Meeting with Chidambaram positive: Giri

Himalayan Guardian Jan 26, 2011

New Delhi, Jan 25: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram today held a meeting with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on the demand for statehood to Gorkhaland and is understood to have deliberated on setting up of a regional authority for Gorkhas in Darjeeling.

“We had a detailed discussion on our demand with the Home Minister. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and was very positive,” GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri told reporters after an hour-long meeting, the Hindu reported.

Giri refused to divulge what transpired, but said the Central government should clear its stand on GJM’s demand.

Sources said the meeting deliberated on the possibility of setting up of the proposed Darjeeling Regional Authority comprising the districts of Darjeeling and adjoining areas but no decision has been taken, the report said.

However, it was not clear whether the interim authority would be set up before the West Bengal Assembly elections a few months away.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh was part of the delegation.

During the last tripartite political level talks, key issues, including territorial jurisdiction, were sorted out.

The Central and West Bengal governments have earlier worked on the subjects and departments which are expected to be handed over to the interim authority.

Sources said both the Central and West Bengal governments favoured limiting the proposed authority to just the hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong.

Since its inception in 2007, the GJM has been demanding a separate Gorkhaland State that includes the Siliguri sub-division of Darjeeling district in the plains and contiguous areas in neighbouring Jalpaiguri district.

Kalimpong Lepchas celebrate Gaeboo Aachyok’s 279^th  anniversary

Kalimpong, Jan 25: Lepchas of Darjeeling District celebrated the 279^th  birth anniversary of the Lepcha King Gaeboo Aachyok in Kalimpong recently.

Thousands of Lepchas from all over the district assembled at the Mela Ground here and shouted "Achuley" to greet each other. A simple function, organized by the Lepcha Tribal Association, was held  at Damsang Gari, a fort and  refuge place of the late King near Algarah about 18 km from here.

Lepchas are the aboriginal people of Eastern Himalayas and are found not only in the Darjeeling district but also in Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan. Gaeboo Aachyok was a leader who fought the Bhutanese to save his vanishing tribe.

Aachyok was born in Lungshyol near Mangzing about 10 km away from Oodlabari in North Bengal. According to records, his kingdom’s territory extended from Paro in West Bhutan to Rhenock in East Sikkim. He was not very popular among the Bhutanese as he used to protest against the oppression of the Lepchas by the Bhutanese King. This compelled the Lepcha chief to leave Bhutan for good. 

It is said that Gaeboo appeared during the first Bhutanese attack in Sikkim in 1668 during the reign of King Debaraja, Chhoegyal Mijure Tempa of Bhutan (1668-1670). A legend says that Gaeboo sought the help of a Tibetan king for weapons to fight against the Bhutanese king.

A report says that during the period of fifth Dalai Lama, Bhutan invaded Sikkim. During this war Gaeboo fought against Bhutan and was killed in the war.

Another legend states that Gaeboo fought the Bhutanese army from Damsang Gari in Kalimpong. And yet another source says that he fought the Bhutanese army from a fort called Dalim Gari near Gorubathan and eastern Kalimpong and was killed there. (Darjeeling.com)

Sukhna land scam: Court martialled Lieutenant General P.K. Rath loses rank

Himalayan News Network

elhi, Jan 25: Lieutenant General P.K. Rath, who was found guilty in the Sukhna land scam by an Army Court in New Delhi, was on Saturday handed down a sentence including a two-year seniority loss and forfeiture of 15 years of service for pension purposes.

Lieutenant General Rath was found guilty on three counts -- firstly for providing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the construction of the building next to the Army headquarters in Sukna in North Bengal, secondly for signing a Memorandum of Understand (MoU) with the private builder, and thirdly for not informing the Eastern Command headquarters while the process was being carried on by him, ANI reported.

"To take rank and precedence as if appointment as substantiating the Lieutenant General bore dated May 24, 2010, forfeiture of 15 years service for pensionary benefits and severely reprimand," General Court Martial (GCM) Presiding Officer Lieutenant General I.J. Singh said in his verdict.

This verdict will now have to be confirmed by the Army Chief and the Defence Ministry.

The land scam came into the open in mid-2008 and the names of Lieutenant General Rath and Lieutenant General Avadhesh Prakash figured among the senior army officers who influenced the decision to issue the NOC to a Siliguri-based private builder to construct an educational institution on a 70-acre land adjacent to the Sukna military station in Darjeeling.

The private builder had floated a trust - Agarwal Geetanjali Education Trust - to set up an affiliate school of the prestigious Mayo College in the area.