FROM THE TELEGRAPH

BY AVIJIT SINHA

Siliguri, Feb. 22: Trinamul efforts to expand its base in the Terai and the Dooars have been hit badly with party leaders complaining that they were having to face uncomfortable questions on the demand to include some plains mouzas in the new hills set-up.

Although the questions are coming from the common man, the task has been made more difficult by outfits like the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad, which have considerable clout in the tea belt and are opposing the GTA and the territory panel.

“So far, we have opened units on only 45 tea estates in the Dooars (out of the 160-odd gardens) and are yet to focus on the Terai. In course of our campaign at the grassroots-level, we are facing uncomfortable questions. In that case, we have to steer our discussions and limit it to only tea. But questions are cropping up, specially on the GTA and on the Morcha demand,” said Joachim Buxla, the president of the Trinamul Tea Plantation Workers’ Union.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has been demanding that some of the plains mouzas be brought under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The Trinamul government has formed a committee to look into the demand, which has invited widespread protests from the Dooars and the Terai. The inclusion of Morcha members in the committee has also drawn criticism. 

“There is no denying that questions are being tossed at us on the relevance of forming a territory committee. In such cases, we urge the people to keep faith in the chief minister and highlight the plans that she has for the Dooars and Terai,” Buxla said.

Other Trinamul trade union leaders said they were having to live with “political uneasiness” in a region where tea gardens are major vote banks.

“People are asking us why the government is not simply announcing that no new area will be made part of the GTA instead of forming a committee. We have no reply to this. Also, we have no answer to why four Morcha representatives, and none from the Dooars and the Terai, are on the panel. This is having a negative effect on our plans to expand our base in the brew belts. We are apprehensive that the CPM and Citu, which had lost base after the emergence of Parishad and Trinamul ahead of the Assembly polls, might make a comeback,” the leader said.

He said while CPM leaders were always speaking on the committee and the GTA, Trinamul was being forced to be silent.

Buxla, too, admitted that government intervention was needed to gain people’s confidence. “Being a member of the North Bengal Development Council, I had tried to provide some feedback about the common man’s aspirations to the government,” he said. “There is no doubt that government intervention is required to gain the confidence of the brew belt.”

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

BY INDRANIL SARKAR 

Click on the image to enlarge.

Burdwan, Feb. 22: A former CPM legislator was axed and bludgeoned to death in Burdwan this morning by alleged Trinamul Congress supporters in one of the most gruesome political murders in the state where battlelines have been drawn over the February 28 bandh.

Another CPM leader who tried to rescue former MLA Pradip Tah, 54, was also killed in the clash, the stage for which appears to have been set by a drive to mobilise support for the Left-backed general strike on Tuesday.

However, accounts from eyewitnesses and police sources suggest that the row over the strike only provided the spark.

Pradip Tah, an influential leader who had staved off the anti-Left wave in his pocketborough, appeared to have been singled out for the murderous attack. No other CPM activist was injured and Kamal Gayen, 65, former secretary of the CPM’s Burdwan Sadar zonal committee, was killed when he rushed to save Pradip Tah.

Chitralekha, Pradip Tah’s wife and a headmistress, told The Telegraph that an armed group led by Patit Paban Tah had reached her home at 9am and warned that she would become a widow soon. “They said that was the price I would have to pay for marrying a man like my husband,” she said. 

Around 45 minutes later, the attackers picked out Pradip Tah from a procession, slashed at him with a tangi (axe), battered him with rods and then smashed his face with a boulder.

Among the four arrested later was the suspect named by Chitralekha: Patit Paban Tah. The other three are Chhoton Chakraborty, Bhupal Goswami and Surajit.

A police officer in Burdwan said the four were Trinamul supporters. But Swapan Debnath, the Trinamul president in Burdwan, denied that his party was involved in any way in the killings. “It was the villagers who carried out the attack on the CPM persons,” said Debnath.

At least one Trinamul minister also cited a “spontaneous” backlash triggered by “janarosh”. “This was a spontaneous protest against harmads. This was a pre-planned attack on the village. There was janarosh (people’s anger). Trinamul supporters have got nothing to do with the deaths,” minister Firad Hakim said.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is in New Delhi, saw a CPM hand also. Replying to a question on how the former MLA was “butchered”, Mamata said: “No, he was not butchered. There are many cases pending against him. This is a result of the CPM’s internal feud. If you want to know more, ask the state government.”

Legal sources in Burdwan said Pradip Tah was an accused in the murder of a Congress MLA in 1981. Although Pradip Tah was arrested and lodged in jail, all accused were eventually acquitted because of lack of evidence. Other than this, the sources could not immediately recall any big case pending against the former MLA.

The former MLA, who had won the Burdwan North seat in 2006, had been a constant thorn in Trinamul’s side. Although Pradip Tah could not contest from the constituency last year as it was reserved for Scheduled Castes, he ensured that the CPM candidate won the seat in spite of the rapid advances made by Trinamul in what was once an impregnable red citadel.

If the Left had won 23 of the 26 Assembly seats in Burdwan in 2006, Trinamul bagged as many as 15 of the 25 (one seat less after delimitation) last year. CPM sources said an attempt was made on Pradip Tah’s life three months ago.

Around 7.45 this morning, CPM workers had put up party flags on houses, shops and lampposts in Dewandighi and the adjoining Mirzapur in support of the strike called by the trade unions on February 28.

The CPM workers allegedly removed a Trinamul flag and foisted a red flag on a cloth-cum-shoe store owned by a Trinamul supporter. The shop-owner, Bidyut Baran Hazra, said he protested.

District CPM secretary Amal Haldar denied that CPM workers had taken out any Trinamul flag while putting up party flags and posters in support of the February 28 strike.

An altercation followed and Hazra informed other Trinamul supporters in the locality. The row soon snowballed into a clash and Hazra and a CPM worker, Rupkumar Gupta, were injured. Both were admitted to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital.

“Hazra received 10 stitches on his head while Gupta, who suffered internal haemorrhage, has been sent to SSKM Hospital in Calcutta,” said a doctor.

By then, Pradip Tah and other CPM workers, who were at the Burdwan zonal committee office in Dewandighi, had rushed to the hospital. After lodging an FIR with the police, Pradip Tah returned to the party office and it was decided to bring out a procession to protest the clash. Following the brawl in Mirzapur, a police party was posted in the area. However, they could not prevent what followed.

A little after 9.30am, Pradip Tah led the procession that had around 100 party workers, including women. Around 9.45am, nearly 40 Trinamul activists, armed with rods, sticks and axes divided in two groups and approached the procession from the front and behind.

“It appears that Pradip Tah was their target because no other CPM person has reported any grievous injury. Gayen was killed because, according to witnesses we spoke to, he tried to stop the attackers from killing Pradip Tah,” a senior police officer said.

Moloy Gupta, a farmer from a nearby village and on his way to a grocer, said: “I saw Pradip Tah lying on the ground shouting for help while two men were smashing his face with a boulder. I was terrified and ran for my life.

“The police could have easily prevented the killing of the two party leaders with the police headquarters so close by. The police are not working independently. They are being controlled by political leaders,” said Surjya Kanta Mishra, leader of the Opposition, who reached Burdwan town.

Asked about the alleged police inaction, the district superintendent of police, S.M.H. Meerza, said: “We are inquiring. We had sent reinforcements to Dewandighi but the incident had already taken place by then.”

The CPM has called a 12-hour bandh in Burdwan district tomorrow. Pradip Tah’s body was brought to Calcutta and kept in Peace Haven. Tomorrow, the body will be taken to the Assembly.

Vice Consul Jessica B. Pfleiderer (Left) in meeting with journalists in Darjeeling.

United States Vice Consul Jessica B. Pfleiderer is presently in Darjeeling to generate awareness about Visa procedures for the United States. Pflieder visited St. Paul’s School and presented an Interactive Visa Presentation to Travel Agents Association at Himalayan Resort. Pflieder will also be visiting Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences in Gangtok where she will be offering a Student Visa Presentation. On the same day she will also be offering an interactive visa presentation to Travel Agents Association at Thomas Cook (India) Limited in Siliguri.

Speaking to The Himalayan Beacon, Pfliederer said that she wanted to interact with students and travelers from North Bengal and Sikkim and speak to them about Visa Procedures for the United States. She said that there had been great increase in a number of visitors from the region to the United States and she would want the the number to increase further. 

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE] EXCLUSIVE

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi today.Click on the image to enlarge.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today told Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that the Ministry of Home Affairs was expeditiously processing the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Bill in the light of the issues raised by various Ministries and the comments of the State Governments. The Prime Minister also assured the Chief Minister that the Ministry of Home Affairs will complete the processing of the Bill soon.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had today called on the Prime Minister to discuss on the issues of the leakage in Farakka Barrage, the concern regarding National Counter Terrorism Centre and the grant of Presidential assent to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill.

On the issue of the leakage in Farakka Barrage, the Prime Minister assured the Chief Minister saying that the Ministry of Water Resources was working on plugging the leakages in Gate No. 16 and Gate No. 13 and the leakages will be plugged during March 2012. As for the Chief Minister’s concern over the issue of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, the Prime Minister said that he has requested the Home Minister to find ways to take the concerns of the state governments on board on the issue of the National Counter Terrorism Centre. 

FROM IBNLIVE.IN.COM

Thiruvananthapuram: Malayali scientist SD Biju, working at the University of Delhi, has done it again. This time around, he has discovered a whole family of legless amphibians from Northeast India, with ancient links to Africa, a research finding that has just been published in a journal no less than the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London.

SD Biju discovered the new family of legless amphibians called Ceacilians along with co-researchers from The Natural History Museum, London and Vrije University, Brussels. They have named this new family as Chikilidae and the new genus as Chikila. The scientific name Chikilidae comes from a Northeast Indian tribal name for these burrowing animals.

The remarkable discovery came after five years of study from 2006 to 2010.

“We undertook extensive soil digging surveys in about 250 localities in various parts of Northeast Indian states such as Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim and Darjeeling district of West Bengal,” said SD Biju.

The discovery of a whole new family of animals, especially those with backbones, is a rare feat in science. What makes it more interesting is that the scientists, based on the evidence from DNA studies, have found that this newly discovered family of legless amphibians is closely related to the Herpelidae family seen in Africa. As the soil-dwelling Caecilians have limited capacity for dispersal across salt-water barriers, scientists tend to believe that an ancient relationship could have existed before the break-up of the Gondwana continents.

“This surprising ancient biogeographic links with Africa add to the growing evidence of how continental movements have influenced current distribution of fauna and flora,” said Biju. “The present work underscores India’s remarkable position as the country with the highest number of endemic amphibian families in the world,” he said.

A group of dedicated burrowers, Chikilidae exhibit an intriguing and highly specialised reproductive behaviour. The mother builds underground nests for her eggs, guards her egg-clutch by coiling around them until the embryos hatch in about two to three months. The eggs undergo direct development – they feed on the yolk reserves and come out as miniature adults without an intervening free-swimming larval stage that is generally characteristic of amphibians.

Most of the world’s 61 amphibian families were described in the mid-1800s. The majority of new discoveries come from remote tropical rainforests. “The new family that we have discovered is mostly from human-inhabited areas and it makes conservation more challenging,” said Biju.

Biju’s discovery adds a major branch to the amphibian tree of life and sheds light on both the evolution and biogeography of Caecilians and the biotic history of Northeast India.

FROM REDIFF.COM

BY LAXMI NEGI

Roshni Rai won’t take anything lying down. Certainly, not if her nationality is in question.

It won’t take long for the 27-year-old to chase a passerby at a crowded railway platform and explain it to him that she is as much an Indian, not Chinese as he taunted her.

The training for the Comrades ultramarathon in South Africa does reflect here, what with her blitzkrieg chase which precedes her explanation.

Her reaction may leave some a little perplexed. But when someone questions her nationality, this shy, diminutive girl’s reaction is on anticipated lines — she has had to answer that same irritating question many times over.

For this Gorkha girl from Darjeeling fighting, especially on matters concerning her identity, is an innate attribute. Such incidents hurt her.

“Darjeeling was part of Nepal, but merged with India at Independence. We do speak Nepalese, but we are proud to be Indians. Yet we are called Chinese or Nepali,” laments Roshni. 

“It is difficult to explain that nationality is not the face, but the heart of the individuals,” the runner asserts.

Roshni began running marathons in 2006. She started with the half marathon and gradually graduated to the full marathon this year.

The Mumbai Marathon, she says, is her claim to fame.

“I was never an athlete back home,” she says, adding, “Running is a way of life there.”

“People run to go to school, the market, other places in the hills.”

Shifting base to Mumbai in 2003 was anything, but easy. The fact that that she was then nursing a broken heart made the transition all the more difficult.

Desolate in the big city, she sought solace in running.

Soon, it became a passion. A new job in 2007, as a legal executive at Colgate, was a blessing. Colgate had a running club with a coach, Daniel Vaz.

In the next two years, Roshni ran the Pune, Thane, Delhi and Mumbai Marathons. The big break came in 2010 when she ran the Auroville Marathon in Pondicherry.

The Prague Marathon the same year was her first international event.

“I had to choose something which was close to my heart and also related to my community,” Roshni says, highlighting the project that made waves at the Mumbai Marathon last month.

She gathered runners from her native Darjeeling to run this year’s Mumbai Marathon.

After making their presence felt at the Mumbai event, her compatriots will propagate the Marathon philosophy in the hills of Darjeeling.

Roshni has numerous followers on social networking sites, applauding her self-belief.

“There are a lot of people like me in this city who feel shy to reveal that they are Gorkhas because people use it as a synonym with security guards,” she says.

“But with my fight for our identity as Indians, there is hope among people,” she adds.

Now that that job is done, Roshni, besides pledging her support to compatriots from Darjeeling and participating in the Mumbai and Delhi marathons, is shifting her focus to the 90 km Comrades Ultramarathon in South Africa which she plans to run this June.

A 90 km run is something she has never attempted before and doing it under 12 hours looks difficult at this time.

“The two Ds work perfectly for me — Determination and Discipline,” says Roshni, undaunted by the South African challenge.

“If I complete the marathon,” she says, “I will dedicate it to the Gorkhas who lost their lives fighting for India.”

FROM TIMES OF INDIA

NEW DELHI: The Indian national football team is set to take on a strong Oman side in an international friendly, sans striker Sunil Chhetri, at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex Stadium in Muscut on Thursday.

The match is a part of India’s preparation for the forthcoming AFC Challenge Cup, to be held in Kathmandu in March. India have another international friendly lined up against Azerbaizan on February 27 in Dubai.

National coach Savio Mediera isn’t willing to risk fielding a full-strength side.

Keeping in mind the future challenges he has decided to rest AIFF Player-of-the-Year Chhetri, Lalrindika Ralte and stopper Nirmal Chhetri.

“All of them have some niggles. We are here to prepare for the AFC Challenge Cup. I don’t want to risk them in an international friendly against Oman. The more time they get, the more will they recover,” Savio said.

In fact, Savio won’t stay away from experimenting a bit. “We have plenty of young talented players who are eager to perform at the big stage. Our emphasis would be to find the right mix of players keeping our future endeavours in mind,” he said.

For the record, Oman who are ranked 95 on the FIFA ladder, were the winners of the 2009 Gulf Cup of Nations. 

“They are a superior side. They are much more technically equipped. We need to keep in mind they would be playing on their home ground and would have a home support,” Savio added.

The Oman team, coached by former French international, Paul le Guen, have a galaxy of stars to choose from.

For Oman, the match serves as a preparation for their World Cup qualifier against Thailand.

FROM NEWSBULLET.IN

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in Delhi last night for a meeting with Prime Minister later today. Though meeting is supposedly to discuss issues of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and “excess flow of water” to Bangladesh through the Farakka barrage, it comes in the backdrop of confrontation between chief ministers and the Prime Minister over the anti-terror agency, the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).

Several chief ministers, including Mamata, have opposed NCTC on the grounds that it encroaches on states’ rights. Mamata had earlier sent a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to “review and withdraw” the decision to set it up. “It is difficult for the state government to accept such an arbitrary exercise of power by the central government/central agency, which will have a bearing on the rights and privileges of the states as enshrined in the Constitution of India,” she said.

Gorkhaland issue:

According to sources, Mamata wants to push for speedy presidential assent to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Act (GTA), which was passed by the Assembly last year. The process of consultations with the Centre, which began after the passage of the Bill, is learnt to be in the final stages.

But with the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), which had spearheaded the movement for a separate State for the Gorkhas of Darjeeling, threatening to start an indefinite agitation from March 27 unless the GTA is implemented, Mamata needs the Centre to act very quickly.

Farakka Barrage issue:

Last Saturday, Mamata had alleged that the Centre had kept secret the fact about the two damaged sluice gates on the Farakka Barrage, resulting in Bangladesh getting 82,801 cusecs of water as against 35,000 cusecs it is supposed to get during the dry season.

“I sought an appointment with the Prime Minister to discuss the issue of GTA and the problem arising out of excess flow of water to Bangladesh through the broken sluice gates on Farakka barrage. I will discuss these issues with him on Wednesday,” she said.

FROM ALL INDIA RADIO

Feb 21, 1:30 PM: India is pushing ahead with its efforts to expand tea trade in the West Asia and North African regions. For this purpose, the Tea Board of India has focussed on maintaining quality standards in keeping with the requirements of the export and domestic markets. Dubai continues to play a key role in the international tea trade due to its unique geographic location and provision of competitive logistic and storage services.

It is a major intermediary for tea production centres and consumer markets and a major tea re-exporter in the world. Dubai remains the second largest export destination for tea from India.In 2010 alone, India exported 22.15 million Kgs. Of Tea worth Rs.337 crores to Dubai.

Out of this quantity over 17 million kgs, was bulk tea. Given the nature of demand, Darjeeling Tea still occupies a pride of place in the region among those who prefer tea. The demand for Indian Tea has been encouraging at the ongoing Gulf Food 2012 in Dubai. 

Talking to AIR , the visiting Indian tea exporters said with marketing support and linkages, the exports can pick up substantially in the region. India is the second largest producer of Tea in the world with estimated production of 967 million kg in 2010.

FROM IBNLIVE.IN.COM

Gangtok, Feb 21 (PTI) Sikkim has won five gold medals at the ongoing National Games for all Disabilities at Chennai, press release said here today. In athletics, Pema Gurung and Shibu Chettri bagged the gold and silver medal, respectively while in bocce [individual] Sourya Sikhwal and Manish Dhakal bagged the gold and silver medal, respectively, the release informs. In badminton, Arati Chettri and Pawan Rai bagged the gold medal in mixed doubles while Arati Chettri bagged the bronze medal in girls? singles. In PCI- Visually Impaired category, Dhurba Pradhan won gold in 100m Race, Madan Chettri won gold in 100m Race and silver in 200m Race while Shiva Kr Chettri won silver in 100m Race, the release mentions. The National Games for all Disabilities started in Chennai on Feb 17 and will end tomorrow, the release ended.

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Asok Bhattacharya in Siliguri on Monday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, Feb. 20: The CPM has decided not to attend the all-party meeting convened by the high-powered committee on territory on February 24 as the panel consists of four representatives of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

Former minister and CPM leader Asok Bhattacharya said today that the party had deposed before the committee headed by Justice (retd) Shyamal Sen earlier and it found no relevance in attending the all-party meeting in Calcutta.

“There is no point in attending the all-party meeting because the panel itself is biased as it has four representatives of a specific political party whose stand on the issue (inclusion of certain mouzas of the plains in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration) is well known. We have full faith in the chairman and his decisions. If we take part in the meeting, there will be a hot exchange of words because of the presence of these four members (Morcha representatives) on the committee,” Bhattacharya told journalists here.

The decision to skip the meeting was taken by the Darjeeling district Left Front here today. Although the CPI and the Forward Bloc will also keep away from the meeting, the RSP is likely to send its representatives.

“RSP leaders will try to call on the chairman on February 24 as they were not part of a Left Front delegation that met him on February 9. It is entirely up to them to decide whether to participate in the all-party meeting or not,” said the CPM leader. 

Bhattacharya demanded that the state government obtain the President’s assent to the GTA and form the body immediately.

“The chief minister and her cabinet colleagues from north Bengal underestimated the gravity of the territory issue and signed the agreement hurriedly. Now that the opposition to the inclusion of the mouzas in the GTA has become more vocal, Mamata Banerjee is trying to evade her responsibilities and blaming the Centre for the delay in the creation of the body. We want the GTA to be formed immediately and elections in the hills to choose representatives to run the body,” he said.

The former minister said the CPM state conference which had concluded in Calcutta yesterday had decided to raise the demand for linguistic minority status for the Gorkhas across the country.

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

BY VIVEK CHHETRI 

A mist-covered Mirik lake and the bridge that connects the banks. Sometimes flowers are sold on the bank of the lake

Darjeeling, Feb. 20: The state government kolhas formed an advisory committee to oversee the beautification of the Mirik lake and the process will kick off with the dredging of the 1.25km-long water body and strengthening of the embankments.

Sources said the initial clean-up and dredging would cost around Rs 1 crore and for the time being, the DGHC would fund it. Later, when a project report is prepared and the estimates worked out, the DGHC will either approach the Centre or use the grants promised under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration agreement.

The advisory committee for Mirik, formed by the state urban development department in Calcutta on February 13, includes engineers of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) and the DGHC.

“The February-13 meeting was chaired by urban development department secretary D. Sen. The director of the department C. Dey was also present when the committee was formed. The committee had a meeting in Mirik on February 17,” said DGHC administrator Anil Verma.

The Mirik lake, also known as Sumendu lake, is 49km from Darjeeling.

“Apart from dredging, works like strengthening the lake’s embankment, cleaning the area and ensuring that the discharge lines (sewerage) are not disposed in the lake would be taken up,” said Verma. 

Later, the committee will prepare a detailed project report for beautification of, not just the lake, but also of the surrounding area.

The lake is circled by a 3.5km pathway. A 70ft long bridge connects the two ends of the water body. On one side of the lake a lush and beautiful garden existed once. On the other end, there is a pine forest.

But more than a decade ago, in 2000, the DGHC, had flattened the garden for a beautification project that never took off.

Boating facilities, which used to be run by the tourism department of the DGHC, were also stopped but was revived on a small scale only a month back.

“The priority now is to clean the lake after which steps would be taken to upgrade the boating facilities and beautify the area,” said Verma.

The DGHC will also relocate the Mirik and Bijanbari colleges with its own funds. “The cost of constructing the Mirik Degree College building is likely to touch the Rs 3.05 crore mark. For Bijanbari Degree College, the cost will be around Rs 3.5 crore,” said Verma. Bijanbari is 36km from Darjeeling town.

Sources in the DGHC said a proposal to set up a college in Gorubathan, 70km from Kalimpong, had been sent to the higher education department. “The nod is expected to come soon,” said the source.

FROM SAMAY LIVE

File photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on February 22 to discuss the issues of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and “excess flow of water” to Bangladesh through damaged sluice gates on Farakka barrage.

“I have sought an appointment with Prime Minister to discuss the issue of GTA and the problem arising out of excess flow of water to Bangladesh through the broken sluice gates on Farakka barrage. I will discuss these issues with him on Wednesday. I will leave for Delhi tomorrow,” she told media persons.

She said that the tripartite agreement on Gorkhaland Territorial Administration had already been signed, but its implementation is being delayed. Why should there be delay? I will seek PM’s intervention”, she said.

The tripartite agreement was signed in the presence of Home Minister P Chidambaram, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and GJM chief Bimal Gurung at Pintail village, about 8 km from Siliguri, in July last year.

Asked if she would also discuss the controversial proposal to set up the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) with PM, Banerjee said, “I have already given a letter to the Prime Minister that will speak for itself. Everything is mentioned in that letter”, she said without elaborating further. 

Expressing concern over the alleged infringement of federal rights of state, Banerjee in a letter to the Prime Minister, dated February 14, had said: “It is difficult for the state government to accept such arbitrary exercise of power by the central government/central agency, which have a bearing on the rights and privilege of the states as enshrined in the Constitution of India.”

Last Saturday, Banerjee had alleged that the Centre had kept secret the fact about the two damaged sluice gates on the Farakka Barrage resulting in Bangladesh getting 82,801 cusecs of water as against 35,000 cusecs it is supposed to get during the dry season.

We are looking for highly energetic Teachers to serve for us as a teaching faculty in Sikkim Manipal University

For Assistant Professors- MA with PHd is a must 

Remuneration and Benifits: Best in the industry (As per University norms)

Salary:In alignment with university pay norms

Desired Candidate Profile

Education: (UG – MBBS) AND (PG – M.S/M.D – Dermatology)

For Assistant Professors Role- MA with PhD is must

Experience: 3 years Minimum

Other terms and conditions of employment are as applicable by University

Company Profile

Sikkim Manipal University

http://www.smu.edu.in

Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical and Technological Sciences

The Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical and Technological Sciences was established in 1995. It is the first government-private initiative in the region. SMU is recognized by the University Grants Commission and approved by the Govern- ment of India. Sikkim Manipal University offers quality education to the students from North and North Eastern parts of India.

The University was established in accordance with the Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical and Technological Sciences Act, 1995 (Act No. 9 of 1995); with the aim of imparting exemplary educational opportunities and healthcare services in the State of Sikkim and country wide. It is the first of its kind in the country with a collaboration of private and public sector.

Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences (SMIMS)

Contact Details

Executive Name:Prasenjit Roy

Address: 14, Aiport Road, Kodihalli BANGALORE,Karnataka,India 560001

Email Address:hr@manipalglobal.com

FROM DAILYPIONEER.COM

BY MOUSHUMI BASU

The endangered Red Panda found in the three Eastern Himalayan States of Sikkim, Arunachal and Northern West-Bengal seems to be eluding experts engaged in measures to ensure its existence.

States are finding it increasingly difficult in making population surveys as directed by the Centre. This information gap is turning out to be a significant hurdle for the conservation of the species.

With its “grass root conservation strategies”, Help Tourism, an NGO teaming up with local tribal communities across 14 villages in the three States, is aiding in measures to conserve this threatened species. The specie is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act and has been declared vulnerable in the 2008 International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

These “fiery orange” cat-like animals are found at altitudes between 4,900 feet and 13,000 ft, in the Eastern Himalayas. While other species of this family are carnivores, red pandas feed on mailing bamboo plants, growing in the high Himalayan reaches.

The wild population of Red Pandas is largely found in Neora Valley National Park and the Singalila National Park around Darjeeling in West-Bengal, Barshey Rhododendron Sanctuary at Sikkim besides the Eastern parts of Arunachal Pradesh. 

One of the major challenges being faced in its conservation in the wild is the difficulty faced during its survey, according to BK Sharma, Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) North Bengal. A detailed survey based on Population Habitat Viability Study has been proposed since the past one year, at the directives of the Centre.

“The areas inhabited by the animal are at high altitudes which are not easily accessible and the species is not easily sighted,” he pointed out. Compounding the problem further, most of the protected areas where these species are found share international borders. Barshey, for instance, has international borders with Nepal and Neora Valley in Darjeeling has common borders with Bhutan. Singalila too shares its border with Nepal.

“As a result, the animal is already in danger of becoming extinct in the wild. There has been a sharp decline in its population due to various factors including pet trade, hunting, trapping and trading, and disturbance, fragmentation and loss of habitat,” he added.

“The local communities living around the protected areas are the best solution to the problem”, felt Asit Biswas, founder of Help Tourism.

No one is better acquainted to the rugged, cold terrains than the local people. They provide valuable information related to sighting and tracing the indirect samples, thereby aiding in the survey of the elusive animal.

Human interventions are also making their way to the higher Himalayan altitudes, resulting in their habitat loss. Hence, the need of the hour is active monitoring of their habitat, which too is best done by them, Biswas felt.

As a part of its effort to get the local youths involved in conservation strategies, various training programmes have been conducted in various eco-tourism ventures and raising their awareness level on conservation.

“The terrains are rough and steep and are a boon for trekkers; hence an ideal way of linking conservation with tourism is to take up various initiatives as trekking where by local youths also earn money in the process. Further, these communities are also adding to the buffer forest zone around the protected areas, realising their livelihood can be sustained with the help of forest and wildlife.

FROM NEWS.OUTLOOKINDIA.COM

Charging the CPI(M) with “lying” to the people of West Bengal throughout the 35 years of Left Front rule, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that such a political party “should not exist”.

“Such a political party should not exist. Throughout the Left Front rule of 35 years, it had lied to the people. During its rule, it has looted farmers, the future of unemployed youth and even the Nobel (medallion of Rabindranath Tagore),” Banerjee said while flagging off trains in presence of Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi at the Howrah station.

In an indirect reference to the CPI(M) rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds earlier in the day where party leaders called for making a comeback, she said, “they (CPI(M)) are talking of a comeback. They will never come back. The sooner they go, the sooner the people will feel relieved.”

She alleged that during her tenure as Railway Minister, the CPI(M) had sent some television channels to find fault with the Railways. “So every day, you would find news that a rat or a cockroach had been sighted in some compartment.”

Without naming the CPI(M), she said in the same breath, “the Gyaneswari Express mishap was engineered and many people were killed. These are dangerous people.” 

Banerjee, who inaugurated six new express and passenger trains and formally announced introduction of nine express, passenger and local trains, said that with this, her budget assurance for 2011-12 has been fulfilled.

“Many have said that the budget promises are a hoax. I tell them, all the promises have been fulfilled. To them, I say, talk after 35 years,” she said.

Accusing the erstwhile CPI(M)-led Left Front government of leaving a debt burden of over Rs 2 lakh crore on her government, Banerjee said that for every rupee earned, 94 paise was spent on paying interest and salaries and only 6 paise was left for development work.

“But where there is a will, there is a way. I have, for example, assured that teachers are paid their salaries on the first of every month through banks. Earlier, no one knew where the money went. There was no accountability and no audit,” the chief Minister said.

Stating that the new terminal building of the NSC Bose International Airport would be completed by March and handed over in April, she said that the state government had received a number of Expressions of Interest on helicopter and light aircraft services to connect Haldia, Sunderbans, Darjeeling, Bolpur and Durgapur.

Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi stressed the importance of ensuring safety in the railways and said that the common man must also be more alert in helping the railways maintain safety.

Trivedi said he was personally monitoring the progress of work for the metro railway extension projects in the state.

“Once the manufacturing units like Kanchrapara and Kulti come up in the next five or six years, a new Bengal will emerge,” he said.

FROM THE HINDU

For Mamata Banerjee to lay at the doors of the Central government the whole blame for the delay in implementation of the July 2011 agreement for the formation of an autonomous administrative set-up for the Darjeeling hills is less than charitable. Having gone ahead and claimed a breakthrough on the long-simmering issue rather prematurely, she doubtless needs to save face as the prospect of fresh trouble looms. But the fact remains that the manner in which the tripartite agreement was signed without figuring out ways to address all the substantive questions, involved essentially a tactic of political one-upmanship vis-à-vis the preceding Left Front government that really had not spared any effort to solve the issue in a sensible manner. The Shyamal Sen Committee, tasked with looking into “the question of identification of additional areas in Siliguri, Terai and Dooars that may be transferred to the new Body,” is still at work. The territorial issue is a crucial component of the formula set out, and if presidential assent for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill that was passed by the State Assembly in September is not yet forthcoming, it is not a mystery why. The wishes of the people of the areas in question will need to be factored in before conclusive decisions are taken, in order to avoid incendiary outcomes. As yet, there does not seem to be any solution in view for this problem within the problem. 

After meeting the West Bengal Chief Minister earlier this month, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders did seem to soften somewhat their threat to start a fresh agitation for implementation of the agreement. But their persisting with the term “statehood,” even if as a pressure tactic, does not augur well. This slogan needs to be resisted — as Ms Banerjee rightly and promptly did by stressing her opposition to any division, and underlining the importance of a unified Bengal. The liberal financial package that the Central government offered for the development of the region as an incentive for peace, and the Chief Minister’s emphasis on the development of the north Bengal region, are both commendable. But for the restive region, this is not enough. It seems fair to say that as things stand, unless the GJM adopts a more pragmatic approach on its territorial claims, if necessary by agreeing to renegotiate the terms of the pact while managing the feelings of its constituency, a real and workable solution would remain elusive. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister should give up the politically expedient blame game — and stop running with the hares and hunting with the hounds.

FROM THE STATESMAN

KURSEONG, 19 FEB: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the Rs 55-crore Balasan Drinking Water Project for Darjeeling town on 1 March. Government officials say the project is almost complete; in reality the project is far from over, said officials, who do not want to be named.

According to sources several important aspects of the project are yet to be taken up, mainly the laying of pipes. Since the areas where the pipelines must pass through fall under various departments, including the National Highway Authority of India, Forest Department, the Army and individual properties, the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) must be obtained before carrying out any work.

In reality, the NOC from the Army and individual property owners are yet to be obtained.

Under such circumstances the people of Darjeeling are not happy about the proposed programme.

“I am not concerned about the programme as even after the inauguration the people here would not be benefited as the project itself is incomplete,” said Mr Bhusan Chettri, a resident of Darjeeling.

However, the construction DGM from Ramkey Infrastructure Ltd., Mr Subrato Kar, said that the whole project was divided into two phases and the project work of one phase has already been completed.

He said that under the first phase of the project water from the Balasun river would be pumped to Sinchal Lake, the work for which has been completed.

According to Mr Kar, at present the water level of the Sinchal Lake has decreased, hence after its proposed inauguration, water from the Balasun river will be pumped into Sinchal Lake from where the water will be distributed in Darjeeling. However, sources said that the infrastructure to start pumping water to Sinchal lake from the Balasun river has not been completed yet as pipelines have yet to be laid to take the water to the lake from the river. According to them at least another three months will be required for its completion.

However, regarding, Miss Banerjee’s visit to the project site, Mr Kar said: “So far, we have no information regarding her visit and the inauguration of the project. He said it is the public health and engineering department that has a say on the issue”. The plan was to pump water of the Balasun uphill to the Sinchal lake through pipelines. The water will then be filtered and distributed through newly-constructed pipelines from Sinchal to Darjeeling town via the St. Paul’s School area.

The plan envisages that on an average each people residing in Darjeeling will get 70 litres of water per day the foundation stone for which was laid in 2005 by the then chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The project is being executed by the Ramky Infrastructure Ltd of Hyderabad.

Greetings from Darjeeling!

Due to failing health and a number of problems, I will henceforth be limiting my presence on the internet. This means that I will no longer maintain any presence on such sites as Facebook and that The Himalayan Beacon page on the Facebook will no longer be available. I will henceforth only be working on The Himalayan Beacon and lets hope I will not have to give that up too. I hope I can continue to work on my books and The Himalayan Beacon which have remained the last  two things that I love.

Thank you all!

Regs

Barun

FROM KANGLA ONLINE.COM

MOREH, Feb 18: Community leaders of Moreh has called upon the state government to appoint a permanent district transport officer in the town to prevent any untoward incident due to heavy congestion in the Evening Bazar arising from unsafe parking by vehicles on both side of the highway passing through it.

With the objective of discussing the ongoing traffic problems and absence of traffic personnel and traffic senses among the local public, the Hill Tribal Council, Moreh organized a meeting of community leaders at its office this morning.

The Meetei Council Moreh (MCM), All Community Development Organization, Moreh (ACODOM), Manipuri Muslim Council, Moreh (MMCM), Gorkha Samaj Samiti and Tamil Sangam Moreh were represented at the meeting.

The appointment of a DTO in the border town found a consensus. It agreed that the absence of traffic personnel in the town has created a situation of full disregard to traffic rules and full-time appointment of a DTO will bring senses to the commuters. Also, the enforcement of traffic rules could check the discomfort to the commutters arising from righ-hand side driven vehicles crossing in from Myanmar. 

The meeting passed a resolution asking vehicle owners to park their vehicles at  the two existing parking places in the town-Moreh town parking in Ward No. 6 and Moreh bus parking at Ward no. 8.

Continuation of piling of vehicles, mainly auto-rickshaws and vans, on both sides of NH-39 around the Evening Bazar which had proven to be a risky proposition for the pedestrians, especially the school students, was discussed in detail. The meeting mooted the idea of requesting the Moreh police to depute the VDF personnel under its command to assist in traffic regulation and disperse those vehicles parking improperly.

The gathering agreed to convene another round of talk for further discussion on the issue with the participation of top police and district administration.

FROM HINDUSTAN TIMES

BY SHARMISTHA CHAUDHARI

Who is Ajay Maken? Well, for an over enthusiastic group who dashed into the National Stadium just before the Indian men’s team took centre stage against Singapore in their Olympic Qualifier opener, the sports minister came to be known as ‘Oh that’s the Delhi ka sports minister!’

As the enthusiastic hockey fan stood corrected by an elderly gentleman, there was no stopping the faux pas. Waving the national flag with such emotion (it would even put cricket fans to shame), this young group was indeed trying to show off their hockey knowledge.

As Maken shook hands with captain Bharat Chhetri, the group called out ‘Go Sunil!’ Sunil Chhetri on a hockey field? Doesn’t seem likely as the striker would test his football skills first.

And why stop there? After all, Dhanraj Pillay seemed to have magically stepped on to the pitch in place of midfielder Ignace Tirkey! However, in all fairness, the pride with which these youngsters showed their support, was indeed mind blowing as the match soon became a one-sided affair. 

Divided loyalty?

Supporting France or India? If one came across a teenage trio wearing Sardar Singh’s No. 8 jersey and then having draped the French national flag on their shoulders, it would indeed be a confusing sight. The explanation – “Our friend Sardar gave us the jerseys,” said Augustin Demeestere, who represents the French U-18 side. Currently based in Pune where the national team often practices, the three struck up a friendship with the players. So what about loyalty? “We support France when they play and India when they take the pitch,” he said.

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh

MANIPUR: Gorkhaland Task Force touring the North East has urged the Manipur Government to pass the Gorkhaland Resolution at the State Legislative Assembly. The GTF also requested the state Government to send a recommendation to the Union Government requesting it to heed to the demand for the formation of the separate state of Gorkhaland. The GTF meet the Manipuri Chief Minister O Ibobi and submitted a memorandum to that effect.

The GTF also urged the Chief Minister to give punish those who were involved in the molestation and brutal assault of a young Gorkha girl who had been to Takamai to herd a flock of sheep. Chief Minister O Ibobi immediately rung up DGP and directed to take sever actions against the culprit. The DGP informed the CM that the culrpit’s mother and brother have already been taken to police custody and the perpetrator would also be arrested soon. The Chief Minister further assured the delegates to extend financial assiatance and medical expenses to the victim’s family, the press release said.

FROM TIMES OF INDIA

NEW DELHI: United Sikkim Football Club lodged a complaint to the All India Football Federation over the reported statement of the coach of Ar Hima FC that the Baichung Bhutia-owned side had influenced the rival club during an I-League second division match at Silchar.

In a letter to the AIFF, United Sikkim FC said that Ar Hima coach Subrata Bhattacharya was quoted as saying by a Bengali newspaper that some of his players were influenced by the Gangtok-based side.

“We think these types of baseless allegations are hampering the reputation of our club. This is our earnest request to you to kindly look into the matter and requests Ar Hima FC to produce necessary proof in this matter,” said the letter addressed to the AIFF general secretary. 

“United Sikkim management is looking for necessary legal action against Ar Hima and its coach. We request you to look into the matter and take necessary action,” said the letter written by United Sikkim FC manager Anurava Bhattacharya.

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

BY VIVEK CHHETRI

The collapsed portion of the Hill Cart Road at Tindharia. File picture

Darjeeling, Feb. 17: The national highway linking Siliguri and Darjeeling will remain closed for at least one more year as the Centre is yet to firm up a proposal for the reconstruction of the road at two spots which are prone to landslides.

Traffic along the Siliguri-Kurseong section of NH55 or the Hill Cart Road has been suspended after 500 metres of the road had collapsed at Paglajhora in June 2010. Apart from Paglajhora, Tindharia along the highway is also a cave-in zone.

The delay in the repair of the road is an indication of the mammoth challenge landslides have posed to the Union ministry of surface transport which is still pondering over different options for the reconstruction.

A Delhi-based consultancy firm, LEA Associates South Asia Pvt Ltd (LASA), had earlier been entrusted by the ministry with the task of recommending measures for the restoration of NH55.

Nirmal Mondal, executive engineer, NH Division IX of the public works department, said: “LASA had suggested in early January that a geo-grid approach be adopted to reconstruct the highway (at Paglajhora and Tindharia). The cost of the repair was pegged at around Rs 70 crore.”

The geo-grid entails the construction of a concrete wall along the slope to reinforce the soil over which the road will be built using boulders and other materials.

Paglajhora is 50km from Darjeeling and Tindharia is further 5km downhill. 

Even when the LASA proposal was under consideration, the ministry deputed experts from the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) for a field visit to Paglajhora and Tindharia on Sunday to make their observations.

Members from the Japan-based National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, and Public Works Research Institute were part of the team. Even though the experts from the JICA and the NIDM conducted only an initial study, indications are that they are not very comfortable with the proposal made by the LASA.

“We have only made a preliminary observation and a detailed study needs to be conducted at the sites. The team has certain questions over the erection of a huge retention wall. We will make our recommendation in one week,” Chandan Ghosh, professor and head of the geo hazards department of the NIDM, told The Telegraph.The NIDM is under the Union home ministry.

The Japanese experts feel that the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway lines should be realigned and tunnelled through the hill at Tindharia. The other suggestion was the construction of an overhead bridge along the highway to skirt the landslide-prone spot at Tindharia.

However, Ghosh offered a solution to landslides at Paglajhora and Tindharia. “If the drainage system is improved at the two spots, the area will be more stable and this would solve 70-80 per cent of the landslide problem. The cost of improving the drainage system would not even touch the Rs 1 crore mark,” said Ghosh.

The PWD officials said the ministry might draw up the final proposal for the repair after taking into consideration various parameters like construction cost, time needed to complete the project and engineering feasibility.

“It is the prerogative of the ministry to decide on the kind of project to be taken up for the restoration of NH55. Since the ministry will bear the entire cost of the repair, it will take a final decision,” said a PWD official.

With the Hill Cart Road being closed, vehicles travelling between Siliguri and Darjeeling take the route via Mirik and Mungpoo.

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

BY RAJEEV RAVIDAS 

Chhatrey Subba with his wife Monica in Kalimpong after his release from Jalpaiguri jail in September

Kalimpong, Feb. 17: Chhatrey Subba has ruled out joining the Gorkhaland Task Force but would welcome its support in his fight for Gorkhaland.

The GTF, an organisation of five outfits opposed to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, was formed last year to lobby for statehood. Chhatrey, the president of the now dormant Gorkha Liberation Organisation, said not all in the GTF were true soldiers of Gorkhaland.

“I had not thought of starting an agitation for Gorkhaland after looking at the task force. If they want to lend their help to my struggle for Gorkahland, they are welcome to do so. However, not all in the task force are the right sort of people,” he said.

The GTF, which is made up of the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang, ABGL, CPRM, Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha and the GNLF (C), has been touring the northeastern states for the past few weeks to garner support for Gorkhaland.

Following the recent spat between Morcha president Bimal Gurung and Chhatrey, the GTF had reportedly asked the veteran Gorkha leader to join its “non-violent” struggle for Gorkhaland.

But Subba, who was the chief of the Gorkha Volunteer Cell — the militant wing of the GNLF during the Subash Ghisingh-led Gorkhaland movement of the 1980s — complained that there was a lack of accomplished political leaders in the hills and people committed to the cause. “It is my duty to fight for Gorkhaland,” he said.

Immediately after his release from jail in early September, the 71-year-old Subba had hinted that he would quit politics owing to his old age. But since then, he seems to have had a change of heart and expressed his willingness to lead the agitation for Gorkhaland, provided he got the support of the people. Chhatrey had been in jail for more than a decade for allegedly masterminding an assassination bid on GNLF chief Ghisingh. 

“If I don’t get the support (of the people), I can’t do anything,” he said last week. In fact, over the past few days, Chhatrey has been engaged in a verbal duel with the Morcha president.

Chhatrey said the Morcha could not be expected to lead an agitation for Gorkhaland since it had already settled for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

“How can the Morcha violate the pact (GTA) it willingly signed and start a movement for Gorkhaland? Nobody seems to be aware of this,” he said.

Chhatrey also accused the Sikkim government of helping the Morcha, despite knowing fully well that it had compromised on Gorkhaland.

Chhatrey’s wife Monica accused the state government of remaining silent on her complaint against the Morcha president who, she said, had openly threatened her husband at a meeting in Sibchu on February 8.

“I had lodged a complaint with the Kalimpong police against the threat issued by the Morcha president but it has not been acted upon,” she said.

Using the metaphor of an eagle pouncing on a chicken, Gurung had warned Chhatrey at the Sibchu public meeting that he would be picked up in the same manner if he were to create violence in Kalimpong. The Morcha president, however, had also said that perpetrators of violence would then be handed over to the government.

Sources in Kalimpong police confirmed receiving a complaint from Monica. “We registered a general diary on the basis of her complaint and forwarded it to the Nagarkata police station in Jalpaiguri since Sibchu falls under its jurisdiction. There was nothing actionable in the complaint,” said a source.

Jalpaiguri police chief Sugata Sen said he was yet to receive any such complaint. “So far as my knowledge goes, the complaint has not yet come,” he said over the phone.

Let all the party workers get together and select the most capable candidate and lead them to victories, directed the SDF chief in a meeting with party functionaries and workers here at the SDF Bhavan on Thursday February 16, informs a party release. Panchayat polls are scheduled for April this year.

The release informs that Mr. Chamling asked all to work together for a successful SDF Mahadivisan scheduled on March 3 and 4. The decadal celebrations of the ruling front are fixed at Jorethang in South district.

‘Our party workers should interact with educated youths and inspire them to take responsibility of our future Sikkim’, said the Chief Minister. He said that the people of Sikkim have not felt displeased due to the party president. Such displeasure of the people has been created due to the party worker, panchayat or MLA of that particular area, he said.

Mr. Chamling directed the party workers to take responsibility for activities detriment to the interest of the SDF and to reason with those ignorant of the party’s principles. This should be taken up by the party workers at their own levels, he said.

The SDF president urged the party workers not to remain indifferent. ‘Our workers should support the issues that require support and also protest wherever required’, he said. He directed the party workers and functionaries to discourage the practice of middlemen. To halt this and to encourage productiveness among our youth, the State government is giving contract jobs up to Rs.2 crores to the local cooperative societies and e-tendering works above Rs.2 crores, he said.

The challenge before the SDF party is how to make our youth self-reliant and capable of facing global challenges, Mr. Chamling said. It is our responsibility to lift our people from their acceptance of living a life of hopefulness, he said.

The Chief Minister told the meeting that Rs.1200 crores from the Prime Minister’s Relief Package and National Disaster Relief Fund has been sanctioned for rebuilding the earthquake damaged infrastructures of Sikkim. It is not easy to utilize this fund in a planned manner as the common people are thinking, he said.

[FROM SIKKIM REPORTER / EDITED BY ASHOK CHATTERJEE]

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE]

Kolkata:  Consular Officer Jessica B. Pfleiderer, accompanied by officials from the U.S. Consulate General, Kolkata will visit Darjeeling (WB) from February 20 to 22, 2012, Gangtok (Sikkim) from February 22 to 24, 2012 and Siliguri (WB) from February 24 to 25, 2012 to provide information on visa procedures and provide limited services for U.S. citizens.

The visiting Consular team will host public information sessions on the requirements to apply for U.S. visas. The sessions will cover non-immigrant tourist, business, student and exchange visitor visas. Attendees will learn who is eligible for non-immigrant visas to the United States and receive information about application procedures.

Below is a schedule of some events:

February 21, 2012: Travel Agents’ Association – Interactive Visa Presentation

4:00 PM Venue: Himalayan Resort, 26 Gandhi Road

(Near Hotel Sinclairs), Darjeeling

February 24, 2012: Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Gangtok

11:00 AM Student Visa Presentation

February 24, 2012: Travel Agents’ Association – Interactive Visa Presentation 

6:00 PM Venue: Thomas Cook (India) Ltd

Bijaydeep Building, Second Floor

41 Sevoke Road, Siliguri 734001

Visiting Consular Officers will also offer limited services for U.S. citizens, like U.S. passport renewal and single page notary services in Gangtok, Sikkim. Fees for services should be paid by demand draft favoring “American Consulate General, Kolkata” payable in Kolkata and must have the MICR code printed on it. U.S. citizens are requested to present their U.S. passports to avail of any services. Information on fees for the services can be found by looking at the fee schedule at http://kolkata.usconsulate.gov.

On: Friday, February 24, 2012

Time: 8:30am to 10:00am

Venue: Hotel NorkHill

Paljore Stadium Road

Gangtok (Sikkim) 737101

Phone: +91-3592-205637/220064/65

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

BY MRINALINI SHARMA  

Priyanka Chopra shoots for Barfee at a Sukna village, 12km from Siliguri, on Thursday; Pictures by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, Feb. 16: Anurag Basu kept his promise and came back with Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor to shoot in Sukna today.

The Life in a Metro maker had said he would return with the entire Barfee team after the hills apologised for the spat that his crew had with some local people at the Mall.

For residents of Khairani-Punding, this was their second tryst with high-profile visitors after chief minister Mamata Banerjee had sauntered into the village while sightseeing at nearby Mahananda wildlife sanctuary when she came to sign the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration agreement in July.

Basu had also chosen to shoot in a house above the one in which Mamata was treated to a cup of tea during her visit.

Unaware of the arrival of the Barfee team, 27-year-old Sharmila Rai had started her day with her usual chores at 6am. Around 7.30am she saw “a few unfamiliar faces” setting up cameras outside a house a few yards away. 

Priyanka with Ranbir Kapoor during the shooting of a scene from the film. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

“I was surprised to see unfamiliar faces moving around in our neighbourhood with cameras so early in the morning. When I enquired, a group of local people who had gathered there told me that Priyanka and Ranbir would be shooting,” said Sharmila who quickly wound up her chores to watch the shooting from 9am.

The story of the film is set in Darjeeling of 1960’s and 70’s.

It revolves around a deaf-and-mute man, played by Ranbir and the two women in his life, played by Priyanka and southern star Ileana D’Cruz.

The news of the shooting was kept under wraps to avoid chaos like the one that took place when the team was shooting for the first time in Darjeeling in June last year. During the earlier visit, only Ileana and Ranbir had come to Darjeeling.

“The director had come to our village to scout for locations earlier this month. The news of the shoot was kept a closely guarded secret to avoid a crowd here. Only a few of us chosen as volunteers were aware of it and had been making arrangements,” said a volunteer from the village which has barely 100 households.

Priyanka who was in Siliguri last night arrived in Sukna, 12km away, around 8.30am. Ranbir landed at Bagdogra around 10.30am today and reached the shooting spot in the afternoon.

The first scene shot was of a woman weaving brooms outside the house.

Next, Priyanka sporting a white frock with red sweater and Ranbir in a check coat and brown pants were shot arriving at the house in a rickshaw.

“She looks as good as in the movies,” said 21-year-old Sovit Sharma, a resident of Khairani-Punding.

Villagers had volunteered to manage the crowd and adequate combat force, too, was present. Diksha Rai, a college student, first waited for Ranbir at the Bagdogra airport and then came to the shooting site to catch a glimpse of Priyanka.

“A group of us got to know that Ranbir would be arriving at Bagdogra airport. We were lucky that he agreed to pose for a photograph with us. I have already posted it on a social networking site. We also visited the shooting spot later and saw Priyanka too. It was a hectic trip but was worth it”, Diksha said.

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Siliguri, Feb. 16: The district hospital here has purchased a Color Doppler that will help patients get echocardiography done at subsidised rates.

Earlier patients had to go to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital or private diagnostic centres in town for the advanced heart test.

“We had placed a proposal before the state health department for the purchase of a Color Doppler machine and they granted funds of Rs 16 lakh recently. We purchased the machine this month,” said Subir Bhowmik, the chief medical officer of health.

The NBMCH is the only government institution in Siliguri subdivision that conducts echocardiography tests. The Siliguri district hospital that caters for around 800 patients saily has provisions to conduct pathological tests, X-rays, ultrasonography, electrocardiography and liver functioning tests now.

Officials said once the Color Doppler machine was put in use, patients would be able to get echocardiography done in subsidised rates. Private facilities charge around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 for the test. The tests would be free for BPL category patients, Bhowmik said. 

“Echocardiography enables ultrasound images of the heart to determine blocked arteries and heart valve diseases. It is a very good screening process that examines valves and chambers of the heart in a non-invasive manner,” he added.

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

BY VIVEK CHHETRI

The only vehicle that can negotiate the steep gradient; Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Feb. 16: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s plan to set foot in Sandakphu, the highest point in Bengal, is likely to hit logistic and time hurdles and administrative sources said she might have to drop the idea of visiting it.

Mamata had said in Siliguri on February 11 that she would not only visit Darjeeling to announce some projects but would also make a trip to Sandakhphu at 12,000 feet. In that case, she will be the first chief minister to visit the high-altitude tourist hotspot located in the Singalila wildlife sanctuary.

Sources in the chief minister’s office in Calcutta said they were yet to finalise Mamata’s itinerary for the Darjeeling tour. “She had expressed her desire to visit Sandakhphu. Although she had not said anything more about her visit, we are keeping it tentative as of now. The final plans for her Darjeeling visit will be made after she returns from Delhi,” a senior member of the chief minister’s secretariat said.

Mamata had said she would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on February 24 for the early implementation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

A senior Darjeeling district administration official said the chief minister might not be able to make it to Sandakphu despite her announcement.

“According to information received, the chief minister will come to Darjeeling on February 29 and will hold a meeting with district officials on March 1 before leaving for Calcutta the next day. To visit Sandakphu, one would need at least two clear days and there is very little time available,” he said. 

The local people — around 2,000 of them live in settlements scattered along the Maneybhanjyan-Sandakphu route — had hoped that the chief minister’s visit would usher in development in the area, which is only about 60km from Darjeeling but is one of the most backward places in the region.

Even if the chief minister does decide to visit Sandakphu at the last moment, working out the logistics would be a major problem. This is largely because only the 1950s-made Land Rovers ply on the 31km stretch from Maneybhanjyan to Sandakphu.

Maneybhanjyan is about 30km from Darjeeling.

No modern vehicle, even if it has a four-wheel drive, dare climb the rough terrain of the Singalila range. Apart from the drivers of the 34 Land Rovers that ply on the route, not many are ready to take their vehicles to Sandakphu.

“Even though the route from Maneybhanjyan to Meghma is in good shape, those unfamiliar will find it difficult to drive because of the steep gradient. It is better not to talk about the remaining stretch,” said Nima Sherpa, a resident of Maneybhanjyan.

The road from Meghma passes through Tumling — a favourite haunt of sky watchers — Gairibas, Kaiyakatta and Kalpokhri before reaching Sandakphu. Phalut, another tourist hotspot, is 10km away but the stretch is virtually unmotorable except for the Land Rovers.

At Sandakphu, accommodation could be a major problem given the size of the entourage of the chief minister. There are three DGHC cottages, apart from two private lodges and a guest house each of the forest department and the Darjeeling Improvement Fund. “If the chief minister does decide to go, then the entourage will definitely have to be made small. In such an event, there would not be problems in accommodations,” said the official.

He said usually a chief minister is accompanied by two-three ministers of her cabinet. “Then, at least 30 people will be in her entourage. Maybe more,” he said.

A Land Rover can comfortably accommodate around five persons.

The local people of Sandakphu, however, said the DGHC cottages were in bad shape and needed immediate repair. The district administration will also have to arrange for all food items and other amenities to be ferried over from Darjeeling. Besides, there is no electricity and cellphone connectivity is also very poor in the region. “We charge Rs 4,300 for a trip to Sandakphu and back with an overnight halt,” said Chandan Pradhan, secretary of the Singalila Land Rovers’ Association.

Taking the chief minister by helicopter would largely depend on the weather conditions which change every hour.

“There was once a talk of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visiting Sandakphu and a helipad was also constructed at Chandu, 3km away. However, the visit got cancelled for some reason,” said Migma Sherpa, who runs a homestay in the area.

The district administration has submitted a Rs 15-crore proposal to construct a road from Meghma to Sandakhphu-Phalut but it is yet to be sanctioned.

FROM IBNLIVE.IN.COM

New Delhi: It is not the mere presence of a few international stars but the organisational aspects of the Premier League Soccer (PLS), which would determine whether the much talked-about event turns out to be a boon or bane for Indian football, feels national team striker Sunil Chhetri.

“The league is great, it’s great that the likes of (Fabio) Cannavaro and (Hernan) Crespo are coming, but what’s more important is the way the tournament is organised.

“If it is organised in a better way then it should help in the overall and long-term development of Indian football,” Chhetri said.

According to All India Football Federation general secretary Kushal Das, the decks have been cleared for the IFA-organised tournament, which ran into rough weather after the AIFF had asked FIFA to temporarily suspend the six PLS clubs from the Transfer Matching System (TMS), which allows a club to recruit foreign players.

FIFA rules don’t allow a registered player to associate with another club and, in accordance with that, the I-League players, including the ones who play for the national team, are not eligible to compete in the PLS.

Asked if it’s an opportunity lost for the I-League players as the field will comprise of quite a few international stars, including a World Cup-winning skipper, Chhetri said, “that’s how it is in football”.

Climax Lawrence suggested that the scheduling should be worked out in such a way that allows the I-league players to compete in the PLS.

“Playing with them will definitely improve the skills of our players. But then in football, a player can’t be registered with two clubs. Yes, the scheduling can be worked out that way,” Climax said.

The confusion over the international transfers of the icon players in the PLS was resolved at an emergency meeting of the AIFF on Monday after it gave the Indian Football Association the green light to organise the tournament.

Das also had a meeting with IFA general secretary Utpal Ganguli here on Tuesday.

“It is clear now,” Das said.

He hoped that the icon players’ participation is approved as their presence would help in “unearthing” talents and also make the tournament “viable”.

Asked about the number of foreigners’ participation in an I-League match, Das said, “a discussion was held in this regard but for the moment the (3+1) rule is fine”.

FROM THE HINDU

SHARED BY AARDEE

They find virtue in complementing each other, than getting engaged in a duel of one-upmanship. The Indian team reaps the benefits.

In the absence of a goalkeeping coach, captain Bharat Chetri, with 122 caps, and the young P.R. Sreejesh, 42 caps, are best friends and critics of each other.

For, they understand the pressure of standing 70 minutes under the bar, giving constant feedback to teammates up the field and blocking fierce shots from rival strikers.

The teamwork between the two is even more important in the run-up to the crucial Olympic hockey qualifier.

“There is no rivalry between us. I point out Sreejesh’s mistakes and he does the same with me. We watch the videos and find out the positives and negatives of our game,” said Chetri, during an interaction at the National Stadium here on Monday. “Both of us really work together,” said Sreejesh.

The duo felt reassured with the improvement in the quality of defence, thanks to the contribution of veteran defender Dilip Tirkey.

“Dilip has worked with the defenders and the backline has improved. The focus is not to concede last minute goals,” said Sreejesh. 

Chetri added, “We got a lot of inputs from Dilip. He has told them (defenders) to go and get the ball early from the opposition forwards.”

While the Indian strikers practised hard on scoring from goal mouth deflections and rebounds, the custodians protecting the post, also benefited in the process.

“The drill was done to help us get a hang of match situations. Scoring from deflections was a main area. However, it was also good for us (to learn how to stop such attempts from close range),” said Sreejesh. “We also practised how to stop penalty corners, D-top shots and one-on-one penalty shootouts.”

With the qualifier set to start in less than a week, the anxiety was understandable.

“We are fine-tuning our skills these days. I cannot wait for the tournament to start,” said 30-year-old Chetri, who was a member the Indian team that made an abortive attempt to reach the Olympics four years ago.

“It is like getting closer to a big exam. You need to remind yourself of what you need to do. In order to keep ourselves calm, we are doing meditation,” added Sreejesh.

After all, celebrating alone when a goal is scored and taking the blame when a goal is conceded, demands that extra bit of strength!

DARJEELING: After a six-month lull, streets in the Hills buzzed with the separate statehood demand on Sunday, with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters taking out rallies and organizing public meetings to voice their resentment. The activists made it clear that the chief minister’s clarification just a day before that the Centre was sitting on the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Bill could not assuage the Hills people.

Thousands of people, led by the GJM’s youth and women wings, hit the roads with their “Gorkhaland” demand in different rallies held in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong sub-divisions. The rallies, a pre-announced programme, were organized in accordance with GJM chief Bimal Gurung’s directive to put pressure on the government to get the Presidential seal on the GTA Bill.

The placards say it all

Imphal, February 13 2012: Gorkha community of the State today strongly protested the brutality meted out to a young girl who had gone out to herd a flock of sheep to Takramai of Senapati district on February 9 last.

The 14-year-old girl is battling for life in a hospital in Imphal as she was abandoned unconscious with bruise marks of torture all over her body at a secluded place.

There is also strong suspicion that the young girl might have been raped as she was left unconcious.

Strongly protesting the heinous act, Manipur Gurkha Welfare Union organised a sit-in-protest and a public meeting at Kanglatongbi today.

Condemning the atrocity, the union demanded the Government to book the culprits within February 15 . 

According to a volunteer of the union, another 13-year-old girl namely, Manju Kaderiya was raped and murdered in August 2007.Nobody has been booked or punished in connection with the incident so far, he lamented.

Even as a JAC against the Takramai incident has been formed, Manipur Gurkha Union has pledged support to any agitation initiated by the JAC.

Placards that read as ‘punish the culprits’, stop violence against women’ and ‘safeguard young girls’ were set up in today’s demonstration.

Representatives from Gurkha Jannamukti Morcha Manipur Branch, Nepali Sahitya Parishad, All Manipur Gurkha Students Union, Bharatiya Gurkha Parishad Manipur Branch, Kanglatongbi Apunba Meira Paibee Lup, Charhajare Gurkha Nabin Youth Club, Women Society Charhajare, United Gurkha Youth Club Kanglatongbi and Gurkha Jannamukti Nari Morcha Manipur Branch too part in the protest.

FROM DAILY PIONEER

BY SAUGAR SENGUPTA

The Opposition in Bengal, Left Front, is approaching the Centre to urge it to take steps to arrest the deteriorating political situation in Darjeeling in the wake of various pro-Gorkhaland groups taking out rallies in the Hill town in support of a separate Gorkhaland.

“Darjeeling is among the many issues where the State Government has failed to bring a solution,” State Opposition leader, Suryakanto Mishra said on Monday adding that he would reach the Central Government “seeking its immediate intervention before the situation spins out of control.”

Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha the youth wing of the Gorkha Janmutki Morcha had on Sunday taken out huge processions in Darjeeling in support of a separate State. The rally came close on the heels of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s meeting with the GJM leadership where she assured them of quick commissioning of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration treaty.

The tripartite treaty signed by the State, Centre and the GJM stipulates carving out of an autonomous zone comprising three Hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong, apart from the Dooars and Terrain area in the foothills and contiguous Plains inhabited by the adivasis and Bengalis. A high-powered committee led by (retd) Justice Sabyasachi Sen is looking into the territory aspect of the treaty amid protests from the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad and the local Bengalis. 

“The treaty should have been implemented by the end of January, ie within six months of its signing. But it seems that the Government is not sincere about its implementation which makes the creation of a separate Gorkhaland all the more necessary,” said IM Pakhrin a senior GJM leader, wondering “how far the Hills can wait for the GTA to happen.”

Meanwhile, the Opposition parties in Darjeeling have already come under an umbrella to take on the GJMM forcing Gurung to press for quick implementation of GTA.

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE]

Shillong 13th Feb 2012 (Monday): Urban development in Meghalaya especially in the major Towns, including the Capital is not sufficient to meet the growing demands of the population. The growth of the Urban Sector has often been haphazard with inadequate facilities like good roads, water supply, waste management, public transport etc. The situation calls for a constructive discussion at high level to find a long-term solution for future planning and implementation. With this objective Indian Chamber of Commerce is organizing a Roundtable Conference on Meghalaya Urban Infrastructure Development at Hotel Pinewood in Shillong, on 15th February 2012, to discuss and find a road-map for urban development of the State of Meghalaya.

The Round Table is expected to discuss the issue of basic services for the state including infrastructure, shelter, water, sanitation, solid waste management, roads, communication system, rapid transportation, street lighting and related subjects. Cities and towns play a vital role in a country’s socio-economic growth,its transformation and change. Urban Spaces of Northeast India if taken on fast track development could act as regional hubs of growth and provide a gateway to the dynamic markets of South East Asia.

Urbanization in Meghalaya has been growing at a slower rate. According to 2001 census the state has only 19.58% urban population which is much lower than the national average of 28%. Presently the state has sixteen urban centres out of which Shillong Urban Agglomeration is the largest one, comprising of seven towns. The urban population in Meghalaya has grown from 1,47,150 in 1971 to 3,30,047 in 1991 and to 4,54,111 in 2001. The decadal growth rate in 1991 – 2001 was 37.59% in Meghalaya which is higher than the national growth rate of 31.2% for the decade. The urban population in the state is mainly concentrated in the urban agglomeration of the capital city. Shillong and Tura alone contributes 71.93% of the urban population. Both the central and the state governments over the years have implemented various schemes and programmes for the urban development of the state.

Hon’ble Dy. Chief Minister of the State, Mr. B M Lanong has agreed to kindly address the Convention as the Chief Guest. Urban Development Minister of Meghalaya Ms. Ampareen Lyngdoh has confirmed her presence as the keynote speaker while Mr.B.K. Panda, Director, Deptt. of Urban Development, Govt. of Meghalaya, Mr. D P Singh Chief General Manager, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, NE Circle-I, Mr. Raj Chakravarty General Manager,National Highway Authority of India, Guwahati Regional Office, Mr. R.K. Singla Regional Executive Director, Airport Authority of India, Mr. Shyam Kanu Mahanta Leading Consultant, Senior Officials and Representatives of Northeast Frontier Railway, North Eastern Power Corporation Ltd. Government officials and representatives from Industries, Tourism, Urban Development, Public Health Engineering are expected to grace the occasion by their presence and offer solutions to the problems of Urban Development of the state, try to find ways and means to bring back the glory of this beautiful hill state once known as the “Scotland of the East” and to make it a better dwelling place to live in. A host of dignitaries from all walks of life have been invited to attend and interact in the program and share their views on the subject.

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE]

BY CVG

Source: Sasi Bhusan Dutt, Report on Darjeeling Terai Settlement, Bengal Secretariat Press, Calcutta, 1898, P. 5

Demography of Darjeeling Terai at the end of 19th Century Highlighting, historical settlement and population characteristics in Darjeeling Terai and its adjoining Dooars is one of the most critical tools for the Gorkhas today to deconstruct the ‘Foreigner Theory’. The Darjeeling Terai Settlement Report sheds enough light on the presence of sizeable percentage of the Gorkhas, Lepchas and Bhutias across Darjeeling Terai at the end of 19th Century. To the aversion of the Bengalis, the report also highlights that there was not a single Bengali soul inhabiting the soils of Darjeeling Terai at the same period of time, not to talk of Darjeeling Hills. Table 2 and 3 highlight basic demographic features of Darjeeling Terai in the second half of 19th century.

Table 2: Darjeeling Terai Population: 1872-91

Source of Information  -  Total Population-  Male – Female – Area in square mile

Census taken in 1872 –  47985 – 25682 – 22303 – 271

Census taken in 1881 – 63241 – 35410 – 27831 –  do

Census taken in 1891 –  72097 – 41808 –  31120 – do

Source: Sasi Bhusan Dutt, Report on Darjeeling Terai Settlement,

Bengal Secretariat Press, Calcutta, 1898, P. 7 

Table 3: Demographic Characters of Darjeeling Terai: 1872-91

Census Year – Sex Ration [females/1000 males) - Population Density [per sq

mile]

1872 –  868 – 177

1881 – 786 – 233

1891 – 744 – 266

Source: Calculated by author based on the data available in – Sasi

Bhusan Dutt, Report on Darjeeling Terai Settlement, Bengal Secretariat

Press, Calcutta, 1898, P. 7

If we dissect and examine table 4 and 5, it is quite interesting to note that at the end of 19th Century there was not a single Bengali inhabiting the geographical milieu of Terai in Darjeeling District. On the contrary, however, almost 27 per cent of the total populations of Darjeeling Terai were shared by the Gorkhas/Nepali Speakers at the same period of time. Similarly, the share of Lepchas and Bhutias residing in the region at the end of 19th century can be calculated at 3 per cent and 1 per cent of the total population respectively.

Further, about 70 per cent of the total populations of the area were composed of different ethnic groups consisting of Adibasis of the region.

Table 4 Darjeeling Terai Population and Caste distribution: 1891

Caste Male Female Total

1. Bhuimali and Mehter 539 540 1079

2. Bhutia 292 130 422

3. Brahman 500 130 630

4. Damai 75 33 108

5. Gharti 126 103 229

6. Gurung 981 935 1916

7. Kaibarta 194 135 329

8. Kami 373 257 630

9. Khambu 1314 1459 2773

10. Kachh 6119 5014 11133

11. Lepcha 592 532 1124

12. Limboo 416 108 524

13. Mangar 832 514 1346

14. Munda 129 126 255

15. Murmi 500 502 1002

16. Newar 318 189 507

17. Oraon 2360 2272 4632

18. Rajput 366 143 509

19. Sarki 109 42 151

20. Sunur 67 34 101

21. Yakha 33 21 54

22. Buna 644 626 1270

23. Shaik 4002 2299 6301

Source: Sasi Bhusan Dutt, Report on Darjeeling Terai Settlement,

Bengal Secretariat Press, Calcutta, 1898, P. 8

Table 5 Percentage share of Different Ethnic Groups in Darjeeling

Terai: 1891

Ethnic Group Percentage Share

Lepcha 3.0

Bhutia 1.1

Nepali/Gorkha 26.9

Bengali 0.0

Others 68.9

Total 100.0

Source: Calculated by author based on the data available in- Sasi

Bhusan Dutt, Report on Darjeeling Terai Settlement, Bengal Secretariat

Press, Calcutta, 1898, P. 8