Slides block highway

Gangtok, July 13: Two landslides near Singtam on NH31A cut off Sikkim’s only road link with the rest of the country for almost two hours today.

Traffic was restored around 2.30pm.

The first landslide occurred at 32nd Mile near the Water Garden Park around 12.30pm followed by another at Martam Jhora after 15 minutes.

Around 200 vehicles, 20 of which were carrying tourists, were stranded on the highway.

Singtam is 24km from Gangtok.

“Debris and boulders were removed as soon as news of the slides was communicated to us by the police station. Two excavators were deployed. The landslides happened because of heavy rain on Thursday night,” said the chief engineer of the Border Roads Organisation, Brigadier Rajeev Sahani.

Around the same time two more landslides occurred at Lema between Chungthang and Lachen in North Sikkim, disrupting traffic for almost three hours.

Lema is 10km from Chungthang.

“Heavy rains made the clearing work difficult for us. The debris and the slush were removed by 3pm,” said a BRO official in Gangtok.

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Morcha role for 28

Darjeeling, July 13: The 28 Gorkha Janmukti Morcha candidates declared uncontested winners in the GTA polls have been asked by party chief Bimal Gurung to oversee campaigns in the remaining seats that go to polls on July 29.

Although the hill party has got the majority in the GTA Sabha before the contest, the move is an indication that Gurung is not ready for a defeat in even a single seat as it will be blow to the Morcha’s boast of “99 per cent support of the hill population”.

Today, Gurung called the “winning” candidates to Darjeeling and assigned them specific responsibilities.

Binay Tamang, the assistant general secretary of the Morcha, said: “Prakash Gurung, Ratan Thapa and Narbu G. Lama have been asked by the party chief to leave for Kalimpong immediately and help the four winning candidates from that subdivision and oversee the party’s campaign. They will help our candidates in nine constituencies.”

Sources said the party has already chalked out a campaign plan for Kalimpong and Gurung has decided to hold meetings at Relli-Samthar, Gidabling-Nimbong, Samsing-Kumai and Rongo-Jhaldhaka-Todey constituencies in the subdivision.Observers said rebel Morcha candidate Sanchabir Subba, who was expelled from the party yesterday, could pose a challenge to Morcha candidate Kalyan Dewan.

“Sanchabir, who was the party’s zonal president till recently, has a strong support base in the area (Gidabling-Nimbong). More important, the expelled Morcha leader has already started his campaign,” said an observer.

Gurung had admitted yesterday that the party could face a “semblance of a fight in Panighatta” where Trinamul’s Rajen Mukhia is in the fray.

Gurung today directed party general secretary Roshan Giri, vice-president Pradip Pradhan and Anit Thapa, Sanjay Thulung, Mahesh Pradhan, Kaziman Lohagun and Rabindra Lama to take care of the campaigns in Mirik block.

“The winning candidates from the Nari Morcha, Asha Gurung, Shanti Chhetri, Urmila Rumba and Prava Chhetri, have not been assigned any constituencies but they have been asked to be on mobile duty,” said Binay.

Gurung will address a meeting at Mirik and Panighatta, but the dates have not been decided yet.He has also decided to travel between Kalimpong and Mirik in the coming fortnight to campaign.

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Hill peace message

Kalimpong, July 13: Mamata Banerjee today held a brief meeting with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung after which both leaders spoke of promoting peace in the hills.

The Bengal chief minister, here to attend a programme to commemorate the 198th birth anniversary of the Nepali poet Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, interacted with Morcha leaders.

Later on, she had a 30-minute meeting with Gurung, after which Mamata said: “I am happy that the GTA election is happening. Once the elections are over, the Centre will release Rs 200 crore. I don’t want to see bad roads. All of us will work together. There will be no problem.”

The chief minister said though she had no time to go to other places or even for her own party, she would keep visiting the hills, if required “a thousand times”. “I don’t come to occupy your land or for politics. I haven’t come here to campaign for my party. If I don’t come then there would be no development. People get to know of these places because I come here,” she said.

Gurung said: “There were misunderstandings on certain issues but the air has been cleared now. We are committed to work with the government for the development of the hills.”

Mamata also announced projects drawn up for the hills, such as a Lepcha development council, a Nepali academy at Mungpoo and a cultural centre at Darjeeling.

Later today, she wrote on Facebook: “Today is a very special day for Darjeeling. We celebrated the 198th birth anniversary of Nepali Adi Kobi Sri Bhanu Bhakt. It is also an important day as after so many years, new members got elected in a democratic process as per the agreement of GTA…. I congratulate all of them for their participation in democratic process.”

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Fake licence racket ‘busted’

Gangtok, July 8: East district police said they had busted a fake driving licence racket in Gangtok with the arrest of a Nepali national from Tadong on Friday night.

Raju Pradhan was produced in the district sessions court here yesterday and remanded in police custody for five days.

Superintendent of police (East) M.S. Tuli said they had received information that a photo studio had been selling fake driving licence for Rs 1,500 each and on Thursday, a plainclothes policeman was sent to the shop on MP Golai Road in Tadong, 2km from here, posing as a customer.

The police said Raju took down all the details from the “customer” along with an advance of Rs 800 and asked him to come back the next day to take the driving licence after paying the balance of Rs 700.

The next day, when the “customer” went to the studio, he was given a driving licence issued in the name of the West Bengal Licensing Authority, Siliguri, the police said.

Tuli said Raju was picked up from the shop the same night and several fake driving licences, laminated cards, a computer and a scanner were recovered .

“A preliminary scan of the computer has revealed a list of fake licences manufactured by the forger in the last two months. We will follow the leads and try to find out if he had any accomplices,” Tuli said.

The officer in charge of Sadar police station said they were trying to find out how many fake licences had been issued by Raju. “Those will be confiscated and people who have them would be booked under Section 471 (using forged document) under the IPC,” he said.

The police said Raju was a drug peddler and was involved in two cases earlier.

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Morcha strikes, vigil heightened

Darjeeling/Siliguri, July 8: Police in the hills today brought in reinforcements after alleged attacks by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters on CPM leaders and an Independent candidate’s representative.
Yesterday, Morcha cadres allegedly targeted a representative of I.N. Pradhan, a former GNLF councillor from Tindharia, and Sashi Gurung, who was also planning to file her nominations as an Independent candidate from the Mahanadi-Tindhari constituency in the GTA polls.
Pradhan said: “I had sent my representative, D. Gurung, to collect the nominations papers but he was assaulted by Morcha cadres. The Morcha is trying to bulldoze its way through the election but I will try my best to file the nominations papers on Monday (last date of filing nominations).”
Pradhan wants to contest as an Independent, not backed by any political party.
Former CPM Rajya Sabha member Suraj Pathak and three of other party leaders in Kurseong were also attacked yesterday.
CPM acting secretary in Darjeeling Jibesh Sarkar said today: “We are concerned about the organised attacks on our leaders in the hills yesterday. It seems that the law and order situation is not conducive for the polls.”
He added: “Our party is keeping a close watch over the situation and will take final decision tomorrow on whether we will contest.”
Party sources said the CPM has filed 15 nominations in different constituencies and is yet to file the nominations in eight seats.
The Morcha, which is largely expected to win most of the seats in the July 29 elections, will face a contest, however weak, from the CPM and the Trinamul Congress. In the civic elections held in December, the Morcha had won all the seats uncontested in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong.
Darjeeling district magistrate Saumitra Mohan today held a joint co-ordination meeting between the administration and the police to take stock of election-related issues.
Kunal Aggarwal, the district police chief, said: “We have already brought in 40 police officers, 30 constables and 22 additional vehicles from outside the district to intensify patrolling. All the routes to be used by Independents have been marked out as zones for intensive patrolling. Rapid Action Force personnel will be posted at the returning officer’s office premises tomorrow.”
Kurseong police have also arrested six persons involved in the attacks yesterday.
Administrative sources said they expect at least 10 companies of central paramilitary forces to be deployed for the elections.
In the Trinamul camp, Gautam Deb, the minister for north Bengal development, sounded optimistic today about the law and order situation. He dubbed the attacks in Kurseong “stray incidents”.
Asked why his own party leader, Rajen Mukhia, had to be escorted by the police when he went to file his nominations, Deb said: “There are clear instructions from the state government to maintain peace and amity across the hills. Any person willing to contest the polls has the right to file nominations. Whatever had happened yesterday were stray incidents, and in all cases, the police and administration have taken appropriate action.”
Trinamul has not yet officially announced the number of seats it would contest. The Morcha has denied the allegations of attacks, calling it “political drama” by the CPM.

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12 points stand of GTF against GTA and its election

1. The formation of Gorkhaland Task Force with those who are sincerely committed to the cause of separation from Bengal and the creation of separate state of Gorkhaland is in itself confirms the fact that nothing less than Gorkhaland is acceptable to the Gorkhas of this Nation. This was the top-most priority in the agenda of the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh since 2006. The CPRM was formed in 1996 when pro-Gorkhaland Marxists left CPM and they are committed to this cause ever since then. For AIGL their President Madan Tamang was killed as Gorkha League was opposed to any other set-up less than Gorkhaland. The Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha was created in 2010 for Gorkhaland only.
2. GOTAFO, therefore maintains that the idea of GTA itself is flawed. GTA, in fact, is a betrayal of the aspirations of all Indian Gorkhas who fervently desire the creation of Gorkhaland. The movement and the accompanying sacrifices of the people in and outside the hills have been for Gorkhaland and not for GTA. The mandates given in the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 and the Assembly elections in 2011 were also ONLY for Gorkhaland. The support garnered from the Terai-Dooars and from all over India was ONLY in the name of Gorkhaland.

3. GTA is not only a betrayal of the aspirations of the 1.25 crore Indian Gorkhas, it is also a conspiracy of the Bengal Government to thwart the creation of Gorkhaland. We believe that GTA is a stumbling block in the creation of Gorkhaland and that Gorkhaland cannot be created as long as GTA exists.

4. The idea of ‘Gorkha majority area’ and the recommendations of the Shymal Sen Commission arising out of this idea is an insult to the Gorkhas in India, particularly the Gorkhas of the Terai-Dooars area. This recommendation has ensured that the creation of Gorkhaland with the Terai-Dooars area will be more difficult than ever before. The present idea of GTA without the Dooars is adding insult to injury.

5. In the context of such a scenario, GTA elections should be seen as an attempt by the Bengal Government to legitimize the farce that they have presented as a solution to the issue of Gorkhaland.

6. GTA is the same old DGHC in all respect. Change of nomenclature does not change the character and nature of any individual or organization.

7. By holding the elections to the GTA the government wants to prove that – (1) People of Darjeeling Hills and 18 mouzas have accepted GTA as an alternative to Gorkhaland and (2) People of Darjeeling Hills and 18 mouzas have accepted that the Terai-Dooars area does not belong to the Gorkhas.
8. By agreeing to accept the GTA, the people of the three-hill sub-divisions, including the leadership of the area, have betrayed, for the SECOND TIME, the people of the Terai and Dooars region. The sacrifice and the martyrdom of the people of the Terai and Dooars have been ignored. The Gorkha Janamukti Morch has insulted the people of the Terai-Dooars and the Gorkhas in other parts of the country.
9. Now, therefore in betraying the cause of the Gorkhas of India, and by agreeing to the GTA arrangement, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha and those signatories to the GTA Agreement have lost the moral authority to lead any further movement in the name of Gorkhaland. They have also lost all moral authority to call upon the strength and solidarity of their brothers and sisters outside the hills.
10. GOTAFO, therefore desires that movement for Gorkhaland will now have to be centered in Terai and Dooars. as the so-called group of people claiming mandate now no longer worthy of the trust placed on them. The leadership of the next genuine, uncompromising leadership will also have to come from the Terai and Dooars. For this cause GOTAFO wishes to authorize the General Secretary of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh to facilitate the expression of a sincere movement for Gorkhaland from Terai-Dooars..
11. GOTAFO once again appeals to the right-thinking people of the hills to build an opinion against participation in the GTA elections.
12. We believe that participation in the GTA elections, both as a contestant and as a voter, is to endorse the anti-Gorkhaland policies of the Bengal Government. You will be strengthening the hands of those who believe in BANGA BHANGA HOBENA. But we believe that the area in the proposed Gorkhaland never belonged to Bengal and cannot remain in Bengal.
THEREFORE WE APPEAL TO YOUR CONSCIENCE; WE APPEAL IN THE NAME OF THE MARTYRS; WE APPEAL IN THE NAME OF GORKHALAND TO REJECT GTA AND WORK TOWARDS ESTABLISHING NATIONAL IDENTITY AND ENSURING POLITICAL SECURITY OF GORKHAS IN iNDIA.

JAI GORKHA, JAI GORKHALAND.

Rev. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan
CHAIRMAN
GORKHALAND TASK FORCE

Adopted at a meeting held on 6th July 2012 and released for and on behalf of the Constituents and supporters.

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