SIKKIM OBSERVER         March 31, 2012

India not to allow anti-China activities by exiled Tibetans

India has “recognised Tibet as an inalienable part” of China: Beijing

New Delhi, March 30: China on Friday said it welcomed commitments made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during talks on Thursday that India would neither participate in any “containment strategy" aimed at China nor allow anti-China activities by exiled Tibetans.

The Indian Prime Minister conveyed that “India has no intention and will not participate in any strategy aimed at containing China" in Thursday’s meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao in New Delhi on the sidelines of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) Summit, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said at a briefing.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry highlighted Singh’s comments as suggesting an increase in political trust between the neighbours.

Chinese officials and analysts have in recent months expressed concern that the U.S. “pivot" to Asia and strengthening of alliances with countries in the region was aimed at China. Many commentaries in the

Hong said Singh had also stated that India “recognised Tibet as an inalienable part of Chinese territory and will not allow Tibetans to engage in anti-China activities”.

Protests against  Hu’s visit by Tibetans in India, including a self-immolation that claimed the life of 27-year-old Jamphel Yeshi, reflected the continuing sensitivity of the Tibet issue amid on-going unrest in Tibetan areas in China, which have seen at least 30 self-immolations in the past year.

While Chinese officials and State media have blamed the exiled Dalai Lama for the protests, Indian and Chinese officials have said both sides were working hard to "manage" the issue to insulate bilateral ties from it.

Kejriwal defiant, says 163 MPs have ‘criminal background’ and 14 Union Ministers are ‘corrupt’

New Delhi, March 30: Striking a defiant note, Arvind Kejriwal on Friday replied to the privilege notices served on him for "insulting" Parliament, saying how can he respect the institution which has MPs with "criminal background".

The Team Anna member alleged that all the parties are responsible for bringing Parliament to disrepute as 162 MPs with criminal background have managed to get into it.

"There was a Parliament in which Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned (from the post of railway minister) following a train accident. I would like to sacrifice anything for such a Parliament but how will I respect Parliament of present days," Kejriwal said in the letter.

He also alleged that industrialists, who were not known for any public service, have managed to get into Parliament with the help of various parties.

"They enter Parliament to further their business interest. If this is not misuse of Parliament, if this is not insult to Parliament then what is it?," he asked.

Besides Congress MP Sajjan Singh Verma, RJD MPs Rajniti Prasad and Ram Kripal Yadav had served a privilege notice against Kejriwal for calling MPs "rapists, murderers and looters" during an election campaign rally last month.

Earlier in September last year, Kejriwal was served a notice for making "derogatory" remarks against parliamentarians during Hazare's agitation in Ramlila Maidan.

"In this Parliament, 163 members have cases of heinous offences against them. In this Parliament, rapists are sitting, murderers and looters are sitting. How can you expect Jan Lokpal Bill to be passed by Parliament? How can you expect that you can get reprieve from poverty and corruption," Kejriwal had said on February 25.

Talking to reporters today, Kejriwal also said that Team Anna will soon write to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh providing evidence against 14 Union Cabinet ministers whom he had named as "corrupt".

Hazare had set a deadline of August to register FIR against these ministers and warned the government that they will launch 'jail bharo' agitation, if it is not done.

 Tibetan activists stage protest against Hu Jintao in Delhi

New Delhi, March 30: Eleven Tibetan activists on Friday staged a protest near Oberoi Hotel here against Chinese President Hu Jintao, who was leaving India after attending the BRICS Summit.

The protesters led by Dorjee Tsetan, National Director of Students for a Free Tibet-India, were detained by police as they jumped out of a bus and started shouting slogans against Hu Jintao.

The activists had painted slogans across their chest such as 'Swaraj My Birth Right' and 'Free Tibet'.

It took place about an hour before Hu Jintao was to leave for Cambodia after the BRICS Summit.

"Just as the Indians successfully threw off the chains of British rule, we Tibetans are protesting here today for the freedom of our homeland from China's colonial oppression," Tsetan said.

"The dignified mantra of the Indian independence movement 'swaraj is my birth right' rings true for us as we struggle to achieve the right to Tibetan self-rule," he said.

Tibetans were protesting against Hu Jintao's visit to Delhi as part of the struggle for freedom for their homeland.

A group of Tibetans protesters were detained from near Taj Palace Hotel where Hu Jintao was attending the BRICS summit.

A 27-year-old Tibetan died here two days ago after setting himself ablaze during a protest against Hu Jintao.

Rebel Gorkha leader gives up Gorkhaland demand

I feel betrayed. It seems the people are happy with GTA: Chattrey Subba

Darjeeling, March 30: Rebel Gorkha leader Chattrey Subba has decided not to revive his Gorkha Liberation Organisation (GLO) to pursue the demand for creation of Gorkhaland.

According to reports, Subba’s decision follows poor response from his supporters on the statehood issue.

“Agitation and politics are two different issues. Till now I have always been a part of an agitation for Gorkhaland but my supporters have let me down. I have decided to keep away from any form of Gorkhaland agitation. However, politics is a separate issue altogether, it is a means of livelihood” was Subba said, a national daily reported.

“It was on public demand that I had decided to re-launch the GLO for Gorkhaland. Public had opined that people’s aspiration for Gorkhaland cannot be compromised. I had visited my supporters throughout the Hills and had asked them to assemble today at Kalimpong where I would hand them the GLO party flag. Now I know that it is not Gorkhaland that the public want. Earlier they were satisfied with the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council and now with Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. It is all about money. I feel betrayed,” Subba said.

Subba, 71, was supposed to float a new party yesterday, for which he had called a public meeting in Kalimpong. However, the meeting could not be organized as both the venues for which Subba sought permission from the administration were occupied by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and very few supporters turned up for the meeting.

A disappointed Subba told mediapersons at his residence in Kalimpong that for him the movement had ended. He said, “I had called all my supporters and lovers of Gorkhaland for the meeting in Kalimpong to discuss how to take the movement for a separate state forward. But nobody came. It seems the people are happy with GTA.”

Subba, who had a militant background and used to head the GLO after he parted from the group of Subash Ghising in 1988, was arrested in 2001in connection with an assassination bid on Ghising. He was released in 2011 after having spent 10 oong years when the Mamata Government came to power.

Sacred peaks, rivers destroyed in the name of development

For local residents, most Himalayan peaks from Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh are divine — their might flowing in the form of rivers capable of sustaining life and washing away their ills. One such river is Lohit in Arunachal Pradesh, where Parashuram, an incarnation of Vishnu, was believed to have cleansed himself after beheading his mother.

Today, however, the Himalayas seem to be fighting a losing battle against India's hunger for electricity. "They are raping nature in the name of development," Dawa Lepcha, general secretary of the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT), told Hindustan Times from Gangtok.

ACT, an organisation formed by members of the Lepcha community, seeks cancellation of hydroelectric projects that threaten to destroy the region. Most of these projects, which generate about 5,144 MW of electricity, are located on the Teesta river and in Dzongu, the northern part of the area. "In almost all cases, the sentiments of local residents as well as ecological factors were overlooked," said Vijay Taram, spokesperson of Forum for Siang Dialogue (FSD), from Pasighat.

The Siang river, which is one of the three rivers that form the Brahmaputra in Assam, had reportedly dried up earlier this year reportedly due to dams built by China upstream. "The pro-dam lobby say that if we don’t do it, China will," Taram said.

Fearing the adverse impact of dams in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam has been protesting  several projects — including the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri project. "We don’t need this. Western Assam has already been experiencing flash floods and droughts due to dams in Bhutan," said anti-dam activist Akhil Gogoi. Bhutan is now developing a 4,000 MW dam in a tie-up with a Russian firm.

However, while other northeastern states fight over shrinking glaciers and mega-dams, Nagaland has developed a technology that can tap power without having any adverse impact on nature. The Nagaland Empowerment of People through Energy Development (NEPED) has designed a portable hydroger, which can be installed on mountain streams to generate 3-25 KW of power without affecting the water flow. "At least 125 villages rely on hydrogers," said Takum Chang, a member of NEPED. (Hindustan Times)

Editorial

TIBET ISSUE

India Must Take The Lead

With the Dalai Lama’s absence from the helm of power the Tibetan people seems to be groping in darkness in their vain attempts to set Tibet free. The self-immolation of over 30 Tibetans, many of whom are monks, are acts of desperation. Beijing is jittery over these open acts of defiance and protest but it still refuses to accept the Dalai Lama’s offer of a compromise formula to resolve the Tibet issue. Before more cases of suicide takes place in and outside Tibet good sense must prevail. Chinese authorities must be more reasonable and come to the negotiating table and chalk out a strategy to resolve the issue at the earliest.

The Dalai Lama’s Middle Path proposal is a just and practical solution to come out of the situation. China’s constitution also promises preservation of the distinct cultural identity of Tibet and Tibetans within China. China’s leaders, therefore, must honour its own constitution and give the Tibetans their due share in running Tibet. The newly-elected  Prime Minister, Lobsang Sangay, of the exiled Tibetan government has also stated that he wishes to abide by the path shown by the Dalai Lama. He does not want “independence” but “genuine autonomy” as proposed by the Tibetan spiritual leader. This is a reasonable demand which must be met at the earliest. The international community must come out to support this demand. India must take the lead if it truly wishes to further strengthen Indo-China relations.

CHAMLING’S DILEMMA

Withdraw Destruction Of Records Bill Demand

The Sikkimese people have always been very sensitive about their unique identity which is protected under various laws and rules. Many of these laws are based on certain historic documents such as Sikkim Subjects Regulation (1961), Sikkim Subjects Register, Revenue Order No 1 of 1917, and Article 371F of the Constitution. When the Sikkim Legislative Assembly recently tabled the Sikkim Disposal and Destruction of Documents and Records Bill there was an immediate and justifiable outcry among the Opposition. Opposition leaders got together and opposed the Bill and urged the Governor not to give his assent.

Those – and there are many – who are not aware of the provisions of the Bill at once doubted the Chamling Government’s intentions. While some Opposition leaders dubbed the Bill as a ‘Black Bill’ to hide ‘black deeds’ of the government, many in the rural areas felt that the government’s main intention in introducing the Bill was to do away with documents relating to the ‘Sikkim Subjects’ and Revenue Order No I. Even if the government’s intentions are clear these are the rumours that are being spread and the authorities are now faced with a delicate situation. Before passing the Bill the government needs to make the people more aware of the real intent of this piece of legislation.

Sherpa to represent Sikkim in Mt. Everest expedition

Gangtok, March 30: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling flagged off  mountaineer  Kazi Sherpa of Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure and Ecotourism, Chemchey, South Sikkim, here on Tuesday.

Sherpa will be representing the State as a member of the Mount Everest Expedition 2012 from South Col, Nepal. He has been sponsored by the State Government of Sikkim. The expedition will start this month from Nepal and will expectedly summit the Mount Everest by the month of May 2012.

The Chief Minister congratulated Sherpa for being selected as a team member of the expedition and wished him good luck, an official release said.

Also present during flag off function were Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Secretary, Tourism and Civil Aviation and Director GT Bhutia of the  Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure and Ecotourism, Chemchey.

Sikkim to seek industry aid for quake management fund

Gangtok, March 30: Taking a lesson from the widespread damage and destruction caused by September 18 earthquake last year, the State Government is set to create its own Earthquake Management and Relief Fund to deal with such eventualities in the future. A  Policy resolution to this effect, moved by the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and seconded by the Lachen-Mangshila MLA TW Lepcha, was unanimously adopted by the State Legislative Assembly recently.

The resolution has recalled that the vast damage to the public infrastructure adversely affected the economy of the State resulting in reduction of employment activities and loss in revenue generation. The resolution calls for strictly adhering to anti-earthquake construction and repair norms as well as keeping the State in a state of preparedness by creating mass awareness about the hazards related to the earthquake and the ways to minimize the damage to both life and property during the crisis.

The amount for the Fund will be generated through compulsory contributions from various power developers, industrial units, hotels and other commercial establishments applying before the State Government for allotment of lands.

A pool of Industrial Land Bank will be created for facilitating land allotment to them. However, before the allotment of land and other permissions and licenses, the concerned investor will also have to contribute, above all the other dues, to the Earthquake Fund. The payment will range from Rs. 5 crore to Rs.50 crore depending upon their capacity and investment. However, the Policy Resolution also provides for an exemption of fifty percent to the local investors. The resolution will come into effect from the date of its gazette notification.

Petition against Chamling in Supreme Court has not been withdrawn: Diley Namgyal

Gangtok, March 30: Sikkim National People’s Party (SNPP) leader Diley Namgyal Kazi said he has not withdrawn his corruption petition against Chief Minister Pawan Chamling from the Supreme Court.

He, however, admitted that he was facing “enormous pressure” regarding the case. Kazi, who returned from Delhi last week, said it was not up to him to fix the next hearing of the case in the apex court.

Kazi’s response follows rumours that the petition has been withdrawn due to money-power.

Earlier, Kazi and Pema Dadul filed a petition before the apex court accusing Chamling and his Cabinet colleagues of gross misuse of power and rampant corruption in the administration.

In January, the Supreme Court sought the Centre and CBI’s response to the allegations. A bench comprising Justices RM Lodha and HL Gokhale issued notice to the Sikkim Government and the Chief Minister on the said matter.

The petition said the CBI’s initial probe into alleged corruption found that Chamling and his colleagues “had indulged in various corrupt practices including commission of criminal misconduct and acquisition of disproportionate assets.”

The SNPP leader’s petition in the apex court follows reports that a similar petition filed before the same court by Congress leaders in the State was withdrawn as the petitioners reportedly succumbed to the influence of money-power. 

Sources said the CBI had begun investigation into allegations raised by Congress leaders against Chamling and Co. but the process of the investigation was either delayed or not taken to its logical conclusion.

Senior Congress leader KN Upreti recently openly accused the petitioners and State Congress leaders of accepting bribe to withdraw the case. The accused have remained mum so far.