GORKHALAND TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION

SIKKIM OBSERVER    July 16, 2011

GORKHALAND

 TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION

Tripartite pact to be signed on July 18

Darjeeling, July 15:The long-standing impasse in the Darjeeling Hills is heading towards a resolution on Monday (July 18) when the Centre, the West Bengal government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) will sign a tripartite agreement for the

formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

This autonomous authority for the Darjeeling Hills will replace the existing Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. The agreement will be signed in presence of Union home minister P. Chidambaram and chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Pintel village near Sukna, instead of Darjeeling town — which was Ms Banerjee’s original plan, due to rains and inclement weather.

Announcing this on Friday, the chief minister said: “The tripartite agreement will be signed on July 18. The Union home minister will come for this. Due to the bad weather, three-hour long journey to Darjeeling may not be possible, the agreement will be signed at Sukna, which also falls under the jurisdiction of Darjeeling. I have asked the chief secretary to also invite the Leader of the Opposition for the programme.”

Notable among those who will be present during the function are Darjeeling Lok Sabha MP Jaswant Singh and the Morcha’s three MLAs – Trilok Dewan, Harka Bahadur Chhetri and Rohit Sharma. William Chapramari, the Morcha-backed independent MLA from Kalchini will also be present during the occasion, Morcha General Secretary Roshan Giri said.

Referring to anti-Gorkhaland agitations in the plains of North Bengal, Mamata said, “Don’t attach much importance to nomenclature. It is nothing more than just few words. Some mischievous people are trying to play politics with this.”

However, Giri said, “We are happy with the inclusion of ‘Gorkhaland’ in the name of the new hill council.”

The bandh called by several organisations in North Bengal this week is aimed at opposing the use of the word ‘Gorkhaland’ in the new administrative set-up and likely inclusion of Gorkha-dominated areas in the Dooars in the GTA.

Sikkim Liberation Party calls for regional parties’ meet on common front

Observer News Service

Gangtok, July 15: In its first major move to unite the Sikkimese under one banner to fight against vested interests in the State the recently-formed Sikkim Liberation Party (SLP) has called for a meeting of regional political parties and social organisations here on Sunday.

Notable among those invited for this crucial meet to form a common platform of pro-Sikkim-Sikkimese forces in the State are Sikkim National People’s Party (SNPP), Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad Party (SHRPP), Sikkim Bhutia-Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) and All Sikkim Self-Employed and Unemployed Association.

The Sikkim United (SU), a new political outfit floated by some intellectuals in 2008, which has also been invited for the meet, will not participate in the deliberations.

In a letter to SLP chief Duk Nath Nepal, a representative of the SU said the organization is “non-existent” and cannot take part in Sunday’s meeting.

Nepal, who played a significant role in backing pro-democracy forces in early 1990s led by Pawan Chamling, says people are disenchanted with the present dispensation and are looking for “change”.

“If like-minded people come together we can fulfill the aspirations of the people,” Nepal told Sikkim Observer.

‘SU’ CONTROVERSY

I’m clean, Lama tells Rai

By A Staff Reporter

Gangtok, July 15: Reacting to Lok Sabha MP PD Rai’s allegations against him, Sikkim University Vice-Chancellor Mahendra P Lama said he was clean and that his institution’s functioning was open for public scrutiny.

Lama said the Sikkim University is a “non-political national institution” established to transform the quality of higher education in the State.

The university functions in a transparent manner and as per the norms laid down by a Act of the Parliament, Lama said while adding that the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front’s allegations against him was “unfortunate, regrettable and malicious.”

Rai and former Lok Sabha MP and SDF spokesperson last week not only accused Lama of being inefficient, political and uncooperative but also alleged that he was the “root cause” of all problems faced by the university.

Stop interfering in SU affairs, Upreti tells SDF

Observer News Service

Gangtok, July 15: Former Education Minister and senior Congress leader KN Upreti has urged the State Government and ruling Sikkim Democratic Front not to interfere in the functioning of the Sikkim University and allow it to function independently.

Lending his voice to the SU land acquisition controversy, Upreti, while reacting to press statements made by ruling party MP PD Rai on the issue, said in a press statement that delay in land acquisition of the SU at Yangang, south Sikkim, is due to “ego clash” between Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and SU Vice-Chancellor Mahendra P. Lama.

Referring to Rai’s statement that only “sycophants” would be made SU VC, Upreti said such remarks were “distasteful” and “irresponsible.”

The Congress leader said the ruling elite cannot “dictate terms” to the SU and “interfere in its administration every now and then.”

Central universities such as the SU should be “allowed to function independently and their independent character should not be diluted,” Upreti said.

The former minister also revealed that establishment of a Central University in the State was initiated when he was the Education (now HRD) Minister during the NB Bhandari-led Sikkim Sangram Parishad government (1985-1994)

Prince Charmling woos reluctant Bhandari

Jigme N Kazi

Gangtok, July 15: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s gracious gestures towards his arch political rival, former chief minister and chief of the Congress unit in the State, Nar Bahadur Bhandari, will certainly lead to many speculations.

During a function on Bhanu Jayanti celebrations in Geyzing, west district, on Wednesday, Chamling openly acknowledged Bhandari’s contribution towards inclusion of Nepali language in the 8^th schedule of the Constitution of India.

For Chamling to give credit to Bhandari for constitutional recognition of Nepali language on an important day for Nepalese in general makes one, particularly the critics of both men, very suspicious of the real motive behind the act.

Some would be led to believe that Chamling was being large-hearted and magnanimous on a historic day when Nepalese all over the world remember the contribution made by Bhanubhakta Acharya towards development of Nepali language and literature.

But when Chamling goes even further and openly expresses his desire during the public function to name the Degree College at Tadong, below Gangtok, as Nar Bahadur Bhandari College then those who are suspicious and speculative have some basis to feel doubtful about Chamling’s growing softness towards Bhandari or vice-versa.

“If Bhandari gives his consent we will name the college after him,” said Chamling in his public address during the function.

Those who witnessed the two together at the opening of the Mayfair Resort near Gangtok two years back in June 2009 say that the two were actually having a political affair at the resort which once was Bhandari’s residence.

Dissidents within Bhandari’s Congress party openly point out that the former chief minister is going soft on the present chief minister on the corruption issue. They say the CBI investigation on corruption charges against Chamling & Co, initiated by Congress leaders, is given a quiet burial by Bhandari & Co.

All said and done Chamling still considers Bhandari to be his main rival. The Congress chief is shrewd enough to realize that if he gets flawed by Chamling’s constant wooing he would be committing political suicide. At best he can extract maximum advantage from Chamling’s overtures without tarnishing his own image. But is he capable of doing this?

Editorial

BHANUBHAKTA  ACHARYA

Pen Mightier Than Sword

Nepalese owe much to the ruling Shah Dynasty of Nepal for unifying the country into one political entity in 1769. However, Nepal’s influence in the region began to wane at the time of British intervention in Himalayan affairs in the beginning of the 19^th century. The Anglo-Nepalese war in 1814 led to the signing of the Treaty of Segauli in 1816, which resulted in loss of much of Nepal’s territory acquired during the Shah dynasty. During the 104 years’ rule of the Ranas, which began three decades after the Treaty, the kings of the Shah dynasty were reduced to being titular heads. Even when the anti-Rana movement in Nepal succeeded in installing King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah to the throne in 1950-51 the monarch remained a figurehead as the popular demand of the people favoured democracy. Nepal’s experiment with constitutional monarchy ended in May 2008 when the Maoist communist-dominated Parliament put an end to the 240-year-old Shah Dynasty founded by Nepal’s first king Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1769.

     Inspired by the simple act of a grass-cutter, Bhanubhakta, regarded as Nepal’s first poet, firmly resolved to do something worthwhile with his life. “My life is worthless if the memory of my existence fades away,” he said in one of his poems. His devotion and determination to do something real and lasting for the people led him to translate the great epic Ramayana from Sanskrit into Nepali language. Born to a Brahmin family in 1814 in Tanahu district in Nepal, Bhanubhakta received an excellent home education with a strong leaning towards Hinduism from his grandfather. Till Bhanubhakta appeared in Nepal’s literary landscape Sanskrit dominated most of the written texts of South Asia and its influence was particularly strong in Nepal. Brahmins were the teachers, scholars and priests of the society by virtue of their caste and education. Their education was Sanskrit-oriented since most religious texts of the Hindu religion were in that language.    

    Through the Nepali version of the Ramayana the poet Bhanubhakta killed two birds with one stone; he not only introduced Hinduism to the common man but also successfully unified the Nepalese, many of whom had their own dialects and practised shamanism, as one social entity. Those who read the Ramayana in Nepali graduated to studying other holy scriptures of Hinduism - "Upanishads" and "Vedas." Thus Nepali language and the Hindu religion aided the ruling class in Nepal to build a solid foundation of Nepalese identity and unity. The Shah Dynasty in Nepal, which founded the Hindu Kingdom and expanded its territory through the power of the sword, is no more; nevertheless, the might of Bhanubhakta Acharya’s pen will live on and on.