राजपूतको निधनले पार्टीशिविरलगायत नागरिक समाजमा पनि शोक

Pradip Lohagun

कालेबुङ 3 अगस्त। गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्यको माग गर्दै आत्मदाह गर्ने मोर्चा कार्यकर्ता मङ्गलसिंह राजपूतको निधनले पार्टीशिविरमा मात्र नभएर यहाँको नागरिक समाजमा पनि शोक देखा परेको छ। सिलगढीको एउटा निजी अस्पतालमा आज साँझ उपचाराधिन अवस्थामा मंगल सिंहको निधन भएको खबर डढेलो सल्केजस्तै गरी कालेबुङ आइपुगेको थियो। गत 30 जुलाईका दिन तिनले कालेबुङको डम्बरचोकमा शरीरमा मट्टितेल हालेर आत्मदाह गर्ने चेष्टा गरेका थिए।

तिनलाई साठ्ठी प्रतिशत जलेको अवस्थामा उपचारको निम्ति कालेबुङ महकुमा अस्पतालबाट सिलगढी रेफर गरिएको थियो। पाँच दिनको संघर्षपछि मंगलसिंह आज साँझ मृत्युसँगको पौठेजोरीमा हारेका छन। मंगलसिंह राजपूत यहाँको डा ग्राम्ह्स होम्सका वासिन्दा थिए। तिनको आकस्मिक निधनको घटनाले राजपूतकी श्रीमती मञ्जु राजपूत र छोराहरू अर्पण र अमन मात्र नभएर यतिबेला गोर्खाल्याण्ड चहाने ठूलो तप्का नै मर्माहत बनेको छ। राजनैतिक कार्यकर्ताको रुपमा तिनको यात्रा गोरामुमोबाट गोरामुमो(सी) हुँदै गोजमुमोसम्म आइपुगेको थियो। गोरामुमोको नेतृत्वमा चलेको हिंसात्मक आन्दोलनमा पनि राजपूतको सक्रिय भूमिका थियो। यस दलले गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा छोडेर दागोपाप ग्रहण गरेपछि स्व सीके प्रधानका राजनैतिक अनुयायीहरूले गठन गरेको दल गोरामुमो(सी)-मा पनि यी अग्रिम पंक्तिमा आएर लड्ने कार्यकर्ता थिए। मोर्चा पनि तिनी शुरुदेखि नै सक्रिय थिए। “गोर्खाल्याण्डको माग उठ्ने दल र मञ्चहरूमा तिनी पुगेकै हुन्थे” मोर्चा नेता बिजय सुन्दासले भने। मोर्चा गठन अघि सुन्दास र राजपूत एकसाथ गोरामुमो(सी)-मा खटेका हुन। सुन्दासले मंगलसिंहको आत्मबलिदानले गोर्खाजातिलाई यस मुद्दाप्रति गम्भीर हुने सन्देश छोडेको प्रतिक्रिया व्यक्त गरेका छन। “तिनको बलिदानले गोर्खाल्याण्दको मागलाई नयाँ उचाई प्रदान गरेको छ। हामी उनको बलिदानप्रति नतमष्तक छौं। यो घटनाले हामीलाई मुद्दाप्रति गम्भीर हुन चेत खुलाएको छ” सुन्दासले भने। यता, कालेबुङमा युवा मोर्चा नेता निमा तामाङले पनि घटनाप्रति शोक प्रकट यसले सम्पूर्ण गोर्खाहरूलाई मर्माहत परेको मन्तव्य प्रकट गरेका छन। “मंगलसिंहको बलिदान खेर दिन जाने दिने छैनौं। आफ्नो प्राणको आहुति दिने तिनको गोर्खाल्याण्डको सपना युवा अनि विद्यार्थी मोर्चाले पूरा गर्नेछ” मंगलसिंहको आत्मबलिदानको घटनाले गोर्खाल्याण्डका आन्दोलनकारीहरूलाई त्याग र समर्पणको निम्ति प्रेरित गर्ने तामाङको भनाइ छ। यस घटनाले आन्दोलनको स्वरुप अब उग्र हुन्छ भन्ने प्रश्नको उत्तरमा यी युवा नेताले भने, “यो घटनाले आन्दोलनको अबको दिशा र दशा कस्तो हुन्छ, यसले कुन दिशा समात्छ भन्ने कुरा अहिले नै भन्न सकिँदैन।

तर समय र परिस्थितिले माग गरे अनुसार नै आन्दोलनको रुप देखा पर्दै जान्छ” मोर्चा नेतृत्वबाट जानकारी पाइएको अनुसार मंगलसिंहको पार्थिव शरीर भोलि आइतबारका दिन कालेबुङ ल्याइनेछ। तिनी अन्तिम संस्कार 5 अगस्तका दिन हुनेछ। तिनलाई अन्तिम श्रद्धाञ्जलि दिन मोर्चा अध्यक्ष बिमल गुरुङ पनि उपस्थित हुने मोर्चा सूत्रको भनाइ छ।

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Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders meet Sharad Pawar, renew their demand for Gorkhaland

3 August: 

Gorkha Janukti Morcha (GJM) leaders met Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Saturday and renewed their demand for the creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland.

"We had come to meet Sharad Pawar with our renewed demand of a separate state of Gorkhaland. After the formation of Telangana by the same government, we realized that now the government is in a position to create a separate state and our case history is much older than any separate states demand in the country. And logically also, ours is the most rational and reasonable demand," GJM spokesperson Harka Bahadur Chhetri told media here on Saturday.

"We highlighted all this to Sharad Pawarji and we will also be meeting important leaders. We have requested him to impress upon other important political allies and whenever the Monsoon session of Parliament begins, we have requested him to advocate our case on behalf of GJM," he added.

Chhetri said that the Union Agriculture Minister assured them that he would discuss this with other important leaders. Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) is a semi-autonomous body for Darjeeling Hills that was formed in 2012 after a tripartite agreement involving the Centre and West Bengal and the GJM.

Harka Bahadur Chhetri, who is an MLA from Kalimpong, further said that they had accepted the GTA but the amount of autonomy that was assured was not given to them.

"We have already accepted the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) which was under condition from the Union government and at that point in time the Centre was in no position to create a separate state," he said.

"But the amount of autonomy that was assured was not given to Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and as a result GTA could not function properly. There was no smooth transfer of departments because of which we face lot of problems. It was a process of discrediting the movement as well as Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) and its President Bimal Gurung," he added.

Earlier in the day, an indefinite shutdown had begun in the hills of Darjeeling in West Bengal called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) that has been spearheading the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state to be carved out of the hill regions of West Bengal since over a decade.

According to reports, on the eve of the shutdown, Gorkhaland supporters allegedly set fire to government property, including a forest bungalow and a police outpost. 

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Morcha team takes cry to Delhi Statehood sole agenda: Giri

Siliguri, Aug. 2: Five Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders today left for Delhi with the single-point agenda of statehood which they intend to discuss with several central ministers and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

“We are going to Delhi and would seek an appointment with the Union home minister and some other ministers of the central government. We also intend to meet UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, leaders of UPA allies and BJP leaders. This time, we are going with the sole agenda of Gorkhaland and would reiterate before the Centre that we don’t want to stay in Bengal and we want our own state,” said Roshan Giri, who is leading the team, at Bagdogra airport today.

“Our party has always believed in democracy and is organising a peaceful and democratic movement. But the state government is bringing in central forces, which indicates that the state wants to crush the aspirations of our people as well as our movement,” Giri said.

“People have come out on the streets spontaneously raising the demand for Gorkhaland and it would not be possible for the state to crush the movement. The state will have to part with the hills as we are not ready to stay in Bengal anymore,” the Morcha leader added.

Since last night, incidents of arson have been reported from different parts of Darjeeling. Two forest guest houses and a police camp were torched.

Asked about the arson incidents, Giri said: “None of us is involved in these incidents of arson. Unfortunately, it has become a habit to blame the Morcha whenever violent incidents happen in hills.”

Asked whether the hill party would continue with the agitation if no specific assurance comes from the Centre, Giri said: “We are yet to get appointments of dignitaries in Delhi and meet them. Once we have those meetings, we will inform our party president in Darjeeling. It is the president who would take the final decision. As of now, the movement is on and from tomorrow, we would commence the indefinite strike across the hills.”

Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri, who is also Morcha’s publicity secretary, blamed the Mamata Banerjee government for interfering in the GTA. “The functioning of the GTA has come to a standstill…. The state has consistently interfered in the GTA,” he said.

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Roy sermon to leaders

Siliguri, Aug. 2: Trinamul Congress general secretary Mukul Roy today asked his party colleagues in the hills to “politically fight back” the Gorkhaland movement revived by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha since last week.

Roy, who arrived here this morning, held a meeting with Trinamul workers and leaders and asked them to apprise people about the development process taken up by the state government since 2011.

“We have met our leaders and workers from the hills. They have been asked to politically fight back, (any anti-state agenda floated by political parties) take up a constructive role and stand in support of common residents who want peace and development,” Roy said at the Darjeeling district Trinamul office today.

“The central government has incited people in the hills for political interests. We condemn it and want to make it clear that Trinamul has always been earnest to expedite development in the hills and will continue to strive for maintenance of peace,” he added.

Sources said Trinamul has taken up a double-edged strategy of maintaining law and order by deploying additional forces and using its political base to propagate its agenda.

“We have been told in case we face any problem, threat or attack, while conducting our activities, we should contact the administration and police,” said a Trinamul source.

Earlier today, Roy had to face some irate hill Trinamul workers who alleged that the district leaders in the plains had a lackadaisical attitude.

“We are always asked to increase our support base but leaders in the plains do not back us up. They do not respond to our calls, stand by us or help to augment Trinamul activities and support base in the hills,” a hill leader told Roy.

Today, Darjeeling district administration officials said two helpline numbers, 0354-2254203 and 0354-2252829 have been installed.

“If anybody needs administrative or police intervention or help, they can call up the numbers,” district magistrate Saumitra Mohan said. “We are monitoring the situation and have passed clear instruction to all government employees that they will have to attend office from tomorrow.”

Darjeeling police chief Kunal Agarwal said: “By tonight, five companies of CRPF will reach the hills. One company would guard NH31A, two would be in Kurseong and Kalimpong subdivisions and the remaining two in Darjeeling.”

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Govt Lepcha board team in hills

PRANESH SARKAR

Calcutta, Aug. 2: The state government yesterday sent a team of senior officials to the hills to set up a Lepcha development board, days after Bimal Gurung resigned as GTA chief executive. Gurung was against the formation of the board outside the purview of the GTA. He wanted a Lepcha council to be formed under the hill autonomous body. Senior officials in the state home department said the cabinet had approved the proposal to set up the board for Lepcha in February. “The proposal was gathering dust in the chief minister’s office. But a couple of days ago, immediately after the resignation of Gurung, who was opposed to the Lepcha board and wanted it to come under the jurisdiction of the GTA, the initiative was taken to complete the process of setting up the board,” said a senior official at Writers’. A senior minister in the Mamata Banerjee government said: “Just look at the timing. The decision to complete the proceedings of setting the board has been taken at a time Gurung has quit office and renewed the Gorkhaland agitation.” Setting up the Lepcha board at a time the Morcha has renewed its statehood agitation would irk the hill party even more, the minister said. Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri, when told about the state team’s visit to Kalimpong, said: “It is a ploy to divide the hill people and weaken the Gorkhaland movement, but the state government will fail as the Lepcha community is with us.” In Writers’, a minister also made a similar point. “You cannot ignore the Lepchas in the Darjeeling hills as they form 20 per cent of the population there. If the state government gets the Lepchas on its side, the demand of a separate state could be countered within the hills,” the minister said. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced her intention to form the Lecha board on January 30, a day after her speech at Chowrastha angered hill residents. “Darjeeling is a part of us,” Mamata said at a government event, sparking protests at the venue. After Mamata announced that her government would form a board for the Lepchas, Gurung said the government was trying to “divide” the people in the hills. The focus of the board would be the overall development of the community, preservation of their language and culture, their education, support for improving their lifestyle through agriculture, horticulture, pisciculture, tourism and cottage industry, senior Writers’ officials said. Yesterday, the member secretary of the board was appointed and senior backward classes welfare department officials went to Kalimpong to complete proceedings for setting up the body. The majority of the Lepchas in the hills reside in Kalimpong. “G. Namchu, the former managing director of the West Bengal Dairy Development Board, has taken over as member secretary of the board today. The chairperson and the vice-chairperson of the board have also been appointed,” the official added. According to officials at Writers’, backward classes welfare department officials went to Kalimpong to get the signatures of the nominated members of the board so that the board gets registered under the Societies Act.

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Student rush from hills - Indefinite strike makes parents jittery

MRINALINI SHARMA

Siliguri, Aug. 2: Narendra Kumar travelled for over five hours from Bihar today to take home his son, a Class IV student, after his Kurseong school called up last night and advised the father to do so. “I have been keeping tabs on the developments in Darjeeling hills ever since the strike was called on July 29. Yesterday, there was an announcement of a 96-hour strike starting from Saturday after which there would be a relaxation. But the school informed me around 7pm yesterday that the strike would be indefinite and asked me to take my son home,” said Kumar, a resident of Begusarai in Bihar, 400km from here. “I immediately took a Siliguri-bound bus, arrived here this morning, went to Kurseong and brought my son down here with me.” His son, a student of Goethal’s Memorial School, was among several hundred students from different schools in Kurseong, Kalimpong and Darjeeling who came down to Siliguri today after the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha said yesterday that it would stick to its plan of an indefinite strike. Yesterday morning, the party had said it would give the hill people a relief window from the strike for Id, but Bimal Gurung later scrapped the plan. He said the general strike in the hills from tomorrow would be indefinite. “I admitted my son to Goethal’s last year because it is a renowned institution. Then the situation in Darjeeling was peaceful. It is not certain when the school will reopen and other schools will not take my son in the middle of the academic session. This gap will certainly take a toll in his studies. He has no option but to complete this academic session in this school. But we will consider admitting him to another school next year,” Kumar said. There are 45 ICSE schools in the hills, all residential. Some of the older residential schools in Darjeeling were set up soon after the Raja of Sikkim gifted Darjeeling to the British in 1835. Most of the 13 Anglo-Indian schools here were set up before Independence. The schools boast of alumni from around the world. The former kings of Bhutan and Nepal are alumni of St Joseph’s School. Two Class IX students of St. Augustine’s School, Kurseong, said they took their school bus along with 30 others and came down to Siliguri via Rohini Road. Schoolteachers accompanying them booked bus tickets for the students. “Many of our parents were not able to come at such a short notice. Some senior students from Classes IX and X took permission from parents to travel home. Our teachers accompanied us to Siliguri and booked our tickets,” said a boy from Siwan in Bihar, 600km from here. It takes around eight hours to reach Siwan from Siliguri. “We have decided to take tuition for the lessons that are yet to be taught in school so that we do not face any difficulty when the school reopens,” said the boy. A group of six students from Shillong who study in Dr. Graham’s Home, Kalimpong, was at Bagdogra airport to board a flight for Guwahati. They were accompanied by parent of one of the children. “There are rumours that the strike may stretch for more than a month. If that is true, then students like us who are supposed to appear for ICSE will suffer a lot. When the school reopens, we will be in a hurry to complete our syllabus before the school closes for winter in November-end. The number of teaching days will also be few, given that Durga Puja and Diwali holidays are there in October. School authorities have said they will inform us when the school re-opens,” said Lam Kssiar, a Class IX student of the school. Sanjay Sharma, the father of Sarvesh, a Class IX student of St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling, said he did not want to take any risk. “The situation in the hills is very volatile. I am taking my son back home in Howrah,” he said at Bagdogra airport.

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गोर्खाल्याण्ड ल्याउँछु भन्ने सांसद लापत्त : थानामा प्राथमिकी दर्ता

डी के वाइबा, कालेबुङ 2 अगष्ट। “दार्जीलिङ मेरो कर्मभूमी हुनेछ” – गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाउँमा लोकसभा चुनाव जितेर दार्जीलिङ पहाड आएका जसवन्त सिहले उक्त कुरा दार्जीलिङवासीलाई भनेको दार्जीलिङवासीले भुलेका छैनन तर तिनी लापत्त भएको समाचार प्रकाशमा आएको छ।

गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दालाई पार लाउँछु भन्ने हेभिवेट नेता सांसद जसवन्त सिहलाई कसैले देखे वा भेटे कालेबुङ थानामा सूचना गर्नुहोला। हजुर यहाँ उही जसवन्त सिहको चर्चा भएको हो जसले 2009 मा लोकसभा चुनाव दार्जीलिङ लोकसभा समष्टिबाट गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाउँमा जितेर दिल्ली हिडेका थिए तर आज तेलेंगना राज्य गठनको प्रक्रिया अघि बडेर दार्जीलिङ पहाडमा गोर्खाल्याण्ड आन्दोलनको आगो दन्किन्दा समेत पत्तोफाँट लाग्न सकेको छैन। दार्जीलिङ पहाडमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाउँमा अर्को आन्दोलन चर्किन्दा समेत कुनै पत्तो फाँट नलागेका सांसद जसवन्त सिहलाई खोजि निकाल्ने जिम्मा गोर्खाल्याण्ड टास्क फोर्सले पुलिसलाई सुम्पेको छ। जनताले चुनेर पठाएका सांसद यसरी लापत्त भए पछि आखिरमा गोटाफोले तिनी हराएको प्राथमिकी दर्ता कालेबुङ थानामा गरेको छ। केन्द्रमा तेलेंगना गठनको प्रक्रिया शुरु भईसकेको छ अनि यता पहाडमा आन्दोलन चर्किसकेको छ। तर जनताले चुनेर पठाएका हेभिवेट मानिएका जनप्रतिनिधी भने लापत्त हुँदा पुलिसलाई ‘मिसिङ डायरी’ लेख्न गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाउँमा भोट हाल्नेहरु बाध्य बनेका छन। छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दालाई पार लगाउँने बहनामा पहाडबाट चुनावमा चुनिएर दिल्लि हिँडेका सांसद यसरी धेरै समयम देखि कहीँ कतै नदेखिए पछि आज गोटाफोका प्रतिनिधी टोलीले कालेबुङ पुलिस थानाका प्रभारी अचिन्ता गुप्तालाई भेटेर उक्त हराएको प्राथमिकी दर्ता गरेका छन। गोटाफो अध्यक्ष सुखमान मोक्तान, महासचिव मुनिष तामाङ, भागोप अध्यक्ष रेभरेन डा एनोसदास प्रधानको एक प्रतिनिधी टोलीले कालेबुङ थाना प्रभारी अचिन्ता गुप्तालाई भेट गरेर दार्जीलिङ पहाडका सांसद हराएको प्राथमिकी दर्ता गर्न आफुहरु थानामा आएको जानकारी दिए पछि एकक्षण त थान प्रभारी नै दङग परे। यस अवधी तिनले “तिनी हराएको प्राथमिकी दार्जीलिङ सदरमा गर्नु भए ठिक हुनेथियो” पनि भने। यद्यपी पछिबाट उक्त प्राथमिकी स्वीकार गर्दै खोजि अभियान शुरु गर्ने प्रतिश्रुति दिए।
“गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाउँना दार्जीलिङ पहाडका जनताले जसवंत सिहलाई भोटमा जिताएको हो। हिज आज तिनी कहीँ कतै देखिन्दैन। पहाडमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलन चर्किन्दा समेत तिनी कहाँ छन भन्ने दार्जीलिङका जनतालाई थाह छैन। यसैकारण हामीले आज सांसद हराएको प्राथमिकी दर्ता गरेका हौँ” – गोटाफो महासचिव मुनिष तामाङले स्पष्ट भने। यस अवसरमा तिनले पत्रकारहरु संग कुराकानी गर्दै तेलेंगना राज्य गठनको प्रक्रिया अघि बडदा समेत सांसद सिह भने मौन बस्नु अनुचित रहेको बताएका छन। “जुन व्यक्ति गोर्खाल्याण्ड ल्याउँछु भनेर चुनाव जितेर गए आज त्यही व्यक्तिलाई जनताले नभेटेर हराएको प्राथमिकी पुलिस थानमा लेख्न पर्दैछ। के तिनलाई गोर्खाल्याण्डबारे पत्तो छैन ?” मुनिष तामाङले प्रश्न गरे। सांसद हराउँनु पहाडवासीको निम्ति दुर्भाग्य रहेको बताउँदै तिनले नैतिकताको आधारमा सांसदबाट समेत राजीनामा दिनपर्ने माग गरेका छन।

 

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कालेबुङ 2 अगष्ट

गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चा संग-संगै क्रान्तिकारी मार्कसवादी कमन्यिष्ट पार्टीले पनि छुट्टै राज्यको मागमा हाल सडक कार्यक्रमहरु गरिरहेको छ।

यसैले छुट्टै राज्यको माग गर्दै केन्द्र सरकारमाथि दवाउदिन क्रामाकपाका केन्द्रीय समितिका नेतृत्वहरु 3 अगष्टको दिन दिल्ली प्रस्थान हुने आज दलका कालेबुङ आञ्चलिक समितिका अध्यक्ष किशोर प्रधानले जानकारी दिएका छन्। आगमी 8 अगष्टको दिन दिल्लीमा अल इण्डिया लेफ्ट कोडीनेशनको आयोजनमा छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्ड, तेलङ्गाना साथै बोडोल्याण्डको मागमा सांसदमार्च सम्पन्न हुने बताउँदै प्रदानले उक्त कार्यक्रममा छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको माग गर्दै क्रमाकपा दिल्ली शाखा, हरियाना शाखा, अनि दार्जीलिङबाटा केन्द्रीय कोर कमिटी सदस्याहरु किशोर प्रधान, अरुण घतानी, नर्बु लामा आदिले सहभागिता जनाउने बताएका छन्। क्रामाकपाले छुट्टै राज्यको आन्दोलनलाई तिब्रता दिन हाल केन्द्रीय कोर कमिटी गठन गरेको पनि तिनले थप जनाएका छन्। दिल्लीको जन्तरमन्तर परिसरमा छुट्टै राज्य पन्थीदलहरुको जुलूस, धरण प्रदर्शन अनि नाराबाजीको कार्यक्रम रहेकोले उक्त कार्यक्रममा छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको पक्षमा क्रामाकपाले भाग लिँदै गोर्खाहरुको मुद्धा प्रति केन्द्रीय नेतृत्वहरुको ध्यानकेन्द्रीत गर्ने प्रधानले बताए।  अवसर मिले यसै कार्यक्रमको अवधि दिल्लीका शिर्ष नेतृत्वहरु संग भेट गरि छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्धा उठाउने आफूहरुको योजना रहेको तिनको भनाइ छ। 

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कालेबुङ 2 अगष्ट

मोर्चाले घोषणा गरेको अनश्चितकालिन बन्दको सामना गर्न निम्ति जनसाधरण खाद्य सामाग्रीहरु जोहो गर्नमा व्यस्त छन्। मोर्चाले यसचोटीको बनदलाई कठोररुपमा पालन गर्ने निर्णय लिएकोले आज पनि शहरमा किन-जेच गर्ने मानिसहरुको भिड जमेको थियो।

शहरको प्रतेक खाद्य सामाग्री बिक्रेता पसलहरुमा मानिसहरुको घुइचो दोखियो भने अधिकांशा पसलहरुको आवश्य सामाग्रीहरु उपलब्ध नरहेको मानिसहरुको गुनासो पनि छ। विषेश गरि कालेबुङको हाट-बजारमा आज सब्जी किन्ने मानिसहरुको नै धेर मात्रमा भड जमेको थियो। अचनाक साग-सब्जीको मुल्य अत्याधीक बृद्धी भएकोमा लेनदेनको समय मानिसहरुले असन्तोष पनि प्रकट गर्रहेका थिए। कुनै प्रकारको व्यवस्थापन नमिलेको पहाडमा बन्द अवधी साग-सब्जी अनि गाडी भाडाको मुल्यमा अचनाक बृद्धीहुनु एउटा प्ररमपरा नै रहेको छ। “मौकामा चैका” भने झै बजारको भिडभाड़लाई केन्द्र गरि आज पनि यहाँका बिक्रेताहरुले ग्राहकहरुबाटा सर-सामाग्रीहरुको दोब्बर मुल्य लिइरहेका थिए। तर, बन्दको सामना गर्न मानिसहरु नहिचकिचाई संग सौदा-पात गर्नमा व्यस्त थिए। अर्कोतिर गाडीभाडामा आफूहरुलाई ठगेकोमा पनि यात्रीहरुको गुनासो रहेको छ। तरै पनि बन्दको कारण कालेबुङ छोडीरहेका मानिसहरुको व्यापक भिड यहाँको मोटर स्टयाण्डमा देखन पाइयो। आजपनि बाहिरबाटा आएका विध्यार्थी, सरकारी कर्मचारी अनि मजदूरहरु मोटर स्टयाण्डको काउण्टरहरुमा बिहानैदेखि भिडलागेर बसेका थिए। शहरभित्रको एटीएमहरुमा मानिसहरुको उत्तीकै भिडजमेको थियो। आजपनि कालेबुङको ब्याङ्कहरुबाटा लाखौ रुपयाको कारोबार भएको अनुमान लगाउन सकिन्छ। मोर्चा अध्यक्ष विमल गुरुङको घोषणा अनुरुप बन्द अघिनै बाहीरका मानिसहरुले पहाड छोडी रहेका छन्।

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कालेबुङ 1 अगष्ट

“छुट्टै राज्य प्राप्तीको निम्ति आन्दोलन हुनुपर्छ तर विध्यार्थीहरुको पढ़ाइमा भने वाधा दिनु हुन्न” – यहाँको कालेबुङ कन्य उच्च माध्यमिक विधालयमा अध्ययनरत विध्यार्थी श्रृजना लिमबुले पहाड बन्दको कारण आफू पढ़ाई छोडेर पैतृकथलो नेपाल फर्कीरहेको बताउँदै उक्त विचार पोखेका हुन।

दुइदिन भित्रमा पर्यटक अनि बाहिरबाटा आएका विध्यार्थीहरुले पहाड छोडीदिनु पर्ने मोर्चा अधायक्ष विमल गुरुङले अपिल गरेछपि आज कालेबुङबाटा बाहिर जाने विध्यार्थीहरु चिन्ताजनक अवस्थामा घरफर्कीरहेका थिए। पहाड छोडीरहेका बाहिरका विध्यार्थीहरुलाई आज आफ्नो पाठ्यक्रमहरुको नै धेरमात्रमा चिन्ता थियो। यसैले नेपाल फर्कीरहेका विध्यार्थी श्रजना लिम्बुले आन्दोलन संग-संगै विध्यार्थीहरुको शिक्षा प्रणालीलाई पनि महत्वदिए आफुहरुको भलाइ हुने बताएकी छन्। वोर्ड परिक्षाको निम्ति आफूले तयारी गरिरहेको समय अचनाक विधालय बन्दहुँदा पाठ्यक्रमको नै धेर चिन्ता लागीरहेको तिनको भनाइ छ। “आगमी वर्षाको वोर्ड परिक्षाको निम्ति हामीले तयारी गर्नु पर्ने हुन्छ, सिलेभर्स कम्पलीट गर्नु पर्ने हुन्छ, यस्तो समयमा बन्द हुँदा हाम्रो पढ़ाईमा निकै समस्या हुन्छ” -  तिनले बताइन। “स्कूल बन्द भएको कारण म जयगाँऊ आफ्नो घर फर्की रहेको छु” एउटा बसमा चडेकी रहेकी विध्यार्थी डोलमा शेर्पाले यसरी आफ्नो समस्या बताए। पढ़ाई सुचारु चलिरहेको थियो अचानक बन्दले गर्दा आफूहरु घर फर्कीनु परिरहेको तिनको भनाइ छ। “विधालय कहिले खुल्ले हो, मलाई त पढ़ाईको नै चिन्ता लागी रहेकोछ”-तिनले भनी। विषेश गरि बन्दबाटा विध्यार्थीहरुलाई छुट दिइनु पर्ने यी विध्यार्थीहरुको भनाइ छ। अर्कोतिर यहाँका शैक्षिक संस्थानका प्रतिनिधिहरुले भने विध्यार्थीहरुको पढ़ाइ अनि समस्या बारे कुनै प्रकारको प्रतिक्रियाहरु दिएका छैनन्। बन्दको कारण खस्किन्दै गइरहेको पहाडको शिक्षा व्यवस्थामा अझ नकारात्मक प्रभाव पर्न सकने समभावना देखिन्छ। 

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बन्दबाटा दुइदिन छुट, बजार भिड

कालेबुङ 1 अगष्ट : गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चाको 72 घण्टा बन्दको कार्यक्रम पुरा भएपछि आजदेखि जनजीवन सामान्य भएको छ।

मोर्चालेदिएको दुइदिनको छुटको आज पहिलोदिन मानिसहरु अस्तव्यस्त देखिए। दुइदिनको कठोर बन्दबाटा छुटपाए पछि कालेबुङवासीले आज राहतको स्वास फेरे। शहर पूर्णरुपले खुल्ला रहेको कारण आज बीहानैदेखि किन-बेच गर्ने मानिसहरुको भिड जमेको थियो। बिहिबार कालेबुङको हाट-बजार बन्दरहने चलन रहे तापनि बन्दको चपेटमा परेका मानिसहरु आज यहाँको हाट-बजारमा खाद्य सामाग्रीहरु जोहो गर्न भिड लागेका थिए। वषेशगरि खाद्य सामाग्री विक्रेता पसलहरुमा जनसाधरणको बढ़ी संख्या रहेको थियो। मोर्चाले बन्दबाटा कोवल दुइदिनको निम्ति मात्र छुट दिएको कारण आगमी दिनको पहाड बन्दको सामना गर्न मानिसहरु खाद्य सामाग्रीहरु किन्नमा निकै व्यस्त देखिए।

शहरभित्रको एटीएमहरुमा पनि पैसा निकाल्ने मानिसहरुको उत्तिकै भिडजमेको थियो। यहाँको मेनरोडमा अवस्थित स्टेट ब्याङ्क अफ इण्डियाको एटीएममा आज बिहानैदेखि मनिसहरु लाइनलागेर बसेका थिए। पैसा-रुपया कारोबारको निम्ति ब्याङ्क अनि पोष्टअफिस खुल्ला रहेता पनि एटीएममा जमेको भिडबाटा मनिसहरुले राहत पाउन सकेनन्। कालेबुङ शहरभित्र भएको विभिन्न ब्याङ्कका एटीएमहरुमा पनि मानिसहरु उत्तिकै भिडलागेर उभिरहेका थिए। अर्कोतिर कतिपय एटीएमहरु पैसा सकेर बन्द भएकोप्रति पनि मानिसहरुले आक्रोस प्रकट गरिरहेका थिए। एटीएमहरुमा देखा परेको मानिसहरुको भिडलाई केन्द्र गर्दै आज कालेबुङमा लाखौ रुपयाको कारोबार भएको अनुमान लगाउन सकिन्छ। अनि यसैको आधारमा बन्दको अवधीहुने नोक्सानको पनि सठीक आकडा निकाल्न सकिन्छ।

यता, बजार खुल्ला रहेको कारण यातायात सेवा सुचारु हरेको थियो। मोर्चाले दुइदिन भित्रमा बाहिरबाटा आएका पर्यटक अनि विध्यार्थीहरुलाई पहाड छोडीदिने अपिल गरेपछि आज कालेबुङबाटा बाहिर जाने यात्रीवहानहरुको कारण शहरमा पटक-पटक ट्राफिक समस्या पनि उत्पन्न भइरहेको थियो। बन्दावधी रित्तो रहेको यहाँको मोटर स्टयाण्डमा आज वहानहरुको संख्या दोबर रहेको थियो।

आजदेखि यहाँका शैक्षिक, व्यापारिक अनि वित्तिय संस्थानहरुमा कामकाज शुचारु भएको छ। यद्यपी यहाँका सरकारी कार्यलयहरु भने अचल रहे। दुइदिनको छुटपछि शनिबारदेखि मोर्चाले अनिश्चितकालिन बन्दको आह्वान गरेको कारण पहाड़बाहिराका विध्यार्थीहरु पनि आ-आफ्नो क्षेत्रमा फर्कन व्यस्त थिए। 

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Hill tourism stares at Puja losses

Siliguri, July 31: Tourists who planned to spend the Durga Puja in the hills and in Sikkim have started dialling tour operators to enquire if it was safe to make the trips, given the Morcha’s plan to step up its statehood agitation.

Tour operators and hoteliers, who did brisk business between 2011 and this year after a lean period since 2007, said if the indefinite strike, which will begin on Saturday, goes on beyond next week, visitors would start cancelling bookings.

This year, north Bengal and Sikkim tour operators were expecting good business, partly because the floods in Uttarakhand would have pushed mountain-loving travellers to try eastern India.

“A large number of tourists from Bengal and other states have booked accommodations in the hills of north Bengal and Sikkim because they cannot go to Uttarakhand now. This year, Darjeeling and Sikkim would have been a hit during Durga Puja. About 65 to 70 per cent of hotel rooms, both government and private, have been booked already in north Bengal and Sikkim,” said Raj Basu, the tourism advisor to the Sikkim government.

“We have even received 10-12 per cent bookings for Christmas. But now that uncertainty looms over the hills again, we are apprehensive of losing the clients. Lakhs of people are directly or indirectly engaged in tourism and each of them, whether in the plains or the hills, would suffer. Our last and only hope is the Bengal chief minister. We want her to ensure that normalcy is maintained and tourists can come without any hassle,” he said.

Sources said north Bengal and Sikkim together have around 16,000 hotel rooms to offer tourists and almost all are occupied in the peak tourist season that will begin mid-September.

Representatives of the Eastern Himalaya Travel and Tour Operators’ Association are also worried about the ramifications of the Morcha’s movement.

Sadhan Roy, the general secretary of the association, said: “It would be tough to revive the image of our state, particularly the hills (if the tourists go away). We are helpless. We can only urge political parties to keep tourism out of the purview of bandhs,” he said.

Tranporters and hotel owners in Siliguri sounded worried.

“Many of us have bought properties and vehicles or taken hotels on lease by obtaining loans from banks and other institutions. If the tourism industry suffers, it would be tough for us to pay the instalments and run our families,” a transporter said.

“The issue is not only about us but also thousands of workers who are engaged in hotels or drive vehicles. If our earnings decline, how can we to pay them? This would take a toll on the region’s economy.”

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Plains strike to cut supply

Siliguri, July 31: On Thursday and Friday, when the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha plans to lift the general strike for 48 hours, two outfits in Siliguri have called a strike in the plains.

The strike will not have a direct impact on the hills, but supplies of food items and other essentials that go to the hills from the plains may be hit.

When people in the hills would want to replenish their food stock, the plains strike, called by the Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Banchao Committee and the Rashtriya Shiv Sena, may be a spoiler if trucks with goods are unable to go up from the plains.

Today, hundreds of trucks have gathered at wholesale vegetable and fish markets at Champasari in Siliguri, loading goods for supply to markets in the hills.

The inflow of trucks increased since mid-day after the call for the Thursday-Friday strike in the plains. Both the plains outfits are anti-Morcha.

The Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Banchao Committee has some following in Siliguri and the surrounding areas, the Rashtriya Shiv Sena is little known.

“In protest of the indefinite strike called in the hills by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha from August 3, we have called a 48-hour strike in and around Siliguri from tomorrow. This strike has been called to prevent supply of essential commodities to the hills,” said Amiya Koar, a spokesperson of Rashtriya Shiv Sena.

“We have also urged the business community and the people in general to stop supply of commodities to the hills during these two days. The transporters have also been asked not to ply vehicles to the hills on these two days. From tomorrow, we will also launch demonstrations in locations such as Darjeeling More to prevent traffic movement between hills and plains,” she added.

A transporter said: “Our trucks will wait in places such as Sukna and Salugara (places in the plains close to the hills) tonight. Tomorrow early morning, the trucks will leave for the hills.”

Trinamul leaders, when asked about the 48-hour strike called in retaliation to Morcha’s strike, have criticised it.

“Calling a strike to counter another is not the solution….The administration and police would take steps in case any bandh supporter forcibly tries to implement the strike,” minister Gautam Deb said.

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Mamata Banerjee slams centre over grant of Union territory status to Darjeeling

KOLKATA 31 July :

 Chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged on Wednesday that the UPA government had promised some Gorkha leaders that they (Centre) will convert Darjeeling into an Union territory and some Union ministers had encouraged Gorkha leaders to renew their movement in Darjeeling demanding a separate state.

 "A few days back, some Union minister had summoned one or two Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leaders and advised them to organise movement in Darjeeling by renewing their old demand for a separate Gorkha state. These ministers had also promised the GJM leaders that the Centre will convert Darjeeling into an Union territory."

 "The GJM is now holding their agitation in Darjeeling by citing the Centre's move to accept the demand for a separate Telengana state. I condemn that Centre as I feel some Congress ministers are trying to split India into several regions. Demand for a Telengana state is an old issue and the Congress has picked it up just before the next parliamentary elections," the chief minister told reporters at Writers' Buildings on Wednesday before leaving Kolkata for Mumbai to attend an industry summit there on Thursday.

 Mamata also expressed displeasure over the Centre's reported move to convert Darjeeling into an Union terriroty. "Is is a fun? How can the Centre assure GJM leaders about converting Darjeeling into an Union terriroty without consulting the state government ?" the chief minister asked by adding that "our government will never accept the Gorkha's demand for a separate state."

 The Chief minister also said that her government has accepted resignation of Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) chief executive officer (CEO) Bimal Gurung and declared that her government will not allow any split in Bengal by accepting Gurung's demand for a Gorkhaland. "Gurung has sent his resignation letter to the governor and we have accepted the same. Anybody can resign from any position and this is his democratic right. The GTA was formed following a tripartite agreement among the Centre, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and our government. GTA was formed democratically through elections and the development work in Darjeeling has begun. We love Darjeeling and nobody would be able to pose any danger before our government," the chief minister said.

 Meanwhile, Darjeeling has turned violent again following the GJM's decision to go for an indefinite bandh in the Hills from Saturday. The GJM had called a 72-hour bandh in the Hills from Monday and the bandh ended on Wednesday. The GJM has announced a fresh indefinite bandh in the hills from Saturday and has asked the tourists and students to vacate Darjeeling by Friday. The chief minister also reacted sharply at the GJM's threat to go for an indefinite bandh in Darjeeling from Saturday.

 "We love Darjeeling very much and we consider Darjeeling as an integral party of West Bengal. Our government will not allow any split in West Bengal and we will not accept GJM's demand for a Gorkha state. No one would be able to do any harm to the people of Darjeeling and people living in other parts of our state. We will protect everyone," the chief minister said.

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जीटीए चलाउने होसियार - क्रान्तिकारी युवा जमात

कालेबुङ 31 जुलाई

छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको पक्षमा आज कालेबुङ शहरमा एउटा नौलो सङ्गठनको पोष्टरहरु देखा परेको छ। आज बिहानै क्रान्तिकारी युवा जमात कालेबुङको व्यानरमा शहरको विभिन्न स्थानहरुमा गोर्खाल्याण्ड जिन्दावादको नाराहरु उल्लेख गर्दै पोष्टरिङहरु टासेको छ।

सम्पूर्ण पहाडमा नै क्रान्तिकारी युवा जमात एउटा नौलो सङ्गठन हो। उक्त सङ्गठनको प्रतिनिधिहरु अनि कार्यकर्ताबारे अहिलेसम्म कुनै प्रकारको जानकारीहरु उपल्बद भएको छैन।  तरै पनि सङ्गठन छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको पक्षमा रहेको पोष्टरिङमा उल्लेखित विषयहरुले प्रष्ट पारेको छ। सङ्गठनले जनसाधरण अघि ल्याएको आजको पोष्टरहरुमा “दुर्गा मल्लका सन्तानहरु जाग जाग अब जाग गोर्खाल्याण्डको लक्ष्य तर्फ अब लाग” भन्ने प्रकारको नाराहरु देख्न पाइन्छ। यसै सङ्गठनको अर्को पोष्टरमा “ केन्द्र सरकार होसियार, राज्य सरकार होसियार, जीटीए चलाउने होसियार, गोर्खाल्याण्ड जिन्दावाद” भन्ने नाराहरु छापेर केवल सरकारपक्षलाई मात्र होइन जीटीए चलाई रहेका पहाडका सत्तासिन दल गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चाका प्रतिनिधिहरुसम्मेतलाई सचेत गराएको छ। यता कालेबुङकै नोभेल्टी परिसरमा टासेको एउटा पोष्टरमा भने “पहाडमा कुनै पनि अप्रीय घटना घटे सम्पूर्ण दायी केन्द्र अनि राज्य सरकार हुनेछ”  भन्दै उक्त सङ्गठनले पहाडमा आतंक फैलाउन सक्ने प्रकारको विचारहरु पोष्टरिङ मार्फत प्रकाश पारेकोछ। छुट्टै राज्यको माग गर्दै मोर्चाले डाकेको 72 घण्टे पहाड बन्दको आज अन्तिमदिन शहरमा देखा परेको यस प्रकारको पोष्टरिङहरुले पिकेटीङमा उत्रेका मोर्चा कार्यकर्ताहरुमा निकै हल-चल मच्चिएको थियो। यस अघि किर्ते पोष्टरहरु च्यातने प्ररमपरा रहेको कालेबुङमा आज भने कसैले पनि उक्त पोष्टरहरु च्यातने प्रयास गरेनन्। सङ्गठनको नाम नौलो छ, प्रतिनिधिहरुको कुनै अत्तोपत्तो छैन तर पनि शहरुमा पुरादिन पोष्टरिङ दोखिनुमा कालेबुङबाटा नै एउटा नयाँ सङ्गठन उत्पन्न हुनसकने आशंक गर्न सकिन्छ। 

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गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति चालकहरु सडकमा

कालेबुङ 31 जुलाई

विषेशगरि चालक महा-सङ्घको एउटै डिमाण्ड छ,

त्यो हो गोर्खाल्याण्ड । देशमा तेलङ्गना राज्य गठन हुँदा केन्द्र सरकारले गोर्खाल्याण्डबारे एउटै शब्दपनि उच्चारण गरेन त्यसैको प्रतिवादमा चालकहरु सडकमा उत्रेका छौ – उक्त भनाइ चालक महा-सङ्घका सचिव महेन्द्र गुरुङको हो। बन्दको कारण चालकहरुलाई व्यापक नोक्सान परे तापनि छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति मोर्चाले डाकेको 72 घण्टे पहाड बन्दलाई तिनीहरुले समर्थन जनाइरहेका छन्। बन्दको आज अन्तिमदिन कालेबुङका चालकहरु पिकेटीङको निम्ति सडकमा उत्रेका थिए। सङ्गठनका अध्यक्ष छिरिङ दोर्जी भोटिया अनि ,सचिव महेन्द्र गुरुङको अगुवाईमा आज चालकहरुले यहाँको 8 माइल परिसरमा व्यारिगेट लगाएर बन्दपालन गरे। चालकहरु अर्धनङ्गन शरिरमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको नारा लेखेर सडकमा उत्रेका थिए। यसैको अवधि पत्रकारहरुलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै सचिव गुरुङले मोर्चाको प्रतेक कार्यक्रमहरुमा चालकवर्गले सहयोग पुर्याउने बताए। तिनले राज्य अनि केन्द्र सरकारले गोर्खाहरुको मुद्धा प्रति चडैनै सकरात्मक पहल शुरु गर्नु पर्ने बताएका छन्। 

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Unrest in hills

VIVEK CHHETRI

Darjeeling, July 30: The ripples were felt in Darjeeling less than an hour after the Telangana announcement was made in Delhi this evening. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung resigned from the helm of the autonomous council whose formation brought peace to the hills, announced an indefinite strike from Saturday and offered a two-day window for school boarders and tourists to leave. The Morcha has been saying it will be left with little option but to revive the Gorkhaland statehood movement the moment Telangana is announced. The Morcha’s central committee will meet in Darjeeling at 11am tomorrow to chart the future course. A source said the Morcha might send a delegation to Delhi. A three-day shutdown till Thursday dawn is already in force in the hills. On Thursday and Friday, shops will open and vehicles will run but government offices will be shut, Gurung said. From Saturday, the strike will resume. “We have been saddened by the (CWC) decision to not discuss Gorkhaland and, therefore, I am resigning as the chief executive of the GTA (Gorkhaland Territorial Administration) with effect from 8pm today. The letter has been faxed to the governor of West Bengal,” Gurung said. The letter states that Gurung has resigned to demand the creation of a Gorkhaland state and to protest the continuous interference of the state government in the functioning of the GTA. Gurung said the two-day breather was put in place as “we do not want to inconvenience the students”. Tourists are not numerous in the hills now — the season begins mid-September. But the hills have 45 residential schools with boarders totalling between 20,000 and 22,000. A principal said a two-day window was not enough. “We need the parents’ consent. Then there is the issue of getting reservations,” he said. “Some are students who are in Class I.”

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Dooars dividends for Morcha - Hill party’s GTA plank finds takers in tea belt

July 30: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-Jharkhand Mukti Morcha alliance has bagged 43 seats in total in all three tiers in Jalpaiguri’s Dooars region, on which the hill party had focused keeping in mind its demand to include the area in the GTA.

“We had to face blatant criticism from a section of political parties for supporting the agenda (of inclusion of the GTA). But the people’s mandate has proved that thousands of them are standing by us and backing our demands,” said John Barla, a dissident leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad heads the JMM in the Dooars.

Trinamul had approached both the Morcha and the JMM to forge a tie-up and prevent division of votes. Mamata Banerjee’s party was also short of tribal and Gorkha faces in the Dooars and the leaders intended to pit popular tribal faces in the panchayat polls in the tea belt, where tribal garden workers outnumber all other sections.

Several rounds of discussions were held but these did not work out as Trinamul, in an aggressive manner, brought in leaders from the Morcha and even close aides of Barla into the party.

“It was a part of Trinamul’s desperate effort to win in maximum possible seats in the Dooars. The strategy, however, did not yield dividends for the party. Trinamul failed to forge a tie-up with the Morcha and the JMM,” political observers said.

The Morcha-JMM combine has secured majority in 13 panchayats in the Dooars and have altogether won in over 250 seats at the lowest rung of the panchayat. Trinamul, on the other hand, secured only seven panchayats.

The party, despite its best efforts, could not secure a single panchayat in the blocks of Malbazar, Metelli and Kalchini, all in the Dooars tea belt. The Morcha-JMM, however, bagged panchayats in six of the seven blocks in the Dooars.

“In the Dooars, Trinamul was driven by a preconceived notion that frequent visits by Mamata Banerjee and addressing social issues would bring them positive results. What the party did not realise was the absence of tribal and Gorkha leaders would cost it,” a political observer said.

“Further, the party’s strategy to induct Morcha and tribal leaders into Trinamul had given a chance to all its political contenders to criticise the party and elaborately speak of its intentions to grab seats. Absence of consistent activities at tea garden levels has also led to such results.”

In the panchayat samitis, the Morcha-JMM won 28 in the total 422 seats in the Dooars. The highest number seats secured by the alliance was in Madarihat, where 10 of their candidates won out of 26 seats. In this tier, Trinamul has won 27 seats in the Dooars and could not bag any panchayat samiti.

“We have gone through the panchayat samiti results. It is evident that in at least two panchayat samitis (Nagrakata and Madarihat), our candidates would play a vital role in forming the samitis. The equation is such that if Trinamul wants to form the samitis, it will have to seek our support,” Barla said.

“Before the polls, we had mentioned that our candidates would prove important. Post-poll, this is a fact. We had hinted that there are chances of a post-poll alliance. In case any proposal comes to us, we would consider it,” the tribal leader said.

In the zilla parishad, the alliance has secured two seats, on each in Metelli and Madarihat, both in the Dooars. Trinamul secured four zilla parishad seats, but could not win in any in the Dooars. All four seats are located in agricultural belts or non-Dooars areas of Jalpaiguri.

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Gorkhaland movement intensified - Bimal Gurung resigned, Indefinite strike in the Darjeeling

Darjeeling 30 july:
Gorkhaland movement intensified after the formation of 29th Indian state Telangana.

Hours after the UPA and the Congress Working Committee endorsed statehood for Telangana, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) announced an indefinite strike in the Darjeeling Hills from Saturday to press for itsGorkhaland demand.
GJM chief Bimal Gurung resigned as chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration - an autonomous and elected hill development council which the party has been running for a year.

"He (Gurung) today (Tuesday) faxed his resignation to the governor (M.K. Narayanan)," said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri.

With the hills already paralysed following a 72-hour shutdown called by his party since Monday, Giri said an indefinite shutdown will be organised from Saturday to raise the pitch for Gorkahland.

"We will go for indefinite shutdowns and our movement will not stop until our demand for Gorkhaland is met. We have already advised students to leave the hills and go to the plains," he said.

"Once the present 72-hour shutdown ends on Wednesday, we will give a two-day respite to the people to stock provisions and the tourists and the students to leave. The indefinite shutdown will begin Saturday," he said.

"We have called an emergency meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) where we will chalk out our strategy. The other GTA members will also resign soon," he said.

"The UPA has allowed the formation of Telengana. Now we are left with no choice but to intensify our movement for Gorkhaland. Our demand for a separate state is far more older than Telangana," Giri said.

The Gorkhaland movement has left many dead over the past two decades besides affecting the region'seconomy based on tea, timber and tourism.

On July 18, 2011, a tripartite agreement was signed between the GJM and the state and central governments for setting up the (GTA, armed with more powers than its predecessor -- the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council formed in the late 1980s.

The GJM now runs the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration after sweeping its maiden elections held in July 2012. The Trinamool had pulled out of the polls.

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Gorkhaland youth self immolates at Kalimpong

kalimpong 30 july:

Mangal Singh self immolates at Kalimpong Damber Chowk and he's admitted to KPG hospital.Mangal Singh sets himself into fire for Gorkhaland in Kalimpong. 70 % burnt. His last words were We want Gorkhaland!. Mangal Singh - referred to Siliguri hospital.
Similar attempt was made by a brave Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha cadre  in chowk Bazar in Darjeeling when the Police tried to intercept slogans of Gorkhaland.
Mamata has said several times earlier that she is against the division of Bengal. Her utterances on such lines on January 29 this year sparked protests in the hills.

GJMM wrote to the Prime Minister, saying that nothing could be an alternative to statehood.

The state government has decided to deploy a platoon of female police personnel and one more platoon of the Indian Reserve Battalion in Darjeeling.

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गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाममा युवा कार्यकर्ता मंगल सिग राजपुतद्वारा आत्मदाहको प्रयास

कालेबुङ 30 जुलाई

आफ्नै शरिरमा आगो झोसेर “जय गोर्खा जय गोर्खाल्याण्डको” नारा लगाउँदै आज दिउँसै एकजना मोर्चा कार्यकर्ताले गोर्खाल्याण्डको मागमा आत्मादह गर्ने प्रयास गरे। मोर्चाको 72 घण्टे पहाड बन्दको आज दोस्रो दिन होमस निवसी मंगल सिंग राजपुतले शरिरमा आगो झोसेर गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाममा आत्मादह गर्ने प्रयास गरेका हुन। तिनी गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चा होमस सी शाखाका युव मोर्चा अध्यक्ष पनि हुन।

आज दिउँसो मोर्चा नेतृत्व अनि कार्यकर्ताहरु पिकेटीङको निम्ति डम्बरचोकमा बसिरहेका समय शरिरमा आगो झोसेर गोर्खाल्याण्डको नारा लगाउँदै मंगल सिंग आचानक यहाँको डीएस गुरुङ रोडबाटा कुदेर डम्बरचोकमा आएका थिए। जय गोर्खा जय गोर्खाल्याण्डको नारा संग-संगै तिनको शरिरमा आगो दन्किरहेको थियो। उक्त दृष्य देख्नसात डम्बरचोकमा उपस्थित मोर्चा कार्यकर्ताहरुले तिनको शरिरमा दन्किरहेको आगोलाई नियन्त्रणमा ल्याउँदै मंगल सिंगलाई आत्मदाह गर्नबाटा बचाए। लगभग 30 मिनट भित्रमा कार्यकर्ताहरुले तिनको शरिरको आगो निभाइ सक्दा मंगल सिङ अचेत अवस्थामा पुगिसकेका थिए। त्यसपछि लगतै तिनलाई कार्यकर्ताहरुले उपचारको निम्ति यहाँको महकुमा असप्तालमा पुर्याए। असप्तालमा तिनको प्रथमिक उपचार गरियो। चिन्तजनक अवस्थामा रहेको मंगल सिंगको स्वस्थ्यलाई ध्यानमा राख्दै असप्तालका डाकटरहरुले तिनलाई उपचारको निम्ति सिलगढ़ी रेफर गरेका छन्। यता कालेबुङ असप्तालका एसडीएमओ डा. सोनाम भोटीयाले दिउँसोको करिब साँडेएक बजेतिर मंगल सिंग राजपुतलाई गम्भिर अवस्थामा असप्ताल ल्याइपुराएको जनाउँदै तिनको शरिरको गलभल 75 प्रतिशत भाग आगोले ढ़डेको बताएका छन्। तिनको अवस्था एकदमै सोचनिय रहेकोले गर्दा तिनलाई सिलगढ़ी स्थानतरण गरेको डा. भोटीयाले जानकारी गराएका छन्। आफ्नो दलका कार्यकर्ता मंगस सिंग राजपुतको शररिक अवस्था जान्न घटनास्थलदेखि नै मोर्चा नेताहरु रमेश आले, निमा तामाङ, आरबी भुझेल, विध्यार्थी मोर्चा नेता दिप थापा, दिपेन थापा आदि तिनको साथमा थिए।

यता मंगल सिंगको आत्मादह गर्ने प्रयासको घटनाले कालेबुङ शहरमा  तनाउपूर्णस्थिति उत्पन्न भएको थियो। छुट्टैराज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डप्रति कार्यकर्ता मंगल सिंगको उत्सर्ग देखेर दलका नेतृत्वगण अनि कार्यकर्ताहरु निकै गम्भिर मुडमा देखिए। कार्यकर्ता मंगलको अवस्थाबारे जानकारी लिन असप्ताल आइपुगेका मोर्चा नेता रमेश आलेले पत्रकारहरुसंग कुराकानी गर्दै गोर्खाल्याण्ड आन्दोलनमा युवाहरुले इतिहास लेख्न शुरु गरेको बताए। कार्यकर्ता मंगलको छुट्टै राज्य प्रतिको उत्सर्गलाई कदर गर्दै अब सम्पूर्ण पहाडवासी सडकमा उत्रेर गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलनमा सहभागी बनिनु पर्ने तिनले अपिल गरे। यसरी नै युवा मोर्चा नेता निमा तामाङ, वालकृष्ण थापा अनि विध्यार्थी मोर्चा नेता दिप थापाले पनि युवा कार्यकर्ता मंगल सिंगको छुट्टै राज्य प्रतिको आत्मसमर्पणको मुल्याङ्कन गर्दै सबै युवाहरु यडकमा उत्रेर आन्दोलनलाई सहयोग पुर्याउनु पर्ने बताएका छन्। मोर्चा नेता निमा तामाङले भने – आन्दोलनको जिम्मेवारी युवा अनि विध्यार्थी मोर्चामाथि भएको हुनाले कार्यकर्ता मंगल सिंगको गोर्खाल्याण्ड प्रतिको समर्पणलाई स्वागत जनाउने छ। अब मंगल सिंग राजपुतलाई मंगल सिंग गोर्खाको नामले पहाडले चिन्ने छ। मंगल सिंगको शरिरमा लागेको आगोको रापले राज्य अनि केन्द्र सरकारलाई पोल्ने छ।  अझ हजारौ युवाहरु गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति प्राणको आहुतीदीन तयार रहेको तिनको भनाइ छ। यता विध्यार्थी मोर्चा नेता दिप थापाले एक सय सात वर्षाको गोर्खाल्याण्ड आन्दोलनमा प्रथम पटक युवा कार्यकर्ताले यसप्रकारको गोर्खाल्याण्ड प्रतिको उत्सर्ग देखाएको बताउँदै अब एकतामा आएर छुट्टै राज्यको लडाई लडनु पर्ने आह्वान गरेका छन्। छुट्टै राज्यको निम्ति गोर्खाल्याण्डपन्थी पहाडका सबैदलहरु एउटै मञ्चमा आउनु पर्ने तिनको भनाइ छ। 

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