Tibetan glaciers melting at alarming rate: Dalai Lama

HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN VOL 1 No 14 Page 1 April 6, 2011

Tibetan glaciers melting at alarming rate: Dalai Lama

Shellee Tyler

Dharamsala, April 5: The Tibetan Spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has said that he is concerned over the melting of glaciers in the Tibetan plateau as they seem to be melting at an alarming rate. The glaciers are a lifeline for the Asian rivers, including the Indus and the Ganges.

 He is concerned that once the glaciers melt away, then the rivers will dry up and water supplies will be threatened. This could affect over a billion people that live in India and some in China as well.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama used research provided by Chinese experts, saying that “the Tibetan glaciers are retreating faster than anywhere else in the world”. He added that the ecology in Tibet is “something very, very essential”.

"India, a free country, I think should express more serious concern, that's I think important. This is nothing to do with politics, just everybody's interest, including Chinese people also," said the Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel laureate when he was delivering the 3rd Birth Centenary Lecture in New Delhi last Saturday in honor of former Indian President R. Venkataraman.

He expressed his concern not just for the Tibetan people, but because; “millions of Indians use water coming from the Himalayan glacier, so you have a certain right to show your concern about the ecology of that plateau”.

He also expressed his concern over water shortages in the region, and the strain that is starting to show on access to freshwater in both India and China.

“In terms of the ecological aspect of the issue, more than a billion people in the Asian regions maybe depend on the water that comes from rivers that originate on the Tibetan plateau. Therefore, people in the region who will be impacted by changes to the Tibetan environment have the right to express their concern at the future of Tibet,” said the Dalai Lama.(planetsave)

RAY OF HOPE IN SIKKIM

SIKKIM-TIBET-NEPAL

From Monarchy to Anarchy!

Ruled by the Chogyals (dharmaraj) of the Namgyal Dynasty since 1642 the former Buddhist Kingdom of Sikkim came under the political and religious influence of the ancestors of the Namgyal House since the 13^th century. British domination in India finally paved way for Sikkim becoming the 22^nd State of India in 1975. And yet in the past three and half decades Sikkim has been ruled by two men – Nar Bahadur Bhandari and Pawan Kumar Chamling, who are both Nepalese.  It is ironical that the Sikkimese people, though belonging to the world’s largest democracy, still yearn for freedom, democracy and rule of law. In many ways Sikkim functions like one of the countries in the Middle East which is presently in turmoil. Behind every ‘dictator’ is a bigger power.

Unfortunately, Nepal’s struggle for democracy ended in abolition of its monarchy. This indeed is the surest and swiftest way to takeover a country. Sikkim is a fine example in this regard. The former Hindu Kingdom, ruled by the Shah Dynasty ever since 1769, is yet to settle down politically. In fact, Nepal is yet to give itself a new Constitution to govern its people. Nepalese don’t like to admit openly but their new threat is from the Terai region where the Indian-origin madhesis are becoming more assertive politically even as the country tries desperately to retain its distinct identity despite increasing influence from its northern and southern neighbours.

Slowly but steadily Bhutan is showing the way. Its peaceful transition to democracy and the quiet and yet impressive development on the economic front while retaining its distinct Buddhist identity is a matter of pride and joy not only to the Drukpas but also to the Sikkimese and Nepalese who have much to learn from the Druk Kingdom. Bhutan has learnt much from Sikkim and it has learnt it well. While keeping India more than happy the Bhutanese have mastered the intricate of diplomacy. India, too, must have learnt some lessons along the way.

GJM to support TMC-Cong alliance in Dooars: Gurung

From Our Correspondent

Darjeeling, April 5: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has decided to support the Trinamool-Congress alliance for Assembly seats in the plains.

The Morcha has announced that it will support the Trinamool Congress and Congress candidates in the Terai and Dooars leaving the Left camp worried.

There are seven in Jalpaiguri district, where the Morcha has a sizeable number of followers among the Gorkha community.

“Our aim is to drive out the Left Front from power as it has done nothing for the people of the Hills in the 34 years of its rule. We have faith in Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee who has already started developmental works for Darjeeling through Railways and we are hopeful that she will do more when she comes to power,” GJM president Bimal Gurung said.

"We have fielded candidates in the three assembly constituencies in Darjeeling. Now we will extend our support to Trinamool and Congress in the plains of Siliguri and Dooars," Gurung added.

Meanwhile, Jaswant Singh, senior BJP leader and Darjeeling MP, will campaign for the Morcha candidates in the hills.

Singh, who arrived here today, will campaign till April 10.

Elections will only be a drama: RB Rai

C. Tamang

Darjeeling, April 5: Politicians and political parties love to contest elections. Even those who do not want to be under “Bengal” are taking part in the polls. Their excuse is that they, if elected, want to raise the Gorkhaland issue in Bengal’s Legislative Assembly!

But the CPRM has taken a different view on the ensuing Assembly polls in West Bengal. It does not want to take part in the polls mainly because its party chief RB Rai feels that the whole thing is a “drama” to hoodwink the people into believing that party candidates are fighting for Gorkhaland.

“Elections will only be a drama and the CPRM does not want to participate in the polls,” said Rai.

Rai’s party has gone one step further. It has decided the people not to cast their votes to register their protest. CPRM believes that while Subash Ghising’s GNLF’s main issue for the polls is the 6^th Schedule the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is all set to settle for an interim set-up after the polls. Other parties contesting the polls such as the CPM and TMC are against division of Bengal.

CPRM opted to stay out of the polls after its attempts to field “consensus” candidates for the polls failed.

C K’s Gorkha Forum to campaign for Congress in Assembly polls in Assam, WB

Kalimpong, April 5: Former Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh Working President CK Shrestha (65), who recently formed his own political outfit, United Gorkha Forum for Congress (UGFC), has urged all Gorkhas in the country to identify themselves with the Congress party.

Shrestha’s move comes on the eve of Assembly elections in Assam and West Bengal, where support of Gorkha voters are vital to both regional and national parties.

In Assam the Congress is trying to come to power for the third time and in Bengal the TMC-Cong combine are making concerted efforts to oust the ruling CPM.

The Forum, based in Guwahati, has CK as its Convenor. According to Shrestha, in 126 Assembly constituencies in Assam the strength of Gorkhas is 16%.

The Forum’s ad-hoc committee has members from Northeast, including Sikkim and Kalimpong.

Ruling party calls for two-day ‘Sikkim Bandh’, holds rallies

Bandh a drama: Opp

Gangtok, April 5: The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) may be delighted on the ‘success’ of its two-day bandh called in the State on April 4-5 but the Opposition is convinced that the bandh was just a “joke” and a “drama” imposed on the people.

While former Minister and dissident Congress leader KN Upreti described the two-day bandh as a “comedy drama” of the SDF, the Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad Party (SHRPP) President AD Subba said the bandh was “unfortunate” and “embarrassing”. Subba said the bandh proved that private companies are not listening to Chief Minister Pawan Chamling to give employment to the locals.

Upreti alleged that after accepting “commission” from private parties and having failed  to sign MoUs with them the ruling party was now calling for a bandh.

Upreti said all along the ruling party has been assuring the youths that their rights are safeguarded by the party. “What has happened now?” Upreti questioned. He added that the ruling party has an absolute majority in the House with all 32 seats in its kitty and calling a two-day bandh against some private parties is a “big joke.”

The Matri Bhumi Suraksha Sangathan (MBSS) Convenor DN Nepal has also labeled the bandh as a “political drama” of the ruling party.

Even the ruling party’s BM Ramudamu, Vice-President of the ruling party’s labour wing, All Sikkim Democratic Labour Front (ASDLF), has reportedly admitted that the State Government failed to sign MoUs with pharmaceuticals major Cipla which has two units in the State.

The Labour Front called for the two-bandh to pressurize private companies and business houses to given employment to Sikkimese youths.

Most locals agreed with Opposition leaders in calling the bandh a drama. “The bandh proves that the ruling party, which has been in power for over 16 years, has failed the people,” said an observer.

One peculiar aspect of the bandh was that it was an opportunity for the ruling party to hold rallies all over the State on numerous issues. This is something new in the country as a whole.

Sikkimese pay rich tribute to Chogyal’s ‘outstanding and uncompromising’ contribution to Sikkim

Gangtok, April 5: Paying rich tribute to the late 12^th Chogyal (king) of Sikkim, Palden Thondup Namgyal, on his official-birthday-cum-coronation anniversary the indigenous Bhutias and Lepchas of the former kingdom acknowledged the Chogyal’s “outstanding and uncompromising” stand on Sikkim and Sikkimese.

Despite facing “overwhelming odds” for the “rights of the Sikkimese people” the former Chogyal, who died in January 1982 after losing his kingdom to its protecting power in 1975, followed by the sudden ‘death’ of his eldest son (Prince Tenzing) in 1978, and finally divorcing his American wife, stuck to his principled stand till the very end, stated a press release by Sikkim Bhutia-Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) Convenor and former Minister, Tseten Tashi Bhutia.

The statement by the apex body of the minority Bhutia-Lepcha tribals was made on the occasion of the “official” birthday and coronation anniversary of the late Chogyal, which falls on April 4. The Chogyal, who was born on May 23, 1923, was crowned 12^th Chogyal of Sikkim on April 4, 1965 after the death of his father, Sir Tashi Namgyal, who passed away in December 1963.

The organization was unable to observe its proposed function to celebrate the occasion at the Namgyal Park near the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (NIT) located below the capital on April 4 this week as the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front had called for a two-day Sikkim bandh on April 4-5, the release said.

Describing the Chogyal as “Father of Democracy”, SIBLAC said the late Chogyal will  “always be held in the highest of esteem by the Sikkimese people for the principles he endeavored single-handed in his keen quest to ensure the pride and rights of the Sikkimese people.”

Recalling the Sikkim Legislative Assembly’s historic obituary reference made on the Chogyal, SIBLAC said, “posterity and his descendants would always hold their head high for the entire outstanding and uncompromising stand he took against the overwhelming odds during his whole lifetime.”

SIBLAC also appealed to the Indian Government and politicians to abide by the commitment made to the Sikkimese people in the historic May 8^th Tripartite Agreement of 1973 signed by the Chogyal, Government of India and leaders of three major political parties in Sikkim representing the three ethnic communities of Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese.

Sikkimese to finally witness Satyajit Ray’s Sikkim on April 6

Yangchen Namgyal

After waiting for four decades, two bans and a two-day ‘Sikkim Bandh’ Satyajit Ray’s Sikkim, a controversial 52-minute documentary made in 1971, will be screened in Gangtok (Sikkim)  for the first time at the Vajra cinema hall on April 6.

The film was to be screened on April 4, to coincide with Palden Thondup Namgyal, the 12^th Chogyal’s (king) 46^th anniversary of his coronation. However, due to the two-day Sikkim bandh called by the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front’s labour wing the screening of the film was, unfortunately, postponed to April 6.

The consecration of Palden Thondup Namgyal as the 12^th Chogyal took place at the Tsuklakhang Monastery, the royal chapel, on April 4, 1965 less than two years after the demise of his father, Chogyal Tashi Namgyal, who passed away peacefully in December 1963.

The Chogyal’s marriage to Hope Cooke (an American), a rare treat for the global media, took place in Gangtok on March 1963.

The late Chogyal, during whose term as king Sikkim was absorbed into the Indian Union in 1975, was actually born on May 23, 1923 and not on April 4 as reported by the media.

Commissioned by the Chogyal in the late 1960s, the documentary was first banned by the Chogyal and then the  Indian Government when the Himalayan kingdom merged with India in April 1975.

“Baba was also taken aback when the Indian government decided to ban Sikkim because it highlighted the monarchy. Baba had always maintained that what the documentary showed was part of history,” says Ray’s filmmaker son Sandip.

“The king and the queen of Sikkim had objected to a very interesting scene showing a royal feast. The queen Hope Cooke said it was ‘wicked’. So Baba had to cut a few shots but he was not happy with it at all. He had never faced such a situation before,” recalled Sandip.

A print that the Satyajit Ray Society retrieved from the Chogyal’s family was damaged beyond repair. Finally, a print that had made its way to London was traced and restored by the Academy of Motion Picture.

 A print of the film was discovered in the archives of the British Film Academy in 2003, which is being restored digitally, according to  Josef Lindner, preservationist with the US Academy of Motion Pictures, whose major restoration projects include 'The Sound of Music,' and 'Patton.’

Sandip saw the restored copy a few years back at the Nantes Three Continents Film Festival in France.

“Baba had been to this festival before, and shooting the documentary had been very difficult for him. We had gone to places like Lachen (north Sikkim) where it was very difficult to travel at that time. There was no electricity and we would work at night in candlelight. But despite the cuts, I think Sikkim would still be a very interesting documentary to see,” Sandip said.

Sikkim was recently screened at the Kolkata Film Festival, but none of the screenings were "officially recognized", said Art & Culture Trust (ACT)’s managing trustee Ugyen Chopel, a renowned Sikkimese filmmaker. The ACT now has exclusive rights over the film.

The much-awaited premiere is likely to be attended not only by Sikkim Governor Balmiki Prasad Singh, and Mumbai-based actor-director Tinu Anand, who had assisted Ray in the film, but by the public at large.