छत्र सुब्बाको भ्रमण गोर्खाल्याण्ड आन्दोलनको पूर्व तयारी ?

छत्र सुब्बाको भ्रमण गोर्खाल्याण्ड आन्दोलनको पूर्व तयारी ? डी के वाइबा: कालेबुङ २८ जनवरी; दार्जीलिङ पहाडका जनताहरुले बिगत देखि बर्तमान सम्म गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्यको सपना सजाएर बाँचेका छन्। तर, त्यो सपना काहिले पुरा होला भन्नेकुरा चाहीँ न त जनतालाई थाह छ न त नेताहरुलाई नै थाह छ। गोर्खाल्याण राज्यको माग गर्दै अनेकौं नेताहरु पहाडमा जन्मिए तर आजसम्म कसैले पनि पार लगाउँन भने सकिरहेको छैन। जसको कारण गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा आकाशको फल आखाँ तरि मर भन्ने उखान चरितार्थ बनेको छ। घरि घरि गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दामा ठगिएका पहाडका जनता अहिले राजनैतिक नेताहरुको रासलिला हेरिरहेका छन् । बिगतमा गोर्खा राष्ट्रिय मुक्ति मोर्चा (गोरामुमो) प्रमुख सुवास घिसिङले पहाडमा चलाएको गोर्खाल्याण्ड आन्दोलनमा पहाडका जनताहरु होमिए तर गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्य भने बनिएन बरु केवल १२ सय मानिसहरु शहिद मात्र बने। घिसिङले सुरु गरेको हिंसात्मक आन्दोलनले १२ सय शहिद बनाएर दागोपाप ल्यायो अनि दागोपापलाई तिनले बाघको बच्चा डमरु भने। जनता डमरु बडेर बाघ हुने आशामा २१ वर्षसम्म बसे तर त्यो डमरु बाघ हुन सकेन अनि सोहि कुरा बुझेर सुवास घिसिङले दागोपापलाई ग्यारेजमा थन्काउँनु पर्छ भन्दै छैटौं अनुसुचिको मुद्दा उठाए। अन्तमा त्यहीं छैटौं अनुसुचिको मुद्दाले तिनी पहाडबाटै बिस्थापित बन्न परे। गोरामुमो प्रमुख सुवास घिसिङ एण्ड कम्पनि पहाडबाट खेदिए पछि गोजमुमोले छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्ड ल्याउँने आशामा सम्पूर्ण पहाड तराई डुवर्सका मानिसहरु सडकमा ओर्लिए तर ४४ महिना पछि मोर्चाले पनि छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्ड नल्याएर जीटीएमा सम्झौता गरेको छ। जीटीए छुट्टै राज्य प्राप्तिको निम्ति पहिलो खुड्किलो रहेको मोर्चा नेताहरुले अगावै दाबी गरिसकेको छ तर राज्य प्राप्तिको पहिलो खुड्किलो भनेर दाबी गरेको जीटीए पनि सम्झौता भएको ६ महिना पुरा गरिसक्दा समेत लागु नभएको कारण अहिले पहाडका मानिसहरुमा दिनोदिन असन्तुष्टि सृजना भईरहेको छ। यसैबिच अनेक राजनैतिक उतार चडावहरुमा पहाडले स्वीजरल्याण्ड बनिने आश्वासन पायो अनि त्यो आश्वासनको पोका कहिले पुरा हुने हुन् भन्ने स्वय आश्वासन दिने मुख्य मन्त्री समेतलाई सायदा थाह छैन।अहिले घरी दार्जीलिङ पहाड न त स्वीजरल्याण्ड बनिन सकेको छ न त गोर्खाहरुका चहाना गोर्खाल्याण्ड नै बनिन सकेको छ। यतिमात्र नभएर १८ जुलाईको दिन सम्झौता भएको जीटीए समेत कार्यन्वय नहुँदा मानिसहरुमा दिनो दिन असन्तुष्टिको भावना जागिरहेको छ। गोरामुमो प्रमुख सुवास घिसिङले २१ वर्षसम्म दागोपापमा राज गरेपछि मानिसहरुमा बडेको असन्तुष्टि गोजमुमोको उदय हुँदा भुकम्प जस्तै बिष्फोट भयो। जसको कारण नेताहरु नै पाहड छोडेर भाग्न परेको थियो। यता गोजमुमोको उदय पछि दार्जीलिङ पहाडका जनताहरुले सजाएको छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको सपना पनि ४४ महिनाको आन्दोलन पछि लक भग सेलाएको निश्चित छ। यस्तो अवस्थामा पहाडका जनताहरु अहिलेघरि ४४ महिनाको आन्दोलनले ल्याएको उपलब्धि कार्यन्वय नहुँदा नेताहरुको बिश्वास गुमाउँदै गईरहेको छ। नेताहरुको लहै लहैमा पर्ने जनताहरु गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दामा अझ कतिदिन ठगिन पर्ने हो त्यो कसैले किटान गर्न सक्तैन।       नेताहरुको आश्वासनको पोका पाएका दार्जीलिङको रुप कहिले वास्तविक फेरिने हुन् भन्न नसकेता पनि अहिले घरि पहाडमा सुवास घिसिङको समय कालका आफुलाई जङ्गी नेताका रुपमा परिचित गराउँने छत्र सुब्बा दिनो दिन समचार पत्रहरुमा चर्चाको बिषय बन्दै गईरहेको छ। घिसिङ हमलाकाण्डको आरोपमा लकभग ११ वर्ष जेल बसेका सुब्बा रेलीको बगरमा गोजमुमो प्रमुख बिमल गुरुङ सित भेट भएपछि दैनिक छापामा आईरहेका छन। हाल तिनी सदभावना कार्यक्रमको बहनामा बिभिन्न स्थानहरुको भ्रमणमा कालेबुङबाट हप्तादिन अघि निस्केका छन्। यसैक्रममा तिनले दार्जीलिङ, खर्साङ, मिरिक, लगायत तराई डुवर्सको भ्रमण गरिरहेका छन् । तिनले बिभिन्न स्थानहरुको भ्रमण अवधी पत्रकारहरुलाई राजनैतिक भ्रमण नरहेको दाबी गरिरहेका छन। यद्यपी सुब्बाको उक्त भ्रमण राजनैतिक हुनसक्ने राजनैतिक सचेतकहरु बताउँछन्। यतिमात्र नभएर खुफिया बिभागले पनि तिनको भ्रमणलाई सदभावना कार्यक्रमको सामान्य भ्रमणको रुपमा लिईरहेका छैनन् । किन भने तिनले बिभिन्न स्थानहरुको भ्रमण समय अवधी कुनै न कुनै राजनैतिका दलका नेताहरुसित भेट गरिरहेका छन्। यस कुराले समेत तिनको भ्रमण राजनैतिक भ्रमण राजकनैति उदेश्य प्रेरित रहेको हुनसक्ने सचेतकहरुको भनाई रहेको छ। एकातिर हाल पहाडमा कुनै पनि ब्यवस्था लागु हुन सकिरहेको छैन भने अर्कोतिर बिगत दिनका गोर्खाल्याण्ड आन्दोलनका लडाकु नेता छत्र सुब्बाको भ्रमण निकै महत्वपूर्ण हुनसक्ने अनुमान गरिएको छ। तिनले जेलबाट मुक्त बनेर घर आईपुगेको समयमा जेलामा बस्दा थाकेको कारण केहिदिन सम्म चुपचाप बस्ने बताएका थिए। फलस्वरुप तिनी निकै लामो समयसम्म मौन समेत बसे। तर तिनको मौनता भने केहि महिना अघि जीटीएको बिरोघबाटै तोडिएको छ। आन्दोलनकालमा नेताहरुलाई थुप्रै अफर आउँने बताउँदै आफुलाई पनि अफर आएको तिनले बताएका थिए। तर आफु मुद्दा प्रति ईमान्दार रहेको कारण कुनै अफर स्वीकार नगरेको सुब्बाले बताउँदै जीटीएले गोर्खाल्याण्डको समस्या पुरा नगर्ने दाबी गरेर आफ्नो मौनता तोडेका थिए। यसै सिलसिलामा पहाडमा नयाँ राजनैतिक दल छत्रसुब्बाको नेतृत्वमा चल्ने हल्ला चल्यो अनि हाल तिनी सदभावना यात्राको बहनामा बिभिन्न स्थानहरुको भ्रमणमा छन। सुब्बाको यो भ्रमण पहाडमा गोर्खाल्याण्ड आन्दोलनको पुन: सुरुआतको सङ्केत पो हो कि भन्ने अहिले चारैतिर कौतुहलता बडेको छ।

नयाँ दल गठन गर्नेहरुको कालेबुङमा केहिदिन अघि बैठक

नयाँ दल गठन गर्नेहरुको कालेबुङमा केहिदिन अघि बैठक डी के वाइबा: कालेबुङ २५ जनवरी;       दार्जीलिङ पहाडमा केहि महिना अघिदेखि चलेको नयाँ राजनैतिक दल गठन हुने कुराको नक्सा बिस्तारै अघि आँउन थालेको छ। बिशेष सुत्रले दिएको जानकारी अनुसार केहिदिन अघिमात्र उक्त दल गठन गर्ने दौडमा कुदिरहेका मानिसहरुको कालेबुङमा बैठक सम्पन्न भयो। उक्त बैठकमा पूर्व भाजपाका अध्यक्ष दावा शेर्पा, पिपल्स फोरमका महासचिव प्रवीण गुरुङ, युजिआरएफ प्रमुख अजय दहाल लगायत कालेबुङका कातिपय दलका नेताहरुसमेत रहेको सुत्रले बताएको छ। बैठकमा बर्तमान पहाडको राजनैतिक परिस्थितिबारे चर्चा पारिचर्चा अनि नयाँ दल गठनको निम्ति चाल्नु पर्ने सतर्कताबारे कुराकानी भएको सुत्रले बताएको छ। छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको नारा लिएर जन्मेको राजनैतिक दल गोजमुमोले गोर्खालयाण्डको मुद्दा छोडेर जीटीएमा सम्झौता गरे पछि अहिले घरि पहाडमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलन चर्काउँने ताकमा कातिपय मोर्चा बिरोधी मानिसहरु लागी परेको छ। उनीहरुको समय समयमा बिभिन्न स्थानहरुमा बैठकहरु समेत भईरहेको छ भने यस बैठकको क्रमलाई अहिलेघरि निकै सक्रियता दिएको सुत्रले बताएको छ। गोर्खाल्याण्डको नारा दिएर गठन हुने दल काहिले जनताको अघि आउँनेहुन् भन्ने कुरा स्पष्ट नभएता पनि यसको मोटामोटि स्वरुप तयार भएको सुत्रले जानकारी दिएको छ। सुत्रले दिएको जानकारी अनुसार अहिले पहाडमा नयाँ राजनैतिक दल गठन हुन नदिन कतिपय शक्तिहरु समेत सक्रिय रहेको छ। उक्त शक्रिय रहेको अदृष्य शक्तिहरु सित बाँचन नयाँ राजनैतिक दल गठन गर्ने होडमा कुदिरहेको मानिसहरुलाई समेत कतिपय ठाँउहरुमा असुबिधा सृजना भईरहेको कारण यसको उदय हुने कुराको अन्तिम निष्कर्ष निस्कन सकिरहेको छैन। जसको कारण नयाँ दल गठन गर्ने मानिसहरुले आफ्ना कुराहरुलाई एकदमै गोप्य राख्न खोजिरहेको थाह लागेको छ। बिशेष नयाँ दल गठन गर्ने होडमा जीएलओ प्रमुख छत्र सुब्बाको नाम केहिदिन अघि अघिल्लो पंक्तिमा रहेको थियो। उक्त कुरालाई ध्यानमा राखेर यदि छत्र सुब्बाले पहाडमा राजनीति शुरु गरे बर्तमान समयमा गोजमुमोलाई खत्राहुने निश्चित बनेको कारण तिनलाई मोर्चाको तर्फबाट रिझाउँने प्रयास भएको समेत सुत्रले जनाएको छ। केहि दिन अघि रेलीको बगरमा मोर्चा प्रमुख बिमल गुरुङ अनि छत्र सुब्बाको भेटले नयाँ दल गठनको होडमा कुदिरहेका मानिसहरुलाई ब्याकफुटमा पारेको समेत सुत्रले जानकारी दिएको छ। हुन त उक्त भेटलाई लिएर दुवै नेताहरुले संयोगवस भेट भएको बताएता पनि भेट मोटा मोटी सुनियोजित रहेको सुत्रले दाबी गरेको छ। सुब्बाले पाहाडमा पुन: राजनीति नगरोस भन्ने चाहना मोर्चाका नेताहरुले राखेका कारण तिनालई सुनियोजित तरिकाले रेलीको बगरमा आयोजित कार्यक्रममा निमन्त्रणा दिएको सुत्रले थप दाबी गरेको छ। यता नयाँ राजनैतिक दल गठन गर्ने होडमा कुदिरहेका नेताहरुले यसबारेमा अहिले छत्रसुब्बा र बिमल गुरूङको भेटलाई निकै गहन तरिकाले हेरेको अनि सुब्बालाई दलमा सामेल गराउँन पर्ने हुन् कि होईनन् भनेर समेत बिचार गरिरहेको सुत्रले बताएको छ।

CPM supports GJMM’s demand....Id proof necessary for Railway i ticket and PRS.....Tax target up seven-fold.....New toy train coaches to shed vestibules,,,,,Rich in cash, human drama

CPM supports GJMM’s demand
SNS, SILIGURI, 20 January 2012: The CPI-M Darjeeling Hill unit senior leader, KB Watter today defended the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) stance on land issues involving certain parts of the Terai-Dooars. 
They said over 10 moujas spread over the region should be included in the geographical jurisdiction of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
“The GJMM is justified in claiming the moujas where the Nepali-speaking community enjoys demographic majority. Also the areas in Darjeeling, which were proposed to be included within the Sixth Schedule contour, should be included in the GTA territory,” he said.
However, Mr Watter sounded skeptic when asked whether the Shymal Sen Committee would agree to include 315 moujas, as demanded by the GJMM.
“It is unlikely. My support rests with them when it comes to the Nepali-majority areas across the Terai-Dooars,” he said.
Mr Watter defending the GJMM's stance might cause the district and the state CPI-M leadership further embarrassment as the party’s district and state units have already declared a stance contrary to Mr Watter’s on this matter.
The party stand, officially, is that no additional area should be added to GTA apart from the DGHC territory that already exists.
However, president of Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, Mr RB Rai said the GJMM was not sincere about the land claim. “The demand for additional areas is justified, but the GJMM appear more interested in securing their office,” he said.
Id  proof necessary for Railway i ticket and PRS

PIB, KalimNews: In a move to prevent misuse of Reserved Train Tickets and reduce cases of travelling on transferred tickets, Ministry of Railways has decided that anyone of the passengers/the passenger booked on the ticket issued from computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS counters) and Internet (i-ticket) undertaking journey in AC-3 tier, AC-2 tier, 1st AC, AC Chair Car and Executive Classes will have to carry one of the nine prescribed proofs of identity (in original) during the journey. 

The passengers of these AC classes would be required to produce the Identity Card in original as and when required failing which all the passengers booked on that ticket will be treated as without ticket and charged accordingly. However, the Identity Card (in original or its photocopy) will not be required at the time of purchase reserved AC tickets from PRS counters or i-ticket. These instructions are valid for all categories of trains, with the above mentioned classes of travel.

These fresh instructions are in addition to the existing instructions under which the passengers with Tatkal tickets and e-tickets are already required to carry original proof of identity during the course of Railway journey. In case of Tatkal tickets, self attested photocopy of the Identity Card is required at the time of purchase from the PRS counters or Identity Card details (Number etc.) are to be entered at the time of purchase from internet.

These instructions will come into effect from 15th February, 2012.

A message on this count will be indicated on the ticket issued in the above said classes through computerized PRS/I-ticket.

Center for Railway Information System (CRIS), an organization under Ministry of Railways, has been asked to make necessary provisions in the software.

The list of valid proofs of identity are - Voter Photo Identity Card issued by Election Commission of India, Passport, PAN Card issued by Income Tax Department, Driving License issued by RTO, Photo Identity card having serial number issued by Central/State Government, Student Identity Card with Photograph issued by recognized School/College for their students, Nationalized Bank Passbook with Photograph, Credit Cards issued by Banks with laminated photograph, Unique Identification Card “Aadhaar”.
Tax target up seven-fold
VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, Jan. 20: The government has set a tax collection target of Rs 50 crore for the Darjeeling district for the current fiscal, a seven-fold increase from last year’s target of Rs 7 crore.
The move is an indication that the state has started tightening its noose against defaulters who had not paid their dues in the past three years following the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s call for a non-co-operation movement.
Gopal Lama, additional district magistrate and also the district land and land reforms officer, said: “We are trying our best to meet the target. The common people have started paying up their land rents and other dues. We have also sent notices to tea gardens across the district to clear up their arrears.”
He said the department had collected Rs 9.5 crore as tax arrears last year though the target set was Rs 7 crore.
The Morcha had asked the hill people to stop paying taxes from April 1, 2008, as part of its non-co-operation movement. Even after an agreement on a hill set-up was reached on July 18, 2011, the Morcha had made it clear that people would pay their dues only from August 1, 2011.
Sources said last year the taxes had been mostly collected from the Siliguri subdivision while collection from the three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong was “quite less”.
The department has already sent notices to 38 gardens. The total outstanding dues, which have accumulated from the 2008-09 financial year, stands at a little over Rs 52 lakh for the 38 estates.
“We want the gardens to pay the dues by February end,” said Lama. An official said those who did not pay up this time would be fined.
Local people have not complained yet about the pay-up notice. “The locals have not yet complained as the land rents are very low. In rural areas a person has to pay Rs 25 per acre per annum. In urban areas, it is Rs 25 per decimal (100 decimals makes one acre),” said an official.
The Morcha said it was not aware of the pay-up notice from the land department. “We had said we would pay all taxes from August 1, 2011. That is why the electricity department is taking bills only from August. I am not aware of this issue (land rent),” said Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri. Power bills of more than Rs 72 crore accrued during the period of Morcha agitation have not yet been cleared by the hill people.
New toy train coaches to shed vestibules

The interior of a vestibule coach brought for the DHR. File picture

MRINALINI SHARMA, TT, Siliguri, Jan. 20: The railways have dropped the plan to introduce vestibule coaches in toy trains as they have difficulty in manoeuvring sharp curves and all efforts to solve the glitch have failed.
The 10 vestibule coaches brought from Pune two years ago will be converted into regular compartments that have been successfully ferrying passengers along the 80km long serpentine tracks for the past 130 years.
This is the second time that an attempt to introduce a new technology in the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway has failed. A move to replace steam engines with oil-fired locomotives to run the toy trains was abandoned in 2002 as it was not suitable for the tracks.
“We had tried to introduce vestibule coaches as a new attraction for tourists. But the plan had to be abandoned as the coaches could not bend on the sharp curves on the tracks between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling,” a DHR official told The Telegraph.
The DHR had brought the vestibule coaches from the Kurdavari railway coach factory in Pune in August 2009. The two-and-a-half-feet long vestibules (corridors) enable passengers to walk from one coach to another while the train moves. The vestibules had come with glass ceilings through which passengers could get a view of the hills above. Besides, each coach has an airbrake also. The existing compartments of the toy trains are not connected to each other and passengers have to disembark from one coach to board another.
Right from the first trial run in 2009, the coaches could not negotiate the bends when the train climbed uphill to Rongtong after leaving the plains of Sukna. Although modifications were made to fix the glitch, the problem persisted. The coaches had been kept at the DHR loco shed in Siliguri Junction since then.
“The coaches tend to jerk when they encounter the curves. We cannot put travellers at risk by introducing these coaches for regular runs. So, we decided to remove the vestibules and convert the coaches into regular ones that are currently running on the DHR tracks,” said the official.
A few years ago, the Unesco heritage railway had to discard another technology to run the toy trains. Oil-fired engines were brought in to replace steam locomotives to save cost and time, but they were found unsuitable for the uphill rails. Two oil-fired engines were brought in 2002 and after all efforts to modify them failed, they were turned into steam locomotives in 2009.
The DHR authorities admitted that it would suffer losses because of the unsuitability of the vestibule coaches for the hill tracks.
“Since the vestibule coaches don’t serve the purpose of the hill railway, we have to convert them into regular ones. We need to spend some money for that. In that way, it is a loss for the DHR,” said a DHR official. He said the coaches would be configured after the railway budget of the next fiscal was passed in Parliament.
Rich in cash, human drama

Seema Roy and her elder son Pintu at their Malda home on Friday. Picture by Surajit Roy

TT, Malda, Jan. 20: Shock, shame, relief, forgiveness, gratitude, dignity and hope tinged with nagging doubt – a forgotten bag with Rs 23 lakh today sent two families on a roller-coaster ride of emotions.
SHOCK
A bidi supplier and construction material trader from Murshidabad today staked claim to the cash in the bag, which was found in a train and reported by Seema Roy, a cleaning lady, at Malda Town station.
Shahjahan Biswas said he was travelling with his nephew Matiur Rahman from Sealdah to Malda yesterday in the Gour Express. The 34-year-old nephew apparently left the bag behind by mistake.
The uncle said his nephew was “shocked and ashamed” at his “carelessness”.
“We had boarded the AC coach on Wednesday night with seven bags, including the one that contained the money to buy land. I had asked Matiur to look after the bags. We got off at Malda station and headed for our home. It was only late last night that we realised that one bag was missing,” Shahjahan told The Telegraph.
SHAME
“My nephew is in a state of shock. He is so ashamed at his carelessness that he is not even speaking to me. Ours is a family business and Matiur, being my elder brother’s son, is one of the owners,” Shahjahan added.
Several attempts by the newspaper to speak to Matiur failed as he did not take the calls.
RELIEF
Once the loss sunk in, Shahjahan contacted local Congress MLA and municipal chairman Krishnendu Choudhuri. “He told us not to worry as he had learnt from the media that the money had been found and deposited with police and that he would take up the matter today,” Shahjahan said.
FORGIVENESS
Shahjahan said there was “no question” of scolding Matiur. “It is as much his money as it is mine. Besides, these days if you scold a youngster you don’t know what he might do. You hear all these tragic stories of young people taking their lives after bring scolded.”
GRATITUDE
Shahjahan said he was “grateful” to Seema, who has to look after two sons with her Rs 9,000 monthly salary. She got the railway job after her husband passed away.
“I have come to know that her elder son is unemployed. I am willing to offer him a job in my company and give her a handsome monetary reward. Her act of honesty is rare these days. I will meet the family and thank them,” Shahjahan said.
DIGNITY
For Seema, life continued as usual today. Cooking food on an earthen stove in her one-room tiled hut in Malda’s Coolie Para after returning from work, the widow said she had “no expectations” but her unemployed 24-year-old elder son would be “very happy” to get a job.
Seema said she was “simply being honest and doing my duty”. “I have no expectations from anyone. I may be poor but I am honest. I have dignity and prestige.”
HOPE AND DOUBT
Told of Shahjahan’s job offer, Seema said: “First let the offer be made to us, then we shall see. Rich people make a lot of promises. But I’m sure my son will be very happy if he gets a job. I did whatever I thought was right. I have made no demand in return. I have nothing more to say.”
Ravindra Kumar Gupta, the manager of Eastern Railway’s Malda division, said Seema would be given a reward of Rs 2,000. “She has made the entire Malda division proud.”
THE MONEY
Shahjahan today visited the office of the Government Railway Police in Malda town to claim the Rs 23 lakh. The police asked Shahjahan to apply to the district court to get the money back.
“I have submitted a challan issued by our office in Calcutta stating the number of thousand and five-hundred-rupee notes in the bag. This can be matched by the court with the contents of the bag,” Shahjahan said.
News in brief
ABAVP will organise an anti GATA rally next week in Dooars. A source said that all anti GJM organisations like Terai Dooars nagarik manch , BOBBC may support this rally. 
Siliguri will be a commisionerate.
Swajan Dewan a student of first year political science of Presidency College staying at Hindu hostel tried to take his life by cutting nerves of his wrist. Dewan of Tripura was fed up with the ragging of SFI members of his college.  
In protest against the closure notice of the management of Panighatta Tea garden the labourers are staging a 24 hr relay hunger strike from today.
SDF man files RS papers
TT, Gangtok, Jan. 20: Former minister Hissey Lachungpa is set to be elected to the Rajya Sabha with the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front endorsing him as a candidate for the election to the lone seat for the state in the Upper House.
Lachungpa filed his nominations today and his election to Rajya Sabha is almost certain as all 32 MLAs in the Sikkim Assembly are from the SDF. Today was the last day for filing nominations and the scrutiny will take place tomorrow. The last day for the withdrawal of nominations is January 23.
Tea garden
TT, Alipurduar: The Dalmore Tea Estate in Birpara-Madarihat block will reopen on Monday. The decision was taken at a meeting in the office of assistant labour commissioner in Birpara on Friday. Rupinder Singh Ranawat, the general manager of the estate, said representatives of workers had offered cooperation to the management to run the garden. Citing lawlessness, the management had suspended work in the plantation with 1,266 workers on September 26 last year.
Four get life
TT, Alipurduar: Four persons were sentenced to life imprisonment by a court here on Friday for lynching a tea garden worker who had been branded a sorcerer. The verdict was delivered by the additional district and sessions judge of the fast track first court. Chaitu Oraon of Joy Birpara Tea Estate in Birpara-Madarihat block was murdered by nine persons on September 11, 2000. The five others were minors and are being tried in the juvenile court in Cooch Behar.

Morcha looks beyond Bengal....Life sentence...23 lakh found in train....Life sentence....Govt slams Tea Board for closed plantations....State ignores GJM call for fresh Hill stir

Morcha looks beyond Bengal

Bimal Gurung: Over to Uttarakhand

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, Jan. 19: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is set to step beyond the borders of Bengal and test its electoral fortunes in other parts of the country which have significant pockets of Gorkha population.

As a first step, it has fielded a candidate in Mussoorie in Uttarakhand where Assembly elections are due on January 30.

Morcha chief Bimal Gurung will leave for Mussoorie tomorrow or the day after to campaign for Jagdish Chauhan, party general secretary Roshan Giri said today.

The Morcha also believes that it has considerable influence in at least 26 constituencies in Assam and three in Manipur.

“According to our survey, we are a major factor in at least 26 seats in Assam. We can influence at least three Assembly seats in Manipur apart from Mussoorie in Uttarakhand,” said Giri adding: “In the days to come, there is a strong possibility of the party contesting elections in these seats.”

The Morcha is gearing up to pool all its resources to ensure that the debut in Mussoorie does not turn out to be a damp squib.

“The elections are significant as we will be contesting in a seat outside Bengal for the first time. Our party president will be leaving for Uttarakhand in a day or two and will attend meetings and road shows there on January 24 and 25,” said Giri.

The fact that the Morcha has taken a conscious decision to reach out to the Nepali-speaking people across the country can be gauged from the fact that Giri will be leaving for Tezpur on January 21 to attend a programme organised by Assam Gorkha Sammelan. “From Assam, I will also go to Uttarakhand on January 23,” said Giri.

Party sources maintain the Morcha does not want to be seen merely as a Darjeeling-based political outfit with a limited sphere of influence.

“If we are able to rally all the Nepali-speaking people scattered across the country, the importance of the party in the eyes of the Centre would definitely increase. Winning an election outside Bengal where our community is present, is not on our agenda. Our ultimate aim is to bring our people under one political banner,” said a Morcha leader.

Another source said the Mussoorie seat has 94,557 voters of whom the about 20,000 are Nepali-speaking people. “If we can consolidate our voters in Mussoorie, we can win the seat there as there are 15 candidates in fray,” said a Morcha leader.

“Since its inception, the Morcha had been mobilising supporters across the country and many from Uttarakhand had even taken part in various dharnas organised by the party in Delhi to support the Gorkhaland movement,” said another leader.

During the parliamentary elections in Uttarakhand in 2009, the Morcha had appealed to the Nepali-speaking people to vote for the BJP. “During the last parliamentary elections, we had supported the BJP but we now think that we are in a position to contest at least one seat in Uttarakhand,” said Giri.

Asked if Gurung and other Morcha leaders would be meeting Union ministers in Delhi during their trip to Uttarakhand to press for the early formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial administration, Giri said: “Nothing has been fixed as of now.”
GNLF president Subash Ghising to take Govt to Court
Amitava Banerjee, HT, Darjeeling, January 20, 2012: If Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) Supremo Subash Ghising has his way, he is all set to drag the Union and West Bengal Governments to the court for the non-implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of which both were signatories. Ghising has been making frequent trips to Delhi to consult legal experts in this regard. On the other hand Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) President Bimal Gurung has threatened to resurrect the Gorkhaland agitation if the Government fails to form the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) within March 27, 2012.
On December 6, 2005, a Memorandum of Understanding had been signed between the Centre, State and GNLF President Subash Ghising to accord a 6th Schedule status to the Darjeeling Hills. However with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) being floated by dissident GNLF leader Bimal Gurung in October 2007 riding piggyback on the Gorkhaland demand finally led to the ouster of Ghising, the GNLF and the 6th Schedule demand from the Hills.
A fresh Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed between the State, Centre and the GJM on July 18, 2011, for the formation of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA,) an autonomous administrative body to replace the existing Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. This MOA paved way for the passing of a GTA Bill by the West Bengal Assembly. The Bill is at present under inter-ministerial consultation. Following a green signal from the ministries, the Bill will require an assent from the President of India. A GNLF source stated that Ghising has decided to knock on the doors of the apex court, questioning as to why the Government has failed to honour its own MOU to grant a 6th Schedule status to the Darjeeling Hills.
“Subash Ghising has been meeting Supreme Court lawyers to seek legal opinion on this matter. Whatever be the outcome the GNLF party has decided to seek legal recourse” stated the source. Meanwhile a jittery GJM has threatened to resurrect the separate state demand if the Government fails to form the GTA within March 27, 2012. GJM President Bimal Gurung has made an announcement to this effect at Jamuney near Darjeeling on Tuesday evening. After his ouster from the Hills in 2008, Ghising had returned back to Darjeeling from his political exile in Jalpaiguri on April 8, 2011. The GNLF in an attempt to regroup had even fielded candidates in the three hill constituencies in the last Assembly elections. However after being routed in all the three seats (Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong) Ghising had made a silent retreat to Jalpaiguri on May 16, 2011.
Ghising is planning to come out of the political hibernation to make yet another public appearance in Mirik under the Kurseong sub division of the Darjeeling district. Aimed at sensitizing the public on the benefits of the 6th Schedule, the party has planned a similar meetings across the Hills. “We will hold public meetings all over the Hills starting with Mirik in February. President, Subash Ghisingh, will soon announce the dates for the meetings. He will also be present in the meetings.” stated Arjun Rai, the convener of the GNLF’s Mirik area. The GNLF have already initiated ground work, specially in the Mirik area. Rai had recently held meetings with GNLF village chiefs of the Mirik area.

News in Brief: 
23 lakh found in train
KalimNews: A bag full of Indian currency worth Rs 23 lakh was found by a sweeper Sima Roy in an AC compartment 09041 of Gaur Express (up). On sweeping the compartment in the car shed the black bag was founded by Sima and handed over to Kalu Mohammed of GRPF which was later deposited to his superior in Malda division station.Sima is a widow and has two sons. A bidi company has claimed the bag and both Sima and Kalu will be rewarded announced the GRPF officials. 
Firing arrest
TT, Alipuduar: An ex-army man was arrested from Birpara on Thursday evening after he fired four rounds in the air from his gun during an argument with a shop keeper. After the firing, local people caught Hareram Singh and handed him over to police. The police said one round of live cartridges was recovered from him. Singh has claimed that he had a licence for the gun. He will be produced in the court on Friday.
Life sentence
TT, Jalpaiguri: Rupesh Lohar, a resident of Gairkata, was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his neighbour on September 16, 2005. Pratiklal Jha, the additional public prosecutor, said Lohar used to beat up his wife often and he had attacked Nanka Roy and his brother when they tried to save her one day. Nanka died on the spot and Lohar was arrested two days after the incident. The additional sessions judge, fast track second court, has also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on Lohar. If he fails to pay the amount, he will have to spend six more months in prison.
High power committee  will meet on 27 January at Kolkata regarding the inclusion of Doaars and Terai in the GTA. Roshan Giri and L.B.Pariyar will represent the GJM in the meeting.
Govt slams Tea Board for closed plantations
SNS, SILIGURI, 19 January 2012: At a time when two more tea workers of the closed Dheklapara Tea Estate are struggling for their lives at Jalpaiguri District Hospital, blame-game has started between the state government and Indian Tea Board officials on the issue of abandoned tea plantations in the region.
Mr Jiban Oraon (57), an allegedly malnourished tea worker and Mrs Joshoda Oraon (60), suffering from liver problem, are undergoing treatment at the district hospital.
Following the death of nine tea workers at Dheklapara owing to alleged starvation over the past few months (official records show only six tea workers have died) government officials, including north Bengal development affairs minister Mr Gautam Deb, alleged that the tea board members were reluctant to take any initiative to revive the closed tea estates.
Reacting to minister Mr Deb’s comment, one of the tea board officials in Siliguri said the government should take proper initiative in the interest of the workers of the abandoned tea plantations.
Sources said the state might approach the Centre to take action against the tea planters on the basis of the Tea Act 1953 in connection with fund diversion and other financial irregularities.
A total of seven tea gardens are closed in the Hills, Terai and Dooars. “The matter is under consideration of the state labour minister, Mr Purnendu Bose, and other top officials whether it will approach the Centre to take appropriate action since the state cannot exercise the Tea Act,” a senior departmental official said.
An official associated with the labour department said the tea board should keep a strict vigil on the planters in the interest of the labourers.
After visiting Dheklapara Tea Estate thrice, Mr Deb said: “Congress MLAs and leaders, who are members of the tea board should take up the matter with the Centre to resolve the crisis in the tea plantations in the interest of jobless workers. However, they are completely reluctant.”
The deputy director of Tea Board in Siliguri, Mr KK Bhattacharya, said: “The top tea board officials usually implement the Tea Act 1953. We cannot do anything from our level.”
Mr Bhattacharya said: “Can the Tea Board take over a closed tea garden? We only assist tea plantations in various forms to develop tea industries. We have nothing to do when a tea plantation is closed due to litigation. The state should take up various programmes for the betterment of the tea plantation workers.” The tea board has made security arrangements for the protection of assets of the Dheklapara Tea Estate following a Calcutta High Court order.
The Jalpaiguri chief medical officer of health, Dr Swapan Sarkar, said: “The condition of two tea workers, who are undergoing treatment at the district hospital, is critical. A few ailing tea workers are being treated at Birpara health centre.” “Not only at Dheklapara but tea workers associated with other tea estates are also suffering,” said Dr Sarkar. “Tea workers at Lankapara, Tulshipara, Dalmore, Singhnia and other areas in the Dooars are suffering from chikungunya and dengue. However, there is no death report. We are trying to combat the situation,” said Dr Sarkar.
State ignores GJM call for fresh Hill stir
Dialy Pioneer, SAUGAR SENGUPTA, KOLKATA, 18 JANUARY 2012 : The Bengal Government refused to react to a warning issued by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung when he fixed a deadline for the implementation of the GTA accord by March-end failing which fresh agitations would start in the Hills.
Bengal Minister for North Bengal Affairs Gautam Deb said all sides were working towards the implementation of the accord, adding Government and the GJM leadership were in constant touch on the sensitive issue.
“The proposed Gorkhaland Territorial Administration will have to be in place by March 27, otherwise the Hill people will take recourse to fresh agitation,” Gurung said. The Government sources refused to attach much importance to Gurung’s statements linking it to the “timing” when it was made. According to sources, Gurung wanted to bring pressure on the Justice Shyamal Sen Committee working to determine the territory of the GTA. The Committee was meeting in Kolkata.
Gurung had said that the Hill people would start a movement for a separate Gorkhaland State rejecting the GTA movement if the Government failed to implement the Accord and a Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in place.
GTA was to include apart from the Hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong about 400 moujas from the adjoining Dooars and plains with sizeable population of Gorkhas but largely inhabited by the Bengalis and tribal people. These people are opposing inclusion of the plain lands into the GTA. The GTA Accord was signed by CM Mamata Banerjee and GJM leader Roshan Giri in presence of the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.
There was no question of the GJM extending the deadline, said Giri, adding the Hill outfit was of the opinion that the Committee was working slowly and expected it to work fast and resolve the territorial issue.