Darjeeling, April 12: Suk Bahadur Subba, a former Trinamul Congress leader from Kalimpong, joined the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today with around 50 of his supporters.
The Morcha said Trinamul supporters in the hills had started joining the Morcha after realising that the primarily political demand of the hill people, which is the creation of Gorkhaland, would remain unfilled by Trinamul.
Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: “Suk Bahadur Subba, a Trinamul Congress candidate in the GTA elections from Algara-Dalapchand, today joined the Morcha along with 50 of his supporters after realising that the Morcha is the only party sincere towards the demand for the creation of a state.”
The 49-year-old Subba, a small-time farmer from Algara in Kalimpong, was previously with the United Gorkha Revolutionary Front (UGRF), which is at the moment politically inactive.
Today, Morcha president Bimal Gurung handed over the party flag to Subba and his supporters in Darjeeling.
Subba said he had joined the Morcha because the cause of the Gorkha people was paramount to him and he believed the Morcha, and not Trinamul, would remain true to the community.
“I had joined the Trinamul about a year back in the hope it would take up the cause of our people, but that has not happened. I told Bimal daju in Darjeeling I am in politics only to espouse the cause of our people. Otherwise, I am happy being a poor farmer,” he said.
Subba had filed nomination against Morcha candidate Kalpana Tamang in the GTA polls held on July 29, 2012. However, Mamata Banerjee instructed Subba and 16 other Trinamul candidates to “politically withdraw” from the elections as Trinamul shared a healthy relation with the Morcha then.
The new entrant to the Morcha also said he was made to feel unwanted in Trinamul by the party’s hills convener Rajen Mukhia.
“Maybe, it was because of our different background. Mukhia used to be with the GNLF, while I was with the UGRF. He probably didn’t feel comfortable with me.”
Giri said many Morcha supporters who had left the party for Trinamul had slowly started returning to the party. “Just a few days ago, 13 Morcha supporters who had joined Trinamul returned to our party after holding a meeting with our area’s (Mungpoo) GTA Sabha member, Ratan Thapa,” said Giri.
It’s not clear if any of the 50 people who had left Trinamul and joined the Morcha today had been with Gurung’s outfit before.
A few days back, Trinamul had even produced a letter allegedly written by a Morcha unit seeking an explanation from those who had left the hill party and joined Trinamul.
शिक्षक प्रमुखको लापारवाहीको कारण बेहाल अवस्थामा चम्पामाया प्रथमिक पाठशाला
पहाड़को प्रथमिक पाठशालाहरु एका एक बन्द हुनुमा सरकार पक्ष दोषी छ कि शिक्षक-शिक्षिकाहरुको लापारवाही? किन दार्जीलिङ पहाड़को शैक्षिक स्तर दिनोदिन खस्किन्दै गइरहेको छ? प्रथमिक शिक्षा बाल-बालिकाहरुको निम्ति महत्तवपूर्ण हुँदा-हुँदै पनि किन आजसम्म पहाड़को शिक्षा व्यवस्थामा सुधार आउन सकिरहेको छैन?
राजनीति गर्दिनँ भन्नु पनि अर्को राजनीति होः हर्कबहादुर छेत्री
मेरो अधिकारक्षेत्रभित्र पाँच बर्षको लागि जनताको हितको काम गर् भनेर मलाई भोट हालेको हो नि। मलाई थाहा छ यसले जनताको धेरै हित हुन्छ। यसले जनताको हितसँगै पार्टीको पनि हित हुन्छ, आन्दोलनलाई पनि सहयोग पुर्याउँछ भनेपछि एकदम निसंकोच भनेर अघि बढ्न सक्छु म। म त्यही काम गर्दैछु।
बघिनी फेरि पुरानै खोरमा
‘समयले मानिसलाई कहाँ कहाँ पुर्याउँछ,,,,,,’ कुनै समय रेडियो नेपालबाट बजिरहने यो चर्चित गीतले मान्छेको जीवनमा प्रणयसम्बन्धको आरोह अवरोहले पार्ने प्रभावलाई सुन्दर ढंगले व्याख्या गरेको छ। यो लोकप्रिय गीतको यही एक हरफ कुनै राजनीतिकर्मीको जीवनसँग गाँसेर हेर्दा के उत्तर पाइएला?
साहित्य अनि सर्जकलाई माया गर्ने घिसिङ
80 को दशकमा देशभरिका गोर्खाहरूलाई जातित्वको भावना उत्पन्न गराउने प्रथम नेता सुवास घिसिङको निधनले अहिले घड़ी सम्पूर्ण दार्जीलिङ पहाड़ नै स्तब्ध बनेको छ। गोर्खाहरूका हित अनि अस्तित्वका निम्ति छुट्टै राज्यको बहस लिएर सुवास धिसिङले त्यसताक पहाड़का प्रत्येक गाँऊहरूको भ्रमण गरेका थिए। 22 जुन 1936 सालमा मिरिकको मञ्जु चियाबगानमा जन्म लिएरका सुवास घिसिङले आफ्नो तर्क राख्न एकलै जनसभा गर्थे। घिसिङले सम्पूर्ण गोर्खाहरूलाई एकै शुत्रमा बाँध्न "गोर्खाल्याण्ड" शब्दको जन्म गरेका थिए।
निराश छन् विधायक डा. छेत्री
“बजट सत्रमा के कुराहरू उठान गर्नु पर्ने भन्नेबारे हामीले जीटीएबाट कहिले फिडब्याक पाएका छैनौं” डा छेत्रीले भने। डा हर्कबहादुर छेत्री मोर्चाका प्रवक्ता हुन् अनि कालेबुङका जनप्रतिनिधि। दुइवटा महत्वपूर्ण पदमा बसेका डा छेत्रीलाई अहिलेसम्म जीटीएको बैठकमा निम्ताइएको छैन, पार्टीको राजनैतिक लाइनबारे उनीसँग चर्चा र छलफल नगरिएको त झन कति भयो, उनैलाई हेक्का छैन।
13 Apr 2013
Cong slams Deb, CPM
Siliguri, April 12: Darjeeling district Congress today blamed north Bengal development minister and Trinamul leader Gautam Deb for inciting tension in town.
The Congress also criticised the CPM for creating unrest in the region. “We have serious doubts as to how much Trinamul and the north Bengal development minister, who often speaks of development agenda, is serious about development,” said Shankar Malakar, the Darjeeling district Congress president.
“Whatever Trinamul has done earlier this week is just an imitation of what the CPM had been doing over the past three-and-half decades.”
Siliguri witnessed political clashes between CPM and Trinamul workers recently. Over 20 people were injured and several CPM leaders and workers were picked up.
“Leaders of both parties (CPM and Trinamul) must play a better role in stopping violence, instead of inciting their workers,” Malakar said.
CPM leader Asok Bhattacharya said: “Trinamul is trying to import its innate culture of vandalism, violence and attacks in Siliguri. We are anxious over the manner in which Trinamul is resorting to violence, without any provocation, at the behest of the north Bengal development minister.”
Deb blamed the CPM for the attacks. “We feel pity for Asok Bhattacharya. He has no right to speak about political culture and peace. Those guilty of attacking Trinamul workers would not be spared.”
Clash hearing on April 18
Siliguri, April 12: The additional chief judicial magistrate’s court here today ordered that the next hearing of the 51 Left supporters, who were arrested following an alleged clash with Trinamul activists, would be on April 18.
The CPM workers were arrested on Wednesday night and 49 of them (two person were hospitalised) were produced in court yesterday.
Later, five women activists were granted bail and the remaining 44 were remanded in jail custody.
“Today, all the 51… were supposed to appear before the court. Those on bail did not appear but the remaining 46 (including the two who were in hospital), appeared,” said Sudip Roy Basunia, the assistant public prosecutor.
“Madhumita Basu, the ACJM, observed that all of them should be present during the hearing on April 18. All cases related to the issue were transferred to the detective department of Siliguri metropolitan police commissionerate yesterday,” he added.
Today, police produced a case diary that the court had asked for. But it would be submitted on April 18.
The 46 accused, including former MP and district Citu secretary Saman Pathak, district SFI secretary Sourav Das, senior SMC councillor Dilip Singh and others, would be in jail custody till then.
Four cases, three filed by Trinamul and one by the police, have been filed in connection with the clash.
A section of Left leaders today expressed disappointment at the absence and silence of district secretariat members and SMC councillors Mukul Sengupta and Nurul Islam. Islam is also the leader of opposition at the SMC.
“It is disappointing that none of these leaders were seen at the police station or in the court. Despite the arrest of leaders like Asok Bhattacharya and Jibesh Sarkar, they stayed away,” said a senior CPM leader.
“Gautam Deb, the north Bengal development minister and Trinamul leader, has introduced a new and ominous trend to deter us from political activities. Under his instructions police are arresting our colleagues and implicating them in false cases. Such cases have been registered against senior leaders in Naxalbari, Khoribari, Phansidewa, Bagdogra, Matigara, Dabgram and Fulbari,” CPM leader Asok Bhattacharya said.
“This strategy to weaken the Left would not work and he will have to answer to the people of Siliguri,” he added.
12 Apr 2013
Hill secy nod by court
April 11: Calcutta High Court today passed an interim order directing the state government to give names of three IAS officers to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and the court by April 18 so that one of them may be appointed the principal secretary to the hill body.
“Let the matter be fixed for hearing on April 18. The state is directed to provide the names of three IAS officers to the court as well as the GTA in the meanwhile,” Justice Dipankar Dutta directed the state government.
Binay Tamang, the executive Sabha member of the GTA Sabha who filed a case in the high court on March 25, said over phone from Calcutta: “The high court has instructed the state government to provide it with a list of three senior IAS officers to be appointed as the next principal secretary by April 18. The panel will be sent to the GTA chief executive by the High Court.”
Tamang moved a petition before Calcutta High Court challenging the state government’s decision to give power of the executive officer of the GTA board to the district magistrate of Darjeeling.
The Morcha is inclined to see today’s interim order as a victory because the hill party’s chief, Bimal Gurung, had repeatedly spoken about his displeasure with the current principal secretary, Darjeeling district magistrate Saumitra Mohan.
Mohan has been officiating as the GTA principal secretary since the forming of the hill autonomous authority last year.
Gurung had said often that Mohan did not inform GTA Sabha members about matter relating to the hill authority.
He also said that a separate principal secretary should be appointed for the GTA.
Tamang today said the lawyers representing the GTA had argued that a list of five IAS officials should be sent to the chief executive of the GTA to choose from the next principal secretary.
“However, the state representative said that they could forward the list of three IAS officials,” he said.
On March 29, the state government had proposed the name of A.K. Singh, divisional commissioner of Jalpaiguri, to take up “additional charge” as principal secretary of the GTA.
But Gurung wrote to the state government demanding a list of at least five IAS officers to choose from.
Before challenging Mohan’s candidature, the Morcha-affiliated Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan had stopped Mohan from entering the office of the principal secretary situated at Lal Khoti from February 7 to March 1.
On February 6, the GTA Sabha also passed a resolution not to consult Mohan on affairs related to the GTA, though files related to the day-to-day operations of the hill authority were being sent to him as he is the financial drawing and disbursing officer of the GTA.
Monastery trio held for rape
Kalimpong, April 11: Three students of a Buddhist monastery and a taxi driver have been arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl on Tuesday night.
Police said all the four were aged between 20 and 24 and were arrested last night. They were remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by the additional chief judicial magistrate’s court in Kalimpong today.
Samten Tshedup, 21, Phurba Dorjee, 20, Dawa Dukpa, 20, are students of Thongsa Monastery at 10th Mile in Kalimpong and are citizens of Bhutan. The taxi driver, Karan Roka, 24, is a resident of Gumbahatta in Kalimpong.
The police said Karan was known to the girl and he lured her to Durpin, 4km from here, where she was raped on Tuesday night.
“The girl had come to (Kalimpong) town to buy medicines on Tuesday evening when she ran into Roka whom she knew. Roka talked her into going for a drive, accompanied by the three monastery students. They probably served her a soft drink mixed with alcohol and took her to Durpin where they committed the crime,” said Kalimpong additional superintendent of police Sangmit Lepcha.
A police source said: “All of them have been charged under Section 376 (2) (g) of the IPC for committing rape and the punishment includes imprisonment of 10 or more years, including life, and fine.”
The source said Samten, Phurba and Dawa were Bhutanese nationals and had been at the monastery for less than a year undergoing a training to become monks. The source couldn’t say how the driver came to know the student monks. The Thongsa monastery authorities refused to meet journalists.
The girl was admitted to the Kalimpong subdivisional hospital on Tuesday night and is recovering. The girl’s parents are from Nepal and the family lives at a rented house at Alainchikhop near here. “Both her parents do menial jobs in the town. The girl doesn’t go to school,” said one of their neighbours.
Non-bailable slap on Left activists
Siliguri, April 11: Siliguri police have slapped non-bailable charges on 51 Left activists who were arrested yesterday evening after alleged clashes between them and supporters of the Trinamul Congress.
Three Left leaders — former CPM minister Asok Bhattacharya, CPM acting Darjeeling district secretary Jibesh Sarkar and DYFI district secretary Shankar Ghosh — who were also rounded up last night, left Siliguri police station this morning. The police had told the trio yesterday that they could go home but Asok had insisted that all the activists should be released first.
This morning, five Left women activists were also allowed to go home from court.
All the Left activists, including the women, have been slapped with charges under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter a public servant from his duty). Both are non-bailable sections.
Yesterday, the police had said that two personnel had been injured while trying to contain the clash.
Giving details of the additional chief judicial magistrate’s order today, Sudip Roy Basunia, the assistant public prosecutor, said: “Madhumita Basu, the ACJM, heard the case today and has ordered the police to submit a case diary tomorrow. Five women supporters have been granted bail. The other arrested persons would be in jail custody for a day and produced in court tomorrow.”
In all, 54 activists and leaders — of the CPM, DYFI and the CPM-backed student outfit SFI — were taken away by the police yesterday, hours after two rounds of clashes with Trinamul marchers outside Anil Biswas Bhavan, the CPM office on Hill Cart Road.
Contrary to the police’s version of arrest last night, the law enforcers today said Asok Bhattacharya, Jibesh Sarkar and Shankar Ghosh had not been arrested but only taken away from the party for “safe custody”, keeping in mind the tense situation in Siliguri.
The police have taken action against the Left activists in response to three cases filed by Trinamul. The police had also filed a suo motu case against the Left. The CPM too filed a case last night against the Trinamul activists but no arrests have been made so far in that case.
Two Left activists, while being brought to court, fell ill this morning and were admitted to a hospital.
The 12-hour Darjeeling district strike called by the Left to protest Trinamul’s alleged attack was partial. Shops, schools, colleges, and all banks stayed shut. Private buses stayed off the roads but state buses plied and government offices stayed open.
After release, Asok said today: “Yesterday’s attack on us was a premeditated plan hatched by Trinamul. The indiscriminate lathicharge by the police and arrest of almost all the top leaders of our party was made with specific instructions from the chief minister and the north Bengal development minister.”
Around 6pm yesterday, Trinamul marchers protesting the alleged SFI attack on minister Amit Mitra in Delhi clashed with Left supporters who were standing out the CPM office. Police personnel at the spot somehow separated the two sides. But half-an-hour later, some Trinamul activists returned. According to eyewitnesses, they threw bricks at the CPM office and vandalised some shops.
Asok today said: “Till yesterday, Siliguri was known for its peaceful political culture and environment…. But after yesterday’s incident, we fear that this culture would be lost.”
North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb blamed the CPM for the clashes. “The perpetrators who created tension are all CPM workers,” he said.
Siliguri metropolitan police commissioner Anand Kumar today said the CPM leaders were not arrested last night. “We have arrested 51 people in connection with yesterday’s incident. Asok Bhattacharya, Jibesh Sarkar and Shankar Ghosh were not arrested yesterday but were taken into safe custody for their security,” he said.
When told that A. Ravindranath, the additional deputy commissioner of police who went to the CPM office yesterday, had said all the leaders and activists were being arrested, Kumar said: “We will have to look into it.”
11 Apr 2013
भूली गए सम्झनालाई-कालेबुङको कुसुमे रूमाल
(अनिल तेलैजा) प्रसिद्ध नेपाली चलचित्र निर्माता-निर्देशक तुलसी घिमिरेले अस्सीको दशकमा निर्माण गरेको चलचित्र कुसुमे रूमालको अधिकांश छायाङ्कन कालेबुङमा नै भएको थियो। उनले आफ्नो चलचित्रको छायाङ्कन किन कालेङबुङमा नै गरे अनि यसको नाम पनि किन कुसुमे रूमाल नै किन राखे? यो प्रश्नको सही उत्तर निर्माता निर्देशक घिमिरेले नै राम्ररी दिन सक्छन् तर अस्सीकै दशकतिर कालेबुङका हस्तशिल्पीहरूले ससाना रूमालहरू बनाएर देश विदेश पठाउने गर्थे, जसलाई कुसुमे रूमाल पनि भन्ने गरिन्थो। स्थानीय स्तरमा मात्रै होइन राष्ट्रिय र अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय स्तरमा नै ख्याति कमाएको कालेबुङको कुसुमे रूमालको त्यो समय आफ्नै विशेषता र गरिमा थियो। कालेबुङ आर्ट एण्ड क्राफ्टका एक पूर्व कर्मचारी अनुसार शुरूका दिनमा आर्ट एण्ड क्राफ्टमा मात्र करिब 500कर्मचारीहरू थिए। दैनिक 500 देखि 1000 रूमाल बनिने गर्थो भने उक्त रूमाललाई देश विदेशमा पठाउन् देशभरि 27 भन्दा धेर एजेन्सीहरू रहेको उनी बताउँछन्। कालेबुङ डाक विभागको 60 देखि 70 प्रतिशत काम आर्ट एण्ड क्राफ्टद्वरा पठाइने पार्सल अनि चिठीमा नै निर्भर थियो,जसमा अधिकांश पार्सलहरू कालेबुङमा बनिने कुसुमे रूमाल कै हुने गरेको पनि उक्त कर्मचारीको भनाइ छ। रूमाल बनिने लुगा सतप्रतिशत सुतीको हुने गर्थ्यो भने यसमा बुट्टा भरिने रंग त्यसताक इंग्ल्याण्डबाट मगाइन्थ्यो।
सन् 1897 मा क्याथ्रिन ग्राम्सद्वारा स्थापित आर्ट एण्ड क्राफ्टले 2003 सम्म रूमालको उत्पादन गरिरह्यो तर 2003देखि आर्ट एण्ड क्राफ्ट नै बन्द भएपछि त्यहॉं कार्यरत 27 कारीगर र कर्मचारीहरू मात्र बेखर्ची भएनन् संग संगै कालेबुङको ऐतिहासिक महत्व जोडिएको कुसुमे रूमालको भविष्यमा पनि संकट देखियो। हाल एक दुइ कारीगरहरूले मात्र यो रूमाल बनाउने कामलाई जारी राखेका छन्। यसको व्यवसायिक उत्पादनमा पूर्णतय विराम लागिसकेको छ। 2003 सम्म यो हस्तशिल्प केन्द्रको सञ्चालनको भार वहन गरेको माकपा नेता तारा सुन्दास अनुसार2003 सम्म पनि रूमाल उत्पादन जारी थियो। उनले यो केन्द्रको सञ्चालनको अभिभारा1995 देखि लिएका थिए। उत्पादन लागत धेरै भएपछि कारीगरहरूले रूमालसंगै अन्य हस्तशिल्पको उत्पादनमा पनि रूची देखाउन छाडे जसले गर्दा शिल्पकेन्द्र बन्द हुनु परेको सुन्दास बताउँछन्। केन्द्रका पूर्व कर्मचारीहरू भने सरकारी सहुलियतको अभावमा केन्द्र सञ्चालनमा समस्या आएको बताउँछन्। हाल आर्ट एण्ड क्राफ्टको भवन जीर्ण भएर ढल्ने अवस्थामा पुगेको छ भने यसको बिक्री केन्द्र हाल एक राजनैतिक दलको कार्यालयमा परिणत भएको छ। केन्द्र बन्द हुन अधिसम्म यहॉं कार्यरत 27 कर्मचारीहरूमा धेरैको निधन भइसकेका छन् भने बॉंचेकाहरू अहिले पनि केन्द्र खुल्ने आशामा बसिरहेका छन्। एक कर्मचारी आफ्नो नाम उल्लेख नगरिदिने शर्तमा बतॉंउछन्-यो केन्द्रको अधिकारक्षेत्रभित्र 8 ऐकर जति जमीन थियो जो हाल अतिक्रमण भएर केन्द्रको भवन मात्र रहेको छ। कर्मचारीहरूलाई कुनै सहुलियत अझसम्म कसैले दिएका छैनन्। रूमालमा बुट्टा भर्ने एक कारीगर अनुसार रूमालमा स्थानिय कला र संस्कृति झल्कने चित्रहरू कोरिने गरिन्थ्यो। विदेशी पर्यटकहरूले मात्र नभएर स्थानीयहरूले पनि कुसुमे रूमाल उपहार दिन किन्ने गरेको उनको भनाइ छ। 15 देखि 20 रूपियॉंमूल्य पर्ने यो रूमाल स्वस्थ सचेत व्यक्तिहरूले धेर रूचाएर किन्ने गरेको पनि उनी बताउँछन्। किनकि उच्च गुणवत्ता भएको रंग अनि सतप्रतिशत सुती प्रयोग भएको रूमालले छालामा कुनै नकारात्मक असर नपर्ने उनी बताउँछन्। यसबाहेक पनि नेपाली़/गोर्खा समुदायको सांस्कृतिक पक्षसित नजिक रहेको कुसुमे रूमालले देश विदेशसम्म कालेबुङको नाम र सम्झनालाई बोकेर लाने गरेका स्थानीय मानिसहरूको भनाइ छ। सम्झनाको रूपमा रूमाल चिनो स्वरूप दिने देखि लिएर सम्मान स्वरूप नेपाली छोरी बुहारीहरूले टाउको ढाक्न रूमाल नै प्रयोग गर्ने गरेको पाइन्छ। तर सांस्कृतिक पक्ष संगै कालेबुङको घरेलु उद्योगको जग हाल्ने कुसुमे रूमाल हाल आएर आफ्नैहरूबीच बिरानो बनिसकेको छ। जसको कारण अरूको पसिना र आँसु पुछ्ने कुसुमे रूमाल बनाउनेहरूले आफ्नै आँसु पुछ्न् सकिरहेका छैनन्।
Morcha coerce letter to Trinamul - Missive to former supporters seeking explanation for quitting party
Darjeeling, April 10: A Trinamul Congress leader in Darjeeling today produced a letter allegedly written by a local unit of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha asking those people who had quit the hill party and joined Trinamul to attend a Morcha meeting and give an explanation for their action.
Trinamul said the letter showed that the Morcha was warning its supporters against joining any other party in the hills. The Morcha denied the charge and said the letter might have been framed by Trinamul to malign the hill party.
Gopal Chhetri, the Trinamul Darjeeling convener, showed the letter written by the Morcha’s Phoobsering block unit. The letter is addressed to Sangram Thakuri who had joined Trinamul at a meeting in Kalimpong on April 7.
“Keeping in mind the recent developments, we direct you (Thakuri) and other supporters who have accompanied you, to be present at Amar Ratna Sangh Bhawan at 2pm on Wednesday, April 10, 2013.” The letter dated April 9 adds that “the GJM will take appropriate action against all” if they don’t attend the meeting.
Chhetri claimed no one went to the meeting today.
The “recent development” referred to in the letter is the public meeting held in Kalimpong on April 7. Six people from Phoobsering tea garden, 15km from Darjeeling, had joined Trinamul at the meeting, addressed by Trinamul all-India general secretary Mukul Roy.
The letter has also named five other people who had accompanied Sangram. “The people who have accompanied are Sudhakar Gurung, Ujjawal B.K. (driver), Umen Gurung, Rajat Thakuri and Dilip B.K,” said the letter.
Chhetri said: “The letter is proof of our claims that the Morcha is forcing people to stay with them. They have utter disregard for the people’s right to choose their own party. The letter exposes the fact that there is no democracy in the hills.”
The Trinamul leader claimed that the letter was sent jointly by Pandav Gurung and Prem Pradhan, the president and secretary of the Morcha’s Phoobsering block committee. The letter contains two signatures under the heads, president and secretary, but does not contain the two names. Chhetri said he would file an FIR against Morcha leaders.
When contacted, Sangram said: “In a democratic society, an individual has the right to choose any party of his liking. We have joined Trinamul to ensure that job opportunities are created in our area and also for development.”
He added that he was never a member of the Morcha. “I have never been a member of the Morcha but was earlier associated with the GNLF. Even though we have joined Trinamul, we have not forced anyone to join our party in the area,” said Sangram. “We will not attend the meeting called by the Morcha today.”
Trinamul also alleged that Morcha supporters had roughed up Sudhakar Gurung after the group had returned from Kalimpong on April 8. “Sudhakar Gurung was attacked by Morcha supporters but he was not hospitalised,” said Chhetri.
Told about the letter, Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: “The allegation is all nonsense. Gopal Chhetri might have written the letter himself to malign our party.”
Students lock college gate
April 10: The students of Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College today locked the main entrance to the campus after the authorities allegedly failed to look into their demands of filling up vacant posts of teachers and upgrading infrastructure.
The demonstration was launched by the apolitical students’ union of the college.
The college principal, J. Jhampati, teachers and non-teaching staff members were forced to stand under trees for hours. It also led to the suspension of classes throughout the day.
The college, considered as the top engineering college in north Bengal, has been facing a shortage of faculty and non-teaching staff for the past few months. It had affected the students, who were further disappointed by the poor technical infrastructure required for studying specialised engineering courses.
From April 7, second-year students of the mechanical engineering department had been resorting to protests and demonstrations on the issues.
“In total, 54 per cent of faculty posts are lying vacant. Further, there are only 52 fourth-grade employees and the number of total vacancies are 107. In mechanical department, there are only eight of 21 faculties, while computer science and electrical engineering departments have 13 vacant posts each,” said Mayukha Bhattacharya, the general secretary of the students’ union.
“Last year, around 85 per cent of the students who passed out got jobs through campus interviews conducted by companies. However, the percentage came down to 29 per cent this year,” he said.
“We will continue our agitation unless a written assurance reaches us from the state technical education department,” he added.
Jhampati admitted that the demands of the students to fill up the vacancies and provide them with adequate infrastructure were correct.
“We have been facing this problem for the past few years but in the recent months, it has become acute. Officials in the state education department have been apprised of the issues several times and unless there is any instruction from them, we can’t do anything,” the principal said.
Asok & Left 58 arrested
Siliguri, April 10: Former CPM minister Asok Bhattacharya and Darjeeling district Left Front convener Jibesh Sarkar were arrested today from the CPM office in Siliguri, hours after repeated clashes between Trinamul and the Left party on Hill Cart Road.
The Darjeeling Left Front has announced a 12-hour strike in the district tomorrow. Exams and emergency services will be exempted from the strike. In all, 59 Left leaders and activists were arrested today in Siliguri.
The Left this afternoon took out a rally of 400-odd supporters to protest the alleged inefficiency of the Congress and Trinamul in running the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and also to condemn the ransacking of a CPM party office by suspected Trinamul supporters yesterday. A poster of SFI leader Sudipta Gupta, who died in police custody in Calcutta, was also seen among the rally banners.
The marchers assembled in front of the CPM Darjeeling district party headquarters, Anil Biswas Bhavan, around 6pm after marching down Hill Cart Road.
Around the time the Left rallyists were hanging out outside Anil Biswas Bhavan, Trinamul took out a rally to protest the SFI’s attack on state finance minister Amit Mitra in New Delhi. There were around 1,000-odd supporters, led by Gautam Deb, the north Bengal development minister.
Trinamul’s office in Siliguri is located barely 500m from CPM’s office.
When the Trinamul marchers were passing by the CPM office, some of the ruling party’s supporters at the tail of the procession started shouting anti-CPM slogans, according to eyewitnesses. Soon bricks started flying in the heart of Siliguri. Police personnel already present there somehow dispersed both sides after a round of lathicharge.
Traffic was halted on Hill Cart Road for some time.
After around 30 minutes, the Trinamul supporters returned and another round of clashes started.
The Trinamul supporters threw bricks at the CPM office and ransacked shops located near it. The CPM cadres rushed inside the party office.
Asok and Jibesh were in the party office with several leaders such as Saurav Das, the district SFI secretary, Shankar Ghosh, the district DYFI president, Saman Pathak, former CPM Rajya Sabha MP, Dilip Singh, former chairman of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, and senior CPM leader P. Roy. All were arrested later.
The police pushed back the Trinamul supporters who then gathered at Hashmi Chowk, barely half a kilometre from the CPM office on Hill Cart Road, and started a protest meeting there.
Minister Gautam Deb, who had led the Trinamul rally earlier in the evening but was not seen during the clashes, was present at Hashmi Chowk.
Around 8pm, according to CPM sources, a police team came to Anil Biswas Bhavan and arrested all the leaders present there. The 59 people arrested were taken to Siliguri and Bhaktinagar police stations.
Bhattacharya, who was taken to Siliguri police station, said: “We were sitting inside our party office when Trinamul organised the attack as per instructions of the north Bengal development minister. Later, police officials entered in our party office and arrested most of our senior leaders.”
He added that the police had told him that “I, Jibesh Sarkar and Saman Pathak can take release on bond and that our other leaders and supporters will not be released. We have said that either all of us have to be released, or we would not accept the release.”
Jibesh said: “The Darjeeling district Left Front has called a 12-hour strike in Darjeeling district tomorrow. Exams and emergency services would be exempted.”
Krishna Pal, secretary-general of the district Trinamul, said: “The CPM cadres attacked our peaceful rally today. We will hold a rally tomorrow in protest of the attacks organised by the SFI on our chief minister and other ministers in Delhi. Around 5,000 people will assemble for the rally.” The Trinamul has filed a complaint against Asok, Jibesh and 23 other people for attacking their supporters.
In South Dinajpur earlier in the day, alleged Trinamul supporters beat up former CPM ministers Narayan Biswas and Minati Ghosh when they went to Harirampur to see the damage a Trinamul mob had done to an RSP office yesterday.
10 Apr 2013
Bengal governor: Attack on Mamata “shocking”, CPM politburo should issue public apology
Calcutta, Apr 10 (PTI): West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan on Wednesday said the “attack” on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Finance Minister Amit Mitra in Delhi was “unprecedented” and “a blot on India's cherished democratic values”.
He said the incident deserved to be condemned in the strongest terms and deserved a public apology from the politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), whose students wing had organised the protest.
“The shocking pre-meditated assault on the chief minister, the finance minister and other senior ministers of West Bengal in the national capital is an extremely unfortunate incident and a blot on India's cherished democratic values,” the Governor said in a statement issued here.
“This kind of attack on a democratically-elected chief minister, the finance minister and their cabinet colleagues is unprecedented in India's modern history and is serious enough to warrant a public apology by the politburo of the CPI(Marxist),” he said.
Narayanan said those responsible for the attack and their instigators have forfeited their right to function within a democratic framework.
The Governor also urged the ruling Trinamul Congress as well as others in the state to maintain calm.
Meanwhile, the TMC gave a call for a state-wide protest on Wednesday against Tuesday’s incident in Delhi where Left activists targeted Banerjee and Mitra.
Party general secretary Mukul Roy said their protest would be peaceful and not in line with that of the CPI(M) under any circumstance.
Morcha Siliguri march halted
Sukna (Kurseong), April 9: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s effort to march to Siliguri, days after Trinamul leaders held meetings in the hills, came to nought today when they were stopped a few kilometres from Darjeeling More, the entry to the town.
The Morcha held its rally at Sukna’s BB Gurung Memorial High School ground, which is near Siliguri and a few hundred metres outside the GTA area.
Police said they stopped the march of the Bharatiya Gorkha Bhutpurva Sainik Morcha, a Morcha-backed group of ex-servicemen, 5km from the entry point to Siliguri town because they apprehended law and order trouble.
The outfit wanted to march to Darjeeling More, then return to Sukna, about 7km away, and hold a rally in a school ground there.
At the Sukna rally, Binay Tamang, the Morcha’s assistant general secretary, said all notorious leaders from hills had joined the Trinamul for financial gain, not for development.
“Trinamul has become like a municipality dustbin where all unscrupulous leaders from the hills have joined. It is evident that all notorious leaders from the hills are joining the ruling party for vested interests. These leaders plan to make financial gain by associating themselves with the ruling party of Bengal. But we are not disturbed by this act as only one or two leaders from the Morcha have joined Trinamul.”
He added that these were leaders who “had already been suspended from the party for anti-party activities”.
The ex-servicemen organised the rally ostensibly to protest the attack on former jawans by police on April 9, 2008.
The timing of the march is crucial though. As recently as March 31, north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb held a public meeting in Darjeeling. On April 7, Trinamul senior leader Mukul Roy held a rally in Kalimpong.
Tamang’s statement is in contrast to Gurung’s recent remarks that he did not want to deteriorate the situation in the hills further and rather focus on development through the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
Tamang also scoffed at Trinamul’s repeated claims that Morcha supporters were joining the state’s ruling party.
The Morcha leader said the crowd at Trinamul’s meetings in Darjeeling and Kalimpong had supporters from Terai and the Dooars, not from the hills.
He said the supporters were the same people who participated in the programmes of the GNLF, Subash Ghisingh’s party that the Morcha has displaced in the hills.
“A few meetings in the hills don’t mean the Trinamul has got a strong foothold in the hills. I was near the venue of Trinamul’s meeting in Kalimpong on Sunday and we noticed that they had brought cadres from the Terai and the Dooars to assemble a crowd of around 400 people. We have been keeping tabs on meetings organised by Trinamul and the GNLF and found that followers of Rajen Mukhia (Trinamul leader in the hills) from Panighata were present in both the GNLF meeting at Simulbari and the Trinamul meeting at Kalimpong,” Tamang said. “This exposes the nexus of both parties in the hills,” he added.
“We will contest the panchayat polls in the Dooars and start campaigning as soon as the dates are announced,” he added.
The rally was also attended by Roshan Giri, Morcha general secretary, who said the party suspended its scheduled agitation programme for statehood following the visit of Jairam Ramesh, the Union minister for rural development, in Darjeeling on Sunday.
“We held talks with Jairam Ramesh who had come as an emissary of the central government. He has assured us that all our demands will be met. So we have decided to suspend our agitation for now. The Centre has assured an early tripartite meeting between Morcha, the state and the Centre,” Giri said.
“Trinamul cadres have been entering the hills and holding meetings with the protection of paramilitary forces. But our rally is not being allowed to go till Darjeeling More,” said Ramesh Allay, the Morcha leader who is also the president of the ex-servicemen wing.
Police officials, when asked as why the march was stopped at Dagapur, said they did not want “any breach in the law and order situation”.
Mitra attack backlash at home
April 9: The Trinamul Congress today retaliated to the SFI’s Delhi assault on state finance minister Amit Mitra by attacking several CPM offices in the districts.
The spate of attacks prompted chief minister Mamata Banerjee to depute her industries minister, Partha Chatterjee, to appeal for calm over a television network.
In parts of north Bengal, Hooghly, Bankura, Burdwan, Birbhum, Purulia, North and South 24-Parganas Trinamul workers went on the rampage, storming CPM offices and warning cadres against carrying on political activity.
In most places, chairs and tables in CPM offices were broken, ceiling fans yanked off and TV and telephone sets smashed. CPM leaders in some districts were allegedly assaulted. In north Bengal, Trinamul supporters allegedly attacked at least 14 offices of the CPM and the Forward Bloc this evening.
Transport movement stopped on Hill Cart Road after a group of Trinamul supporters threw stones at Anil Biswas Bhavan, the Darjeeling district CPM office, located off the road.
Reports of vandalism also came I from Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and South Dinajpur districts. In Burdwan, three tin sheds that served as branch committee offices of the CPM were set ablaze.
In South 24-Parganas, the CPM alleged that the car carrying party MLA Abdur Rezzak Mollah was attacked with bombs this evening near Ghatakpukur in Bhangar. Nobody was injured.
The CPM is yet to lodge a police complaint.
In Hooghly, CPM zonal committee offices in Pursurah, Tarakeswar and Haripal were allegedly attacked by Trinamul activists.
The house of Dulal Bhowmik, a CPM leader of Haripal, was stormed. There were reports of a CPM office being set ablaze in Jangipara.
“I had gone to our Serampore party office. When I returned, I came to know that my home had been ransacked. They (Trinamul activists) threatened us with dire consequences if we did politics again,” Bhowmik said.
Trinamul’s Hooghly president Tapan Dasgupta denied the allegations.
“We launched a peaceful movement against the CPM in various parts of Hooghly this evening,” he said.
Later tonight, minister Chatterjee said: “The chief minister had called me up to tell our party workers that they can hold demonstrations and protest against the attack but peace has to be maintained.”
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9 Apr 2013
Cave tourism for hill visitors - new LInk in sport loop
1:49 pm
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Takling Busty, April 20.2006 : Caving, as a form of adventure sports, is fast becoming a craze with tourists visiting the region.
The credit for bringing the sport in the list of attractions in the region's adventure tourism circuit goes to a self-help group of eight youths from this village, more than 55 km from Siliguri. The youths have been instrumental in opening up a 300-m natural cave for sports enthusiasts.
Gloria Cave, as they have named it, was opened for tourists last Saturday, amid the holy chant of a local pastor and cultural performances by village youths. Though the area abounds in caves, Gloria Cave is the first to be opened for caving.
'It is great that we have been able to introduce a new sport for tourists visiting the region,' said Lawrence Pradhan, one of the members of the self-help group ' Takling-Mangwa Nature Guide and Adventure Tracks Group. 'It is only recently that we came to know that caving, which is hugely popular as an adventure activity elsewhere, could be initiated in a cave that has been here for ages,' he added.
Rock-climbing and nature treks are other activities that the group wants to promote and form an adventure circuit by linking these activities with white-water rafting in the Teesta.
