउ वहिष्कारको कुरा गरेका होइनौं। तिनलाई सोधिएको एकप्रश्नको उत्तरमा तिनले भने, गोजमुमो अध्यक्ष विमल गुरूङले पहाड़का 10 वटा लेप्चाबहुल प्राथमिक पाठशालामा लेप्चा भाषामा पठनपाठन हुने अनि गोर्खा सर्टिफिकेट दिने कुरा जुन गरेका छन्, त्यो सराहनीय छ।
यो तिनको पहिलो पहल हुनसक्छ। पहाड़का 220 वटा प्राथमिक पाठशाला अनि 20 वटा उच्चतर विद्यालय लेप्चा बहुल छन्। लेप्चाहरूको भिलेज एसोसिएसनमा भोट हाल्ने सम्बन्धमा प्रस्तावहरू लिइरहेको कुरा प्रकाशमा आएको सन्दर्भमा प्रश्न गर्दा तिनले भने, हामीले पनि पत्रपत्रिकामा मात्र यस्ता कुरा पढ़िरहेका छौं तर आधिकारिकरूपले एशोसिएसनमा त्यस्ता प्रस्ताव लिएको कसैद्वारा पनि जनाइएको छैन।
Campaigns run on hill passions
VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, April 15: The winds of change sweeping the plains of Bengal haven’t yet reached the Darjeeling hills, where campaigns of political parties of all hues are dominated by statehood sentiments.
Governance and policies are issues that have been consigned to the election manifestoes of hill parties. Unemployment, scarcity of drinking water and development are only footnotes in political speeches.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which boasts that it has the best organisational strength in the hills, kicks off every rally with a song “Oh Sibchu”, dedicated to the three persons who had lost their lives in a police firing at Sibchu on February 8.
For the party led by Bimal Gurung, election is just “a compulsion” during the ongoing agitation for statehood. “Our representatives will go to the Bengal Assembly only to raise the Gorkhaland demand. We are in the midst of an agitation and they are aware that they might be recalled anytime for the statehood cause,” said Gurung.
In this election season, the Morcha has decided to “close the chapter of interim set-up” and is once again raising its pitch for the “final battle for Gorkhaland”.
The Sikkim Assembly’s decision to adopt a resolution in favour of Gorkhaland has further fuelled the Morcha’s slogan. “We will forever remain indebted to Dr Pawan Kumar Chamling, who despite being under pressure from Bengal and Delhi adopted the resolution honouring the blood-relation we share with Sikkim,” Gurung today told a Darjeeling gathering. He appealed to the hill people to come out in lakhs to felicitate Chamling in the days to come.
Morcha’s bete noire, the ABGL, too, is harping on about Gorkhaland, besides the restoration of democracy. The ABGL says the Morcha has agreed to the setting up of an interim council, instead of creation of Gorkhaland. After the brutal murder of Madan Tamang, who was one of the most visible Opposition figures in the hills, the ABGL is banking on sympathy wave to win the polls.
Madan’s widow and ABGL’s Darjeeling candidate Bharati Tamang today made an impassioned appeal for votes. “I went to all ministers in Calcutta and Delhi and everyone assured me that I would get justice. I have been living with only false promises and now, I have come to you for justice,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.
The sympathy factor is expected to sway the urban voters of Darjeeling, but the ABGL’s biggest stumbling block in giving the Morcha a strong fight is probably the poor organisational set-up in the rural areas.
Even parties like the CPM and the Congress are whipping up hill passions to earn brownie points.
K.B.Wattar, the CPM candidate for Darjeeling, admits that people are by and large sentimental about the Gorkhaland demand. “Other issues like development become secondary,” he said.
The CPM, while respecting the sentiments, is trying to make the people see reason. “There are a lot of parties in the hills to demand Gorkhaland. But there is none to give the statehood,” said Wattar.
The Congress is not to be left behind. The Darjeeling district (hill) committee of the party is going to the polls after having adopted a resolution in favour of Union territory status for the hills.
“We have adopted a resolution and we will try to convince the Pradesh Congress and the AICC of the need to grant Union territory status to the hills,” said K.B. Chhetri, the Darjeeling district committee president of the Congress.
In this battle of sentiments, GNLF president Subash Ghisingh, who first sowed the seeds of identity politics in the hills in the early 1980s, is now shunning the very idea of Gorkhaland.
“Why waste time on something you cannot achieve,” said Ghisingh.
The leader who stoked the statehood passion across the region is now telling his supporters that he had only used the word “Gorkhaland” as a “Brahmastra” in the mid-80s to achieve citizenship rights for the Nepali speaking people and identity (by inserting the word Gorkha in the nomenclature of the council formed in 1988).
The GNLF is fighting for the implementation of the Sixth Schedule status — terming it a better administrative arrangement which has legislative powers.
The fight for political supremacy in the hills will probably start only after the polls. Unlike the present fight of sentiments, the next battle will definitely centre on what-can-be-achieved and what-cannot-be-achieved.
KalimNews Shibu Soren JMM chief was the main speaker in Dooars campaign of ABAVP. He made speech in Raja TE of Mal Bazar, Shamuktala of Eastern Dooars and Birpara in favour of ABAVP candidates who filed their nominations as JMM candidates.
Parishad support for Malakar
TT, Siliguri, April 15: The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad has decided to back the Congress in Matigara-Naxalbari as the outfit feels the Congress-Trinamul Congress alliance will take care of tribal interests if it is elected to power.
The Congress has fielded Sankar Malakar in Matigara-Naxalbari, where Jharen Roy is the CPM candidate. The Parishad has a strong support base in the constituency, which is reserved for the Scheduled Caste.
Although the Parishad is contesting the Congress-Trinamul alliance (as well as the CPM) in five Assembly constituencies in the Dooars, it has not fielded candidates in Matigara-Naxalbari and in Phansidewa in the Terai.
“We are supporting Congress candidate Sankar Malakar in Matigara-Naxalbari, where no Parishad member has filed nomination,” Sukhdeo Bhagat, a state committee member of the Parishad, told a news conference here today.
“Even after extending our support to the Left for the past 35 years, we (tribal people) have been deprived of development projects. Considering the state government’s negligence, we feel the Congress and Trinamul will definitely bring about some change for us,” said Bhagat, who is also the secretary of the Naxalbari block unit of the Parishad.
The Parishad has not fielded any candidate in Phansidewa (ST), where Sunil Chandra Tirkey is the Congress nominee. “As Tirkey is a Parishad member, we cannot contest against him,” said Nicodine Minz, a senior leader of the tribal outfit.
The Parishad claims it can influence around 30,000 voters in Phansidewa and Matigara-Naxalbari together.
The state urban development minister, Mr Asok Bhattacharya said: “Mr Yechuri was stranded for five hours in the Hills yesterday. Police were reluctant to clear the road as GJMM activists were campaigning.”
“We would lodge a formal complaint with the EC against police. Mr Yechuri could not attend party programmes. We fear that the atmosphere in the Hills is not safe. The GJMM continues to threaten people in the remote areas to vote for them,” said Mr Bhattacharya.
The CPI-M state committee leader, Mr Jibesh Sarkar, said: “The anti-GJMM candidates will win in the three Assembly seats if the EC can conduct free and fair poll in the Hills.”
Mr Jibesh Sarkar also said that a section of election officials were proactive to assist the anti-Left political organisation. Mr Sarkar criticised the election officials for issuing ‘show-cause’ notice to the CPI-M candidate for Siliguri Mr Asok Bhattacharya for the alleged distribution of voters’ slip with party symbol to the electors.
Protesting against the role of election officials, the Darjeeling district CPI-M had to seek clarification from the Election Commission.
The officer on special duty, Mr NK Sahana, has informed the Darjeeling district secretary that there was no restriction in the distribution of voters’ slip by political parties if it contains only electoral information.
In a letter to the party, which was issued on 13 April, Mr Sahana maintained: “If the name of the contesting candidate, symbol of the party and its name are shown in the counterfoil tagged with voters’ slip it would be treated as campaign material and publisher's name is a must. Such a slip should not be distributed within 48 hours before the poll."
GJMM, AIGL and GNLF hold meetings
Meanwhile, the GJMM, AIGL and GNLF held back-to-back public meetings. The time of the meetings of GJMM and AIGL clashed with each other, while GNLF meeting in the main town of Darjeeling took place after the meeting of the other two.
Making his influence felt in the Hills, Mr Ghisingh threatened that his party would take the law into his own hands if the administration failed to act properly. The president of GJMM, Mr Bimal Gurung, warned Mr Ghisingh to leave the Hills after the election. Aware of possible violence in the Hills after the election he said: “I know that the Darjeeling police is not that efficient when it comes to handling law and order situation.
Mr Gurung while addressing thousands of his supporters outside the Old Super Market in Darjeeling today, said that some “insects” (read Mr Ghisingh) are trying to disrupt the peaceful environment in the Hills.
Mr Ghisingh who has Z-category protection choose to walk from NP Road to Chowk Bazar (the place where Mr Ghisingh gave his speech today). Starting the “blame game” the GJMM and GNLF also accused each other for spoiling the future of the Hills, though Mr Ghisingh in his speech stated that the New Gorkha Hill Council (NGHC) under the Sixth Schedule will be the best for the Hills.
Asserting that the GNLF will “win” even if they loose the election this time and that the Hills will turn green again (the colour of his party flag), Mr Ghisingh said: “Election is not the main priority, electing three representative in the state Assembly is futile, what ever the state government is capable of giving has already been given, the state government can give nothing more, now it is up to the Centre to pass the Bill on NGHC and implement it in the Hills, besides if my party wins any seat in this election then my party might support whichever party that comes to power be it Trinamul Congress or The Left Front.”
Mr Gurung once again re-iterated that the Interim Council is a closed chapter and that the GJMM will only raise the demand of statehood in future. Referring to the murder of Madan Tamang first time after he was killed in a broad daylight in May 21, 2010, Mr Ghisingh said that since the Central Bureau of Investigation is probing the matter, it would be unwise to comment on it but the Hill people should not kill their own brothers and quarrel among themselves but fight Kolkata and Centre. Though Mr Ghisingh had slammed down the Gorkhaland demand earlier in Mirik, today he stated that if the people are not satisfied with New Gorkha Hill Council after it is implemented then his party can always ask for statehood.
Mamata sought GJMM support, alleges Asok
SNS, SILIGURI, 15 APRIL: The state urban development minister and a senior CPI-M leader, Mr Asok Bhattacharya, today claimed that the Trinamul Congress chief, Miss Mamata Banerjee had sought support from the GJMM president, Mr Bimal Gurung, over phone.
Referring to the GJMM media secretary and the party candidate from Kalimpong, Mr Harka Bahadur Chhetri, Mr Bhattacharya said that Mr Chhetri has exposed the electoral deal.
“Dr Chhetri has clearly stated in course of campaigning that Miss Banerjee and the state Congress president, Dr Manas Bhuniya, had sought support from Mr Bimal Gurung for their candidates in the plains,” he said.
Notably, Miss Banerjee keeps steering clear of the GJMM, saying that her party has no electoral link with the Hill-based party.
Ridiculing the Trianmul leader's pet theme, the CPI-M leader said that she would neither turn Siliguri into Switzerland nor the Darjeeling Hills into Gorkhaland.
Dwelling on the ‘clandestine’ electoral deal, Mr Bhattacharya said that a senior district Congress leader had met Mr Gurung at Kumani and Jhalong to thrash out the understanding on behalf of the Opposition alliance. “We stand to gain from the hush hush electoral understanding, involving the Opposition parties and the Gorkhaland protagonists,” he said. Predicting GJMM decline in the elections, Mr Bhattacharya said that the common people would vent the long pent anger against the authoritarian outfit at the election booths.
“We would do good in the adivasi-dominated Dooars as the ABAVP stands a fragmented house,” he added. He also sounded confident of retaining the Siliguri seat with a huge margin. “I have extensively toured my constituency. Over 1500 meetings have been held so far. The response is overwhelming,” he said.
MLA axe unites allies in ‘rebel’ favour- Chugging along for change
Dinhata, April 15: Mamata Banerjee’s expulsion of the Dinhata MLA from the party has managed to unite the Congress and Trinamul, with prominent leaders of both parties campaigning under him for rebel candidate Fazle Haque.
Members of both the parties, who are desperately backing Haque, said by leaving Dinhata to the NCP, Mamata has almost gifted it to the Left.
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Campaigns run on hill passions
VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, April 15: The winds of change sweeping the plains of Bengal haven’t yet reached the Darjeeling hills, where campaigns of political parties of all hues are dominated by statehood sentiments.
Governance and policies are issues that have been consigned to the election manifestoes of hill parties. Unemployment, scarcity of drinking water and development are only footnotes in political speeches.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which boasts that it has the best organisational strength in the hills, kicks off every rally with a song “Oh Sibchu”, dedicated to the three persons who had lost their lives in a police firing at Sibchu on February 8.
For the party led by Bimal Gurung, election is just “a compulsion” during the ongoing agitation for statehood. “Our representatives will go to the Bengal Assembly only to raise the Gorkhaland demand. We are in the midst of an agitation and they are aware that they might be recalled anytime for the statehood cause,” said Gurung.
In this election season, the Morcha has decided to “close the chapter of interim set-up” and is once again raising its pitch for the “final battle for Gorkhaland”.
The Sikkim Assembly’s decision to adopt a resolution in favour of Gorkhaland has further fuelled the Morcha’s slogan. “We will forever remain indebted to Dr Pawan Kumar Chamling, who despite being under pressure from Bengal and Delhi adopted the resolution honouring the blood-relation we share with Sikkim,” Gurung today told a Darjeeling gathering. He appealed to the hill people to come out in lakhs to felicitate Chamling in the days to come.
Morcha’s bete noire, the ABGL, too, is harping on about Gorkhaland, besides the restoration of democracy. The ABGL says the Morcha has agreed to the setting up of an interim council, instead of creation of Gorkhaland. After the brutal murder of Madan Tamang, who was one of the most visible Opposition figures in the hills, the ABGL is banking on sympathy wave to win the polls.
Madan’s widow and ABGL’s Darjeeling candidate Bharati Tamang today made an impassioned appeal for votes. “I went to all ministers in Calcutta and Delhi and everyone assured me that I would get justice. I have been living with only false promises and now, I have come to you for justice,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.
The sympathy factor is expected to sway the urban voters of Darjeeling, but the ABGL’s biggest stumbling block in giving the Morcha a strong fight is probably the poor organisational set-up in the rural areas.
Even parties like the CPM and the Congress are whipping up hill passions to earn brownie points.
K.B.Wattar, the CPM candidate for Darjeeling, admits that people are by and large sentimental about the Gorkhaland demand. “Other issues like development become secondary,” he said.
The CPM, while respecting the sentiments, is trying to make the people see reason. “There are a lot of parties in the hills to demand Gorkhaland. But there is none to give the statehood,” said Wattar.
The Congress is not to be left behind. The Darjeeling district (hill) committee of the party is going to the polls after having adopted a resolution in favour of Union territory status for the hills.
“We have adopted a resolution and we will try to convince the Pradesh Congress and the AICC of the need to grant Union territory status to the hills,” said K.B. Chhetri, the Darjeeling district committee president of the Congress.
In this battle of sentiments, GNLF president Subash Ghisingh, who first sowed the seeds of identity politics in the hills in the early 1980s, is now shunning the very idea of Gorkhaland.
“Why waste time on something you cannot achieve,” said Ghisingh.
The leader who stoked the statehood passion across the region is now telling his supporters that he had only used the word “Gorkhaland” as a “Brahmastra” in the mid-80s to achieve citizenship rights for the Nepali speaking people and identity (by inserting the word Gorkha in the nomenclature of the council formed in 1988).
The GNLF is fighting for the implementation of the Sixth Schedule status — terming it a better administrative arrangement which has legislative powers.
The fight for political supremacy in the hills will probably start only after the polls. Unlike the present fight of sentiments, the next battle will definitely centre on what-can-be-achieved and what-cannot-be-achieved.
KalimNews Shibu Soren JMM chief was the main speaker in Dooars campaign of ABAVP. He made speech in Raja TE of Mal Bazar, Shamuktala of Eastern Dooars and Birpara in favour of ABAVP candidates who filed their nominations as JMM candidates.
Parishad support for Malakar
TT, Siliguri, April 15: The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad has decided to back the Congress in Matigara-Naxalbari as the outfit feels the Congress-Trinamul Congress alliance will take care of tribal interests if it is elected to power.
The Congress has fielded Sankar Malakar in Matigara-Naxalbari, where Jharen Roy is the CPM candidate. The Parishad has a strong support base in the constituency, which is reserved for the Scheduled Caste.
Although the Parishad is contesting the Congress-Trinamul alliance (as well as the CPM) in five Assembly constituencies in the Dooars, it has not fielded candidates in Matigara-Naxalbari and in Phansidewa in the Terai.
“We are supporting Congress candidate Sankar Malakar in Matigara-Naxalbari, where no Parishad member has filed nomination,” Sukhdeo Bhagat, a state committee member of the Parishad, told a news conference here today.
“Even after extending our support to the Left for the past 35 years, we (tribal people) have been deprived of development projects. Considering the state government’s negligence, we feel the Congress and Trinamul will definitely bring about some change for us,” said Bhagat, who is also the secretary of the Naxalbari block unit of the Parishad.
The Parishad has not fielded any candidate in Phansidewa (ST), where Sunil Chandra Tirkey is the Congress nominee. “As Tirkey is a Parishad member, we cannot contest against him,” said Nicodine Minz, a senior leader of the tribal outfit.
The Parishad claims it can influence around 30,000 voters in Phansidewa and Matigara-Naxalbari together.
CPM to lodge complaint against cops
SNS, SILIGURI/DARJEELING, 15 APRIL: The Darjeeling district CPI-M will lodge a "formal" complaint with the Election Commission against the Hills police for their alleged reluctance to extend help to the CPI-M leader, Mr Sitaram Yechuri.The state urban development minister, Mr Asok Bhattacharya said: “Mr Yechuri was stranded for five hours in the Hills yesterday. Police were reluctant to clear the road as GJMM activists were campaigning.”
“We would lodge a formal complaint with the EC against police. Mr Yechuri could not attend party programmes. We fear that the atmosphere in the Hills is not safe. The GJMM continues to threaten people in the remote areas to vote for them,” said Mr Bhattacharya.
The CPI-M state committee leader, Mr Jibesh Sarkar, said: “The anti-GJMM candidates will win in the three Assembly seats if the EC can conduct free and fair poll in the Hills.”
Mr Jibesh Sarkar also said that a section of election officials were proactive to assist the anti-Left political organisation. Mr Sarkar criticised the election officials for issuing ‘show-cause’ notice to the CPI-M candidate for Siliguri Mr Asok Bhattacharya for the alleged distribution of voters’ slip with party symbol to the electors.
Protesting against the role of election officials, the Darjeeling district CPI-M had to seek clarification from the Election Commission.
The officer on special duty, Mr NK Sahana, has informed the Darjeeling district secretary that there was no restriction in the distribution of voters’ slip by political parties if it contains only electoral information.
In a letter to the party, which was issued on 13 April, Mr Sahana maintained: “If the name of the contesting candidate, symbol of the party and its name are shown in the counterfoil tagged with voters’ slip it would be treated as campaign material and publisher's name is a must. Such a slip should not be distributed within 48 hours before the poll."
GJMM, AIGL and GNLF hold meetings
Meanwhile, the GJMM, AIGL and GNLF held back-to-back public meetings. The time of the meetings of GJMM and AIGL clashed with each other, while GNLF meeting in the main town of Darjeeling took place after the meeting of the other two.
Making his influence felt in the Hills, Mr Ghisingh threatened that his party would take the law into his own hands if the administration failed to act properly. The president of GJMM, Mr Bimal Gurung, warned Mr Ghisingh to leave the Hills after the election. Aware of possible violence in the Hills after the election he said: “I know that the Darjeeling police is not that efficient when it comes to handling law and order situation.
Mr Gurung while addressing thousands of his supporters outside the Old Super Market in Darjeeling today, said that some “insects” (read Mr Ghisingh) are trying to disrupt the peaceful environment in the Hills.
Mr Ghisingh who has Z-category protection choose to walk from NP Road to Chowk Bazar (the place where Mr Ghisingh gave his speech today). Starting the “blame game” the GJMM and GNLF also accused each other for spoiling the future of the Hills, though Mr Ghisingh in his speech stated that the New Gorkha Hill Council (NGHC) under the Sixth Schedule will be the best for the Hills.
Asserting that the GNLF will “win” even if they loose the election this time and that the Hills will turn green again (the colour of his party flag), Mr Ghisingh said: “Election is not the main priority, electing three representative in the state Assembly is futile, what ever the state government is capable of giving has already been given, the state government can give nothing more, now it is up to the Centre to pass the Bill on NGHC and implement it in the Hills, besides if my party wins any seat in this election then my party might support whichever party that comes to power be it Trinamul Congress or The Left Front.”
Mr Gurung once again re-iterated that the Interim Council is a closed chapter and that the GJMM will only raise the demand of statehood in future. Referring to the murder of Madan Tamang first time after he was killed in a broad daylight in May 21, 2010, Mr Ghisingh said that since the Central Bureau of Investigation is probing the matter, it would be unwise to comment on it but the Hill people should not kill their own brothers and quarrel among themselves but fight Kolkata and Centre. Though Mr Ghisingh had slammed down the Gorkhaland demand earlier in Mirik, today he stated that if the people are not satisfied with New Gorkha Hill Council after it is implemented then his party can always ask for statehood.
Mamata sought GJMM support, alleges Asok
SNS, SILIGURI, 15 APRIL: The state urban development minister and a senior CPI-M leader, Mr Asok Bhattacharya, today claimed that the Trinamul Congress chief, Miss Mamata Banerjee had sought support from the GJMM president, Mr Bimal Gurung, over phone.
Referring to the GJMM media secretary and the party candidate from Kalimpong, Mr Harka Bahadur Chhetri, Mr Bhattacharya said that Mr Chhetri has exposed the electoral deal.
“Dr Chhetri has clearly stated in course of campaigning that Miss Banerjee and the state Congress president, Dr Manas Bhuniya, had sought support from Mr Bimal Gurung for their candidates in the plains,” he said.
Notably, Miss Banerjee keeps steering clear of the GJMM, saying that her party has no electoral link with the Hill-based party.
Ridiculing the Trianmul leader's pet theme, the CPI-M leader said that she would neither turn Siliguri into Switzerland nor the Darjeeling Hills into Gorkhaland.
Dwelling on the ‘clandestine’ electoral deal, Mr Bhattacharya said that a senior district Congress leader had met Mr Gurung at Kumani and Jhalong to thrash out the understanding on behalf of the Opposition alliance. “We stand to gain from the hush hush electoral understanding, involving the Opposition parties and the Gorkhaland protagonists,” he said. Predicting GJMM decline in the elections, Mr Bhattacharya said that the common people would vent the long pent anger against the authoritarian outfit at the election booths.
“We would do good in the adivasi-dominated Dooars as the ABAVP stands a fragmented house,” he added. He also sounded confident of retaining the Siliguri seat with a huge margin. “I have extensively toured my constituency. Over 1500 meetings have been held so far. The response is overwhelming,” he said.
MLA axe unites allies in ‘rebel’ favour- Chugging along for change
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| A Trinamul Congress tableau, Paribartan Express, chugs along Hill Cart Road in Siliguri on Friday. The model train (or the Change Express if the name is literally translated) set atop a truck was used to campaign for Siliguri’s Trinamul candidate Rudranath Bhattacharya. While the train is a symbol of the railway ministry which Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee now heads, the name of the express denotes the “change” (paribartan) that she has promised to bring to Bengal. Picture by Kundan Yolmo |
Members of both the parties, who are desperately backing Haque, said by leaving Dinhata to the NCP, Mamata has almost gifted it to the Left.
The sitting MLA Ashok Mondal, who was expelled by Mamata Banerjee at a public meeting on Wednesday, and Trinamul’s town and zonal committee leaders and members are now working feverishly for Haque, the sitting Congress MLA of Sitai.
“All the presidents of the 16 anchal committees in the gram panchayat areas and the town committee here are with me. They have always been anti-Left and they will not tolerate the Left winning again. They have stood by me in good times and bad times and even suffered in the hands of the Leftists. They will ensure that Haque Saheb wins,” said Mondol, who is leading the campaign.
This time, the Trinamul leadership had selected Mihir Goswami over Mondol, the first Trinamul MLA in north Bengal, for the Dinhata seat. But when Goswami refused to contest, Mamata left the seat to the NCP.
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| Ashok Mondal |
Mondol had won Dinhata, a traditional Forward Bloc citadel, in 2006. That year, two Bloc rebels, Hiten Nag and Makbul Hossain Sarkar, stood against Udayan Guha, the party’s candidate and son of long-time MLA Kamal Guha. Both the rebels polled over 12,000 votes and Guha lost to Mondol by 3,630 votes.
A senior Trinamul leader in the district said the Ma-Mati-Manush leader had failed to grasp the “mati” (meaning ground realities) in Dinhata. “She has gifted away the seat to the Left by agreeing to let it go to the NCP. Amiya Sarkar (of the NCP) can never win. Mamata expelled Mondol, as he was not present at the meeting which she addressed. She did not know that he was busy taking an ailing relative to Siliguri. Our workers are very upset with her whimsical action,” the leader said.
He said Mondol’s expulsion has united the Trinamul and the Congress against the NCP. “It has created a formidable alliance. Haque is Mondol’s political guru,” the leader said.
Haque, a five-time MLA from neighbouring Sitai, claimed that the Congress in Dinhata was backing him. Sitai is a reserved seat this time where the alliance candidate is Keshab Roy of the Congress.
“But the Congress is fully behind me in Dinhata as they have no candidate of their own. I am also getting the support of the Trinamul Congress,” said Haque. He is among the 13 rebel candidates suspended by the Congress for defying the AICC instruction to withdraw from the fray in honour of the alliance.
Mob beats up forester
TT, Alipurduar, April 15: The range officer of Chilapata was beaten up by a mob yesterday after the patrolling staff caught a villager sawing off a tree illegally. The mob also damaged a forest vehicle and freed the timber thief.
Around noon yesterday the range officer of Chilapata, Suranjan Sarkar, was patrolling in Bania-I compartment along with other foresters when they spotted a gang of timber smugglers sawing off a tree. While the patrolling team caught one of the gang members, Bandra Roy, the rest fled to the nearby Kumarpara village. Around 4.30pm, about 200 villagers arrived at the range office and damaged Sarkar’s vehicle. The mob also freed Bandra and beat up Sarkar. He was also attacked with a khukuri. The officer was rescued by the staff of the range office. Sarkar lodged an FIR with the Alipurduar police last night.
Body found
TT, Jaigaon: The body of a forest worker, who had been missing since Monday, was recovered from the Mendabari forest on Friday. Foresters of Chilapata range said Kumar Chhetri, 46, was a casual worker in the range. A missing diary had been filed with Hasimara police on Wednesday. Officials suspect that Chhetri died after he was attacked by elephants.
Electrocuted
TT, Islampur: Md Azimuddin, 28, a resident of Kanki near Chakulia, died of electrocution on Thursday night. Police said Azimuddin had touched a live wire while putting some goods in a godown. He died on the spot.
Mamata plea
TT, Siliguri: Members of the Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Banchaon Committee submitted a memorandum to Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee here on Thursday. Their demands include the creation of universities in the name of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Kazi Nazrul Islam and introduction of Bengali as a subject in all English medium schools across the state.
ADIVASI STORM IN LEFT TEA CUP
SNS, 15 April : If in Junglemahal the Adivasis have taken up arms to end the Left's misrule, in the tea garden-dominated Jalpaiguri, the rebellion will be reflected on EVMs this time, writes Bappaditya Paul.
No matter where he finally leads the Darjeeling Hills to, Mr Bimal Gurung and his ilk would always be credited for stoking tribals of the Dooars against years of neglect meted out to them by the Left Front government.
By extending claims to the Dooars region in the demanded separate Gorkhaland state, the GJMM, albeit unwittingly, has made the tribals extremely identity conscious, possessive about the territory they reside in and has also woken up the Adivasis to question the pathetic condition that they are compelled to live in.
Thus, though until two years back the Adivasi tea workers of the Dooars used to rely on the Left trade unions to bargain for a meagre wage hike, these days, every single tea worker is vocal against the Rs 67 that they are paid a day while the minimum wage guaranteed under the NREGS is Rs 130. Even after delimitation, the number of constituencies in Jalpaiguri has remained 12. The only change brought about is the merging of the erstwhile Kranti Assembly seat into Mal and the bifurcation of the Rajganj Assembly segment to create a new constituency named Dabgram-Fulbari. Of the 12 constituencies, while five lie in the Adivasi and Nepali dominated Dooars region; the rest seven falls in the Jalpaiguri plains. In 2006, eleven of them went to the Left and one to the Congress. But in the 2009 by-poll, Trinamul snatched the Rajganj Assembly seat from the CPI-M.
The Dooars: The five seats here ~ Kumargram, Kalchini, Madarihat, Nagrakata and Mal ~ have traditionally remained the bastion of the Left.
In Kumargram, while the RSP has fielded its sitting MLA and PWD minister (state), Mr Dasrath Tirkey; the Trinamul has nominated former-RSP MP, Mr Joachim Buxla. Also in the fray is Mr Vinay Kumar Minj of the Akhil Bhartiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad (ABAVP), who is contesting as Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate with the bow and arrow symbol, and Independent, Mr Sanjib Kumar Narjinary, a Trinamul rebel.
The resentment against the RSP here is very strong. But with Mr Buxla being unpopular for poor performance as an MP and the ABAVP set to draw a sizable vote share, the RSP has a marginal edge here.
Despite the Adivasi voters counting a little more than the Nepalis here, the Kalchini seat was wrested from the RSP by a GJMM-backed Bodo candidate in the 2009 by-poll. On that occasion, the unofficial ABAVP candidate, Mr Sandip Ekka, lost by only 6,000 votes. Mr Ekka this time is an official ABAVP nominee contesting as an JMM candidate. The Trinamul candidate here is ex-Congressman Mr Paban Lakra.
Because of the polarisation of ethnic votes, the ABAVP candidate this time enjoys a marginal edge over the GJMM-backed sitting MLA.
Madarihat constituency has the largest number of Nepali voters anywhere in the Dooars. Contesting here is the sitting RSP MLA, Ms Kumari Kujur, Congress’ Mr Atul Subba and BJP's Mr Manoj Tigga ~ who contested the 2009 LS poll from Alipurduar to come third with 1.99 lakh votes. This election, the GJMM has extended support to the BJP here, giving Mr Tigga an edge. His chances are strengthened further as the ABAVP candidate, Mr Jerome Lakra, is expected to eat up the RSP's Adivasi votes.
Nagrakata Almost this entire constituency had boycotted the 2009 LS poll at the behest of the ABAVP. Then a prominent ABAVP leader, Mr Rajesh Lakra, has now parted ways to float a new outfit called the Progressive People's Party, which enjoys the support of the GJMM.
Lodged in jail, while Mr Lakra is contesting here as an Independent; the ABAVP has fielded Mr William Minj, a resident of Metelli tea garden, and the CPI-M candidate is sitting MLA, Ms Sukhmoith Oraon. With Mr Minj contesting with the JMM's bow and arrow symbol that common Adivasis are very familiar with, he enjoys an edge over Mr Lakra.
Post-delimitation, Mal constituency now includes the Kranti area, which has a sizable Rajbanshi voters. The Kamtapur People's Party (Atul faction) is supporting the ABAVP candidate here and the Congress is getting the backing of the GJMM, having a sizeable following in the Bagrakote area. The fight here is a triangular one between the ABAVP, the Congress and the CPI-M: with the former enjoying a marginal edge.
The Jalpaiguri plains ~ Have seven Assembly segments ~ Alipurduar, Falakata, Dhupguri, Maynaguri, Jalpaiguri, Rajganj and the Dabgram-Fulbari. In Alipurduar contesting head-on are RSP heavyweight and PWD minister Mr Kshiti Goswami and Congress heavyweight, Mr Deba Prasad Roy. While Mr Goswami is banking on the traditional RSP vote bank, especially those in government or semi-government jobs; Mr Roy has summoned all the Congress functionaries from Jalpaiguri town and is wooing the rural voters mostly. To Mr Roy's advantage, he is also getting the backing of the Trinamul, whose leaders from as far as Siliguri are campaigning for him in Alipurduar.
Mr Goswami's worry has doubled with the Adivasi tea workers turning hostile to the Left; on the contrary the Congress enjoys an edge because of the “winds of change”. In Falakata and Dhupguri due to the mass resentment against the local CPI-M functionaries, the Trinamul has been growing stronger since 2001. To curb the trend, the CPI-M this time has dropped the sitting MLA and minister, Mr Jogesh Barman, at Dhupguri. Yet, the record gathering at the 12 April Dhupguri rally of Miss Mamata Banerjee indicates, the anger against the CPI-M has only aggravated further. Advantage Trinamul in both these seats.
But in the adjacent Maynaguri, because of the infighting in the party ranks, the Trinamul candidate's job has become tougher against the RSP.
Jalpaiguri Assembly seat covers the 25 wards of Jalpaiguri municipality and the ten adjacent GPs, of which seven are under the total control of the Left from the 2008 panchayat poll.
In the municipality, the Congress-Trinamul is in power with 17 seats to their credit. Also, in the 2009 Lok Sabha poll, the Congress led by 3,700 votes over the Left in this constituency ~ about 2,700 more than the winning margin of the 2006 Assembly election.
Despite all these, with the Congress fielding an ex-IAS, who is settled in Salt Lake, Kolkata; the Forward Bloc's Mr Gobinda Roy enjoys a marginal edge here. To the FB's benefit, while Mr DP Roy has taken away most of the local Congress functionaries to Alipurduar, the Trinamul leadership here is busy electioneering for the party's candidate in adjacent Rajganj. In Rajganj, the sitting Trinamul MLA, Mr Khageswar Roy is contesting the CPI-M new gun, Mr Amulya Kumar Roy. But riding on the “wind of change”, the Trinamul has a clear edge here as the ABAVP candidate, Mr Paresh Chandra Roy is here to munch away the CPI-M votes in the tea garden areas of the constituency. The newly created Dabgram-Fulbari Assembly segment covers the 14 added wards of Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) ~ from 31 to 44 and the four GPs Fulbari-I, II and Dabgram-I,II. In the 2009 SMC election, while the CPI-M could retain the ward nos 37, 42, 43 and 44; the Congress-Trinamul combine wrested the rest ten wards, mostly by a narrow margin. Of the four GPs, while Dabgram-I and II are under the control of the CPI-M, the Congress-TMC combine is in power in Fulbari-II and Fulbari-I is run by the BJP.
This Assembly election, in the fray here is the Trinamul Darjeeling district president, Mr Gautam Deb, the former chairman of the SMC and present councillor, Mr Dilip Singh of the CPI-M, and Mr Dulal Das of the BJP. Contrary to general perception, Trinamul's fight here is extremely tough because of two reasons. First, in the 14 SMC wards that account for about 1.20 lakh voters out of the total 2.09 lakh, the dismal performance of the Congress-TMC councillors in the past two years has dented the Trinamul's image. The second and most crucial reason ~ the BJP candidate, who had been a high performing SMC councillor and enjoys a strong following in ward nos 32, 33 and 34. Besides, the BJP is leaving no stone unturned and the party heavyweights like Ms Hema Malini, Mr Arun Jaitely etc have already campaigned here.
On the other hand, to its advantage, the Trinamul has the backing of the GJMM, which apparently controls the minds of Nepali-speaking voters here. Yet, the fight here would be a neck and neck one between the TMC and the CPI-M, with the latter enjoying a marginal advantage.
Mob beats up forester
TT, Alipurduar, April 15: The range officer of Chilapata was beaten up by a mob yesterday after the patrolling staff caught a villager sawing off a tree illegally. The mob also damaged a forest vehicle and freed the timber thief.
Around noon yesterday the range officer of Chilapata, Suranjan Sarkar, was patrolling in Bania-I compartment along with other foresters when they spotted a gang of timber smugglers sawing off a tree. While the patrolling team caught one of the gang members, Bandra Roy, the rest fled to the nearby Kumarpara village. Around 4.30pm, about 200 villagers arrived at the range office and damaged Sarkar’s vehicle. The mob also freed Bandra and beat up Sarkar. He was also attacked with a khukuri. The officer was rescued by the staff of the range office. Sarkar lodged an FIR with the Alipurduar police last night.
Body found
TT, Jaigaon: The body of a forest worker, who had been missing since Monday, was recovered from the Mendabari forest on Friday. Foresters of Chilapata range said Kumar Chhetri, 46, was a casual worker in the range. A missing diary had been filed with Hasimara police on Wednesday. Officials suspect that Chhetri died after he was attacked by elephants.
Electrocuted
TT, Islampur: Md Azimuddin, 28, a resident of Kanki near Chakulia, died of electrocution on Thursday night. Police said Azimuddin had touched a live wire while putting some goods in a godown. He died on the spot.
Mamata plea
TT, Siliguri: Members of the Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Banchaon Committee submitted a memorandum to Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee here on Thursday. Their demands include the creation of universities in the name of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Kazi Nazrul Islam and introduction of Bengali as a subject in all English medium schools across the state.
ADIVASI STORM IN LEFT TEA CUP
SNS, 15 April : If in Junglemahal the Adivasis have taken up arms to end the Left's misrule, in the tea garden-dominated Jalpaiguri, the rebellion will be reflected on EVMs this time, writes Bappaditya Paul.
No matter where he finally leads the Darjeeling Hills to, Mr Bimal Gurung and his ilk would always be credited for stoking tribals of the Dooars against years of neglect meted out to them by the Left Front government.
By extending claims to the Dooars region in the demanded separate Gorkhaland state, the GJMM, albeit unwittingly, has made the tribals extremely identity conscious, possessive about the territory they reside in and has also woken up the Adivasis to question the pathetic condition that they are compelled to live in.
Thus, though until two years back the Adivasi tea workers of the Dooars used to rely on the Left trade unions to bargain for a meagre wage hike, these days, every single tea worker is vocal against the Rs 67 that they are paid a day while the minimum wage guaranteed under the NREGS is Rs 130. Even after delimitation, the number of constituencies in Jalpaiguri has remained 12. The only change brought about is the merging of the erstwhile Kranti Assembly seat into Mal and the bifurcation of the Rajganj Assembly segment to create a new constituency named Dabgram-Fulbari. Of the 12 constituencies, while five lie in the Adivasi and Nepali dominated Dooars region; the rest seven falls in the Jalpaiguri plains. In 2006, eleven of them went to the Left and one to the Congress. But in the 2009 by-poll, Trinamul snatched the Rajganj Assembly seat from the CPI-M.
The Dooars: The five seats here ~ Kumargram, Kalchini, Madarihat, Nagrakata and Mal ~ have traditionally remained the bastion of the Left.
In Kumargram, while the RSP has fielded its sitting MLA and PWD minister (state), Mr Dasrath Tirkey; the Trinamul has nominated former-RSP MP, Mr Joachim Buxla. Also in the fray is Mr Vinay Kumar Minj of the Akhil Bhartiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad (ABAVP), who is contesting as Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate with the bow and arrow symbol, and Independent, Mr Sanjib Kumar Narjinary, a Trinamul rebel.
The resentment against the RSP here is very strong. But with Mr Buxla being unpopular for poor performance as an MP and the ABAVP set to draw a sizable vote share, the RSP has a marginal edge here.
Despite the Adivasi voters counting a little more than the Nepalis here, the Kalchini seat was wrested from the RSP by a GJMM-backed Bodo candidate in the 2009 by-poll. On that occasion, the unofficial ABAVP candidate, Mr Sandip Ekka, lost by only 6,000 votes. Mr Ekka this time is an official ABAVP nominee contesting as an JMM candidate. The Trinamul candidate here is ex-Congressman Mr Paban Lakra.
Because of the polarisation of ethnic votes, the ABAVP candidate this time enjoys a marginal edge over the GJMM-backed sitting MLA.
Madarihat constituency has the largest number of Nepali voters anywhere in the Dooars. Contesting here is the sitting RSP MLA, Ms Kumari Kujur, Congress’ Mr Atul Subba and BJP's Mr Manoj Tigga ~ who contested the 2009 LS poll from Alipurduar to come third with 1.99 lakh votes. This election, the GJMM has extended support to the BJP here, giving Mr Tigga an edge. His chances are strengthened further as the ABAVP candidate, Mr Jerome Lakra, is expected to eat up the RSP's Adivasi votes.
Nagrakata Almost this entire constituency had boycotted the 2009 LS poll at the behest of the ABAVP. Then a prominent ABAVP leader, Mr Rajesh Lakra, has now parted ways to float a new outfit called the Progressive People's Party, which enjoys the support of the GJMM.
Lodged in jail, while Mr Lakra is contesting here as an Independent; the ABAVP has fielded Mr William Minj, a resident of Metelli tea garden, and the CPI-M candidate is sitting MLA, Ms Sukhmoith Oraon. With Mr Minj contesting with the JMM's bow and arrow symbol that common Adivasis are very familiar with, he enjoys an edge over Mr Lakra.
Post-delimitation, Mal constituency now includes the Kranti area, which has a sizable Rajbanshi voters. The Kamtapur People's Party (Atul faction) is supporting the ABAVP candidate here and the Congress is getting the backing of the GJMM, having a sizeable following in the Bagrakote area. The fight here is a triangular one between the ABAVP, the Congress and the CPI-M: with the former enjoying a marginal edge.
The Jalpaiguri plains ~ Have seven Assembly segments ~ Alipurduar, Falakata, Dhupguri, Maynaguri, Jalpaiguri, Rajganj and the Dabgram-Fulbari. In Alipurduar contesting head-on are RSP heavyweight and PWD minister Mr Kshiti Goswami and Congress heavyweight, Mr Deba Prasad Roy. While Mr Goswami is banking on the traditional RSP vote bank, especially those in government or semi-government jobs; Mr Roy has summoned all the Congress functionaries from Jalpaiguri town and is wooing the rural voters mostly. To Mr Roy's advantage, he is also getting the backing of the Trinamul, whose leaders from as far as Siliguri are campaigning for him in Alipurduar.
Mr Goswami's worry has doubled with the Adivasi tea workers turning hostile to the Left; on the contrary the Congress enjoys an edge because of the “winds of change”. In Falakata and Dhupguri due to the mass resentment against the local CPI-M functionaries, the Trinamul has been growing stronger since 2001. To curb the trend, the CPI-M this time has dropped the sitting MLA and minister, Mr Jogesh Barman, at Dhupguri. Yet, the record gathering at the 12 April Dhupguri rally of Miss Mamata Banerjee indicates, the anger against the CPI-M has only aggravated further. Advantage Trinamul in both these seats.
But in the adjacent Maynaguri, because of the infighting in the party ranks, the Trinamul candidate's job has become tougher against the RSP.
Jalpaiguri Assembly seat covers the 25 wards of Jalpaiguri municipality and the ten adjacent GPs, of which seven are under the total control of the Left from the 2008 panchayat poll.
In the municipality, the Congress-Trinamul is in power with 17 seats to their credit. Also, in the 2009 Lok Sabha poll, the Congress led by 3,700 votes over the Left in this constituency ~ about 2,700 more than the winning margin of the 2006 Assembly election.
Despite all these, with the Congress fielding an ex-IAS, who is settled in Salt Lake, Kolkata; the Forward Bloc's Mr Gobinda Roy enjoys a marginal edge here. To the FB's benefit, while Mr DP Roy has taken away most of the local Congress functionaries to Alipurduar, the Trinamul leadership here is busy electioneering for the party's candidate in adjacent Rajganj. In Rajganj, the sitting Trinamul MLA, Mr Khageswar Roy is contesting the CPI-M new gun, Mr Amulya Kumar Roy. But riding on the “wind of change”, the Trinamul has a clear edge here as the ABAVP candidate, Mr Paresh Chandra Roy is here to munch away the CPI-M votes in the tea garden areas of the constituency. The newly created Dabgram-Fulbari Assembly segment covers the 14 added wards of Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) ~ from 31 to 44 and the four GPs Fulbari-I, II and Dabgram-I,II. In the 2009 SMC election, while the CPI-M could retain the ward nos 37, 42, 43 and 44; the Congress-Trinamul combine wrested the rest ten wards, mostly by a narrow margin. Of the four GPs, while Dabgram-I and II are under the control of the CPI-M, the Congress-TMC combine is in power in Fulbari-II and Fulbari-I is run by the BJP.
This Assembly election, in the fray here is the Trinamul Darjeeling district president, Mr Gautam Deb, the former chairman of the SMC and present councillor, Mr Dilip Singh of the CPI-M, and Mr Dulal Das of the BJP. Contrary to general perception, Trinamul's fight here is extremely tough because of two reasons. First, in the 14 SMC wards that account for about 1.20 lakh voters out of the total 2.09 lakh, the dismal performance of the Congress-TMC councillors in the past two years has dented the Trinamul's image. The second and most crucial reason ~ the BJP candidate, who had been a high performing SMC councillor and enjoys a strong following in ward nos 32, 33 and 34. Besides, the BJP is leaving no stone unturned and the party heavyweights like Ms Hema Malini, Mr Arun Jaitely etc have already campaigned here.
On the other hand, to its advantage, the Trinamul has the backing of the GJMM, which apparently controls the minds of Nepali-speaking voters here. Yet, the fight here would be a neck and neck one between the TMC and the CPI-M, with the latter enjoying a marginal advantage.
What Will Matter: Michael Josephson
(Character Counts)
Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours, or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame, and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got,
but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered, or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel
a lasting loss when you're gone.
a lasting loss when you're gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those
who loved you.
who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom, and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Why should you vote?
Greater Participation for a Stronger Democracy
India is the largest democracy in the world. The right to vote and more
importantly the exercise of franchise by the eligible citizens is at the heart of
every democracy. We, the people, through this exercise of our right to vote
have the ultimate power to shape the destiny of country by electing our
representatives who run the Government and take decisions for the growth,
development and benefit of all the citizens.
Vote for Democracy, Vote for safety, Vote for empowermentVote for all round development.
Exercise your right without any obligation, compulsion, fear, threat, enticement and sentiment.
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