Morcha ‘satisfied’ with state talks

TT; Nov. 20: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha that met state officials in Calcutta today said the talks were “satisfying”, though the hill leaders largely repeated their old demands before the government. The state government and the Morcha leaders, led by Roshan Giri, spoke for over two hours at the GTA Bhavan in Salt Lake. Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri, who was in the team, said the Morcha leaders spoke about recruitment of hill youth into the police, release of GTA funds, speedy transfer of departments to the hill body and the withdrawal of cases that has led to imprisonment of several GTA members. The state had finalised plans to set up a separate school service commission and college service commission for the hills, Giri said. Tomorrow, the Morcha, the state government and the Centre will sit for tripartite talks at Nabanna. After today’s talks, state chief secretary Sanjay Mitra said: “The meeting was cordial. There were some issues, like the ownership of forests, which will be brought up at tomorrow’s tripartite meeting. The issues that are in the state’s ambit, like recruitments (in the police), will be looked into.” Ten senior officials, led by chief secretary Mitra and home secretary Basudeb Banerjee, represented the state. The Morcha delegation sought for the release of funds that are due to the GTA Sabha, the first tranche of which is Rs 49 crore. Chhetri said the hill team demanded withdrawal of old cases against party leaders acting on which the police arrested several GTA members and Morcha activists during the latest round of statehood protests in the hills from July-end to September. Chhetri also said the recruitment of 4,000 personnel for the GTA and the absorption of Gorkha youths in the police were discussed. “These demands have been made earlier. We wanted to follow up. The recruitments are a must for better functioning of the GTA. Besides, the induction of our youths in the security forces is something we have been seeking for a while now. The state has assured us of co-operation and consideration,” Chhetri said. Earlier this month, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had assured the Morcha that the cases against the party’s leaders and activists would be reconsidered individually. She had also assured the Morcha of the government’s co-operation in completing the transfer of departments. “We will bring up the issue of… panchayat elections in the tripartite meeting. The bipartite meeting was held in an environment of co-operation and understanding. We are for development,” Chhetri said. The implementation of the three-tier panchayat system in the GTA area would be one of the key demands in the talks tomorrow, besides the transfer of reserved forests to the GTA and granting of Scheduled Tribe status to Gorkhas, barring Scheduled Castes. The Darjeeling hills had only two tiers of the rural administration system — gram panchayats and panchayat samitis — when the DGHC was in place. The Centre had amended Article 243M of the Constitution in 1992 to put in place the two-tier system. However, elections were held only to the gram panchayats in 2000. Giri termed the meeting “successful and satisfying”, adding that it would facilitate the hill body to function autonomously. The talks have happened after several months of acrimony between Morcha chief Bimal Gurung and chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Gurung repeatedly said that the state government was not allowing the hill body to function freely and was interfering in its work. The Morcha chief was also against the formation of the development body for Lepchas under the state government. He said Mamata was trying to divide the people in the hills. Today, though, the Morcha team sounded positive. Giri said the state government had also decided to form the subordinate selection committee. “We were informed that the details have been forwarded to the law department for its final approval,” he said. According to the GTA memorandum of agreement, the subordinate selection committee can recruit employees for the Group B, C and D categories. “This would be a major achievement for the Morcha,” a source in the hills said. “The state government has also decided to form a committee to look into the problems of the 6,000-odd GTA employees. Another meeting has also been scheduled for November 28 to discuss the issue of ad hoc teachers,” Giri said. The ad hoc teachers want regularisation of their jobs. “The state has also finalised plans to set up a separate school service commission and college service commission for the hills,” said Giri. According to Giri, the state government has agreed to go through the 29 amendments the GTA Sabha wants to the GTA Act. Today’s meeting was held after the state government forced the Morcha to step back from its statehood agitation. It was after the Morcha announced that it would not hold the hills in ransom by calling strikes that the chief minister agreed to call the bipartite and tripartite meetings.

GTA seeks autonomy, wants members freed

The GTA delegation led by Roshan Giri and Harka Bahadur Chhetri Wednesday sought "absolute autonomy" in the first bipartite meeting held between GTA and the state government after the indefinite strike was called off by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in Darjeeling. "We want absolute autonomy. We were given autonomy according to the agreement, but we face difficulty in implementing it. Two years have passed since the agreement was signed, but the departments are yet to be transferred. We have requested the government to accelerate the process, " said Roshan Giri. "We also want the backward region grant fund," he said. The GTA delegation also want the release of GJM men and GTA executive members who are behind bars. "Ten of the GTA members are in jail and atleast 2,000 GJM men were arrested during the indefinite strike,"said Harka Bahadur Chhetri, adding GTA executive members who enjoy the status of secretary must be awarded the status of minister of state. Wednesday's meeting was attended by chief secretary Sanjay Mitra, home secretary Basudeb Banerjee, DGP, GNP Reddy, R D Meena, principal secretary to the GTA. Demand for a fact-verification committee to start field verification on the issue of determining the territory of the GTA has also been raised. Chhetri said: "We have demanded that some of the mouzas of the Terai and Dooras be included in GTA territory. A commission led by Justice Shyamal Sen had submitted a report that said five mouzas be included in the GTA. We have rejected the report and the CM must set up a fact verification committee." The GJM delegation also urged the state government to release the funds of DGHC. "Before the DGHC was scrapped, there was corpus of Rs 119 crore with the DGHC. We want the funds to be released to GTA," said Roshan Giri. According to sources, Rs 70 crore have already been released by the state government.

Lepcha school plea

TT;RAJEEV RAVIDAS Kalimpong, Nov. 17: Bimal Gurung today said the Lepcha language would not be taught in the hill primary schools, one of chief minister’s promises to the community during her visit in September. Addressing a public meeting at the Mela Grounds in Kalimpong today, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief said school education was a subject under the GTA and there should be “no intervention in the functioning” of the hill body. Gurung’s comment has come at a juncture when the Morcha, left without options, has had to step on the back foot on its agitation, and is poised to hold bipartite and tripartite talks with the state and the Centre on November 20 and 21. “The Lepcha language will not be introduced in schools. If the Lepcha language is taught, other languages like Tamang, Sherpa, Tibetan, Rai and Gurung would also have to be taught,” Gurung said. “This (school education) is under the GTA. We want no intervention in the functioning of the GTA. It should be allowed to function smoothly.”

Salt rumour subsides - 28 traders arrested

TT;;People queue up to buy salt from a shop in Darjeeling on Friday. Picture by Suman Tamang Nov. 15: At least 28 traders dealing in either retail or wholesale grocery items were arrested across north Bengal for overcharging panic-stricken customers who wanted to buy salt after hearing of its purported shortage. The talk of market shortage of the kitchen essential turned out to be a rumour, which the district administration quelled in the morning through public announcements in six north Bengal districts. Raids were also conducted in markets and godowns to prevent hoarding of salt, which was being sold at Rs 30-60 a kg last night. “There is no shortage in the stock of salt across north Bengal. The rumour has been spread in a premeditated manner with wrong intention. We have serious doubts that some political parties are behind it and tried to create fresh tension among common people and pose new trouble for the state government,” north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb said today. “We have sufficient stock of salt and we urge people not to pay even a rupee extra to buy salt. Those selling salt should keep in mind that we are monitoring the entire situation and that any plan to hoard salt or sell it at higher prices would lead to arrests.” The 28 trader were arrested in different districts of north Bengal. “They were either hoarding salt, or spreading the rumour or selling salt at higher prices,” Deb said. According to administrative sources, 11 such shopkeepers were arrested in Darjeeling, while two each were picked up from Kalimpong and Phansidewa. The others were arrested from Malda, North Dinajpur, Cooch Behar and South Dinajpur. “Our officers are visiting marketplaces and keeping a close watch on grocery shops. People should shun the rumour and must not panic,” Kunal Agarwal, the superintendent of police of Darjeeling, said.

Realtor with GNLF link held

TT; VIVEK CHHETRI Darjeeling, Nov. 15: A Darjeeling-based realtor has been held for allegedly trying to burn down police property at the height of the recent Gorkhaland agitation, but police sources said Sandip Lama came under the radar because he funded the GNLF. The arrest of Lama, 43, from his house yesterday evening is a continuation of a crackdown by the police on Subash Ghisingh’s party in the hills. Businessmen who were believed to be funding the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha were also arrested during the shutdown in the hills from July-end to mid- September. Lama has been booked for his involvement in an attempt to burn down the Singamari police outpost and a police vehicle on July 31, 2013. The incident took place soon after the Morcha renewed the state agitation following the Congress nod to the creation of Telangana. Pankaj Prasad, an assistant public prosecutor, said: “Sadip Lama was produced in the court of the chief judicial magistrate in Darjeeling today and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.” The government lawyer said Lama had been booked under Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 435 (mischief with fire or explosive with intent to cause damage) of the IPC, along with other sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The police had arrested six GNLF workers and a leader on different charges in Darjeeling and Kalimpong in the past two days. Six of them have got interim bail. Police sources in the hills said yesterday that the GNLF activists were arrested to keep calm in the hills before the Morcha’s talks with the state on November 20 and with the Centre the next day. But Trinamul sources had suggested that the arrests were made to check the GNLF that could emerge as a competing force against Trinamul when both parties are trying to make a base in the hills to counter the Morcha. The arrests of the GNLF activists would also not upset the Morcha, which treats Ghisingh’s party as an adversary. Asked about the charges slapped on Lama, a police source said: “We have been able to establish that he used to fund the GNLF.” Sources said the builder was also known to be close to the Morcha. The GNLF hasn’t commented on Lama’s arrest, but the party said it would go ahead with the plan to hold a meeting at Dooteriya helipad, 20km from here, on Sunday. “Our party unit in the Dooteriya-Rangbull area had sought permission to use loudhailers on November 17. We have not yet received the nod from the administration,” said Indramani Rai, convenor of the GNLF’s Darjeeling Sadar I committee.

नूनको मूल्य बृद्धि हुने अफवा खबरले आममानिसहरु समस्यामा.......... महँगो दाममा बिक्री गरेको भेटाए कड़ा कानूनी कारबाही गरिने... गुप्त

कलेबंग ;१५ नोवेम्बेर ;मणि ;आलु र प्याज पछि  नूनको मूल्य बृद्धि हुने अफवा खबरले फेरी एकचोटि आममानिसहरु समस्याको समुखीन बन्न पर्यो।बिहिबार साँझा देखि नुनको मूल्य बृद्धि र आपुर्ति कम हुने अफवा खबर फैलिए पछि मानिसहरु हतास बन्न पर्यो। आज बिहान देखि आम  मानिसहरु नून किन्न शहरको पसलहरुमा भीड़ लागेको देखियो। नुनको मूल्य बृद्धि हुने खबर कहाँबाटा आयो नत हतास बनेर नून किन्न आउने मानिसलाई थाहा थियो नत बिक्रीदारलाईनै थाहा थियो। शहर लगायत संग्लन छेत्रका मानिसहरु बिहान देखि पसलहरुमा नून किन्न लामेतात लागे पछि बिक्रेदारहरु अचम्भ मानेर हेर्दै भटाभट नून बिक्री गर्न थाले। बजारमा नुनको हाहाकर मच्चे पछि पुलिस बल लगायत महकुमा अधिकारी समेत बजारमा उत्रन पर्यो। मूल्य बृद्धिको खबरले मानिसहरुमा हतास छाएपनि पसलदारहरुको भने चादी कटाई भयो। मौकामा चौका भने जस्तो पसलदारहरुले पुरानो भण्डारको नून पनि मूल्य बृद्धि गरेर बिक्री गरे पछि आममानिसहरुले महँगो दाममा नुनु किन्न परेको गुनासो पोखेका छन। नून किन्न आहेका एक  ब्यक्तिले संचारकर्मीहरुले  सोधदा नूनको मूल्य बृद्धि हुन्छा हरे अनि म पनी नून किन्न आहेको भनि बताए। यता एक पसलदारले नूनको  मूल्य बृद्धि हुने कुनै जानकारी नपाएको बताउदै पसलमा भएको नून अनि  गोदामबाट  कुल्लीलाई बोकाएर भटा भट बेचे। बजारमा नुनको मंगाई बड़ेको खबर पाए पछि कालेबुङ थाना प्रभारी अनि महकूम अधिकारी आफ्नो दलबल लिएर बजारको बिभिन्न पसलहरुमा पुगेर  मूल्य बृद्धिको जायजा लिएपछि लगभग मध्यान्न देखि स्थिति साम्य भयो। यता सामाजसेवीका ज्योती कार्कीले पनि  बजारको दौड़ाहा गरेर पुलिस प्रशासनको सहयोगमा पसलहरुमा पुगेर मूल्य बृद्धिको जायजा लिए। मानिसहरुमा हतास छाएको देखेर कार्कीले बजारमा माइकिंग गर्दै मानिसहरूलाई हतास नभइ दिने अपिल गरे। नून सम्बन्धी सृजना भएको घटनालाई केन्द्र गर्दै च्याम्बर अफ कमर्सका प्रतिनिधिहरुसंग थाना प्रभारी अचिंता गुप्तले बैठक समेत गरे। बैठक पछि संचारकर्मीहरु संग कुराकानी गर्दै गुप्तले बजारमा नुनको भण्डारा पर्याप्त मात्रमा रहेको जानकारी गराउदै मानिसहरूलाई हतास भएर नून नकिन्ने अपील गरे। आफु स्व्यम बजारमा पुगेर निरीकछन गरेको बताउदै कुनै पसलदारले महँगो दाममा बिक्री गरेको भेटाए कड़ा कानूनी कारबाही गरिने गुप्तले बताएका छन। 

गोरामुमो पार्टीका कालेबुङ शाखा सयोंजक मौरिस कालीकोटे पक्राउ .....

फोटो  /राजु 

कालेबुङ  १४ नोवेम्बर; मणि ;गोरामुमो पार्टीका कालेबुङ शाखा सयोजक मौरिस कालीकोटेलाई  आज कालेबुङ पुलिसले पक्राउ गरेको छ। दिउसो १;१५ बजितीरको समयमा   इस्टमेनरोड स्थित तिनको घरबाटनै  पक्राउ गरेको थाहा लागेको छ। हाल पहाड़मा गोरामुमो पार्टीले दल बिस्तार संगै दलको झण्डा लगाउने कार्यलाई तीब्र पारेको छ। गोरामुमो पार्टीको दल बिस्तार पहाड़मा शुरू भएपछि केही दिन अघि कालेबुङ आएर आफ्नो घरमा बसेका शाखा सयोंजक कालिकोटेलाई गत ११ नोवेम्बेर को दिन कालेबुङ महकुमाको खण्ड दुइ  अंतर्गत अलग़डा बजारमा प्रशासनको अनुमति बिना पार्टीको गतिबिधि गरेको मामिलामा तिनलाई पक्राउ गरेको सुत्र मार्फत थाहा लागेको छ। पक्रा परेका गोरामुमो नेता मौरिश कालिकोटे बिरुद्ध पुलिसले भारतीय द्ण्ड सहिताको धारा अंतर्गत १४६ /१८६ /५०६ मुद्दा दर्ता गरेको छ भने भोली तिनलाई न्यालयमा पेश गरिने छ। 

GTA talks in Calcutta next week Morcha readies demands

Rosan giriPicture by Suman Tamang 

TT;VIVEK CHHETRINDajeeling, Nov. 13: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha will seek 29 amendments to the GTA Act for proper functioning of the autonomous hill body during talks with the state and later central officials in Calcutta next week. The meeting between the Morcha and the Bengal government will be held on November 20, and the tripartite talks involving the party, the state and the Centre are scheduled for the next day. It is not clear yet who will represent the Centre at the talks. 

 “I have just received a letter which states that the bipartite and tripartite meetings will be held in Calcutta on November 20 and 21, respectively. The meetings have been called to review the problems that are being faced by the GTA Sabha,” said Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha and also an executive member of the GTA Sabha. Sources said during both the meetings, the Morcha leadership would raise the demand to bring 29 amendments to the GTA Act.

 “The amendments are necessary for the proper functioning of the GTA Sabha. Primary among the amendments is reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the GTA elections as well as quota for the two sections in jobs. Members of Scheduled Castes comprise 33.72 per cent of the population in the Darjeeling hills. The Scheduled Tribes form 9.32 per cent of the population.

 Giri told a public meeting at Bijanbari, 35km from here, today that issues such as granting of ST status to all hill communities (except SCs), inclusion of the GTA in the North East Council, establishment of a central university and transfer of reserved forest to the GTA would be discussed at the bipartite and tripartite talks. The Morcha leader also said the review of cases registered against party activists during the Gorkhaland agitation from 2007 to 2011, as agreed upon in the GTA memorandum of agreement, would also be raised at the Calcutta meetings. 

 “We are working on a strategy to strengthen the GTA so that it will help achieve a separate state of Gorkhaland,” said Giri. He stressed that the Morcha had not dropped the demand of Gorkhaland, as laid down in the GTA MoA. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had promised the Morcha during her visit to the hills in October that the state government would hold bipartite and tripartite talks in November. Her visit helped improve the relationship between the state and the Morcha. 

 That there is a thaw in the relations between the GTA and the state could be gauged from the fact that the Darjeeling district administration met the representatives of the hill body to discuss the creation of 10 new blocks in the GTA area. At the moment, there are three blocks each in Darjeeling and Kalimpong subdivisions and two in Kurseong subdivision.

 GNLF 6 arrested 

 Six GNLF workers were arrested in Darjeeling on Wednesday for allegedly breaching peace and tranquillity and forcefully selling CDs containing party chief Subash Ghisingh’s speeches. They were arrested while planting GNLF flags in town. The GNLF said the arrests had been made on false complaints filed by Morcha workers.  

Trafficking first link: the cellphone

TT UTTAM DUTTA The disappearance and the rescue of a minor girl has laid bare the modus operandi of a trafficking racket that operates for men in a bride-starved area in Haryana. And the main tool in the hands of the racketeers is the mobile phone. A 17-year-old girl who had disappeared from Khanakul in Hooghly in August was rescued from Haryana a month later. A woman arrested for trafficking her told police that she used to keep young men on her payroll who would call up girls and develop friendship with them. The men would promise to marry the gullible girls who would be asked to leave their homes and reach Delhi. 

 The trafficked girl, a resident of West Midnapore, lived with the family of her maternal uncle at Khanakul and was studying in Class XI. On August 27, she went out for private tuitions and didn’t return. Two months before her disappearance, she started to get calls on her cellphone from an unknown man. She ignored the calls at first, but began to talk to him later. Gradually, she grew to like the caller. The day after her disappearance, the girl’s family lodged a missing person diary with Khanakul police station.

 A case of abduction was filed against unknown persons on September 10. The police tracked down two phone numbers from where the girl got calls frequently. “We could locate a place in Delhi from where one call was made and the same number could be traced to Howrah on the day the girl went missing. We sent a team to Delhi,” says Suman Roychowdhury, the officer in charge of Khanakul police station. The team caught a woman, Fatima Sheikh, in west Delhi. 

The phone number belonged to her. Fatima led the police to Ajay Sarwa, a marble mason, at Sonepat in Haryana. Fatima, now lodged in Arambagh jail, had sold the girl to him for Rs 47,000. The arrested woman used to run a tea stall in Delhi and it was a front for her activities. The men who were a part of the racket would dial numbers randomly. If a young girl answered the call, they would try to start a conversation with her and then a “relationship” on the phone. The girl would be promised marriage and would be asked to reach Delhi, where she would be sold to one of Fatima’s clients in Sonepat, Haryana. 

 According to the 2011 census, Haryana had the sex ratio of 879 females per 1,000 males — one of the lowest in the country. The trafficked girl told the police that a youth called Raju Saha had got in touch with her over phone and she fell in love with him. The youth told her that he would marry her, for which she would have to come to Delhi. He would meet her at Howrah station. 

Later, he told her his grandmother would meet her. Fatima met the girl and introduced herself as Raju’s grandmother. In Delhi, the girl was locked up for seven days and then sold to the mason. She told the police she was raped repeatedly by Raju and his brother. Fatima has been charged with trafficking a minor. Raju was arrested from Krishnagar on October 5. The police said his real name was Raju Sheikh.

गोर्खाल्याण्डको मागमा क्रामाकपाले गर्यो शहरमा पोस्टरिंङ् सँगै पर्चा बितरण....

कालेबुंङ १३नोवेम्बेर -{मणि तमांङ-} क्रामाकपाले  गोर्खाल्याण्डको मांगलाई अघि बडाउदै  पूर्व घोषित कार्यक्रम अनुरूप आज शहरमा पोस्टरिंङ् सँगै पर्चा बितरण कार्यक्रम सम्पन्न गर्यो। एकातिर गोजमुमो पार्टीले आगामी  दिसम्बर महीना दिल्लीमा हजारौको संख्यामा समर्थकहरु भेला गरेर गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्य गठन को मागमा कार्यक्रम गर्ने तय गरेको छ भने भगोपले पनि शीतकालीन सत्रको अवधी दिल्लीमै राष्ट्रीय भेला गरेर अलग राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको अवाज बुलन्दा गर्ने भको छ। यता आजदेखि क्रामाकपाले छेत्रीय स्तरमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको  निम्ति कार्यक्रम शुरू गरेको छ।

 ग्रक्रयूमो नेता सुधन प्रधानको अगुवाईमा पार्टी कार्यकर्ताहरुले शहरको बिभिन्न मार्गहरुमा पोस्टरिंङ संगै मानिसहरुमा राजनैतिक सचेतना जगाउन पर्चा बितरण गरे। पोस्टरिंङ् अनि पर्चा बितरण कार्यक्रम सम्पन्न गरिरहेको समय अवधी कालेबुंङ्का संचारकर्मीहरुसंग कुराकानी गर्दै गणतान्त्रिक क्रांतिकारी युवामोर्चा नेता सुधन प्रधानले पहाडको अन्य राजनैतिक दलहरु बिभिन्न सहूलियतहरुमा भुली रहेको अनि अवसरबादी मानिसहरु दल फेर्ने होडमा लागि रहेको समयमा क्रामाकपा गोर्खाल्याण्डको  निम्ति निरंतर रुपमा अघि बड़ीरहने बताउदै ,गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्य गठन कठिन भए पनि सम्भव रहेको बताएका छन.

रिहाइ प्रक्रिया अघि बढ्ने आशामा छौ------ विनय

कालेबुङ [छेवांङ्] १२ नोवेम्बेर ;आन्दोलन अवधि पक्रा परेका जीटीएका तीन जना सभासदहरुले आज एउटा मुद्दामा अन्तरिम जमानत पाएका छन्। हाल बन्दी जीवन बिताइ रहेका मोर्चा सभासदहरु बिनय तामाङ, कल्याण देवान अनि निमा तामाङलाई आज गोरूबथानमा तृणमूल नेता केएन सुब्बाको घर जलाइएको मुद्दालिएर कालेबुङ कोर्टमा प्रस्तुत गरियो। यस मामिलामा तीनैजना सभासदहरुलाई पाँच हजार रुपियाँको जरिमाना तिर्न लगाएर न्यायलयले अन्तरिम जमानतमा छोड़ेको छ। यद्यपि अन्य मुद्दाहरुको कारण तीनैजना सभासदहरु जेलमुक्त हुन भने सकेनन्। उक्त मामिलाबाट सभासद चन्द्र योञ्जन, मोर्चा नेतृ कल्पना हुरुङ अनि मनोज तामाङलो अघिबाटै जमानत पाइसकेका छन्।

 आज कालेबुङ कोर्टमा प्रस्तुत गरिएको बन्दी सभासदहरु विनय तामाङ, कल्याण देवाङ अनि निमा तामाङ विरुद्ध मुद्दा नम्बर 136/13को धारा 143/447/436/427/120बी 34 आइपीसी अन्तर्गत मुद्दा दर्ता गरेको छ। तीनजनै मोर्चा सभासदहरुलाई कालेबुङ कोर्टमा प्रस्तुत गरिएपछि पुन जलपाइगढी संशोधनगृह पठाइएको छ। रिहाइको मांग गर्दै 10 दिनसम्म आमरण अनशनमा बसेका सभासद बिनय तामाङले पत्रकारहरूसित कुराकानी गर्दै चाँडै आफूहरूको रिहाइ प्रक्रिया अघि बढ्ने आशा व्यक्त गरे। मुख्यमन्त्री ममता व्यानर्जीले विधायक डा. हर्कबहादुर छेत्रीलाई दिएको आश्वा सनको आधारमा मोर्चाका बन्दी नेतृत्व अनि कार्यकर्ताहरु चाँडै जलमुक्त हुनसक्ने तिनको भनाइ छ।

 मुख्यमन्त्रीको आश्वाढसनको आधारमा नै आफूले अनशन फिर्ता लिएको तिनले बताए। यद्यपि, यो न्याययिक मामिला रहेकोले आफूले यसलाई सम्मान जनाउने मत प्रकट गरेका छन्। यसै अवधि पत्रकारहरुसंगको कुराकानीमा विनय तामाङले मोर्चाको धरातल भत्किन नसक्ने प्रतिवद्धता जाहेर गरे। पाहाडमा मौकावादीहरू धेर रहे पनि मोर्चा मजबुद स्थितिमा रहेको उनले दावी गरेका छन्। अर्कोतिर, सभासद् निमा तामाङ्ले पाहाडमा शान्ति श्रृंखाला कायम राख्नु पर्ने अपिल गरेका छन्।

उज्यालो देउसी-भैलोको अँध्यारो पाटो

साप्ताहिक; युवराज गौतम 

उल्लास, उत्साह, उमंग र उज्यालोको पर्व तिहारका पाँच दिनका आ-आफ्नै महत्व छन्। त्यसमध्ये तीन दिनसम्म खेलिने देउसी-भैलोको विशेष महत्व छ। संस्कृति धान्न वा मनोरञ्जनका लागि खेलिने देउसी-भैलोको तौर तरिका समयानुकूल बदलिँदै गएको छ। सारङ्गी, मादल, डम्फू र बाँसुरीका साथै हार्माेनियमको धुनमा तालसुर मिलाएर इतिहास र पुराणका कथा सुनाउँदै देउसी खेल्ने पुरानो प्रचलन आजभोलि ठाउँअनुसार परिवर्तन हुँदै गएको छ। भट्याउने भाकाहरू बदलिएका छन।

 सांगीतिक समूह बनाएर पुराना बाजागाजा र पुराना लोकभाका अर्थात् भजनमा खेेलिने देउसीको पुरानो स्वरूप हराउँदै गएको छ। परम्पराअनुसार वा पौराणिक कथाहरूलाई आधार बनाएर भट्याउने प्रचलन हिजोआज कम हुँदै गएको छ। पुराना गायक सूर्य थुलुङ तन्नेरी छँदा गाउँले साथीहरूसँग मिलेर सांगीतिक समूह बनाएर रातभर देउसी खेलेको क्षण सम्झँदै भन्छन्- 'पुराना भाकामा हार्मोनियम, मादल, झ्याम्टा र तालीमा गीत गाएर खेलिने देउसी हिजोआज विरलै देख्न पाइन्छ।' हिजोआज पाश्चात्य संगीत र भड्किलो पोसाकमा देउसीमा उत्रिने चलन बढेको छ।

 मादल, खैजडी, बाँसुरी, चाँप आदि बाजामा गाउँघरका लोकगीत, संस्कृतिलाई समेटेर खेलिँदै आएको देउसी आधुनिक पुस्ताले बिर्सिसकेको छ। यमराजकलाई विषयवस्तु बनाएर दिदी-बहिनी एवं दाजुभाइको स्नेहलाई जोड्ने देउसी-भैलोको चलन कम हुन थालेको छ। कवि ठाकुर बेलबासे हिजोआज ड्रम-सेट, गितार आदि आधुनिक बाजाहरूको प्रयोग गरेर भड्किलो तरिकाले देउसी खेल्ने प्रचलनले चाडबाडको अस्तित्व नै समाप्त हुनेे हो कि भन्ने आशंका गर्छन्। बेलबासे भन्छन्- 'परम्परालाई समयअनुसार परिवर्तन गरेर देउसी खेल्दा संस्कृतिको जगेर्ना हुन सक्छ।'

 दानको दुरुपयोग

 नाङ्लामा एक पाथी धान, एक माना चामल, चामलमाथि बलिरहेको दियो, फलफूल, सेलरोटी र गच्छेअनुसारको दक्षिणा राखेर घरकी गृहलक्ष्मीले देउसेको स्वागत वा बिदाइ गर्ने चलन आफैंमा मौलिक छ। पहिले-पहिले पाँच पैसे र दस पैसे ढ्याक निकालेर देउसेलाई सगुन दिइन्थ्यो। आजभोलि यो चाडलाई चन्दा संकलनको माध्यम पनि बनाएको छ। संकलन भएको रकम सामाजिक काममा लगाउनुको साटो रमाइलो गर्ने वा पिकनिकमा रमाउने प्रचलन बढेर गएको छ। मुखै फोरेर दान माग्ने वा व्यंग्य गर्ने चलनले तिहार विकृत हुन थालेको छ। देउसीका बेला घरबेटीलाई दिइने आशिक पनि भड्किलो पाराले प्रस्तुत गरिदिने र घरबेटीले थोरै रकम दिए व्यंग्य गर्ने चलन पनि बढेको छ। 

 भैलिनीमा पुरुषहरूको प्रवेश

 तिहारमा झिलीमिली बत्तीसँगै गोबरले लिपेको र रेखी हालेको ठाउँमा किशोरी तथा महिलाहरूले भैलिनी गीत गाएर छुट्टै उमङ्ग र रमाइलो थप्ने चलन छ। हुन पनि 'भैलिनी आइन् आँगन गुन्यूचोली माग न..' गीतबाट महिलाहरूले मात्र रमाइलो गर्ने साथै रातभर खेलिने भैलिनीमा पुरुषहरूको प्रवेशले भैलिनीको पनि महत्त्व घट्दै गएको पाइन्छ। ज्योतिष डाक्टर सुनिल शर्माका अनुसार वास्तवमा देउसी पुरुष-महिला मिलेर खेल्ने र भैलिनीचाहिं महिलाले मात्र खेल्ने चलन पौराणिक कालदेखिकै हो, तर हिजोआज पुरुष पनि महिलासँग रमाउँदै भैलो खेल्ने क्रम शुरु भएको छ। 'यसलाई अनौठोचाहिँ मान्नु हुँदैन, समयअनुसार संस्कृतिमा पनि परिवर्तन आएको मान्नुपर्छ,' शर्मा भन्छन्। 

 बिर्सिदै गएका कथाहरू

 देउसी खेल्दा भट्याइने विषयवस्तुहरू फरक-फरक सन्दर्भका हुन्छन्। विशेष गरेर पौराणिक कथाहरू प्रस्तुत गरेर रमाइलो पाराले भट्टयाउँदा सुन्नेहरूलाई पनि आनन्द लाग्छ। यस्ता पौराणिक कथाहरू अब क्रमशः हराउँदै गएका छन्। 'हामी त्यसै आएनौं, बलिराजले पठाएको..' भन्ने देउसे र भैलिनीहरूको श्रुतिपरम्पराका कथाहरू पनि अब हराउने क्रममा छन्। त्यस्तैगरी श्रवणकुमार दशरथको कथा साथै यमुनाको कथा पनि चर्चामा छैन। खैंजडीमा भट्याइने रामकथा, कृष्णलीला, राजा हरिश्चन्द्रको कथा, सावित्री र सत्यवान् कथा, महादेव-सतिदेवीको कथा, धुन्धुकारीको कथा हिजोआज चर्चामा छैनन्। 

 सन्देशमूलक देउसीको प्रभाव 

 पछिल्लो समयमा देउसी भैलो सन्देशमूलक तरिकाले पनि खेल्न थालिएको छ। विभिन्न संघ-संस्थाले खेल्ने देउसी-भैलो र ती समूहले भट्याउने विषयवस्तुको फेहरिस्तले सामाजिक सन्देश प्रवाह गरे पनि पौराणिक तथा धार्मिक कथा वा विषयवस्तुहरू ओझेल पर्ने गरेका छन्। विभिन्न समुदाय एवं राजनैतिक दलहरूले अर्थ संकलन गर्ने अभिप्रायले खेल्ने देउसीमा पौराणिक, धार्मिक वा सांस्कृतिक कथाहरू बिर्सन थालिएको छ।

Gurung claims GTA plea by Pranab Hill demands before President

President Pranab Mukherjee
Darjeeling on Sunday
. Picture by Suman Tamang 

TT; RAJEEV RAVIDAS;Darjeeling, Nov. 10: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung today said President Pranab Mukherjee had requested him to return to head the GTA when the two met at Raj Bhavan this afternoon. The request was reportedly made when Gurung presented a memorandum containing five demands of hill leaders, including the release of arrested GTA Sabha members and other Morcha activists, to Mukherjee at the 20-minute meeting. The President was on a daylong visit to Darjeeling to attend the inaugural programme of St Joseph’s School North Point that is marking its 125 years. 

 “The President made a request to me to return as the chief executive of the GTA, but I did not give him any commitment. The meeting was very good,” Gurung said. The Morcha chief resigned from the post of the GTA chief executive on July 30 as the Morcha renewed the agitation for Gorkhaland following the Congress’s nod to form Telangana. Bimal Gurung Although Morcha assistant secretary Binay Tamang was elected as the chief executive, he couldn’t take the oath within the stipulated period of one month as he was lodged in jail. 

Later, GTA deputy chief executive Ramesh Allay was empowered to officiate as the chief executive. Tamang is among 10 GTA members and hundreds of party workers who were arrested in the latest phase of the Gorkhaland agitation. The release of the arrested from jail was among the five demands in a memorandum the Morcha chief submitted to Mukherjee. The other four demands are the inclusion of the GTA in the North Eastern Council as the Darjeeling hills have geographical and cultural similarities with the Northeast, transfer of reserved forests to the GTA for their better protection and preservation, granting of Scheduled Tribe status to all members of the Gorkha community, except those belonging to the Scheduled Castes, and the setting up of a central university in the hills.

 In the memorandum, the Morcha alleged that the leaders and supporters were being detained on concocted charges, although the party had heeded the state government’s request to run the GTA in a proper way. “The detention of the arrested (persons) and slapping of fresh charges on them, contrary to the promise made by the state to GJM, continues unabated,” read the memorandum. The President arrived at the Lebong helipad, 8km from here, around 12.45pm. After his meetings with governor M.K. Narayanan and Gurung at Raj Bhavan, he drove down to the St Joseph’s School, North Point. Students, teachers and alumni had gathered at the school to listen to the President.

 In his speech, Mukherjee laid stress on the importance of education in nation-building. “India’s tomorrows are shaped in the crucibles of great schools, in their classrooms, games fields as well as co-curricular activities,” he said. Quoting India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, he said: “If India is to be a great nation, it must begin in her classrooms.” The President lauded the contribution of the school and the Jesuit fathers, in particular, in the field of education. 

 “Institutions like St Joseph’s School, North Point and others run by the Jesuit fathers like St Xavier’s, Kolkata, where Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore studied, St Xavier’s Mumbai, XLRI, Jamshedpur, and Loyola College, Chennai, have stood the test of time and contributed to the building of our nation,” he said. St Joseph’s School, and St Xavier’s Calcutta and Mumbai were founded by Fr Henri Depelchin, a Jesuit father of Belgian origin.

 The school felicitated four of its alumni for their contribution in the field of education. The President presented plaques to Robindra Subba, the director of Himali Boarding School, Kurseong, Dhiresh Thapa, director of Gyanoday Niketan, Darjeeling, Pintoo Lama, director Vidya Vikash Academy, Darjeeling and Manuel Coutino, school teacher of 51 years’ standing. The nearly year-long anniversary celebrations of the school will conclude in end-April. 

स्मष्टीहरुमा आफ्नो दललाई मजबुत पार्ने मोर्चाको अभियान शुरु.. तृणमूलमा सामेल हुनेहरूले ढोडको आगो मात्र तापिरहेको छ------सामुएल

कालेबुङ, 9 नोभेम्बर (छेवाङ) अन्य दलहरुको सक्रियताको कारण खस्कँदै गइरहेको संगठनलाई मोर्चाले पुन सुद्दढ़िकरण गर्न थालेको छ। केही दिनको निम्ति कालेबुङ भ्रमणमा रहेका गोजमुमो प्रमुख बिमल गुरुङले चरण बद्धरुपमा यहाँका स्मष्टीहरुमा आफ्नो दललाई मजबुत पार्ने अभियान शुरु गरेका छन्। दल प्रमुख गुरुङले आज 33 नम्बर छिबो टासिडिङ समष्टीमा एउटा सभाको आयोजना गरि आफ्नो साङ्गठानिक गतिविधि तीब्र पारेका छन्। मोर्चा  प्रमुख गुरुङको उपस्थितिमा आज स्थानिय लिची ग्राउण्डमा उक्त समष्टीको एउटा सभा  सम्पन्न भयो। हाल पहाड़को राजनीतिमा तृणमूल कांग्रेस अनि गोरामुमोको सक्रियताको कारण तिब्र बनेको मोर्चा त्याग्ने क्रमलाई रोक्न नै पार्टी प्रमुख आज कार्यकर्ताहरु माझ पुगेका थिए।

 जोग चामलिङको अध्यक्षतामा सम्पन्न लिची ग्राउण्डमा सम्पन्न भएको सभालाई स्थानीय नेतृत्वहरूले सम्बोधन गरेका थिए। तर, उक्त सभामा पार्टी प्रमुख गुरुङले भने कार्यकर्ताहरुलाई सम्बोधन गरेनन्। गुरुङले केवल समष्टीवासीको गुनासो अनि समस्याहरु मात्र सुने भने उक्त सभालाई मोर्चा नेता सामुएल गुरुङले सम्बोधन गरेका थिए। सभालाई सम्बोधन गर्दै सामुएल गुरुङले भने, ममता ब्यानर्जी सपनामा बाँच्दैछिन्। निद्राबाट ब्युँझेपछि मात्र उनलाई पाहाडको यथार्थ थाहा हुन्छ। स्थानीय तृणमूल नेतृत्वहरूले अहिले ढोँडको आगो मात्र तापिरहेको अनि यस आगोले धेर समयसम्म ताप दिन नसक्ने उनले बताए।

 उनले भनेअनुसार मोर्चालाई षडयन्त्रमा पारेर राज्यसभाले जिटिए चलाउनमा बाधा दियो। यदि राज्य सरकारको षड्यन्त्रलाई समयमा नै नबुझेर मोर्चा जिटिएमा नफर्किएको भए तृणमूल नेतृत्वहरूले जिटिए सञ्चालन गर्ने योजना बुनिसकेका थिए। यो स्थितिमा मोर्चा ब्याकफुटमा जाँदै जिटिए ग्रहण गर्नु समय सान्दर्भिक अनि राजनैतिक सकरात्मक निर्णय रहेको बताए। मोर्चाले जिटिएमा फर्किएर कुनै भुल नगरेको दावी गर्दै अलग राज्य गोर्खाल्यान्डको मागलाई मोर्चाले विराम नलगाएको कुरा दोहोर्यालए। जिटिए समझौतामा अलग राज्य गोर्खाल्यान्डको मागलाई मोर्चाले यथावत राखेको छ जो ममता ब्यानर्जीको निम्ति सधैँ ठुलो बाधा भएर बस्ने उनले जनाए।

 आफू तत्कालीन राज्यको सत्तासीन दल माकपामा छँदासमेत पाहाडको निम्ति केही गर्न नसकेको अनुभव सुनाउँदै हिल तृणमूलले पाहाडको निम्ति कुनै ठोस कार्य गर्न नसक्ने बताए। यसरी नै मोर्चा केन्द्रिय समितिका सदस्य मोतीप्रसाद शर्माले सभालाई सम्बोधन गर्दै कवितात्मक शैलीमा हिल तृणमूलको आलोचना गरे। हिल तृणमूलमा सामेल हुनेहरू  कुनै पनि दिन मनभित्रबाट मोर्चाका सदस्यहरू नरहेको भन्दै केही स्वार्थी मानिसहरूले दल त्याग गर्दैमा मोर्चालाई फरक नपर्ने बताए। अझ पनि सङ्गठन केही नबिग्रेको भन्दै स्वार्थी मानिसहरूलाई चिन्नमा आजको समयले सहायता पुर्याझइरहेको सकरात्मक विचार पोखे। यसबेला जातीय अस्मिता बोकेको दल गोजमुमोसित नै सम्मिलित भएर पाहाडवासीमा एकवद्धता कायम राख्नुपर्ने आह्वान गरे। 

कार्यक्रमलाई नारी मोर्चा नेत्री बन्दना योञ्जन, काजिमछिरिङ भोटिया, तोपदेन भोटिया, कुमार चामलिङ आदिले सम्बोधन गरेका थिए भने कार्यक्रममा तारा लोहार लेप्चा, सभासद् कल्पना तामाङ, दावा लेप्चा आदि प्रमुख रूपले उपस्थित थिए।

‘लोकसभा चुनाउको निम्ति हामी तातिएका छैनौ , चुनावी रणनीति पछि बनाउँने छौ---- प्रा. लामाको सांसद हुने सपना मात्र हो---- बिमल -

कालेबुङ 8 नोभेम्बर (छेवाङ) 2014 लोकसभा चुनाउको निम्ति अहिले नै पार्टीले रणनीति तयार नगरेको बताउँदै चुनाउ बारे पत्रकारहरुले सोधेको प्रश्नलाई मोर्चा प्रमुख बिमल गुरुङले पन्साउने प्रयास गरे। लोकसभा चुनाउमा मोर्चाले कुन दललाई सघाउने भन्ने प्रश्नमा तिनले भने ‘लोकसभा चुनाउको निम्ति हामी तातिएका छैनौ , चुनावी रणनीति पछि बनाउँने छौ।’। आन्दोलनकालमा तिनीविरुद्ध लागेको मुद्दाहरुमा सुनवाइ दिन आज मोर्चा प्रमुख गुरुङ कालेबुङ कोर्टमा उपस्थित बनेका थिए। योही अवधि पत्रकारहरुसंग कुराकानी गर्दै नितले उक्त कुरा भनेका हुन। 

लोकसभा चुनाउलाई केन्द्र गर्दै तृणमूल सरकारले विगतको 41 दिनको मोर्चाको आन्दोलनलाई दवाउने प्रयास गरेको आरोपहरु मोर्चा भित्रैबाट देखा परेको भएता पनि आजसम्म दलले चुनाउको निम्ति भने कुनै प्रकारको रणनीति तयार नगरेको बताउँदै अध्यक्ष गुरुङले चुनाउबारे गरेको प्रश्नको सोझो उतर दिएनन्। थद्यपि तिनले निर्दलीय उम्मेद्वारको घोषणा गर्दै लोकसभा चुनाउमा खड़ा भएका प्रा. लामालाई भने मोर्चाले सह्योग नगर्ने बताएका छन्।

 निर्दलीय सांसद उम्मेद्वार प्रा. लामाको राजनीतिक क्षमतासमेतमा प्रश्न उठाउँदै पार्टी प्रमुख गुरुङले प्रा. लामाको सांसद हुने सपना मात्र  रहेको बताए। तिनले भने ‘निर्दलीय उम्मेद्वारको रुपमा खड़ा भएर सांसद हुनसाथ गोर्खाल्याण्ड ल्याउँछु भन्नु सपना जस्तो हो। यत्रो वर्ष ठू-ठूललो पदमा रहँदा तिनले किन गोर्खाल्याण्डको कुरा गरेनन्’ गुरुङले प्रा. लामा प्रति प्रश्न पनि उठाएका छन्। प्रा. लामालाई पार्टीले समर्थन गर्छ वा गर्दैन भन्ने कुरा जनतामाथि निर्भर रहेको बताउँदै गुरुङले भने ‘तिनी पार्टीमा आजसम्म कहाँ थिए, कति बेला थिए। त्यो त अब जनताले पनि जाँदछन्। तिनलाई सह्योग नगरेकै राम्रो हुन्छ’। आज पत्रकारहरुसंग भएको मोर्चा प्रमुखको कुराकानीले प्रा. लामालाई पार्टीले सह्योग नगर्ने कुरा निश्चित बनेको छ। अर्कोतिर दल प्रमुख गुरुङले गोरामुमो कार्यकर्ताहरुको सक्रियतालाई केन्द्र गर्दै छैटौ अनुसूचि अघि बाटै खारेज भएको दावी गरेका छन्। तिनी अनुसार 18 जुलाई 2011मा भएको जीटीए समझौताले नै छैटौ अनुसूचि खारेज बइसकेको छ। गोरामुमोलाई संकेत गर्दै तिनले भने ‘झण्डा त कलकता अनि दिल्लीबाट आएर पनि लगाउन सक्छन् तर, मान्छेको मन भित्र बस्न धेरै गाह्रो पर्छ।

 घिसिङ सिलगढ़ीमा बसेका छन्। तिनमा राजनीतिक इच्छा शक्ति छन् भने पहाड़ आउँदा हुन्छ। तिनलाई हामी निमन्त्रणा गरेर पहाड़ बोलाउने छौ’। पुन जीटीए सञ्चालन पछि पनि मोर्चा नेताहरु न्यायलय धाउनु परिरहेको विशष बारे प्रश्न गर्दा तिनले आफूहरु हालमा पनि आन्दोलनमा नै रहेको संकेत दिए। तिनले भने ‘आन्दोलनले मान्छेलाई दुखाउनु पर्छ थपड़ी मारेर मात्र आन्दोलन सफल हुन्छ भन्ने कुरा होइन’। राज्य सरकारले पहाड़का सबै जात-गोष्टीको निम्ति विकास परिषद बनाउनु पर्ने बताउँदै तिनले यसमा आफू खुशी रहेको मत प्रकट गरेका छन्। तिनले भने ‘लेप्चा विकास परिषद मात्र बनाएर हुँदैन पहाड़का सबै जात-गोष्टीको निम्ति राज्य सरकारले विकास परिषद गठन गरेको हुनुपर्छ। जातिगत परिषदहरु गठन गर्न मैले नै अनुमति दिएको छु। वाहुन, गुरुङ, राई, सुब्बा आदि सबैको निम्ति वोर्ड गठन गर्नु पर्छ’। अन्त तिनले मुख्यमन्त्रीको अनुरोधलाई अस्वीकार गर्दै जीटीए चिफको पदमा आफू नबस्ने बताएका छन्। धेरै लामो समय पछि हाल मोर्चा अध्यक्ष बिमल गुरुङ कालेबुङको भ्रमणमा रहेका छन्। तिनले आज कालेबुङ न्यायलयमा आफ्नो उपस्थिति दिए भने आगमी 19 नोभेम्बरसम्म तिनी कालेबुङमा नै रहने शुत्रमार्फत थाहा लागेको छ। 7 नोभेम्बरको दिन कालेबुङ आइपुगेका पार्टी प्रमुख हाल कार्यकर्ताहरुसंग संगठनिक चर्चा गर्नमा व्यस्थ रहेको शुत्रको भनाइ छ। हाल यहाँको चिलड्रेन्स पार्क परिसरमा अवस्थित पीडब्ल्युबीको एउटा बंगलोमा बसिरहेका गुरुङले आगमी 17 नोभेम्बरको दिन कालेबुङमा सम्पन्न हुने दलको जनसभालाई सम्बोधन गर्नेछन्।

Tamang breaks fast

Harka Bahadur Chhetri at the
 Jalpaiguri district hospital on Friday.
 Picture by Biplab Basak 

TT;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.”  

GTA quota resolution

TT; VIVEK CHHETRI Darjeeling, Nov. 7: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Sabha today passed a resolution to allow reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in elections to the hill body. The decision to seek amendments to the GTA Act — the quota resolution is one of the 29 resolutions on which the Sabha wants amendments — comes after the recent meeting of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders with chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Darjeeling. The ST community makes up 33.72 per cent of the hill population and the SC percentage is 9.32. The Lepchas, whom the Morcha has tried to woo after the community formed a development body under the state government, are STs. “We want the state government to amend the GTA Act so that there are reservations for the SC and ST community members in the next GTA elections. We also want the 100-point roster system to be followed in all appointments related to the GTA,” said Roshan Giri, executive member of the hill body. According to the roster system, the SC community would be entitled to 22 per cent reservation, the quota for the Schedule Tribe community is 6 per cent and Other Backward Classes enjoy a reservation of 27 per cent for jobs and GTA elections. Giri added: “We have also passed a resolution to make the GTA ad hoc employees permanent.” The decision to demand regularisation of the GTA employees has come when a section of the 6000-odd workers has joined the new Trinamul employees’ union. Observers believe the Morcha-controlled GTA wants to appease the SC and ST community and also believes that the state government is likely to make the amendment given that nearly half of the hill population comes under SCs or STs. Chhetri meeting The Morcha MLAs will occupy seats in the treasury benches of the Assembly from the next session, after the party’s request was sanctioned by the Speaker of the Assembly on Thursday. On Wednesday, Morcha legislative party leader Harka Bahadur Chhetri had placed a formal request for allotment of treasury bench seats to the three MLAs — Chhetri himself, Trilok Dewan and Rohit Sharma. Though the Morcha MLAs had been occupying treasury bench seats since 2011, they had stopped attending the House proceedings in the wake of renewed agitation in the hills. Chhetri said the arrest of key Morcha leaders and nearly 2,000 activists was also discussed with the chief minister. “The chief minister spoke to the Darjeeling police superintendent and assured us that the arrests will be looked into on a case-to-case basis. We have full faith in her assurance,” Chhetri said.

Morcha in no GTA chief hurry - A section wants Gurung to return

TT;VIVEK CHHETRIDarjeeling, Nov. 5: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today said the party was “not in a hurry” to elect a new chief executive for the GTA Sabha and one section feels Bimal Gurung should be requested to return to the chair. Morcha president Gurung had resigned from the post of the chief executive on July 30 and has given no indication that he would lead the GTA again. Jyoti Kumar Rai, the assistant secretary of the Morcha and an executive member of the GTA, today said: “We are not in a hurry to elect a new chief executive. We had earlier elected Binay Tamang. The state government has not yet officially written to us saying Tamang cannot be the chief executive. Once we receive a communication from the state government, we will sit for a meeting to decide on the matter. Then the principal secretary (of the GTA) has to convene a meeting of the Sabha to elect a new chief executive.” Tamang had been elected the chief executive on September 27 as Gurung had quit the post. But Tamang couldn’t take the oath within a month of his election, as stipulated by the law, as he was lodged in the Jalpaiguri Correctional Home. He was elected to the post because of the Morcha’s realisation that if the party didn’t elect a chief executive, the state government may take control of the body. Another reason to elect Tamang was to create pressure on the government to release Morcha leaders. At present, Ramesh Allay, the deputy chief of the GTA Sabha, has been given the power to function as the chief executive. Tamang is an accused in a case of attempt to murder and another of arson. He began an indefinite hunger strike demanding his release. But after he refused food and water for two days, Tamang was moved to Jalpaiguri district hospital where he was administered saline on Sunday. Concerned about Tamang’s health, a team of Morcha leaders met governor M.K. Narayanan on Sunday demanding the GTA leader’s release as also that of nearly 1,100 Morcha leaders and activists. Gurung on earlier instances made announcements but did the opposite after pressure from party supporters. When the GTA was formed, Gurung had said he would not contest the elections to the autonomous body or head it but he did an about-turn heeding the demand of party workers. It is unclear if he would heed this time. Observers say a semblance of normality will not return to the GTA unless a new chief executive is chosen. Even as the Morcha is delaying the election of a new chief executive, there is a growing voice within the party that wants Gurung to assume charge again. On October 27, when the Morcha held a public meeting at the Darjeeling Motor Stand, party activists held up posters that said Gurung should assume charge as chief executive. However, in his address that day, Gurung said he had asked “other leaders” to run the GTA and he had sacrificed the chair to continue with the Gorkhaland agitation. The Morcha-affiliated Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan — a union of the GTA employees — also wrote to Gurung recently “requesting” him to take charge of the GTA. He has not responded to the request. Gurung quit the GTA chief executive’s post at the beginning of the fresh round of statehood agitation. The Morcha is right now on the back foot as the administration has not done anything about releasing the Morcha leaders from jail though the hill party has told the state government that it will run the GTA.

Hill girls trumpet bagpipe band - St Philomena’s in Kalimpong achieves rare feat

Bagpipers of St Philomena’s School. 
Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha 

TT;RAJEEV RAVIDAS Kalimpong, Nov. 4: Sister Marie Clare, the secretary of St Philomena’s School, had one question after witnessing an Army pipe band in full regalia performing in Calcutta back in 2004: why can’t girls play the bagpipe and march like men? Nine years later, 16 girls at St Philomena’s here have provided the answer — Yes we can — that should sound like music to her ears. A bagpipe weighs around 4kg and one needs rigorous training and stamina to march on with the instrument — something even boys fail to do. 

 “St Philomena’s is the first girls’ school in the Darjeeling district and maybe even in the state, to have a pipe band,” said Priyadarshi Lama, who trained the girls at St Philomena’s. On Saturday, the 29-member pipe band of St Philomena’s, including 16 bagpipers, had their first public performance. Most schools in Kalimpong have brass bands, but only some boys’ schools have pipe bands.

 Lama said the difference between the pipe band and brass band was the instruments used. “The brass band comprises trumpet, trombone, clarinet, saxophone, flute, horn and drums. The pipe band has bagpiper, bugle and drum,” he said. Experts said it required a lot of physical strength and stamina to play the bagpiper and march. “I have seen boys collapse during training because of strain. 

A boy or a girl has to be physically very fit to play a bagpipe, which weighs about 4kg, and march as well. The pipers also must be given protein-rich diet because of their workload,” said Sanjay Rai, the trainer of the all-boys Scottish Universities’ Mission Institution’s pipe band. Only the horn and the bass drum are heavier in weight than the bagpipe.

 “But playing the bagpipe is more strenuous and energy-sapping. A 32-member band will have four horn players and a solitary bass drummer, while the strength of pipers can be 18 in case of a pipe band,” said Lama. He said strength and stamina though are not enough.

 “A person has to be very disciplined and hardworking to play the pipe. We winnowed down the number of pipers from 85 to 16. We started training on May 1 and held our first performance in the school itself on July 29,” he said. The girls trained for one hour each in the morning and the evening on weekdays and for extended periods during weekends. 

Plea to MK for hill leaders’ release

Morcha leaders with governor
 MK Narayanan in Darjeeling on Sunday
. Telegraph picture 

TT; VIVEK CHHETRIDarjeeling, Nov. 3: A delegation from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha called on the Bengal governor here today and sought his intervention to free arrested party leaders, the emergency meeting triggered by the deteriorating health of GTA executive sabha member Binay Tamang. Tamang who had launched an indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday to seek his release from jail was injected saline and medicines at the Jalpaiguri district hospital this afternoon. 

 He had been admitted to the hospital on Thursday and was refusing to take food, water and medicines. A six-member Morcha team, led by general secretary Roshan Giri, met governor M.K. Narayanan after the party’s realisation that the Mamata Banerjee government was doing little to free the arrested leaders even after the outfit had agreed to her demands like proper functioning of the GTA Sabha and a freeze on bandhs in the hills.

 The Morcha delegation had been granted permission to meet the governor tomorrow, but with Tamang’s condition worsening, the leaders hurriedly sought an appointment today. Giri said: “The governor had called us tomorrow but we decided to meet him today as Binay Tamang’s condition is deteriorating fast. This has become a serious issue. The state government, instead of working towards the release of Morcha supporters, is tagging Binay Tamang and other GTA Sabha members in one case after another.

 We believe all the cases against Morcha supporters are political.” Tamang had been arrested from Gangtok on August 22. He was charged in 18 cases and obtained bail in 15 of them. Tamang, who is also the assistant secretary of the Morcha, is yet to get bail in three cases. After the Morcha had renewed the movement for Gorkhaland towards the end of July, 11 GTA Sabha members, including Tamang, and nearly 2,000 party supporters were arrested. Most of the Morcha supporters were freed and 170-odd workers and 11 GTA members are still in jail. 

 The Morcha delegation claimed that Narayanan had assured the party of taking up the issue of imprisonment of leaders and workers with the chief minister. “We have been promised by the governor that he will take up the matter with the chief minister. He has also asked us to write to Mamata Banerjee on the matter and we will be doing that soon,” said Giri. Lt. Col. (retd) Ramesh Allay, the acting chief of the GTA, MLAs, Trilok Dewan and Rohit Sharma, and leaders Ramesh Lama and Dawa Lama were the other members of the delegation.

 Sources in the Morcha said even though the party understood that the judiciary would decide on the cases, it believed that the state government could help obtain bail for the GTA leaders. “The arrest of our leaders and supporters had put pressure on the party. Binay’s indefinite fast added to the Morcha’s woes and we need to do everything possible for the release of all Morcha activists,” said a Morcha source. The hill party’s desperation to seek the governor’s intervention also stems from Mamata’s adamant stand, despite the thaw in the relations between the Morcha and the state government.  

“The meeting with the chief minister in Darjeeling (two weeks ago) was very positive. We agreed to all her demands, right from the proper running of the GTA to the promise of calling no further shutdowns in the hills. In return, we were hoping that the state government would at least expedite the process of releasing our leaders and supporters,” said the source. 

 Morcha had already been irked by the state’s alleged failure to keep the promise of withdrawing cases registered against party workers during the statehood agitation till 2011. Doctors at the Jalpaiguri district hospital said they hoped that Binay Tamang’s condition would improve. “We expect his health condition to improve within 24 hours as he is taking the medication. We will try to provide him with some more fluids to stabilise his condition,” said a doctor. Tamang is in the intensive critical care unit of the hospital. 

Trinamul to speak for Sikkim in Parliament

 TT;Gangtok, Nov. 1: Sikkim Trinamul Congress president P.T. Lucksum today said party MPs from Bengal would raise the issues affecting the Himalayan state in Parliament. The Sikkim unit of Trinamul was formed in September. “We met Trinamul general secretary Mukul Roy and north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb in Darjeeling recently. They told us that all issues related to Sikkim would be taken up by Trinamul MPs in Parliament.

 The party MPs can raise matters related to our state with the President also,” Lucksum told journalists here. Asked what issues would be taken up by the Trinamul MPs in Parliament, Lucksum said: “We are discussing the issues to be raised in Parliament and they will be made public in the days to come. We will be putting forward the matters before the MPs soon.” Sikkim has two MPs, one in Lok Sabha and another in Rajya Sabha, and neither is from Trinamul.

 The state general secretary of Trinamul, Tshering Lepcha, said the party would contest the next Assembly and Parliament elections from Sikkim. “New faces will be fielded for the elections in all the constituencies of Sikkim. We will soon make our agenda for the polls public,” he added. Sikkim has 32 Assembly seats. “A party delegation will be calling on the governor after Diwali and then we will hold public meetings. We will be inviting leaders, including Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, to our public meetings,” Lepcha said.

Morcha trio fail to meet Tamang

TT; Nov. 1: A Gorkha Janmukti Morcha delegation was today denied permission twice to call on arrested GTA Sabha member Binay Tamang in the Jalpaiguri district hospital. First, health officials disallowed three Morcha leaders from meeting Tamang around 11 in the morning, citing the patient’s deteriorating condition. Later in the evening, the Morcha leaders went to the hospital armed with the permission of the additional district magistrate. 

But this time, the police personnel on duty outside Tamang’s room said the visit couldn’t be allowed without the district police chief’s leave as the patient was under their custody. Tamang, arrested on various charges and put up in Jalpaiguri correctional home in August, had launched an indefinite fast on Wednesday to protest his imprisonment and demand the speedy disposal of cases in courts. 

He was admitted to the district hospital yesterday because of low blood pressure. However, Tamang continued to refuse food and water and even saline injection,in the hospital and was taken to the Intensive Critical Care Unit (ICCU) yesterday afternoon. Around 11am today, Morcha vice-president R.P. Yaiba and central committee members Saran Dewan and Binod Prakash Sharma reached the hospital and sought permission to call on Tamang. 

They had a letter written by the Kurseong MLA of the Morcha, who wanted the hospital authorities to let the trio inside the ICCU. “We were, however, informed by the hospital superintendent that the chief medical officer of health, Jalpaiguri, had rejected our plea on the pretext of Binay Tamang’s precarious health conditions. We consider it as a unilateral decision on the part of the health officials as the patient concerned is our leader and we do have a right to visit him and check out his condition. 

We have serious doubts regarding the kind of treatment Binay Tamang is getting in the ICCU,” said Yaiba. The Morcha delegates said they had come to visit Tamang on the instruction of party president Bimal Gurung. Yaiba wanted to know why Tamang had been taken from the district hospital yesterday evening for admission to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri and then brought back midway. 

 “The ambulance carrying Tamang to the medical college was stopped mid-way and was brought back to the district hospital. Then, he was admitted to the ICCU. Why did the health officials take him out then? These are serious issues and we want answers from the administration. The health authorities are simply harassing him in the name of treatment,” said Yaiba. “Since he (Tamang) had spent three days without food and water, his blood pressure has gone down. 

Also, his body has become dehydrated and all metabolic activities have stopped. As the patient is not ready to drink water or take saline injection, his heath has become worse.We have formed a medical board to observe his health and take appropriate steps,” said Sarkar. Asked about the aborted move by the hospital authorities to shift Tamang to the NBMCH, Sarkar said: “The patient was taken out for his admission to the NBMCH because of some miscommunication.

 Whatever treatment he needs can be provided in the district hospital.” From the district hospital, the Morcha trio went to the Jalpaiguri jail, where they met other party leaders Kalyan Dewan and Ashok Lama. Dewan, a GTA executive member and Lama, a central committee member of the Morcha, had been arrested and put behind bars for their alleged involvement in incidents of arson, damage to public property and similar cases.

 Around 6 in the evening, Yaiba, Dewan and Sharma met the additional district magistrate, seeking permission to meet Tamang. Still, the trio couldn’t meet him. “We went to the hospital and informed the authorities that we had the permission to see Tamang. 

We had also come to know that the hospital superintendent was supposed to accompany us to the ICCU. However, the on-duty policemen at the ICCU told us that unless we obtain permission from the superintendent of police of Jalpaiguri, they would not let us in. We felt disappointed and left the hospital without looking for the police’s permission,” said the Morcha vice-president. The three left the hospital around 7pm.

छुट्टै राज्य माग्नेहरु एकार्कमा कहिल्यै दुशमन होईनन – डा महेन्द्र पी लामा

 डी के वाइबा, कालेबुङ 1 नोभेम्बर। “हिजको दिनमा छुट्टै राज्य किन हुन सकेन भन्ने बहस छोडौ अनि हाम्रो एकमात्र छुट्टै राज्यको सपना कसरी पूरा गर्न सक्छ भन्ने बिषयमा बहस गरौँ” उक्त कुरा डा महेन्द्र पी लामाले आज पहिलोपल्ट मन्सोङवासीलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै भनेका हुन। आगमी लोकसभा चुनावमा स्वतंत्र उम्मेद्वारको रुपमा चुनाव लड्ने घोषणा गरिसकेका लामा आज मन्सोङवासीलाई भेटघाट गर्न पहिलोपल्ट सरकाली कूलेन बगानको भवनमा आएका थिए। यस अवधी क्षेत्रका मानिसहरुको उत्साहजनक भिड रहेको थियो। “छुट्टै राज्य सबैलाई चाहिन्छ। यहाँक़ा गोर्खा, भोटे, लाप्चे, बङगाली, मारवाडी, बिहारी मुसलमानलाई छुट्टै राज्य चाहिन्छ।

 गोर्खाहरुलाई राष्ट्रिय अस्तित्व र अस्मिताको निम्ति गोर्खाल्याण्ड चाहिन्छ। मारवाडीलाई फराकिलो व्यापार गर्नको निम्ति, आदिवासीलाई आफ्नो सांस्कृतिक जगेराको निम्ति छुट्टै राज्यको आवश्यकता छ। सोहीक्रममा यस क्षेत्रमा बसोबासो गर्ने सबैलाई बिभिन्न प्रकारले छुट्टै राज्य चाहिन्छ” डा लामाले छुट्टै राज्य किन अनि क कसको निम्ति आवश्यक छ भन्ने बिषयमा स्पष्ट पार्दै भने। पहाडमा बसोवास गर्ने सबै गोर्खा हुन अनि सबैलाई गोर्खाल्याण्ड चाहिन्छ भन्ने तर्क सही होईन भन्दै छुट्टै राज्य सबैलाई चाहिए पनि आवाश्यकताका कारणहरु भने बेग्ला बेग्लै रहेको तिनले सबैलाई स्पष्ट पारे।

 “हामी पोजेटिभ राजनीति गरौँ अनि जिरो ईनेमीको सिद्धान्त ग्रहण गरौँ” डा लामाले छुट्टै राज्य माग्नेहरु कहिल्यै एकार्कमा बिरोधीहरु होईनन अनि बिरोधी हो भन्ने भावना राख्नु नहुने तिनले आह्वान गरे। “छुट्टै राज्य माग्नेहरु एकार्कमा दुशमन सम्झेर लडे पहिलो स्तरमा नै हामी पछि पर्नेछौँ। यसर्थमा छुट्टै राज्य माग्नेहरु शत्रु होईन मित्र हो भन्ने हाम्रो सोंच हुनपर्छ” तिनले अझ भने। “ देश स्वाधिन भएको 67 वर्ष पछि मुख्यमन्त्री आएर बिकाश गर्छु भन्छ। यसको अर्थ 67 वर्ष सम्म यहाँक़ो बिकाश भएको थिएन भन्ने स्पष्ट हो। बिकाश भनेको सडक, झोडा बनिनु मात्र होईन। बिकाश हाम्रो अधिकार हो। यो राष्ट्र अनि राज्यको बिकाश गर्ने दायित्व हो। बिकास सबैको हुनपर्छ।

 बितेको 30 बर्षमा सरकारले दार्जीलिङमा कति रोजगारको अवसर खोल्यो भन्ने खोज्नुहोस यहाँ रोजगारको अवसर सबै भत्काईदिएको छ” डा महेन्द्र पी लामाले सबैलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै भने। तिनले आफुलाई जनप्रतिनिधि बनाउँन चाहेको अनि जनप्रतिधि भएर क्षेत्रका मानिसहरुका निम्ति धेरै कार्य गर्ने योजना तयार पारेको अझ बताए। जनप्रतिनिधीले वास्तवमा धेरै कार्य गर्न सकिने बताउँदै अहिलेसम्म संसदमा एकाध संसद बाहेक अन्यले सही कार्य नगरेको बताए। तिनले नेपाली भाषा मान्यताको पक्षमा आर बी राईले सही कार्य गरेको उदाहरण दिदै यस्ता सही कार्यहरु एकाध सांसदहरु बाहेक अन्यले आजसम्म नगरेको तिनले दाबी नै गरे।

 तिनले गत 18 सितम्बर 2011 मा आएको बिनाशकारी भूईँचालो दार्जीलिङ अनि सिक्किम राज्यमा बराबार आएको अनि यसले दुवै क्षेत्रमा व्यापक क्षति पारे पनि सिक्किम राज्यमा देशका प्रधानमन्त्री आउँनु अनि एकहजार करोड दिनु तर यता त्यही देशका नागरिक दार्जीलिङवासीलाई भने राज्य सरकारले समेत कुनै खासै पर्वाह नगर्नु दुर्भाग्यजनक बताउँदै यसको निम्ति जनप्रतिनिधीको भूमिका मह्त्वपूर्ण हो भने। उनीअनुसार संसद् मात्र यस्तो ठाउँ हो जहाँ वैदेशिक नीतिदेखि लिएर राष्ट्रिय योजना अनि आम नागरिकको भविष्य तय हुन्छ।

 यस्तो ठाउँमा अहिलेसम्म गोर्खाल्यान्डको आवाज सही ढङ्गमा उठाइएन अनि एउटै रेकर्डसमेत दर्ता छैन जब कि अलग राज्य गोर्खाल्यान्डका निम्ति सयौँ सहिद बने, धेरैको घर उजाडिए, भिड मात्रै जुटाइयो। भर्खरैको 42 दिने लामो बन्दको समयमा 125 जना सांसद् आफूहरूसित भएको दार्जिलिङका सांसद् जसवन्त सिंहले दुई मिनट पनि आफ्नो तर्क राख्न सकेनन् जब कि दार्जिलिङसित सरोकार राख्ने स्थानीय दक्ष सांसद् भइदिएको भए दुई घन्टा तर्क राख्न सकिनेथ्यो।

 बितेको तीस वर्षमा बङ्गालले रोजगारका अवसरहरू जम्मै गरिदिएको भन्दै अलग राज्य भएको खण्डमा अस्सी हजारदेखि तेह्र लाख युवा युवतीले सुरुकै दिनमा नोकरी पाउने डा. लामाले आँकडा पेस गरे। चिया लिलामी केन्द्रसमेत कोलकोताबाट पाहाडमै सारिनुपर्ने भन्दै बङ्गलादेशसित मिलेर अर्कै बन्दरगाहसमेत चलाउनसक्ने उनले सुझाउ राखे। नकारात्मक राजनीति गरे अझ तल झर्ने भन्दै ठुलो सोच राखेर सकारात्मक राजनीति गर्नुपर्ने उनले बताए।

Tamang in hospital for low BP

TT; Binay Tamang Jalpaiguri, Oct. 31: Binay Tamang, the jailed GTA Sabha member, was shifted to the district hospital when he was found to have low blood pressure a day after he started an indefinite hunger strike demanding release.

 “The doctors at the Jalpaiguri correctional home checked on Tamang around 2pm today and found that his blood pressure was 100/60…. The doctors decided to shift him to the district hospital police cell,” a source said. Kumar Atanu, a physician with the district hospital, who checked on Tamang, said he had referred him to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri.

 “Binay Tamang has low blood pressure and is suffering from dehydration. I have told the hospital authorities that he should be shifted to NBMCH,” he said. A source in the Jalpaiguri district hospital said Tamang had refused saline. “He has refused to take an intra-venous saline drip. 

We are keeping him under observation and will shift him to NBMCH later on,” he said. Tamang was arrested on August 22 for alleged involvement in the burning of the forest bungalow in Takdah. He is also charged in several other cases, including an alleged assault on the slain ABGL leader Madan Tamang’s bodyguard.