NORTHEASTERN DEMOCRATIC FRONT

Himalayan Guardian Page 1  Gangtok    Feb 23, 2011 Vol 1 No 13

NE regional parties to form 

NORTHEASTERN DEMOCRATIC FRONT

Himalayan News Network

 New Delhi, Feb 22: Major regional parties in the northeast, including Sikkim, have decided to form a common front – ‘Northeastern Democratic Front’ – to take up common issues of the region.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker and NCP leader, P A Sangma, on Sunday said the parties have decided to form the Front in Guwahati soon.

The meeting, held at Sangma’s Aurangzeb Road House here, was attended by Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, Nagaland Chief Minister N Rio and former chief minister and AGP leader Prafulla Mahanta.

AGP President Chandra Mohan Patowary and representatives of Trinamool Congress, Mizo National Front, People’s Party of Arunachal and Manipur People’s Party were also present at the meeting.

The 8 northeast States together have the strength of 25 MPs in the Lok Sabha, out of which14 are from Assam.

China rail link near Sikkim-Bhutan border by 2017

Himalayan News Network

New Delhi, Feb 22: China is all set to extend its Tibet railway network into the strategically important Chumbi valley area, next to Sikkim and the Siliguri corridor. This was confirmed by a Chinese Railways Ministry map, put out last month, showing China’s “long term railway network plan”.

Until now, these plans were being loosely speculated upon, but they now have an official stamp on it. The latest map shows the railway line extending from Lhasa to Zangmu on the Nepal border, which is going to eventually extend into Nepal and even Kathmandu, the Indian Express reported.

According to the plan, another line will branch out midway from this link to Zangmu, at a place called Shigatse. This line will move east and go right up to Yadong (Yatung), on the mouth of the Chumbi Valley. This town is connected to Sikkim through the Nathu La pass and is strategically located on the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan.

The new railway link near Sikkim’s eastern border is expected to be completed by 2017.

Himalayan Guardian Page 2   NEPAL   TIBET   BHUTAN      Feb 23, 2011

Nepal Buddhists organize 1^st Monlam Chenmo in Nepal

R P Sharma

Kathmandu, Feb 22: The Nepal Himalayan Federation of Indigenous Buddhists, under the leadership of Shamar Rinpoche, organized the country’s 1^st Monlam Chenmo (The Great Prayer Festival) here on February 19-21.
The main purpose of holding the Monlam is to pray for the long life of all the holy Gurus of all traditions, for the survival and spreading of the Dharma in the minds of all sentient beings, and for world peace, according to Federation’s Coordinator, Shakun Sherchand.
Lord Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal, where most of the indigenous communities (Adivasi Janajatis) find solace in the cultural heritage of Buddhism mixed with Bonpo, Animistic and Shamanistic practices. The Magars, Managpas, Newars, Tamangs, Gurungs, Sherpas, Bhotes and Thakalis perform rituals closely related to Buddhism under the guidance of their dharma gurus and keep close to their sangha (religious communities), said a publication of the Federation.

The Tharus, the largest indigenous community( Adivasi Janajatis) inhabiting the terai are being equivocal of reclaiming their Buddhist heritage as they claim  Siddhartha Gautama’s matrilineal lineage to Maya Devi, who is believed to be  the daughter of a Tharu.
Swayambu and Bouddha are historical evidence of the continuation of faith and devotion of its local population towards the Buddha, Dharma (Teachings) and the Sangha, Sherchand said.

He said there are more than 65 gompas (religious monastic institutions of learning and service) in the Kathmandu valley and more than 6000 gompas (monasteries) in the country.
The 1st Monlam Chenmo, the collective “Great Prayer Festival”, was sanctified by H.H the 14th Kunzik Shamar Rinpoche in the presence of President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachadar.
The organizers are convinced that Lord Buddha’s teachings on peace, non-violence and peaceful coexistence is the answer for Nepal’s problems – political instability and constitutional uncertainty.

The Federation, which seeks to represent Buddhists residing in the Himalayan region from Mechi in the east to Mahakali in the west, says its prime motive of forming the organization is to protect and preserve the “identity” and “common heritage” of the “indigenous Buddhists” in the country, which are reflected in their “language, culture, religion and territory.”

HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN   EDITORIAL PAGE 4  Feb 23, 2011

EDITORIAL

COMMON FRONT

People-to-People Contact Needed

The need to forge a common platform among political parties and social organisations in India’s northeastern region to raise common issues has always been felt by the peoples of this backward region. As such the decision to form the ‘Northeastern Democratic Front’ is a welcome move. But politicians being politicians no matter in which bottle they camouflage themselves people have their apprehensions of their action. That is why the previous ‘front’ floated by regional parties of the region failed mainly because the AGP, the main Opposition party in Assam, decided to ally with the BJP in the 1999 polls.

The proposed Northeastern Democratic Front is being viewed as an anti-Congress front and rightly so as some its key leaders, including PA Sangma, are anti-Congress. Leaders of regional parties in the region love to claim that they, being closer to the region and the people, have more understanding of local and regional issues unlike national party leaders, who visit the region once in a while and make tall claims. They are right in thinking this way but can they claim to have lived up to the expectations of the people they represent?

More than forming political fronts, which mainly serve the politicians and some bureaucrats, what is really needed is people-to-people interactions among the peoples of the northeast in various fields. And if the outcome of such interactions leads to formation of a bigger forum it would really and truly cater to the diverse needs of the people in the long run.

HILL PEOPLE/Sonam W. Ladenla

He strove for hill people unity in Darjeeling

Jiwan Labar

Sardar Bahadur Sonam W Ladenla was born in Bhutia Busty, Darjeeling in 19 June 1881. He joined the police department in 1898. In 1921 he was appointed as Superintendent Police of Darjeeling. During his tenure of police service, he was awarded with distinguished honours like “Kings Police Medal”, (Sardar Bahadur) in 1917, C.B.I, F.R.G.S, ADC etc. He retired in 1931 after 33 years of his remarkable service in the Police department. He had also solved many legal cases during his tenure as the honorary Magistrate in the district Court of Darjeeling. He was also the first Planter from the hills.

S W Laden was religious since his childhood, which prompted him to extend the Buddhism in Darjeeling hills and Sikkim. Most of the prominent Monasteries of Darjeeling hills and Sikkim have been built during his period, such as Ghoom Monastery, Alubari, Chitre, Rimbik, Lopchu, Tikling, Pedong, Kurseong, Darjeeling Tamang Monastery etc. he was also the founder members of these monasteries and General Buddhist Association of Sikkim. Under his supervision, Rai Saheb Kharga Bahadur Chettri constructed the Ghoom Monastery in 1923. He personally contributed Rs 4000/- for this Monastery, which was inaugurated by the then Governor. Moreover, only Tibetan monks were allowed to perform prayers in “Dara” (observatory hill).However during his tenure as Vice Chairman of Darjeeling Municipality, Nepali priests were also approved to perform prayers in the same place of “Dara”, which also entitled them of 40 percent of the total income of Dara. 

Darjeeling town could not have been constructed without S W Ladenla’s contributions. He was an active Municipal Commissioner and later he became vice-chairman of then renowned Darjeeling Municipality. He served Darjeeling town as a ‘City Father’. Gorkha Dhukha Niwaran Sammelan (GDNS), Nepali Sahitya Sammelan, District Library etc used to get Municipality Fund during his tenure.

He was also of the opinion for a separate homeland for a minority community of Darjeeling hills and Dooars from Bengal. So he became the founder member and the president of Hillmen's Association, which submitted a petition to Edwin Montague, the Secretary of State for India in 1917 saying that historically, culturally, ethnically, socially, religiously, linguistically there was no affinity between Bengal and Darjeeling. Signatories of the petition were S W Ladenla, Dr. Yensingh Sitling, Prem Singh Kumai, Kharga Bahadur Chettri, Meghbir Singh, Lachman Singh, Narprasad Kumai, and Deonidhi Upadhaya.

He was also concerned with communal harmony among Nepali, Bhote and Lapche. Under the advice of concerned citizen of then Darjeeling, he was able to form a Union called Hill Peoples’ Social Union in 1934. Later the Union was famous for the motto “NeBuLa”.

So long as Sardar Bahadur S W Ladenla was in the district there was peace but once they were out of it, there was turmoil. In 1921 no sooner had he left for Tibet than the non-co-operators began to make a stronghold in the district and riots and strikes took place in many gardens of the district.

S W Ladenla was a multi linguistic personality who was fluent in English, Tibetan, Hindi, Marwari, Bengali, Nepali, Lepcha etc. There was a tremendous contribution of S W Ladenla for the agitation of Nepali language in Darjeeling hills. He had profound relationship with Tibet. He was also assigned as an unofficial ambassador of Tibet by British sovereign of India. In 1904 he was famous for the strengthening of Indo-Tibet diplomatic relationship.

He died in 1936. He was a great figure of Darjeeling. Mackenzie Road had been changed into Ladenla Road after his death which is still a reminder of him to this day. (darjeelingtimes.com)