कालेबुङ, १७ मई|
बङ्गालका मुख्यमन्त्री ममता व्यानर्जीलाई भेट्न नपाउँदा हिल तृणमूल कङ्ग्रेसका कार्यकर्ताहरू निराश बनेका छन् भनेर कतिपय मिडियाले गलत प्रचार गरेको आरोप हिल तृणमूल महिला सङ्गठनका प्रमुख ननिता गौतमले लगाएकी छन्| आज एक पत्रकार सम्मेलन डाकेर छापामा आएको खबर असत्य रहेको बताएकी छन्| ‘मुख्यमन्त्रीको पहाड आगमनले हामीलाई ठूलो बल मिलेको छ| उनीसितको भेटले दलप्रति कार्यकर्ताहरूको मनोबल अनि विश्वास अझ बढेको छ| तर पहाडमा हिल तृणमूललाई फस्टाउन नदिने, बाधा पुर्याउने जस्ता षड्यन्त्र हुँदैछ| मिडियाको गलत प्रचारको कारण सङ्गठनप्रति आम मानिसमा गलत सन्देश गइरहेको छ’-गौतमले भनिन्| उनीअनुसार, मुख्यमन्त्रीको पहाड भ्रमण पार्टीगत् नहुँदा हुँदै पनि पहाडका नेतृत्वहरूसित मुख्यमन्त्रीले भेट गरेकी छन्| प्रथम दिनमा रोहिनीमा हिल तृणमूलका कार्यकर्ताहरूले प्रवेशद्वारमा नै ममतालाई भव्य स्वगात जनाएका थिए| यो कुरा छापामा आएन| उनले अझ भनेअनुसार, दलका कार्यकर्ताहरूले स्वागत जनाउँदा मुख्यमन्त्री धेरै खुशी देखिन्थे अनि स्वयं ननिता गौतमसित भेटेर छोटे समयमा उनले धेरै कुरा गरीराखेकी छन्| जुन कुरा सबै भन्न नमिल्ने पनि उनले बताइन्| यसरी नै दोस्रो दिनमा मिरिकमा दलका महासचिव मकुल रोय अनि मन्त्री गौतम देवसित साङ्गठनिक गतिविधिहरूमाथि कुराकानी भएको उनले बताइन्| अन्तिम दिनमा पनि मुख्यमन्त्रीकै बोलाहटमा उनीहरूले दार्जीलिङमा छुट्टै बैठक गरेका थिए| यसदिन हिल तृणमूलले दशवटा विषयहरूमा ज्ञापन चडाएको छ| पहाडमा हुने हरेक विकास कार्यमा पारदर्शीता हुनुपर्ने, शान्ति र विकास,, वेरोगार समस्या, त्रिस्तरीय पञच्यात चुनाउ साथै सामाजिक सरोकारका मुद्दाहरू हिल तृणमूलले राखेको गौतमले बताइन्| मुख्यमन्त्रसितको यसदिनको भेटमा पहाडमा अनुशासित ढङ्गमा सङ्गठन विस्तार गर्ने साथै पहाडको तीनवटै महकुमामा दलको कार्यालय स्थापना गर्ने निर्देश छ| तर यति हुँदैहुँदै पनि कतिपय नेपाली दैनिकमा खबर राम्ररी छानबीन नगरी नै छापामा ल्याएकोले शुभचिन्तकहरूमा गतल सन्देश गएको आरोप गौतमले लगाइन्| ‘मोर्चाबाट हिल तृणमूलमा गएको एकजना कार्यकर्ताले दिएको खबर भनेर उक्त समाचारको आधार बनाइएको छ| तर सम्बन्धित पक्षका शीर्ष नेतृत्वलाई नसोधी मनगढ्नत्ते खबर छापिनु सही होइन| कुन कार्यकर्ताले झुटो खबर दियो भनेर हामी पनि छानबीन गर्दैछौं सम्बन्धित पत्रिकाले पनि नाम उजागर गर्नुपर्छ’-उनले भनिन्| गौतमको आशयअनुसार, मोर्चा अनि राज्य सरकारबीच पुनः सम्बन्धमा सुधार आएकोले पहाडका तृणमूल कार्यकर्ताहरू अलपत्रमा पर्नसक्ने अड्कलबाजीहरूलाई मुख्यमन्त्रीसितको भेटले गतल साबित गरेको छ| किनभने, सङ्गठन विस्तारलाई लिएर मुख्यमन्त्री गम्भिर छन्| यसैले केही महिनाभित्र नै मुख्यमन्त्री फेरि पहाड आउने अनि साङ्गठनिक गतिविधिहरूलाई केन्द्र गर्दै पहाडको कुनै स्थानमा सङ्गोष्टिको आयोजना गरिने भएको छ|
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।
18 May 2013
Career fair
Siliguri, May 17: Several universities ad colleges from across the country will set up stalls at career fairs that will be organised in Gangtok, Darjeeling and Siliguri by SAPE Events and Media Private Limited in association with The Telegraph Careergraph next week.
This is the first time that the fair is being held in Gangtok and Darjeeling and the 10th year that the event is being organised in Siliguri. “This year, we will be organising the 10th career fair in Siliguri. We will be holding the fairs in Gangtok and Darjeeling for the first time this year,” said Sanjay Thapa, the managing director of SAPE Events and Media Private Limited, a Calcutta-based event management firm.
The career fair in Gangtok will be organised on May 20 at Chintan Bhawan, in Darjeeling, it will be held at the Gymkhana Club on May 22 and in Siliguri, the event would take place at the City Garden on Sevoke Road on May 24 and 25.
Seventy-five institutions will set up stalls in the Siliguri fair and 50 each in Gangtok and Darjeeling. Some of the institutions are Lovely Professional University, Amity University and Punjab Technical University. “We will provide guidance on a whole gamut of traditional and non-conventional courses like medicine, engineering, law, management, hospitality management, tourism, film technology, graphic designing, mass communication, interior designing, aviation and fashion designing. Students will get to know about the content, fee-structure and career prospects of courses they want to take up,” Thapa said.
No-trust dare to Trinamul
Siliguri, May 17: The Congress today challenged Trinamul to move a no-trust motion against Siliguri municipal corporation mayor Gangotri Datta if it was not satisfied with her work rather than preventing her from discharging her duties.
The immediate provocation for the Congress to attack Trinamul was an eight-hour demonstration by its Trinamul councillors yesterday at the SMC office to protest the suspension of 12 contractual employees.
The Trinamul councillors also pasted posters on the door of the mayor’s chamber and covered her nameplate with newspapers demanding her resignation.
“Trinamul councillors are targeting the mayor frequently and creating hindrances in her official functions under the instructions of north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb. We condemn such acts and want to clarify that if civic service is affected, it would be solely because of Trinamul,” said Darjeeling district Congress president Shankar Malakar.
“If Trinamul wants Gangotri Datta to be removed, it should table a no-confidence motion against her, instead of launching an agitation. The mayor’s post is an elected one and she can be removed only through a no-confidence motion. The Congress would then prove its majority on the floor,” he said.
“If Trinamul continues to resort to such acts that are detrimental to the normal functioning of the SMC and keeps targeting the mayor, we (Congress) would not sit idle. We will take to the street and politically counter Trinamul,” Malakar added.
The Congress leader alleged that Trinamul had been “conspiring for several months” to create troubles at the civic body.
“From the illegal election of the SMC chairman and the opposition to passing of the annual budget to the harassment of the mayor, Trinamul has been trying to create problems at the SMC. We have been patient so far but would not tolerate them any more. The mayor and the members mayor-in-council are functioning in an appropriate manner. Their official work is getting affected only by Trinamul’s attempt to control the civic body,” said Malakar, who is the Matigara-Naxalbari MLA.
Told about Malakar’s challenge to move the no-trust motion against Datta, Trinamul said the Congress shouldn’t forget the fact that it was even boycotting the monthly meeting of the civic board.
“Congress leaders seem to have forgotten that the mayor and councillors of their party are not even attending the monthly board meetings. Their absence, we feel, is because of the Congress’s realisation that the mayor can’t get a single decision passed at the board for lack of majority. Let the mayor and other Congress councillors attend a board meeting, then we will prove that she lacks majority at the SMC,” said Krishna Pal, a Trinamul councillor and the secretary general of the Darjeeling district committee of the party.
17 May 2013
Roy Villa for govt, hostel for GTA - Mamata, Gurung swap buildings
Darjeeling, May 16: The Bengal government and the GTA have worked out a swap on the upkeep of two buildings — Roy Villa, which is associated with Sister Nivedita, and the Tenzing Norgay Youth Hostel.
Roy Villa is under the GTA administration, while the Tenzing Norgay Youth Hostel is under the youth affairs department of the state government.
“According to the GTA agreement, Roy Villa was with the GTA and they had plans to set up a youth hostel here. On our request, they have agreed to hand it over to us. In lieu, we will give the Tenzing Norgay youth hostel to the GTA where they can carry out their project,” the chief minister said.
The Tenzing Norgay Youth Hostel is a facility with a 44-bed dormitory and three rooms. Sources said the hostel largely caters to mountaineers training with the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who went to Roy Villa on Lebong Cart Road today with GTA Sabha chief Bimal Gurung, announced Rs 1 crore each for the upkeep of the two buildings.
The decision for the swap was finalised after a meeting between Mamata and Gurung here today.
A tripartite agreement was also signed by the government, GTA and Ramakrishna Mission with regard to the development of Roy Villa, where Sister Nivedita breathed her last on October 13, 1911.
Mamata spent over an hour at Roy Villa, accompanied by Ramakrishna Mission general secretary Swami Suhitanandaji and Gurung. The Ramakrishna Mission will maintain Roy Villa from now.
“This is a historic decision that we have taken. Hardly anybody knows that Sister Nivedita, who worked for the welfare of the downtrodden, died in this house. There is historical importance attached to it. Swami Vivekananda also visited Roy Villa,” Mamata told the media after the meeting.
Once the centre would be ready the local people will benefit, Gurung said.
Roshan Giri, a GTA executive Sabha member, said the hill body was satisfied with the agreement on the Roy Villa. “The centre will not only be a tourist attraction but will also be beneficial to the hill people as there are talks of setting up women welfare centre and training centre for IAS aspirants.”
Mamata later wrote in a Facebook post: “It has been agreed that GTA would hand over the premises to the State Government for setting up of a Centre of Excellence in the name of “Ramkrishna Mission Nivedita Educational and Cultural Centre”.”
The state government wants to set up a campus of Swami Vivekananda University at Roy Villa and a school of languages in collaboration with the Ramakrishna Mission. A computer training centre, a coaching centre for joint entrance examination and civil service aspirants would also be started at Roy Villa.
A science promotion centre named after Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose will also be set up and there will be an exhibition on the life of Sister Nivedita.
“The centre(s) would work for the empowerment of women and youth… Many are unaware that Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose brought her (Sister Nivedita) to Roy Villa before her death,” Mamata said.
She said the GTA had wanted a girls’ school to be set up at Roy Villa. A decision would be taken by the Ramakrishna Mission, she added.
Swami Suhitanandaji said the Ramakrishna Mission had lost hope of getting Roy Villa. “Twenty years ago, Swami Lokeswaranandaji came to Darjeeling and met Subash Ghisingh with the request to hand over Roy Villa to us because of our sentiments associated with this house. Nothing came of it. We gave up hope,” he said.
Sister Nivedita first came to Darjeeling in 1903 with botanist Jagdish Chandra Bose and his wife Abala Basu, who had rented the property from Dwarka Nath Roy, a resident of Calcutta.
When the Morcha started its agitation in 2007, several members of the Gorkhaland Personnel (GLP) used to camp on the Roy Villa premises.
Till a few days back, the GLP were staying at Roy Villa. Sources said that the GLP personnel vacated the building when it became known that Mamata would visit the site.
Health awareness programme
Health awareness programme organised by the Sikkim health department at Panchayat Bhavan, Sang-Martam village, East Sikkim, 10am. Health awareness camp organised by the Trinamul Congress at Khanakul in Hooghly, 10am.
What Cheek! - Sree Shame: Police see three players fixing IPL spots, board sees little but bolt from blue
May 16: A “great comeback”, the TV commentator gushed. Hit for 14 off the first three balls of the over, Rajasthan Royals tweaker Ankeet Chavan had conceded just one from his last three.
But once the floodlit night of show and glitz passed, it all looked a little dubious in the glare of daylight. Delhi police alleged this afternoon that Chavan had deliberately bowled long hops and half-volleys to the Mumbai Indians’ Glenn Maxwell last night because bookies had paid him to concede at least 13 runs in his second over.
Job done in the first half of the over and the promised Rs 60 lakh in the bag — Delhi police commissioner Neeraj Kumar said — Chavan was free to tighten things up again, just as in his first over that had allowed only two runs.
If the commentator was fooled, not so apparently the hawk-eyed team from Delhi police’s special cell watching from the Wankhede stands. The cops didn’t miss Chavan’s alleged “signal” to the bookies before the start of the over — a discreet rotation of his wristband — Kumar said.
So, a little past midnight, began a chain of events that India’s cricket chief today described as a “bolt from the blue” — Delhi police arresting three Rajasthan Royals cricketers from Mumbai for alleged spot-fixing in three IPL matches.
Kerala pacer and Test player Santhakumaran Sreesanth, Haryana offie Ajit Chandila and Mumbai left-arm spinner Chavan are each accused of conceding a pre-determined number of runs (or more) in an over against bribes from bookies with underworld links. All of them have been remanded in police custody for five days.
Sreesanth is charged with taking Rs 40 lakh and Chavan Rs 60 lakh. Chandila, allegedly offered Rs 40 lakh, was asked to refund his Rs 20-lakh advance after failing to flash the agreed “signal”, which prevented the bookies from placing bets, the police said.
If found guilty, the trio could face jail terms of up to seven years and a life ban from cricket, police and cricket officials indicated. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has suspended the players pending an inquiry and promised the “strictest action”.
“Sreesanth was arrested from a friend’s home at Carter Road in Mumbai, Chandila outside hotel Intercontinental where some of the bookies were staying, and Ankeet was arrested from Hotel Trident (the Royals’ team hotel),” Kumar said.
A senior Mumbai police officer told The Telegraph that Rs 1.2 crore in cash was seized from the team hotel but Delhi police refused to confirm or deny this.
Name twist
Sreesanth was held with childhood buddy and alleged bookie Jiju Janardanan. Mumbai police officers who had helped Delhi police operation said the cricketer was uncharacteristically docile during the arrest.
“But he tried to be clever by giving his name as S.S. Nair to ensure that the FIR did not mention the name Sreesanth,” a Mumbai police source said. “It was meant to stave off the media and did appear to work initially.”
Nair is indeed Sreesanth’s surname. The police mistakenly put the name down as “S.S. Nayyar”, probably influenced by the spelling of a similar-sounding north Indian surname.
All three players were taken to the Marine Lines police station and an FIR was lodged around 2.30am. The trio were brought to Delhi on an early morning flight.
Their faces covered and heads lowered, the cricketers appeared one by one before Delhi chief metropolitan magistrate Lokesh Kumar to claim innocence, sources said. Sreesanth alleged he had been trapped by bookies.
The players have been charged under Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy). They are also likely to be booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, which could land them in jail without bail.
Kumar ruled out any other player’s involvement. He said 11 bookies had been held and the police were looking for three more.
The arrests are one more feather in the cap for Delhi police, who had in April 2000 ripped the veil off match-fixing in international cricket, nailing South Africa captain Hansie Cronje among others.
‘Towel’ signal
The police today provided purported audio-visual “proof” from the three IPL matches under the scanner to detail the accused bookies’ and cricketers’ modus operandi.
Kumar said the three matches were the Royals’ games of May 5, 9 and 15 against the Pune Warriors, Kings XI Punjab and the Mumbai Indians. He alleged the bookies had given the players specific “approval codes” that were used to signify a compromised over.
“In certain overs, they (the players) were supposed to give away a certain amount of runs. The bookies gave the players instructions that they have to indicate that they would give away these runs,” he said.
“The instructions were ‘put the towel in your trousers or take time setting the field or take out your locket or shirt or the vests that you are wearing’.”
Investigators say that besides phone records, they have evidence of messages passed through BBM and WhatsApp.
Sources said the police had stumbled on the spot-fixing racket while investigating an extortion case in Delhi. They then wiretapped the phones of some of the bookies, which allegedly led them to the three players.
Delhi police said they had been tracking the bookies and the three players for over two weeks.
“We had the three names but we had to get them to deliver on the promises they had made to the bookies. We got Chandila (May 5) and Sreesanth (May 9) and then were waiting for Chavan. Once we got his conversations with the bookies, we knew he would do the needful in the match against Mumbai,” Kumar said.
“Our officers were present during the matches at the stadium since the signals could have gone out during the commercial breaks,” Kumar said.
‘Underworld’ links
Mumbai officers claimed the spots were fixed at the behest of a Dawood Ibrahim-run syndicate operating from India’s betting hub of Bhavnagar in Gujarat, and was part of a bigger network spanning Mumbai, Karachi and Dubai.
Kumar, however, refused to name any particular underworld don though he confirmed an “overseas” mafia link. But some Delhi police sources indicated that at least two of the bookies arrested had worked with Dawood until recently.
Chandila was arrested from the same hotel as two alleged bookies — the Ahmedabad-based Amit Ramgivind Singh and Mannal Upendrakumar Bhatt, who were sharing Room No. 336. The other alleged bookies arrested in Mumbai are Chandresh Chandbhai Patel and Jiju.
Another Delhi police team arrested seven others from in and around the capital, including Patiala resident Deepak Kumar, Delhi-based Rakesh, and Mohinder Pal Oberoi.
Mumbai police sources said that around Rs 400 crore had been betted on every IPL match this year. “Everything, right from the match result to the number of sixes hit, was up for betting,” a source said.
Asked whether any other cricketer, Indian or foreign, was involved, Kumar said: “We have no such evidence.”
The Rajasthan Royals expressed shock.
“We are completely taken by surprise,” a statement from the franchise said. “We will fully cooperate with the authorities to ensure a thorough investigation.”
A Union sports ministry release said IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla had been asked “to take urgent steps to… ensure clean sports” and take deterrent action if the trio were found guilty.
BCCI president N. Srinivasan said a few “bad eggs” would not be allowed to “sully the game” and that the punishment, if the trio are found guilty, would be a “sufficient deterrent” for others.
The best-known case of spot-fixing involves former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and pacers Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer, who were paid off to bowl three no-balls in the August 2010 Lord’s Test against England.
After the tabloid News of the World exposed the scandal through a sting, all three had to serve short prison terms in Britain. They are now serving bans of five to 10 years from cricket.
16 May 2013
Golf course gets nod
Darjeeling, May 15: Mamata Banerjee today laid the foundation stone for a golf course at Tiger Hill, a turf that was built around the 1900s and the revival of which has been a longstanding demand of the tourism industry.
Sonam Bhutia, the executive director of GTA in charge of tourism department, said: “A sum of Rs 2.10 crore has been allotted by the state tourism department for land reclamation and development of the area where the golf course will be set up ”
Sources said Worlds Sport Group, a Singapore-based firm, has inspected the area, 12km from here, and found it suitable to set up a golf course.
“We will soon be inviting an expression of interest from across the globe for the project. The course will be built on a public-private-partnership,” Bhutia said.
The nine-hole course will be spread over 31.85 acres and needs Rs 46 crore, sources said. The turf was built around 1900 and in 1907, the then district commissioner had leased it out to a club called Golf Links for 99 years. After the British left the country in 1947, Golf Links became almost defunct.
The army used the course till the late 1980s and left the area later as documents stated that the land belonged to the Darjeeling Improvement Fund (department) under the district administration.
In the mid-1990s the then chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, Subash Ghisingh, moved in excavators and flattened a part of Tiger Hill to construct a helipad. But he failed to obtain clearance from the ministry of environment and forest and the project was shelved.
Stakeholders of the tourism industry are happy with the development.
“It is a much needed boost for tourism in Darjeeling. It will help in drawing a large number of high-end tourists. A golf course would be a great attraction,” said Suresh Periwal, president of Indian Association of Travel Agents (North Bengal-Sikkim chapter).
Darjeeling receives around 3.5 lakh domestic tourists and 40,000 foreigners annually.
Darjeeling the heart of state: CM Morcha sees point in Mamata speech
Darjeeling, May 15: Mamata Banerjee today said Darjeeling “is the heart of Bengal” but also clarified almost immediately that she was not talking politics.
After inaugurating an auditorium at the Gorkha Rangamanch Bhavan, with Bimal Gurung on the dais beside her, the chief minister spoke for bringing development to the hills in her first visit here after January, when she had annoyed the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha with her speech.
The January 29 event was also a government one like today’s, but Mamata told the crowd at Chowrastha: “Darjeeling is a part of us.”
Today, the Morcha chief also spoke in measured words, aware that running the GTA without the state’s help may prove difficult. Gurung said “misunderstandings” would be a thing of the past.
“Darjeeling is the heart of Bengal, please remember this,” Mamata said today. “I don’t want to talk about politics but we should work together. No provocation, no dirty politics. Darjeeling is like other parts of my state. I love my Bengal. I love my Darjeeling.”
The chief minister spoke about the dip in tourist flow to Darjeeling in March and April because of “disturbances”. In March, the Morcha had announced a series of bandhs, which it later called off after talks with central ministers in Delhi.
At today’s event, the Morcha supporters heard the chief minister in silence, clapping occasionally as she rolled out the list of projects that the government and GTA have planned. Featured in the list were medical colleges in Darjeeling and Kurseong, a fire station in Mirik, a polytechnic college at Kalimpong, Rs 2000 crore for a 300MW hydel project and Rs 155 crore for a drinking water project for Darjeeling.
Morcha leader Roshan Giri, asked about Mamata’s message, said: “Everything was fine. There is no controversy.”
A Morcha leader said: “The situation has changed now. Moreover, she did not make a political statement as she had done the last time when she visited the hills.”
When Mamata had come to Darjeeling in January, there was tension in the hills over the Telangana issue. The Morcha leadership was under pressure to press for statehood. “The situation then was very volatile. The Morcha leaders tried to convey the message to the chief minister but there were misunderstandings,” said a senior Morcha leader.
Gurung today repeated that “misunderstandings” would be a thing of the past. “What happened then was uncalled for. We are confident that it won’t be repeated.”
He also admitted that running the GTA would not be smooth without the state government’s help. “Without the cooperation of the state government, the hill body cannot run properly,” he said.
A senior Trinamul leader said: “Gurung wants to have total control in the hills. Without the state government’s backing he would find it difficult to meet the demands of the people. So he has decided to revive the ties with Mamatadi.”
14 May 2013
Sikkim schoolkids’ ad brush with Ranbir - Two children shoot education commercial with Bollywood star in Mumbai
Gangtok, May 13: Lakhit Lepcha and Abhishek Rai feel like minor celebrities in their own school. After all, they just returned after shooting an advertisement with Ranbir Kapoor.
“What does he look like…. Is Ranbir tall? Is he actually as good looking as he looks in the movies?” These are questions that 14-year-old Lakhit and 11-year-old Abhishek have been asked repeatedly by classmates.
The two students of Melli Gumpa Government Secondary School were among a handful of kids from other parts of India who sang and danced with Ranbir for the ad stressing the importance of education.
The bonus — Ranbir played soccer with them and took a picture.
All this would perhaps not have been possible if the school had not sent its report to the Sikkim Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan office.
“We had sent a report of the school’s activities to the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan division of the Sikkim government after they told us to submit the details. We got a message later from the department that our school had been selected to feature in an ad,” said Sekhar Chettri, the principal who accompanied the kids to Mumbai.
A team from Mumbai visited the school in April and spent a few days filming on the school premises, in the classrooms and library. They also did screen tests on the students.
“After a screen test, the two students were selected to act with Ranbir,” Chhetri said.
On May 3, Lakhit and Abhishek left for Mumbai by train — this as their first train journey.
“It was an amazing experience to work with Ranbir Kapoor. I have seen him only on television but performing with him was like a dream come true,” Lakhit, who is in Class VII, said.
Class IV student Abhishek said: “We took the first train ride of our life. Mumbai is a big city and we enjoyed working with Ranbir.”
The kids said Ranbir asked them about their state and what hobbies they had. He also played soccer with them.
The HRD ministry accommodated the children in a hotel in Mumbai.
For Lakhit and Abhishek, both children of small farmers, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Principal Chhetri had told them to record all the details of the trip in a diary, so they could read it out to the school in the assembly.
A day after the two returned to Melli, in south Sikkim, on May 9, they read out their accounts in school.
Lakhit said several of her friends exhaustively quizzed her on Ranbir — his height, handsomeness, dance moves.
Lakhit loves Shah Rukh Khan and Abhishek swears by Salman, but no harm in doing a jig with Ranbir.
The song in the ad goes like “Tang tang tang suno ghanti baji, school tumhe pukare” (listen to the school bell, the school is calling you) and was shot in the streets of Bandra. The children will be seen with Ranbir telling adults about the importance of education.
The lyrics were penned by Javed Akhtar.
The ad is expected to be aired in June.
Nathu-la trade
Gangtok, May 13: The Nathu-la trade that could not start on the scheduled date because of bad weather kicked off today, after almost two weeks.
Although the trade was declared open on May 1, no transactions took place because of snowfall and frequent landslides along JN Marg.
“Thirty Chinese traders reached Sherathang (14,500ft) today,” said Sumita Pradhan, deputy secretary of commerce and industries department. But 25 Indian traders who had permits could not go beyond Sherathang for bad roads.
The Chinese got garments, shoes, quilts, blankets and carpets. “Indian traders took religious items (beads, prayer wheels, incense sticks, butter lamps), processed food, quilts, spices,” said a businessman.
Tea lay-off alarm as rain eludes Dooars
Siliguri, May 13: Tea planters in the Dooars and Terai have warned that they may be forced to slash the number of work days or lay off hands if the near-dry spell because of lack of rain continues for another 15 days.
“Unless there is an improvement in the weather, the owners might not be able to provide enough working days to the labourers. We will be forced to either reduce the number of working days or lay off some labourers,” said U.B. Das, the secretary of the Terai Indian Planters’ Association.
The Dooars have received 60mm rainfall from January till now. Last year, the gardens in the region had got 105mm of rainfall from January to mid-April.
The lack of rain has also compounded the problem of mites and other insects that have started destroying fresh leaves.
“The tea estates in the Terai have been reeling from severe drought-like conditions for over a considerable period…. While some plantations got scanty rainfall in March, others got a bit of drizzle in April. Both are inadequate for the industry,” said Das.
“Without the adequate showers, the gardens witnessed a sharp increase in pest and mite attacks, resulting in the destruction of tea bushes. Although we are irrigating the bushes, it cannot control the pest attacks and the cost of production has increased by Rs 10 per kg,” Das said.
The Indian Meteorological Department in Calcutta said, Jalpaiguri district got 173.9mm rain from March to May this year, which is 23 per cent less than the normal-rain mark of 226.7mm.
The garden owners warned that the situation didn’t augur well for the labourers who number more than 3 lakh in the plains. Tea garden workers in the plains have never been laid off work because of drought-like conditions, though there were similar warnings issued in the past.
Prabir Bhattacharjee, the secretary of the Dooars branch of the Indian Tea Association, said: “So far, there has been no reduction in working days or lay-offs in any of the gardens. However, such a possibility looms over the work force this year. We want to make it clear that if there is not enough rain in the next 10 days or fortnight, bushes won’t sprout leaves and we won’t be able to engage all workers.”
He added that since the Dooars had hardly received rain in March and April, the production has decreased by 15 per cent.
Data available with the Tea Board of India show production in the Dooars was 7.04 million kg in March 2012 and for the same period this year, the figure is 0.57 million kg.
The Tea Research Association (TRA) said the tea industry was badly in need of rain. “The increase in the temperature caused by the acute shortage of rain has dried up natural water sources. The result is that there is a spurt in pest and mite attacks,” said S. Varghese, chief advisory officer of the TRA in Nagrakata.
Experts said adequate rain would kill the pests and mites and help the bushes develop fresh leaves.
Trade unions in the gardens warned that they would protest if the planters announced a lay-off or reduction in working days.
“The garden owners are facing problems because of the weather, not workers. We would vehemently oppose if any management declares lay-off or reduces labour days,” said Aloke Chakraborty, the president of the north Bengal regional committee of the Congress-backed Intuc.
The CPM’s union arm Citu spoke on similar lines.
“We have seen that whenever management faces problems that are not related to workers they do something that will affect the labourers,” said a Citu leader.
Suicide bid by teen depositor
May 13: A 16-year-old student from Jalpaiguri district who worked as a guard and had invested with the Saradha Group consumed pesticide yesterday evening.
Sahanur Islam is now in the ITU of Jalpaiguri district hospital.
“For the past one-and-a-half years, Sahanur has been working as a security guard at a construction site near Lataguri station,” said the Class X student’s father Muhammad Ali, a daily labourer.
“On his holidays, he often worked as a labourer during the day. But he never gave any money to the family and invested almost all his earnings in the Saradha Group. I have seen the certificates and other documents. As far as I know he had invested around Rs 70,000,” said Ali, a resident of Mahakalpara in Jalpaiguri.
When Sahanur came to know that the company had gone bust, he started looking for his agent. “He could not contact him. Last evening, my son set all the documents and certificates on fire and attempted to commit suicide by consuming pesticide,” Ali said.
Commission
Administrative sources said that 1,479 applications by agents and depositors were submitted to the Siliguri office of the Shyamal Sen commission today.
Tourism hub plan for Gazoldoba
Siliguri, May 13: The state tourism department today unveiled the details of a proposed tourism hub at Gazoldoba in Jalpaiguri and invited investors for the project.
Vikram Sen, principal secretary of the department of tourism, said the hub — one of the key projects announced by Mamata Banerjee for north Bengal — would be developed through a public-private partnership and investments to the tune of Rs 1,800 crore would be invited from private players.
The investors would be provided with a 203-acre vested plot next to the Teesta Barrage Project.
“The state government will carry out infrastructure development like (building) roads, drainage, drinking water supply and beautification. The remaining work would be done by the private firm. We have mentioned our requirements before the prospective investors. Tenders would be invited in June. Once the investor is finalised, it would take two years to finish the project,” Sen said.
The hub would have two luxury hotels, five budget hotels, a health spa, a golf course, entertainment and exhibition centres, a water body and a water park, he added.
“The firm selected would be told about the requirements again. It would then draw up a detailed project report mentioning the usage of land and other relevant details, get it endorsed with us and go ahead with the construction,” a senior official of the tourism department said.
The proposed project would be the largest of its kind in the region in terms of area and facilities.
Today, Sen interacted with the stakeholders in the tourism industry in north Bengal at a seminar titled Scope and Avenues of Adventure Tourism in West Bengal.
“The state is keen to explore avenues of adventure tourism and wants to create opportunities for visitors. North Bengal is an ideal destination for such tourism. On February 28, we held a similar interaction and sought proposals. We have received proposals for 25 projects related to adventure tourism like rock climbing, aero sports and jungle-based activities. We would look into these projects,” Sen said.
Mohan Tickoo, vice-president of Adventure Tour Operators’ Association of India, said: “We have asked the state to create avenues and improve infrastructure for such tourism. Our association is ready to extend all co-operation as it can help in employment generation and have a positive effect on the local economy.”
13 May 2013
Morcha to keep CM indoors Once bitten, hill party wary of public show
Darjeeling, May 12: The GTA Sabha has decided against holding any public event during the chief minister’s two-day Darjeeling trip starting May 14 to avoid a repeat of the Chowrastha episode when her utterances sparked protests in the audience, sources said.
Sources in the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which controls the GTA Sabha, said the party had initially thought of organising a public event to welcome the chief minister.
“But many within the party were not comfortable with the idea of holding a public meeting at Chowrastha as they felt that the hill people and our leaders would not accept any anti-statehood comment from her. This will definitely strain relations between the Morcha and Mamata that have just been redeemed,” a Morcha source told The Telegraph.
On January 29, at the same Chowrastha, Mamata had said “Darjeeling is a part of us”, a comment that triggered protests from the audience. Morcha activists raised “we want Gorkhaland” slogans and waved posters that read “Gorkhaland is the way to all-round progress in the hills, Terai and Dooars”. Following this incident, the relations between the Morcha and Mamata nose-dived. Ruffled feathers were smoothed after a Morcha delegation led by general secretary Roshan Giri met the chief minister on April 23 when she was admitted to a Calcutta health facility. This will be Mamata’s first visit to Darjeeling after the January 29 fiasco.
Giri said the GTA would organise a programme at Gorkha Ranga Manch Bhavan during Mamata’s visit. “The chief minister will inaugurate an auditorium at the Gorkha Ranga Mancha Bhavan on May 14. There will be no public event at Chowrastha,” said Giri, who is also a GTA executive Sabha member.
Unlike Chowrastha, which is the main hub in the town, the general public cannot walk into the Ranga Mancha Bhavan which now houses the GTA Sabha. “An indoor event will ensure that only those people who are invited by the Morcha leadership will be present,” said an observer.
That the Morcha had second thoughts on holding the public programme for Mamata could best be gauged from Kurseong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri’s statement. The MLA said he had told the chief minister while inviting her to the hills last week that the GTA would organise an event in Darjeeling, most probably at Chowrastha.
“I did not talk of a public meeting but the impression I had was that if the GTA organises an event, it would probably be at Chowrastha. I merely told the chief minister that an event would be organised in Darjeeling and most probably at Chowrastha,” Chhetri said.
Even though the chief minister’s itinerary has not yet reached the district administration or the Morcha, party leaders said she was expected to attend only two inaugurations.
“Even though we have not yet received her official itinerary, our understanding is that she will inaugurate a fair price medical shop at the Darjeeling district hospital and the auditorium at Gorkha Ranga Manch Bhavan,” said Jyoti Kumar Rai, an assistant secretary of the Morcha and a GTA executive Sabha member.
Despite the Morcha’s aversion to hosting a public event for Mamata, the party is making arrangements to ensure a warm welcome for her. “Since the official itinerary has not yet reached us, we haven’t yet completed our arrangements. Nevertheless, we will be setting up four welcome gates at Siliguri, Kurseong, Sonada and Darjeeling (along the Hill Cart Road) to greet the chief minister,” said Rai.
Barla hints at no Trinamul tie-up
May 12: Tribal leader John Barla today said he would not forge an alliance with the Trinamul Congress for the upcoming rural polls if the state’s ruling party continued to make incursions into his strongholds across the Dooars and tried to influence his support base.
Barla’s comment comes a day after Trinamul leaders organised a rally and a meeting on the Lakkhipara Tea Estate at Banarhat in Dhupguri block of the Dooars.
Yesterday, 30-40 garden residents joined Mamata Banerjee’s party.
Lakkhipara, where Barla stays, is his bastion.
“Since its emergence in the Dooars, Trinamul has adopted an aggressive stance to expand its support base. Its leaders, particularly those who have joined the party recently, are making forays into the strongholds of even their allies like us. We abhor such moves which are aimed to take away our support base and we would be forced to think twice on the proposal to join hands with the party (for the panchayat polls),” Barla said today.
“At least six months ago, we had proposed the alliance. Trinamul leaders had reciprocated (then) and leaders like Mukul Roy and Gautam Deb held talks with us in Malbazar. But these days, the party is silent on the proposal (of alliance) and instead, the leaders are entering our areas, raising Trinamul flags and persuading our workers and supporters to join Mamata Banerjee’s party,” said Barla, who is with the JMM.
“This is being done in the name of the tea trade union of Trinamul (Trinamul Plantation Workers’ Union affiliated to the INTTUC). But the party, in a clandestine manner, is trying to weaken us,” he added.
“If the party does not restrain itself, we will shun the proposal and continue the JMM-Gorkha Janmukti Morcha alliance and consider Trinamul as a contender like any other political party. This will not be tolerated any further,” said the tribal leader.
After Trinamul leaders left Lakkhipara yesterday, Barla organised a rally with 500-odd people in the area to prove his popularity in the Dooars.
Barla who was instrumental in forging the JMM-Morcha alliance, had tried for an alliance with Trinamul.
But Mamata’s party is yet to come up with a clear stand on the alliance.
Observers believe Trinamul is not likely to announce its alliance with Barla any time soon.
“It is unlikely for Trinamul to announce the alliance as it cannot afford to antagonise the people of different communities as well as other organisations and parties like the official lobby of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad,” said an observer.
“Now that Trinamul has Kalchini MLA Wilson Chapramari and erstwhile Morcha leaders like Padam Lama and former associates of Barla such as Parasnath Baraik with it, the party would try to penetrate into the Dooars all alone,” he added.
Trinamul, which lacked tribal faces even six months back, has successfully utilised the entry of the tribal leaders.
“In Banarhat, there are 22 tea gardens and our trade unions have units in 15 of them. All these units enjoy the support of a substantial portion of the workforce. We had gone to Lakkhipara (yesterday) with a similar intention and we found many people who are willing to join our trade union and our party. There is no logic behind Barla’s disappointment as any trade union or political party is free to take up such activities in any area,” said Wilson.
“We would organise a rally and a meeting in Lakkhipara on Tuesday,” said the Kalchini MLA.
He alleged that Trinamul flags erected on lampposts and trees in the Dooars were damaged.
“Some miscreants, who we suspect are from other trade unions, have damaged our flags. They are doing so because they are apprehensive of losing their support base in the area,” Wilson said.
Barla today said he had a lot of supporters in the Dooars.
“Thousands of people are with us and they would never join Trinamul. The party should not take any step which might lead to tension and can sour our relationship.”
Rose Valley office raided in Geyzing
Gangtok, May 12: The Sikkim police raided the west district office of Rose Valley, a money mobilising company, in Geyzing bazaar on Friday evening and seized the company’s documents.
“We have seized important documents of the company to gather more information on the depositors, agents and the total money involved in the business,” said a senior police official.
The Sikkim Protection of Interests of Depositors Act prohibits companies from collecting money from the public. The Act was passed in the Sikkim Assembly in 2010 after fraudulent financial institutions had duped Sikkim investors of crores of rupees after promising high returns.
West district magistrate L.P. Tewari had issued the search warrant on a request made by the police.
Last week, the police had raided Rose Valley’s office in Gangtok suspecting the alleged involvement of the company in a money collection racket.
The company, set up in 2008, also has an office at Namchi in south Sikkim.
Protest on bad roads in Sikkim
Gangtok, May 12: Stakeholders of the tourism industry and local people took out a rally here yesterday to protest the alleged delay in repairing the North Sikkim Highway and JN Marg, the main roads in the district.
More than 100 protesters marched from Tashi View Point to the office of Project Swastik chief engineer S.S. Porwal. “I have written to the head office (of Swastik) in New Delhi. Nothing can be done unless funds are released. I am leaving for Delhi tomorrow and will place the matter before the higher authorities,” he said.
The Border Roads Organisation maintains the two roads and Project Swastik under the BRO is the agency that looks after the repairs.
Sources said widening of the highway from Gangtok to Mangan (56km) is incomplete even after eight years and most tourists avoid the stretch. They use the Pangthang-Tumin route to reach Mangan and return. For this, eateries and shops along the Gangtok-Mangan route are facing losses.
JN Marg that leads to Nathu-la, Baba Mandir and Chhangu is often shut because of landslides. Officials said unavailability of labour is another hurdle.
Party launched with eye on Dooars
May 12: A number of outfits demanding a separate state comprising the six north Bengal districts today joined hands to form a new party called the Bharatiya Gorkha Janahit Morcha.
The formation of the party was announced at a meeting held in Agrasen Bhavan in Nagrakata, Jalpaiguri district, where leaders of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Separate State Demand Forum — a common platform of parties such as the Kamtapur People’s Party (KPP) and some Naxalite factions — and some workers of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha from the Dooars and Terai were present.
The party flag was also unfurled today.
“A 10-member central committee of the new party was formed today. The basic demand of the party is statehood for the six north Bengal districts. We feel that the region can be developed only if it is severed from West Bengal and a new state is formed,” said Gidan Rai, an erstwhile Morcha leader from Darjeeling who is now the president of the new party.
“Our party would function in a democratic manner and soon announce a series of movements to achieve the demand,” he added.
Sabit Lama, a former Morcha leader from Nagrakata, is the general secretary and Bikram Chhetri, former president of the local committee of the Janmukti Yuva Morcha in Panighata, is the treasurer of the new party.
“Over decades, people of the Dooars, Terai and other parts of north Bengal have been exploited by political parties and leaders. The last example being Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and Bimal Gurung who utilised us for their own interests and later ignored our demands and rights,” Bikram said.
“We will no longer allow them to use us and we have formed this party which will work for the people of this region and north Bengal as a whole.”
The demand for a separate state for the region is in consonance with the demands of Rajbanshi organisations such as the KPP, GCPA (Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association) and GCDP (Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party).
Like the newly-formed PPP, the KPP and the GCDP also want a separate state carved out of the north Bengal districts. The GCPA also wants parts of Lower Assam to be included.
Asked if the new outfit will contest the rural polls, Lama said: “When the polls are announced, we will decide on the issue.
NBU deans
Siliguri, May 12: North Bengal University has filled up two vacancies that have been lying vacant for more than a year with the appointment of professors to the posts of dean of arts, commerce and law and dean of science.
Palash Ranjan Sengupta, the head of the commerce department, is the new dean of faculty of arts, commerce and law, while Amitabha Mukhopadhyay, the head of the physics department, will be the dean of the faculty of science.
“The appointments were made by vice-chancellor Samir Kumar Das on Friday and the duo will take charge tomorrow. The names of Sengupta and Mukhopadhyay were recommended by two dean search committees set up for the NBU,” said a varsity official.
The two posts had been lying vacant after the terms of the two previous deans had expired in February last year. The deans play a role in deciding on new subjects that have to be introduced at post-graduate levels.
12 May 2013
कोक्राझार, बक्सा र चिराङका गोर्खा फेरि अत्याचारको शिकार लाखौं रुपियॉंको मागः नदिए मार्ने धम्की
कालेबुङ, 11 मई।
बोडो उग्रवादी सङ्गठन एनडीएफबी (नेश्नल डेमोक्रेटिक फ्रन्ट अफ बोडोल्याण्ड) ले असमको तीन जिल्ला कोक्राझार, बक्सा र चिराङका गोर्खाबहुल गाउँहरूमा आतङ्क मच्चाउन शुरु गरेको छ। कोक्राझारको सूत्रले समय दैनिकलाई बताए अनुसार एनडीएफबीका जवानहरूले फोन गरेर गोर्खा बाहुल गाउँका हरेकलाई लाखौं रुपियॉं मागेको छ। एकएक गाउँलाई लक्ष्य बनाएर हरेक गाउँको जनघन्त्व हेर्दै एनडीएफबीले रुपियॉं दाबी गरिरहेको छ। सूत्रले भने, गाउँको जनसंख्या हेर्दै कम्ति गोर्खा रहेको गाउँलाई 10 लाख देखि घनत्व धेर भएको गाउँलाई 20 लाखसम्म रुपियॉं मागिरहेको छ। उग्रवादी संस्थाका सदस्यहरू गाउँ छिरेर हाक्काहाक्की पनि रुपियॉंको दाबी गरिरहेको छ। उनीहरूद्वारा तोकिएको समयमा पैसा नदिए मार्ने धम्की दिइएको छ। यसप्रकारको धम्कीको कारण गोर्खाहरू असममा आतङि्कत बनेका छन्। उनीहरूको सुरक्षाको निम्ति न त प्रशासनिक पदक्षेप नै सक्रिय पारिएको छ न त कुनै गोर्खाहरूको संस्था नै बोलिरहेको छ।
कोक्राझारका एक व्यक्तिले नाम सार्वजनिक नगरिदिने शर्तमा बताए, गोर्खाहरू यहॉं जोखिममा रहेकोले खुल्लमखुल्ला विरोध गर्न सकिएको छैन। कसैले यसको विरोध गरेको पाइएमा ज्यान लिने धम्की दिइएको छ। मलाई नै फोन गर्दै गाउँबाट 15 लाख रुपियॉं बुझाउने निर्देश गरिएको छ। बोडोल्याण्डको दाबी गर्दै आइरहेको एनडीएफबी एक जङ्गी सङ्गठन रहेकोे छ। उनीहरु सशस्त्रसम्पन्न छन्।
सूत्रले बताए अनुसार बोडोल्याण्डलाई स्वायत्तरुपमा पाउनको निम्ति यहॉंका अल्पसंख्यकहरूमाझ विभिन्न आतङ्क मच्चाउने कार्य धेरैवर्ष अघिदेखि चलिरहेको छ। चिराङका एक युवकले भने, म 25 वर्ष पुगेँ तर बुद्धि आएदेखि अझसम्म यस्तो यातना चरणचरणरुपले नजिकबाट अनुभव गर्दै आइरहेको छु। गतवर्ष यो सङ्गठनले यहॉंका अल्पसंख्यक मुश्लिमहरूसित पनि यस्तै धम्की दिएपछि जातीय दङ्गा मच्चिएको थियो। असममा 25 प्रतिशत गोर्खाहरूबीच जुन संत्रास फैलाइएको छ, यसको केन्द्रमा गोर्खाहरूलाई निर्वासित गर्ने षडयन्त्र लुकेको युवकले बताएका छन्।
अहिले 5 देखि 20 लाख रुपियॉंसम्मको दाबी गरेर यो सङ्गठनले यहॉंका भुमिपुत्र गोर्खाहरूबीच आतङ्क मच्चाएको छ। युवकले भने, जनबल, धनबल, प्रशासनिक सहयोग, सशस्त्रबल नरहेकोले ती बहुसंख्यकले हामीमाथि अत्याचार गरिरहेका छन्। विभिन्न प्रकारका यातना, धम्की, हानी गरेर उनीहरू यहॉंबाट गोर्खाहरूलाई उच्छेद गर्न चहान्छन्।
धेरैवर्षदेखि यस्तो चरम यातना गोर्खाहरूले खप्दै आइरहेका छन्। यस्तै अत्यचारको कारण जो जो भुमिपुत्र गोर्खा होइनन् उनीहरूले असम छोडिसकेका छन्। जो भुमिपुत्र त हुन् तर सम्पन्न छन्, उनीहरू पनि शान्ति खोज्दै अन्यत्र राज्यतिर सरुवा भइसकेका छन्। नेपालबाट आएर बसेका नेपालीहरू नेपाल नै गएका छन्। तर जो यहीँका भूमिपुत्र हुन् उनीहरू कहॉं जाउन्? जसको पितापुर्खा यही बिते। राज्य र देश निर्माणमा योगदान गरे। सबै गोर्खा धनी छैनन्। जो जो केही सम्पन्न छन्, उनीहरूको आर्थिकस्तर दिनोदिन ह्रास भइरहेको छ। आर्थिकरुपले सम्पन्न हुनको निम्ति कुनै काम गर्न सकिएको छैन। जसले गर्न गर्न खोजिरहेका छन्, उनीहरूमाथि लुटेराहरू लागेका छन्। एनडीएफबीले अहिले जुन रुपियॉंको दाबी गरिरहेको छ, त्यो पुरा गर्न यी जिल्लाका गोर्खाहरू सक्षम छैनन्। के उसो भए हामी उनीहरूद्वारा मारिनुपर्ने हो त? तिनी अनुसार गोर्खाहरूमा साङ्गाठिनक एकता नरहेकोले नै यस प्रकारको अत्याचार बढिरहेको छ। कसैले पनि यो सङ्गठनको विरोधमा सोझै संघर्ष गर्न सकिरहेका छैनन्। गोर्खा जनबाहुल शोनितपुर लगायत अन्य क्षेत्रका गोर्खाहरूले प्रतिरोध गर्न सकिरहेका छैनन्।
प्रशासनिक सहयोगको खॉंचो उस्तै रहेको छ भने ज्यानमालको हानी हुने डरले कसैले पनि यस दवाबबारे मुख समेत खोल्न सकिरहेका छैनन्। सुरक्षाको निम्ति पलायन बढेकोले असममा दिनोदिन गोर्खाहरू घट्दै गइरहेका छन्। गोर्खाहरूमाथि हुने कुटपिट, लुट र हत्या सामान्य बन्दै गइरहेको छ। सशस्त्र शक्तइघि प्रशासन निरिह छ। गोर्खाहरूलाई उच्छेद गर्न उनीहरू विस्तारै विभिन्न माध्यमहरु अप्नाइरहेका छन्। पहिले चिट्ठीद्वारा रुपियॉं दाबी गरिन्थ्यो। बॉंच्नको निम्ति रुपियॉं सम्झौता गरेर दिए पनि छ-छ महिना गर्दागर्दै अहिले तीनतीन महिननामा नै फेरि रुपियॉं दाबी गरिन थालिएको छ। गतवर्ष शोनितपुर जिल्लाको एक गोर्खाबाहुल गाउँमा उग्रवादीहरूले जताभावी गोली चलाएको थियो। त्यसबेला 12 जना गोर्खाहरूले ज्यान गुमाएका थिए। यसको सामान्य विरोध मात्र हुन सक्यो। ती युवकले भने, यहॉंका आदिवासीहरूमाथि सानो कुनै घटना भयो भने डल्लै झारखण्ड सरकारले हस्तक्षेप गर्छ। तर गोर्खाहरूमाथि भएको यस्तो अच्याचारको विरुद्ध कोही पनि बोल्दैनन्।
1 करोडभन्दा धेर गोर्खाहरू छौं भनिन्छ तर एकठाउँको गोर्खालाई परेको दुःखमा अर्को ठाउँको गोर्खा काम नै लागेको छैन। तिनले गतवर्ष उदलगुडी पुगेका जीटीएप्रमुख विमल गुरूङलाई पनि यस सम्बन्धमा अवगत गराइएको बताउँदै भने, विमल गुरूङलाई यसबारे सम्पूर्णरुपले जानकारी छ। तर तिनको पहुँच नै नरहेर हो वा चासो नदिएर हो, तिनले यस सम्बन्धमा कुनै पनि आवाज उठाएनन्।
भारतीय गोर्खा परिषद्लाई पनि यसबारे जानकारी छ। दार्जीलिङका धिकांश नेताहरूलाई यसबारे जानकारी छ तर कसैले पनि बोलिदिएका छैनन्। राष्ट्रियस्तरमा यसबारे बहस उठाइदिएमा हाम्रो सुरक्षाको निम्ति पहल हुनसक्थ्यो भन्ने हामीलाई लागेको छ। कहीँ कतैबाट पनि विरोध वा प्रतिवाद नरहेकोले उग्रवादीहरू गोर्खाहरूलाई अत्याचार गर्न झन हौसिएका छन्।
तिनले मनिपुरमा पनि गोर्खाहरूले यसै प्रकारका यातना पाइरहेको पनि बताए। तिनी अनुसार असुरक्षाको कारण असमका गोर्खाहरू बोल्न सक्ने स्थितिमा छैनन्। यस्तोमा असम बाहिरका गोर्खाहरू अनि गोर्खाहरूका राजनैतिक शक्तिले यसबारे बोलिदिउन् भन्ने उनीहरू चहान्छन्। केही हप्तादेखि माग्न थालिएको रुपियॉं नदिए हत्या गर्ने भनिएकोले असमका पीडित गोर्खाहरू असुरक्षित रहेको कुरा उनीहरू अहिले सोसल नेटवर्कहरूद्वारा बताइरहेका छन्। उनीहरूले त्यहॉंका स्थितिबारे उल्लेख गर्दै बारम्बार सहयोगको अपील पनि गरिरहेका छन्।
मोर्चा कालेबुङ शाखाको सभा सम्पन्न
कालेबुङ 11 मई।
गोर्खा जनमुक्ति नारी मोर्चा कालेबुङ महकुमा समितिको साङ्गठनिक सभा आज यहॉंको रामकृष्ण रङ्गमञ्चमा सम्पन्न भयो। सभा नारी मोर्चा महकुमा समिति एवं शाखा-प्रशाखाका प्रतिनिधिलाई लिएर आयोजना गरिएको थियो। सङ्गठनको कार्यनीति प्रतिनिधिहरूसमक्ष राख्नु अनि सङ्गठनलाई अझ सशक्त बनाउनु सभाको उद्देश्य रहेको थियो। अवकाशप्राप्त ले.कर्णल शान्ता छेत्री मुख्य अतिथिको रूपमा उपस्थित रहेको कार्यक्रमलाई नारी मोर्चा सचिव बन्दना योञ्जन, काजिम छिरिङ भोटिया, सामुयल गुरूङ, नोर्देन लामा, कुमार चामलिङ आदिले सम्बोधन गरेका थिए। नारी मोर्चाका कलावती आचार्यले स्वागत भाषण राखेको कार्यक्रममा नारी मोर्चा नेत्री तारा लोहार लेप्चा लगायत नगर पार्षदहरू पनि उपस्थित थिए। कार्यक्रमलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै मुख्य अतिथिको रुपमा शान्ति छेत्रीले भनिन्, छुट्टै राज्यको निम्ति नारीहरूको भूमिका महत्वपूर्ण छ। छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको सङ्घर्षमा नारीहरूले अग्र पङ्क्तिमा रहेर गर्नु जरुरी छ। भावी दिनमा पनि गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलनको निम्ति सधैं तयार रहनुपर्छ। साङ्गठनिक गतिविधि एवं कुनै पनि सिफारिसको निम्ति नियमित रुपमा शाखा-प्रशाखाकै माध्यममबाट अघि बध्नुपर्ने भन्दै सौझै अध्यक्षलाई भेट्नु सङ्गठनको निमयबाहिर रहेको पनि उनले जनाइन्। यसरी नै, सभासद् काजिम छिरिङ भोटियाले पनि नारी एकतामाथि नै जोड दिएकी थिइन्। सभासदको हैसियतले नारीहरूको हरेक दुःखमा साथै दिने नारीहरूको समस्या आफ्नै समस्या सम्झेर काम गर्ने उनले बचन वद्धता जाहेर गरिन्। यसरी नै सभासद गुरूङले अझपनि गाउँहरूतिरत नारीहरूले आफूलाई आन्दोलनकारी नै बताउने भन्दै उनीहरूको सपना साकार पार्नुपर्ने बताए। उनीरूको सपना र विश्वासलाई सपना र विश्वासलाई तोड्नुनहुने विचिर उनले पोखे। छुट्टै राज्यको मागलाई मोर्चाले त्यागेको छैन भन्दै उनले राजनैतिक फाइदाको निम्ति मात्र विपक्षी दलहरूले मोर्चाको नीतिको आलोचना गरिरहेको पनि आरोप लगाए। सुबास घिसिङले कुनै पनि शक्तिले छुट्टै राज्य दिन नसक्ने भनेर दाबी गरेको बताउँदै उनले घिसिङ आफैले जन्माएको बच्चा खाने सॉंप जस्तै रहेको बताए। उनले भने -जसरी सॉंपले आफ्नै बच्चा खान्छ त्यसरी नै घिसिङले पनि आफैले जन्माएको अलग राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्ड खाएको छ। एकचाटी दागोपपामा हस्ताक्षर गरेर खाए अर्को चोटी छैटौ अनुसूची भिक्ष्याउन खोजेर खान खोज्यो । गुरूङले सुवास घिसिङ सरकारको प्रवक्ताको रूपमा काम गरिरहेको आरोप पनि लगाए।
