HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN Feb 29, 2012
SIKKIM BAGS TOURISM AWARD
New Delhi, Feb 29: Sikkim received tourism award from President Pratibha Patil at a function here today.
Pitching for accelerated development of the tourism sector, Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai said, “Efforts are on to promote India as a 365-day tourist destination” at the National Tourism Awards 2010-11 ceremony here.
The President gave away prizes to 78 awardees in over 50 categories.
Awards were given to States and Union Territories, hotels, travel and tour operators and private organisations among others in recognition of their performance in their respective fields and also to encourage healthy competition with an aim to promote tourism.
While Madhya Pradesh got four awards in different categories, Sikkim got three awards for tourism infrastructure and tourism related programmes.
Federalism based on ethnicity unacceptable: Ex-Nepal PM
RP Sharma
Kathmandu, Feb 28: Former Prime Minister and senior Nepali congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the proposal forwarded by the so-called expert commission on State Restructuring was not acceptable to his party.
The proposal is not aimed at preserving the territorial integrity of the country rather it encourages disintegration of the nation-state, said Deuba.
“The proposal does not look like being drafted by experts. It gives the impression that it is drafted by immature individuals.”
“The Nepali Congress does not accept federalism based on ethnicity,” said Deuba.
Detained Tibetans in Nepal on hunger strike
Himalayan News Network
Kathmandu, Feb 28: Thirteen Tibetans, detained last week for protesting against China in front of the United Nations office in Nepal, started an indefinite hunger strike on Monday to press for their release, the president of the Tibetan Youth Congress in Nepal said.
The activists, including two women, were demanding U.N. intervention in their homeland after a series of self-immolations against Chinese rule there, Reuters reported.
Tsewang Dolma quoted the protesters as saying the detentions, since Friday, were a violation of human rights.
"The hunger strike is to demand their release," she said.
Human rights groups working for the Tibetan cause say Nepal was under pressure from China to crackdown on the activities of Tibetan exiles.
Journalists banned from entering Tibet: report
Dharamsala, Feb 28: China's Tibet Autonomous Region is out of bounds for foreign journalists. This causes media persons to resort to clandestine methods to get into the region, says a global press freedom organisation.
Foreign journalists, banned from entering Tibet, have been prevented by the police
from covering demonstrations by Tibetans in other Chinese provinces, Reporters Without Borders (RWB), a non-profit organisation, said in its report released last week, IANS reported.
"In the last week of January in Sichuan province, a crew from CNN was arrested at a toll barrier and prevented from travelling to neighbouring Tibet."
It said such "restrictions are unlawful, the authorities regularly cite bad weather or the poor state of roads to restrict access to the autonomous region".
Consequently, journalists are forced to resort to clandestine methods to get into Tibet or provinces with Tibetan populations. It said foreign journalists suspected of wishing to defy police instructions themselves become victims of harassment by the security forces.
"Not only are foreign media organisations prevented from covering these events, but the authorities have also organised a veritable disinformation campaign, using pro-government media such as the Global Times, which play down the disturbances and accuse the international community of interfering," said the RWB.
"Out of sight of the world, a major crisis is unfolding. Even Pyongyang has an international media presence, which is not the case in Lhasa."
The RWB added: "As in the past, the Chinese authorities aim to control the Tibetan people behind closed doors, excluding journalists, foreign ones in particular, who might be troublesome witnesses of what is happening.
Chinese authorities have stepped up major crackdowns against suspected dissidents in Tibet in recent months, with young men taken away from homes and families being separated. Tibetans, who had travelled out of China on valid documents, have been detained on suspicion on return and over a score have immolated themselves in protest, say Tibetans living here.
In the past year, 23 monks, nuns and other Tibetans set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule, according to the Tibetan government-in-exile, a democratically elected body of the exiles that is based here.
Federalism should safeguard identity of all people: Yadav
RP Sharma
Kathmandu, Feb 28: President Rambaran Yadav has said the national integrity should be maintained while taking the nation towards federal structure. He said federalism in the former Hindu kingdom should guarantee protection of all people.
Inaugurating the Kavre Fair that began at Janagal in Kavre on Saturday, The President said all Nepali people first wish to identify themselves as a people belonging to a country where Lord Buddha was born and Mount Everest is located. Regional identification as Himali, Pahare and Madhesi comes after the national identity of the Nepalese.
Expressing concerns over the remarks by some of the incumbent ministers and the political leaders intended in breaking up political ties, the President suggested to the political parties to work together so as to conclude the peace process and constitution drafting process in the slated timeframe.
Stressing the need of further promoting the Nepali culture and identity, the President said identity of all castes, communities and religion and culture should be guaranteed while restructuring the State.
Promotion of foreign investment and development of the industrial sector was possible only after the completion of the peace and constitution drafting, he added.
Though the Nepal Government has already announced the year 2012 as the 'Investment Year', atmosphere of investment could not be created as the lasting peace was yet to be established in the country.
Arunachal, Bhutan to boost tourism
Itanagar, Feb 28: Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan have agreed to boost tourism through mutual cooperation.
A five-member Poverty Reduction Committee of Bhutan’s National Assembly, led by its chairman Dupthop, visited the State recently and discussed the matter with Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, official sources said.
Pointing out that Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh had several similarities culturally and geographically, Tuki said the cooperation would eventually generate gainful employment and reduce poverty, PTI reported.
Tuki said that construction of a road from Tawang to Bhutan was progressing at a rapid pace and sought the Bhutan Government’s cooperation to speed up work in its territory.
“Once this road is completed and connects towns of Bhutan with Tawang, we could work on border trade, which would be beneficial for both the sides economically,” Tuki observed.
The Chief Minister also wanted helicopter services to be introduced between Tawang and Bhutan, which, he believed, would increase the tourist arrival substantially.
Dupthop agreed to a proposal by Tuki that a tourist circuit be developed encompassing Bhutan and parts of Arunachal Pradesh religiously linked to each other.
Media censorship declining in Burma
Yangon, Feb 28: Newspaper articles that would have been rejected by Burma's draconian state censors just months ago are making it into print, in one of many signs that the long-repressed country is becoming more open.
Though censorship persists — especially on political issues — the government is allowing many stories to be published without prior review, and journalists who were once jailed, beaten or blacklisted are testing the new boundaries, Time magazine reported.
Zaw Thet Htwe says a story he wrote about prison conditions wouldn't have been allowed under the military junta that ruled until last year. It was the first story he had written since being released from prison himself, in part for distributing a video of local donors handing out aid to disaster victims.
China might resort to territorial grabs in Ladakh, Arunachal: report
New Delhi, Feb 28: China may resort to territorial grabs, including through a "major military offensive", especially in Arunachal Pradesh or Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, and India should respond with "a strategy of quid pro quo", says a report by an independent group of Indian analysts.
"Our frontiers with China have been mostly stable for some years now. However, China could assert its territorial claims (especially in the Arunachal sector or Ladakh) by the use of force," says the report that seeks to outline a foreign and strategic policy for India in the 21st century, The Economic Times reported.
"There is the possibility that China might resort to territorial grabs. The most likely areas for such bite-sized operations are those parts of the Line of Actual Control where both sides have different notions of where the LAC actually runs. These places are known," says the report.
The report contends that India can't "entirely dismiss the possibility of a major military offensive in Arunachal Pradesh or Ladakh".
The report entitled "Non-Alignment 2.0: A Foreign and Strategic Policy for the 21st century", was unveiled Tuesday evening at a panel discussion at Hotel Ashok in which National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and his immediate predecessors M.K. Narayanan, currently West Bengal governor, and Brajesh Mishra participated.
"China will, for the foreseeable future, remain a significant foreign policy and security challenge for India. It is the one major power which impinges directly on India's geopolitical space. As its economic and military capabilities expand, its power differential with India is likely to widen," says the publication in a chapter entitled "The Asian Theatre".
The debate on India's options in dealing with an emerging China, among other things, has coincided with the two-day visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to India that began on Wednesday.
Media continues boycott of JK House proceedings
L. Verma
Jammu, Feb 29: Media persons on Tuesday continued to boycott proceedings in the Jammu and Kashmir legislature in protest against assembly Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone's controversial remarks made the previous day.
Over 100 media persons were staging a sit-in outside the main gate of the State Assembly demanding that the Speaker "take back" his remarks about the media.
Lone had Monday said that the media "during the session" works under his control and that they will have to disclose their sources to him.
His remarks came after Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohhammad Sagar expressed his reservations about the "source-based stories" appearing in the media.
To this, legislator of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Nizamuddin Bhat said the media "works under the control of the Press Council of India".
However, the Speaker immediately responded: "The media during the session works under my control."
This statement prompted an immediate walkout by the media in protest.
Minister Sagar and political advisor to the chief minister, Devender Singh Rana, along with some legislators tried to placate the media persons, asking them to resume their coverage of the Assembly proceedings.
But the journalists remained adamant on their stand that the "Speaker must take back his words".
"We extend our support to the ongoing protest by the state's media fraternity against remarks passed by the Speaker against mediapersons and their functioning," BJP state president Shamsher Singh Manhas said.
"Media is an important pillar of democracy and BJP opposes any attempt to suppress the freedom of press."
FEDERALISM IN NEPAL
The Battle
The main hurdle towards drafting a new constitution for Nepal
While Nepal ’s President Rambaran Yadav has not directly opposed Deuba’s statement he wants the new federal structure should safeguard the distinct ethnic identity of all Nepalese, meaning the ethnic communities and the madhesis, while ensuring that the national identity of Nepal
ANNEXATION OF SIKKIM
“A black day in the history of democratic India”
Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal wrote to Indira Gandhi when his Palace was attacked by the Indian Army in 1975
By Sheetal Pradhan
I believe this piece of article was more of a documentary as the title suggest "The Story of Sikkim". A part of a many story in opinions 24x7 blog. The article gives a simple narration about Sikkim in brief. What I liked the most was the annexation part and as in my part what I see I share. So this interesting piece of extract is provided here which did touch my heart, especially the "letter" sent by our Chogyal (King) to Indira Gandhi, when Sikkim Royal Palace was attacked by the Indian Army .
""Finally, in 1975, the Kazi (Prime Minister) of Sikkim went against the Chogyal and appealed to the Indian Parliament to change Sikkim's status to a full state of India. His appeal was approved. In April 1975, a 5,000-strong contingent of the Indian Army invaded Sikkim and surrounded the Chogyal's palace. His 300 bodyguards, who were themselves trained by the Indian Army, were caught and driven away, while one of them was shot. The Chogyal was arrested. In his last letter to Indira Gandhi, he wrote:
"I have no words when the Indian army was sent today in a surprise attack on Sikkim Guards who are less than 300 strong and were trained, equipped and officered by the Indian army who looked upon each other as comrades. This is a most treacherous and black day in the history of democratic India in solving the survival of our little country by use of arms."
The Chogyal died under Indian surveillance, supposedly of a weak heart. The Sikkim National Flag was lowered and subsequently banned, being replaced by the Indian Tricolour. A referendum was held under which 59% of the electorate came out to vote. Of them, 97.5% approved a merger with India. However, historians strongly dispute the statistics provided by the Indian Government as well as the fairness of the referendum, which was conducted by the Indian Army. Nonetheless, Sikkim was merged with the Indian Union as its 22nd State.
Interestingly, the treaty which enabled the merger had a special clause inserted into it by India: the merger of Sikkim and India could never be disputed in any court of the land, including the Supreme Court. Of all the instruments of accession signed between various Princely States and the Indian Union, only this one contains this special clause. Details of what actions Indian Intelligence agencies took before the annexation, including the accession of Bhutan to the United Nations, remain sketchy, mostly because the Government classifies it as a state secret." (Proud to be a Sikkimese)
No governance and plenty of corruption in Uttarakhand
By Jagdish Bhatt
It has been 11 years since Uttarakhand came into being after the hill areas were carved out of Uttar Pradesh. And while its people struggled for statehood, braving the bullets and lathis of the police and para-military forces so that their hopes and expectations could become a reality, things have only deteriorated and gone from bad to worse.
Over the past decade, governance has taken a beating, while corruption at all levels from the highest rungs to the lowest in the babudom is rampant and become a way of life in the state. And though both the Congress and the BJP, which have formed governments in the state, make tall claims of eradicating corruption, ensuring transparency and efficiency in the working of the government, facts at the grass root level even today indicate on the contrary.
Recently chief minister B C Khanduri spoke of the competent and honest (sic)administrative machinery in Uttarakhand. But if what is going in the state capital, Dehra Dun, right under the nose of the government is any indication, one can only presume what will be happening in the rural hinterlands of the state. Sample this, as to what extent things are going haywire.
The CBI conducted raids on LPG agencies in Dehra Dun and reached the conclusion that they have 30 per cent fake connections in their registers. As a result customers have to wait for days to get their supply. The fake registrations are either sold directly to commercial organizations or they are used to refill commercial cylinders, which are then sold Rs 1000 to Rs 1100 per cylinder. The actual commercial cylinder costs Rs 1300. Incidentally the CBI undertook the raids following inertia over the large number of complaints of irregularities by the state government.
Fair price shops under DPS are supposed to supply ration to new card holders after one month of a new ration card being made. But they do not supply ration for over two to three months, and the ration meant for the ration card holder is conveniently sold to shops in the open marker. The District Supply Officer and inspectors are unconcerned being hand-in-glove with the ration depot holders as ration meant for PDS supply is openly being sold in the markets.
There is a system under which the concerned department has to take permission from the state government for floating any tenders over Rs 50 lakhs. However, the state energy department was circumventing these directions by breaking the high value tenders into smaller value tenders below Rs 50 lakhs so that necessary government permission was not required. An enquiry is now underway.
A team of scribes of a regional daily went to police stations as individuals without revealing their identity. They found most of the police stations refusing to lodge FIRs and in one case the police constable even took Rs 200 to lodge a complaint. Most of the scribes posing as civilians were threatened of dire consequences, if they insisted for lodging the FIR.
Ten persons were killed when an unfit mini bus rolled down the khud while going from Tuini to Vikasnagar. Passengers, who were mercifully to escape the accident said that the bus was not fir to ply on the roads and broke down on three to four occasions. They told the driver to stop the bus, but he kept plying it without listening to the passengers, resulting in the accident. How come the RTOs are allowing unfit vehicles to ply on the roads.
Building which have been reportedly sealed by the MDDA because of being illegal constructions, have been fully constructed and completed despite the ban on their construction. How have the MDDA authorities become blind and allowed the completion of structures that they have themselves sealed for being illegal. Will someone explain
This is just a sample of what is happening at the grass root level and citizens are at the receiving end, with no one bothered to listen to their woes, as every senior officer seems to be operating in actual connivance with his juniors and sharing the spoils.
Uttarakhand has recently had its vidhan sabha elections and results are to be declared on Mar 6. Whether it is the BJP or the Congress that forms the government, only time will tell, but will these two major parties, who have promised efficient and transparent administration, look into these rampant instances of mass corruption and at least improve upon, if not make life better for the people of the state. (Hill Post)
Sikkim party condemns statements against Indian Nepalese
“The entire Himalyan belt from Burma to Sutlej belongs to Nepalese”
Gangtok, Feb 28: The Sikkim Liberation Party (SLP) has reacted sharply against anti-Nepali stand adopted by Bangla Bhasa Bachao Samiti and Adivasi Vikash Parishad (AVP).
In a press statement, SLP chief DN Nepal said the statements issued against Indian Nepalese by the two organizations were “unconstitutional” and “offensive.”
Nepal said statements against “Indian Nepalese” are being made because the leadership of this community are not only “directionless” but are engrossed in “amassing wealth.”
“Those speaking out against the Nepalese community should know and understand that the entire Himalayan belt right from Burma (Myanmar) in the East to Sutlej in the West belonged to this community,” a resolution passed by the SLP during its meeting said.
According to Nepal, the two organizations have alleged that Nepalese living in India are “foreigners.”
Mukunda Majumdar of Bangal-O-Bangla Bhasa Bachao Committee criticized the attempt to divide Bengal and opposed inclusion of mouzas in Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). He said, "Majority of the Nepali-speaking people in Terrai and Dooars are foreigners." The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has refuted the charge.
Meanwhile, the nine-member panel set up to examine the inclusion of areas in Terai, Dooars and also Siliguri under the new Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) will decide on the submission of its recommendations in its meeting on March 16.
CBI rescues Darjeeling girl from Delhi
C. Tamang
Darjeeling, Feb 28: A 14-year-old girl, who was missing from Darjeeling since November, 2011, was rescued by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from Munirka in south-west Delhi recently. This was a big break for the Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the CBI, that was set up recently to collect, collate and analyze data on kidnappings and abductions from across the country.
According to an official, the AHTU received information about this girl and began investigations. During the course of investigations, the sleuths came to know that the girl, a resident of Darjeeling, was lured to Delhi by a young man who promised her a job there, a national daily reported.
Once in Delhi, he handed her over to others who abused her. The man who took her to Delhi and his associates also had plans to sell her to a brothel. A case has been lodged against the gang. The CBI began a search for the girl and traced her to Munirka in South West New Delhi. Sleuths have come to know that The man who took her to Delhi and his associates also had plans to sell her to a brothel.
In January this year, the CBI designated a unit in the Special Crime Zone of the CBI as the AHTU. It was realized that though a lot of human trafficking takes place in the country there was no centralized organization to deal with the matter exclusively. Most of this trafficking takes place from the eastern parts of the country as well as Nepal.
Entertainment
Barfee film shooting in Darjeeling
Priyanka takes music teacher to Darjeeling
Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra took her music teacher Samantha Edwards to West Bengal's hill city Darjeeling, where she is shooting for Anurag Basu’s film 'Barfee'.
Piggy Chops said she is very much passionate about music and is very much thrilled about her international recording deal with Desi Hits and Universal Music to record her debut music album.
Priyanka is practising singing everyday after hectic shooting schedules in Darjeeling.
Her debut music album will contain 10 pop songs that will be released globally this year.
An uninterrupted and successful shooting schedule in Darjeeling has resulted in a high spirited Barfee team. So much so that Writer-director Anurag Basu has decided on a music launch of the film in Darjeeling. This is for the first time that a Bollywood film music release is taking place in.
Basu arrived in town on February 16 along with Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D’Cruz, shooting for his romantic thriller Barfee. Basu has shot to fame with films like Murder, Gangster, Life in a Metro and Kites. Pritam is the music director of the film.
According to Basu: “We will have a music launch for the film in May in Darjeeling. The whole team including the cast will be in Darjeeling for the music release. Barfee will have 6 songs." The film is slated for July 13, 2012 release.
The locales for the shoot include Tindharia, Bhotey Bustee, Hotel Windamere, Chowrasta and the Planters Club in Darjeeling. Shooting is scheduled to end in Darjeeling on February 29. While Priyanka had left Darjeeling on February 23 for Hyderabad where she is shooting for the film Krish; Ileana D'Cruz had left on February 25.
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