दिल्ली दृष्टिमा त्रिदेशीय साझेदारी

नयाँदिल्ली, - भारतसँग सम्बन्ध सुमधुर राख्न चिनियाँ प्रधानमन्त्री वेन जियाबाओले दिएको सन्देश सेलाउन नपाउँदै भारतबाट पनि त्यस्तै खाले सन्देश नेपाली पक्षलाई आयो । ती परिवेशमा पात्र अलग थिए, तर विश्वका दुई उदीयमान शक्तिले दिएको सन्देशको मर्म मूलतः एकै थियो । चिनियाँ प्रधानमन्त्रीको भ्रमणको केही दिनमैै भारतको आकस्मिक यात्रामा आएका उपप्रधानमन्त्री विजयकुमार गच्छदारलाई भारतीय प्रधानमन्त्री मनमोहन सिंहले वेनले नेपाली समकक्षी बाबुराम भट्टराईलाई भनेकै शैलीमा चीनसँग सम्बन्ध राम्रो बनाएकामा भारत खुसी भएको बताए । 

कूटनीतिक तहमा सम्बन्ध सुमधुर रहे पनि यी दुई विशाल छिमेकीबीचको अघोषित प्रतिस्पर्धा पटक-पटक प्रकट भइरहेको तथ्य कसैबाट लुकेको छैन । युद्धग्रस्त अफगानिस्तान र अपि|mकाका प्राकृतिक स्रोतसम्पन्न भूभागमा देखिएको प्रतिस्पर्धा साउथ चाइना सी र दक्षिणपूर्वी मुलुक म्यान्मारसम्म प्रस्ट प्रतीत हुन्छ । दुई ढुंगाबीचको तरुलको परम्परागत घेराबाट अझै बाहिर आउन नसकेको नेपालमा पनि घोषित, अघोषित रूपमा भारत र चीनको सक्रियतालाई लिएर एकअर्काे पक्षले शंका जनाउने गरेको दृष्टान्त खोज्न धेरै पछि र्फकनु पर्दैन । एक चिनियाँ गैरसरकारी संस्थाले बुद्धको जन्मस्थल लुम्बिनीमा गर्ने भनिएको करोडौं डलरको योजना नै उदाहरणका लागि काफी छ । 

यो पृष्ठभूमि रहँदारहँदै पनि नेपालमा एकअर्काको भूमिकाबाट आफूले असहज महसुस नगरेका आशय दुवै शक्तिशाली छिमेकीका प्रधानमन्त्रीहरूबाट पछिल्लो पटक व्यक्त भएपछि विभिन्न खाले टीकाटिप्पणी सुरु भएका छन् । के यो नेपाल, भारत र चीनबीचको त्रिदेशीय साझेदारीको सूचक 

हो ? के भारत र चीनले यो क्षेत्रमा एकअर्काको प्रभाव खुला र सहज रूपमा स्वीकार गरेको अवस्था हो ? यी र यस्तै खालका अनेक प्रश्न उब्जिएका छन् । 

प्रसिद्ध भारतीय अनुसन्धान संस्था 'आईडीएसए' का एकजना नेपाल मामिला अध्येताको विश्लेषण मान्ने हो भने चिनियाँ प्रधानमन्त्रीको पछिल्लो टिप्पणी नेपालमा भारतीय भूमिकाको प्रस्ट 'एक्नलेजमेन्ट' हो । 'नेपालसँगको भारतको ऐतिहासिक, सांस्कृतिक, भाषिक एवं व्यावहारिक निकटताका कारण नेपालमा भारतीय भूमिकाको स्थान अरू कसैले लिन सक्दैन भन्ने सन्देश चीनको हो,' आफ्नो विश्लेषण सुनाउँदै आईडीएसएका अध्येता निहार नायकले भने । 

नेपालका लागि भारतका राजदूत रहिसकेका एकजना प्रख्यात कूटनीतिज्ञका लागि भने दुई मुलुकका प्रधानमन्त्रीको भनाइमा पुरानै नीतिको निरन्तरता झल्केको छ । 'नेपालले दुवै छिमेकीसँग सुमधुर सम्बन्ध राख्नुपर्छ भन्ने कुरा भारत र चीनको पहिलेदेखिको नीति हो । यसमा कुनै नौलो कुरा छैन,' नाम उल्लेख गर्न नचाहने ती पूर्वराजदूतले भने । 

भारतस्थित एकजना चीन मामिलाविज्ञले भने पछिल्लो घटनाक्रमलाई अलग रूपले नियालेका छन् । 'काठमाडौंसँग बेइजिङको सम्बन्ध नजिकिँदाको भारतीय संवेदनशीलतालाई बुझी चिनियाँ प्रधानमन्त्रीले नयाँदिल्लीलाई कुनै किसिमले चित्त नदुखोस् भन्नेबारे निकै सावधानी अपनाएको देखिन्छ,' सेन्टर फर पोलिसी रिसर्चका सिनियर फेलो तथा प्रख्यात स्तम्भकार सी. राजामोहनले टिप्पणी गरे । 

नेपाललाई भारत र चीनबीचको 'गतिशील पुल' का रूपमा विकसित गर्ने प्रधानमन्त्री बाबुराम भट्टराईको योजनाप्रति समर्थन जनाउँदै उनले घुमाउरो पारामा त्रिदेशीय समझदारी उपयुक्त हुने संकेत हालसालै प्रकाशित आफ्नो लेखमा गरेका छन् । लुम्बिनी विकास आयोजनाको उदाहरण दिँदै उनले इन्डियन एक्सप्रेस दैनिकमा लेखेका छन्, 'बेइजिङ र काठमाडौंसँग संयुक्त रूपमा सहकार्य गर्दै अघि बढ्न सक्ने सम्भावनाबारे भारतले खोजी गर्नुपर्छ ।'

यद्यपि अर्का अध्येता नायकको बुझाइमा त्रिदेशीय साझेदारीप्रति भारत र चीन दुवै अनिच्छुक छन् । 'भारतसँग सम्बन्ध 

सुमधुर बनाउन चीनले भन्नु र त्यस्तै खालको अभिव्यक्ति भारतीय 

प्रधानमन्त्रीबाट पनि आउनु त्रिपक्षीय साझेदारीभन्दा पनि एकअर्कासँगको द्विपक्षीय सम्बन्धलाई महत्त्व दिएको प्रस्ट संकेत हो,' नायकले भने । एउटा कुराचाहिँ पक्का हो चीन र भारतको रणनीतिक प्रतिस्पर्धामा अढाई सय वर्षदेखि 'दुई ढुंगाबीचको तरुल' मानिएको नेपाल बेवास्ता गर्न नमिल्ने 'मुद्दा' बनेको छ । त्यसबाट कूटनीतिक लाभ हासिल हुने अवसरलाई नेपाल स्वयंले चाहिँ कति सदुपयोग गर्न सक्छ वा शक्तिराष्ट्रहरूको 'शीतयुद्ध' को थलोमात्र बन्छ, त्यो भने हेर्न बाँकी छ ।

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SDF man files RS papers

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.(Telegraph)

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New toy train coaches to shed vestibules

MRINALINI SHARMA

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

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Tax target up seven-fold

VIVEK CHHETRI 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.(Telegraph)

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कालेबुङ महकुमालाई जिल्ला बनाउनु पर्ने माग लिएर गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्य निमार्ण मोर्चाको शहरमा पोष्टरिङ , जिल्ला गठ्न मुद्दा गोर्खाल्याडको पहिलो खुडकिलो पार्टी प्रमुख दावा पाखरीङको दावी

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Drug ban threat to rein in OPD sales

Members of the Assembly standing committee on health at the NBMCH on Wednesday. (Kundan Yolmo)

Siliguri, Jan. 18: The Assembly standing committee on health has threatened that it will ask the government not to procure drugs manufactured by companies whose medical representatives visit the out-patients’ department flouting norms.

The Assembly team said it would ask the government to enforce strictly the rule on the entry of medical representatives to hospitals, after one of them was spotted at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital’s outpatients’ department.

A government rule prohibits the entry of medical representatives in government hospitals from 10am to 2pm, when the OPDs are open. The committee members stumbled upon the medical representative in the surgical OPD, where Dr Sudhangshu Shekhar Ghosh was examining patients.

“What are you doing here during OPD hours? Don’t you know medical representatives are not allowed in the OPD when patients are visiting?” Sunil Kumar Mondal, a Trinamul MLA from Burdwan and a committee member, asked him.

The medical representative mumbled a vague reply and hurriedly departed. Mondal asked Dr Ghosh why he had allowed the representative to enter the OPD. “He was standing in a corner. I was not aware of his presence while attending to my patients,” Ghosh said.

Mondal said the team would suggest a strict enforcement of the existing law. “If any of them are found violating the order, strict action — which may even amount to a ban on products of the company concerned in government medical institutions — would be taken.”

Committee chairman Siliguri MLA Rudranath Bhattacharya later told journalists that a host of health projects was in the pipeline for the NBMCH.

“The anti-retroviral treatment unit will be expanded. The state has also sanctioned funds for an SNCU. The trauma centre will be completed soon and Rs 44 lakh has been sanctioned for Institutional Reference Lab (IRL) to conduct tests for multi-drug resistant cases. Now, samples of sputum are sent to the IRL at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Calcutta for tests,” said Bhattacharya.

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Polls decision after Feb 16

Siliguri, Jan. 18: North Bengal University has “kept in abeyance” the students’ union election of Raiganj University College, considering that the institute would be busy with a host of activities for a month from now.

A decision on whether the air is conducive for polls would be taken after a report is submitted on February 16.

The announcements were made by NBU vice-chancellor Arunabha Basumajumdar after a review meeting of the college’s advisory committee today.

“Our main focus is to maintain normality in the college so that the academic activities are carried out without any hindrance. There are a number of academic activities scheduled in the college for a month from now. Considering all these factors, we have kept in abeyance the students’ union election for a month,” Basumajumdar, who is the chairman of the 11-member committee, said.

The activities include filling up of examination forms for under-graduate exams scheduled in the first week of April and unit tests for all three years that will end on February 15.

The students’ union election of the college was supposed to be held on January 16 but was deferred after then teacher-in-charge Dilip Dey Sarkar was assaulted by alleged Trinamul activists on January 5 during the collection of election nomination forms.

The new teacher-in-charge Shatrughan Singh, who took over after Dey Sarkar resigned, was present at today’s meeting.

“Singh will prepare a joint status report in consultation with the election commission and the district administration and submit it to me on February 16. This is to decide whether the situation is conducive to hold the student union poll. Whether to start the election process afresh, or continue from where it was left will be decided by the election commission of the college,” Basumajumdar said.(Telegraph)

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DMs to scan contours of plains mouzas - Morcha cites adivasi support to argue against demographic profiling of plains pockets

VIVEK CHHETRI

Darjeeling, Jan. 18: The Justice Shyamal Sen Committee today decided to ask the district magistrates of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri to prepare a map to see if the mouzas the Gorkha Janmutki Morcha wanted as part of the hill set-up were contiguous.

“This would be a first step,” said Shankar Adhikari, the Morcha’s convener of the Terai unit who is on the committee.

“Then would follow the more complex task of verifying whether they (the mouzas) are Gorkha dominated or not. Unless these areas are contiguous it would be difficult to include them in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. So we shall first study this aspect and then move forward. The district magistrates will be given 10 days to complete the map,” he added.

The committee’s decision comes a day after Morcha chief Bimal Gurung threatened to re-start the statehood agitation unless the GTA was implemented by March 27.

Sources in the state government doubted whether the committee could achieve the task of verifying if the mouzas were Gorkha-dominated before that. The government had initially given the committee a deadline of six months to submit its report. As the deadline will expire in February, the committee is expected to ask the government for more time.

“The verification (if the mouzas are Gorkha dominated) would be time-consuming process and we have not even started it yet. In fact, it is the verification process that is becoming one of the biggest stumbling blocks in the formation of the GTA,” another Morcha leader who is on the committee said. “What is good, however, is that a start has been made and we can only go forward from here.”

The Morcha has asked for the inclusion of 196 mouzas in the Dooars and an equal number in the Terai in the GTA. The hill party has maintained that it would not accept the new administrative arrangement unless the territorial status was firmed up.

The committee is headed by retired judge Shyamal Sen and consists of four Morcha representatives, the district magistrates of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri, a representative of the state home department, the director of census (representing the Centre) and the administrator of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.

Adhikari said the Morcha representatives argued today that it was not necessary to get the demographic profile of these mouzas as most of the adivasi leaders of the Dooars and the Terai had said they were willing to be part of the GTA.

“They have even signed a pact with the Morcha on this,” Adhikari said. “After this, getting a democratic profile of the mouzas is a futile exercise.”

Adhikari said after the committee was formed, the government had invited submissions from people to know if they wanted the areas to be brought under the GTA.

“Of the 719 public submissions made before the committee, 696 applications were in favour of being part of the GTA. Although the rest of the applications were against the merger of the mouzas with the GTA, eight of them were from various political parties,” said Adhikari.

Government sources said only 392 mouzas initially demanded by the Morcha would be considered and not the entire Dooars and the Terai that was subsequently demanded by the hill party.

The next meeting of the committee is likely to be held in February, though the date has not been fixed.(Telegraph)

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10 injured, SFI points assault finger at rivals

Siliguri, Jan. 17: Ten SFI supporters, six of them girls, were allegedly beaten up by Trinamul Congress and Chhatra Parishad members at Siliguri College today.

The SFI alleged that its supporters were attacked when they were coming out of the campus after collecting nomination forms for the student union election. The CPM’s student wing has been the dominant union in the college for 16 years.

“The Trinamul Chhatra Parishad members, most of them outsiders, did not even spare our girls. A number of them were assaulted. We have informed police about it in detail,” said Sourav Das, the district secretary of the SFI.

The clash is the latest in campus violence reported across the state and in north Bengal in particular. On January 5, the principal of Raiganj University College in North Dinajpur was beaten up allegedly by Trinamul supporters.

Trinamul and Chhatra Parishad have denied the charges. They said they had protested when an SFI supporter, who is not a student of the college, entered the campus violating election rules laid down by the institution. They said SFI kicked up a fuss because of their protest.

The atmosphere charged up minutes after the college had started distributing the nomination forms around 10.30am. Supporters of the SFI and Trinamul and CP had assembled on either side of the gate shouting slogans against each other. Only students of the college who will collect nomination forms were being allowed to enter after showing their identity cards.

The election to the 45 seats of the students’ union has been scheduled for February 4.

The SFI alleged that the Trinamul and the Congress’s student wing — the two parties are partners in the state and allies at the Centre — had initially prevented one of their supporters from collecting nomination form.

“Trinamul and CP supporters threatened him with dire consequences if he contested the election as an SFI candidate. When we asked the police to intervene, they spoke to Trinamul supporters who did not let the boy go. He felt so intimidated by their gherao that he refused to collect the form later,” said Sagar Sharma, the unit secretary of SFI in the college.

Around 50 policemen and combat personnel had been posted on the campus since morning.

“After the distribution of the forms ended at 2am, our supporters were coming out of the gate when a group of around 50 Trinamul and CP supporters attacked them. They were punched and beaten up,” said SFI leader Das.

The police separated the two groups and barricaded the area in front of the gate.

“But some of the Chhatra Parishad and Trinamul supporters broke the barricade and attacked us again. They know they will not be able to win the election, so they have resorted to the tactics of violence,” Das added.

The SFI blocked Hashmi Chowk for 45 minutes demanding the arrest of the culprits. An FIR has been filed against the attackers.

Trinamul claimed that the SFI was levelling “baseless allegations” to cover up an outsider’s entry.

“All allegations levelled against us are false. The SFI has no supporters in the college and they are forcing students to contest election as their candidates. Today when we spotted an outsider queuing up for the form, we protested. The SFI then started shouting that we had assaulted them. We have lodged an FIR against the SFI worker from outside,” said Nirnay Roy, the district president of the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad.

Additional superintendent of the police Amit P. Javalgi said he was looking into the charges levelled by both sides.

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GTA by March or state cry: Morcha - Deadline set before territory panel meet

VIVEK CHHETRI

A Morcha fair at Jamuni on Tuesday. Jamuni is 17km from Darjeeling town. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Jan. 17: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today said it would wait till March for the implementation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and would start a fresh agitation for statehood if the Bengal government failed to meet the deadline.

Morcha chief Bimal Gurung has set a deadline of March 27, though he has not given any reason for choosing the particular date.

The pressure tactics came a day before the high powered territorial committee headed by Justice (retired) Shyamal Sen is scheduled to hold a meeting in Calcutta.

One of the major problems for the early implementation of the GTA is the delay by the committee in submitting its report on the Morcha’s demand for the inclusion of the Gorkha dominated areas of the Dooars and the Terai in the hill arrangement. The GTA cannot be implemented unless the territorial jurisdiction of the new body is firmed up.

Earlier in the day, a central committee member of the Morcha said: “We will wait only till March end. There is no question of waiting further.” He said the decision had the full endorsement of the Morcha president.

“If the agreement is not implemented by March 27 this year, we will reject it and begin a fresh agitation for Gorkhaland,” Gurung said in the evening.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri had raised the issue of the slow functioning of the territorial committee during a review meeting between the Centre, state and the Morcha in New Delhi on January 9. “The Union home ministry has directed state home secretary G.D. Gautama to look into our grievances and has directed him to ensure that the process is expedited,” Giri had said after the meeting.

The Morcha’s stand seems to be well-timed as rebel adivasi leader John Barla had said in Darjeeling yesterday that his community would launch an agitation from February end for the early settlement of the territory issue and the formation of the GTA.

“We along with the tea trade union of the Morcha are creating public awareness of the benefits of the GTA. If there is delay in forming the GTA, we will start an agitation from the plains by holding public meetings across the Dooars and Terai from February end,” said Barla.

That both the Morcha and Barla’s supporters are working in tandem was evident from the fact that the adivasi leader’s claim that all agitations would be held in consultation with each other.

In the wake of today’s development, the territorial meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow has also assumed much significance. Till date, the 10-member committee, which also consists of four Morcha representatives, had been finding it difficult to get the demographic break-up of the plains population. Sources said the director of census, who is also a member of the committee, has been asked to come up with a solution on this.

The other issue, which is delaying the formation of the GTA, is the Presidential assent to the GTA Bill that was passed in the Assembly on September 2.

Giri had earlier said: “The home ministry is waiting for an inter-ministerial report, which is expected to be submitted by January 16, 2011, following which the bill will be sent for Presidential assent.” Asked if the report had been submitted, Giri said: “I don’t have any intimation.”

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जनजातिको दर्जा दिनु पर्ने राई समुदयको माग

16 जनवरी (कालेबुङ):- राई समुदायका मानिसहरुले आफूहरुलाई जनजातिको दर्जा दिनु पर्ने माग गर्दै सरकारमाथि दवाउ बनाउन शुरु गरेका छन। लामो समयदेखि जनजातिको दर्जाको माग गर्दै आइरहेका राईहरुको प्रतिनिधि संगठन किराँती खम्बु राई सांस्कृतिक संस्थानले आज कालेबुङमा एउटा र्‍यालीको आयोजना गरी आफ्नो आवाज बुलन्द गरेको छ। संगठनको कालेबुङ महकुमा समितिले आयोजना गरेको र्‍यालीमा हजारौंको संख्यामा विभिन्न क्षेत्रका राई समुदायका मानिसहरु सहभागी बनेका थिए। किराँतीहरुको नयाँ बर्ष यलोम सम्वत 5072को अवसर पारेर निकालिएको सो र्‍यालीमा सामेल राईहरुले आफूहरुलाई अबिलम्व जनजातिको दर्जा दिनु पर्ने माग गर्दै व्यापक नाराबाजी गरेका थिए। कालेबुङ शहरको परिक्रमापछि  महकुमा अधिकारीको कार्यालय पुगेर पनि जुलुशले नाराबाजी गरेको थियो। आफ्नो मागबारे सरकारलाई स्मरण गराउन संगठनको प्रतिनिधि टोलीले महकुमा अधिकारी एल एन शेर्पालाई एउटा ज्ञापन पनि दिएको छ। क्षेत्रका राई समुदायले सन 1994देखि आफूहरुलाई जनजातिको दर्जा दिनु पर्ने माग गर्दै केन्द्र अनि राज्य सरकारसँग पत्रचार गर्ने कार्य जारी राखेको छ। हाल यस जातिलाई ओबीसीको दर्जा प्राप्त छ। समान सांस्कृतिक अनि धार्मिक चरित्र भएको तामाङ अनि सुब्बालाई  जनजातिको दर्जा प्राप्त भई सके पनि राई जातिलाई जनजातिको सहुलियतबाट बञ्चित राखिएको उनीहरुको भनाई छ। आफ्नो यस मागलाई लिएर लामो अंतरालसम्म मौन बसेका राई समुदायका मानिसहरु आफ्नो हक अधिकारको निम्ति पुन संगठित र सक्रिय बनेका छन। आफ्ना मागलाई लिएर सरकारी तौरमा कुनै सकारात्मक पहल नभए आगामी दिनमा सडक आन्दोलन गर्ने संगठनको योजना छ। संगठनको महकुमा समितिका उपाध्यक्ष मेघराज राईले यसबारे थप जानकारी दिएका छन। 

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साडीमा फिल्मको प्रभाव

शाहरूख खानको 'रा.वन' हेर्नुभएको छ भने पक्कै पनि 'छम्मक छल्लो...' गीतको याद होला । गीत याद भएपछि नायिका करिना कपुरले साडी कम्मरमा बाँधेर नाचेको दृश्य दिमागमा आई नै हाल्छ । सहरका कुनै बुटिकतिर पसेर 'छम्मक छल्लो' उच्चारण गर्नुभो भने चाहिँ तपाईंको अघिल्तिर साडी हाजिर हुनेछ ।

पछिल्लो समय साडीमा पनि यसरी फिल्मको प्रभाव भित्रिएको हो । दुई वर्षदेखि सारी र कुर्ताको व्यापार गर्दै आएकी २७ वषर्ीया पारुल कँडेलको अनुभवमा साडी अब बिस्तारै ग्ल्यामरस बन्दै गएको छ । त्रिपुरेश्वरस्थित ब्लु बर्ड डिपार्टमेन्ट स्टोरमा मञ्जरी वुमेन्स प्राइड नामक बुटिक चलाउँदै आएकी पारुलका अनुसार बजारमा यतिबेला पल्लुमा मुजा परेको सारीलाई 'छम्मक छल्लो' को रूपमा चिनिन्छ । प्रायः सारी लगाएपछि पल्लु बसाल्न निकै मिहिनेत गर्नुपर्छ तर 'छमक छल्लो' सारीको पल्लु -सप्को) मा रेडिमेड मुजाको डिजाइन हुने भएकाले यो सजिलै लाउन सकिन्छ । 'र, गीतमा करिनाले नाचेको जस्तै यसलाई सजिलै कम्मरमा आकार दिन पनि सकिन्छ,' पारुलले भनिन् ।

उनले अचेलका युवतीहरूमा साडीमा ग्ल्यामर खोज्न क्रम बढ्दै गएको बताइन् । यतिबेला बजारमा 'लेहंगा साडी,' 'जर्जेट', 'नेट', 'प्लेटेड', 'सिफन' लगायतका साडीको माग बढ्दै गएको छ, जुन लाउँदा आकर्षक र ग्ल्यामर देखिन्छ । प्लेटेड नामले चिनिने रेडिमेड सारीको मोह पनि उत्तिकै आकासिएको पारुलको ठम्माइ छ । खिपले वा डोरीले बाँधिएको प्लेटेड सारीमा सबै प्रकारको मुजा रेडिमेड हुन्छ, खिप वा डोरी मात्रै बाँधे पुग्छ । यसको मूल्यचाहिँ कम्मीमा १५ देखि ५० हजार रुपैयाँ पर्ने पारुलले बताइन् । गोल्डन, सिल्भर, स्टोन, डायमन्ड लगायत सामग्री जडान भएका सारी ओझनदारसँगै महँगो पनि उत्तिकै हुने उनले सुनाइन् । 'महँगो अनि हेभी पनि,' उनले भनिन्, 'छोटो समयमा राम्रो सारी लगाउनुपरे प्लेटेड नै वेस्ट ।'

लेहंगा सारीले चाहिँ धेरैजसो अविवाहित युवती र नव दुलहीको मनमा बास गरेको छ । राजधानीमा जारी छैटौं विवाह महोत्सवमा लेहंगा सारी रोज्ने क्रममै थिइन्, चाबहिलकी रञ्जना बुढाथोकी । बागबजारस्थित पद्म कन्या क्याम्पसमा स्नातक पहिलो वर्ष अध्ययनरत २० वषर्ीया रञ्जना अरू बेला पाइन्ट लगाए पनि विवाह र पार्टी विशेष समारोहमा भने सारीमै सजिन चाहन्छिन् । 'जाडो होस् या गर्मी,' उनले भनिन्, 'विशेष समारोहमा सारी नै लगाउँछु ।'

अर्की पारखी मिलन रेग्मीलाई चाहिँ साडी त मन पर्छ तर लाउन झन्झट ।' विकल्प खोज्दै विवाह मेलामा पुगेकी उनले लेहंगा साडी छान्दै गर्दा भनिन् 'लेहंगा र साडी दुवै एउटैमा रहेछ ।' अगाडि पल्लु बेरेर लगाए साडी, पछाडिबाट पल्लु घुमाएर लगाए लेंगहा । 'अचेलको पुस्ता एकदमै फास्ट छन्,' परिणाम फेसन सेन्टरकी बिक्रेता बन्दना रानाले भनिन्, 'उनीहरू कहाँ मुजामा अल्झेर बस्छन् र ? त्यही भएर रेडिमेड मुजा । अनि साडी र लेंहगा जे बनाए पनि भयो ।' उनले समय जति फेसनेवल हुँदै गए पनि 'सिफन' र 'नेट' साडीको लोकपि्रयता भने सदावहार नै रहेको दाबी गरिन् । हल्का र पातलो गुण भएकाले 'नेट' र 'सिफन' साडी धेरैले मन पराउने उनको तर्क छ । 'शरीरमा टिपिक्क बस्छ,' उनले भनिन्, 'लगाएर हिँडेको पत्तै नहुने ।'

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भारतसँग सम्बन्ध अझ मजबुत बनाउनुस् : चीन

चिनियाँ प्रधानमन्त्री वेन जियाबाओले भारतसँगको सम्बन्ध अझै सुदृढ गर्न नेपाललाई सुझाव दिएका छन् । प्रधानमन्त्री बाबुराम भट्टराईसँग सिंहदरबारमा शनिबार भएको भेटवार्तामा चिनियाँ समकक्षी वेनले विशेषगरी नेपाल-चीन र नेपाल-भारत सम्बन्धबारे चासो राख्दै दुवै देशसँग राम्रो सम्बन्ध हुनुपर्ने बताएका हुन् ।

केही घन्टे नेपाल भ्रमणका क्रममा वेनले भारतसँग पनि सम्बन्ध अझै सुदृढ गराउन आग्रह गरेका थिए । आफ्नो भ्रमणले भारतलाई कुनै शंका नहोस् भन्नेतर्फ उनी सचेत देखिन्थे । 'हाम्रो र भारतबीच राम्रो सम्बन्ध छ,' वेनको भनाइ थियो, 'तपाईं -नेपाल) र भारतबीच पनि राम्रो सम्बन्ध होस् भन्ने चाहन्छौं ।'

वेनले विशेषगरी तीन राजनीतिक सन्देश दिन खोजेको भट्टराईको बुझाइ छ । पहिलो- शान्ति र संविधान निर्माण प्रक्रियालाई राजनीतिक महत्त्व, समर्थन र सहयोगको वचन दिनु । दोस्रो- राजनीतिक स्थायित्व । र, तेस्रो, नेपाल-भारत सम्बन्ध सुदृढीकरण । प्रमुख दलका नेताहरू र प्रधानमन्त्री भट्टराईसित भएका छुट्टाछुट्टै भेटवार्तामा उनले ती सन्देश दिन खोजेका हुन् ।

राजनीतिक स्थायित्व भएपछि मात्र आर्थिक विकास गर्न सकिनेमा वेनको जोड थियो । त्यसका लागि शान्ति र संविधान निर्माण प्रक्रिया टुंग्याउन सुझाव दिँदै उनले

आवश्यक सहयोग गर्ने वचन पनि दिए । 'शान्ति र संविधान निर्माण प्रक्रिया टुंग्याउनुस्, हाम्रो सहयोग र समर्थन रहनेछ,' उनले भने, 'हामी नेपालमा छिट्टै राजनीतिक स्थायित्व होस् भन्ने

चाहन्छौं । त्यसो भयो भने मात्र आर्थिक वृद्धि हुन सक्छ ।'

प्रधानमन्त्री वेनले सरकारसँगको भेटवार्तापछि प्रमुख दलका शीर्ष नेताहरूसँग सामूहिक भेटवार्ता गरेका थिए । उक्त अवसरमा पनि उनले दुई देशको सम्बन्ध विस्तार र

नेपालमा राजनीतिक स्थायित्व हुनुपर्नेमा जोड दिएका थिए ।

पूर्वप्रधानमन्त्री एवं एमाले अध्यक्ष झलनाथ खनालका अनुसार नेताहरूसँगको भेटमा वेनले छिटो शान्ति प्रक्रिया र संविधान निर्माण टुंगियोस् भन्ने चाहना राखेका थिए । 'त्यसपछि आर्थिक विकास गर्न सकिने र त्यसमा सहयोग गर्न चीन तयार रहेको वेनले बताउनुभयो,' खनालले कान्तिपुरसँग भने । भेटका क्रममा नेपाल र चीनबीच सम्बन्ध अझै सुदृढ गर्नुपर्नेमा जोड दिँदै थप सहयोगको अपेक्षा गरेको नेताहरूले बताएको उल्लेख गरे । 'नेपाल-चीन मैत्री सम्बन्ध अझै प्रगाढ बनाउन आग्रह

गर्नुका साथै सरसहयोग बढाउनुपर्नेमा नेताहरूको जोड रह्यो,' खनालले भने । माओवादी अध्यक्ष पुष्पकमल दाहाल, कांग्रेस सभापति सुशील कोइराला, एमाले अध्यक्ष खनाल र तराई मधेस लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टीका अध्यक्ष महन्थ ठाकुरले वेनसँग दिवाभोज गरेका थिए ।

खनालले चिनियाँ प्रधानमन्त्रीको भ्रमण महत्त्वपूर्ण भएको उल्लेख गर्दै चीनले

नेपाललाई माया र सहयोग गर्न चाहेको प्रस्ट देखिएको जनाए । 'यो भ्रमण महत्त्वपूर्ण हो,' उनले भने, 'यसबाट चीन नेपाललाई माया र सहयोग गर्न चाहन्छ भन्ने प्रस्ट देखिन्थ्यो ।'

भट्टराईसँगको भेटमा भने वेनले आफू एक/दुई दिन बस्न चाहेको भए पनि समयको चापले नभ्याएको बताएका थिए ।

कोइरालालाई सोधे, ँगिरिजासँग के नाता ?’

नेताहरूसँगको छलफलकै क्रममा प्रधानमन्त्री वेनले कांग्रेस सभापति सुशील कोइरालालाई सोधे, 'गिरिजाप्रसादसँग तपाईंको के साइनो पर्छ ?' कोइरालानिकट स्रोतका अनुसार सुशीलले 'दाजु साइनो पर्ने' बताएका थिए । दिवाभोजअघि प्रमुख राजनीतिक दलका नेताहरू र वेनबीच परिचय भएको थियो । शीर्ष नेताहरूले नेपालको भ्रमण गरेकामा स्वागत र धन्यवाद व्यक्त गरेका थिए ।

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Traffic bar to stay after crack cure

The Coronation Bridge over the Teesta. File picture Siliguri, Jan. 13: The Coronation Bridge over the Teesta will be out of bounds for heavy and medium vehicles even after the 2ft-long crack near the crown of the giant arch that supports the structure is repaired, public works department officials hinted today. The officials said the entry would be limited to light vehicles as the bridge was 70 years old and it could no longer bear huge traffic load. The restriction has been in force since December 31 when the crack was first spotted. The crack has been examined by experts from Jadavpur University and they are likely to send their recommendation by the end of January. “A five-member team from Jadavpur University had reached here on Wednesday. They examined the bridge and left yesterday,” said Ashish Ranjan Modak, the superintending engineer of NH Circle III of the PWD. “The team was from the civil engineering department of the JU and is expected to send us their recommendations by the end of this month.” The bridge at Sevoke, 25km from Siliguri, was commissioned in 1941 to commemorate the coronation of George VI. The bridge is along NH31, one of the two principal roads that links the Dooars and the Northeast to the rest of India. Modak said the PWD would continue to keep medium and heavy vehicles away from the bridge. “Apart from the crack, two other factors need to be taken into account as far as the conservation of the bridge is concerned. First is the age of the bridge and second is the consistent rise in traffic. Seventy years ago, the traffic was much lower than what the bridge bears today. These factors have prompted us to continue with the restriction,” he said. Although Modak refused to divulge anything more, sources in the PWD said even if the crack was repaired, the restriction was likely to stay. “We have proposed that the bridge be conserved as a heritage structure and only light vehicles be allowed to pass through it even if there is no threat to safety after the repair of the crack,” said a source. The PWD is now busy preparing a detailed project report for an alternative bridge over the Teesta at Sevoke Bazaar, 7km downhill from the Coronation Bridge. “Since heavy vehicles will be denied permission to ply on the Coronation Bridge, it is imperative to build another bridge over the river to maintain the link between the Northeast and the rest of the country. Now, heavy vehicles to and from the Dooars are travelling via Jalpaiguri or Gajoldoba (the Teesta Barrage), resulting in loss of money and time,” said the source.(Telegraph)

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Nepalese or Gorkha? Hope on Sunday run

Mumbai, Jan. 13: Namper Lemcha from Darjeeling is among the thousands who will participate in the Mumbai International Marathon here on Sunday.

The 35-year-old has not seen much of the city yet but Mumbai too — like most of the country — does not know enough about his community, one reason for him and 22 others to join the “identity run” for the Gorkhas.

The validation for the run was quick to come. As Lemcha who arrived here yesterday walked along Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus near the starting point of Sunday’s marathon, a passer-by asked him: “Which country (are you from)? Nepal?”

Not many are aware of the distinction between the Nepalese and the Gorkhas, who are Indian citizens. The run by the group of 23 with white Tees embossed with “We are Gorkhas and proud to be Indians” is meant to assert the nationality and identity of the community. They will participate in the 21-km half marathon as well as the 6km “dream run”.

“When we tell others that our mother tongue is Nepali, they assume we are from Nepal,” says Rosni Rai, the brain behind the run. Rosni, an amateur marathon runner who has made Mumbai her home since 2004, said she does want not to live with the mistaken identity of being considered Nepalese by her fellow citizens.

Rohit Pradhan, the secretary of the Bharatiya Gorkha Ekta Sangh, a group for Gorkhas registered in Mumbai explains: “Mumbai alone would have over 5,000 Gorkha families living in the city for over a decade. People confuse us, Gorkhas born and brought up in India, with people coming from Nepal. While we are part of the same community, we are citizens of different countries. We have no right to claim anything in Nepal and shouldn’t be shunned here in India as Nepalese.”

Pradhan said his group organised cultural programmes in the city and is lobbying for a Gorkha Bhavan in Navi Mumbai for community members to put up when they arrive here for medical help or to study. Pradhan says he also wants to organise events so that the community in the city does not forget its culture and language. “The younger generation does not want to speak the language as they are termed Nepalese by their peers. My son is smart enough to speak English, Hindi and Marathi which are not his native language but he does not converse in Nepali among outsiders for fear of being teased,” Pradhan said.

Once his organisation and cause get recognition, Pradhan also wants to approach film associations to request them to stop the “caricature” of the community as watchmen and other stereotypes.

“Just to make a bunch of people laugh, the entire community cannot be made fun of,” said Pradhan.

Twenty-two participants will run for charity under the group registered as Run for Rosni. “We donated Rs 5,000 per runner for the participation. Over Rs 1 lakh was given to me by my runner friends across the country. I hope there is more clarity on who we are after the run,” said Rosni, who has an individual registration.

The other members of the Gorkha community from Mumbai who will be supporting the runners from the sidelines also hope the stereotyping will stop. “My father is a former defence man who served the nation. It’s a pinching reality that people express shock when we tell them that we are Indians,” says Poonam Lama, who has been living in the city for over two decades.(Telegraph)

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