Relief from centre yet to reach Sikkim
Prabin Khaling, KalimNews, GANGTOK, October 31: Concerned over the time consuming process of getting the Central earthquake relief package of Rs. 1000 crores, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today expressed a possibility of using the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) options for rebuilding Sikkim.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had announced a financial package of Rs. 1000 crores for rebuilding Sikkim which had been battered by the September 18 earthquake. As things stand today, process involving project reports by the State government to extract the Central funds along with its release by different Ministries would take some more months.
Meanwhile, there is already a widespread belief among the people here that the Rs.1000 crores Central funds have already been received by the State government, a notion which Chamling has been regularly refuting in different public forums. He has been maintaining that the Central relief funds are yet to reach Sikkim and departments here are engaged in preparing detailed project reports to be submitted to different Ministries.
“At this moment, the Sikkimese Janta must understand why I have raised the issue of seeking funds from World Bank and ADB. We want to use technology and help from financial lending institutions of the world for rebuilding Sikkim. This is an opinion which I am placing before the people”, said Chamling today during the Rashitray Sankalp Diwas function organized here at Chintan Bhavan.
The Chief Minister had first mooted such options on October 14 during a meet of the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party subsequently attracting criticism from the opposition political parties who argued that there is no need to approach the global financial institutions as the Centre has already promised a sum of Rs. 1000 crores.
“We should use help from anyone to rebuild Sikkim and this includes World Bank and ADB but such things are taken negatively by certain people. We live in a global village and Sikkim must use the global opportunities and developmental schemes”, said Chamling. He directed the departmental heads to start thinking on how to make maximum use of World Bank, ADB and Central government agencies for rebuilding Sikkim.
Chamling’s proposal of seeking help from global financial agencies apparently stems from his conviction that the Central assistance of Rs. 1000 crores for rebuilding Sikkim would
not be enough. The Sikkim government had submitted a damage assessment report of around Rs. 7000 crores to the Prime Minister when he had visited Sikkim on September 29 but Dr Singh announced only a relief amount of Rs. 1000 crores for immediate restoration of infrastructure in Sikkim.
Officials informed that the Sikkim government has received only Rs. 50 crores so far from the Centre. The remaining balance of Rs. 950 crores will be released only after scrutiny of projects submitted to the Centre by different departments of the Sikkim government.
In his address, the Chief Minister said that the State government will build new houses for those whose houses have been completely damaged by the earthquake. He directed the concerned departments to initiate ground works for constructing new houses within a week. For those who are better-off, we will facilitate soft loans so that they can rebuild or repair their houses, he said.
Directing his remarks to the gathering of school students, Chamling spoke about the misdirected criticism on his government over the shoddy road conditions in Sikkim. “A total of 873 kms of road in Sikkim is under Border Roads Organization. These roads includes the NH 31A, North Sikkim highway and other important roads in Sikkim and all are in bad shape. These roads are not under us and yet our government is blamed for the bad road conditions”, he said urging the students to spread this fact around their friends.
A friendly suggestion was directed to the government employees on proposed Lokpal bill from the Centre in coming months. Once the bill for curbing corruption is passed, it will be implemented in all States including Sikkim.
Introducing the proposed Lokpal Bill in the context of thousands of crores of rupees to be used for rebuilding Sikkim and to fulfill the public demands made during his ‘village to village’ tour, the Chief Minister suggested the State government officials to keep proper accounts of their assets. Once the Lokpal bill is enacted, anyone can file a complaint against you and a case of disproportionate assets will be initiated against us, he said.
छुट्टै राज्यको निम्ति जोइन्ट एक्सन कमिटी बनाइने 12 नोभेम्बर सर्वदलीय बैठक
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 31 अक्टोबर। दार्जीलिङ पहाडको राजनीतिमा अहिले निक्कै चहलपहल बढिरहेको भएपनि भारतीय गोर्खा परिसङ्घ भने सबै राजनैतिक दल, सङ्घ-संस्था अनि वरिष्ट नागरिकहरूलाई लिएर गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति साझा मञ्च तयार गर्नपट्टि लागिपरेको छ।
गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति सामुहिक रणनीति बनाउन भागोपले कसरत गरिरहेको छ। 23 अक्टोबरमा भागोपले सिलगडीमा सर्वदलीय बैठक बोलाएको भएपनि बिजनबारीको घटनाले कतिपय राजनैतिक दलहरूले बैठकमा सहभागिता जनाएन। केही राजनैतिक दल अनि सङ्घ-स्थाहरूलाई लिएर बैठक भएपनि बैठक निष्कर्ष बिहिन रह्यो। फलस्वरूप भागोपले फेरि 12 अक्टोबरको दिन कालेबुङमा नै सर्वदलीय बैठक गर्न राजनैतिक दल अनि सङ्घ-संस्थाहरूलाई निमन्त्रणा गरेको छ।
कालेबुङमा हुने बैठकमा नै जोइन्ट एक्सन कमिटी फर गोर्खाल्याण्ड गठन गरिने अनि आगामी रणनीति तय गरिने टास्क फोर्सका राष्ट्रिय अध्यक्ष आर मोक्तानले जनाएका छन्। यता गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चा विकासको पहलमा लागिपरेको छ अनि मोर्चाले छुट्टैराज्यको सवालमा राजनैतिकरुपले नै हात उठाएपछि भागोपले राजनैतिक अनि गैरराजनीतिक दलहरूलाई लिएर राष्ट्रियस्तरमा नै छुट्टैराज्यको आन्दोलन गर्ने तयारी गरिरहेको छ।
भागोपको यस्तो तयारीपछि नै देखापरेको मोर्चा र आविपबीचको विकासको मुद्दामा राजनैतिक समिकरणले भागोपको पहलमाथि लङि्क लगाउने हो कि भन्ने शंका पनि गरिन थालिएको छ। यता ममता व्यानर्जीले नै तराई र पहाडलाई मिलाएर राख्ने बताएकोले कुनै पनि परिस्थितिमा तराई-डुवर्स अनि पहाडमा छुट्टैराज्यको आन्दोलनलाई टाउको उठाउन नदिइने शंका गरिए पनि भागोपले आन्दोलनलाई क्षेत्रीय नबानाएर राष्ट्रिय बनाउने बताइसकेको छ।
यता तराई, डुवर्स र पहाडमा विकासको पहल शुरू भएपछि प्रस्तावित क्षेत्रबाट आन्दोलन हुन सम्भव छैन यसकारण भागोपलाई राष्ट्रिय आन्दोलन गर्न राष्ट्रिय सहमति जुटाएर प्रभावकारी आन्दोलन गर्नुपर्ने दायित्व आइपरेको पनि देखिएकोछ।
हाइपावर कमिटीलाई सजिलो भयो-डा. छेत्री
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 31 अक्टोबर। गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चा अनि आदिवासी विकास परिषदबीच जी एण्ड एटीएको निम्ति सहमति बनेपछि जीटीए सीमाङ्कनको निम्ति गठित हाइपावर कमिटीको औचित्यमाथि प्रश्न चिन्ह खडा भएकोछ्। किन भने मोर्चाले तराई र डुवर्सका गोर्खा बाहुल क्षेत्र जीटीएमा सामेल हुनुपर्ने कुरा राखिएपछि हाइपावर कमिटी गठन गरिएको थियो जसले तराई र डुवर्सको गोर्खा बाहुल क्षेत्र छुट्याउनको निम्ति कार्य शुरू गरिसकेको थियो। कार्य भइरहेको बेला नै फेरि मोर्चा र आदिवासी विकास परिषद्ले जीटीएमा तराई र डुवर्स सम्पूर्णरुपले अन्तरभुक्तिको दाबी गर्दै तराई, डुवर्स अनि पहाड मिलाएर सञ्चालन हुने प्रशासनको नाम समेत राखिसकेको छ। तराई, डुवर्स र पहाडको निम्ति सञ्चालित हुने प्रशासनको नाम गोर्खाल्याण्ड एण्ड आदिवासी टेरिटोरियल एड्मिनिष्ट्रेशन रहेको छ
यो नयॉं नाम आउने वित्तिकै हाइपावर कमिटीको औचित्यमाथि स्वतः नै प्रश्न चिन्ह खडा भएको छ। तराई र डुवर्स मिलाएर नै क्षेत्रीय प्रशासनको दाबी गरिने हो भने हाइपावर कमिटी किन चाहिन्छ? यस्तो प्रश्न उठिरहेको भए पनि मोर्चा प्रवक्ता डा.हर्कबहादुर छेत्रीले हाइपावर कमिटीको काम अझ सहज भएको बताए। तिनले भने, पहिले जीटीएमा गोर्खाहरूले मात्र अन्तरभुक्ति हुने निवेदन हाइपावर कमिटीलाई गरेको थियो तर हिजो नै आदिवासी समुदायले पनि मोर्चालाई जीटीएमा सामेल हुने कुरामा समर्थन गरेका छन्। आदिवासी पनि जीटीएमा आउने भएकोले नै हाइपावर कमिटीको काम सहज बनेको छ। जलपाइगढी जिल्लापालको कार्यालयमा आदिवासीहरूले जीटीएमा नपस्ने भनेर दिएको ज्ञापन पनि फिर्ता गरिएको डा.छेत्रीले बताएका छन्। यता आविपको राज्य समितिले मोर्चा र क्षेत्रीय आविपको सहमतिलाई मान्य नगरेको केही राष्ट्रिय मीडियामा आएको सामाचारको खण्डन गर्दै तिनले हिजो भएको सम्झौता हुन अघि आविपसित धेरैपल्ट वार्तामा बसेको अनि वार्तामा आविपको राज्य समितिबाट नै जीएण्ड एटीएको नामको प्रस्ताव आएकोले आविपको सम्पूर्ण नेतृत्वको सम्झौतामा सहमति रहेको तिनले जनाए।
बिजनबारी काण्ड ‘न्यायिक जॉंच नहुनुमा राजनैतिक षडयन्त्र’
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 31 अक्टोबर। बिजनबारी घटनास्थलमा क्रामाकपाले स्थलगत भ्रमण गरेपछि आज एक पत्रकार सम्मेलन डाकेर घटना भएको यतिदिनपछिसम्म पनि न्यायिक जॉंच नहुनुमा राजनैतिक षडयन्त्र रहेको दाबी गरेको छ। क्रामाकपा उपाध्यक्ष जेबी राईले स्थलगत भ्रमण गरेपछि धेरैवटा तथ्यहरू अघि आएको बताउँदै घटनाको कारण त्यहॉं आयोजित राजनैतिक जनसभा अनि मेला रहेको स्पष्ट पारे।
यस कुरालाई ममता व्यानर्जी बिजनबारी नपुग्नुले पनि पुष्टि गर्ने बताउँदै तिनले भने, पुल भत्किएको अनि अनि मानिसहरूको मत्यु भएको कुरा राज्यपाललाई थाहा थियो, जुन कुरा ममता व्यानर्जीलाई बताइएको कारण नै दिल्लीबाट कोलकाता भर्खर आइपुगेकी मुख्यमन्त्री बिजनबारीको खबर पाएर रातारात दार्जीलिङ आइपुगे पनि बिजनबारी झरिनन्। यसको कारण के हो? तिनले पुलसित बिजुलीको तार चुँडिएको, प्रशासनिक अनुमति बिना नै मेला अनि राजनैतिक जनसभा गरेको कुरा जिल्लापाललाई थाहा रहेको अनि मुख्यमन्त्रीलाई सबैकुरा बताएकोले मुख्यमन्त्रीले पीडितहरूको सामना गर्ने आँट नगरेर दार्जीलिङबाट नै क्षतिपूर्ति राशिको घोषणा गर्नु परेको पनि राईले जनाए।
तिनले भने, घटनाबारे कुनै पनि पक्षको सही विवृति आएको छैन। 32 जनाको ज्यान गएको बताइए पनि हामी भ्रमणमा जॉंदा 42 जनाको ज्यान गएको, 50 भन्दा धेरै घाइते रहेको अनि धेरै संख्यामा अपङ्ग रहेको पत्तो लागेको छ। ममता व्यानर्जीले एक मान्छेलाई गाडीले कुल्चिँदा न्यायको निम्ति राजनैतिक ताण्डव गर्थिन, नन्दीग्रामको निम्ति यसरी नै लडिन्, टाटा न्यानो हटाउने लडाईँ गरिन्, तिनै ममता व्यानर्जीले बिजनबारी काण्डमाथि न्यायिक जॉंच नगराउनुको पछि के रहस्य छ? तिनले घटना हुनुमा जो संलग्न थिए उनीहरूलाईे बचाउनको निम्ति, गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलनलाई विकाससित सम्झौता गर्ने जुन दल छ, आन्दोलनबारे विभ्रान्ति ल्याउने दल छ उसलाई अप्ठ्यारो नपरोस् भनेर ममता व्यानर्जी बिजनबारी नजाने निर्णय लिएको बताउँदै घटनामाथि न्यायिक जॉंच हुनुपर्ने बताएका छन्। तिनले कलेजको शिलान्यास अथवा कलेजको निम्ति रहेको जमीनबारे पनि जॉंच हुनुपर्ने पनि जनाएका छन्। गोर्खाल्याण्डको अधिकारबाट बञ्चित गराउने षडयन्त्र त छँदैछ देशको कानूनबाट पनि मान्छेले जिउने अधिकार, सुरक्षा र सहुलियतबाट पनि बञ्चित गराउने कार्य भइरहेको छ, जसको विरोध क्रामाकपाले गर्नेछ-तिनले भने।
जी एण्ड एटीए पनि आलोचनाको शिकार
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 31 अक्टोबर। एकार्काको राजनैतिक क्रिया कलापहरूमा सधैँ एकार्काको वाधा बनिरहने आविप र मोर्चाबीच जुन दलीय समिकरण देखापरेको छ, त्यसमाथि पनि पहाडका राजनैतिक दलहरूले आलोचना शुरू गरेको छ। आविप-मोर्चाको राजनैतिक मिलनले पहाडको राजनैतिक शिविरमा निक्कै उथुलपुथुल मच्चाएको छ भने जनतामा पनि व्यापक अन्योलता छाएको छ। गोर्खाल्याण्ड भन्दा भन्दै मोर्चाले जीटीए भन्ने आदत बसालेको भए पनि अब फेरि जनतालाई जी एण्ड ए टीए भन्न पर्ने स्थिति आइपरेको छ। यस्तोमा पहाडको सक्रिय विपक्ष दलकोरुपमा रहेको क्रान्तिकारी मार्क्सवादी कम्युनिष्ट पार्टीले आविप र मोर्चाबीचको सम्झौता र सहमति शंकास्पद र रहस्यमय रहेको बताएको छ। एक पत्रकार सम्मेलनलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै क्रामाकपा उपाध्यक्ष जेबी राईले मोर्चाले घरिघरि मुद्दा फेर्ने जुन कार्य गरिरहेको छ, त्यसैलाई हेर्दा पनि आविप र मोर्चाबीचको सम्झौतामा शंका गर्ने ठॉंउ रहेको बताउँदै राईले भने, गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति गठन भएको दलले, गोर्खाल्याण्ड बाहेक एकइञ्च पनि पछि सर्दैनौं भन्नेले पहिले जीटीएमा हस्ताक्षर गर्यो।
गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाममा आन्दोलन गर्दागर्दै अन्तरिम प्राधिकरण भन्यो। प्रधिकरणलाई आविपले विरोध गर्यो। विरोध साम्य गराउन दार्जीलिङबाट गोर्खा-आदिवासी विकास प्रदेश-को घोषणा गर्यो। यसको पनि विरोध भयो। भूतपूर्व सैनिकहरूले सिलगढीमा पिटाइ खाए। नारीहरूले लात खाए। अनशन बसेर धेरैले बिमार निम्ताए। सबै भइसकेर फेरि लङमार्च फर गोर्खाल्याण्ड भन्दै दार्जीलिङदेखि डुवर्ससम्मको यात्रा निकालियो। धेरैले यसलाई महात्मा गान्धीको दण्डीमार्चसित तुलना गरे तर सिब्सुमा धेरैको ज्यान लिइयो। गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलनको कारण मदन तामङको हत्या भयो। बिजनबारी काण्ड भयो। जतिले पनि ज्यान गुमाए गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति भएको हो भन्दै मोर्चाले जीटीएमा हस्ताक्षर गरेर फेरि जी एण्ड एटीएसम्म आइपुग्दा गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा कहॉं पुग्यो सबैले स्पष्टरुपमा बुझ्न सक्नेछन्।
जीटीए नै गोर्खाल्याण्ड अथवा युटी पुग्ने अन्तिम खड्किलो हो भन्ने मोर्चाले तराई डुवर्सको सीमानाहरूको अन्तरभुक्ति नभइ चुनाउ नमान्ने भनेर घोषणा गर्ने मोर्चाले आफैले गरेको सम्झौतालाई खारेज गरेर चुनाउ हुँदै गर्छ, सीमाङ्कन हुँदैगर्छ भन्नेसम्म पुगेको राईले बताए। तिनले आदिवासीहरूको मुद्दा विकासको रहेको अनि गोर्खाहरूको मुद्दा चिन्हारीको रहेको भन्दै छुट्टैराज्य माग्नेहरूसित मिलेर आविपलाई फाइदा हुने भए पनि गोर्खाहरूलाई भने फाइदा नरहेको पनि बताए। तिनले भने, यस्तो सम्झौता हुनुमा कस्तो रहस्य छ? जब कि सीमाङ्कनको काम भइरहेको छ, हाइपावर कमिटीले काम गरिरहेको छ। जुन सम्झौता भयो त्यो मोर्चाको राजनैतिक दुर्वलता र आर्थिक प्रलोभनको कारण भएको हो।
मोर्चाले यसैकारण नै गोर्खाहरूको चिन्हारीको मुद्दालाई विकाससित सम्झौता गरिरहेको छ। एकातिर तेलङ्गना हुने अवस्था छ अनि यस्तोमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको आवाज नउठोस् भनेर केन्द्र र राज्यले गरेको षडयन्त्रलाई मोर्चाले सहयोग गरिरहेको छ। अर्कोतिर भागोपको गोर्खाल्याण्ड टास्क फोर्सका राष्ट्रिय कार्यकारी अध्यक्ष आर मोक्तानले पनि आविप र मोर्चाबीचको सम्झौता मोर्चाको नितान्त राजनैतिक बाध्यता रहेको बताए। यो मोर्चाको नीतिगत कुरा भएकोले भागोपले यसबारे कुनै पनि टिप्पणी गरिरहन अनिवार्य नमान्ने पनि तिनले जनाए।यद्धपि तिनले मोर्चा र आविपको कसरत विकासको निम्ति रहेको अनि विकास भागोपको निम्ति सेकेण्डरी विषय रहेको बताउँदै तिनले भने, भागोपको सातवटा प्रमुख मुद्दाहरूमध्ये छुट्टैराज्य गोर्खाल्याण्ड प्रथम हो। बङ्गालबाट छुट्टिएर गोर्खाहरूको छुट्टैराज्य गठन गर्नु भागोपको मुख्य लक्ष्य हो।
अहिले मोर्चा र आविपमाझ जुन सॉंठगॉंठ भयो, त्यो केवल विकासको निम्ति मात्र भएका अनि यसले गोर्खाहरूको राष्ट्रिय चिन्हारी नबन्ने पनि तिनले जनाए। अर्कोतिर पिपल्स फोरमले पनि आविप र मोर्चाको मिलन एक महिनाको निम्ति मात्र रहेको बताएको छ। जीटीएको सम्झौतामा नाम परिवर्तन गर्ने कुरा भए पनि जीटीए पुरा क्षमतामा आइसकेपछि मात्र त्यसो गर्न सम्भव हुने छ। फोरमका सचिव प्रवीण गुरूङले मोर्चाले नगरपालिका चुनाउको निम्ति मुद्दा निकाल्न मात्र आविपसित मित्रता गॉंसेको बताउँदै भने, जीटीएलाई पूर्णरूपले खारेज नगरी जी एण्ड एटीएको कुरा गर्नु हॉंस्यास्पद कुरा हो। जीटीए गठन भएको छैन यसमा रहेको प्रावधानको कुरा आएन। तराई र डुवर्स हाल्नको निम्ति बील ल्याइनुपर्छ। किन भने जीटीएको निम्ति हस्ताक्षर भइसकेको छ। अघि मोर्चाले गोर्खा आदिवासी प्रदेशको जस्तै अवस्था यसको पनि हुने छ। वामफ्रण्ट्ले मिल्न दिएन भन्ने आविप र मोर्चाका नेताहरूलाई फेरि ममताले मिल्न लगाएको देखिएको छ। उनीहरूलाई राज्य र केन्द्रले खेलाइरहेको पनि स्पष्ट छ। गुरूङले मोर्चाले आफ्नो स्वार्थ पुरा गरिसकेपछि आविपलाई धोका दिने निश्चित रहेको समेत जनाएका छन्।
आविप र मोर्चाबीचको सम्झौताःशुरू भयो विवाद
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 31 अक्टोबर। बुद्धदेव भट्टाचार्यको सरकार होस् अथवा ममता व्यानर्जीको सरकार, दुवैले बङ्गाल विभाजन हुँदैन भनेको छ। छुट्टैराज्यको माग त्यागेर विकासको निम्ति हो भने राज्य सरकार धेरै सहयोग गर्न चहान्छ। दुवै सरकारले नै छुट्टैराज्यको आन्दोलनको विरोध गरेको छ अनि दुवै सरकारले नै पहाडको विकासको कुरा गरेको छ। वामफ्रण्टको सरकारको बेला आन्दोलन छुट्टैराज्यको थियो यसकारण गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चाका अध्यक्ष विमल गुरूङले भनेका थिए, सुबास घिसिङलाई हटाएर मलाई दागोपापको क्षमता विकास गरेर बस्ने अफर गरेको थियो। मैले ठाडो विरोध गरें, किन भने म विकासको निम्ति आएको होइन, छुट्टैराज्यको निम्ति आएको हुँ।
आज तिनै विमल गुरूङ विकासको निम्ति राज्य सरकारअघि विभिन्न प्रस्तावहरू लिएर गइरहेका छन्। तिनलाई राज्य र केन्द्र सरकारले छुट्टैराज्य हुन नसक्ने कुरा बुझाएपछि तिनी छुट्टैराज्यको मुद्दा छोडेर विकासको मुद्दमा लागेका छन् अनि अहिलेसम्म पनि विकासकै मुद्दामा वकालती गरिरहेका छन्। आदिवासी विकास परिषदसितको मोर्चाको मित्रता पनि विकासको निम्ति नै रहेको तिनले बताइसकेका छन्। तराई, डुवर्स र पहाड एकैसाथ बसेर उन्नति गर्न चहान्छ।
तराई र डुवर्स मिलाएर एटीए हुन सक्यो भने तराई र डुवर्सका सम्पूर्ण समुदायले त्यसबाट फाइदा पाउन सक्छ जसरी जीटीए हुँदा पहाडका सम्पूर्ण समुदायले त्यसको फाइदा पाइने बताइएको थियो। आदिवासी विकास परिषद्ले एटीएको माग गरेपछि अनि ममता व्यानर्जीले यसमा हरियो झण्डा देखाएपछि अचानक मोर्चा र आविपबीच गोप्य बैठक भयो जीटीए र एटीए अलगअलग नमागेर एकैठाउँ गोर्खाल्याण्ड एण्ड आदिवासी टेरिटोरियल एड्मिनिष्ट्रेशन माग्ने घोषणा त्यसबेला गरियो जुन दिनदेखि नै जीटीएमा सामेल हुन गरिएका आवेदनहरू फर्काइन थालिएको थियो अनि आवेदनको मीति सकिएको थियो। स्पष्ट थियो कि मोर्चाले दाबी गरेको मौजाहरू जीटीएमा सामेल हुँदैन। ठीक हाइपावर कमिटीको मुख्य कार्य शुरू हुन अघि नै आविपसित मोर्चाको सहमति हुनुले धेरैवटा शंकाहरूको उपार्जन गरिदिएको छ।
जी एण्ड एटीए हुने हो भने अब हाइपावर कमिटीको औचित्य रहन्छ त? प्रबल रूपमा यो प्रश्न अहिले उठेको छ। जीटीएको सीमाङ्कनको निम्ति गठन गरिएको हाइपावर कमिटीले काम थालिसकेको छ तर अहिले आविपसित मिलेर त्यही मोर्चा जुन मोर्चाले जीटीएको निम्ति हस्ताक्षर गरिसकेको छ-ले अब जी एण्ड एटीएमा सबै तराई र डुवर्स पस्न पर्ने नयॉं माग शुरू गरेको छ। यदि तराई, डुवर्स र पहाड एउटै प्रशासनिक क्षेत्रमा गॉंठो पर्ने हो भने हाइपावर कमिटीको कुनै औचित्य रहेन। आविप र मोर्चाले हिजोको पत्रकार सम्मेलनमा हाइपावर कमिटीबारे प्रश्न गर्दा आविपसित भएको सम्झौताबारे हाइपावर कमिटीलाई बुझाइने उत्तर दिइएको थियो। यति मात्र होइन एक मोर्चाका केन्द्रिय समितिका सदस्यसित कुराकानी गर्दा तिनले हाइपावर कमिटीको काम अब सजिलो भएको उत्तर दिएका थिए। जसले जे नै उत्तर दिए पनि अब हाइपावर कमिटी विघटन हुने हो त? विघटन नहुने हो भने यसै विषय नै आविप र मोर्चाबीच द्वन्द्को कारण बन्न सक्ने सबैले अऩुमान गरेका छन्।
पत्रकार सम्मेलनमा धेरै कुरा बताइएको छैन। जी एण्ड एटीएको निर्वाचन प्रविधि, राशि अनि अन्य क्षमताहरुको समिकरण कस्तो हुने हो केही नै स्पष्ट छैन। मोर्चाले गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्यको मुद्दा थन्काएर हस्ताक्षर गरेको जीटीएको खेस्राको अब के हुन्छ? पिन्टेल भिलेजमा मुख्यमन्त्री ममता व्यानर्जीको उपस्थितिमा जीटीएमा गरिएको सम्झौता विधानसभामा बीलकोरुपमा आएको छैन अब फेरि बङ्गाल सरकार अनि केन्द्र सरकारले आविप र मोर्चासित जी एण्ड एटीएको निम्ति सम्झौता गर्नु पर्ने भएको छ। नत्र जीटीएलाई नै नाम परिवर्तन गरेर क्षमताहरूको थपघट गराएर काम चलाउनुपर्ने स्थिति देखिए पनि आविपको राज्य समिति मोर्चासितको सहमतिसित खुशी नरहेको कुरा पनि अघि आएको छ। जीटीएको निम्ति केवल सीमाङ्कनको समस्या थियो अनि यसको निम्ति हाइपावर कमिटीको कार्य शुरू भइसकेको थियो भने जी एण्ड एटीएमा तराई र डुवर्सको सम्पूर्ण भूभाग सामेल हुनुपर्ने दाबी गरिए पनि यदि गोर्खाहरूको छुट्टैराज्यको सवाल आए जीएण्ड एटीएको औचित्य के हुने हो त्यो भने स्पष्ट छैन।
Mamata ‘displeased’ with Morcha move - Ploy to step up plains demand
MEGHDEEP BHATTACHARYYA, TT, Calcutta, Oct. 31: The state government is “displeased” with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s “efforts to strike a deal” with local leaders of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad to press for the inclusion of the entire Dooars-Terai region within the hill set-up, sources said.
By roping in the Parishad, the Morcha is trying to put pressure on the committee formed to look into the territory issue of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) to include more plains areas in the hill set-up, the government sources said.
Such a move could “alienate the people of the plains from the Trinamul Congress”, the sources added.
“The chief minister is displeased with the Morcha for trying to strike a deal with the Parishad. The outfits now want all the 514 mouzas in the Dooars-Terai region to be included in the GTA. Earlier, the Morcha had demanded the inclusion of 196 mouzas from the plains in the set-up. The Justice (retd) Shyamal Sen-headed committee is looking into the earlier demand,” a Writers’ source said.
The sources said Mamata Banerjee was “against the inclusion of more plains areas in the GTA than what the committee is already looking into”.
“By roping in the tribals, the Morcha is planning to press for the inclusion of more plains areas in the GTA. The Parishad’s support will increase the Morcha’s bargaining power. This will alienate the non-hill population from Trinamul and strengthen the CPM’s claim that the Mamata government is trying to divide Bengal,” one of the sources said.
The Parishad, which had earlier opposed the inclusion of the Dooars and the Terai in the hill set-up, held a joint news conference in Mongpong, 25km from Siliguri, yesterday and said it had agreed to the plains areas being included in the GTA.
The Parishad leaders had said the Morcha had accepted their condition of including “Adivasi” in the name of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
“If the Parishad joins the GTA and starts demanding a separate Gorkha Adivasi Pradesh together with the Morcha, we could be in an awkward situation. The chief minister will not allow separate statehood under any circumstance,” a Trinamul leader said.
Sources in the cabinet said the government was “surprised” at the new development and was monitoring the situation “cautiously” before deciding on its course of action.
“We were surprised to say the least. We were not prepared, especially after the enactment of the GTA, for such a move,” a minister said.
North Bengal affairs minister Gautam Deb refused comment, merely saying: “We have not received any official communication, verbally or in writing, yet. I’m not going to comment on the issue on the basis of what has appeared in newspapers.”
Surjya barb
CPM leader Surjya Kanta Mishra today said the Morcha was trying to “create a divide between the tribals” by demanding with a section of Parishad the inclusion of the entire Dooars-Terai region in the GTA. “Fresh complications are being created by the Morcha. The majority of the Adivasis don’t want the region to be part of the GTA.”
Left drops in on GTA panel on last day
TT, Jalpaiguri, Oct. 31: The district Left Front and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today aired their views on the territorial jurisdiction of the proposed Gorkhaland Territorial Administration before a high-powered committee.
Today was the last day for the public to make submissions before the committee, headed by Justice (retired) Shyamal Kumar Sen.
The panel was constituted by the Bengal government to look into the Morcha’s demand for the inclusion of the Gorkha populated areas in the Dooars and the Terai in the GTA.
In its memorandum submitted to the panel through district magistrate Smaraki Mahapatra, the Jalpaiguri Left Front iterated its opposition to the Morcha demand.
However, no fresh submissions were made by the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad, whose Dooars and Terai units had demanded at Mongpong yesterday that the GTA’s jurisdiction should stretch to the two regions also.
The tribal outfit had earlier refused to concede a single inch of land to the GTA.
The CPM district secretariat member, Ziaur Alam, submitted his party’s viewpoint on the issue. He said under no circumstances should the plains be brought under the ambit of the GTA.
“The need is for the speedy development of the region that will end the problems in the Adivasi-dominated areas. The Adivasis have been residing in the region in peace and any attempt to break that will create law and order problems,” said Alam.
The leaders belonging to Front constituents like the Forward Bloc and the RSP also echoed the CPM leader.
Salil Acharya, another district secretariat member of the CPM, said the Parishad’s change in stand would create fresh tension in the region.
“We are not going to allow any kind of law and order problem in the plains,” he said.
A Morcha delegation from Bhaktinagar in the district also arrived at the district magistrate’s office to air the party’s point of view regarding the territorial jurisdiction of the GTA. The team was led by a Morcha central committee member, Arjun Chhetri.
“We have submitted our viewpoint as per the instructions of the high-powered committee. The agreement between us and the Parishad is new and the committee only wanted us to give our opinion on the territory of the GTA and we have stuck to that. However, we feel if the Gorkhas and the Adivasis work together, there will be overall development in the hills as well as in the plains,” said Chhetri.
Alipurduar Congress MLA D.P. Roy, who had come to meet the district magistrate to discuss issues concerning the development projects in his constituency, said the Parishad was a divided house after yesterday’s development.
“I have my doubts about the unity of the Parishad because of the internal bickering in the outfit. I feel the state government should take care of tribal rights to land and other things and allow development to take place in the Terai and the Dooars,” said the MLA.
KPP resents focus on Darjeeling
AVIJIT SINHA, TT, Siliguri, Oct. 31: North Bengal outfits seeking statehood but lying dormant over the past few years today criticised the chief minister for “prioritising the hills” and warned of agitation.
“We have been fighting for our demands for decades but the state is consistently prioritising the hills. The state will have to look after the Rajbanshis as well and not simply take care of the people of the hills,” said Atul Roy, the president of the Kamtapur Progressive Party that had been demanding a Kamtapur state and development of the region.
Referring to the Adivasi Vikas Parishad’s decision to accept the inclusion of the Dooars-Terai region in the set-up for the hills, Roy said: “Many people are opposed to the Parishad’s move. The government has created a rift between the people of the region.”
“We will hold a meeting with like-minded organisations at Shivmandir (on the outskirts of Siliguri) on November 9 and plan a movement that will include blockades of roads and rail tracks, demonstrations and strikes,” he added.
The Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party, too, spoke on similar lines. Asutosh Burma, its president, said: “We oppose any steps that will affect the interest of the Rajbanshis. Thousands of Rajbanshis live in the Dooars. We will decide on a movement demanding that our problems be addressed immediately.”
The voices of discontent have been raised at a time the Mamata Banerjee government has announced a raft of development projects for the hills and signed a deal with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to form the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
Some of the Parishad leaders who had held a joint news conference with the Morcha yesterday to announce that they had agreed to the inclusion of the Dooars-Terai region in the GTA also accused the government of “neglecting” the tribals.
“The chief minister has urged us to maintain peace and take our case to the committee looking into the GTA’s territorial reach. But she has brushed aside our demand for Sixth Schedule status or grant of some for of autonomy so that the tribals’ lot can be improved,” said John Barla, the Dooars-Terai unit president of ABAVP.
Hill traders’ woes stay
VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, Oct. 31: The Bengal government’s decision to collect tax dues only from August has failed to bring cheer to the traders in the Darjeeling hills as they cannot transport goods from outside the state because of lack of waybills.
Unless a decision is taken on the outstanding dues, the traders’ sales tax return is unlikely to be accepted by a specially designed software christened Impact, which is used by all sales taxes offices across the state.
“The hill traders might start paying taxes from August 2011 but they will still face problem as the software will not accept their sales tax returns unless the pending dues are cleared,” said a source in the sales tax department.
The hill traders have not filed their sales tax returns since April 2008 following the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s call for a non-cooperation movement.
The district administration today clarified that the government had asked the people of the Darjeeling hills to pay their dues with effect from August, 2011 and that a decision on payment of bills for the previous three years was still pending.
“The outstanding dues have not been waived as yet and the issue shall be discussed in due course,” Saumitra Mohan, Darjeeling district magistrate said.
Without having cleared their sales tax dues, traders cannot generate waybills, which are needed to bring in goods from outside Bengal.
“The sales taxes department is computerised and if anyone needs to get a waybill, the software finds out whether dues have been cleared or not. If it has not been cleared, which is the case with most of the traders in town, the waybill cannot be generated,” said a trader.
The waybills can be obtained for free and they have to be sent to the outstation traders who then send in the goods along with the waybills.
Products which are not accompanied by the waybill can be seized by the commercial tax officials at various checkpoints.
2 matches lined up for Kalimpong - Gurkha Gold Cup to kick-off on November 4
VIVEK CHHETRI,TT, Darjeeling, Oct. 31: The biggest sporting extravaganza of the Darjeeling hills, the All India Brigade of Gurkha Gold Cup which was revived after 25 years in 2010, will make its debut in Kalimpong this year with the town set to host two matches.
Fourteen teams from India, Bhutan and Nepal will take part in the tournament that is organised jointly by the district administration and the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Sports Association.
“The tournament will kick off on November 4 at the St Joseph’s College (North Point) ground (in Darjeeling) and the finals will be played on November 13,” said Saumitra Mohan, the district magistrate of Darjeeling and president of the tournament’s organising committee.
Two matches of the tournament will be played at the Kalimpong Mela Grounds. “The matches in Kalimpong will be organised in collaboration with the Kalimpong Sports Association on November 5 and 6. However, matches will be held in Darjeeling also on these two days simultaneously,” said Dawa Lama, the vice-president of the organising committee.
Apart from well known Indian teams like Pune FC, Tata Football Academy, Jamshedpur and Bhaichung Bhutia’s Sikkim United Club, defending champions Army XI from Calcutta, will vie along with one of Nepal’s top team, Three Star Club, and Bhutan’s Bhutan Clearing Football Club to lift the trophy. Seven Calcutta-based teams like B.N.R. Club, Southern Samity and Techno Aryan have also confirmed their participation in the tournament.
The inaugural match will be played between Darjeeling XI and Kalighat Milan Samity. Sports Authority of India (Darjeeling) will take on Tata Football Academy in the second match on the opening day. Football, which is clearly the most popular sports in the hills, is expected to receive a major boost from the tournament to be organised with a budget of Rs 54 lakh.
Ticket prices have been kept at Rs 100, 40 and 20 per day. Winners will walk away with a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 1.3 lakh while the runners-up will take home Rs 70,000.
‘State’s refusal led to conciliation with GJMM’
SNS, SILIGURI/KOLKATA, 31 OCT: The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad (ABAVP) leaders today made it clear that having failed to obtain an autonomous body for tribal dominated Terai-Dooars region, they had decided to join hands with the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) to demand ATA (Adivasi Territorial Administration) under the Gorkhaland and Adivasi Territorial Administration (GATA) comprising the Hills, the Terai and the Dooars.
The Dooars-based ABAVP president, Mr John Barla, said: “We have been deprived by the state. The state declined our proposal to form an autonomous council under the Sixth Schedule. When chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee came to Chalsa, we have demanded ATA under the Sixth Schedule, but she declined to our proposal. She only told us to maintain peace and compromise with the GJMM. So, we decided to make an understanding to demand GATA with the help of the GJMM.” When asked about their stand on Gorkhaland, the state ABAVP general secretary, Mr Tejkumar Toppo, said: “Whenever the GJMM would demand a separate state of Gorkhaland demanding our lands in the Terai and Dooars, we would break the understanding.”
Mr Toppo said: “They do not have objection if they form a separate state of Gorkhaland within the Hill areas. But they would object to transfer of land from the Terai and the Dooars within the separate state of Gorkhaland. If they (GJMM) demand additional land to form a separate state we would start movement for ATA under the Sixth Schedule.”
Mr Toppo admitted: “We adopted the strategy to demand ATA under GATA and joined hands with the GJMM to achieve the goal through short-cut method. We think that it would be difficult to manage ATA if we struggle alone.” The ABAVP leaders also said that a joint delegation, comprising members of the ABAVP and the GJMM, will propose the state government and the Union home minister to implement GATA method.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Dr Surjya Kanta Mishra, today said: “This is a fresh twist to the already complicated situation in the Hills. This demand of formation of another territorial administration is nothing but a calculated ploy to divide the tribals and Adivasi population in the Terai-Dooars region. Moves like these would destroy the harmony of the entire region.” “This new state government has been saying boldly since assuming charge that it was solving the troubles in Junglemahal, Hills and other issues. With these new demands cropping up, it seems that those proclamations were ahead of its time. Situation in the Hills and the Dooars are far from being solved,” he said.
A day after alliance, ABAVP fears backlash
Pinak Priya Bhattacharya, TNN, Nov 1, 2011:Jalpaiguri: Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parshad's joining hands with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, in an apparent volte face, has sent ripples among the tribals and non-tribals of Dooars and Terai. While the resident Bengali population is scared with the new development, a large section of tribals in the tea belt feel betrayed with the ABAVP's new stance.
Fearing backlash from their own supporters, ABAVP leaders from Dooars and Terai are now trying to explain to the supporters what led them to join hands with the GJM. The leaders, on Monday, held a press conference at Siliguri where they tried to point out the reasons behind their Sunday's decision.
"We, the adivasis, are the most deprived community living in the region. We had sought for a Sixth Schedule status for Dooars and Terai and had also appealed for an autonomous council. But those were turned down. We, therefore, thought it wise to join hands with the GJM as it is included under the autonomous council, which would ensure flow of funds for development of the area we live in," said John Barla, president of ABAVP's Dooars Regional Unit.
The tribal leader said they would launch a door-to-door campaign in Dooars and Terai to make their supporters understand the reason behind joining hands with the Hills party. "Our central committee leaders are worried. We think this is just a misunderstanding due to lack of communication. We will go to meet our state president Birsa Tirkey on November 3 and would explain everything to him," he added.
But the task does not seem as easy as it appears, especially seems to be less easier than saidat their home turf. Supporters have already started voicing their dissent.
"We supported the ABAVP as it had promised to resist the GJM in the plains. Now once they have joined hands with the GJM, it will be easier for them to penetrate this region. It is obvious that the GJM will start calling the shots in this region. Who will guarantee that they won't target us once their goal is achieved?" a tea labourer of Oodlabari tea estate said.
"The decision has been taken very hastily. This involves the sentiment of thousands of common people of all communities. We must not forget that ABAVP also enjoys the support of other non-Nepalese and non-tribal communities as well. If they are not happy with us, how can we move further?" Birsa Tirkey had told TOI on Sunday.
Sensing the mood, the Left parties on Monday, wrote to the Jalpaiguri district magistrate opposing the handing over of Dooars mouzas. The DM is a member of the expert committee constituted to look into the GJM demand for inclusion of parts of Dooars and Terai under Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The Left parties said that they would do their best to stop inclusion of the plains under the GTA.
Congress leaders have said that they would again question in favour of including Dooars, Terai and the Hills under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution that can protect the rights of the indigenous people as is the case with nine other states in the country. some of them being as Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
छुट्टै राज्यको निम्ति जोइन्ट एक्सन कमिटी बनाइने 12 नोभेम्बर सर्वदलीय बैठक
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 31 अक्टोबर। दार्जीलिङ पहाडको राजनीतिमा अहिले निक्कै चहलपहल बढिरहेको भएपनि भारतीय गोर्खा परिसङ्घ भने सबै राजनैतिक दल, सङ्घ-संस्था अनि वरिष्ट नागरिकहरूलाई लिएर गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति साझा मञ्च तयार गर्नपट्टि लागिपरेको छ।
गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति सामुहिक रणनीति बनाउन भागोपले कसरत गरिरहेको छ। 23 अक्टोबरमा भागोपले सिलगडीमा सर्वदलीय बैठक बोलाएको भएपनि बिजनबारीको घटनाले कतिपय राजनैतिक दलहरूले बैठकमा सहभागिता जनाएन। केही राजनैतिक दल अनि सङ्घ-स्थाहरूलाई लिएर बैठक भएपनि बैठक निष्कर्ष बिहिन रह्यो। फलस्वरूप भागोपले फेरि 12 अक्टोबरको दिन कालेबुङमा नै सर्वदलीय बैठक गर्न राजनैतिक दल अनि सङ्घ-संस्थाहरूलाई निमन्त्रणा गरेको छ।
कालेबुङमा हुने बैठकमा नै जोइन्ट एक्सन कमिटी फर गोर्खाल्याण्ड गठन गरिने अनि आगामी रणनीति तय गरिने टास्क फोर्सका राष्ट्रिय अध्यक्ष आर मोक्तानले जनाएका छन्। यता गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चा विकासको पहलमा लागिपरेको छ अनि मोर्चाले छुट्टैराज्यको सवालमा राजनैतिकरुपले नै हात उठाएपछि भागोपले राजनैतिक अनि गैरराजनीतिक दलहरूलाई लिएर राष्ट्रियस्तरमा नै छुट्टैराज्यको आन्दोलन गर्ने तयारी गरिरहेको छ।
भागोपको यस्तो तयारीपछि नै देखापरेको मोर्चा र आविपबीचको विकासको मुद्दामा राजनैतिक समिकरणले भागोपको पहलमाथि लङि्क लगाउने हो कि भन्ने शंका पनि गरिन थालिएको छ। यता ममता व्यानर्जीले नै तराई र पहाडलाई मिलाएर राख्ने बताएकोले कुनै पनि परिस्थितिमा तराई-डुवर्स अनि पहाडमा छुट्टैराज्यको आन्दोलनलाई टाउको उठाउन नदिइने शंका गरिए पनि भागोपले आन्दोलनलाई क्षेत्रीय नबानाएर राष्ट्रिय बनाउने बताइसकेको छ।
यता तराई, डुवर्स र पहाडमा विकासको पहल शुरू भएपछि प्रस्तावित क्षेत्रबाट आन्दोलन हुन सम्भव छैन यसकारण भागोपलाई राष्ट्रिय आन्दोलन गर्न राष्ट्रिय सहमति जुटाएर प्रभावकारी आन्दोलन गर्नुपर्ने दायित्व आइपरेको पनि देखिएकोछ।
हाइपावर कमिटीलाई सजिलो भयो-डा. छेत्री
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 31 अक्टोबर। गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चा अनि आदिवासी विकास परिषदबीच जी एण्ड एटीएको निम्ति सहमति बनेपछि जीटीए सीमाङ्कनको निम्ति गठित हाइपावर कमिटीको औचित्यमाथि प्रश्न चिन्ह खडा भएकोछ्। किन भने मोर्चाले तराई र डुवर्सका गोर्खा बाहुल क्षेत्र जीटीएमा सामेल हुनुपर्ने कुरा राखिएपछि हाइपावर कमिटी गठन गरिएको थियो जसले तराई र डुवर्सको गोर्खा बाहुल क्षेत्र छुट्याउनको निम्ति कार्य शुरू गरिसकेको थियो। कार्य भइरहेको बेला नै फेरि मोर्चा र आदिवासी विकास परिषद्ले जीटीएमा तराई र डुवर्स सम्पूर्णरुपले अन्तरभुक्तिको दाबी गर्दै तराई, डुवर्स अनि पहाड मिलाएर सञ्चालन हुने प्रशासनको नाम समेत राखिसकेको छ। तराई, डुवर्स र पहाडको निम्ति सञ्चालित हुने प्रशासनको नाम गोर्खाल्याण्ड एण्ड आदिवासी टेरिटोरियल एड्मिनिष्ट्रेशन रहेको छ
यो नयॉं नाम आउने वित्तिकै हाइपावर कमिटीको औचित्यमाथि स्वतः नै प्रश्न चिन्ह खडा भएको छ। तराई र डुवर्स मिलाएर नै क्षेत्रीय प्रशासनको दाबी गरिने हो भने हाइपावर कमिटी किन चाहिन्छ? यस्तो प्रश्न उठिरहेको भए पनि मोर्चा प्रवक्ता डा.हर्कबहादुर छेत्रीले हाइपावर कमिटीको काम अझ सहज भएको बताए। तिनले भने, पहिले जीटीएमा गोर्खाहरूले मात्र अन्तरभुक्ति हुने निवेदन हाइपावर कमिटीलाई गरेको थियो तर हिजो नै आदिवासी समुदायले पनि मोर्चालाई जीटीएमा सामेल हुने कुरामा समर्थन गरेका छन्। आदिवासी पनि जीटीएमा आउने भएकोले नै हाइपावर कमिटीको काम सहज बनेको छ। जलपाइगढी जिल्लापालको कार्यालयमा आदिवासीहरूले जीटीएमा नपस्ने भनेर दिएको ज्ञापन पनि फिर्ता गरिएको डा.छेत्रीले बताएका छन्। यता आविपको राज्य समितिले मोर्चा र क्षेत्रीय आविपको सहमतिलाई मान्य नगरेको केही राष्ट्रिय मीडियामा आएको सामाचारको खण्डन गर्दै तिनले हिजो भएको सम्झौता हुन अघि आविपसित धेरैपल्ट वार्तामा बसेको अनि वार्तामा आविपको राज्य समितिबाट नै जीएण्ड एटीएको नामको प्रस्ताव आएकोले आविपको सम्पूर्ण नेतृत्वको सम्झौतामा सहमति रहेको तिनले जनाए।
बिजनबारी काण्ड ‘न्यायिक जॉंच नहुनुमा राजनैतिक षडयन्त्र’
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 31 अक्टोबर। बिजनबारी घटनास्थलमा क्रामाकपाले स्थलगत भ्रमण गरेपछि आज एक पत्रकार सम्मेलन डाकेर घटना भएको यतिदिनपछिसम्म पनि न्यायिक जॉंच नहुनुमा राजनैतिक षडयन्त्र रहेको दाबी गरेको छ। क्रामाकपा उपाध्यक्ष जेबी राईले स्थलगत भ्रमण गरेपछि धेरैवटा तथ्यहरू अघि आएको बताउँदै घटनाको कारण त्यहॉं आयोजित राजनैतिक जनसभा अनि मेला रहेको स्पष्ट पारे।
यस कुरालाई ममता व्यानर्जी बिजनबारी नपुग्नुले पनि पुष्टि गर्ने बताउँदै तिनले भने, पुल भत्किएको अनि अनि मानिसहरूको मत्यु भएको कुरा राज्यपाललाई थाहा थियो, जुन कुरा ममता व्यानर्जीलाई बताइएको कारण नै दिल्लीबाट कोलकाता भर्खर आइपुगेकी मुख्यमन्त्री बिजनबारीको खबर पाएर रातारात दार्जीलिङ आइपुगे पनि बिजनबारी झरिनन्। यसको कारण के हो? तिनले पुलसित बिजुलीको तार चुँडिएको, प्रशासनिक अनुमति बिना नै मेला अनि राजनैतिक जनसभा गरेको कुरा जिल्लापाललाई थाहा रहेको अनि मुख्यमन्त्रीलाई सबैकुरा बताएकोले मुख्यमन्त्रीले पीडितहरूको सामना गर्ने आँट नगरेर दार्जीलिङबाट नै क्षतिपूर्ति राशिको घोषणा गर्नु परेको पनि राईले जनाए।
तिनले भने, घटनाबारे कुनै पनि पक्षको सही विवृति आएको छैन। 32 जनाको ज्यान गएको बताइए पनि हामी भ्रमणमा जॉंदा 42 जनाको ज्यान गएको, 50 भन्दा धेरै घाइते रहेको अनि धेरै संख्यामा अपङ्ग रहेको पत्तो लागेको छ। ममता व्यानर्जीले एक मान्छेलाई गाडीले कुल्चिँदा न्यायको निम्ति राजनैतिक ताण्डव गर्थिन, नन्दीग्रामको निम्ति यसरी नै लडिन्, टाटा न्यानो हटाउने लडाईँ गरिन्, तिनै ममता व्यानर्जीले बिजनबारी काण्डमाथि न्यायिक जॉंच नगराउनुको पछि के रहस्य छ? तिनले घटना हुनुमा जो संलग्न थिए उनीहरूलाईे बचाउनको निम्ति, गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलनलाई विकाससित सम्झौता गर्ने जुन दल छ, आन्दोलनबारे विभ्रान्ति ल्याउने दल छ उसलाई अप्ठ्यारो नपरोस् भनेर ममता व्यानर्जी बिजनबारी नजाने निर्णय लिएको बताउँदै घटनामाथि न्यायिक जॉंच हुनुपर्ने बताएका छन्। तिनले कलेजको शिलान्यास अथवा कलेजको निम्ति रहेको जमीनबारे पनि जॉंच हुनुपर्ने पनि जनाएका छन्। गोर्खाल्याण्डको अधिकारबाट बञ्चित गराउने षडयन्त्र त छँदैछ देशको कानूनबाट पनि मान्छेले जिउने अधिकार, सुरक्षा र सहुलियतबाट पनि बञ्चित गराउने कार्य भइरहेको छ, जसको विरोध क्रामाकपाले गर्नेछ-तिनले भने।
जी एण्ड एटीए पनि आलोचनाको शिकार
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 31 अक्टोबर। एकार्काको राजनैतिक क्रिया कलापहरूमा सधैँ एकार्काको वाधा बनिरहने आविप र मोर्चाबीच जुन दलीय समिकरण देखापरेको छ, त्यसमाथि पनि पहाडका राजनैतिक दलहरूले आलोचना शुरू गरेको छ। आविप-मोर्चाको राजनैतिक मिलनले पहाडको राजनैतिक शिविरमा निक्कै उथुलपुथुल मच्चाएको छ भने जनतामा पनि व्यापक अन्योलता छाएको छ। गोर्खाल्याण्ड भन्दा भन्दै मोर्चाले जीटीए भन्ने आदत बसालेको भए पनि अब फेरि जनतालाई जी एण्ड ए टीए भन्न पर्ने स्थिति आइपरेको छ। यस्तोमा पहाडको सक्रिय विपक्ष दलकोरुपमा रहेको क्रान्तिकारी मार्क्सवादी कम्युनिष्ट पार्टीले आविप र मोर्चाबीचको सम्झौता र सहमति शंकास्पद र रहस्यमय रहेको बताएको छ। एक पत्रकार सम्मेलनलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै क्रामाकपा उपाध्यक्ष जेबी राईले मोर्चाले घरिघरि मुद्दा फेर्ने जुन कार्य गरिरहेको छ, त्यसैलाई हेर्दा पनि आविप र मोर्चाबीचको सम्झौतामा शंका गर्ने ठॉंउ रहेको बताउँदै राईले भने, गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति गठन भएको दलले, गोर्खाल्याण्ड बाहेक एकइञ्च पनि पछि सर्दैनौं भन्नेले पहिले जीटीएमा हस्ताक्षर गर्यो।
गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाममा आन्दोलन गर्दागर्दै अन्तरिम प्राधिकरण भन्यो। प्रधिकरणलाई आविपले विरोध गर्यो। विरोध साम्य गराउन दार्जीलिङबाट गोर्खा-आदिवासी विकास प्रदेश-को घोषणा गर्यो। यसको पनि विरोध भयो। भूतपूर्व सैनिकहरूले सिलगढीमा पिटाइ खाए। नारीहरूले लात खाए। अनशन बसेर धेरैले बिमार निम्ताए। सबै भइसकेर फेरि लङमार्च फर गोर्खाल्याण्ड भन्दै दार्जीलिङदेखि डुवर्ससम्मको यात्रा निकालियो। धेरैले यसलाई महात्मा गान्धीको दण्डीमार्चसित तुलना गरे तर सिब्सुमा धेरैको ज्यान लिइयो। गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलनको कारण मदन तामङको हत्या भयो। बिजनबारी काण्ड भयो। जतिले पनि ज्यान गुमाए गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति भएको हो भन्दै मोर्चाले जीटीएमा हस्ताक्षर गरेर फेरि जी एण्ड एटीएसम्म आइपुग्दा गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा कहॉं पुग्यो सबैले स्पष्टरुपमा बुझ्न सक्नेछन्।
जीटीए नै गोर्खाल्याण्ड अथवा युटी पुग्ने अन्तिम खड्किलो हो भन्ने मोर्चाले तराई डुवर्सको सीमानाहरूको अन्तरभुक्ति नभइ चुनाउ नमान्ने भनेर घोषणा गर्ने मोर्चाले आफैले गरेको सम्झौतालाई खारेज गरेर चुनाउ हुँदै गर्छ, सीमाङ्कन हुँदैगर्छ भन्नेसम्म पुगेको राईले बताए। तिनले आदिवासीहरूको मुद्दा विकासको रहेको अनि गोर्खाहरूको मुद्दा चिन्हारीको रहेको भन्दै छुट्टैराज्य माग्नेहरूसित मिलेर आविपलाई फाइदा हुने भए पनि गोर्खाहरूलाई भने फाइदा नरहेको पनि बताए। तिनले भने, यस्तो सम्झौता हुनुमा कस्तो रहस्य छ? जब कि सीमाङ्कनको काम भइरहेको छ, हाइपावर कमिटीले काम गरिरहेको छ। जुन सम्झौता भयो त्यो मोर्चाको राजनैतिक दुर्वलता र आर्थिक प्रलोभनको कारण भएको हो।
मोर्चाले यसैकारण नै गोर्खाहरूको चिन्हारीको मुद्दालाई विकाससित सम्झौता गरिरहेको छ। एकातिर तेलङ्गना हुने अवस्था छ अनि यस्तोमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको आवाज नउठोस् भनेर केन्द्र र राज्यले गरेको षडयन्त्रलाई मोर्चाले सहयोग गरिरहेको छ। अर्कोतिर भागोपको गोर्खाल्याण्ड टास्क फोर्सका राष्ट्रिय कार्यकारी अध्यक्ष आर मोक्तानले पनि आविप र मोर्चाबीचको सम्झौता मोर्चाको नितान्त राजनैतिक बाध्यता रहेको बताए। यो मोर्चाको नीतिगत कुरा भएकोले भागोपले यसबारे कुनै पनि टिप्पणी गरिरहन अनिवार्य नमान्ने पनि तिनले जनाए।यद्धपि तिनले मोर्चा र आविपको कसरत विकासको निम्ति रहेको अनि विकास भागोपको निम्ति सेकेण्डरी विषय रहेको बताउँदै तिनले भने, भागोपको सातवटा प्रमुख मुद्दाहरूमध्ये छुट्टैराज्य गोर्खाल्याण्ड प्रथम हो। बङ्गालबाट छुट्टिएर गोर्खाहरूको छुट्टैराज्य गठन गर्नु भागोपको मुख्य लक्ष्य हो।
अहिले मोर्चा र आविपमाझ जुन सॉंठगॉंठ भयो, त्यो केवल विकासको निम्ति मात्र भएका अनि यसले गोर्खाहरूको राष्ट्रिय चिन्हारी नबन्ने पनि तिनले जनाए। अर्कोतिर पिपल्स फोरमले पनि आविप र मोर्चाको मिलन एक महिनाको निम्ति मात्र रहेको बताएको छ। जीटीएको सम्झौतामा नाम परिवर्तन गर्ने कुरा भए पनि जीटीए पुरा क्षमतामा आइसकेपछि मात्र त्यसो गर्न सम्भव हुने छ। फोरमका सचिव प्रवीण गुरूङले मोर्चाले नगरपालिका चुनाउको निम्ति मुद्दा निकाल्न मात्र आविपसित मित्रता गॉंसेको बताउँदै भने, जीटीएलाई पूर्णरूपले खारेज नगरी जी एण्ड एटीएको कुरा गर्नु हॉंस्यास्पद कुरा हो। जीटीए गठन भएको छैन यसमा रहेको प्रावधानको कुरा आएन। तराई र डुवर्स हाल्नको निम्ति बील ल्याइनुपर्छ। किन भने जीटीएको निम्ति हस्ताक्षर भइसकेको छ। अघि मोर्चाले गोर्खा आदिवासी प्रदेशको जस्तै अवस्था यसको पनि हुने छ। वामफ्रण्ट्ले मिल्न दिएन भन्ने आविप र मोर्चाका नेताहरूलाई फेरि ममताले मिल्न लगाएको देखिएको छ। उनीहरूलाई राज्य र केन्द्रले खेलाइरहेको पनि स्पष्ट छ। गुरूङले मोर्चाले आफ्नो स्वार्थ पुरा गरिसकेपछि आविपलाई धोका दिने निश्चित रहेको समेत जनाएका छन्।
आविप र मोर्चाबीचको सम्झौताःशुरू भयो विवाद
मनोज बोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 31 अक्टोबर। बुद्धदेव भट्टाचार्यको सरकार होस् अथवा ममता व्यानर्जीको सरकार, दुवैले बङ्गाल विभाजन हुँदैन भनेको छ। छुट्टैराज्यको माग त्यागेर विकासको निम्ति हो भने राज्य सरकार धेरै सहयोग गर्न चहान्छ। दुवै सरकारले नै छुट्टैराज्यको आन्दोलनको विरोध गरेको छ अनि दुवै सरकारले नै पहाडको विकासको कुरा गरेको छ। वामफ्रण्टको सरकारको बेला आन्दोलन छुट्टैराज्यको थियो यसकारण गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चाका अध्यक्ष विमल गुरूङले भनेका थिए, सुबास घिसिङलाई हटाएर मलाई दागोपापको क्षमता विकास गरेर बस्ने अफर गरेको थियो। मैले ठाडो विरोध गरें, किन भने म विकासको निम्ति आएको होइन, छुट्टैराज्यको निम्ति आएको हुँ।
आज तिनै विमल गुरूङ विकासको निम्ति राज्य सरकारअघि विभिन्न प्रस्तावहरू लिएर गइरहेका छन्। तिनलाई राज्य र केन्द्र सरकारले छुट्टैराज्य हुन नसक्ने कुरा बुझाएपछि तिनी छुट्टैराज्यको मुद्दा छोडेर विकासको मुद्दमा लागेका छन् अनि अहिलेसम्म पनि विकासकै मुद्दामा वकालती गरिरहेका छन्। आदिवासी विकास परिषदसितको मोर्चाको मित्रता पनि विकासको निम्ति नै रहेको तिनले बताइसकेका छन्। तराई, डुवर्स र पहाड एकैसाथ बसेर उन्नति गर्न चहान्छ।
तराई र डुवर्स मिलाएर एटीए हुन सक्यो भने तराई र डुवर्सका सम्पूर्ण समुदायले त्यसबाट फाइदा पाउन सक्छ जसरी जीटीए हुँदा पहाडका सम्पूर्ण समुदायले त्यसको फाइदा पाइने बताइएको थियो। आदिवासी विकास परिषद्ले एटीएको माग गरेपछि अनि ममता व्यानर्जीले यसमा हरियो झण्डा देखाएपछि अचानक मोर्चा र आविपबीच गोप्य बैठक भयो जीटीए र एटीए अलगअलग नमागेर एकैठाउँ गोर्खाल्याण्ड एण्ड आदिवासी टेरिटोरियल एड्मिनिष्ट्रेशन माग्ने घोषणा त्यसबेला गरियो जुन दिनदेखि नै जीटीएमा सामेल हुन गरिएका आवेदनहरू फर्काइन थालिएको थियो अनि आवेदनको मीति सकिएको थियो। स्पष्ट थियो कि मोर्चाले दाबी गरेको मौजाहरू जीटीएमा सामेल हुँदैन। ठीक हाइपावर कमिटीको मुख्य कार्य शुरू हुन अघि नै आविपसित मोर्चाको सहमति हुनुले धेरैवटा शंकाहरूको उपार्जन गरिदिएको छ।
जी एण्ड एटीए हुने हो भने अब हाइपावर कमिटीको औचित्य रहन्छ त? प्रबल रूपमा यो प्रश्न अहिले उठेको छ। जीटीएको सीमाङ्कनको निम्ति गठन गरिएको हाइपावर कमिटीले काम थालिसकेको छ तर अहिले आविपसित मिलेर त्यही मोर्चा जुन मोर्चाले जीटीएको निम्ति हस्ताक्षर गरिसकेको छ-ले अब जी एण्ड एटीएमा सबै तराई र डुवर्स पस्न पर्ने नयॉं माग शुरू गरेको छ। यदि तराई, डुवर्स र पहाड एउटै प्रशासनिक क्षेत्रमा गॉंठो पर्ने हो भने हाइपावर कमिटीको कुनै औचित्य रहेन। आविप र मोर्चाले हिजोको पत्रकार सम्मेलनमा हाइपावर कमिटीबारे प्रश्न गर्दा आविपसित भएको सम्झौताबारे हाइपावर कमिटीलाई बुझाइने उत्तर दिइएको थियो। यति मात्र होइन एक मोर्चाका केन्द्रिय समितिका सदस्यसित कुराकानी गर्दा तिनले हाइपावर कमिटीको काम अब सजिलो भएको उत्तर दिएका थिए। जसले जे नै उत्तर दिए पनि अब हाइपावर कमिटी विघटन हुने हो त? विघटन नहुने हो भने यसै विषय नै आविप र मोर्चाबीच द्वन्द्को कारण बन्न सक्ने सबैले अऩुमान गरेका छन्।
पत्रकार सम्मेलनमा धेरै कुरा बताइएको छैन। जी एण्ड एटीएको निर्वाचन प्रविधि, राशि अनि अन्य क्षमताहरुको समिकरण कस्तो हुने हो केही नै स्पष्ट छैन। मोर्चाले गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्यको मुद्दा थन्काएर हस्ताक्षर गरेको जीटीएको खेस्राको अब के हुन्छ? पिन्टेल भिलेजमा मुख्यमन्त्री ममता व्यानर्जीको उपस्थितिमा जीटीएमा गरिएको सम्झौता विधानसभामा बीलकोरुपमा आएको छैन अब फेरि बङ्गाल सरकार अनि केन्द्र सरकारले आविप र मोर्चासित जी एण्ड एटीएको निम्ति सम्झौता गर्नु पर्ने भएको छ। नत्र जीटीएलाई नै नाम परिवर्तन गरेर क्षमताहरूको थपघट गराएर काम चलाउनुपर्ने स्थिति देखिए पनि आविपको राज्य समिति मोर्चासितको सहमतिसित खुशी नरहेको कुरा पनि अघि आएको छ। जीटीएको निम्ति केवल सीमाङ्कनको समस्या थियो अनि यसको निम्ति हाइपावर कमिटीको कार्य शुरू भइसकेको थियो भने जी एण्ड एटीएमा तराई र डुवर्सको सम्पूर्ण भूभाग सामेल हुनुपर्ने दाबी गरिए पनि यदि गोर्खाहरूको छुट्टैराज्यको सवाल आए जीएण्ड एटीएको औचित्य के हुने हो त्यो भने स्पष्ट छैन।
Mamata ‘displeased’ with Morcha move - Ploy to step up plains demand
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| Morcha leaders from Siliguri outside the district magistrate’s chamber in Jalpaiguri on Monday to submit a memorandum to the GTA committee headed by Justice (retired) Shyamal Kumar Sen. Picture by Biplab Basak |
By roping in the Parishad, the Morcha is trying to put pressure on the committee formed to look into the territory issue of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) to include more plains areas in the hill set-up, the government sources said.
Such a move could “alienate the people of the plains from the Trinamul Congress”, the sources added.
“The chief minister is displeased with the Morcha for trying to strike a deal with the Parishad. The outfits now want all the 514 mouzas in the Dooars-Terai region to be included in the GTA. Earlier, the Morcha had demanded the inclusion of 196 mouzas from the plains in the set-up. The Justice (retd) Shyamal Sen-headed committee is looking into the earlier demand,” a Writers’ source said.
The sources said Mamata Banerjee was “against the inclusion of more plains areas in the GTA than what the committee is already looking into”.
“By roping in the tribals, the Morcha is planning to press for the inclusion of more plains areas in the GTA. The Parishad’s support will increase the Morcha’s bargaining power. This will alienate the non-hill population from Trinamul and strengthen the CPM’s claim that the Mamata government is trying to divide Bengal,” one of the sources said.
The Parishad, which had earlier opposed the inclusion of the Dooars and the Terai in the hill set-up, held a joint news conference in Mongpong, 25km from Siliguri, yesterday and said it had agreed to the plains areas being included in the GTA.
The Parishad leaders had said the Morcha had accepted their condition of including “Adivasi” in the name of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
“If the Parishad joins the GTA and starts demanding a separate Gorkha Adivasi Pradesh together with the Morcha, we could be in an awkward situation. The chief minister will not allow separate statehood under any circumstance,” a Trinamul leader said.
Sources in the cabinet said the government was “surprised” at the new development and was monitoring the situation “cautiously” before deciding on its course of action.
“We were surprised to say the least. We were not prepared, especially after the enactment of the GTA, for such a move,” a minister said.
North Bengal affairs minister Gautam Deb refused comment, merely saying: “We have not received any official communication, verbally or in writing, yet. I’m not going to comment on the issue on the basis of what has appeared in newspapers.”
Surjya barb
CPM leader Surjya Kanta Mishra today said the Morcha was trying to “create a divide between the tribals” by demanding with a section of Parishad the inclusion of the entire Dooars-Terai region in the GTA. “Fresh complications are being created by the Morcha. The majority of the Adivasis don’t want the region to be part of the GTA.”
Left drops in on GTA panel on last day
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| Left Front leaders in front of the district magistrate’s chamber in Jalpaiguri on Monday. Picture by Biplab Basak |
Today was the last day for the public to make submissions before the committee, headed by Justice (retired) Shyamal Kumar Sen.
The panel was constituted by the Bengal government to look into the Morcha’s demand for the inclusion of the Gorkha populated areas in the Dooars and the Terai in the GTA.
In its memorandum submitted to the panel through district magistrate Smaraki Mahapatra, the Jalpaiguri Left Front iterated its opposition to the Morcha demand.
However, no fresh submissions were made by the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad, whose Dooars and Terai units had demanded at Mongpong yesterday that the GTA’s jurisdiction should stretch to the two regions also.
The tribal outfit had earlier refused to concede a single inch of land to the GTA.
The CPM district secretariat member, Ziaur Alam, submitted his party’s viewpoint on the issue. He said under no circumstances should the plains be brought under the ambit of the GTA.
“The need is for the speedy development of the region that will end the problems in the Adivasi-dominated areas. The Adivasis have been residing in the region in peace and any attempt to break that will create law and order problems,” said Alam.
The leaders belonging to Front constituents like the Forward Bloc and the RSP also echoed the CPM leader.
Salil Acharya, another district secretariat member of the CPM, said the Parishad’s change in stand would create fresh tension in the region.
“We are not going to allow any kind of law and order problem in the plains,” he said.
A Morcha delegation from Bhaktinagar in the district also arrived at the district magistrate’s office to air the party’s point of view regarding the territorial jurisdiction of the GTA. The team was led by a Morcha central committee member, Arjun Chhetri.
“We have submitted our viewpoint as per the instructions of the high-powered committee. The agreement between us and the Parishad is new and the committee only wanted us to give our opinion on the territory of the GTA and we have stuck to that. However, we feel if the Gorkhas and the Adivasis work together, there will be overall development in the hills as well as in the plains,” said Chhetri.
Alipurduar Congress MLA D.P. Roy, who had come to meet the district magistrate to discuss issues concerning the development projects in his constituency, said the Parishad was a divided house after yesterday’s development.
“I have my doubts about the unity of the Parishad because of the internal bickering in the outfit. I feel the state government should take care of tribal rights to land and other things and allow development to take place in the Terai and the Dooars,” said the MLA.
KPP resents focus on Darjeeling
AVIJIT SINHA, TT, Siliguri, Oct. 31: North Bengal outfits seeking statehood but lying dormant over the past few years today criticised the chief minister for “prioritising the hills” and warned of agitation.
“We have been fighting for our demands for decades but the state is consistently prioritising the hills. The state will have to look after the Rajbanshis as well and not simply take care of the people of the hills,” said Atul Roy, the president of the Kamtapur Progressive Party that had been demanding a Kamtapur state and development of the region.
Referring to the Adivasi Vikas Parishad’s decision to accept the inclusion of the Dooars-Terai region in the set-up for the hills, Roy said: “Many people are opposed to the Parishad’s move. The government has created a rift between the people of the region.”
“We will hold a meeting with like-minded organisations at Shivmandir (on the outskirts of Siliguri) on November 9 and plan a movement that will include blockades of roads and rail tracks, demonstrations and strikes,” he added.
The Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party, too, spoke on similar lines. Asutosh Burma, its president, said: “We oppose any steps that will affect the interest of the Rajbanshis. Thousands of Rajbanshis live in the Dooars. We will decide on a movement demanding that our problems be addressed immediately.”
The voices of discontent have been raised at a time the Mamata Banerjee government has announced a raft of development projects for the hills and signed a deal with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to form the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
Some of the Parishad leaders who had held a joint news conference with the Morcha yesterday to announce that they had agreed to the inclusion of the Dooars-Terai region in the GTA also accused the government of “neglecting” the tribals.
“The chief minister has urged us to maintain peace and take our case to the committee looking into the GTA’s territorial reach. But she has brushed aside our demand for Sixth Schedule status or grant of some for of autonomy so that the tribals’ lot can be improved,” said John Barla, the Dooars-Terai unit president of ABAVP.
Hill traders’ woes stay
VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, Oct. 31: The Bengal government’s decision to collect tax dues only from August has failed to bring cheer to the traders in the Darjeeling hills as they cannot transport goods from outside the state because of lack of waybills.
Unless a decision is taken on the outstanding dues, the traders’ sales tax return is unlikely to be accepted by a specially designed software christened Impact, which is used by all sales taxes offices across the state.
“The hill traders might start paying taxes from August 2011 but they will still face problem as the software will not accept their sales tax returns unless the pending dues are cleared,” said a source in the sales tax department.
The hill traders have not filed their sales tax returns since April 2008 following the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s call for a non-cooperation movement.
The district administration today clarified that the government had asked the people of the Darjeeling hills to pay their dues with effect from August, 2011 and that a decision on payment of bills for the previous three years was still pending.
“The outstanding dues have not been waived as yet and the issue shall be discussed in due course,” Saumitra Mohan, Darjeeling district magistrate said.
Without having cleared their sales tax dues, traders cannot generate waybills, which are needed to bring in goods from outside Bengal.
“The sales taxes department is computerised and if anyone needs to get a waybill, the software finds out whether dues have been cleared or not. If it has not been cleared, which is the case with most of the traders in town, the waybill cannot be generated,” said a trader.
The waybills can be obtained for free and they have to be sent to the outstation traders who then send in the goods along with the waybills.
Products which are not accompanied by the waybill can be seized by the commercial tax officials at various checkpoints.
2 matches lined up for Kalimpong - Gurkha Gold Cup to kick-off on November 4
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| A match during the Gurkha Gold Cup last year |
Fourteen teams from India, Bhutan and Nepal will take part in the tournament that is organised jointly by the district administration and the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Sports Association.
“The tournament will kick off on November 4 at the St Joseph’s College (North Point) ground (in Darjeeling) and the finals will be played on November 13,” said Saumitra Mohan, the district magistrate of Darjeeling and president of the tournament’s organising committee.
Two matches of the tournament will be played at the Kalimpong Mela Grounds. “The matches in Kalimpong will be organised in collaboration with the Kalimpong Sports Association on November 5 and 6. However, matches will be held in Darjeeling also on these two days simultaneously,” said Dawa Lama, the vice-president of the organising committee.
Apart from well known Indian teams like Pune FC, Tata Football Academy, Jamshedpur and Bhaichung Bhutia’s Sikkim United Club, defending champions Army XI from Calcutta, will vie along with one of Nepal’s top team, Three Star Club, and Bhutan’s Bhutan Clearing Football Club to lift the trophy. Seven Calcutta-based teams like B.N.R. Club, Southern Samity and Techno Aryan have also confirmed their participation in the tournament.
The inaugural match will be played between Darjeeling XI and Kalighat Milan Samity. Sports Authority of India (Darjeeling) will take on Tata Football Academy in the second match on the opening day. Football, which is clearly the most popular sports in the hills, is expected to receive a major boost from the tournament to be organised with a budget of Rs 54 lakh.
Ticket prices have been kept at Rs 100, 40 and 20 per day. Winners will walk away with a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 1.3 lakh while the runners-up will take home Rs 70,000.
‘State’s refusal led to conciliation with GJMM’
SNS, SILIGURI/KOLKATA, 31 OCT: The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad (ABAVP) leaders today made it clear that having failed to obtain an autonomous body for tribal dominated Terai-Dooars region, they had decided to join hands with the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) to demand ATA (Adivasi Territorial Administration) under the Gorkhaland and Adivasi Territorial Administration (GATA) comprising the Hills, the Terai and the Dooars.
The Dooars-based ABAVP president, Mr John Barla, said: “We have been deprived by the state. The state declined our proposal to form an autonomous council under the Sixth Schedule. When chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee came to Chalsa, we have demanded ATA under the Sixth Schedule, but she declined to our proposal. She only told us to maintain peace and compromise with the GJMM. So, we decided to make an understanding to demand GATA with the help of the GJMM.” When asked about their stand on Gorkhaland, the state ABAVP general secretary, Mr Tejkumar Toppo, said: “Whenever the GJMM would demand a separate state of Gorkhaland demanding our lands in the Terai and Dooars, we would break the understanding.”
Mr Toppo said: “They do not have objection if they form a separate state of Gorkhaland within the Hill areas. But they would object to transfer of land from the Terai and the Dooars within the separate state of Gorkhaland. If they (GJMM) demand additional land to form a separate state we would start movement for ATA under the Sixth Schedule.”
Mr Toppo admitted: “We adopted the strategy to demand ATA under GATA and joined hands with the GJMM to achieve the goal through short-cut method. We think that it would be difficult to manage ATA if we struggle alone.” The ABAVP leaders also said that a joint delegation, comprising members of the ABAVP and the GJMM, will propose the state government and the Union home minister to implement GATA method.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Dr Surjya Kanta Mishra, today said: “This is a fresh twist to the already complicated situation in the Hills. This demand of formation of another territorial administration is nothing but a calculated ploy to divide the tribals and Adivasi population in the Terai-Dooars region. Moves like these would destroy the harmony of the entire region.” “This new state government has been saying boldly since assuming charge that it was solving the troubles in Junglemahal, Hills and other issues. With these new demands cropping up, it seems that those proclamations were ahead of its time. Situation in the Hills and the Dooars are far from being solved,” he said.
A day after alliance, ABAVP fears backlash
Pinak Priya Bhattacharya, TNN, Nov 1, 2011:Jalpaiguri: Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parshad's joining hands with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, in an apparent volte face, has sent ripples among the tribals and non-tribals of Dooars and Terai. While the resident Bengali population is scared with the new development, a large section of tribals in the tea belt feel betrayed with the ABAVP's new stance.
Fearing backlash from their own supporters, ABAVP leaders from Dooars and Terai are now trying to explain to the supporters what led them to join hands with the GJM. The leaders, on Monday, held a press conference at Siliguri where they tried to point out the reasons behind their Sunday's decision.
"We, the adivasis, are the most deprived community living in the region. We had sought for a Sixth Schedule status for Dooars and Terai and had also appealed for an autonomous council. But those were turned down. We, therefore, thought it wise to join hands with the GJM as it is included under the autonomous council, which would ensure flow of funds for development of the area we live in," said John Barla, president of ABAVP's Dooars Regional Unit.
The tribal leader said they would launch a door-to-door campaign in Dooars and Terai to make their supporters understand the reason behind joining hands with the Hills party. "Our central committee leaders are worried. We think this is just a misunderstanding due to lack of communication. We will go to meet our state president Birsa Tirkey on November 3 and would explain everything to him," he added.
But the task does not seem as easy as it appears, especially seems to be less easier than saidat their home turf. Supporters have already started voicing their dissent.
"We supported the ABAVP as it had promised to resist the GJM in the plains. Now once they have joined hands with the GJM, it will be easier for them to penetrate this region. It is obvious that the GJM will start calling the shots in this region. Who will guarantee that they won't target us once their goal is achieved?" a tea labourer of Oodlabari tea estate said.
"The decision has been taken very hastily. This involves the sentiment of thousands of common people of all communities. We must not forget that ABAVP also enjoys the support of other non-Nepalese and non-tribal communities as well. If they are not happy with us, how can we move further?" Birsa Tirkey had told TOI on Sunday.
Sensing the mood, the Left parties on Monday, wrote to the Jalpaiguri district magistrate opposing the handing over of Dooars mouzas. The DM is a member of the expert committee constituted to look into the GJM demand for inclusion of parts of Dooars and Terai under Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The Left parties said that they would do their best to stop inclusion of the plains under the GTA.
Congress leaders have said that they would again question in favour of including Dooars, Terai and the Hills under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution that can protect the rights of the indigenous people as is the case with nine other states in the country. some of them being as Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
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