Himalayan Guardian Aug 31, 2011

Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai is Nepal’s new PM

FOREIGN POLICY TO BE BASED ON ‘PANCHASHEEL’

RP Sharma

Kathmandu, Aug 30: Nepal’s newly-elected Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, a senior Maoist leader, is likely to follow a policy of maintaining equidistance between its two giants – India and China.

An alumnus of New Delhi’s Jawaharlal’s Nehru University (JNU), however, said the former Himalayan kingdom’s relations with India should be based on principles enunciated in the ‘Panchasheel’, which stressed on mutual respect of territorial integrity and sovereignty of the countries in the region, including India and China.

Nepal participated in the Asian-African Conference held in Bandung in Indonesia in 1955, which laid emphasis on the five principles of peaceful coexistence also known as Panchasheel.

“We should also maintain balanced relations with both the neighbours (India and China) and that should be based on theory of Panchasheel,” Bhattarai said after being elected Prime Minister on Sunday.

 “This is the last opportunity,” Bhattarai told the Parliament before the vote on Sunday. “I am determined to complete the peace process and constitution drafting.”

Ending two weeks of uncertainty,  Bhattarai (57), vice chairman of Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and former finance minister

defeated his Nepali Congress rival Ram Chandra Poudel by a margin of 105 votes.

Bhattarai secured support of 340 members of the 594-member parliament.

Bhattarai’s victory became certain prior to voting as United Democratic Madeshi Forum (UDMF), the conglomeration of five Madhesi parties with 71 seats, announced its support to the Maoist leader.

Leaders of UDMF decided on extending support after Maoists agreed to a four point deal that included details on integration and rehabilitation of former Maoist combatants and making Nepal Army more inclusive. 

Bhattarai’s election follows resignation of his predecessor Jhalanath Khanal on August 15 to make way for a national consensus government. But since parties failed to arrive at consensus on government formation, the prime minister was elected through majority vote in parliament.

An alumnus of Delhi School of Planning and Architecture and Jawaharlal Nehru University, election of the farmer’s son from Gorkha to the top post is expected to speed up the stalled peace and constitution drafting processes.

GTA Bill likely to be tabled in Assembly this week

C. Tamang

Darjeeling, Aug 30: The much-awaited legislation to set up the the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in Darjeeling is likely to be tabled in the West Bengal Assembly later this week.

Sources said according to the government’s chief whip Sobhondeb Chattopadhaya the GTA Bill is likely to be tabled in the Assembly on September 2.

“We have a plan to table the GTA bill on September 2,” he told a national daily. He said after the Assembly passes the Bill it will be sent to the standing committee for a review.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has kept the hill affairs portfolio with her, is expected to table the GTA in the House anytime this week.

Gorkha Janmukti Morchas President Bimal Gurung has urged the authorities to expedite the formation of the GTA to enable development works to take place in the hills at the earliest.

Sub-SAARC group in the offing

Rethinking on regional cooperation

Himalayan News Network

New Delhi, Aug 30: Formation of a sub-SAARC group consisting India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan is likely to take place soon.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to discuss the sub-regional proposal on trade with Sheikh Hasina during his visit to Dhaka next month.

“There is rethinking on the whole paradigm of regional cooperation,” a Bangladesh official who recently visited Dehi said.

“We are within Saarc and ultimately want that forum to succeed, but we are now also working to take forward a sub-regional trade movement. This looks promising and could move at a much faster pace,” Bangladesh commerce minister Farouk Khan said.

South Asian free trade has been affected by the relations between India and Pakistan. The latter refuses to give India the most favoured nation status, while India views all investment proposals from Pakistan with suspicion.

However, trade among India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are on a more even keel. India allows Nepal and Bhutan duty free access to its market for all their manufactured goods and allows duty free transit of any imports from these countries.

 “We want to cash in on the relationship between these four nations… Trade will be in goods, services and in energy resources,” Khan said. Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, Tariq Karim, is on a visit to Bhutan to take the move to forge a sub-regional trade movement forward.

Bangladesh wants a sub-regional pact for road and rail connectivity, electric grid and water resources management with India, Nepal and Bhutan.

Ranjan Mathai, the newly appointed India’s foreign secretary, is scheduled to arrive Nepal in the third week of September next month, reports said.

 “The challenges were dealing with our foreign policy and its outreach through diplomacy in a holistic way, which takes care of our political and strategic interests, combines the economic and commercial interests of the country, and keeps in mind also the cultural image of the country and the way in which we portray ourselves in the world,” Mathai said while briefing the media.

Bhutan-Singapore air links soon

T. Dem

Thimphu, Aug 30: Bhutan and Singapore will establish an air services agreement (ASA) next week, according to the department of civil aviation (DCA).

The agreement will allow national airline, Drukair and upcoming private airline, Tashi Air, the rights to fly to Singapore. A civil aviation team from Singapore will arrive in the country to work out technical details of the ASA, prior to a final agreement.

Drukair plans to operate to Singapore twice a week from March next year, according to the airline's commercial manager, Tshering Penjor. But he said that this would also depend on when Drukair is able to acquire a third airbus jet. Drukair will also have the rights to operate to Singapore through Kolkata, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A representative for Tashi Air said that its international destinations will only be worked out once the airline's domestic obligations are fulfilled. The private airline's aircraft is expected to arrive in the first week of October.

Tibetan monks to be tried for ‘murder’

Himalayan News Network

Beijing, Aug 30: Three monks in a Tibetan region of China will go on trial for murder next week over the death by self-immolation of another monk in March, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

The three have been charged with “plotting, instigating and assisting in” the death of their fellow monk at the Kirti Tibetan Buddhist monastery, Xinhua quoted the Maerkang County People’s Court as saying in a statement.

A fourth monk has also been accused of moving and hiding Phuntsog, the man who had set himself alight – thus preventing emergency treatment and leading to his death, it said.

The young monk set himself on fire on March 16, the third anniversary of anti-government rioting in Lhasa. His death triggered protests, prompting a clampdown by authorities around the monastery in Sichuan province.

But the New York-based International Campaign for Tibet said that the monks had rescued Phuntsog from police, who had begun beating him after extinguishing the flames, and took him to the monastery before returning him to hospital.

Phuntsog was the second monk at Kirti to set himself on fire since the anti-Chinese riots in Lhasa of March 2008, the bloodiest in Tibet in 20 years.

According to the London-based Free Tibet rights group, citing local contacts, that monk was heard to shout just before setting himself alight, “We Tibetan people want freedom", “Long live the Dalai Lama” and “Let the Dalai Lama return to Tibet”.

Many Tibetans in China are angry about what they view as increasing domination by China’s majority Han ethnic group, and accuse the government of trying to dilute their culture.

Beijing removes hardline Chinese official from Tibet

Lhasa, Aug 30: Hardline Chinese official Zhang Qingli (60) known for his tough stance against the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has been removed from his post as Communist Party chief of restive Tibet and moved to Heibei, a Catholic-inhabited province near Beijing.

Zhang was in charge of Tibet in 2008 when protests in Lhasa gave way to deadly riots that rippled across other ethnic Tibetan areas. After the protests, he called the Dalai Lama a “jackal in Buddhist monk’s robes.”

Nepal’s apex court extends Parliament deadline

RP Sharma

Kathmandu, Aug 30:  Nepal's top court has upheld the Communist-led government''s decision to amend the interim constitution to extending the term of parliament by three months on May 29 which expires on August 31.

The Supreme Court's five-member special bench of Chief Justice Khil Raj issued the ruling, citing the doctrine of necessity, according to court sources, PTI reported.

The apex court scrapped a writ petition challenging the decision of parliamemt to extend its term for three months.

Last time the term of the parliament was extended for three months that will expire on August 31 if Parliament fails to endorse the bill.

Uttarakhand Gorkhas in OBC list

Himalayan News Network

Dehradun, Aug 30: The Gorkhas of Uttarakhand have enlisted in the Central list of OBCs, according to a Government of India (GoI) notification dated June 16, 2011.

However, Bahuns and Chettris (Brahmins and Kshatriya), who belong to the Gorkha community have not been included in the OBC (Other Backward Classes) list.

Castes/ communities are ordinarily included in the Central List of OBCs on the advice of National Commission for Backward Classes. No advice for inclusion of Brahmins and Khatris under Gorkha community for Uttarakhand has been received, according to reports.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri D. Napoleon in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha. (PIB)

Buddhist community in Darjeeling becoming more assertive

C. Tamang

Darjeeling, Aug 30: The Buddhist community in Darjeeling hills have demanded Minority Concentrated District (MCD) status for speedy development of the region.

The All Buddhist Minority Welfare Association President MS Bomzon claims that the population of religious minorities in Darjeeling which include Buddhists, Muslims and Christians is around 40 per cent.

“The state government has come up with a policy to declare a particular district Minority Concentrated District (MCD) if the minorities form 25-30 per cent of the population. But the same status has not been extended to Darjeeling district despite its higher concentration of minorities,” said Bomzon.

Majority of Buddhists in the hills come from Bhutia, Tamang, Lepcha, Tibetan, Sherpa and Gurung communities.

 “The government has accorded this status where the concentration of Muslim population is high. They have conveniently forgotten us,” said Bomzon. “An MCD status would entail benefits for construction of houses and stipends for education to minority members, among others.”

The Association has also demanded declaration of Buddha Purnima (Buddha’s birthday) as a government holiday and inclusion of one member from the Buddhist community from Darjeeling in the State Government’s Minority Commission.

R Moktan, an influential member of the Tamang community in Kalimpong, said the minority Buddhists in Darjeeling may also demand seat reservation in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) for protection of their political rights, preservation of their cultural heritage and economic development.

Sikkim Bhutia-Lepchas support Darjeeling Lepcha agitation

Himalayan News Network

Gangtok, Aug 30: The minority indigenous Bhutia-Lepcha tribals in Sikkim have supported the Lepchas of Darjeeling for their demand for setting up of Lepcha Development Council.

The Sikkim Bhutia-Lepcha Apex Community (SIBLAC), an umbrella organization of the Bhutia-Lepchas of Sikkim, who ruled the former Buddhist kingdom for more than  eight hundred years, during a meeting held here recently urged both the Centre and West Bengal Government to respond positively to the demand for a development body raised by the Lepcha Right Movement (LRM).

“The current movement of the Lepchas is not only the cry of this particular community, but a reflection of oppression of all the oppressed class of the society,” a SIBLAC press release said.

The Sikkim Lepcha Youth Association – SLYA (Renjyong Mutanchi Rong Ong Shejum ) has also lent their moral support to the LRM. Association President Ongden Tshering Lepcha during a meeting of the organsiation here last week said the demand for formation of Lepcha Development Council in Darjeeling genuine and as per the constitution.

While stating that the Lepchas are the original inhabitants of Darjeeling, Lepcha said fulfillment of the demand would not affect other communities in the hills.

Darjeeling Lepchas have been holding rallies in Kolkata since August 9 to press their demand.

Bhupendra Lepcha, convener of the LRM, said: “We have also lined up a series of agitation.”

“We will also start a mass indefinite hunger strike from September 19 in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Mirik, Siliguri, Calcutta and Delhi,” said the LRM chief. Road and rail blockades and civil disobedience are part of the indefinite strike.

The LRM also has the support of the Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association (ILTA), which has been in the forefront of espousing the community’s cause.

The Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Forum, which is the political arm of the ILTA, had earlier demanded reservation of seats for the community in the Gorkha Territorial Administration to ensure that they remained an integral part of the political system in their homeland.

Editorial

MINORITY RIGHTS

A Better Deal For Lepchas

The indigenous Lepchas of Darjeeling are now becoming more assertive and demanding a better deal from the State Government. Having been neglected for more than three decades by the Left Front Government in West Bengal the Lepchas, who consider themselves as the original inhabitants of Sikkim and Darjeeling, are hopeful that the Mamata Government would be more responsive to their plea which is for accelerated economic development for their community. The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) also needs to take a serious view of the educational and economic backwardness of this hill tribe and empower them politically and economically. The Lepchas themselves must rise from their slumber and actively participate in the democratic process.

While their brethrens are agitating in the heat in Kolkata for protection of their cultural, political and economic rights it is but natural for Sikkimese Bhutia-Lepchas to lend their support to the agitators. For centuries prior to the British intervention in Darjeeling in latter part of the 19thcentury the Lepchas and Bhutias of Sikkimese origin have been living amicably in undivided Sikkim, which include Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. During the anti-Teesta hydro power agitation in Dzongu in northern Sikkim a few years back the Lepchas of Kalimpong lent active support to the anti-mega dam activists in Sikkim. In a democracy while the majority rules the minority must be protected. The minority Lepchas in Darjeeling, being the original inhabitants of that place, must be allowed to live with respect and dignity in the land of their origin.

Protect Gorkha identity, Dewan tells BGP

Balidan Diwas observed in Sikkim

By A Staff Reporter

Gangtok, Aug 30: Former secretary CP Dewan said the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP)’s main objective is to protect and preserve the identity of Gorkha community in the country and urged everyone to make the non-political organization strong.

Speaking at the 68th Balidan Diwas organized here recently by the BGP’s Sikkim unit, Dewan, who was the chief guest said, “We have to respect the contribution of martyrs who made their sacrifice so that India is free from the British rule.”

Sikkim BGP chief Kamal Gurung while addressing the gathering said there were still many Gorkha martyrs whose sacrifices for the country are not recognized and it is organisations such as the BGP which must record their contributions in history books.

Senior journalist Bijay Bantawa while presenting a seminar paper on contribution of Gorkha community to the nation said the BGP should always provide the right direction to the Gorkha community in the country. Bantawa said Major Durga Malla, a freedom fighter had sacrificed his life for India’s freedom.

Sikkim BGP secretary Prabin Khaling, in his address, said that the Parisangh has mannaged to trace out the ancestral home of Indian freedom fighter from Sikkim, Helen Lepha who was known as Sabitri Devi during her participation in the national movement.

"Her ancestral home has been traced out in South Sikkim and we have requested the state government to name the Namchi Central Park as Sabitri Devi park.We have received positive response from the government," said Khaling.

Migrants outnumber tribals in Manipur:Report

Himalayan News Network

Imphal, Aug 30:  Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh on Friday said the government will urge the Centre to re-introduce the Inner Line Permit(ILP) system or Inner Line (IL) Regulation in the State once the Cabinet takes a decision in this regard.

“Let the Cabinet first take a decision so that the government can urge the Centre,” said Ibobi while clarifying on a private members’ resolution by N Mangi on the re-introduction of ILP system in the State, a local daily reported.

Ibobi also expressed the need to take certain precautionary measures to monitor influx in the State, particularly in the border town of Moreh. Opposition leader Radhabinod Koijam said there will be a demographic and social change if the government fails to regulate the influx in the State.

“Every village in my constituency has a Myanmarese. They settle here after their marriage with the local girls,” Opposition MLA Morung Makunga, who wished to have a regulatory system in the State to monitor entry of migrants, said.

Makunga, who represents Tengnoupal constituency in Manipur’s Chandel district bordering Myanmar, claimed that the total number of voters in his constituency has been surprisingly risen from 21,000 to 40,000.

According to a report compiled by United Committee Manipur ‘Influx of Migrants into Manipur’, the number of migrants (7,04,488) outnumbered the State’s indigenous tribal population (6,70,782) while the majority indigenous Meetei was just 9,18,626 (2001 census).

Another opposition MLA RK Anand said the situation took a grim turn when the ILP system was removed from the State in November 1950. Since then, the number of migrants has increased at a rapid rate. Presently ILP Regulation was in force in three NE States – Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.

Stapled visa issue not to hinder Indo-China relations: China

Bangalore, Aug 30: China says the issue of stapled visas will not come in the way of Indo-China relations.

"This issue (stapled visas) does not hinder our cooperation. Our cooperation is going on very well," said Zhang Yan, the Chinese Ambassador to India.

He said India and China are discussing ways to find a solution regarding Beijing's policy to issue stapled visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, PTI reported.

"This is the issue being discussed between the two governments. So, that means the two governments are working on it. So, once we have the solution, you will know. We are working on that," Zhang told PTI.

He replied in the affirmative when asked if India and China are "working" to review this policy, which has emerged as a sticky issue between the two countries.

 “Our cooperation is going on very well” and the stapled visa issue “does not hinder our cooperation,” the Chinese Ambassador said.

India had last month expressed unhappiness over the issuance of stapled visas by China to five sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh with government sources, saying, "We are still searching for a de-stapler."

The Chinese Embassy had issued stapled visas to five karate players from Arunachal Pradesh preventing them from taking part in an international championship in China.

China started issuing stapled visas to people from Jammu and Kashmir from 2008.

INTERVIEW/Akhil Gogoi

“Anna is the movement that has mass support”

Akhil Gogoi, an RTI activist from Assam, has been part of activist Anna Hazare's inner circle since the last two years. In an interview with rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore, he explains how the core members of Team Anna swung into action and carried the movement forward when Hazare and his aides Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia were arrested by the Delhi  police on August 16. Akhil is one of the 22 members who form the core group of Team Anna.

Question: The movement not only moved ahead but blossomed after Anna Hazare's arrest. How did that happen?

Answer: Anna doesn't work for the propagation of the movement. He is the movement. There are 22 members in the core committee who swung into action once Annaji and others were arrested. This core team communicates with the media and it is this team that ran the movement from behind the scenes after Anna's arrest.

Q: What did you actually do? Could you tell us the sequence of steps you undertook to take the movement forward?

A: Firstly, we contacted the various mass movements in progress across the country and asked them to lend us their support. Then the core committee took a policy decision to methodically implement our plan of action in Annaji's, Arvindji's, Kiranji's and Manish's absence. All the decision-making power was then in the hands of the core committee.

Q: India Against Corruption volunteers are collecting donations from the people who have gathered here. How much money do you think you will collect in the next few days?

A: The collection is on in full swing now. In the next few days, I think we should be able to collect at least Rs 1 crore from all over the country.

Q: The IAC's website lists out the expenses and collection statement only till April 13, 2011. By when do you think will you be able to give the public the full picture of your expense and collection statement?

A: I think within a week of the successful completion of this movement against corruption we should be able to update our website with (information about) all the money collected and how and where we spent it during the agitation.

The mighty Sikkimese sniper calls it a day

“Bhaichung is God’s gift to Indian football.”

It doesn’t matter whether Bhaichung Bhutia is a media creation or not. He will, however, remain the face of Indian football for a long time to come.

The poster-boy of Indian football brought the curtain down on his decorated career after being bothered by a recurring calf-muscle injury for the last nine months.

Being the only player to score a century of appearances in national colours (43 goals from 109 matches), Bhutia is at peace with himself. “I gave my all on the field and enjoyed every moment of it. I would like to be remembered just as a footballer,” said the Sikkim striker, who went on to become the youngest Indian goal-scorer in 1995.

The Arjuna and Padma Shri awardee played a vital role in placing India on the world map. In another of India’s firsts, Bhutia signed a three-year deal with Bury FC in 1999 to become the first player to ply his trade in professional football.

Bhutia’s erstwhile striking partner and another rare breed belonging to great Indian strikers — IM Vijayan — had once famously said: “Baichung is God’s gift to Indian football.” The previous national coach Bob Houghton went as far as comparing the footballer to ‘God of cricket’ Sachin Tendulkar. Such was Bhutia’s impact on the beautiful game.

The former Indian captain’s glittering 16-year career, however, was not short of controversies. Once, he refused to carry the Olympic torch for the 2008 Beijing Games in support of the Tibetan movement. On another occasion, he preferred a TV reality show ahead of an I-League club for Mohun Bagan.

In addition, he had not always seen eye to eye with the AIFF. But former Indian coach Syed Nayeemuddin’s caustic remark on the Indian talisman being a traitor was reckless to say the least.

Bhutia’s partners in his heyday have hailed the contributions of the ‘little mighty Sikkimese Sniper’. (Deccan Chronicle)