Thursday, November 3, 2011



Himalayan Guardian Nov 2, 2011  
LONG LIFE INITIATION BY SAKYA TRIZIN AT NGOR GOMPA TODAY
Himalayan News Network
Gangtok, Nov 1: His Holiness the Sakya Trizin, the 41st throneholder of the Sakya lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, will bestow Long Life initiation (tsewang) to the general public at Ngor Gompa tomorrow (Nov 2).
His Holiness, who arrived here last month for the 50th anniversary of the founding of Ngor Gompa in Sikkim, will begin the tsewang ceremony at 2 p.m. tomorrow, according to Kunga Y. Hotchotsang, Director of Sagnor Chotsog Centre (Ngor Gompa).
During his stay in the State, the Sakya Trizin, along with Gyalyum Chenmo and His Eminence Luding Khen Rinpoche visited south Sikkim. He also performed a fire puja at Ngor Gompa for the recent earthquake victims.
His Holiness spent much of his time here giving teachings and empowerment on Vajrayogini, which was participated by lamas, foreigners and selected lay people.
His eldest son, His Eminence Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, bestowed Vajrapani-Hayagriva-Garuda  (“Tak-Chak-Kyung Sum”) initiation to the public at Ngor Gompa on Sunday.
His Holiness will leave the State on November 4.
Bhutan king’s book released
Hill Media Network
New Delhi, Nov 1: A collection of photographs capturing the essence of Bhutan, its people, wildlife, monasteries and little-known everyday life, clicked personally by its king was launched by its new queen here on Monday.
The coffee-table book Bhutan: Through the lens of the King comprises over 160 pictures, include a stunning photograph of Jetsun Pema Wangchuk, taken by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck before she became his queen.
"All the photos in the book reveal his majesty's love, respect and affinity with his people...," said Pavan K Varma Indian ambassador to Bhutan who has written an introduction to the book.
Moderate earthquakes in China’s western region
Himalayan News Network
Beijing, Nov 1: Two moderate earthquakes this morning shook China's northwest and southwest regions.
The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude-6.0 earthquake hit China's Xinjiang region about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the city of Yining at 8:20 a.m. today, while the other quake struck the region bordering Sichuan and Gansu provinces at 6 a.m. at a magnitude of 5.5.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. The earthquake in Xinjiang occurred at a depth of 17 miles (27 kilometers), while the other temor was 10 miles (16 kilometers) deep.
China's worst quake in recent years was a 7.9-magnitude quake in Sichuan province in May 2008. It left nearly 90,000 people dead.
Change repressive policy, Dalai Lama tells China
Himalayan News Network
Dharamsala, Nov 1: The Dalai Lama has blamed China's "ruthless and illogical" policy towards Tibet for the recent deaths of monks who set themselves on fire in protest against Beijing's rule.
The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader also called on the Chinese government to change its repressive policies in Tibet, which include a crackdown on monasteries and the Tibetan language.
"For their own interest, not just the interest for certain sort of problem here and there, but for the whole country's sort of future, they have to act [with a] realistic sort of policy," said the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, The Guardian reported.
At least nine Tibetan clerics or former clerics have self-immolated in south-western China over seven months in protest against Chinese rule. Five of them have died of their injuries. Earlier this month a nun became the most recent casualty and the first woman to die.
The Tibetan government-in-exile, which has accused China of an official policy of cracking down on religious institutions, called for the international community to urge Beijing to open a dialogue on its policies in Tibet and traditionally Tibetan regions of western China.
"Actually, the local leader must look what's the real causes of death," the Dalai Lama told reporters in Tokyo during his visit to victims of the tsunami that stuck Japan in March. "It's their own sort of wrong policy, ruthless policy, illogical policy."
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama and his supporters of encouraging the immolations. The practice was unknown among clerics until two years ago, when one monk burnt himself to death in Sichuan province's Aba county, the predominantly Tibetan area in which most of the deaths have taken place.
Amnesty International has said the spate of self-immolations "indicates a new level of desperation" on the part of Tibetans.
Nepal Christians hold protest rally over burial ground
RP Sharma
Kathmandu, Nov 1: Nepal's minority Christian community has threatened to go on a hunger strike unless the government sets aside land for them to bury their dead.
About 1,000 Christians attended the protest in the centre of Kathmandu on Monday, some carrying banners which read "Give us our rights, give us burial grounds".
Pastor Sundar Thapa - who led the protest - said the Christian community wanted the government to provide space in all 75 districts of the country so that "we can bury our dead according to Christian practices".
"If the government listens to our demands, we will [continue] peacefully living in this country and helping this country to develop. But if it doesn't listen, then we will have to come on to the streets in coming days," he said.
Some Christians have warned that if the government does not provide the land, they will even go so far as to parade their dead in front of parliament.
The Supreme Court temporarily lifted the Pashupatinath temple ban, but the dispute continues and Christians have been protesting since it was announced.
Christian leaders have also been demanding that the government formally recognise their status.
Hindus make up the majority of the population in Nepal - Christians comprise about 1.5% of the country's 27 million people.
The community has been trying since February to persuade the authorities to give them designated burial grounds.
At the moment, they say, they are often forced to dig up bodies and find new places to bury them when local communities object to the graves.
But, the BBC's Joanna Jolly says, Christianity is becoming more popular in Nepal, partly because poorer Hindus view it as a way to escape the rigid caste system and better their lives.
Unlike Hindus, who cremate their dead, Christians need designated land for cemeteries and it is this demand that has brought them into conflict with the government.
Despite ongoing meetings with ministers, no land has been given. The community members say sometimes they have to resort to throwing corpses into rivers in secret at night because they do not know what else to do with them.
In March, hundreds of Christians protested in the capital, Kathmandu, demanding designated burial grounds.
In February, they were prevented from burying their dead in the grounds of the Hindu Pashupatinath Temple - which they have done for decades. Temple authorities said that there was no space left for new grave.
'Himalayan Viagra' earns Bhutan's yak herders a fortune
T. Dem
Thimphu, Nov 1: Yak herders in Bhutan are growing rich from trading a rare aphrodisiacal mushroom found only in the high Himalayas.
The herders can earn more in a month from collecting the wild, parasitic Cordyceps sinensis fungus, dubbed "Himalayan Viagra" than they can in a year from yaks, thanks to recent tales of its aphrodisiacal and medical properties.
It sells for as much as $80,000 for 2.2 pounds in Hong Kong after a Chinese running coach credited it with the success of his record-breaking athletes.
With a licensed household collecting as much as 2.2 pounds of the fungus in a season, the archery-loving herders even started importing expensive bows from the U.S.
Dophu Dukpa, a Cordyceps auctioneer, said, "You can see the effects everywhere, in the new clothes and shoes. They are slaughtering far fewer yaks and spend a lot more time on their archery. But instead of the traditional bows, they are importing these fancy bows from the U.S."
Nigel Hywel-Jones, a British mycologist researching whether the trade is sustainable, said, "For one thing, it is very hard to find. It looks like a brown twig in a landscape of brown twigs. Secondly, an area that might be full of Cordyceps one year will have almost none the next. Those cycles, and the fact that pickers always miss a fair proportion, probably allow populations to recover."
The mushroom, which feeds on and then grows out of the body of the ghost moth caterpillar, is the subject of widespread pharmaceutical research.
One possible explanation for its effectiveness is that it contains an acid that closely mirrors one of the constituent elements of DNA.
India-Nepal pact dispute  in Supreme Court
Himalayan News Network
Kathmandu, Nov 1: From being disputed by his own comrades as well as other major political parties, Nepal's Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's "gamble" made during his visit to India this month - the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement - has now landed in court with Nepal's Supreme Court to hear a public interest litigation filed by a senior lawyer, Balkrishna Neupane.
"The court will begin hearing the case from Wednesday," Supreme Court spokesman Hemant Rawal said.
The agreement, signed on Oct 23 by Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Nepal's Minister for Industry Anil Kumar Jha during Bhattarai's maiden official visit abroad after becoming Nepal's prime minister, is a commonplace one for India.
New Delhi has similar pacts with over 70 countries while nearly 10 more are in the process of being ratified. Also, the newly inked pact is yet to be implemented since Nepal and India would first have to complete the exchange of formal diplomatic notes first. Finally, it is not a permanent one but will remain in effect for 10 years, after which it can be scrapped or renewed.
Still, the hawks in Bhattarai's Maoist party, who have been opposing all his decisions as well as agreements with India, are opposing the trade pact, asking for it to be endorsed by parliament first. Though Bhattarai met the leader of the hawks, Mohan Baidya, to persuade him to drop the opposition, Neupane, has now gone to court, asking for the agreement to be scrapped. The veteran lawyer has a formidable reputation for earlier nationalistic PILs, like challenging the inclusion in the republic of India states which once belonged to Nepal.
Besides the legal dispute, the agreement will come into limelight once more on Nov 3 when the Maoist party will hold a meeting of its leaders to discuss this as well as other contentious issues. Nepal's captains of industry however have welcomed the agreement.
Public opinion in favour of revoking AFSPA: Abdullah
L. Verma
Srinagar, Nov 1: Union minister Farooq Abdullah on Monday said there was a "massive" public opinion in favour of revoking the Armed Forces Special Powers Act but maintained that all the stakeholders should discuss the issue and take a collective decision.
"If you see the people's opinion across the country, there is a massive opinion that AFSPA should be revoked," Abdullah, who is also president of ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
Abdullah said he was hopeful that various stakeholders including the Army and government of Jammu and Kashmir will sit together to discuss the issue and take a decision on it.
"If peace has returned to the some areas of the state, this law should go from those areas. If peace has not returned, then it should be declared as such," he said.
The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy said all opinions, including that of the Centre's team of interlocutors, should be taken on board while taking a decision on revocation of AFSPA.
Asked about the demand for rotation of Chief Minister from some leaders in Congress, a coalition partner in the state government, Abdullah said he would not comment on the issue.
"I do not want to create confrontations. We cannot move ahead by confrontationist approach."
The National Conference had said there were some politicains who prosper in chaos. "If there is no chaos, they cannot dip their fingers in honey bowls," the minister added.
Uttarakhand to adopt Jan Lokpal Bill
 Himalayan News Network
New Delhi, Nov 1: Uttarakhand Cabinet is likely to adopt a replica of the Jan Lokpal bill on Saturday, in a clear sign of BJP hitching its wagons to Anna Hazare to be on the right side of voters in the battle of perception.
The State may bring the chief minister under Lokpal's purview and give the ombudsman suo moto powers to lodge corruption cases, search and seizure. Importantly, it could expand the Lokpal selection panel from the troika of CM, leader of opposition and chief justice of high court as is currently the case, to include some eminent citizens, IANS reported.
The changes will tighten the weak ombudsman institution in the hill State and help BJP adopt an anti-graft plank for the coming polls, a radical break from the negative perception about the party which forced it to bring in B C Khanduri in place of Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. Khanduri was reinstated on September 11 when BJP decided on the desperate measure to rescue its sinking ship.
The 'adoption' of Jan Lokpal would be big step in the Hazare-led focus on graft. BJP in Uttarakhand coming up with a legislation mirroring the Jan Lokpal bill to burnish its credentials would be a first of sorts that could have a ripple effect among the jittery political spectrum, with pressure on others to follow suit.
The move could pile pressure on Congress which has begun to work on anti-graft measures with promised deadlines but which has continued to insist on its authorship on these initiatives.
Congress is confident it can defuse Hazare's aggression by enacting the Lokpal bill in the winter session of Parliament. The standing committee is in the final stages of deliberations and may finalise the bill soon.
Bhutan royal couple to visit Lawrence School
N. Bhat
Shimla, Nov 1: Lawrence School, the alma mater of Bhutan's new queen in Himachal Pradesh, has invited the newly-wed royal couple to the school, her former teacher said.
The couple is presently  in India on a nine-day official-cum-honeymoon trip.
"We have invited queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck to visit her alma mater with the king," Neelam Tahlan, who was Jetsun's house mistress while she was in the residential Lawrence School in Kasauli hills, told IANS.
Tahlan, who attended the royal wedding in Bhutan recently, said she spoke to Jetsun on the phone and extended her the invitation on behalf of the school.
"I would love to visit my old school," Jetsun responded.
Pema tied the knot with the 31-year-old king at a colourful Buddhist ceremony at a 17th century monastery in the ancient capital of Punakha Oct 13.
In New Delhi, Bhutan's monarch, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, met President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Jetsun, 10 years younger to the king, did her higher secondary schooling from Lawrence from 2006 to 2008. She completed her Class 12 in March 2008.
Her younger sister Serchen Doma is still studying here.
China military build-up in Ladakh border
Hill Media Network
Ladakh, Nov 1: The Indian army has long voiced concern over the depth and pace of China's military modernisation, especially in its infrastructure bordering India.
On the Line of Actual Control at Demchok in South-East Ladakh, signs of that modernisation on the China side were visible.
Lt General Ravi Dastane, Army Commander, Leh said, "We are watching it closely, it's a capability they are building, it also has a military implication."
Colonel SK Sheoran said, "Before 2008 they were 35km behind Demchok, now a platoon strong is deployed in the Zorawar Hill."
In contrast, infrastructure in Ladakh is non-existent. All military and civil vehicles move along dirt trails similar to the mule tracks of the 1962 war.
EDITORIAL
BAHUN-CHETTRIS
Gorkha Division Uacceptable
The upper-caste Hindu communities comprising Bahauns and Chettris, who also fall under the Gorkha umbrella, are not included in the OBC listin Uttarakhand. Whether this is discriminatory or reality of some truth underlying the fundamental differences within the Gorkha ethnicity (ethnology) requires to be carefully studied. The creamy layer adjective in discrimination inter se is an accepted norm in the application of legally sanctioned largesse provided by the government for the benefit of the hard-pressed lower income group.
If this provision is justified the non-inclusion of Bahun-Chettris in the OBC category, requires a re-examination, as many from the groups also fall under various economic deprivations.  Therefore, the economic criterion in identifying the same group outside the OBC classification does not hold much water.
Most of the Gorkha communities in India are already included in SC, ST or OBC list leaving behind only the Bahun-Chettris out of purview of legal categorization. This act not only fractures the concept of Gorkha/Sikkimese Nepalese terminology it also divides the Indian Gorkha/Nepalese community. This has related implications in the Gorkhaland issue and the demand for a state within the provisions of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.
Apropos Himalayan Guardian 31 Aug-6 Sept 2011 “Migrants outnumber tribals in Manipur: Report” extracted from Himalayan News Network Imphal August 30, 2011. In which it is stated the Manipuri Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh is said,  after (ILP) consultation with his cabinet, will urge the Centre to re-introduce the Inner Liner Permit Regulation which was withdrawn since 1950.
It is believed the withdrawal of the ILP has resulted in the illegal migrations into Manipur mainly from Burma and Bangladesh. Based on, “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)”. 
It is for all concerned to note well Darjeeling District too was covered under the ILP Regulation, probably along with Cooch Bihar, Jalpaiguri, Malda and West Dinajpur under North Bengal since its inception as Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (Line System known as Inner Line Permit) 1873. This system entailed the requirement by all foreigners, regardless of any treaty terms India had with foreign countries – including the 1950 Indo Nepal Treaty of Friendship, to obtain entry ILP before entering into the named districts. The permit system was restrictively observed in the Northeast states where even Indian nationals require a permit to enter the ILP (referred to as Protected Area Permit (PAP) in the Northeast) regime state viz. the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Sikkim.
It would be interesting to ask the people of the other States viz. Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura why the ILP Regulation was withdrawn if applied earlier.  Now that Manipur is raising the issue after discovering the withdrawal of ILP has affected adversely its demographic structure of the State by infiltration of foreign illegal immigrants, to a dangerous point of converting the States ethnic majority into a minority in contrast to the former.  
The ILP (PAP)  system was also applied to Darjeeling District and also to other districts of North Bengal without which entry to any part of the districts to all foreign nationals was regulated. After entering the ILP district, the foreign nationals to enter certain restricted areas of the district required an additional entry permit under the Restricted Areas Order 1963 by obtaining the Restricted Area Permit (RAP).
It is not known at what point of time ILP (PAP) or its amended version if any, was withdrawn in Darjeeling District, may require to be verified. It is however known that the more restrictive RAP was withdrawn on 16 August 1990 vide Government of India No. 15011/6/89 -F.I. Dt. 25.7.90.  The civil society of the district require to discuss this issue threadbare and come to a confirmed understanding whether the withdrawal of PAP and RAP in Darjeeling District has adversely affected the demography or it has advantaged the District’s economic development.  If at all, the impact of the entry permits withdrawal is observed to have been grossly damaging in turning the three hill sub divisional towns and adjoining areas of the District into achieving the international title, as the most densely populated hill station in the world. As a result of which the damage to the overall environment has become ecologically unsustainable, rather beyond recovery, if drastic decision and immediate actions are not taken. Every passage of day is drowning the District into an eternal quagmire, relief from which, GTA alone will not be able to handle the situation alone however sincere. The people must contribute an equal share of effort and considerations, rising above the usual bickering and blame games, whether political or apolitical, each individual should come upfront challenging the problems.
Out of the many immediate actions the party and the public require to initiate is the re-imposition of both PAP and RAP which imposition in Sikkim has effectively been managed by diluting the Government of India No. 15011/6/95 –F I. New Delhi 26.6.98 Subject: Relaxation of Restricted/Protected Area Regime in Sikkim. Like Sikkim PAP and RAP require to be reinstated to regulate illegal immigration and permanent settlement in the District, at the same time tourism entry system remain relaxed and unfettered access to immediate obtainment of entry permits with due observance of time period restriction allowed for tourism purposes.
In 2008 the Manipur and Nagaland Chief Ministers used the Fourth Northeast Business Summit at Guwahati to strongly plead for the waiver of the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) and Protected Area Permit (PAP) systems (claimed to have hindered the promotion of tourism in their States). It is possible the two Chief Ministers are not fully aware of the safeguard measures by which the said two permit regimes protect the ethnic population of the State, without which it would open a floodgate for the free entry of foreign and domestic migrants to the disadvantage of the local civil population in time – by overturning the demographic structure in the impacted areas
Like the Chief Minister of Manipur who has comprehended the blunder made by his predecessors in removal of PAP and RAP in 1950, which is now realized only in 2011, is undertaking action to undo the wrong.
In Darjeeling past political leaders too have blundered on this front, more out of ignorance than reckoning the necessity of PAP (1873) and RAP (1963) Regulations withdrawn in 1990. , was totally out of context and an unfriendly act by the State in destabilising  the population structure in the District. The only way the State can vindicate the adverse impact of the withdrawal of PAP and RAP is to immediately re-impose the two for the safeguard and protection of the people of the District. To achieve that end the people of the District require to come overboard indifferent to political affiliations and agenda, and place the petition of reintroducing PAP and RAP on one plank for submitting the demand to the concerned the State and Centre authorities. The onus of reinstatement falls squarely on the state in order to undo the wrong. Hesitation to implement the idea would directly expose  all those in opposition to the people of the District.
UK minister to visit quake hit Dr. Graham’s Homes
Hill Media Network
London, Nov 1: Kelso North and Ednam Parish Church minister, the Reverend Tom McDonald, will be winging his way to northern India this month to find out how badly a unique children’s home was hit by an earthquake.
Last week, The Southern reported on the long-term fundraising link which has existed between the Kelso and Ednam congregations and the Dr Graham’s Homes in Kalimpong.
About 400 of the students are supported by organizations, including Kelso North and Ednam Parish Church.
Although none of the youngsters or members of staff were injured, substantial damage was caused by the earthquake.
The church’s kirk session has given McDonald three weeks’ leave of absence to enable him to make a return visit to the region and find out the extent of the rebuilding work needed. He was in Kalimpong for seven weeks last year on study leave.
The trip is being made possible through the generosity of benefactor, Donald Munro, who has been a supporter and friend of the church for a number of years.
Munro founded and runs Strathclyde Pharmaceuticals in East Kilbride.
As well as funding McDonald’s trip, Munro has donated £10,000 to the disaster fund set up to rebuild the wrecked cottages at Kalimpong and other damaged buildings such as the hospital. The cottages house the students.
 McDonald will be in India from November 17 to December 13. Anyone wishing contribute to the disaster fund can do so by contacting him on 01573 224677 or emailing revtom@20thepearlygates.co.uk
EU status for Darjeeling tea
Hill Media Network
Darjeeling, Nov 1: The European Union (EU) has registered India's Darjeeling tea as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product. Darjeeling tea is the first commodity from India to get the status.
The status implies that the brew produced only in Darjeeling can be sold as Darjeeling Tea in the EU countries. It is the seventh non-EU product receiving the protected status, following one from Colombia and five from China, EuAsiaNews reported.
The EU executive body said Darjeeling tea has been added to over 1,000 names of agricultural products and foodstuffs protected as PGI in the EU.
Three EU schemes known as PDO (protected designation of origin), PGI (protected geographical indication) and TSG (traditional specialty guaranteed) protect product names from misuse and imitation and help consumers by giving them information concerning the specific character of the products.
A section of blenders, who at present pass off a brew with a certain percentage of Darjeeling brew as Darjeeling Tea, have been given a five-year time to shift to the new business.
GJM, ABAVP agree on “Gorkhaland and Adivasi Territorial Administration”
Darjeeling, Nov 1: In a development that is expected to have a major impact on the politics of north Bengal, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and a section of the State leadership of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad (ABAVP) on Sunday jointly proposed the setting up of an autonomous “Gorkhaland and Adivasi Territorial Administration” for the Darjeeling hills and the Terai and Dooars region.
This body, it is proposed, will replace the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), to be created for the Darjeeling hills and for which a memorandum of agreement was signed among the Centre, the West Bengal government and the GJM on July 18. A Bill was also passed in the Assembly on September 2 for setting up the GTA, The Hindu reported.
“A joint delegation of the GJM and the ABAVP will soon place the proposal before Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram,” GJM general secretary Roshan Giri.
The two organisations were at loggerheads over the GJM demand for inclusion of Gorkha-dominated areas in the Terai and Dooars region within the GTA's territorial jurisdiction. The ABAVP leadership earlier threatened to launch an agitation if “even an inch of land” in the region is transferred to the GTA.
Now, “with the GJM and the ABAVP proposing the setting up of the Gorkhaland and Adivasi Territorial Administration, we can look forward to a future in which the two parties can work for the development of the region spanning the Darjeeling hills, the Terai and the Dooars,” Giri said.
“The proposed new body is the outcome of an understanding between the GJM and us. We have been demanding the setting up of an Adivasi Territorial Administration [ATA] for the Terai and the Dooars under the Sixth Schedule and on the lines of the proposed GTA but to no avail. We shall jointly take our proposal for a new body to the State government and the Centre,” said Tejkumar Toppo, ABAVP State secretary.
But ABAVP State president Birsa Tirkey struck a note of dissent. “Those leaders of my organisation who arrived at the understanding with the GJM had no official authority to do so. The matter will now be taken up by the ABAVP State committee,” he said from Ranchi.
GJM chief Bimal Gurung and the president of the ABAVP's regional Dooars unit, John Barla, were among those present at a conference at Mangpong in the Kalimpong sub-division, where the proposal for the new body was announced.
Tremor takes two lives in North Sikkim
Gangtok, Nov 1: Low-intensity tremors, which continued to rock north Sikkim one and a half months after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake devastated the region, have killed two people at Dzongu, North Sikkim,  which had borne the brunt of the September 18 calamity.
The tremor measuring 3.2 on the Richter Scale killed an 85-year-old resident of Nung village and a 27-year-old man hailing from Lingdem Basti in the region on Saturday morning, delayed reports said.
Police sources said the 85-year-old was trying to escape from his house which was violently shaking when the temblor struck at around 8:30 a.m.
Medical reports said his death was triggered by a heart attack after he slipped down the stairs.
Another casualty was a 27-year-old man, Sonam Wangyal Lepcha, from Lingdem Basti who died after he fell down from the Lingdim Bridge at Dzongu.
Chief Minister Pawan Chamling visited the affected area today and met the affected families. He distributed Rs. one lakh each to the families as ex-gratia.

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