प्रो. लामाको निर्णयबारे मोर्चा बाहेक अन्य दलहरुको प्रतिक्रिया

कालेबुङ, 7 जुलाई। देशकै एकजना प्रभावशाली व्यक्तिका रुपमा मानिएका डा महेन्द्र पी लामाले आउँदो लोकसभा चुनाउमा दार्जीलिङ समष्टिबाट खडा हुने मानसिक प्रतिबद्धता जाहेर गरेका छन। स्वतञ्त्र उम्मेद्वारका रुपमा चुनाउ लडेर आजसम्म सम्बोधन हुन नसकेको दार्जीलिङ पहाडका जनताको समस्या र आकाङ्क्षालाई संसदमा उठान गरी यो क्षेत्रको सामाजिक रुपान्तरको निम्ति गम्भीरतासँग काम गर्ने धारणा तिनले सञ्चारमाध्यमहरूमार्फत व्यक्त गरेका छन।पहाडमा सक्रिय रहेका सबै ठूला साना दलहरूलाई रिझाएर सर्वसम्मतिका उम्मेद्वारका रुपमा चुनाउ लड्ने वातावरण तयार गर्न पनि डा लामाले अभ्यास शुरु गरेका छन।

समान बिचार भएका व्यक्ति र समूहहरूलाई भेटेर आफ्नो यो निष्कर्षबारे छलफल र विमर्श गर्ने प्रक्रियासमेत तिनले शुरु गरेका छन। यही क्रममा शनिबार कालेबुङ आएका डा लामाले यस सम्बन्धमा दिएको बयान छापामा आएपछि आज पहाडका विभिन्न दलका नेताहरूले मिश्रित प्रतिक्रिया व्यक्त गरेका छन। क्षेत्रीय दलका अधिकांश नेताहरूले तिनको यस निर्णयलाई स्वागत जनाएका छन तर अहिले नै आधिकारिक तवरमा पार्टीको अडान स्पष्ट गर्न नमिल्ने उनीहरूको भनाइ छ। अनौपचारिक रुपले सबै दलका नेताहरूले यसबारे डा लामासँग विचारविनिमय गर्ने सिलसिला जारी राखेको भए पनि दलको चुडान्त निर्णय भने बैठक गरेर मात्र लिन चहान्छन। भागोप, क्रामाकपा अनि गोर्खालीगसँग डा लामाको साझा उम्मेद्वारको अवधारणाबारे प्रश्न गर्दा यस आशयका प्रतिक्रिया दिएका छन। भागोपका राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष डा एनोशदास प्रधानले आफूसँग डा महेन्द्र पी लामाले यसबारे अनौपचारिक रुपमा कुरा साझा गरेको बताएका छन तर संगठनको अडान भने बैठकमा छलफल गरेर मात्र तय गरिने तिनको भनाइ छ। “भागोपले निश्चय नै यसबारे गम्भीरतासँग सोच्नेछ। आगामी 24 अगस्तमा देहरादूनमा हुने बैठकमा हामी यसबारे चुडान्त निर्णय लिनेछौं” डा एनोशदास प्रधानले भने। तिनले अलग राज्यको मुद्दामा सामुहिक नेतृत्वकै शर्तमा मात्र डा लामालाई सहयोग र समर्थन दिन सकिने विचार व्यक्त गरेका छन। “तिनी सांसद नै निर्वाचित भए भने पनि एक्लैले गोर्खाल्याण्ड ल्याउन सक्ने होइनन। एकल नेतृत्वको जमाना गयो। सामुहिक नेतृत्वको अवधारणामा काम गर्न हामी सदैव आग्रही छौं। तर यस दिशामा तिनलाई कि-फ्याक्टर भने अवश्यै मान्न सकिन्छ” तिनले भने। तिनले डा लामाको उम्मेद्वारिताबारे अझ विस्तृत रुपले परिचर्चा गर्न आगामी 13 जुलाईका दिन कालेबुङमा एउटा बैठकको आयोजनासमेत गरिएको जानकारी पनि दिएका छन। यता, क्रामाकपा उपाध्यक्ष जेबी राईले पनि दलको बैठकमा गहन बिमर्श गरेर मात्र डा लामाको प्रस्तावबारे पार्टीको लाइन तय गरिने बताएका छन। “तिनी योग्य र गुणी मान्छे हुन्। तर अलग राज्यको मुद्दा एउटा राजनैतिक लडाँई हो। यसमा जोड-घटाउको कुरा पनि आउँछ। त्यसकारण पार्टीभित्र छलफल गरेर मात्र ठोस प्रतिक्रिया दिन मिल्छ” जेबी राईले भने। गोर्खालीग नेता प्रताप खातीले यसबारे दलको बैठक भएपछि मात्र स्पष्ट अडान खुलाउन मिल्ने बताए पनि तिनी यस मामिलामा अरू दलका नेताहरूभन्दा निकै उत्साहित देखिएका छन। डा लामाजस्ता इमानदार, शिक्षित र चिन्हारी भएका मानिसलाई उम्मेद्वारका रुपमा स्वीकार नगर्ने व्यक्ति र दल त गोर्खाल्याण्डविरोधीकै रुपमा चिनिनेछन भन्ने प्रतिक्रियाले पनि खातीको उत्साह अनुमान गर्न सकिन्छ। यसबारे पार्टीबाट फलदायक परिणाम निस्कने विश्वास व्यक्त गर्दै खातीले भने, “स्वतञ्त्र अनि साझा उम्मेद्वारका रुपमा चुनाउ लड्ने तिनको विचारलाई हामी स्वागत गर्छौं। जातिहितको निम्ति इमानदार र विद्वान व्यक्ति अघि आउनु पर्छ भन्ने गोर्खालीगले सधैँ भन्दै आएको छ। गोर्खाल्याण्ड चहाने सबैले तिनको उम्मेद्वारितालाई स्वीकार गर्नुपर्छ भन्ने मेरो विचार छ” तिनले डा लामालाई आजको अवस्थामा एकताका प्रतिकका रुपमा परिभाषित गर्दै अझै भने, “यतिबेला सबैले मतान्तरलाई भुल्नुपर्छ। मन मिल्यो भने सबै मिल्छ। म विश्वस्त छु, हामीले उनको मार्गनिर्देशनमा अगल राज्य पनि चाढै हासिल गर्न सक्छौं। मतभिन्नता र द्वेष भुलेर सबैले उनलाई स्वीकार गरे जातिको भविष्य उज्यालो छ” अर्कोतिर, पिपल्स् फोरमले भने यी दलहरूले भन्दा ठीक विपरित विचार व्यक्त गरेको छ। फोरमका सचिव प्रबीण गुरूङले सक्रिय राजनीतिमा पदार्पन नगरी जातीय हितका मुद्दाहरूको उठान गर्ने डा लामाको वक्तव्यले आफूलाई निराश पारेको प्रतिक्रिया जाहेर गरेका छन। तिनले सक्रिय राजनीतिमा नआउने तर चुनाउ लड्ने डा लामाको निर्णयले जनतालाई भ्रममा पारेको टिप्पणीसमेत गरेका छन। “राजनैतिक धरातलबाट तिनले जातीय मुक्तिको आन्दोलनलाई नेतृत्व दिनेछन भन्ने हाम्रो ठूलो आस्था थियो। तर सक्रिय राजनीति नगर्ने तिनको निर्णयले ठूलो तप्कालाई निराश पारेको छ। अलग राज्यको माग आफैमा एउटा राजनैतिक मुद्दा हो। यसलाई राजनैतिक संगठन र कार्यक्रममर्फत नै सम्बोधन गर्न सकिन्छ। गैरराजनैतिक तरिकाले त भागोपले पनि कोसिस गरेकै हो। आखिरमा यो संगठनले पनि दलहरूसँग नै गठबन्धन गरेर अघि बढ्नु परेको छ। यस्तो अवस्थामा राजनीतिबाट टाडा बसेर काम गर्ने उनको भनाइलाई मान्यता दिन सकिँदैन। कुनै दलसँग प्रतिस्पर्धा गर्न अनि कसैलाई सत्ताच्युत गर्ने आफ्नो मनसाय नरहेको डा लामाको बयानप्रति पनि गुरूङले टिप्पणी गरेका छन। “अलग राज्यको कामना राख्ने प्रो लामालाई जीटीए बाधा हो भन्ने कुराको राम्रो ज्ञान छ। तब यसलाई धराशयी नपारी ठीक ठाउँमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको आवाज कसरी पुग्छ? जीटीएको चुनाउप्रणालीमार्फत निर्वाचित भएको जनप्रतिनिधिहरूको कुरा नसुनेर सरकारले एकजना व्यक्तिको कुरा सुन्छ?” गुरूङले प्रश्न तेर्साएका छन।

Read More

Closure doubt on girls’ home

Kurseong, July 8: The St. Margaret’s Home, a 114-year-old residential facility for poor children run by Christian missionaries, has allegedly told all 42 kids residing there to vacate the premises and move to other residential homes.

The move has raised doubts that the Daughters of the Cross, the body running the home as well as two schools in Kurseong, was trying to close the facility without discussing the matter with the guardians of the children. The Daughters of the Cross runs one of the best educational institutions in the hills, the St. Helen’s school, as well as St Joseph’s school. There have also been allegations that two of the 42 children, who resided at St. Margaret’s and studied in the Madhyamik-affiliated St. Joseph’s, were given transfer certificates, meaning they would not be able to study in the school run by the Daughters of the Cross. “We had been hearing that the home would be shut down and some of the inmates were being sent to other homes in Calcutta and Siliguri. We approached Prabha Chettri, the executive GTA Sabha member in the department of women and child development, who took up the issue,” said Nirmal Kumar Pradhan, president of the Morcha-affiliated Janmukti Secondary Teachers’ Organisation (Kurseong branch). Navraj Chhetri, the president of the JSTO in the hills, said: “It is unfair to issue transfer certificates to two inmates who come from broken families, that too in the middle of the academic session. Students have been asked to leave the home on some flimsy grounds. Where will these students get admission in the middle of the academic year?” The academic session in hill schools starts from March and ends in November. One of the two St. Margaret's’ inmates who has been given a transfer certificate is in Class VIII and hails from Jorethang in West Sikkim. The other, a resident of Nimbong in Kalimpong subdivision, reads in Class IX. During a meeting between the home authorities and Prabha Chettri in Kurseong on July 1, Sister Sally Joseph, Sister superior of the Daughters of the Cross, gave a written assurance to the GTA executive member that since the building was in a dilapidated condition it was in need of extensive repair and “the children are being provided alternative accommodation in consultation with their parents/guardians”. But Prabha Chhetri said she learnt later that “transfer certificates were issued to two inmates. Many guardians are also approaching me now and saying the Sisters are asking for Rs 1,000 a month for their wards’ accommodation in a new place. People who keep their children or wards in homes cannot pay the amount. This is unjust and I have decided to take up the issue.” St. Joseph’s said the two girls were issued the transfer certificates as this was the “option of the guardian”. The two girls have denied this. One of the inmates said: “One of my relatives was told on July 4 that I should be taken home as the summer vacation had started. Once I had left the school premises, I was told that the Sisters had issued me a transfer certificate and that I will not be returning to the school again.” The student got in touch with acquaintances, who took up the matter with the JSTO. When Metro spoke to Sister Sally, she admitted that two girls had been given transfer certificates and cited health grounds and behavioural problems of the two as reasons, but the claims could not be cross-checked with the students or their guardians. Asked if the 42 girls would return to St. Margaret’s once the structure was repaired, Sister Sally said: “Most probably, as I alone cannot take all decisions.”

Read More

Floods and rain forecast

July 8: Several places in Darjeeling and Cooch Behar districts were inundated today because of consistent rain in the past 24 hours. The Met department forecast heavy rain in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts in the next 48 hours. People had to face inconvenience as rainwater accumulated in low-lying areas like Sishubari, Champasari and Fulbari on the outskirts of Siliguri. By late afternoon, the water level receded. In Cooch Behar, 4,000 families were taken to safer places because of floods in Tufanganj I block, where water from the Kaljani breached the banks and entered villages like Panishala, Bhuchungmari and Dwarikamari. While Siliguri received 40mm rain in 24 hours till 8.30am today, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar recorded 70mm of rainfall each. Bagdogra and Kharibari recorded 90mm and 100mm rain, respectively.

Read More

Morcha’s Rahapal joins Trinamul - Ruling party to capitalise on exodus for rural polls

July 8: Pravin Rahapal, who was a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha central committee member, has joined Trinamul protesting Bimal Gurung’s alleged move to dump the demand for Gorkhaland. Along with Rahapal, about 500 of his supporters from the Morcha also joined Trinamul.

Rahapal and most of his supporters are from Kalimpong, a place where Trinamul has been trying to gain a toehold because the Morcha’s grip on this subdivision is perceived to be weaker than in Darjeeling. The state’s ruling party has decided to mobilise Rahapal and all leaders, who have left the Morcha and joined Trinamul in recent months in the hills and the plains, to campaign for Trinamul candidates for the panchayat polls in the Dooars. Rahapal and his supporters joined Trinamul at a programme at Gairibas in Kalimpong subdivision yesterday evening. He had been a frontline leader of the Morcha since its inception in 2007. “During the Gorkhaland movement, Bimal Gurung and his leaders kept on saying they did not want GTA but a separate state. They, however, ditched the people of the hills by accepting the GTA Sabha and got their family members and relatives elected to the autonomous body. Given the degeneration of the Morcha and the recent lackadaisical attitude of the party, I have decided to join the ruling party of the state which has an agenda of development,” Rahapal said at the event. “My decision to resign from the Morcha and join Trinamul is a protest against the undemocratic functioning of the hill party,” he added. Gairibas is around 35km from Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri. At the programme, K.N. Subba, the vice-president of Darjeeling hill Trinamul, handed over a party flag to Rahapal. Subba, who left the GNLF to join Trinamul recently, said the Morcha president was trying to regain the lost ground in the Dooars by raising the demand for the inclusion of 391 more mouzas in the GTA. “The Morcha leaders have failed to work for the development of the Terai and the Dooars. Trinamul has acted in a consistent manner to expedite development in these areas, leading to the erosion of the Morcha base. A number of top leaders of the Morcha in the plains and the hills joined Trinamul,” he said. “In a desperate attempt to stem the flow of the Morcha supporters to Trinamul, Gurung was touring the Dooars and trying to create tension by raking up the demand to bring the mouzas there under the GTA. Trinamul leaders and the chief minister have made it clear that Darjeeling will continue to be a part of Bengal and there will be no further partition of the state,” Subba said. The Morcha has lost a number of leaders to Trinamul in recent months. Among them were Padam Lama, a central committee member of the Morcha and the convenor of the party’s Dooars committee, and Kalchini MLA Wilson Champramari. In Kalimpong, leaders like Namita Gautam deserted the Morcha and joined Trinamul. Rajen Mukhia, a Trinamul leader from Panighata in Kurseong, said: “The Morcha leaders have joined Trinamul after realising the sincerity of Mamata Banerjee to develop the hills and the plains alike. The Morcha, on the other hand, has failed to meet people’s aspirations through the GTA and is now renewing old demands like the inclusion of the plains mouzas in the autonomous body. Such attempts would not serve the purpose.” Trinamul has decided to capitalise on the influx of the Morcha leaders to its advantage in the rural polls. “North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb is canvassing for Trinamul candidates in the Dooars. The chief minister and other leaders of Trinamul will also campaign and convince the voters that Gurung is whipping up passions in the Dooars by harping on about the demand for the inclusion of 391 mouzas in the GTA. Leaders like Padam Lama, Pravin Rahapal, Rajen Mukhia, Namita Gautam and several others who have deserted Bimal Gurung’s party and joined Trinamul will campaign in the Dooars,” said Subba. The move, observers said, could be effective for Trinamul to win more votes. “First of all, there is a problem for Trinamul leaders with regard to language. A state minister from Calcutta can come and address the people in Bengali or Hindi, but a short speech in Gorkha by a former Morcha leader can prove more effective to woo voters in rural pockets and tea gardens,” said an observer. “Further, the ex-Morcha leaders can counter the claims of Bimal Gurung than anyone else.”

Read More