Tamang breaks fast

Jalpaiguri, Nov. 8: The arrested GTA Sabha member Binay Tamang broke his fast in the Jalpaiguri District Hospital this evening after he had been informed by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders about the “assurance” by the chief minister that he would be released soon.

Tamang, who is also the assistant secretary of the Morcha, had been arrested in August on various charges and put up in the Jalpaiguri Correctional Home. He launched an indefinite fast on October 30 demanding his release and the speedy disposal of cases.

Although he was admitted to the district hospital the next day, he refused to take food or medicines. On Sunday, the GTA member agreed to be administered saline in the intensive critical care unit and doctors were keeping a watch over his condition.

This afternoon, Morcha MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri, along with leaders R.P. Yaiba and P.T. Ola, met Tamang in the ICCU. After an hour-long meeting, Chhetri came out and announced that Tamang had broken the hunger strike.

“I reached here today straight from Calcutta. I had met the chief minister in Calcutta and apprised her of Binay Tamang’s health conditions. I also told the chief minister that 10 other arrested GTA members are behind bars now,” said Chhetri.

“We have mentioned to the chief minister that none of them have serious charges like murder against them and the state government should see that they are released. An assurance was given to us that these GTA members would be released in due course,” said the Kalimpong MLA.

He said Tamang had been informed about these developments. “After having a discussion for some time, he agreed to break his fast and took fruit juice at 5.45pm.”

With Tamang breaking his fast, officials of the district health administration have breathed a sigh of relief.

“We were deeply concerned about his health condition and have been consistently monitoring him,” said Jagannath Sarkar, the chief medical officer of health, Jalpaiguri. “Even though he has broken the fast, he will be under observation for at least 48 hours. We will gradually provide liquid food and solid diet to him. He is expected to recover in few days.”

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Region will go ‘green’ once again, says a healthy-looking Ghising

Siliguri

8 Nov 2013

Gorkha National Liberation Front chief Subash Ghising today returned from Chennai after a medical checkup. He had been earlier admitted at a private nursing home in Siliguri as he was suffering from jaundice. The GNLF chief left for Chennai on October 30 for a thorough health checkup at the Apollo Hospital, especially for respiratory problems.

Hundreds of GNLF leaders and supporters from Kurseong sub-division and the plains had gathered in the afternoon at Bagdogra airport to welcome their leader and they chanted “Long live Subash Ghising” and “GNLF Zindabad”. 

Calming down the excited sea of supporters, a pleased-looking Ghising said his health has improved and he will return to Darjeeling after a week’s rest at his rented lodgings in Matigara. The GNLF chief gave clear indications of re-establishing his party in the hills while launching attacks at the GJM. Describing the GNLF as the only alternative in the hills, he asked workers present to accelerate the process of strengthening the party.

There has been a lot of talk about the GNLF chief’s impending return to the hills. Ghising himself has said on many occasions he would return to the hills at the right time. Now that he himself announced of his plans, GLNF supporters have become excited as well as impatient.

“The GJM will evaporate from the hills by December 15 and the hills and plains will once again become green as before,” claimed Ghising, hinting at plans of regaining mass support.

Kurseong sub-division GLNF convener Neema Lama said GJM chief Bimal Gurung has surrendered before the state government and has betrayed the people of Darjeeling. “All the promises he (Gurung) made were false ones. He has betrayed the hill people,” claimed Lama.

He asserted the GNLF has once again gained a significant support base in the hills and it will soon emerge as the most powerful party. Terming development issues as secondary, Lama said, “Development of Darjeeling is less important and the main issue is the settlement of the land of the Gorkhas.”

Daya Dewan, another GNLF leader from Kurseong, slammed the opposition for spreading rumours of Ghising being in coma and in critical condition in a bid to demoralise GNLF suooprters.

Mirik GNLF leader Ladup Ghising expressed happiness at Ghising’s return saying only the Sixth Schedule status can fulfill the aspirations of the hill people. He added the GNLF will work with all earnestness to ensure the Sixth Schedule Bill, which is pending in Parliament, gets passed soon.

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GJM yet to decide on 2014 LS polls Not to back Lama

KALIMPONG

8 Nov 2013

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung today tried to brush aside questions about the party’s take on the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections saying it has not yet to make a decision on the matter.  Gurung was in Kalimpong today to attend a court hearing on cases against him during the statehood movement.

When asked which party or person the GJM would support in the LS polls, he said, “We are not concerned about the Lok Sabha polls right now. We will make our election strategy later.”

However, Gurung clearly stated the GJM would not support Dr. Mahendra P Lama, who has announced his candidature as an independent candidate from Darjeeling. Questioning Lama’s political prowess, the GJM chief said his desire to become MP is a mere dream. “His (Lama) claim of achieving statehood soon after becoming MP is just a daydream. Why didn’t he speak about Gorkhaland while he was occupying high ranking posts?” asked Gurung.

Further revealing his dislike for the independent candidate, Gurung asked, “Where was he till now? The people know everything. It’s better not to support him.”

He also rubbished the GNLF’s claim of the Sixth Schedule bill pending in Parliament saying the GTA pact of July 18, 2011 has already nullified the supposed bill.

“Subash Ghising is currently in Siliguri. He can come to the hills if he is willing to continue his political life. We will invite him in that case,” said the GJM of his erstwhile mentor.

Gurung also expressed happiness with the formation of the Lepcha Development Council and recommended similar provisions for all the sub-communities in the hills. He stressed on not resuming the post of GTA chief executive even though the chief minister has requested him to. Sources said Gurung, who arrived here on Thursday, is busy discussing party matters with supporters in Kalimpong and will be addressing a public meeting here on November 17.

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Quake sensor for Darjeeling - Advanced seismograph to be installed in Richmond Hill to record vibrations

Siliguri, Nov. 7: An advanced seismograph with a range of 10,000km will be set up at Darjeeling’s Richmond Hill to record earthquakes.

Analysis of its data would help experts provide information about the maximum height of buildings that can be built in a quake-prone zone, gradient of terrain at which such structures should be built and material to be used.

A proposal to set up the advanced seismograph or accelograph in Darjeeling was sent to the Union ministry by S.K. Nath, a senior professor of geology and geophysics at IIT Kharagpur, as an extension of the project called Seismic Hazard and Risk Assessment in Sikkim Himalayas.

“Eastern Himalayas comprising Sikkim and Darjeeling are prone to earthquakes. We have been working on a project to record vibrations of even very minor intensity in Sikkim for a statistical analysis of the past 15 years. We have set up 14 stations in Sikkim which are constantly recording vibrations. We will install a device at Richmond Hill in the next two months,” Nath told The Telegraph over the phone from Kharagpur today.

The equipment can record vibrations that measure more than three on the Richtar scale.

The Sikkim project was taken up in 1996 and 14 seismograph units have been set up in the state. After the inclusion of Darjeeling, the project would be called Seismic Hazard and Risk Assessment in Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas.

Nath is the principal investigator of the project and D.G. Shrestha, the additional director of the Sikkim state council of science and technology, is the co-principal investigator.

“Darjeeling used to have a seismograph earlier. But it is not there for more than five years. Although no big quakes have originated from Darjeeling so far, the place was affected by quakes with epicentres in Sikkim,” Nath said.

The proposal to set up the device in Darjeeling was sent last year after a 6.9 quake hit Sikkim on September 18, 2011. Over 60 people were killed in the earthquake whose epicentre was in north Sikkim’s Mangan. The tremors were felt in neighbouring Darjeeling also.

The total cost of the project is Rs 1.52 crore and the device in Darjeeling would cost around Rs 50 lakh, Nath said.

The data recorded would be sent to IIT Kharagpur.

“We have predicted that Darjeeling and Sikkim can experience quakes of maximum 8.3 magnitude. We can provide information about height of buildings that can be built in an earthquake-prone zone, the gradient of the terrain at which such high rises should be built and construction material that can withstand damage,” said Nath.

Bengal has seismographs in Calcutta and Kharagpur.

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