150-औं रवीन्द्र जन्मशताब्दीको अवसरमा एकाडेमीले जमघट गर्‍यो 24 भाषाका युवा लेखकहरूलाई एकै मञ्चमा.... सपना फुलाउन नेपाल पसेका विमल विम्बमा आफूलाई खोज्दै... Tribals ‘take back’ 90 acres ... Citu to fight for tea wages alone - Other trade unions smell CPM plot to embarrass Mamata govt... Nod to Bhandari’s cardiac care in Delhi

150-औं रवीन्द्र जन्मशताब्दीको अवसरमा एकाडेमीले जमघट गर्‍यो 24 भाषाका युवा लेखकहरूलाई एकै मञ्चमा

मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ 17 अगस्तः राष्ट्रिय साहित्य अकादमीले  विश्वकवि रवीन्द्रनाथ ठाकुरको जन्मको 150-औं वर्षगॉंठको अवसरमा एक राष्ट्रिय कार्यक्रमको आयोजना गर्‍यो। अकादमीको कलकत्तास्थित क्षेत्रीय कार्यालयद्वारा सञ्चालन गरिएको दुइ दिवसीय साहित्यिक कार्यक्रममा अकादमीद्वारा मान्यताप्राप्त भारतवर्षका 24-वटा भाषाका 40-देखि 45 वर्षबीचका युवा लेखकहरूलाई निम्त्याइएको थियो।

कार्यक्रमको पहिलो चरणमा देशभरिबाट भेला भएका युवा लेखक-लेखिकाहरूलाई कलकत्ताबाट शान्तिनिकेतनको  भ्रमण गराएर विश्वभारती विश्वविद्यालयको परिदर्शन गराउने कार्य अकादमीमार्फत्‌ भयो। साहित्य अकादमीका वरिष्ठ अधिकारीहरूको अगुवाइमा युवा लेखकहरूले शान्तिनिकेतनस्थित रवीन्द्रनाथ सङ्‌ग्रहालय अनि विश्वभारती विश्वविद्यालयको भ्रमण गरेको पहिलो दिन विश्वविद्यालयको सङ्‌गीत अनुभागले यी सबै साहित्य सर्जकहरूलाई लिपिका रङ्‌गमञ्चमा निम्त्याएर ससम्मान उपहारहरू पनि प्रदान गर्‍यो। प्रख्यात संगीतज्ञ तथा सांस्कृतिककर्मी इन्द्राणी मुखर्जीको अगुवाइमा सम्पन्न उक्त अभिनन्दन कार्यक्रममा अकादमीका क्षेत्रीय सचिव रामकुमार मुखोपाध्याय, कन्नड साहित्यका प्रख्यात लेखक जी. के. गोविन्द राव, तमिल साहित्यकार के. सुनिता रानी आदि प्रमुख रुपले उपस्थित थिए।  

भारतभरिका युवा सर्जकहरूलाई रङ्‌गमञ्चमा एकसाथ उभ्याएर सम्मान जनाएपछि साहित्यकार गोविन्द रावले संक्षिप्तमा आफ्नो वक्तव्य प्रस्तुत गर्दै यी युवा साहित्यकारहरू राष्ट्रिय सम्पदा हुन्‌ भन्ने दाबी गरे अनि उनीहरूकै कॉंधमा देशको साहित्यिक सिर्जनाको दायित्व रहेको बताए। उनले कविगुरु रवीन्द्रनाथ ठाकुरलाई केवल बङ्‌गालका मात्र साहित्यकार नहरेर भारत अनि विश्वकै साहित्यकारका रुपमा मान्यता दिइनुपर्ने अनि यस्तो उत्सव भारतव्यापी रुपमा पालन गरिनुपर्ने मनसाय पोखे। अभिनन्दन समारोहपछि साहित्यका युवा सर्जकहरूका निम्ति शान्तिनिकेतनमा सङ्‌गीतशास्त्रको अध्ययन गरिरहेका वरिष्ठ छात्र-छात्राहरूले तीनवटा सांस्कृतिक कार्यक्रमहरू प्रस्तुत गरे। रवीन्द्र सङ्‌गीत, मणिपुरी लोकनाच अनि कत्थकली नृत्य प्रस्तुत गरिएको उक्त कार्यक्रममा छिमेकी राष्ट्र श्रीलङ्‌काबाट विश्वभारतीको परिदर्शन गर्न आएका स्कूले छात्राहरू पनि उपस्थित रहेका थिए।

दोस्रो दिन युवा साहित्य सर्जकहरूलाई अकादमीकै अगुवाइमा कविगुरु रवीन्द्रनाथ ठाकुरको जन्मघर जरासान्कोको परिदर्शन गराइयो जहॉं ठाकुर परिवारको इतिहास सङ्‌ग्रहालयको रुपमा अस्तित्वमान्‌ रहेको छ। सोही दिनको सॉंझ मूल कार्यक्रमको आयोजना अकादमीकै अडिटोरियममा सम्पन्न भयो। भारतका युवा लेखकहरूको भेट नामक साहित्यिक कार्यक्रमलाई दुइ सत्रमा विभाजन गरिएको थियो। पहिलो सत्रको उद्घाटन राष्ट्रिय साहित्य अकादमीका अध्यक्ष तथा वरिष्ट साहित्यकार सुनील गङ्‌गोपाध्यायले गरेका थिए भने स्वागत सम्भाषण क्षेत्रीय सचिव रामकुमार मुखोपाध्यायले राखेका थिए। यस चरणमा युवा साहित्यकारहरूलाई भारतका वरिष्ठ साहित्यकारहरू सुनील गङ्‌गोपाध्याय, जी. के. गोविन्दराव, तरुण सन्याल, के. सुनिता रानी, कालेगौढ़ा नागाभारा अनि उत्पल कुमार बासुले आ-आफ्ना रचना पाठ गरेर सुनाए। त्यसपछि विभिन्न भाषाका युवा लेखकहरूमा आसामीका ध्रुवनाथ शर्मा (गुवाहटी), बंगालीका सुदक्षिणा बासु (कलकत्ता), काबेरी रोयचौधरी (कलकत्ता) र अकबर अहमद (अगरतला), बोड़ोकी रुपाश्री होजावारी (बोड़ोल्याण्ड), डोगरीका सुशील बेगानन (जम्मु), अङ्‌ग्रेजीका अमनदीप सन्धु (दिल्ली), हिन्दीका कुमार अनुपम (दिल्ली), कन्नडका चिदानन्द साली (राइचुर) र डा. वासवराज पी. डोनुर (धरवाड), काश्मिरीका मजिद मजाजी (बन्दीपुरा), मैथिलीकी निक्की प्रियदर्शनी (मुंगेर), मलयालीका सी. अनुप (त्रिवेन्द्रम), मणिपुरीका डा. युमनाम इन्द्रजीत सिंह (नाम्बुर), मराठीका चन्द्रशेखर मालकम पाटे (लाटुर), उड़ियाका अरविन्द रे (भुवनेश्वर), पञ्जाबीकी सुरिन्द्र नीर (जम्मु), राजस्थानीका मदन गोपाल लढ्‌ढा (बिकानेर), संस्कृतका अजय कुमार मिश्रा (नयॉं दिल्ली), सन्थालीका अन्ता मराण्डी (बोलांगिर), सिन्धीका मनोज चावला (अहमदाबाद), तमिलका अरुनन (अरोभिल्ले), तेलुगूकी टी. भाल्ली राधिका (हैदराबाद) अनि उर्दूका मोहम्मद हाजी (नयॉं दिल्ली)-ले आ-आफ्ना साहित्यिक सिर्जनाहरू गीत, गजल, लघुकथा आदि पाठ गरेका थिए।

यस राष्ट्रिय उत्सवमा नेपाली भाषालाई प्रतिनिधित्व गर्ने अवसर प्राप्त गरेका थिए कालेबुङका युवा लेखक हीरा छेत्रीले। छेत्रीले उक्त अवसरमा आफ्नो चर्चित लघुकथा उमेरहरू-को हिन्दी अनूदित संस्करण ढलती उम्र पाठ गरेको जानकारी पाइएको छ। उक्त कथालाई हिन्दी अनि अङ्‌ग्रेजी भाषामा क्रमैसित कालेबुङकै युवा लेखकहरू मुकेश ठाकुर अनि अनुप मोक्तानले अनूदित गरेका हुन्‌।

सबै युवा लेखकहरूको रचना रसास्वादन गरेपछि सत्रका अध्यक्ष तथा अकादमीका बंगला परामर्श समितिका कन्भेनर मानावेन्द्र बन्धोपाध्यायले साहित्य अकादमीलाई उपर्युक्त रचनाहरूलाई पुस्तकाकार रुपमा प्रकाशित गर्ने सुझाउ दिए अनि मुसलधारे बर्खा र प्राकृतिक आपदाहरूलाई झेल्दै भए पनि देशका विभिन्न प्रान्तबाट भेला भई दुइ दिने कार्यक्रमलाई सफलिभुत अनि फलप्रद बनाइदिएबापत्‌ सबै युवा लेखकहरूप्रति कृतज्ञता प्रकट गरे।

छेत्रीले उक्त दुइ दिवसीय भ्रमण पूरा गरेर कालेबुङ फर्की आएपछि यसरी आफ्नो भाषालाई प्रतिनिधित्व गर्न पाउनु आफ्नो साहित्यिक जीवनको महत्त्वपूर्ण क्षण बताए अनि सो अवसरमा नेपाली भाषा-साहित्यबारे भारतका अन्य युवा लेखक-लेखिकाहरूलाई यथासक्य बताउन नचुकेको साथै आफूले पनि अन्य भाषा-साहित्यको वर्तमान स्थितिबारे तुलनात्मक रूपमा केही मात्रामा भए पनि बुझ्न पाएको बताए। आफूले पाएको उक्त अवसरलाई सारा भारतका नेपालीभाषी युवा लेखकहरूप्रति समर्पित रहेको बताउँदै उनले उक्त अवसरको प्रतिपल, प्रतिक्षण उपयोगमा ल्याएको दाबी गरे। नेपाली साहित्यको प्रगतिको परिप्रेक्ष्यमा कालेबुङको चर्चित कार्यक्रम बसिबियॉंलो-को अङ्‌ग्रेजीमा निर्मित भिडियो सिडी अन्य युवा लेखकहरूलाई दर्शन गराउँदा ती लेखकहरूले नेपाली साहित्यको प्रगतिमाथि प्रशंसनीय टिप्पणी गरेको दाबी गर्दै छेत्रीले आगामी अक्टोबर महिनामा कालेबुङमा सम्पन्न हुने साहित्यिक उत्सव बसिबियॉंलो-को 100-औं प्रकरणमा निमन्त्रणा दिँदा धेरैजनाले आफ्नो उपस्थिति दिने प्रतिश्रुति दिएको छेत्रीले जनाएका छन्‌। छेत्रीले उक्त अवसर प्राप्त गरेर आफ्नो मातृभाषाबारे अन्य भाषाभाषीहरूसमक्ष उजागर गर्ने मौका प्रदान गरेबापत्‌ साहित्य अकादमीका सम्बन्धित अधिकारी तथा कार्यकारीहरूप्रति कृतज्ञता प्रकट गर्दै आफ्ना साहित्यिक बन्धुबान्धव अनि शुभचिन्तकहरूप्रति आभार पोखेका छन्‌।

उल्लेखनीय छ, हीरा छेत्रीले गत वर्ष देशको राजधानी नयॉं दिल्लीमा आयोजित कम्मनवेल्थ राइटर्स मिटमा पनि विश्वका पचासभन्दा धेर लेखकहरूको जमघटमा युवा लेखकका रुपमा नेपाली भाषाको प्रतिनिधित्व गरिसकेका छन्‌।

सपना फुलाउन नेपाल पसेका विमल विम्बमा आफूलाई खोज्दै

मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ 17 अगस्तः  आजभन्दा आठवर्ष अघि गैरीबास उच्चतर विद्यालयको एघाह्रौ अनि बाह्रौ श्रेणीको डेस्क ठट्ठाउँदै साथीहरूलाई गीत सुनाउने विमल गुरूङ अहिले सॉंच्ची नै नेपालका भरपर्दा युवा गायक बनेका छन्‌। दार्जीलिङ जिल्लाको कालेबुङ महकुमामा पर्ने अति नै पछाडिएको सुदुर र दुर्गम गाउँ तुङसुङमा दुइचारजना साथीहरू झुरूप्प भयो की भाका हाली हाली गीत गाउँदै गायक बन्ने सपना रोप्ने विमल गुरूङको दोस्रो गीतिे एल्बम बजारमा आउनै लागेको छ।         

अनलाइनमा झुलुक्क देखापरेका विमल गुरूङले भने, त्यसबेला रोपिएको सपनामा नै मलजल गरिरहेको छु। पहिलो गीति एल्बम फिलिङ सुनेर प्रभावित भएपछि पोखराका गीतकार शिव चाम्लागाईँले मलाई नै उनका गीतहरू गाउन चुन्नु भयो। तिनका सातवटा गीतहरू रहेको म्युजिक भिडियो एल्बम विम्ब-को तयारी अहिले चलिरहेको छ।

तोदे ताङ्‌तामा पर्ने तुङसुङमा नै पट्ठो जवान विमलले गायक बन्ने सपना देखका हुन्‌। दार्जीलिङको अर्ध विकसित गाउँमा बस्ने गीताङ्गे विमलमा गीत गाउने क्षमता छ भनेर देख्ने पारखी आँखाहरू कतै थिएनन्‌। म सपना फुलाउन नै नेपाल हानिएँ- विमल भन्छन्‌, काठमाण्डौ पुगेर अलमल्ल परें। म बोलेको सुनेर उनीहरू जिल्ल पर्थे अनि उनीहरू बोलेको सुनेर म। काठमाण्डौमा शिक्षणपेशामा केही बर्ष अल्झेपछि नै विमलको साङ्गीतिक यात्रा खासै गरी शुरू भयो। तिनी  पोखराको धाउलागिरी बोर्डिङमा सङ्गीत पढाउन छोड़ेर अहिले ढुक्कैले सङ्गीत कै निम्ति स्वतन्त्ररूपले बसेका छन्‌। अब सङ्गीत नै मेरो पेशा हुनेछ, व्यावसायिकरूपले यसैलाई केरियर बनाउन अब भने म निस्किसकें-तिनी भन्छन्‌।

विमलले पोखराको भाइब्स क्रिएसनबाट फिलिङ्‌स नामक गीति एल्बम गतवर्ष मात्र निकालेका थिए। तिनको दुइवटा गीत फेरि फेरि तिम्रो याद अनि हॉंस्छु भन्नेलाई सुख नै छैन भन्ने गीतले निक्कै स्रोता पाएको थियो। फेरि फेरि तिम्रो याद-गीत नेपालका प्राय सबै च्यानलहरूले देखाइसकेका छन्‌। सोही एल्बममा रहेको तिनको स्वरमा भविष्य देखेपछि पोखराका गीतकार शिव चाम्लागाईँले आफ्नै लगानीमा विम्ब निकालिरहेका छन्‌। 

विम्बको काम सकेकै छैन,अर्को एल्बमको अफर पनि आइराखेको छ, दुवैलाई समय दिइरहेको छु-सफलताको सिँडी टेक्दै गरेका विमल भन्छन्‌। विम्ब-मा सचिन सिंह, राम सिटौला, अर्जुन पोखरेल अनि विमल आफैको सङ्गीत रहेको छ। फिलिङ निकाल्दा जति पापड बेल्नु पर्‍यो विम्ब निकाल्दा उति सजिलो भयो, विमल भन्छन्‌, नेपाल मेरो केरियरको ड्रिम ल्याण्ड थियो, अहिले त्यही उभिएर संघर्ष गरिरहेको छु। सङ्गीतमा बी. म्युजिक गरिसकेका विमललाई सङ्गीतमा नै भविष्य छ भन्ने विश्वास छ।

 दार्जीलिङबाट नेपाल गएर सङ्गीतमा केरियर बनाउने सैयौं सफल कलाकरहरूको पछि कुनै दिन विमलको पनि नाम आउन सक्ने सम्भावना छ भनेर सोद्धा तिनी भन्छन्‌, सङ्गर्ष जारी छ, म सपना फुलाउन निस्किसकेको छु। समयले साथ दियो भने सफल हौंला।

Bimal Gurung is an upcoming singer who has got talent as well as the voice to magnetize the music lovers. He had keen interest in music since his childhood and currently out with his first album “Feelings.”

Name: Bimal Gurung
Nick Name: Bimal
Birth Date: 21st June
Musical Career start date: 1999 A.D
Inspiration: My Friends and Family
First Album: Feelings
First Song: Aadha Raat ma Biujhiera
Albums till now: Feelings
Your Famous Songs: Aadha Raat and Feri Feri
Favorite Nepali Singer: Amber Gurung, Naati Kaaji and Gopal Yonzone
Favorite Nepali Music Arranger: Fagindra Rai.
Favorite Nepali Model: Suraj Singh Thakuri and Jenisha
Favorite Nepali Actor and Actress: Shri Krishna Shrestha and Niruta Singh

Here's a short interview with him:

What do you think, the condition of the musical sector, has been improving or deteriorating?
It is still in unbalanced state as the industry is unable to stop pirated CD/DVD to take the market which is really hampering the progress of the artists as well as the music industry.

How do you define life as?
Life is full of uncertainty with lots of ups and downs.

How do you take sex as?
It is a necessity to sustain our generation.

Do you think having sex before marriage is appropriate?
I believe it is acceptable if it happens in mutual understanding, trust and belief.

Altogether how many girlfriends did you have?
That’s a personal question. Sorry! I don’t want to disappoint my fans disclosing it.

Whom do you love the most?
To me my family, music and motherland are uniformly important so I equally love and respect them. 

What are your future plans?
I want to be renowned as a famous singer and reach my achievements.

What do you like to do in your leisure time?
I like to hang around with friends, go through books and watch movies.

Do you have any other profession besides Singing?
I am indulged in teaching besides singing.

What do you think about the present condition of our country?
It’s in a critical condition as no one is more concerned about the country but the political leaders are fighting for the chairs. There are more parties than needed and unnecessary disputes arise between political leaders time and again. Due to this the citizen and the country itself are victimized.

What do you think about thikthak.com? Any comments or suggestion for us?
It's one of the best among all Nepals' entertainment Site. It had played a vital role in the upliftment the music industry as well as more preferable to the glamour world. I just want to give my best wishes for its’ success in coming future.

What makes you contented?
I am contented when people appreciate my work.

When do you feel Sad?
I feel sad when others backbite against me.

Is there any suggestion that you would like to give to the upcoming artist?
Everyone is warmly welcome in this field but one should have passion and dedication towards music.

Any comments for your well-wisher?
As an artist, I am just born and trying to cradle. I need your support and love in each and every step. So, I want to request my well-wisher to love and support me as well as Nepali music.(source: thikthak.com)
Tribals ‘take back’ 90 acres

Adivasis pluck tea leaves in the garden in Ramganj on Wednesday. Picture by Mehedi Hedaytullah

TT, Islampur, Aug. 17: Tribals under the banner of a protect-land committee, which took over a tea garden here yesterday, today plucked leaves and sold them off to a broker.

In Ramganj, 20km from here, the members of the Adivasi Jami Raksha Committee claimed that the 90-acre land with tea bushes was owned by the tribals.

The committee said it had collected the required land documents from the block land records office to prove its claim. It also claimed that the subdivisional officer of Islampur had been informed about the “take-over”.

The Land Reforms Act, 1955, stipulates that a tribal person can transfer land to someone outside his community only after a hearing is conducted to ensure that the seller has been adequately compensated.

In July, the state land and land reforms department had ordered an inquiry into allegations lodged by forums espousing tribal land right that thousands of hectares belonging to Adivasis in Chopra and Islampur in North Dinajpur were being occupied by non-tribals.

The secretary of the committee, Matru Hansda, said some local politicians had helped a Siliguri-based businessman, B. Agarwal, to take over the land in Ramganj. “It was back in 1996 when we were told that the land would be used to construct a school and a horticultural nursery. They set up the nursery but soon after, the land was used to grow tea bushes. We had been pressing the block land records office for the documents and it was only after the change in government, that we got them. The khatian (document to prove possession of land) is in the name of members of our community and we have taken over the land after informing the local administration,” Hansda said.

The president of the committee, Ruhidas Oraon, said for long the small tea garden operator had been threatening them with court cases if they interfered. “However, about a hundred of us, both men and women, today plucked the leaves and sold them to a local broker. We have been able to stake our rightful claim to the land,” Oraon said.

Tension simmered when the manager of the garden and other workers tried to resist the plucking of leaves. Manager Santanu Ghosh refused comment on the development.

The inspector in charge of Islampur police station, Samir Pal, said he had received a call from the manager’s mobile phone saying that some Adivasis were stealing tea leaves. “We sent a force to the garden and stopped the plucking. We have asked both sides to produce their documents and then we can have a discussion to sort out the matter,” the officer said.

Islampur SDO Partha Ghosh said he had heard about the incident. “No one has lodged any formal complaint. The Adivasis had come to me with their grievances at the beginning of this month and I had asked them to bring their documents to me. We will have to sit with both the sides and sort out the matter,” the subdivisional officer said.

In May, Adivasis under the banner of the Progressive Tea Workers Union had “seized” 22 bighas of a small tea garden in Jamadarpara, 12km from Jalpaiguri town.

The land had been allegedly bought by a Siliguri-based planter Om Prakash Agarwal.
Citu to fight for tea wages alone - Other trade unions smell CPM plot to embarrass Mamata govt

No sign of hike

AVIJIT SINHA AND BIRESWAR BANERJEE,TT,Siliguri, Aug. 17: Citu today said it would launch its own movement for revised tea wages of garden workers from tomorrow, the decision inviting flak from other trade unions that alleged that the go-it-alone move would only create more stumbling blocks during negotiations with planters.
The CPM’s labour wing, Citu, has considerable clout in the 208 gardens of the Dooars and the Terai, one reason why a 12-hour bandh was successful in the region on Friday, much to the chagrin of Mamata Banerjee. In this situation, the Mamata government might be forced to invite Citu to the talks table alone.
The other trade unions fear that Citu, while trying to gain this political mileage from its position, would only delay the firming up of the deal. The garden workers are currently paid Rs 67 a day.
Citu while justifying its stand said since the government was only giving priority to an Adivasi trade union, it was time to intensify the agitation.
“Since the planters are nonchalant and not accepting our demands and the state government is is giving priority only to Progressive Tea Workers’ Union (tribal trade union) while ignoring us, we decided to intensify our movement,” Ajit Sarkar, the Darjeeling district secretary of Citu, said here today. “Tea trade unions affiliated to Citu in the Terai and Dooars will launch a movement on their own from tomorrow. We will submit memorandums to administrative heads in each block, sub-divisions and districts, seeking state’s immediate intervention. All other trade unions should join hands with us.”
Yesterday, after a plea from planters to come up with a realistic demand, two apex bodies of around 30 trade unions — one of them was also Citu — had agreed to give them seven days time.
Today, other trade bodies like the Intuc, the labour wing of the Congress which is an ally of Trinamul, said it had suspected earlier that the left unions would try to embarrass the new government. Mamata’s threat to enact a law banning bandhs had come in the backdrop of the recent tea strikes in north Bengal and the suspicion that Citu was standing in the way of a solution.
“Some people are doing whatever they feel like, using strikes to fulfill political motives…,” Mamata had said on Friday. The Intuc, however, had supported the strike that day, another cause for Mamata’s angst, specially since the Trinamul trade union does not have any base in the tea gardens.
But today, Aloke Chakraborty, the Darjeeling district Intuc president, said: “Our apprehension has come true. We had mentioned earlier that if the tea wage issue remains pending for months, as it has been happening, Citu and CPM will try to create deterrents in the negotiation process for the Trinamul-Congress government. If Citu leaders are interested in the movements alone, they should walk out of the Coordination Committee of Tea Plantation Workers (CCTPW).”
The Intuc is part of the CCTPW, one of the two apex bodies of trade unions. The Defence Committee for Plantation Workers’ Rights, another apex body of trade unions, has also criticised Citu.
“We had a meeting today and decided to write to the chief minister, some other state ministers and government officials, seeking an early solution to the wage hike deal. Any sudden move by constituent union like Citu would set new hurdles in talks,” conevner Samir Roy.
Nod to Bhandari’s cardiac care in Delhi

Bhandari being taken to hospital for treatment after his surrender last week. (PTI file picture)

BIJOY GURUNG, TT, Gangtok, Aug. 17: Former Sikkim chief minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari, who has been serving a one-month jail term from a hospital bed here since August 10, will be taken to a super-speciality facility in New Delhi for treatment tomorrow.
A six-member health committee constituted by the state government has recommended that the 70-year-old Congress leader be taken to Delhi for treatment. He was admitted to the cardiology ward of STNM Hospital with complaints of chest pain on the first day of his jail sentence.
Bhandari had been handed out the one-month jail term by Sikkim High Court, which upheld his conviction by a trial court for defalcation of funds in a rural water supply scheme in 1984.
The case was investigated by the CBI.
“We have received information from the government that my father will be moved out to Delhi tomorrow for treatment in a super speciality hospital,” said Primula Bhandari, the eldest daughter of the three-term former chief minister.
Sources said two police personnel from the state prisons directorate would escort Bhandari to Delhi.
“Bhandari’s health condition is under control. But the six-member health committee and the state medical board studied the medical reports and recommended that he be taken to a super-speciality hospital for better treatment. The doctors felt that Sikkim doesn’t have required medical facilities for treatment of heart ailments,” said a senior STNM Hospital official.
Doctors attending on Bhandari said he was suffering from spondylosis, urinary tract problems, blood sugar, hypertension and back pain.
The convict’s family said he used to get admitted to a Sikkim hospital every year for check-up.
Bhandari’s family was informed about the medical board’s decision after all legal and administrative clearances had been given for advanced treatment in a super-specialty hospital in Gurgaon.
He is expected to be moved out of STNM Hospital tomorrow morning. Bhandari could be flown in a chopper to Bagdogra airport, weather permitting, or else, he will be taken by road. According to sources in the health department, the state will bear the cost of treatment and transporting Bhandari to Delhi and back “as per the jail manual”.