दाबी गरेको सीमाना पाएन भने यो व्यवस्था स्वीकार्य हुँदैन-विमल गुरूङ
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| (Gurung addresses the meeting in Darjeeling on Tuesday. Picture by Suman Tamang, TT) |
Morcha to ink deal after scrutiny - Gorkhaland still on agenda: Gurung
VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, June 14: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today said the memorandum of settlement (MoS) of the new administrative set-up would be signed only if the party’s demands tallied with the proposals of the Centre and the state and the provisions of the body were endorsed by the various units of the outfit. “I along with Mamata Banerjee and P. Chidambaram will sign the MoS. Nothing has been finalised yet as we need to study and analyse the proposals of the Centre and the state and see that they tally with the agreements reached with us earlier (in the previous tripartite meetings). We will then make it public and will sign the agreement only after we get a no-objection-certificate from the hill people,” Morcha president Bimal Gurung told party leaders at the Darjeeling Gymkhana Club today. Gurung was trying to drive home the point that the Morcha had been transparent in its functioning and reiterated that the proposed administrative arrangement would not become a reality unless parts of the Dooars and the Terai were included in the new framework. “It is because of this stand that the state and the Centre have agreed to form a high-powered committee to look into the territorial demand. We have to nominate four members to the committee. Our representatives to the committee will be from the Dooars and the Terai as they know their areas well,” said Gurung. Gurung launched an attack on the rival parties in the hills and said they were criticising the Morcha without going through the draft of the MoS. “The draft is being worked out right now but the opposition parties are levelling unfounded allegations against us. Let them first go through it and then point out if there are any shortcomings,” said Gurung. “We are struggling for territory. Those who are speaking against us had confined us to the three hill subdivisions in the past. Am I doing any wrong by trying to increase the territory under our jurisdiction?” he asked. Explaining the logic behind accepting the new administrative unit, Gurung said: “The state government is saying they will solve the hill problem. If they want to, let them solve the problem. Why should we stop them? Whatever may be the outcome, we will not drop the demand for Gorkhaland or let it be diluted by any agreement.” Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha, who had signed the minutes of the talks between the state chief secretary and a Morcha delegation in Calcutta on June 7, read out the details of the meeting. “The chief secretary has mentioned in the minutes that the demand for Gorkhaland has been put on record even though it was not discussed that day. We are not diluting the demand and that is why we do not want any constitutional recognition for the new body. Once the new body gets a constitutional recognition, it will be deemed as a permanent solution,” said Giri. “A permanent solution to the hill problem is either a Union Territory status or a separate state of Gorkhaland,” Giri said. He was hinting that the new body would be set up, not through a constitutional amendment, but through an act passed by the Assembly. Gurung, too, said the agitation for Gorkhaland would carry on. “I will not head the new body or be involved with it. My only aim is to create Gorkhaland and I will continue to move forward in this direction.
मनोज वोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ,14 जून। गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चाले परिषद् थाप्नुमा पहाड़का विपक्ष अनि राष्ट्रिय अराजनैतिक सङ्गठनहरूको ठूलो भूमिका रहेको दार्जीलिङ, तराई, डुवर्स गोर्खा-आदिवासी वेलफेयर सोसाइटीले लगाएको छ। सोसाईटीको सचिव प्रवीण गुरूङले बताए अनुसार विपक्षको गनेउले प्रवृतिको कारण नै मोर्चाले फाइदा उठाएको जनाए। तिनले भने, मोर्चाले शुरूदेखि नै यही व्यवस्था थाप्छु भनिरहेको छ। यो व्यवस्थाको निम्ति नै गुप्ती रिपोर्ट पनि पठायो। अहिले आएर मात्र मोर्चाले गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाममा अर्को दागोपाप नै थापेको स्पष्ट भएको होइन। मदन तामङले त बताइदिएकै हुन्, मोर्चाले धोका दिने योजना तयार पारेको स्पष्ट पारेकै हुन्। मोर्चाले यही थाप्न नै आन्दोलन गरिरहेको थियो। तर कुनै पनि विपक्षले आफ्नो दायित्वलाई इमान्दारितापूर्वक वहन गरेन।
मुख्यतः विपक्षमा एकता देखिएन, एकता तोड्ने मोर्चाको षड़यन्त्रमा पर्यो। मोर्चाले गरेको गलतकामको कसैले पनि विरोध गर्न सकेन। धेरैवटा गनेउले विपक्ष अनि मुख्यगरी राष्ट्रिय सङ्गठन भनेर गर्व गर्ने सङ्गठनको चापलुसीपन अनि विमल गुरूङ अघि साकिलो हुने कामको कारण अन्योलता आयो। जनतालाई सही कुरा बुझाउने दायित्वलाई निर्वाह गर्नु त परै जाओस्, क्षेत्रीय दल अघि घुँड़ासमेत टेकेर हदैसम्मको गंगटे प्रवृति देखाएको कारण नै मोर्चालाई आफ्नो जाल बुन्न सुयोग मिलेको हो। तिनले अझ बताए अनुसार ती सङ्गठनले संवैधानिक, प्रशासनिक, आर्थिकसम्पन्न व्यवस्थाको विरोध गर्न मोर्चा नै खोलेको अनि सफल नै बनेको भए पनि घिसिङको छैटौं अनुसूची भन्दा धेरै अर्थमा सानो रहेको व्यवस्थालाई भने स्वीकार योग्य बताउनुले ती सङ्गठनको मानसिकता स्पष्ट भएको पनि जनाए।
तिनले भने, छैटौं अनुसूची धारा 244 अनुसार जति सम्पन्न हो, मोर्चाको असंवैधानिक परिषद् धेरै अर्थमा तुलनामा समेत आउन सक्दैन। यो व्यवस्था केवल दागोपापको केही ठूलोरूप मात्र हो। यसलाई चॉंही समर्थन अनि संवैधानिक व्यवस्थाको चॉंही विरोधले के स्पष्ट पार्छ? संविधानको धारा 244 अनुसारको व्यवस्था कालान्तरमा गएर राज्य बनेको छ, यसको उदाहरण मोजोराम, नागाल्याण्ड छँदैछ। यस्तो बलियो कुरा ल्याउँछु भन्नेलाई चॉंही विरोध गर्यो अनि संवैधानिक नै नरहेको अनि राज्य हुने कतैबाट पनि सम्भव नरहेको व्यवस्थालाई चॉंही समर्थन गर्नु ती सङ्गठन र दल इमान्दार नरहेको प्रमाण हो। तिनले दलहरू अनि सङ्गठनहरूमा इमान्दारिता नभएको कारण नै घिसिङको पालामा पनि जनता ठगिएको अनि विमलबाट पनि ठगिएको तिनले बताए।
तिनले दल अनि सङ्गठनहरूमाथि प्रश्न उठाउँदै भने, जब सरकार संवैधानिक व्यवस्था दिन तयार थियो, तब विरोध गर्यो, जब मोर्चाले असंवैधानिक व्यवस्था ल्याउँदै छ, जसलाई समर्थन गर्ने हो भने जनताले ती सङ्गठन र दलहरूलाई कन्सिरीमा समातेर डॉंड़ा कटाउनुपर्छ। अर्कोतिर तिनले जनतासित पनि प्रश्न उठाउँदै भने, जनता तिनै हुन्, जो सुवास घिसिङले धोका दिएकोले फेरि छुट्टैराज्यको निम्ति आन्दोलित बने, ती नै जनता हुन् जुन दलले धोका दिने कुरा बारम्बार बताए पनि भारी मतले जितायो। जनताको मतको जवाब मोर्चाले धोकाले दिएको छ। यसलाई पनि अब जनताले मनन गरेन भने भविष्य विगार्नेहरूको इतिहासमा दार्जीलिङका जनता उल्लेखित हुने छ।
Now, GJM seeks UT status for Hills
Deep Gazmer, TNN , Jun 15, 2011,DARJEELING: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha now wants either Union Territory status for Darjeeling or a separate state as the "final solution". For now, it is ready to accept a hill council, but only with more areas added to it. It also don't want a constitutional guarantee, since that might give a permanent status to the council. This seems to be the new approach of GJM leaders, following resentments in the hills, even in GJM units, over the agreement signed with the Mamata Banerjee government last week. Heads of different frontal organizations of the party were called in Darjeeling on Tuesday to apprise them of what had transpired at meetings of GJM leaders with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Union home minister P Chidambaram. GJM leaders during the day sought to stem the growing resentment following the understanding over formation of a new hill council. "The new body will be formed by a direct election process. But it will ot have any constitutional guarantee," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said. He reasoned that having a constitutional guarantee would make the new arrangement for a permanent solution. "The option to the government is that of a UT or a separate state as permanent solution," Giri said. Initially, GJM had settled for an interim council to replace the existing DGHC, but with constitutional guarantee. Giri said the demand for a state had been on record even while accepting a new body. "GNLF dropped the Gorkhaland demand in the accord signed in 1988 and again in 2005, while accepting the sixth schedule status for the hills. But, we have not done that," asserted the GJM secretary. On the sidelines of the meeting with frontal organizations, GJM president Bimal Gurung asserted that the new body would not be accepted without addition of new territories. "The process of verifying ground realities to incorporate new areas in the new body is in progress. A committee that will be formed will decide the areas to be included in the new body. But minus new areas we will not accept any arrangement," Gurung said. But, Gurung also sought not to take a hard stand on his demands so that future negotiations with the state government were not cut off. "The new government in Bengal has promised to find a solution within 100 days. We must give them time to work," the GJM leader said. "Nothing is finalized yet. We only discussed with the new government several issues. We have come to a consensus on issues but that will only be finalized in a tripartite meeting," the GJM chief said. Gurung said the party would write a draft agreement and scrutinize the state government's proposal, but with consent of people. "We will not take a unilateral decision. We will prepare our own draft and scrutinize the one the Bengal government will give us. I will accept and approve it if the people and the party units all over the country give their consent in writing," Gurung said.
अक्कर पुलबाट फालहानेर युवती द्वारा आत्महत्यामुख्यतः विपक्षमा एकता देखिएन, एकता तोड्ने मोर्चाको षड़यन्त्रमा पर्यो। मोर्चाले गरेको गलतकामको कसैले पनि विरोध गर्न सकेन। धेरैवटा गनेउले विपक्ष अनि मुख्यगरी राष्ट्रिय सङ्गठन भनेर गर्व गर्ने सङ्गठनको चापलुसीपन अनि विमल गुरूङ अघि साकिलो हुने कामको कारण अन्योलता आयो। जनतालाई सही कुरा बुझाउने दायित्वलाई निर्वाह गर्नु त परै जाओस्, क्षेत्रीय दल अघि घुँड़ासमेत टेकेर हदैसम्मको गंगटे प्रवृति देखाएको कारण नै मोर्चालाई आफ्नो जाल बुन्न सुयोग मिलेको हो। तिनले अझ बताए अनुसार ती सङ्गठनले संवैधानिक, प्रशासनिक, आर्थिकसम्पन्न व्यवस्थाको विरोध गर्न मोर्चा नै खोलेको अनि सफल नै बनेको भए पनि घिसिङको छैटौं अनुसूची भन्दा धेरै अर्थमा सानो रहेको व्यवस्थालाई भने स्वीकार योग्य बताउनुले ती सङ्गठनको मानसिकता स्पष्ट भएको पनि जनाए।
तिनले भने, छैटौं अनुसूची धारा 244 अनुसार जति सम्पन्न हो, मोर्चाको असंवैधानिक परिषद् धेरै अर्थमा तुलनामा समेत आउन सक्दैन। यो व्यवस्था केवल दागोपापको केही ठूलोरूप मात्र हो। यसलाई चॉंही समर्थन अनि संवैधानिक व्यवस्थाको चॉंही विरोधले के स्पष्ट पार्छ? संविधानको धारा 244 अनुसारको व्यवस्था कालान्तरमा गएर राज्य बनेको छ, यसको उदाहरण मोजोराम, नागाल्याण्ड छँदैछ। यस्तो बलियो कुरा ल्याउँछु भन्नेलाई चॉंही विरोध गर्यो अनि संवैधानिक नै नरहेको अनि राज्य हुने कतैबाट पनि सम्भव नरहेको व्यवस्थालाई चॉंही समर्थन गर्नु ती सङ्गठन र दल इमान्दार नरहेको प्रमाण हो। तिनले दलहरू अनि सङ्गठनहरूमा इमान्दारिता नभएको कारण नै घिसिङको पालामा पनि जनता ठगिएको अनि विमलबाट पनि ठगिएको तिनले बताए।
तिनले दल अनि सङ्गठनहरूमाथि प्रश्न उठाउँदै भने, जब सरकार संवैधानिक व्यवस्था दिन तयार थियो, तब विरोध गर्यो, जब मोर्चाले असंवैधानिक व्यवस्था ल्याउँदै छ, जसलाई समर्थन गर्ने हो भने जनताले ती सङ्गठन र दलहरूलाई कन्सिरीमा समातेर डॉंड़ा कटाउनुपर्छ। अर्कोतिर तिनले जनतासित पनि प्रश्न उठाउँदै भने, जनता तिनै हुन्, जो सुवास घिसिङले धोका दिएकोले फेरि छुट्टैराज्यको निम्ति आन्दोलित बने, ती नै जनता हुन् जुन दलले धोका दिने कुरा बारम्बार बताए पनि भारी मतले जितायो। जनताको मतको जवाब मोर्चाले धोकाले दिएको छ। यसलाई पनि अब जनताले मनन गरेन भने भविष्य विगार्नेहरूको इतिहासमा दार्जीलिङका जनता उल्लेखित हुने छ।
Now, GJM seeks UT status for Hills
Deep Gazmer, TNN , Jun 15, 2011,DARJEELING: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha now wants either Union Territory status for Darjeeling or a separate state as the "final solution". For now, it is ready to accept a hill council, but only with more areas added to it. It also don't want a constitutional guarantee, since that might give a permanent status to the council. This seems to be the new approach of GJM leaders, following resentments in the hills, even in GJM units, over the agreement signed with the Mamata Banerjee government last week. Heads of different frontal organizations of the party were called in Darjeeling on Tuesday to apprise them of what had transpired at meetings of GJM leaders with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Union home minister P Chidambaram. GJM leaders during the day sought to stem the growing resentment following the understanding over formation of a new hill council. "The new body will be formed by a direct election process. But it will ot have any constitutional guarantee," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said. He reasoned that having a constitutional guarantee would make the new arrangement for a permanent solution. "The option to the government is that of a UT or a separate state as permanent solution," Giri said. Initially, GJM had settled for an interim council to replace the existing DGHC, but with constitutional guarantee. Giri said the demand for a state had been on record even while accepting a new body. "GNLF dropped the Gorkhaland demand in the accord signed in 1988 and again in 2005, while accepting the sixth schedule status for the hills. But, we have not done that," asserted the GJM secretary. On the sidelines of the meeting with frontal organizations, GJM president Bimal Gurung asserted that the new body would not be accepted without addition of new territories. "The process of verifying ground realities to incorporate new areas in the new body is in progress. A committee that will be formed will decide the areas to be included in the new body. But minus new areas we will not accept any arrangement," Gurung said. But, Gurung also sought not to take a hard stand on his demands so that future negotiations with the state government were not cut off. "The new government in Bengal has promised to find a solution within 100 days. We must give them time to work," the GJM leader said. "Nothing is finalized yet. We only discussed with the new government several issues. We have come to a consensus on issues but that will only be finalized in a tripartite meeting," the GJM chief said. Gurung said the party would write a draft agreement and scrutinize the state government's proposal, but with consent of people. "We will not take a unilateral decision. We will prepare our own draft and scrutinize the one the Bengal government will give us. I will accept and approve it if the people and the party units all over the country give their consent in writing," Gurung said.
प्रविण खालिंग, कालिमन्युज, जोरथाङ, 14 जून।सोमबार बिहान लगभग 7 बजी जोरथाङ अक्कर पुलबाट रंगीत नदीमा फालहानेर एक 22 वर्षीय युवतीले आत्महत्या गरिन्। जोरथाङ निवासी मणिराम अग्रवालकी छोरी अञ्जु अग्रवालले रंगीत खोलामा हाम फालेर आत्म हत्या गरेको खबरले जोरथाङ बजार स्तब्ध बन्यो। परिवारिक सूत्रले बताए अनुसार अञ्जु 7 वर्ष मानसिक असंतुलनको कारण अस्वस्थ्य थिइऩ्। यसभन्दा 3 वर्ष अघि पनि त्यही पुलबाट हामफाल्ने प्रयास गरेको परिवारिक सूत्रले बताएको छ।
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वर्खे झरीले उर्लिएको रंगीत नदीमा फालहानेको घटना पत्तो पाउनसाथै जोरथाङ पुलिस, परिवार पक्ष स्थानीय माझीगाँउ निवासी तथा छिमकी राज्य पश्चिम बंगालका शिंगलाका मानिसहरूले तुरन्तै उक्त युवतीलाई खोज्ने अभियान थाल्यो तर नदीमा पानीको बहाउ तेज भएकोकारण मृतदेह समेत उद्दार गर्न लगभग आठ घण्टाको कठोर परिश्रम गर्नु पऱ्यो। संवादसूत्र प्रयास राईले दिएको जानकारी अऩुसार लगातार खोजी अभियान शुरु गरेर दिउँसो साँढे तीन बजी घटनास्थलबाट लगभग 1 किलोमिटर टाडो रंगीतको बगरमा पर्ने चिरबिरे नामक स्थानबाट मृतदेह उद्दार गरियो। पुलिसले मृतदेह उद्दार पछि नाम्ची जिल्ला अस्पतालमा पोष्टमर्टमको निम्ति पठाएको छ। घटनाबारे विस्तृत छानवीन गरिरहेको पूलिस सूत्रले बताएको छ।
मृतकका परिवारसित मजदुर मोर्चाका प्रतिनिधिहरूको भेटघाटप्रविण खालिंग, कालिमन्युज, जोरथाङ, 14 जून। यहाँको माझीटारमा निर्माणाधिन डान्स एनर्जी जल विद्युत परियोजनाको अडिट दुइ टनल धस्किन्दा मरेका असम निवासी धनबहादुर प्रधानका परिवारका सदस्यसित अखिल सिक्किम प्रजातान्त्रीक मजदूर मोर्चा अनि कंपनीको प्रतिनिधिहरूले भेट गरेर सहयोग गर्ने बचन दिए। जोरथाङबाट सम्वादसूत्र प्रयास राईले दिएको जानकारी अनुसार मजदुर मोर्चाका दक्षिण जिला उपाध्यक्ष भीम प्रधान, संयोजक दिवश पेघा अऩि कम्पनीको पक्षबाट प्रवीण कुमारले पिडीत परिवारसित भेट गरे। जसमा मृतकको परिवारमा अहिले कोही कमाउने व्यक्ति नरहेको तथा घरमा उनको पत्नि टुकामाया प्रधान अनि चारजना अवोध वालबालिका रहेको जानकारी पाइएको छ।
माझीटार गाउँमा विगत एक वर्षदेखि असमबाट आएर बस्दै आएको मृतककी पत्नी टुकमायाले बताइऩ भने घरमा अहिले 12 वर्षिय छोरो सोनु प्रधान (लाटो अऩि बहिरो) अवस्थामा रहेको छ भने 8 वर्षीया छोरी कुमारी प्रधान र 6 वर्षिय छोरो चन्द्रबहादुर प्रधान माझीटार पाठशालामै कक्षा एकमा अध्ययनरत छन्। श्रीमती प्रधानको काखमा भने 6 महिनाको नानी जमुना प्रधान रहेको छ। घरको एकमात्र कमाउने व्यक्तिको निधनले प्रधान परिवारमा आकाशै खसेको स्थिति छ। यस्तो अवस्थामा कम्पनीको पक्षबाट गत 12 तारिक घटना भएकै दिन 25 हजार रूपियाँ क्षति पूर्ती दिइएको तथा आज पुनः 50 हजार रूपियाँ क्षतिपूर्ती दिइएको श्रीमती प्रधानले बताइऩ्। यसका साथै एक महिना भित्रमा कम्पनीको पक्षबाट नानीहरूको नाममा विमा पनि गरिदिने प्रवीण कुमारले बचन दिएको भए पनि घरमा स्थाइ आयश्रोतको निम्ति कुनै माध्यम नभएसम्म परिवार चल्न गाह्रो पर्ने निश्चित छ।
अर्कोतिर मजदूर मोर्चाले पनि आफ्नो सहयोग पुरा गर्ने बताए पछि पिडीत परिवारको एक्लो सहाराको रूपमा रहेकी श्रीमती प्रधानलाई कम्पनीकै कुनै कार्यालयमा उनको क्षमता अनुसारको रोजगार उपलब्ध भएमा जीविकोपार्जन हुने आशा व्यक्त गर्दै मोर्चाकोले यसमा न्याय गरिदिने उनले आशा व्यक्त गरेकी छिन्। यसका साथै मोर्चाका प्रतिनिधिहरूले पनि एक महिना भित्र उनीहरूलाई व्यवस्थापन गराउन प्रतिबद्ध रहेको बताएका छन्।
Sex racket busted - Darjeeling girl arrested
Deccan Herald, Bangalore, June 14: Koramangala police busted a high-proifle sex racket and arrested four women recently. The suspects are Pooja (25) from Bangalore, Sanjana (22) from West Bengal, Geethanjali (34) and Preethi (25) both from Darjeeling East.
On a tip-off, police arrested them near Sony World Junction in Koramangala and seized a cellphone and cash.
Injured Nepalese tourist under mental stress, say police
-Siliguri youth assaulted in Orissa TH, CUTTACK: Cuttack city police on Tuesday dismissed the media reports about Sunday's assault and looting of a Bengal-based Nepalese tourist and instead claimed that the youth, who appeared to be under mental distress, had been actually spotted in the city since June 9 carrying the wounds on his body. While the identity of the youth was not yet confirmed, police believe he was a native of Siliguri in North Bengal. Police also could not ascertain whether the 28-year-old man was actually working in a milk federation in New Delhi. “The cell phone the youth claims to have been snatched by some local youths here, is now traced to be in New Delhi”, the DCP said adding police began investigating the alleged attack on him after registering a case. Police say the youth had been spotted at many places in the city since Thursday last and was reportedly admitted in SCB medical college for treatment. “The injuries on his body were present since last week when he came here for treatment”, said a doctor of the hospital adding that he got himself discharged from the hospital against the treating doctors' advice. The DCP said the police were also investigating how and when he received injuries. The youth had received over 30 per cent injuries on his face, shoulder and chest reportedly due to acid attack. The youth on Monday had stated before mediamen that he was attacked by a group of persons who had taken his belongings, including a cell phone and Rs 4000. He had also stated that he had landed up in the city on Sunday morning by train and went round the city for a site seeing after hiring an auto-rickshaw.
Bhutan truck with timber seized after chase
TT, Alipurduar, June 14: A Bhutan-registered truck carrying illegal sal timber worth over Rs 2 lakh to the neighbouring country was seized after a 3km chase near the border early this morning. Two persons who were on the vehicle have been arrested. According to the range officer of Kodal Basti, Suranjan Sarkar, the truck had been smuggling timber from Kalchini to Bhutan for sometime and although the officials had chased the vehicle earlier, they failed to intercept it. The duo were produced in the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate of Alipurduar this afternoon and have been remanded in jail custody for 14 days.
Last night around 12.30, the foresters of Kodal Basti received information that the truck was carrying a consignment to Bhutan.
The officials immediately contacted Hasimara police and told them about the vehicle. The foresters also asked them for assistance to intercept the vehicle.
From around 2am, a team of around 20 policemen and foresters kept a watch on the Sark road that connects Hasimara to Bhutan.
The officials had hired few cars to carry out the operation as department vehicles could have alerted the smugglers.
Around 3.30am, the team saw a Maruti Swift escorting the truck.
The policemen waited for the two vehicles to cross them and then chased them.
After covering a distance of around two kilometers, the car reached the Hindi High School on Beech Tea Estate, 43km from here.
The truck also followed the car into the garden.
On reaching the place, those in the car got off and fled the spot
By the time the truck, which was around 50 meters away from the car, reached the estate, the policemen also caught up with the vehicle.
Two persons, the truck driver and the helper, were arrested.
The police said the timber was worth at least Rs 2.5 lakh and was being smuggled to Bhutan.
The divisional forest officer of wildlife III, Om Prakash, said: “This truck was involved in timber smuggling earlier also. Earlier on few occasions, our staff had chased the vehicle but it had entered Bhutan with the illegal timber. We have received some valuable information from the arrested duo, Chandi Das Majhi of Bamon Para in Jaigaon and Raj Rai of Bharnobari Tea Estate.”
Sandalwood haul The directorate of revenue intelligence seized two trucks loaded with red sandalwood from Liuchipukhri and Goaltuli on the outskirts of Siliguri on Monday night.
The estimated price of the timber is Rs 1.50 crore, officials said.
The timber was being smuggled to China through the India-Myanmar border via Manipur when the seizure was made. Three persons have been arrested in this connection.
“One of the vehicles was loaded at Jaipur in Rajasthan and the smugglers had covered the stuff with sanitary wire. We have arrested the driver and the cleaner, Premchand Singh and Arambab alias Satalu Singh, both residents of Manipur,” said an official from the department.
The other truck was seized at Goaltuli near Phansidewa.
“It was loaded from somewhere near Delhi and the timber was being transported to China via Manipur. We have arrested Nirmal Singh, a resident of Chhattisgarh, in this connection,” an official of the department said.
Area-specific growth plans
TT, Siliguri, June 14: Gautam Deb today said there would be major changes in the way the North Bengal Development Council functioned and projects would be charted on the basis of requirements in each district.
“Since the formation of the council, the annual allocation has been low. Also, the approach towards the development was general and not need-based, even though the council was formed with the intention to bridge critical gaps in terms of infrastructure development in north Bengal,” said Gautam Deb, the minister for north Bengal development.
“We have augmented the funds and will finalise projects depending on the requirements of each district.”
The Mamata Banerjee government has given thrust to the development of north Bengal and has already released Rs 140 crore to the North Bengal Development Council to implement various projects.
The minister said once the council was reconstituted, a series of meetings will be held with MLAs, other people’s representatives and government officials to identify the areas of priority in each of the six districts in the region.
“We cannot allocate funds under broad heads like roads, irrigation and construction of buildings. Requirements of each district will be different. We will also seek suggestions from prominent people in the society before drafting an action plan and enlisting the projects to be executed by the council,” said Deb.
Sources in the council explained each district needed different projects to bridge the critical gaps in development. But till now, funds were sanctioned for a single project across the region, they said.
“For example, construction of roads may be a priority issue in North Dinajpur but Darjeeling might need new buildings for schools. What Jalpaiguri wants right now might be some flood shelters,” said a council official.“Instead of concentrating on the construction of roads across the region, the council will chart different projects for each of the six districts,” said a council official.
Deb said he would review all the projects being taken up by council and the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority. “We have passed on instructions to officials concerned to keep the documentation ready. We will review all these projects and will obtain experts’ opinion. If necessary, we might advocate certain changes.”
Wives commit suicide
TT, Alipurduar/Islampur, June 14: Two housewives have killed themselves in the past 24 hours in Alipurduar and Islampur.
Bobby Saha, 20, committed suicide by consuming poison at her house in Pramodnagar near Alipurduar last night. Bobby’s husband Pakhi and his relative were arrested today on the basis of a complaint lodged by her brother. Ranjit Mallik has alleged that Bobby was tortured by her husband and in-laws regularly which forced her to commit suicide. In another incident, Champa Mondal, 25, hanged herself at a club near Islampur last night. Her husband Ashu has been detained by the police. The police said Champa had left the house last night after she had a fight with Ashu.
Train timing
TT, Siliguri: The 12505 down Northeast Express scheduled to leave Guwahati at 9.45pm on Thursday will leave the station at 1am on Friday, the Northeast Frontier Railway said on Tuesday.
SFI protest
TT, Siliguri: The SFI will launch a nation-wide campaign to oppose the the foreign education bill tabled in the Lok Sabha, the all-India general secretary of the unit Ritabrata Banerjee, said on Tuesday. Banerjee said the bill permits education providers from abroad to set up campuses in India and offer degrees to students. The effort would lead to commercialisation of education in the country, which they would oppose.
Tour agents seek tax exemption
TT, Gangtok, June 14: Travel agents and hoteliers in Sikkim today announced the formation of a joint action committee to campaign for the inclusion of the tourism industry of the hill state in the North-East Investment and Industrial Promotion Policy so that they are exempted from paying service tax.
Over the past few weeks, travel agents and tour operators in the hill state are under pressure from the union finance ministry to pay up service tax at a rate of 10.3 per cent of their annual turnover with retrospective effect from 2006.
Members of the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS), Sikkim Association of Adventure Tour Operators and Sikkim Hotel and Restaurants’ Association have come together to form the joint action committee.
“Some tour operators have received notices asking them to pay up service tax with effect from 2006. We had no knowledge about the service tax and hence, we never collected it from our clients. Paying the tax with retrospective effect is out of question as the amount would run into lakhs of rupees and many would have to wind up their businesses,” said former forest minister, Sher Bahadur Subedi, currently a hotelier.
He said investors in other industries were getting huge subsidies under the NEIIPP.
Those setting up industries in the eight northeastern states (including Sikkim) get subsidies in the transport, power and excise sectors and are exempted from service tax.
“We are demanding the inclusion of tourism in the NEIIPP as it is a local industry,” said Subedi, who has been selected as the chairman of the joint action committee. He said appeals would be made to the Union finance ministry to roll back the retrospective period.
“The service tax was imposed in the 2006 budget but we in Sikkim and the other northeastern were never sensitised to it. We have not realised the tax from our clients. Now suddenly the taxmen have become very active and are sending summons to us,” he said.
The organisations have already approached Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling and the Northeast MPs Forum with their demands.
The tour operators said barring their counterparts in Assam, those in Sikkim and other the northeastern states had no idea how to collect and pay the service tax.
“The imposition of the tax will also mean that tourists will have to pay more,” a tour operator said.
Sources in the state government said Chamling had already written to Pranab Mukherjee terming the imposition of the tax as “quite harsh” .
Sources said the forum had also written to the prime minister about the issue.
In a letter to Manmohan Singh on May 25, forum president Mukut Mithi had urged the Union government not to tax the tourism industry.
“The youths are getting employment in this sector and it is not the time to impose the service tax. Many of them do not know how to keep books of accounts. Hence, there is a need to give a window of at least five years to prepare them,” Mithi wrote in his letter.
Singur Bill passed in Assembly; Opposition walks out
माझीटार गाउँमा विगत एक वर्षदेखि असमबाट आएर बस्दै आएको मृतककी पत्नी टुकमायाले बताइऩ भने घरमा अहिले 12 वर्षिय छोरो सोनु प्रधान (लाटो अऩि बहिरो) अवस्थामा रहेको छ भने 8 वर्षीया छोरी कुमारी प्रधान र 6 वर्षिय छोरो चन्द्रबहादुर प्रधान माझीटार पाठशालामै कक्षा एकमा अध्ययनरत छन्। श्रीमती प्रधानको काखमा भने 6 महिनाको नानी जमुना प्रधान रहेको छ। घरको एकमात्र कमाउने व्यक्तिको निधनले प्रधान परिवारमा आकाशै खसेको स्थिति छ। यस्तो अवस्थामा कम्पनीको पक्षबाट गत 12 तारिक घटना भएकै दिन 25 हजार रूपियाँ क्षति पूर्ती दिइएको तथा आज पुनः 50 हजार रूपियाँ क्षतिपूर्ती दिइएको श्रीमती प्रधानले बताइऩ्। यसका साथै एक महिना भित्रमा कम्पनीको पक्षबाट नानीहरूको नाममा विमा पनि गरिदिने प्रवीण कुमारले बचन दिएको भए पनि घरमा स्थाइ आयश्रोतको निम्ति कुनै माध्यम नभएसम्म परिवार चल्न गाह्रो पर्ने निश्चित छ।
अर्कोतिर मजदूर मोर्चाले पनि आफ्नो सहयोग पुरा गर्ने बताए पछि पिडीत परिवारको एक्लो सहाराको रूपमा रहेकी श्रीमती प्रधानलाई कम्पनीकै कुनै कार्यालयमा उनको क्षमता अनुसारको रोजगार उपलब्ध भएमा जीविकोपार्जन हुने आशा व्यक्त गर्दै मोर्चाकोले यसमा न्याय गरिदिने उनले आशा व्यक्त गरेकी छिन्। यसका साथै मोर्चाका प्रतिनिधिहरूले पनि एक महिना भित्र उनीहरूलाई व्यवस्थापन गराउन प्रतिबद्ध रहेको बताएका छन्।
Sex racket busted - Darjeeling girl arrested
Deccan Herald, Bangalore, June 14: Koramangala police busted a high-proifle sex racket and arrested four women recently. The suspects are Pooja (25) from Bangalore, Sanjana (22) from West Bengal, Geethanjali (34) and Preethi (25) both from Darjeeling East.
On a tip-off, police arrested them near Sony World Junction in Koramangala and seized a cellphone and cash.
Injured Nepalese tourist under mental stress, say police
-Siliguri youth assaulted in Orissa TH, CUTTACK: Cuttack city police on Tuesday dismissed the media reports about Sunday's assault and looting of a Bengal-based Nepalese tourist and instead claimed that the youth, who appeared to be under mental distress, had been actually spotted in the city since June 9 carrying the wounds on his body. While the identity of the youth was not yet confirmed, police believe he was a native of Siliguri in North Bengal. Police also could not ascertain whether the 28-year-old man was actually working in a milk federation in New Delhi. “The cell phone the youth claims to have been snatched by some local youths here, is now traced to be in New Delhi”, the DCP said adding police began investigating the alleged attack on him after registering a case. Police say the youth had been spotted at many places in the city since Thursday last and was reportedly admitted in SCB medical college for treatment. “The injuries on his body were present since last week when he came here for treatment”, said a doctor of the hospital adding that he got himself discharged from the hospital against the treating doctors' advice. The DCP said the police were also investigating how and when he received injuries. The youth had received over 30 per cent injuries on his face, shoulder and chest reportedly due to acid attack. The youth on Monday had stated before mediamen that he was attacked by a group of persons who had taken his belongings, including a cell phone and Rs 4000. He had also stated that he had landed up in the city on Sunday morning by train and went round the city for a site seeing after hiring an auto-rickshaw.
Bhutan truck with timber seized after chase
 |
| The seized truck near the Kodal Basti range office on Tuesday. Picture by Anirban Choudhury |
Last night around 12.30, the foresters of Kodal Basti received information that the truck was carrying a consignment to Bhutan.
The officials immediately contacted Hasimara police and told them about the vehicle. The foresters also asked them for assistance to intercept the vehicle.
From around 2am, a team of around 20 policemen and foresters kept a watch on the Sark road that connects Hasimara to Bhutan.
The officials had hired few cars to carry out the operation as department vehicles could have alerted the smugglers.
Around 3.30am, the team saw a Maruti Swift escorting the truck.
The policemen waited for the two vehicles to cross them and then chased them.
After covering a distance of around two kilometers, the car reached the Hindi High School on Beech Tea Estate, 43km from here.
The truck also followed the car into the garden.
On reaching the place, those in the car got off and fled the spot
By the time the truck, which was around 50 meters away from the car, reached the estate, the policemen also caught up with the vehicle.
Two persons, the truck driver and the helper, were arrested.
The police said the timber was worth at least Rs 2.5 lakh and was being smuggled to Bhutan.
The divisional forest officer of wildlife III, Om Prakash, said: “This truck was involved in timber smuggling earlier also. Earlier on few occasions, our staff had chased the vehicle but it had entered Bhutan with the illegal timber. We have received some valuable information from the arrested duo, Chandi Das Majhi of Bamon Para in Jaigaon and Raj Rai of Bharnobari Tea Estate.”
Sandalwood haul The directorate of revenue intelligence seized two trucks loaded with red sandalwood from Liuchipukhri and Goaltuli on the outskirts of Siliguri on Monday night.
The estimated price of the timber is Rs 1.50 crore, officials said.
The timber was being smuggled to China through the India-Myanmar border via Manipur when the seizure was made. Three persons have been arrested in this connection.
“One of the vehicles was loaded at Jaipur in Rajasthan and the smugglers had covered the stuff with sanitary wire. We have arrested the driver and the cleaner, Premchand Singh and Arambab alias Satalu Singh, both residents of Manipur,” said an official from the department.
The other truck was seized at Goaltuli near Phansidewa.
“It was loaded from somewhere near Delhi and the timber was being transported to China via Manipur. We have arrested Nirmal Singh, a resident of Chhattisgarh, in this connection,” an official of the department said.
Area-specific growth plans
TT, Siliguri, June 14: Gautam Deb today said there would be major changes in the way the North Bengal Development Council functioned and projects would be charted on the basis of requirements in each district.
“Since the formation of the council, the annual allocation has been low. Also, the approach towards the development was general and not need-based, even though the council was formed with the intention to bridge critical gaps in terms of infrastructure development in north Bengal,” said Gautam Deb, the minister for north Bengal development.
“We have augmented the funds and will finalise projects depending on the requirements of each district.”
The Mamata Banerjee government has given thrust to the development of north Bengal and has already released Rs 140 crore to the North Bengal Development Council to implement various projects.
The minister said once the council was reconstituted, a series of meetings will be held with MLAs, other people’s representatives and government officials to identify the areas of priority in each of the six districts in the region.
“We cannot allocate funds under broad heads like roads, irrigation and construction of buildings. Requirements of each district will be different. We will also seek suggestions from prominent people in the society before drafting an action plan and enlisting the projects to be executed by the council,” said Deb.
Sources in the council explained each district needed different projects to bridge the critical gaps in development. But till now, funds were sanctioned for a single project across the region, they said.
“For example, construction of roads may be a priority issue in North Dinajpur but Darjeeling might need new buildings for schools. What Jalpaiguri wants right now might be some flood shelters,” said a council official.“Instead of concentrating on the construction of roads across the region, the council will chart different projects for each of the six districts,” said a council official.
Deb said he would review all the projects being taken up by council and the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority. “We have passed on instructions to officials concerned to keep the documentation ready. We will review all these projects and will obtain experts’ opinion. If necessary, we might advocate certain changes.”
Wives commit suicide
TT, Alipurduar/Islampur, June 14: Two housewives have killed themselves in the past 24 hours in Alipurduar and Islampur.
Bobby Saha, 20, committed suicide by consuming poison at her house in Pramodnagar near Alipurduar last night. Bobby’s husband Pakhi and his relative were arrested today on the basis of a complaint lodged by her brother. Ranjit Mallik has alleged that Bobby was tortured by her husband and in-laws regularly which forced her to commit suicide. In another incident, Champa Mondal, 25, hanged herself at a club near Islampur last night. Her husband Ashu has been detained by the police. The police said Champa had left the house last night after she had a fight with Ashu.
Train timing
TT, Siliguri: The 12505 down Northeast Express scheduled to leave Guwahati at 9.45pm on Thursday will leave the station at 1am on Friday, the Northeast Frontier Railway said on Tuesday.
SFI protest
TT, Siliguri: The SFI will launch a nation-wide campaign to oppose the the foreign education bill tabled in the Lok Sabha, the all-India general secretary of the unit Ritabrata Banerjee, said on Tuesday. Banerjee said the bill permits education providers from abroad to set up campuses in India and offer degrees to students. The effort would lead to commercialisation of education in the country, which they would oppose.
Tour agents seek tax exemption
TT, Gangtok, June 14: Travel agents and hoteliers in Sikkim today announced the formation of a joint action committee to campaign for the inclusion of the tourism industry of the hill state in the North-East Investment and Industrial Promotion Policy so that they are exempted from paying service tax.
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| A homestay at Darap in West Sikkim. File picture |
Members of the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS), Sikkim Association of Adventure Tour Operators and Sikkim Hotel and Restaurants’ Association have come together to form the joint action committee.
“Some tour operators have received notices asking them to pay up service tax with effect from 2006. We had no knowledge about the service tax and hence, we never collected it from our clients. Paying the tax with retrospective effect is out of question as the amount would run into lakhs of rupees and many would have to wind up their businesses,” said former forest minister, Sher Bahadur Subedi, currently a hotelier.
He said investors in other industries were getting huge subsidies under the NEIIPP.
Those setting up industries in the eight northeastern states (including Sikkim) get subsidies in the transport, power and excise sectors and are exempted from service tax.
“We are demanding the inclusion of tourism in the NEIIPP as it is a local industry,” said Subedi, who has been selected as the chairman of the joint action committee. He said appeals would be made to the Union finance ministry to roll back the retrospective period.
“The service tax was imposed in the 2006 budget but we in Sikkim and the other northeastern were never sensitised to it. We have not realised the tax from our clients. Now suddenly the taxmen have become very active and are sending summons to us,” he said.
The organisations have already approached Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling and the Northeast MPs Forum with their demands.
The tour operators said barring their counterparts in Assam, those in Sikkim and other the northeastern states had no idea how to collect and pay the service tax.
“The imposition of the tax will also mean that tourists will have to pay more,” a tour operator said.
Sources in the state government said Chamling had already written to Pranab Mukherjee terming the imposition of the tax as “quite harsh” .
Sources said the forum had also written to the prime minister about the issue.
In a letter to Manmohan Singh on May 25, forum president Mukut Mithi had urged the Union government not to tax the tourism industry.
“The youths are getting employment in this sector and it is not the time to impose the service tax. Many of them do not know how to keep books of accounts. Hence, there is a need to give a window of at least five years to prepare them,” Mithi wrote in his letter.
Singur Bill passed in Assembly; Opposition walks out
PTI, Kolkata, Jun 14 : A bill seeking to empower the West Bengal government to return land in Singur to farmers was today passed by the Assembly amidst a walkout by members of the Opposition Left parties.
The Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, 2011, was passed by voice vote along with some amendments brought by the government.
When the Bill was put to vote by Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay, the Left MLAs, who cited legal loopholes in the legislation, walked out of the House.
Speaking on the Bill, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said it had been brought to undo the injustice meted out to the farmers whose land was forcefully acquired in 2006 for setting up Tata Motor's Nano car manufacturing unit.
She said her government did not want to divide the 'willing' and 'unwilling' farmers, but the situation had forced them to resort to the measure.
Telangana trashes Congress compromise formula
वह तो आतंकवादी था
दिखता भी था आतंकवादी ही
खूंखार आँखें, चेहरा दाढीदार
हाथ में बन्दुक, बगल में कटार
देखने में ही लगे
आतंकवाद का सरकारी पोष्टर
हाँ, वह तो आतंकवादी ही था बेशक
हैवानीयत की वह कालिख
जो विश्व के मुंह पे मला गय़ा
लादेन जो चला गया........
पर मैं तो कभी नहीं डरा इस लादेन से
न, कभी नहीं
क्योंकि मेरे पास नहीं था
सौ मंजिला गगनचुम्बी टावर
न तो तेल का पावर
ना ही था मेरा लादेन से कोई
नस्लवादी लफडा
या जेहादी झगडा
फिर डर काहे की भला
वह भी उस शख्स से
जो वक्त के साँचे में ढला गया
लादेन जो चला गय़ा...
भयभीत तो हूँ मैं
मेरे ही देश के उन लादेनों से
जिनके हाथों में न बन्दुक है
न बगल मे कटार
न आतंकी आँखे,
न दाढी से ढका चेहरा
पर जो मुंह खोले तो
बरसाये आग के गोले
भडकाये दहशत के शोले
बोली में इतनी ताकत है तो
गोली की क्या जरुरत
फूल ही छाती बिंध दे तो
शूल की क्या जरुरत
इसलिए इस लादेन की मौत पर
न मनाओ खुशियाँ ऐ श्रेष्ठों !
तुम्हे खंगालकर, निचोडकर
जम्हूरियत की तार में टांगने को
जिंदा है अभी भी बहुत सारे लादेन
आतंकवादी नस्ल का यह तो
एक अदद नमूना भर था
जो वक्त के तावे पर तला गया
लादेन जो चला गया....
पर जाते-जाते
बेशुमार विवादों के बीच भी
छोड गय़ा एक पैगाम
‘दरिंदो के दरिंदे को भी जाना होता है एक दिन
तुम किस खेत के मूली हो....!’
यही उम्मीद का दीया जला गया
लादेन जो चला गया….................
The Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, 2011, was passed by voice vote along with some amendments brought by the government.
When the Bill was put to vote by Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay, the Left MLAs, who cited legal loopholes in the legislation, walked out of the House.
Speaking on the Bill, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said it had been brought to undo the injustice meted out to the farmers whose land was forcefully acquired in 2006 for setting up Tata Motor's Nano car manufacturing unit.
She said her government did not want to divide the 'willing' and 'unwilling' farmers, but the situation had forced them to resort to the measure.
Telangana trashes Congress compromise formula
Vicky Nanjappa, Rediffmail.com, June 14, 2011: Making one last attempt to force a solution to the Telangana issue, the Congress has now suggested a Gorkhaland model of autonomy.
The idea, mooted by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, would be revealed by Andhra Pradesh AICC in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad in the coming weeks.However, the development has only further angered Telangana activists, who are unwilling to settle for anything short of a separate state.
People will come out on to the streets and fight tooth and nail opposing any compromise formula other than the formation of the state, says Dr Prithviraj, leader of the students forum for Telangana.Congress leaders from Telangana have made several attempts in the past few days to force a situation on this issue.During their meeting with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a couple of days back, they had expressed their apprehentions about returning to their constituencies. Dr Singh sent them back with an assurance of an early solution.
However, the Congres, which had announced that the process for the formation of a separate state had commenced, has now suggested that it would grant autonomy instead of forming a separate state.As per the suggestion, a council would be formed and Telangana would get a huge pay package.
Among the other proposals suggested for Telangana are the formation of a Telangana Regional Council and also a preparation of an annual report card, which would look into the problems of the people of the region.
Congress sources in Andhra Pradesh say that this is the most likely solution to the problem.
The people of the region have been complaining about lack of facilities and other developmental projects. There has to be a middle path to the issue and we too feel that this is the best solution,' sources said.
'We will need to convince the people of the region that this is good for them. Breaking up a state is not easy and one must also take into consideration the sentiments of the people who hail from the rest of Andhra Pradesh.'
Congress leaders from Telangana have, however, decided to oppose this move.
Keshava Rao, an MP from the Telangana region, says that the model that was applied to Darjeeling cannot be applied here.
"This is not democray but hypocricy," says Dr Sangam Prithviraj, adding, "Don't you think this is ridiculous, especially when Telangana has been announced in both Houses of Parliament. Anything short of a separate Telangana is not acceptable to us."
"One must remember that all these promises will not reach any of the people at the end of it. Autonomy is not a solution. This not only includes our financial plight, but also our self respect. This formula will not achieve any of those goals," he said.
The political Joint Action Committee for Telangana too says that the formula is 'stupid'.
"There is no way we are going to agree to this. They have said that they will make the people come around. This is not possible," a JAC member said.
Students would play a big role in opposing this proposal. In the days to come, our protests would intensify.
The students JAC too is unwilling to agree to the new formula. They have also come down heavily on Union Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy, who recently voiced his opposition to regional and sub-regional demands.
"Who is he to talk about the Congress being against regionalism? Does he understand the cause? If he was so confident and was acting as the mouth piece of Sonia Gandhi, then why did he back out of those various political meetings he had to hold in the Telangana region? He too knows what his madam has suggested is all rubbish. But he cannot convey this to the people of Telangana," Dr Prithviraj said.
"The Union government is playing with fire; we dare the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi to come in with military support and meet the people of Telangana. Our respect for them will emerge only if they give us our state," he added.
Peace in Darjeeling may be short-lived
Caesar Mandal, TNN , Jun 13, 2011, DARJEELING: The Queen of Hills might have restored a state of normalcy with tourists flocking back, business picking up and agitations taking a backseat. However, it's too early to conclude that Darjeeling has truly reinstated a peaceful and democratic atmosphere, feel 'opposition' party supporters in the hills.
Leaders and workers of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) and CPRM believe that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has suppressed voices of the Opposition by all means and still Darjeeling is not safe for political activities of the opposition parties. The murder of ABGL leader Madan Tamang (GJM allegedly played an active role behind his murder) and the way GNLF chief Subhash Ghising was ousted soon after the elections have strengthened the feeling.
Branding chief minister Mamata Banerjee's steps to set up a new council for the hills to solve Darjeeling trouble as an 'eyewash', ABGL leaders alleged the new government is also indulging in single-party anarchy like the previous government. "It is true that we are minority as an Opposition, but the result of the recent assembly polls proves that a few lakh people are against the GJM. But the chief minister and her government made an agreement only with the GJM, ignoring all other quarters. It can not be conducive for a democratic set up," said Bharati Tamang, widow of Madan Tamang and president of ABGL, one of the oldest party in the hills. "We have sent three letters to Mamata Banerjee seeking time, but she did not respond," she said.
When it is tough to continue our political activities against the GJM in the urban areas due to the strong-arm tactics of GJM workers, then it would be quite impossible in the rural areas. Unfortunately, the new government has a passive support to the act as Mamata Banerjee has only recognized the GJM, said SB Zimba, a former bureaucrat and a senior advisor to ABGL.
However, GJM leader and Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri rejected all such allegations. "People have rejected the opposition parties. They do not take part in their political programmes. They are making allegations out of frustration. They are complaining about muscle-flexing. Let them come out with details of such incidents, if there are any," he said.
Like Tamang, Zimba also feels that Mamata's agreement to set up a new council could be a temporary solution and not a permanent one. Trinamool leader Gautam Deb, who is also the minister-in-charge of North Bengal affairs, however, rubbished the allegation. "The chief minister has spoken to the people who are representing the hill people. As GJM has ensured all three assembly seats in Darjeeling, so GJM leaders were called on," said Deb.
Zimba did not agree with Deb. "It needs an all-party consensus. For Telengana, union government had called an all-party meeting not only the majority," argued Zimba.
"It is nothing but a remodeling of erstwhile Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, which was earlier formed to tame Ghising. And now it is Gurung's turn," said Zimba. He alleged that neither the Union government nor its state counterpart is seeing the hill trouble with the eyes of the hill people. Like Zimba, CPRM leader Gobinda Chhetri also gave importance on revival of normal political activities in the hills to ensure democracy. For long, Panchayats and municipalities have remained defunct. The new government has not taken initiative to normalize the entire administrative system, it rather focused on setting up an administrative board.
The government still does not have any concrete idea for the common people. "We heard that Mamata Banerjee has accepted demands of GJM to solve the trouble. But we have no idea how the new set up will be or how it will function," said Ramesh Pradhan, a shop-owner at Lebong. Like Pradhan, Preama Thapa, a villager near Ghum, however, knows that raising voice against the rulers just only brings troubles like before when GNLF was in power.
Shortage of Water in Darjeeling
WATER, AN INDISPENSABLE NATURAL RESOURCE FOR HUMAN SURVIVAL IS GRADUALLY BECOMING SCARCE IN THE HILL TOWN OF DARJEELING.URGEN YOLMO TRACES THE CAUSES OF THIS ACUTE SCARCITY AND STRESSES ON THE NEED TO CONSERVE THE PRECIOUS AND VITAL FLUID. URGEN YOLMO, Darjeeling Times: The planet Earth comprises of more water than land: it looks bluer rather than green or brown when viewed from space. Following that logic, there ought to be no scarcity of water on Earth but unfortunately and quite paradoxically, fresh water scarcity is a common problem that most places on Earth face. Darjeeling, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 2812 mm, suffers from an acute scarcity of water. The distribution of water in Darjeeling is very uneven because of its hilly topography. Moreover, the people in Darjeeling do not have much idea about rain water harvest systems and are not well acquainted with devising designs for proper preservation of water.
The water supply system of Darjeeling town consists of tapping of 23 numbers of perennial springs from the Catchment Area of Sinchale Forest and Wildlife Sanctuary located about 15km away from the main town. The water from the Catchment Area are conveyed through an open conduit (about 8km in length) on gravity to the South Lake (with a capacity of 13million gallons) and the North Lake (with a capacity of 20million gallons) throughout the day. The lakes get 20,000gallons of water per hour through the conduit. From there it is sent to the Jorbunglow Filter House where filtration is done through Gravity Pressure Filters. After the completion of the process of filtration, the water is supplied to the Distribution Tanks at St. Paul and Rockville from where it is further supplied and distributed to other smaller subsidiary tanks.
Water from another catchment area called the Rumbi Catchment Area which has 10 springs in total, also passes through the Jorbunglow Filter House and is brought to the water tank in Rockville. There is a third lake called the Sindap Lake which gives additional water to the North and the South lakes. The Bungla Khola and the Khong Khola provide water to Sindap through pump which in turn goes to the Sinchale Lakes. Sindap however is not operated during the rainy season.
The present water supply installations were originally constructed during the year 1910-1915 during the British regime to cater the then population of around 15000-20000. At present the recorded population of Darjeeling is approximately 1.10 Lakh. The exact population may be even higher since mostly the census is conducted during the winter season when families go out of station on vacations. Moreover, it does not include the regular commuters who commute to and forth from Kurseong, Kalimpong or Siliguri to Darjeeling.
Further, the census does not include the Army personnel stationed at Jalapahar and Lebong leave alone the tourists during peak tourist seasons. Taking all this into account, the average population of Darjeeling town may go higher than 2 Lakhs. The huge surge in population coupled with inefficient water management is the main cause amongst various others that has led to the water scarcity in Darjeeling.
The inconvenience caused to the citizens of Darjeeling due to this scarcity is seen clearly in their day to day lives of the people living in and around the main town. Waking up early in the morning before dawn and standing in queues in order to get at least some water for the week is not the most uncommon sight in Darjeeling. Such scenes of people crowdng and at times fighting for a few tumblers of water can best be seen in Lal Dighi above the Motor stand in the main town. To ensure that water is conserved for future use, every household should make an effort to save water. If each household saves at least one gallon of water every day, then in total, Darjeeling will be saving around 1lakh gallon of water per day.
The lack of public awareness is one of the crucial reasons why there is scarcity of water in Darjeeling. It is a poignant truth that most connecting pipes along the roads are sometimes seen to have been convincingly vandalized, from where people illegally appropriate water, not realizing that that way they end up wasting more water which causes further scarcity. The pipes are then left cut or broken for a long time without anyone caring to join them again, due to which water gets wasted, causing further shortage in the long run. The pipes sometimes also break because of the cold weather conditions. Moreover, in most of the areas, we can see water overflowing from the water tanks of the houses. The owners of the houses do not conserve water which flow away in waste. Additionally, disparity occurs when considering different households regarding the amount of water each household uses. Thus even if one household practices conservation of water, it completely depends on the other household, in order for a suitable quantity of water to be conserved.
On the contrary, the peculiarity of the scenario is that the quantity of the monsoon water received is sufficient to fill up more than 5 lakes of the volume of the existing ones which could cater the needs of the whole population even during the so-called “water crisis period”. Unfortunately, every year after mid July till the end of monsoon rain, the water has to be siphoned invariably into the jhoras (Storm water drain) as the lakes cannot take in more water. Therefore if adequate number of reservoirs along with competent infrastructure were to be constructed , enough water could be contained to sustain the whole population of the town.
A new project has been started to meet the shortage of water by the Municipality of Darjeeling called the Balasun Project. This project is on the anvil for the time being and will be completed very soon. Balasun is a river which is approximately 13kms away from the Sinchale Lakes. Once the construction work is complete, the water from the Balasun will be pumped to the Sindap Lake. There are two pump houses in total: one in the Balasun itself and the other one in College Valley. The pumps are kept at a distance of 6kms each. A new filter house is being constructed near the Sindap Lake where this water from the Balasun will be filtered and sent to the South Lake. The civic bodies aim at improving the conditions of Darjeeling regarding water scarcity with this new plan. The civil work is almost done requiring only the completion of the mechanical work. Once that is completed, then perhaps there will be less shortage of water in Darjeeling.
Everything on Earth is usable, but alas, they are not perpetual. Even if they are in large quantity, they will gradually be exhausted as the inhabitants use and deplete the resources. Thus for a long term survival, it is important that people should control the usage of the natural resources and conserve them. Water is the most important element for any living being to survive. As inhabitants of the Earth we should preserve, conserve and sustain the resource of water. We should all remember that charity begins at home, and start saving water without waiting for anyone to beckon us to do so. One fundamental idea should always be kept in mind that water though apparently abundant can be very scarce if used indiscriminately.(Source:courtesy- http://www.darjeelingtimes.com/ and Urgen Yolmo)
Health
Black tea helps reduce risk of stroke: Study
Aparajita Gupta, TNN | Jun 14, 2011, KOLKATA: An apple a day is believed to keep the doctor away. But it may not be enough to prevent a stroke.
Research that is being conducted by a group of scientists in Kolkata says you need three cups of tea to keep strokes at bay.
The research work at the city's Vivekananda Institute of Medical Science within the Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratisthan Hospital has proceeded to the stage of human trials which show encouraging results. The clinical trial was done on 1100 individuals.
This is the first time in India that a clinical study of tea and its impact on health is being undertaken. The study focuses on the impact of black tea on preventing hypertension, cerebrovascular diseases and strokes.
It has so far been revealed that chances of a repeat stroke among tea drinkers was 19.08% while the same for non-tea drinkers was twice as much — at 38.77%.
"This is a four-year project. Earlier, all the experiments were done on rats and mice. This is the first time in India that the impact of black tea is being experimented on human beings. The recurrence of strokes can be delayed by regularly drinking tea without a halt," Sandip K Bandyopadhyay, advisor to the National Tea Research Foundation (NTRF) told ToI.
The study is being conducted by NTRF, which is an independent body funded and set up by the Indian tea industry and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. The researchers said tea should be taken in liquor form without milk, sugar or any other additives to get the desired result. Tea taken with milk and sugar reduces the impact of the liquor. Bandopadhyay said black tea has many vital components, which are extremely beneficial for health.
The four-year project started in November 2008. "Brain stroke is usually caused when flow of blood to the brain reduces due to hypertension. We are trying to treat our patients with black tea so that the scope of recurrence declines," said Paromita Bose, coordinator of the project, Multicentric Study on Effect of Tea in Cerebrovascular Disease.
Stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. In the first year, experiments were carried out on 1100 patients who already had ischemic stroke. "Among these 1100 patients, 505 did regular follow-up and the rest were either erratic or migrated," she said.
Tea has anti-oxidative value that recharges the brain which protects people from cerebral stroke. Earlier observations reveal that daily consumption of 450 ml (around 3 cups) of tea may reduce the incidence of recurrent ischemic stroke and may give rise to better control of fasting hyperglycemia. Besides, it may be helpful in decreasing the level of total cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol in subjects with hypercholesterolemia. Bose said it is difficult to coax non-tea drinkers to take tea more than three times a day. But those who drink three or more cups of tea a day found it beneficial for their health.
Preventive medicine expert Debashis Basu said that tea can do wonders when taken in liquor form. "It has anti-oxidants which helps curb stress-related diseases and prevents stroke."
"This is the first time some real time experiments are being done in India on human beings। The results are expected to be authentic. It will be helpful and beneficial for treatment in the coming days," said D P Maheshwari, managing director, Jay Shree Tea & Industries, who is also a governing body member of NTRF said.
Now I lay me down not to sleep
Shampa Dhar-Kamath, Expressbuzz.com,(Opinion/columnists) 12 Jun 2011 12:0:
Sex is the new sleep. A stray entry on Facebook triggers off an avalanche of urgent, gut-felt responses. ‘Ache for it,’ says one. ‘Just can’t get enough,’ says another. The outpouring of emotion, traditionally reserved for matters of the heart, indicates just how out of whack our lives have got.
Roti, kapda aur makaan is old hat. It’s the basic need of sleep that people cannot meet these days. Men were believed to think about sex every seven seconds; new research indicates they stew about sleep more. Working women fantasise about it all day; and young parents long for weekends, when they might get a piece of inaction. Even students are not spared. If anything, they’re plugged into the grid longest, group-chatting and surfing into the night once their assignments are done. Everyone goes to bed finally but their fatigued minds, counter-intuitively, stay up and about. Think of them as computers in sleep mode. The monitor may be asleep, the computer is not.
And so the collective fatigue keeps growing. People sleep nearly an hour less each night than they did two generations ago, according to sleep scientists. Some years ago, researchers at University of Pennsylvania tried an experiment where they restricted volunteers to less than six hours of sleep a night for two weeks. The result? The poor sods felt a trifle sleepy but thought they were functioning quite well. Formal testing, however, revealed that their cognitive abilities and reaction times had progressively declined and, by the end of the fortnight, they were as impaired as people who’d stayed awake for 48 hours running.
A recent study at Penn worked with mice. On the first day, they were placed in a box with two objects that they were allowed to explore. That night, researchers kept one set of mice awake for one half of their 12-hour sleep schedule. Next day, all the animals were put back in the box. The rested ones immediately set about exploring the space, especially the moved objects. The sleep-deprived mice barely moved, let alone looked at the objects. Long spells of this treatment, and the ensuing lack of curiosity would kill the rats. Or at least give them diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
Self-help gurus say don’t smoke, drink, dope, watch TV or do heavy exercises before you sleep. Buddies, if we had the time to not do all that, wouldn’t we use it to sleep? The old poets, who probably napped between each verse, loathed the idea of sleep and called it a slice of death. But they didn’t live in a world where conference calls timed to suit different zones, long hours of commuting and working, and pleasure-as-work link arms to keep shut-eye at bay. Where loss of even REM is more than losing your religion. And insomnia “nourishes itself on any kind of thinking, including thinking about not thinking”.
People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one, once said a wag. He was, no doubt, referring to the odd hours kept by infants who like to play at night. But he could also have meant that people who sleep like babies don’t get time to make any. That was then. Today’s people don’t want to make a baby. They’d rather sleep like one.
shampa@newindianexpress.com
Reprieve in the hills?
SUHRID SANKAR CHATTOPADHYAY, Frontline (Volume 28 - Issue 13 :: Jun. 18-Jul. 01, 2011): The State government concludes an “official-level agreement" with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
(Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Roshan Giri, general secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, at Writers Buildings in Kolkata on June 7 after an "official-level agreement" was reached between the State government and the GJM.)
A TEMPORARY solution to the political impasse in the Darjeeling hills of North Bengal seems to be in sight, with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) signing an “official-level agreement” with the State government. In meetings held on June 6 and 7, it was decided that an elected body with greater administrative, executive and financial powers and more autonomy would be constituted to replace the practically defunct Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), which was set up in 1988. The geographical area over which the new body will have jurisdiction will be determined by a nine-member committee that will be set up to delineate the preponderantly Gorkha regions in the Terai and the Doars in the foothills. The committee, comprising representatives from the Centre, the State and the GJM, is expected to submit its report within six months
The “official-level agreement” will be formalised in a tripartite meeting that is expected to be held soon in Darjeeling. Thereafter, a Bill will be introduced in the Assembly to hold elections to the new body. Until the new body is established, a five-member committee will ensure that the development process in the region does not suffer. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the occasion “historic” and announced at a press conference at the end of the meeting that “the Darjeeling matter has been settled”. However, the minutes of the meeting clearly state that the establishment of the new body will not in any way “dilute” the main agenda of the Gorkhaland movement for a separate State. Moreover, the GJM leadership has also been careful in not calling the signed document an “agreement”. They insisted on referring to it as “the minutes of the meeting”. Harka Bahadur Chhetri, a senior leader of the GJM Central Committee, told Frontline: “Though it is a resolution for the time being, it is clearly a step forward. To put it symbolically, we had tea when the DGHC was formed under Left Front rule; now Mamata Banerjee has given us breakfast. But that does not mean we stop here and remain hungry for the rest of our lives. Our ultimate objective is Gorkhaland, and unless that is obtained, our movement will continue in some form or another.” However, one important fallout of the new development is that the people in the hills and the rest of the State can, at least for the time being, look forward to a period of peace and development. The Darjeeling hills have been on the boil since October 2007 when the GJM, under the leadership of Bimal Gurung, evicted Subhash Ghising and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) he led from power and established its political supremacy in the hills with a fresh call for Gorkhaland. The subsequent three and a half years saw incessant strikes and violent agitations, which at times took on an ethnic colour as it spread even to the foothills. The GJM leadership has said that this form of agitation will not be pursued following the recent agreement. “Our priority now will be the implementation of all that has been decided in the meeting. We will rise to the challenge and show everyone that we are capable and that the faith the people have placed in us is justified,” Chhetri told Frontline. The meeting was led by Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh from the State government's side and party general secretary Roshan Giri from the GJM side. It was decided that a committee would be formed to look into the GJM's demand for the transfer of the Tauzi department – which deals with tea-garden land – to the proposed new body. The State government also agreed to approach the Centre over the GJM's proposal that the new body have control of the forested areas, including the reserve forests, in the region. The GJM has been demanding the regularisation of casual workers of the DGHC. It was decided in the meeting that workers who had completed 10 years of service would be made permanent with immediate effect, while the others would be made so after they completed 10 years. In the meanwhile, casual workers can look forward to an enhanced pay packet. According to political observers in the hills, the GJM's decision to keep its demand for Gorkhaland in abeyance for a while is not surprising. “It was clear that they would not press too much for statehood after the new government came. Locally, too, they were preparing the ground for this new strategy by telling the people that while the achievement of Gorkhaland would remain the ultimate objective, it would be prudent in the meanwhile to get whatever we can for the development of the region,” a political observer in the hills told Frontline. The recent Assembly elections showed that the GJM had not lost its supremacy in the hills. In the three hill constituencies of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, GJM candidates scored thumping victories, winning around 90 per cent of the total votes polled. The party was thought to be losing its support base, particularly after the assassination of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) chief Madan Tamang in May 2010, allegedly by GJM activists. “It is true it was perceived that the common people were getting tired of the party's agitational programme and the bandhs, but our participation in the Assembly elections proved that we are as strong as ever,” a senior GJM activist told Frontline. Earlier, the GJM had insisted that the Gorkha Regional Authority, the interim regional set-up proposed then, be a nominated one. But now, its confidence boosted by the results of the Assembly elections, it has agreed that the new body should be an elected one. However, the latest development may not go down well with everyone in the Darjeeling hills. Some sections, including Tamang, the assassinated chief of the ABGL, were opposed to the GJM's proposal for an interim set-up. This time too, the ABGL has been quick to cry foul, saying that the statehood demand has been compromised. “This is a great betrayal of the people. The GJM, which had gone to the polls with Gorkhaland as its main issue, has betrayed the people who voted for it. We are against any arrangement within the State of West Bengal. This is no different from the DGHC,” ABGL leader Pratap Khati told Frontline. According to Khati, the GJM is “desperate to reach an agreement with the State government”, particularly because the Central Bureau of Investigation hearing in the Madan Tamang murder case is coming up before the Calcutta High Court on June 23. The issue of Gorkhaland has aroused emotions in the hills. However, over the years a kind of cynicism has crept in. “There is a saying here that Gorkhaland is khane bharo (utensil in which cooked food is kept). Everybody's political career is made of it, but apart from that, nothing else happens,” a resident of the hills told Frontline. Has Mamata Banerjee indeed set the ball rolling to ultimately resolve the hill crisis? Or has she merely bought time? Only time will tell. Still, peace seems to have been restored in the hills for a while.
FROM GORKHALAND TO POLITICAL JIGSAW-PUZZLE VIA SIXTH SCHEDULE AND SET-UP
D.S.Bomzon, Darjeeling Times: In the history of electoral battles fought in Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars region since the first election of independent India, the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) is found to have won four seats to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly for one or two terms. After AIGL the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) being the strongest party of the region had won three seats only for West Bengal State Assembly from Darjeeling Hills for three consecutive terms since 1991. But in the fifteenth West Bengal Assembly Election held on 18April, 2011 in the region, the agitating party Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha (GJMM) had won three seats from Darjeeling hills and one seat from Dooars on being backed by it. Thus winning four Assembly Seats from the region that comprises the geographical areas of the proposed state of Gorkhaland for which the GJMM was on the path of movement since October, 2007, had registered a new record in the annals of Assembly elections for the region. The victory of AIGL and GNLF candidates in the bygone days was for the socio-economic issues on being propelled by strong Gorkha sentiment. But the record victory of four GJMM candidates was not for socio-economic upliftment rather it was the victory for a political cause which was nothing but the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland for which the GJMM categorically had asked and sought Mandate from the electorates. While electioneering during the period of campaign GJMM had also assured the aspirants of Gorkhaland that in no case the party will revert to the nearly agreed interim arrangement, set up or any mechanism short of Gorkhaland. The interim arrangement/set up was invented with politico-administrative and diplomatic subtlety in lieu of Gorkhaland by Left Front Government. The GJMM after carrying the movement for Gorkhaland for a couple of months, a section of leaders on the helm of affairs seemed to have got entangled into the web of the subtle move. And on being unable to get out of the politico-administrative morass, some of the responsible leaders were seen to be advocating the impossibility of achieving Gorkhaland without accepting and running proposed interim set up. Such advocacy had become like a crook CAT hiding under a basket where its tail had remained uncovered. In the fifteenth West Bengal Assembly Election the wining margin of GJMM candidate from Darjeeling was the highest among the elected members for West Bengal Assembly. The following events and circumstances seemed to have facilitated to pull such a massive support through ballot. Viz,
The idea, mooted by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, would be revealed by Andhra Pradesh AICC in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad in the coming weeks.However, the development has only further angered Telangana activists, who are unwilling to settle for anything short of a separate state.People will come out on to the streets and fight tooth and nail opposing any compromise formula other than the formation of the state, says Dr Prithviraj, leader of the students forum for Telangana.Congress leaders from Telangana have made several attempts in the past few days to force a situation on this issue.During their meeting with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a couple of days back, they had expressed their apprehentions about returning to their constituencies. Dr Singh sent them back with an assurance of an early solution.
However, the Congres, which had announced that the process for the formation of a separate state had commenced, has now suggested that it would grant autonomy instead of forming a separate state.As per the suggestion, a council would be formed and Telangana would get a huge pay package.
Among the other proposals suggested for Telangana are the formation of a Telangana Regional Council and also a preparation of an annual report card, which would look into the problems of the people of the region.
Congress sources in Andhra Pradesh say that this is the most likely solution to the problem.
The people of the region have been complaining about lack of facilities and other developmental projects. There has to be a middle path to the issue and we too feel that this is the best solution,' sources said.
'We will need to convince the people of the region that this is good for them. Breaking up a state is not easy and one must also take into consideration the sentiments of the people who hail from the rest of Andhra Pradesh.'
Congress leaders from Telangana have, however, decided to oppose this move.
Keshava Rao, an MP from the Telangana region, says that the model that was applied to Darjeeling cannot be applied here.
"This is not democray but hypocricy," says Dr Sangam Prithviraj, adding, "Don't you think this is ridiculous, especially when Telangana has been announced in both Houses of Parliament. Anything short of a separate Telangana is not acceptable to us."
"One must remember that all these promises will not reach any of the people at the end of it. Autonomy is not a solution. This not only includes our financial plight, but also our self respect. This formula will not achieve any of those goals," he said.
The political Joint Action Committee for Telangana too says that the formula is 'stupid'.
"There is no way we are going to agree to this. They have said that they will make the people come around. This is not possible," a JAC member said.
Students would play a big role in opposing this proposal. In the days to come, our protests would intensify.
The students JAC too is unwilling to agree to the new formula. They have also come down heavily on Union Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy, who recently voiced his opposition to regional and sub-regional demands.
"Who is he to talk about the Congress being against regionalism? Does he understand the cause? If he was so confident and was acting as the mouth piece of Sonia Gandhi, then why did he back out of those various political meetings he had to hold in the Telangana region? He too knows what his madam has suggested is all rubbish. But he cannot convey this to the people of Telangana," Dr Prithviraj said.
"The Union government is playing with fire; we dare the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi to come in with military support and meet the people of Telangana. Our respect for them will emerge only if they give us our state," he added.
Peace in Darjeeling may be short-lived
Caesar Mandal, TNN , Jun 13, 2011, DARJEELING: The Queen of Hills might have restored a state of normalcy with tourists flocking back, business picking up and agitations taking a backseat. However, it's too early to conclude that Darjeeling has truly reinstated a peaceful and democratic atmosphere, feel 'opposition' party supporters in the hills.
Leaders and workers of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) and CPRM believe that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has suppressed voices of the Opposition by all means and still Darjeeling is not safe for political activities of the opposition parties. The murder of ABGL leader Madan Tamang (GJM allegedly played an active role behind his murder) and the way GNLF chief Subhash Ghising was ousted soon after the elections have strengthened the feeling.
Branding chief minister Mamata Banerjee's steps to set up a new council for the hills to solve Darjeeling trouble as an 'eyewash', ABGL leaders alleged the new government is also indulging in single-party anarchy like the previous government. "It is true that we are minority as an Opposition, but the result of the recent assembly polls proves that a few lakh people are against the GJM. But the chief minister and her government made an agreement only with the GJM, ignoring all other quarters. It can not be conducive for a democratic set up," said Bharati Tamang, widow of Madan Tamang and president of ABGL, one of the oldest party in the hills. "We have sent three letters to Mamata Banerjee seeking time, but she did not respond," she said.
When it is tough to continue our political activities against the GJM in the urban areas due to the strong-arm tactics of GJM workers, then it would be quite impossible in the rural areas. Unfortunately, the new government has a passive support to the act as Mamata Banerjee has only recognized the GJM, said SB Zimba, a former bureaucrat and a senior advisor to ABGL.
However, GJM leader and Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri rejected all such allegations. "People have rejected the opposition parties. They do not take part in their political programmes. They are making allegations out of frustration. They are complaining about muscle-flexing. Let them come out with details of such incidents, if there are any," he said.
Like Tamang, Zimba also feels that Mamata's agreement to set up a new council could be a temporary solution and not a permanent one. Trinamool leader Gautam Deb, who is also the minister-in-charge of North Bengal affairs, however, rubbished the allegation. "The chief minister has spoken to the people who are representing the hill people. As GJM has ensured all three assembly seats in Darjeeling, so GJM leaders were called on," said Deb.
Zimba did not agree with Deb. "It needs an all-party consensus. For Telengana, union government had called an all-party meeting not only the majority," argued Zimba.
"It is nothing but a remodeling of erstwhile Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, which was earlier formed to tame Ghising. And now it is Gurung's turn," said Zimba. He alleged that neither the Union government nor its state counterpart is seeing the hill trouble with the eyes of the hill people. Like Zimba, CPRM leader Gobinda Chhetri also gave importance on revival of normal political activities in the hills to ensure democracy. For long, Panchayats and municipalities have remained defunct. The new government has not taken initiative to normalize the entire administrative system, it rather focused on setting up an administrative board.
The government still does not have any concrete idea for the common people. "We heard that Mamata Banerjee has accepted demands of GJM to solve the trouble. But we have no idea how the new set up will be or how it will function," said Ramesh Pradhan, a shop-owner at Lebong. Like Pradhan, Preama Thapa, a villager near Ghum, however, knows that raising voice against the rulers just only brings troubles like before when GNLF was in power.
Shortage of Water in Darjeeling
WATER, AN INDISPENSABLE NATURAL RESOURCE FOR HUMAN SURVIVAL IS GRADUALLY BECOMING SCARCE IN THE HILL TOWN OF DARJEELING.URGEN YOLMO TRACES THE CAUSES OF THIS ACUTE SCARCITY AND STRESSES ON THE NEED TO CONSERVE THE PRECIOUS AND VITAL FLUID.
The water supply system of Darjeeling town consists of tapping of 23 numbers of perennial springs from the Catchment Area of Sinchale Forest and Wildlife Sanctuary located about 15km away from the main town. The water from the Catchment Area are conveyed through an open conduit (about 8km in length) on gravity to the South Lake (with a capacity of 13million gallons) and the North Lake (with a capacity of 20million gallons) throughout the day. The lakes get 20,000gallons of water per hour through the conduit. From there it is sent to the Jorbunglow Filter House where filtration is done through Gravity Pressure Filters. After the completion of the process of filtration, the water is supplied to the Distribution Tanks at St. Paul and Rockville from where it is further supplied and distributed to other smaller subsidiary tanks.
Water from another catchment area called the Rumbi Catchment Area which has 10 springs in total, also passes through the Jorbunglow Filter House and is brought to the water tank in Rockville. There is a third lake called the Sindap Lake which gives additional water to the North and the South lakes. The Bungla Khola and the Khong Khola provide water to Sindap through pump which in turn goes to the Sinchale Lakes. Sindap however is not operated during the rainy season.
The present water supply installations were originally constructed during the year 1910-1915 during the British regime to cater the then population of around 15000-20000. At present the recorded population of Darjeeling is approximately 1.10 Lakh. The exact population may be even higher since mostly the census is conducted during the winter season when families go out of station on vacations. Moreover, it does not include the regular commuters who commute to and forth from Kurseong, Kalimpong or Siliguri to Darjeeling.
Further, the census does not include the Army personnel stationed at Jalapahar and Lebong leave alone the tourists during peak tourist seasons. Taking all this into account, the average population of Darjeeling town may go higher than 2 Lakhs. The huge surge in population coupled with inefficient water management is the main cause amongst various others that has led to the water scarcity in Darjeeling.
The inconvenience caused to the citizens of Darjeeling due to this scarcity is seen clearly in their day to day lives of the people living in and around the main town. Waking up early in the morning before dawn and standing in queues in order to get at least some water for the week is not the most uncommon sight in Darjeeling. Such scenes of people crowdng and at times fighting for a few tumblers of water can best be seen in Lal Dighi above the Motor stand in the main town. To ensure that water is conserved for future use, every household should make an effort to save water. If each household saves at least one gallon of water every day, then in total, Darjeeling will be saving around 1lakh gallon of water per day.
The lack of public awareness is one of the crucial reasons why there is scarcity of water in Darjeeling. It is a poignant truth that most connecting pipes along the roads are sometimes seen to have been convincingly vandalized, from where people illegally appropriate water, not realizing that that way they end up wasting more water which causes further scarcity. The pipes are then left cut or broken for a long time without anyone caring to join them again, due to which water gets wasted, causing further shortage in the long run. The pipes sometimes also break because of the cold weather conditions. Moreover, in most of the areas, we can see water overflowing from the water tanks of the houses. The owners of the houses do not conserve water which flow away in waste. Additionally, disparity occurs when considering different households regarding the amount of water each household uses. Thus even if one household practices conservation of water, it completely depends on the other household, in order for a suitable quantity of water to be conserved.
On the contrary, the peculiarity of the scenario is that the quantity of the monsoon water received is sufficient to fill up more than 5 lakes of the volume of the existing ones which could cater the needs of the whole population even during the so-called “water crisis period”. Unfortunately, every year after mid July till the end of monsoon rain, the water has to be siphoned invariably into the jhoras (Storm water drain) as the lakes cannot take in more water. Therefore if adequate number of reservoirs along with competent infrastructure were to be constructed , enough water could be contained to sustain the whole population of the town.A new project has been started to meet the shortage of water by the Municipality of Darjeeling called the Balasun Project. This project is on the anvil for the time being and will be completed very soon. Balasun is a river which is approximately 13kms away from the Sinchale Lakes. Once the construction work is complete, the water from the Balasun will be pumped to the Sindap Lake. There are two pump houses in total: one in the Balasun itself and the other one in College Valley. The pumps are kept at a distance of 6kms each. A new filter house is being constructed near the Sindap Lake where this water from the Balasun will be filtered and sent to the South Lake. The civic bodies aim at improving the conditions of Darjeeling regarding water scarcity with this new plan. The civil work is almost done requiring only the completion of the mechanical work. Once that is completed, then perhaps there will be less shortage of water in Darjeeling.
Everything on Earth is usable, but alas, they are not perpetual. Even if they are in large quantity, they will gradually be exhausted as the inhabitants use and deplete the resources. Thus for a long term survival, it is important that people should control the usage of the natural resources and conserve them. Water is the most important element for any living being to survive. As inhabitants of the Earth we should preserve, conserve and sustain the resource of water. We should all remember that charity begins at home, and start saving water without waiting for anyone to beckon us to do so. One fundamental idea should always be kept in mind that water though apparently abundant can be very scarce if used indiscriminately.(Source:courtesy- http://www.darjeelingtimes.com/ and Urgen Yolmo)
Health
Black tea helps reduce risk of stroke: Study
Aparajita Gupta, TNN | Jun 14, 2011, KOLKATA: An apple a day is believed to keep the doctor away. But it may not be enough to prevent a stroke.
Research that is being conducted by a group of scientists in Kolkata says you need three cups of tea to keep strokes at bay.
The research work at the city's Vivekananda Institute of Medical Science within the Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratisthan Hospital has proceeded to the stage of human trials which show encouraging results. The clinical trial was done on 1100 individuals.
This is the first time in India that a clinical study of tea and its impact on health is being undertaken. The study focuses on the impact of black tea on preventing hypertension, cerebrovascular diseases and strokes.
It has so far been revealed that chances of a repeat stroke among tea drinkers was 19.08% while the same for non-tea drinkers was twice as much — at 38.77%.
"This is a four-year project. Earlier, all the experiments were done on rats and mice. This is the first time in India that the impact of black tea is being experimented on human beings. The recurrence of strokes can be delayed by regularly drinking tea without a halt," Sandip K Bandyopadhyay, advisor to the National Tea Research Foundation (NTRF) told ToI.
The study is being conducted by NTRF, which is an independent body funded and set up by the Indian tea industry and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. The researchers said tea should be taken in liquor form without milk, sugar or any other additives to get the desired result. Tea taken with milk and sugar reduces the impact of the liquor. Bandopadhyay said black tea has many vital components, which are extremely beneficial for health.
The four-year project started in November 2008. "Brain stroke is usually caused when flow of blood to the brain reduces due to hypertension. We are trying to treat our patients with black tea so that the scope of recurrence declines," said Paromita Bose, coordinator of the project, Multicentric Study on Effect of Tea in Cerebrovascular Disease.
Stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. In the first year, experiments were carried out on 1100 patients who already had ischemic stroke. "Among these 1100 patients, 505 did regular follow-up and the rest were either erratic or migrated," she said.
Tea has anti-oxidative value that recharges the brain which protects people from cerebral stroke. Earlier observations reveal that daily consumption of 450 ml (around 3 cups) of tea may reduce the incidence of recurrent ischemic stroke and may give rise to better control of fasting hyperglycemia. Besides, it may be helpful in decreasing the level of total cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol in subjects with hypercholesterolemia. Bose said it is difficult to coax non-tea drinkers to take tea more than three times a day. But those who drink three or more cups of tea a day found it beneficial for their health.
Preventive medicine expert Debashis Basu said that tea can do wonders when taken in liquor form. "It has anti-oxidants which helps curb stress-related diseases and prevents stroke."
"This is the first time some real time experiments are being done in India on human beings। The results are expected to be authentic. It will be helpful and beneficial for treatment in the coming days," said D P Maheshwari, managing director, Jay Shree Tea & Industries, who is also a governing body member of NTRF said.
Now I lay me down not to sleep
Shampa Dhar-Kamath, Expressbuzz.com,(Opinion/columnists) 12 Jun 2011 12:0:
Sex is the new sleep. A stray entry on Facebook triggers off an avalanche of urgent, gut-felt responses. ‘Ache for it,’ says one. ‘Just can’t get enough,’ says another. The outpouring of emotion, traditionally reserved for matters of the heart, indicates just how out of whack our lives have got.
Roti, kapda aur makaan is old hat. It’s the basic need of sleep that people cannot meet these days. Men were believed to think about sex every seven seconds; new research indicates they stew about sleep more. Working women fantasise about it all day; and young parents long for weekends, when they might get a piece of inaction. Even students are not spared. If anything, they’re plugged into the grid longest, group-chatting and surfing into the night once their assignments are done. Everyone goes to bed finally but their fatigued minds, counter-intuitively, stay up and about. Think of them as computers in sleep mode. The monitor may be asleep, the computer is not.
And so the collective fatigue keeps growing. People sleep nearly an hour less each night than they did two generations ago, according to sleep scientists. Some years ago, researchers at University of Pennsylvania tried an experiment where they restricted volunteers to less than six hours of sleep a night for two weeks. The result? The poor sods felt a trifle sleepy but thought they were functioning quite well. Formal testing, however, revealed that their cognitive abilities and reaction times had progressively declined and, by the end of the fortnight, they were as impaired as people who’d stayed awake for 48 hours running.
A recent study at Penn worked with mice. On the first day, they were placed in a box with two objects that they were allowed to explore. That night, researchers kept one set of mice awake for one half of their 12-hour sleep schedule. Next day, all the animals were put back in the box. The rested ones immediately set about exploring the space, especially the moved objects. The sleep-deprived mice barely moved, let alone looked at the objects. Long spells of this treatment, and the ensuing lack of curiosity would kill the rats. Or at least give them diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
Self-help gurus say don’t smoke, drink, dope, watch TV or do heavy exercises before you sleep. Buddies, if we had the time to not do all that, wouldn’t we use it to sleep? The old poets, who probably napped between each verse, loathed the idea of sleep and called it a slice of death. But they didn’t live in a world where conference calls timed to suit different zones, long hours of commuting and working, and pleasure-as-work link arms to keep shut-eye at bay. Where loss of even REM is more than losing your religion. And insomnia “nourishes itself on any kind of thinking, including thinking about not thinking”.
People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one, once said a wag. He was, no doubt, referring to the odd hours kept by infants who like to play at night. But he could also have meant that people who sleep like babies don’t get time to make any. That was then. Today’s people don’t want to make a baby. They’d rather sleep like one.
shampa@newindianexpress.com
Reprieve in the hills?
SUHRID SANKAR CHATTOPADHYAY, Frontline (Volume 28 - Issue 13 :: Jun. 18-Jul. 01, 2011): The State government concludes an “official-level agreement" with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
(Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Roshan Giri, general secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, at Writers Buildings in Kolkata on June 7 after an "official-level agreement" was reached between the State government and the GJM.)A TEMPORARY solution to the political impasse in the Darjeeling hills of North Bengal seems to be in sight, with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) signing an “official-level agreement” with the State government. In meetings held on June 6 and 7, it was decided that an elected body with greater administrative, executive and financial powers and more autonomy would be constituted to replace the practically defunct Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), which was set up in 1988. The geographical area over which the new body will have jurisdiction will be determined by a nine-member committee that will be set up to delineate the preponderantly Gorkha regions in the Terai and the Doars in the foothills. The committee, comprising representatives from the Centre, the State and the GJM, is expected to submit its report within six months
The “official-level agreement” will be formalised in a tripartite meeting that is expected to be held soon in Darjeeling. Thereafter, a Bill will be introduced in the Assembly to hold elections to the new body. Until the new body is established, a five-member committee will ensure that the development process in the region does not suffer. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the occasion “historic” and announced at a press conference at the end of the meeting that “the Darjeeling matter has been settled”. However, the minutes of the meeting clearly state that the establishment of the new body will not in any way “dilute” the main agenda of the Gorkhaland movement for a separate State. Moreover, the GJM leadership has also been careful in not calling the signed document an “agreement”. They insisted on referring to it as “the minutes of the meeting”. Harka Bahadur Chhetri, a senior leader of the GJM Central Committee, told Frontline: “Though it is a resolution for the time being, it is clearly a step forward. To put it symbolically, we had tea when the DGHC was formed under Left Front rule; now Mamata Banerjee has given us breakfast. But that does not mean we stop here and remain hungry for the rest of our lives. Our ultimate objective is Gorkhaland, and unless that is obtained, our movement will continue in some form or another.” However, one important fallout of the new development is that the people in the hills and the rest of the State can, at least for the time being, look forward to a period of peace and development. The Darjeeling hills have been on the boil since October 2007 when the GJM, under the leadership of Bimal Gurung, evicted Subhash Ghising and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) he led from power and established its political supremacy in the hills with a fresh call for Gorkhaland. The subsequent three and a half years saw incessant strikes and violent agitations, which at times took on an ethnic colour as it spread even to the foothills. The GJM leadership has said that this form of agitation will not be pursued following the recent agreement. “Our priority now will be the implementation of all that has been decided in the meeting. We will rise to the challenge and show everyone that we are capable and that the faith the people have placed in us is justified,” Chhetri told Frontline. The meeting was led by Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh from the State government's side and party general secretary Roshan Giri from the GJM side. It was decided that a committee would be formed to look into the GJM's demand for the transfer of the Tauzi department – which deals with tea-garden land – to the proposed new body. The State government also agreed to approach the Centre over the GJM's proposal that the new body have control of the forested areas, including the reserve forests, in the region. The GJM has been demanding the regularisation of casual workers of the DGHC. It was decided in the meeting that workers who had completed 10 years of service would be made permanent with immediate effect, while the others would be made so after they completed 10 years. In the meanwhile, casual workers can look forward to an enhanced pay packet. According to political observers in the hills, the GJM's decision to keep its demand for Gorkhaland in abeyance for a while is not surprising. “It was clear that they would not press too much for statehood after the new government came. Locally, too, they were preparing the ground for this new strategy by telling the people that while the achievement of Gorkhaland would remain the ultimate objective, it would be prudent in the meanwhile to get whatever we can for the development of the region,” a political observer in the hills told Frontline. The recent Assembly elections showed that the GJM had not lost its supremacy in the hills. In the three hill constituencies of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, GJM candidates scored thumping victories, winning around 90 per cent of the total votes polled. The party was thought to be losing its support base, particularly after the assassination of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) chief Madan Tamang in May 2010, allegedly by GJM activists. “It is true it was perceived that the common people were getting tired of the party's agitational programme and the bandhs, but our participation in the Assembly elections proved that we are as strong as ever,” a senior GJM activist told Frontline. Earlier, the GJM had insisted that the Gorkha Regional Authority, the interim regional set-up proposed then, be a nominated one. But now, its confidence boosted by the results of the Assembly elections, it has agreed that the new body should be an elected one. However, the latest development may not go down well with everyone in the Darjeeling hills. Some sections, including Tamang, the assassinated chief of the ABGL, were opposed to the GJM's proposal for an interim set-up. This time too, the ABGL has been quick to cry foul, saying that the statehood demand has been compromised. “This is a great betrayal of the people. The GJM, which had gone to the polls with Gorkhaland as its main issue, has betrayed the people who voted for it. We are against any arrangement within the State of West Bengal. This is no different from the DGHC,” ABGL leader Pratap Khati told Frontline. According to Khati, the GJM is “desperate to reach an agreement with the State government”, particularly because the Central Bureau of Investigation hearing in the Madan Tamang murder case is coming up before the Calcutta High Court on June 23. The issue of Gorkhaland has aroused emotions in the hills. However, over the years a kind of cynicism has crept in. “There is a saying here that Gorkhaland is khane bharo (utensil in which cooked food is kept). Everybody's political career is made of it, but apart from that, nothing else happens,” a resident of the hills told Frontline. Has Mamata Banerjee indeed set the ball rolling to ultimately resolve the hill crisis? Or has she merely bought time? Only time will tell. Still, peace seems to have been restored in the hills for a while.
FROM GORKHALAND TO POLITICAL JIGSAW-PUZZLE VIA SIXTH SCHEDULE AND SET-UP
D.S.Bomzon, Darjeeling Times: In the history of electoral battles fought in Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars region since the first election of independent India, the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) is found to have won four seats to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly for one or two terms. After AIGL the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) being the strongest party of the region had won three seats only for West Bengal State Assembly from Darjeeling Hills for three consecutive terms since 1991. But in the fifteenth West Bengal Assembly Election held on 18April, 2011 in the region, the agitating party Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha (GJMM) had won three seats from Darjeeling hills and one seat from Dooars on being backed by it. Thus winning four Assembly Seats from the region that comprises the geographical areas of the proposed state of Gorkhaland for which the GJMM was on the path of movement since October, 2007, had registered a new record in the annals of Assembly elections for the region. The victory of AIGL and GNLF candidates in the bygone days was for the socio-economic issues on being propelled by strong Gorkha sentiment. But the record victory of four GJMM candidates was not for socio-economic upliftment rather it was the victory for a political cause which was nothing but the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland for which the GJMM categorically had asked and sought Mandate from the electorates. While electioneering during the period of campaign GJMM had also assured the aspirants of Gorkhaland that in no case the party will revert to the nearly agreed interim arrangement, set up or any mechanism short of Gorkhaland. The interim arrangement/set up was invented with politico-administrative and diplomatic subtlety in lieu of Gorkhaland by Left Front Government. The GJMM after carrying the movement for Gorkhaland for a couple of months, a section of leaders on the helm of affairs seemed to have got entangled into the web of the subtle move. And on being unable to get out of the politico-administrative morass, some of the responsible leaders were seen to be advocating the impossibility of achieving Gorkhaland without accepting and running proposed interim set up. Such advocacy had become like a crook CAT hiding under a basket where its tail had remained uncovered. In the fifteenth West Bengal Assembly Election the wining margin of GJMM candidate from Darjeeling was the highest among the elected members for West Bengal Assembly. The following events and circumstances seemed to have facilitated to pull such a massive support through ballot. Viz,
(i)The placement and passing of a Resolution extending support for a separate state of Gorkhaland, in the Sikkim Assembly under the initiative of Chief minister Dr. Pawn Chamling on 29th March, 2011 injected a new lease of life to the waning enthusiasm for Gorkhaland movement. The enthusiasm for Gorkhaland movement gradually was on the wane on account of GJMM’s leaning and inclination for interim arrangement. But the adoption of the resolution in the Sikkim Assembly for Gorkhaland and hyper publicity of it by GJMM led to create a belief in the minds of the aspirants for Gorkhaland that the Resolution would certainly stand as heavy bulwark on the way to interim arrangement that was likely to be agreed by GJMM.
(ii) The GJMM since its birth was candidly and guardedly with the people of Darjeeling hills, parts of Terai and Dooars taking feign for Gorkhaland. The people, most of them were knowingly or unknowingly taking part in the movement for Gorkhaland at the call of GJMM for the nomenclature seemed to have become political addiction in the region.
(iii) Other political parties of the region being well informed of the state of the minds of the general mass for Gorkhaland had done nothing to lead and guide them except pointing fingers on the lapses and lacunae in the way of Gorkhaland movement led by GJMM. However, some of the role of CPRM for Gorkhaland was palpably tangible but it stood as failure to initiate a concrete programme to involve the mass in a course of movement. It kept itself confined to organise occasional rally, public meetings in Darjeeling Hills, Dharna, Seminar in Kolkata and Delhi with publication of some papers and documents and holding its internal conferences. But after each programme the party was seen in an excessive recess as if it was in stupor. The party had the acceptance and recognition as the Second Largest Party in Darjeeling Hills. But after the successful and historic conference at Siliguri in the beginning of 2011 the party as usual went into trance. And at the time of notification for fifteenth West Bengal Assembly Election, CPRM instead of getting rid of the trance seemed to have besieged with complacency of its successful conference held in Siliguri. Hence, from the date of the announcement of election schedule to the date of withdrawal of nomination papers, the approach and decision on that very election was erratic as some time it was for consensus candidates, some time wished to field their own candidates, some time announced of fielding Chhattray Subba, Saran Dewan and ABGL president Bharati Tamang. Finally decided to abstain from voting citing the reason of the absence of democratic atmosphere and also over enthusiasm among the pro-Gorkhaland parties to fight against each other in place of taking the election as an opportunity for making united effort to impress Delhi and Kolkata. The parties favouring Gorkhaland and functional in the region were driven as if by some unseen centrifugal forces at the very juncture of the fifteenth West Bengal Assembly election. An endeavour for consensus candidate was also seen as there was holding all party meeting at the initiative of GJMM in which ABGL remained absent. But according to the vocabulary of GJMM the consensus meant to support its candidates by other pro-Gorkhaland parties. And consensus was sharing of seats among pro-Gorkhaland parties as per the terminology of CPRM. The major political parties advocating and spearheading movement for the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland by segregating Darjeeling district and Dooars region from West Bengal was at the threshold of golden opportunity to forge unity for long cherished and outstanding aspiration of the people. Had there been unity and amity even between GJMM and CPRM on the eve of election then the remaining pro-Gorkhaland individuals and associations would have no alternative except to board the ship of unity of the two prime political parties. But the solidarity and unity for a long drawn movement to disengage the region from the politico-administrative clutches of West Bengal was seen to have been smashed by the might of organizational euphoria and whims of leaders. However, the thumbing victory of GJMM candidates had opened multiple avenues to work for the protection of the interest of the place and people and also to take forward the issue of Gorkhaland to a decisive direction. But the GJMM being pushed to the state of cloud nine by the victory seemed to be bent upon in establishing its socio-politico and organizational writ that implied the intolerance against the existence of dissident voice. Thus the victory of GJMM candidates with overwhelming votes seemed to have made them a puny prey of temptation for enjoying political monopoly and sway in the region. (iv) In 2005 Subash Ghisingh had made a final political settlement with the union home ministry and government of West Bengal for Sixth Schedule Status for Darjeeling in the capacity of care-taker administrator of DGHC appointed by Bengal government. But the general mass had been silently against the settlement. Hence, with the rise of GJMM, Subash Ghisingh was forced to demit the post of the administrator and subsequently he as well as the prominent councillors and important functionaries of GNLF were chased away from Darjeeling hills. But Subash Ghisingh and his team after hibernation for nearly three years surfaced in Darjeeling and held public meetings by fielding candidates for the fifteenth West Bengal Assembly Election. The main plank of campaign was Sixth Schedule Status for Darjeeling. But there was a strong undercurrent of an anathema against the Sixth Schedule in the general mass and they felt in the return of Subash Ghisingh on the pretext of election a faint ploy to slink the sixth schedule in the region. Thus the absence of pro-Gorkhaland parties to take on the GJMM one the one hand and possible re-emergence of Subash Ghisingh with sixth schedule ploy on the other hand led to create a situation under which electorates perforce opted to take the side of GJMM for its renewed call of Gorkhaland issue. Further Subash Ghisingh’s hay day storm-trooper who were trained and made fully expert by him in technicalities of securing votes by smashing opponents were with GJMM from the time of fifteenth Lok Sabha Election. Thus organizationally, politically, technically and financially the GJMM was at par excellence than its adversaries. Using and playing emotive, sentimental issue and some time display of raw potency was an added value of GJMM’s strength. (v) And on the top of it, when the election was nearing the GJMM had put physical embargo against the dispatch of FIRST FLUSH OF DARJEELING TEA making a demand for wage hike from Rs.67 to Rs.120 per day for the tea garden workers as the wage settlement was due. After a couple of weeks of the imposition of embargo the schedule for the election also got declared and the management and owners of the tea gardens of Darjeeling held meetings with trade union of GJMM, Congress and CPRM on 29, 30 and 31 March 2011 and fixed the wage at Rs.90 per day. The enhancement of twenty three Rupees at a time was the unprecedented event in the history of Darjeeling Tea gardens. And as a result of that wage settlement, the votes from the entire tea garden for that election slated to be held in the region on 18 April 2011 had become like a blank cheque signed by its account holder in the hand of GJMM. Thus the time, situation, circumstances, mind set of the electorates and approach of the higher ups etc seemed to have stood in favour of GJMM and all of it provided a smooth passage to the victory stand for its candidates by overwhelming votes. And in the victory of GJMM majority of the people had started to see, perceive and feel the very possibility of the realization of much cherished long and outstanding political aspiration of having a separate state of Gorkhaland. The reason for peoples’ optimism was that the newly elected three members viz Trilok Kumar Dewan retired IAS, Dr. Harka Bahadur Chhettri and Dr. Rohit Sharma of West Bengal Assembly from Darjeeling hill were projected as the best and most capable representatives among the MLAs so far elected from the region. It was a fact that the prominence attained by trio MLAs on being associated with GJMM if taken in its face value then it was natural to have a high expectation by the people for the deliverance of long cherished aspiration. But the fulfillment of the people’s aspiration of getting separation of the region from West Bengal is an issue systematically tied up with politics, diplomacy and varied aspects of nation and governance. And in order to crack the task of separating the region from the clutches of Bengal a serious dedication, devotion and perseverance of years together with fully digested ups and downs and being imbibed in selfless political career seemed to be the prerequisite qualification for any one intending to take up the responsibility. Given to the dimension, gravity and nature of complexity of the issue, the first and foremost necessity of the task is to identify the internal and external hurdles associated with it and to be well experienced and equipped to overcome them. As because in the first phase of Gorkhaland movement for separating the region from Bengal, the movement and its leader Subash Ghisingh was supposed and believed also to have been blessed by the youngest prime-minister of India, Rajib Gandhi. But neither the youngest prime-minister nor a derelict soldier turned politician and the leader of Gorkhaland movement, Subash Ghisingh could withstand the maneuver of Jyoti Basu who by that time was the master of fifty years socio-political, organizational and diplomatic experiences. Even more than two decades after, the DGHC created and offered by Jyoti Basu in lieu of Gorkhaland has had been lying like a gigantic ox on the road to the separation of the region from Bengal. Attempt by individual or organization to remove the ox for clearing the road to Gorkhaland are seen to have been subsumed by it instead of getting it removed. As it was evident that eleven rounds of tripartite talks for modification of DGHC or seeking an alternative to it has had taken place exclusively to tame the movement for Gorkhaland led by GJMM since October 2007. The movement despite having support and involvement of people from all walks of life in a far greater strength and intensity than the earlier one and followed by historic victory of GJMM candidates for Gorkhaland seemed to have been heading to attain a political limbo. As there was report in vernacular daily on 27 May 2011 that immediate after taking the oath of office of the membership of West Bengal Assembly, the four MLAs led by Rosan Giri, general secretary GJMM had a meeting with chief-minister Mamta Banerjee and the details of the meeting as briefed by Rosan Giri were (i) Demand to withdraw the Z-plus security provided to Subash Ghisingh, (ii) Invitation to the chief minister to visit Darjeeling, (iii) Demand for CBI inquiry on Sibchu Police Firing and (iv) Sticking on the demand for Gorkhaland. It is said that “first impression is the last impression” but in the first meeting the first demand was to withdraw the Z-plus security enjoyed by Subash Ghisingh perhaps they might have felt it an obstruction for Gorkhaland. And this meeting was followed by another meeting on 30th May 2011 at Writers, Kolkata between chief minister Mamta Banerjee, chief secretary government of West Bengal and GJMM delegation that comprised of Bimal Gurung, Rosan Giri, L.B. Pariyar, Arjun Prasad and four MLA. After the meeting chief minister, Mamta Banerjee and Bimal Gurung jointly addressed the press. “Gurungbabu said me about the atrocities in the hills and about the Sibchu police firing, for which he wanted a CBI probe. I have requested him to have faith in our CID, which I will reconstitute. We agreed on a CID probe. Our government will help the families those killed in the incident, said the chief minister. Three hill MLAs- Trilok Kumar Dewan, Harka Bahadur Chhettri and Rohit Sharma- were part of the delegation as was the party backed independent MLA from Kalchini, Wilson Champamari. Asked if the demand for Gorkhaland featured in the meeting, Gurung said: Gorkhaland talks can come later. This was more of a courtesy visit. At that point of media interaction, Mamta interrupted and asked everyone to be positive. Please I ask everyone to be positive, please do not let the situation deteriorate by making him (Gurung) say more than he has to she said. If the political vision is in the right place, a lot can be achieved, she added. Sources in the government said the Morcha would be heard and they would receive all co-operation but statehood would remain out of the question. We are open to offering greater autonomy to the hills, but a separate state remains out of question. This was made clear by Didi again in today’s meeting, said Writers’ source. The Morcha and the government have also agreed to another meeting at Writers’ on 6 June to decide on the course of action for a solution to the Darjeeling conundrum” The Telegraph 31 May 2011. Similar reportage was also carried by other national dailies and from those print media reports the electoral mandate for Gorkhaland preceded by an incessant movements since 2007 by GJMM with loss of precious life also appeared to reach to a level of possibility of laying down at the political altar of the Bengal’s first woman chief minister who had a recognition as one of the firebrand woman politicians of India with dashing personality and possessing immense administrative, political, diplomatic experiences on being with the people of Bengal since late seventieth by leading movements. The hazy possibilities seemed to have turned into discernment through an agreed settlement between the West Bengal government of Mamta Banerjee and GJMM on 7th June 2011 at Writers’ Building Kolkata when it was flashed “within three weeks of assuming power chief minister Miss Mamta Banerjee today declared that the problem in the Hills stood resolved following an agreement between the state government and Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha (GJMM) which both sides conceding ground to arrive an amicable solution, including formation of a new body through election to replace the existing Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill Council (DGAHC) and the possibility of expansion of territorial jurisdiction. While the demand for Gorkhaland was kept on record, it was not deliberated upon at the two day official level meeting. Miss Banerjee, who had pledged to resolve Gorkhaland issue within three months after coming to power, later said that she had spoken to Union home minister Mr. P. Chidambaram about the settlement of the problem in Darjeeling and has suggested that the signing of tripartite agreement should take place in the hills. The Darjeeling problem stands settled. It is a historic day. We have come to an agreement. We want the agreement to be signed in Darjeeling, a gushing chief minister declared before the media, holding aloft the minutes of the meeting. GJMM also agreed to maintain peace and normality in the Hills and Rosan Giri, the signatory to the minutes said: We are happy.”(The Statesman 8 June, Wednesday 2011). The demand for Gorkhaland was presented by its proponents as a solution to establish Indian National Identity, to ensure political safeguard, to enjoy the right to self rule as conferred by the Indian Constitution and to make socio-cultural advancement of Nepali speaking Gorkha nationals in India। But the demand was taken and considered by former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee and his party CPM as a ploy to divide West Bengal for which he and other leaders has had been making all endeavour to acquaint their views. In the endeavour it was taken well care to project Buddhadeb and his party as the lone crusader to avert the ploy to divide West Bengal. Some repugnance was seemed to have generated against the word Gorkhaland due to acerbic publicity of the demand by its opponents. Even during the campaign for fifteenth West Bengal Assembly Election an allegation of hush-hush understanding of Mamta Banerjee with GJMM was also made. But conscious, advanced, literate and well informed electorates of the state of West Bengal rejecting the campaign and postulation of CPM voted overwhelmingly for Mamta Banerjee in the entire plain of Bengal. And, similarly the entire hill of Darjeeling and parts of Terai and Dooars had also voted for the creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland. But within a very short span of time the overwhelmingly mandated parties without bothering on the aspiration of the people seemed to have made settlement with total alacrity. And the Gorkhaland for the Left Front it was a dreaded devil that was bent upon dividing Bengal and the same was proclaimed as Mother by GJMM but on getting it deposited in the “Politico-Administrative BAG” of Miss Mamta Banerjee the issue turned into a jigsaw-puzzle by the political magic of Miss Mamta Didi. Hence, a game of political jigsaw-puzzle has been set in and the same will surely make some people to enjoy and dance for some time but not all the time. The inability or failure of making majority people to enjoy and dance together would bring a catastrophe on the players and game itself as because the silence of people with pent up voice cannot be an augur for peace. (Source: courtesy- http://www.darjeelingtimes.com/ and D.S. Bomjan) लादेन जो चला गया...- नाट्य़भूषण सी।के।श्रेष्ठ , सिलीगुडी
लादेन जो चला गया.....वह तो आतंकवादी था
दिखता भी था आतंकवादी ही
खूंखार आँखें, चेहरा दाढीदार
हाथ में बन्दुक, बगल में कटार
देखने में ही लगे
आतंकवाद का सरकारी पोष्टर
हाँ, वह तो आतंकवादी ही था बेशक
हैवानीयत की वह कालिख
जो विश्व के मुंह पे मला गय़ा
लादेन जो चला गया........
पर मैं तो कभी नहीं डरा इस लादेन से
न, कभी नहीं
क्योंकि मेरे पास नहीं था
सौ मंजिला गगनचुम्बी टावर
न तो तेल का पावर
ना ही था मेरा लादेन से कोई
नस्लवादी लफडा
या जेहादी झगडा
फिर डर काहे की भला
वह भी उस शख्स से
जो वक्त के साँचे में ढला गया
लादेन जो चला गय़ा...
भयभीत तो हूँ मैं
मेरे ही देश के उन लादेनों से
जिनके हाथों में न बन्दुक है
न बगल मे कटार
न आतंकी आँखे,
न दाढी से ढका चेहरा
पर जो मुंह खोले तो
बरसाये आग के गोले
भडकाये दहशत के शोले
बोली में इतनी ताकत है तो
गोली की क्या जरुरत
फूल ही छाती बिंध दे तो
शूल की क्या जरुरत
इसलिए इस लादेन की मौत पर
न मनाओ खुशियाँ ऐ श्रेष्ठों !
तुम्हे खंगालकर, निचोडकर
जम्हूरियत की तार में टांगने को
जिंदा है अभी भी बहुत सारे लादेन
आतंकवादी नस्ल का यह तो
एक अदद नमूना भर था
जो वक्त के तावे पर तला गया
लादेन जो चला गया....
पर जाते-जाते
बेशुमार विवादों के बीच भी
छोड गय़ा एक पैगाम
‘दरिंदो के दरिंदे को भी जाना होता है एक दिन
तुम किस खेत के मूली हो....!’
यही उम्मीद का दीया जला गया
लादेन जो चला गया….................
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