ZONE IV OF BGP AUTHORISES CENTRAL COMMITTEE TO LAUNCH GORKHALAND MOVEMENT
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| BGP leaders in Dehradun |
The meeting felt that the creation of a separate state of Indian Gorkhas within the country and under the ambit of the national constitution could only fulfill their long pending problem. Criticising the decision of formation of the GTA in Darjeeling hills at the stake of national identity of the Gorkhas, the zone-IV unanimously authorised and appealed the national committee to spearhead the movement of Gorkhaland afresh at national level. This was welcomed by all the representatives gathered from the constituent states of the zone like Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana.
The meeting also held discussion over the routine matter of the organisation like membership drive, creation of a Nepali private television channel etc.
The conference was addressed by Sukhman Moktan, Secretary General, R. Moktan, National Convenor, Gorkhaland Task Force, Prof. Munish Tamang, Secretary, Central Programme Cell, Delhi, Joel Rai, National Spokesperson, Pappu Pradhan, Co-ordinator of Saino Media Company. An interaction programme was also held at the end of the day where the new members took part with full zeal and enthusiasm. Sukhman Moktan and Pappu Pradhan of the organisation while speaking to KalimNews from Dehradun expressed their happiness over the outcome of the meeting and described it as a fruitful one.
It is recalled that the BGP is a non-political organisation of the Indian Gorkhas and spread in 22 states and union terrotiries of the country. The charter of seven point national demands of this organisation tops the issue of creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland to fulfill the long felt identity crisis by the community despite being bona-fide Indians. However, it is observed that the political turmoil in the hills of the Darjeeling where the office bearers and large number of the members hail from, always creates impact in the working style of this organisation.
Earlier the Gorkha National Liberation Front led by Subash Ghising's demand of inclusion of the hills of Darjeeling in the VIII scheduled of the Indian Constitution had prevailed over. The organisation was seen being able to garner support from all nook and corner of the Gorkha predominant areas of the country on the issue of Gorkhaland state at national level, the Gorkha Janmuktil Morcha settled down in the GTA terming it as a stepping stone towards achievement of separate state.
Now it remains to be seen whether the resolution adopted by zone-IV to re-load the burden of issue of separate state to central committee would be followed by other zones particularly zone-II where the district of Darjeeling also falls.
GROUND WORK FOR LITERARY FESTIVAL CONTINUES IN KALIMPONG
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| Dr Rajendra Bhandari speaking in the meeting of Basibiyalo |
KalimNews: Members of the organising committee of 100th Basibiyalo assembled today at Sub-division Library, Kalimpong to discuss about the forthcoming event called Shatikiya Prakaran. Chief Co-ordinator of the event Samsher Ali welcomed the local literary figures including T.B. Thakuri, B.R. Chhetri, Smt. Sanumati Rai, Gyan Sutar and others and threw light on the latest position of the development taken so far. The main attraction of the meeting was presence of Dr. Rajendra Bhandari, Reader, Sikkim Govt. College and a well known Nepali poet. The meeting discussed over various subjects like reception of the guest literary figures scheduled to be present on the occasion in November, visit to Sikkim, Darjeeling and other places, publication of Souvenir, launching of Blog of the Basibiyalo, foto session of the members, food and lodging arrangements during the programme etc. Most of the members present contributed fund for the cause of the programme. Dr. Bhandari expressed his happiness to be a founder member of the Basibiyalo.
Later the meeting decided to hold next round of the discussion on 25th September, 2011 to chalk out further tasks.
The other regular attendants in today's meeting were Chandrakala Silal, Sibu Chhetri, Badri Sharma, Neeti Tamang, Smriti Chhetri, Leela Joshi, Aruna Pradhan, Nirmala Pradhan etc.
बिदेशी भूमिमा निर्माण पहिलो भूटानी-नेपाली चलचित्र
प्रशान एलुंग राई , जर्जिया, एट्लान्टा, कालिमन्युज : जीवन ज्योति इन्टरटेन्टमेन्टको ब्यानरमा अनिश थापाको निर्देशनमा निर्माणाधीन चलचित्र "भुल्ने पो हो की" को शूटिंग अमेरिकाको जर्जिया राज्यबाट शुरुवात गरिएको छ। यो चलचित्र बिदेशी भूमिमा निर्माण गर्न लागिएको पहिलो भूटानी-नेपाली चलचित्र हो शरणार्थी पुनर्वासको कथामा आधारित यस चलचित्र अमेरिकाको बिभिन्न राज्यमा छायांकन गरिनेछ्। चलचित्रमा अनिश थापा, प्रियंका कार्की, टंक नेउपाने, सोमु थापा, सिलास थापा लगायतका भूटानी-नेपाली कलाकारहरुको प्रमुख भूमिका रहेको छ भने महेश खडकाको संगीत, हिम्ग्याप टासीको सिनेमाटोग्राफी-कोरियोग्राफी, बिनोद मगरको द्वन्द,प्रकाश पुरीकोसंवाद-पटकथा,शेखर ढुंगेलको गीत रहेको छ।डिजिटल प्रविधिमा निर्माण भई रहेको यस चलचित्र आफैमा ऐतिहासिक चलचित्र भएको र कथा वस्तु राम्रो भएकै कारण आफुले अभिनय गर्न लागेको चलचित्रकी नायिका प्रियंका कार्कीले बताईन । सन २००५ मा आयोजित "मिस टीन नेपाल" को शीर्ष उपाधि जीते पश्चात बिभिन्न नेपाली टेलिभिजनमा कार्यक्रम संचालिकाको रुपमा परिचित कार्कीले डेब्यू गर्न लागेको यो पहिलो चलचित्र हो। नेपालमा बस्दादेखि नै बिभिन्न नाटक एवं चलचित्रहरुको निर्देशन गर्दै आएका निर्देशक अनिश थापा चलचित्र "भुल्ने पो हो की " बाट धेरै आशावादी रहेको बताउछन। नेपाल भन्दा अमेरिकामा चलचित्रको छायांकन गर्न कठिन भएको बताउदै थापा भन्छन-" विविध कठिनाईको बाबजुद पनि सके सम्म चलचित्रमा कम्प्रमाईज गर्ने छैनौ"|
उनले यस अघि "टुक्रिएको मुटु", "झुपडीको जिन्दगी" ,"भाग्यको खेल " लगायतका चलचित्रहरुको निर्देशन गरिसकेका छन|
क्यालिफोर्नियाको हलिउड स्टूडियोमा चलचित्र निर्माण सम्बन्धी अध्यन गरि रहेका हिम्ग्याप टासी यस चलचित्रका छायाकार र नृत्य निर्देशक हुन। आफुले सैदान्तिक रुपमा अध्यन गरेको ज्ञानलाई यस चलचित्रमा व्याबहारिक रूपले प्रयोग गर्ने बताउदै टासी अगाडी भन्छन-"चलचित्र एकदम राम्रो र साच्चीकैको ऐतिहासिक बन्ने वाला छ । एक दर्जनको संख्यामा नेपाली चलचित्रमा मुख्य कोरियोग्राफरको काम गरि सकेका टासी यस चलचित्रबाट निकै उत्साहित देखिन्छ्न । चलचित्रको छायांकन जर्जिया, कोलोराडो, टेनिशी, न्युयोर्क लगायतका बिभिन्न राज्यमा गरिने चलचित्रका निर्माण नियन्त्रक मणि कुमार मगरले बताए।चलचित्रलाई टेक सार्कीले निर्माण गरेका हुन।आफु जन्मे, हुर्केको गाउठाउ कसले पो विर्सेला र ? कहिल्यै पनि विर्सन सक्दैन । हो विर्सन्न भने पनि तर कहिलेकाही समय परिस्थितिले टाढा पुर्याएपछि व्यस्तताको भावजुद विर्से जस्तो लाग्छ । गाउबस्ती छोडेर सात समुन्द्र पारी अमेरिका आइपुगेका विभिन्न समुदाय मध्ये भूटानी शारणार्थी समुदायको पनि आफनै कथा छ । त्यही भूटानी शारणार्थी समुदायभित्र गाउबस्तीको माया प्रेम, मौलिक कला, सस्कृति र देश परदेशको कथाव्याथा अब चलचित्रमा उतादैछन । यही कथा बस्तुलाई अब जीवन ज्योति इन्टरटेनमेन्टको व्यानरले पर्दामा उतार्ने भएको छ । नेपालको भूटानी शारणार्थी शिविरदेखि अमेरिकाकासम्म आइपुगेका भूटानीहरुको कथा समेटन लागेको ' भुल्ने पो हो की ' चलचित्र अब छायाङकनको तयारीमा रहेका छन । आगामी चार महिनाभित्रमा बनाइसक्ने सोचका साथ बन्न लागेको उक्त चलचित्रको शुभमुहर्त आइतबार बेलुका एटलान्टमा भएको थियो । मुहुर्त समारोहमा अर्गनाइजेसन अफ भूटानीज कम्युनिटिज इन अमेरिकाका अध्यक्ष डिजे खालिङले व्यानर झिकेर उदघाटन गर्नका साथै दिपप्रज्वलन गरेका थिए गायक यम बरालले नरिवल फुटाएका थिए।
त्यस्तै शुभ मुर्हत सटको क्लाप हान्नेमा विएम राई, एक्सन कट भन्नेमा सन्तोष रामधान र मुहुत सुटको क्यामरा चलाउनेमा व्यवसायी दिलिप दाहाल थिए । उक्त अवसरमा चलचित्रका कलाकारहरु अनिस थापा, सोमु थापा र टंक न्योपानेले मुहर्तको अभिनय गरेका थिए भने भूटानी समुदायका चर्चित गायक बुद्धिराज राईले स्वागत गीत गाएका थिए ।निर्माता टेक बहादुर सार्कीको लगानी तथा अनिस थापाको पटकथा र निर्देशनमा बन्न लागेको यो चलचित्र भूटानीज नेपाली भाषामा विदेशी भुमीमा छायाङकन हुन लागेको यो पहिलो चलचित्र हो । करिब ५० हजार डलर भन्दा बढि लगानीमा निर्माण हुने यो चलचित्र तयारी हुन चार महिनासम्म लाग्ने जानकारी चलचित्रका सल्लाहकार तथा सिनेमाटोग्राफर टसि हिमग्याप लामाले दिए । चलचित्रमा महेस खडकाको संगीत र शेखर ढुङगेलको गीतमा गायककारहरु अन्जु पन्त र स्वरुप राज आचार्य लगायतका गायकहरुले गाएका चार वटा गीत समाबेस गरेका छन । कलाकारहरु अनिस थापा, सोमु थापा, टंक न्योपाने, पियांक कार्की र अमेरिकन कलाकार एन्थोनी ल्यामबाडो छन ।
कार्यक्रममा गायक यम बरालले चलचित्रमा सयौ गीत गाउने मौका पाएपनि शुभमुहर्तमा पहिलो पटक भाग लिन पाएकोमा खुसी व्यक्त गरेका थिए । त्यसैगरि सन्तोष रामधानले भूटानमा चार व्याण्डको रेडियो लिनका लागी सरकारबाट लाइसेनस लिन परेकेा दुखेसो पोख्दै यो चलचित्रसंगै अब भुटानी समुदायमा राजेश हमाल, करिस्मा र तुलसी घिमिरे जस्ता कलाकार जन्माउनु पर्ने बताए । त्यस्तै कलाकार टंक न्यापानेले भूटानी शारणार्थी शिविरमा नाटक खेल्दा धुलो उडेर जति विरामी भएपनि कलाकारितालाई निरन्तरता दिदै आएको अनुभव सुनाए । व्यवसायी दिलिप दाहालले चलचित्रको नाम अतिनै यर्थाता भएकोले यसले समुदायलाई फाइदा पुर्याउने बताए । त्यस्तै विएम राईले यस्तो प्रोजेक्ट मार्फत समुदायलाई अघि बडनमा सहयोग पुर्याउने धारण राखेका थिए ।
भूटानीज आर्टिस इन जोर्जियाका प्रतिनिधि राम गुरुङले हामी विदेशमा आएपनि यो चलचित्र मार्फत हाम्रो इतिहासलाई जिवित राख्नमा मद्धत मिलोस भनेका थिए । त्यसैगरि नेपालीज सस्थाहरुको तर्फबाट धन तिमिल्सिनाले हामी टाडा विदेशमा आएपनि नेपाली र भूटानीज शारणार्थी एकै परिवारका भएकाले आपसमा सहयोगको भावना राख्नुपर्छ । अर्का भूटानी कलाकार अगाम गुरुङले यो चलचित्रमा सवैको सहयोग भएमा अतिनै राम्रो हुने धारण व्यक्त गरेका थिए । उनले आफनो गाउठाउ छोडेर आउदा सवै कला सस्कृति विर्सने पो होला भनी डर लागेपनि अमेरिकामा आएपछि आफनो कला सस्कृतिलाई माया गर्न अवसर पाउदा खुसी लागेको बताए ।
त्यस्तै चलचित्रको सल्लाहकार तथा सिनेमाटोग्राफर टसि हिमग्याप लामाले भूटानी शारणार्थीको यो पहिलो चलचित्र आफैमामा रोचक भएकोले आफुलाई पनि काम गर्न खुसी लागेको बताए । उनले भने- ' कलाकारिताभित्र एक किसिमको शक्ति हुने भएकाले कलाकारभित्र पनि प्रेसर, प्रोमोसन र प्रायक्टिस अनिवार्य हुनुपर्ने बताए । अर्गनाइजेसन अफ भूटानीज कम्युनिटिज इन अमेरिकाका अध्यक्ष बिजे खालिङले गरिब भुटानीहरु पुजीवादी अमेरिकी समाजमा प्रबेश गरिरहेको यो अवस्थामा अब चुनौतिहरुलाई पार गदै अघि बडनुपर्ने सल्लाह दिए । अमेरिकी यो समुदायमा बनाउन लागेको यो चलचित्रको युनिटलाई म स्यालुट गर्छु अध्यक्ष खालिङले भने - 'भूटानी समुदायमा आइरहेको विकृति विसंगतिलाई पनि चलचित्र मार्फत बाहिर ल्याउनमा महत्वपुर्ण योगदान पुग्नेछ'। कार्यक्रम एटलान्टाको क्लासटोन शहरस्थित काठमाण्डु किचन एण्ड ग्रिल रेष्टुरेन्टमा भएको थियो ।
Sikkim reduces additional tax for registration of vehicles to half
KalimNews, Kalimpong: All Motor Vehicle Dealers of Sikkim have KalimNews, Kalimpong: All Motor Vehicle Dealers of Sikkim havewelcomed and gratefully acknowledged the decision of Chief Minister, Dr Pawan Chamling for reducing the registration tax of new vehicles to half in Sikkim. It has also thanked the Minister of Motor Vehicle and Transport Department, T.T.Bhutia,Political Advisor Hishey Lachungpa, Chief Secretary, Karma Gyatso, Secretary and STA of Motor Vehicle and Transport Department for making a concerted effort and empathizing with the people of Sikkim by reducing the Additional Tax for New Registration by 50%.
According to a press report issued by dealers motor vehicle association this new move of the government will help the people, who had been waiting for the reduction in tax which had become a hindrance to the purchase and registration of vehicle in Sikkim.Further it will help prevent the flight of revenue on vehicles to neighboring states both in terms of VAT and Vehicle Registration Fees, the release adds.
Selfless service to the poet
Jaideep Mazumdar, TOI, Sep 17, 2011: Shishir Rahut has a tenuous link with Tagore. And a thankless job to boot to honour that link. Rahut's grandfather Bhimlal, a worker at the quinine factory at Mungpoo, used to carry Rabindranath Tagore on a palanquin-chair up the steep slopes during the four visits the Bard made to this sleepy little hamlet nestled in the verdant hills on the way from Kalimpong to Darjeeling.
"Tagore would arrive from Kalimpong by car to a spot a couple of hundred feet below Mungpoo where the road from Kalimpong would end. A few workers of the factory, including my grandfather, would then carry him up to the quarters of the factory's chief chemist, Manmohan Sen, where he would stay. I grew up listening to tales of Tagore's days here, how he would mix with the local people," Rahut tells TOI.
This mid-sized bungalow, with its four bedrooms, is now a memorial to Tagore. But a sad one. Set in a small plot of land beside the now defunct factory, this neat bungalow wears a look of desolation and neglect. It would have, once upon a time, offered a grand view of the surrounding hills. And that, coupled with the serenity of the scenic place, definitely inspired Tagore to compose many a poem and prose while sitting in the long verandah (now enclosed) that ran the length of the bungalow and overlooked the small garden in front.
This bungalow belongs to, and is supposed to be maintained by, for some unfathomable reason, the Bengal government's labour welfare department. But the department couldn't be bothered. And it has fallen on Rahut to look after this bungalow and maintain it. A small notice outside the two gates at the rear of the bungalow has Rahut's cellphone number and invites visitors to dial that. He comes scampering down from his house about half a kilometer above the bungalow to open the gates and show visitors around. He's the caretaker, guide, gardener and the sole guardian of this legacy of Tagore. He doesn't get paid anything by the government and depends solely on donations from visitors.
"I do it out of respect for this great son of India. My grandfather was fortunate to have served Tagore and I'm fortunate to have this task," says Rahut. Never mind that the task is a self-assigned one. But then, hadn't Rahut taken this responsibility on his shoulders, all the priceless articles that he so painstakingly maintains inside the bungalow, whose rooms he sweeps and cleans twice a day, would have disappeared and fallen to ruins a long time ago.
A large copper plate on the verandah in front of the bungalow mentions Tagore's visits to this place: he first came here on May 21, 1938 and stayed till June 9. His next visit was from May 14 to June 17 the next year and again from September 12 to the first week of November in 1939. His last visit was in 1940, and he celebrated his birthday (the 25th day of Baisakh) here that year. That was when he composed his poem 'Janmadin' (birthday). A large portrait of the Nobel laureate, before which a vase of fresh flowers is lovingly placed by Rahut and incense sticks lit by him every morning, is kept on a stool on this verandah.
From the verandah, a door leads to a bedroom where Tagore used to stay. A bed, with a reclining headboard, and a few articles occupies this room. Rahut points out that the mattress on the bed is the one Tagore had slept on. This bedroom leads to an ante-room and then to a bath that has a unique bathtub (a Tagore creation) with two small tanks from which hot and cold water would flow into the main tub. Next to this bedroom is the living and dining rooms, then the master bedroom and the personal study of Moitreyee Devi, Manmohan's wife and daughter of Tagore's friend Surendranath Dasgupta.
All these rooms, save for Tagore's bedroom and a small study at one end of the verandah, are bare. But their walls do have framed photographs, nearly all in various stages of decay, of very rare photographs. There are photos of Tagore at various stages of his life, including a very uncommon one of Tagore with a large smile lighting his visage. There's also another photo of Tagore, bald and haggard, perhaps in the last stages of his illustrious life. There are many photos of Tagore's friends, associates and family members, like that of Kshitimohan Sen (Amartya Sen's father), Tagore's son Rathindranath and his wife Protima Devi during their visit to Mungpoo, and even Gurudev's paintings.
The room at the end of the verandah was used by Tagore as his study and contains a writing desk with a leather cushion Gurudev used to sit on. There's a copy of the 'National Herald' (a popular newspaper of those days) dated May 9, 1939 that Tagore would have read. And watercolours by 'Pelican' (a British company) that Tagore would have used. A pen stand crafted by Tagore sits on this desk. There are many such interesting knick-knacks housed in this 86-year-old bungalow that was declared 'Rabindra Smriti Bhawan' on May 20, 1944.
It was taken over by the labour welfare department in December 1951, and the department's only contribution since then has been to run a small library for children of the quinine factory and plantation in what used to be Manmohan Sen's office. The Directorate of Cinchona and Other Plantations, which ran the quinine factory next to the bungalow, spares some money from its meager funds to carry out essential repairs, like when two big trees fell on the Tagore Memorial and damaged two rooms earlier this year. The bungalow was last renovated eleven years ago and Ashok Bhattacharyya, the former North Bengal Affairs Minister, promised to transfer the memorial to the Information & Cultural Affairs department. That never happened.
Bhattacharya's successor Gautam Deb, who visited Mungpoo last month, promised Rs 5 lakh for the memorial. But till the funds actually come, Rahut is skeptical. "And anyway, it'll take much more than that (Rs 5 lakh) to restore this bungalow and carry out a scientific restoration and preservation of all the articles here," he told TOI. The new dispensation in Bengal, which swears by Tagore, would do well to listen to Rahut, who has been selflessly guarding the Bard's legacy in this remote hamlet that was so favoured by Tagore.
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