HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN      July 25, 2012

Prachanda to clean up corruption tag

Kathmandu, July 24: Maoist chief Prachanda has decided to vacate his multi-crore mansion and return expensive vehicles he was using after strong criticism from within and outside the party over his luxurious lifestyle.

Addressing the closing session of the five-day long plenum of UCPN-Maoist party yesterday, Prachanda said he would vacate the Lazimpat residence after making a new arrangement, PTI reported.

He also said that he would only use vehicles provided by the government.

His high-profile residence had made headlines in the media. Soon after Prachanda moved into the mansion from his previous residence, a section of party cadres had claimed that he had purchased the multi-crore property.

While aides claimed that Prachanda had been staying in the house on rent, party insiders say the mansion was actually bought in the name of a close associate of Prachanda.

"I have been staying on rent. But it was rumoured that I have bought the house," Prachanda said. "Being a former prime minister, the government should provide me a house and a vehicle," he said. (see page 2)

Team Anna to expose Pranab on July 25

We will release proof of corruption against Pranab: Kejriwal

New Delhi, July 24:  Team Anna claimed on Sunday that they have “proof” of corruption against Pranab Mukherjee and it would be made public on 25 July when they launch an indefinite fast coinciding with his swearing-in as the President.

“The Prime Minister is corrupt, now we have a corrupt President as well. We will release proof of corruption against Pranab Mukherjee on 25 July during our fast,” Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said, Reuters reported.

Kejriwal was speaking at a rally here to drum up support for Team Anna‘s indefinite fast in the national capital from Wednesday, saying they are ready for a “fight to finish” and will not be satisfied with mere assurances.

Led by Kejriwal, Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan, the car and bike rally began from Rajghat and reached Jantar Mantar where they spoke against the UPA government for its alleged inaction in tackling corruption.

“We are ready for fight to finish. This time around we are not going to give up our fast on mere assurances. We will end our agitation only after we get solutions to our demand.

“We don’t trust the government anymore. Either we’ll get solutions or our bodies will be lifted from here,” Kejriwal told the protesters.

‘Common Cause’, a public interest organization, has decided to join hands with Team Anna to make its July 25 indefinite strike a success. The organization said it will launch its anti-corruption logo, which has been designed by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday.

China for stability, not separatism in Tibet

Beijing, July 24: China wants stability in Tibet, not separatism. The battle against separatism should be stepped up in Tibet where "ethnic unity, social harmony and stability is the lifeline," a top Chinese leader has said.

Underlining the importance of maintaining stability in the remote Himalayan region, Li Changchun, a Standing Committee member of the Politburo of the Communist Party's Central Committee, said that improving people's livelihood should always be "a top priority" for the Tibet government, PTI reported.

Li, ranked fifth in the hierarchy of the ruling Communist Party, was on a five-day visit to Tibet's Nyingtri and Lhasa, places where Beijing plans to undertake multi-billion dollar tourism projects.

"Ethnic unity, social harmony and stability is the lifeline for Tibet," he said, adding that the ethnic unity education and the anti-separatism battle should be deepened.

Li stressed on ethnic unity and cultural development in southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, as well as building an "ideological basis" for anti-secession and stability maintenance, he said.

Tibet should seize the opportunity of the implementation of the western development strategy, and innovative efforts should be made to promote the region's leapfrog development and lasting stability, Li was quoted as saying.

“The centre is using the CBI as its puppet”

Ramdev threatens to launch movement against black money

Dehradun, July 24:  Yoga Guru Ramdev on Saturday staged a dharna in protest against the arrest of his aide Balkrishna accusing the Centre of misusing the CBI to harass nationalist people. He also vowed to fight black money and corruption through a renewed agitation, which would start from August 9 in New Delhi and said he would continue to fight for bringing back Rs 400 lakh crore of black money stashed abroad.

"Acharya Balkrishna is not a terrorist or a criminal, rather he has honestly worked for the welfare of crores of people through his knowledge on Ayurveda. We are standing by him on moral grounds," Ramdev told reporters here at Lachhiwala area where he was stopped by the police.

Later, Ramdev sat on a dharna in front of the CBI office here to protest against the arrest of Balkrishna.

He criticised the centre for misusing their investigative agencies for harassing people, who dedicated their lives for the sake of people. "The centre is using the CBI as its puppet," he said.

Regarding the allegations on his aide Acharya Balkrishna for obtaining passport on fake documents, Ramdev claimed that Nepalese government has already communicated to India that Balkrishna is not a Nepalese citizen.

Ramdev said he was not scared of any investigation against him as well as his trust.

"I am not scared. Only those people should be scared who have stashed the country's money in foreign banks," he said.

Hydel projects pose threat to vegetation, aquatic life in Kullu

Manali, July 24: The impact of hundreds of hydroelectric projects being constructed in Himachal are are slowly but clearly becoming visible in the shape of vanishing aquatic life, depleting vegetation, water pollution, reducing irrigation water and livelihood of locals. The problem would deepen in the entire state in the near future, environmentalists have warned.

Villagers in Kinnaur have been complaining drying up of traditional water sources, specially streams near under-construction hydel projects at Sainj, Manikaran valley and Jagatsukh areas. Residents of villages downstream the Jagatsukh river, which has been diverted to Prini river through a tunnel, said that reduced water in the river has left their canals useless, making vegetation along the riverside vanish fast.

Similar to the situation in Kangra district, medium and small hydel projects are posing threat to fish and other aquatic life in Kullu, sources said. Most cold water brooks and rivers in Kullu district are rich with trout and other aquatic species, but the HP fisheries department has already issued NOC to 42 of the 58 proposed projects, TNN reported.

Says Dinesh Sharma, an environmentalist, who has been observing the impact of arbitrary and unplanned setting up of hydel projects in Kullu, which are changing the ecology of the area, "Water is being diverted from its natural course. Vegetation near water is diminishing and new breed of plants is replacing old varieties. Fish and other aquatic life, which thrive in big streams are either dying or are searching for new habitats."

Sharma said he has been studying the effects of diversion of water from Duhangan river near Manali and found that the decrease in mass of water was not only causing a rise in water temperature but also increasing the temperature in its immediate atmosphere and also reducing humidity in the surroundings. "Water temperature is increasing in the reservoirs and timings of rains have changed in the area," he added.

According to Kishan Thakur, another environmentalist, tunneling and underground blasting for projects is affecting the centuries-old underground routes of water, the impact of which would become visible soon. "Blasting causes cracks in earth and changes the course of underground water. Scared by the blasts, animals have already vacated nearby natural habitats. The only benefit from the projects is abundance of power, but it has many drawbacks, which are being manifested gradually."

According to data, over 500 hydel projects have been allotted to government and private sector players in Himachal Pradesh. Till July 2011, about 271 projects had applied for no objection certificate from Himachal Pradesh fisheries department. Of these, only about half-a-dozen projects have been rejected, while over 230 projects have been given NOC while others were under consideration.

In Kullu district, 58 projects had applied for NOC district whereas 57 projects are proposed in Shimla district. Promoters of the projects have deposited an amount of Rs 32.96 crore towards fisheries development funds with the fisheries department, sources said.

Editorial

MAMATA’S GESTURES

Take Full Advantage

Knowing the mood of the hill people in Darjeeling on the demand for separate statehood the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is unlikely to give up its demand for ‘Gorkhaland’. One cannot read too much into Harka Bahadur Chhetri’s speech in Kolkata during the Trinamool Congress’s rally. To say that the Morcha has given up statehood for the new council, the GTA, mainly because of Mamata Banerjee’s increasing popularity in the hills of Darjeeling is to view the present happenings in Darjeeling from a wrong angle. Of course, the people in the hills are very fond of didi and for many reasons. She has not only given top priority to the political churnings and economic aspirations of the hill people, she has also made several trips to Darjeeling in the past one year to sympathise with the people. Hill people will certainly view her recent trip to Kalimpong on Bhanu Jayanti as striking the right chord given the Gorkha people’s emotional identification with Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, whom many regard as a unifying factor for the Nepali/Gorkha community the world over.

The withdrawal of Trinamool’s candidates from the GTA polls was a magnanimous gesture on Mamata’s part. Now the ball is fully in GJM’s court and with its President Bimal Gurung expected to lead the new administration Darjeeling will not only heave a sigh of relief but its people will look forward to speedy economic development that is needed. Gurung cannot afford to go the Subash Ghising way, which is to say that the administration should be open, transparent and less corrupt and politics in the hills should be more democratic where the opposition should have its say. Unlike the Left Front government, which gave Ghising a free hand leading to the present mess in the hills, the Mamata government must keep a live interest on how the GTA runs. Gurung has repeatedly said that the GTA is a stepping stone for creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland. If that is to be believed Gurung must show how well he can handle a council before he attempts to become the first chief minister of Gorkhaland.

Britain was against Chinese influence in Bhutan

China’s growing presence in Tibet led to strengthening of Anglo-Bhutanese relations in early 20^th century

King Ugyen Wangchuck of Bhutan and Chogyal Thutob Namgyal of Sikkim at the coronation of  King George V as Emperor of India in Delhi in 1911.

The increasing influence on Tibet exerted by the Chinese in the beginning of the 20th century posed a grave threat to the security of Bhutan. The British-Indian Government and the Bhutanese Government viewed it crucial to further strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Lord Minto, the new Viceroy even advocated for an increase in the subsidy and a closer relations with Bhutan to encounter the possibility and danger of the Chinese government interfering in the Bhutanese affairs.
Charles A. Bell as the Political Officer in Sikhim, re-emphasized on the urgency and the need for strengthening the Anglo-Bhutanese relations as the Chinese activities began to intensify in Tibet. In a report on the British relations with China, Tibet and Bhutan Charles A. Bell wrote, “our policy with regard to Bhutan should be to show her all the friendliness we can and if opportunity offers, to make a brief treaty with her so as to enable us to control her foreign relations while leaving her absolute freedom in her internal affairs. This will enable us to keep Chinese agents, Chinese troops and Chinese influence generally out of the country……”
This resulted in London’s agreement to revise the 1865 Treaty of Sinchula. Consequently, Charles A. Bell accompanied by Captain Robert Kennedy was sent to Bhutan to negotiate on the revision of the Treaty of Sinchula. The British proposed for an increase in the subsidy to Rs. 100,000. Arms and ammunitions were also brought at the request of the King. On 8 January 1910 corresponding to the 27th day of the 11th month of the Earth Bird year the Treaty was successfully concluded at Punakha. The British-India Government was represented by Charles A. Bell and Bhutan by Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck.
The revised terms of the 1865 Treaty of Sinchula as incorporated in the Treaty of Punakha were as follows:
• By amending Article IV of the Treaty of Sinchula, the British Government increased the annual subsidy payment for the Duar areas to the Government of Bhutan from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 100,000 with effect from the 10 January 1910.
• By amending article VIII of the Treaty of Sinchula, the British undertook to exercise no interference in the internal administration of Bhutan. On its part, the Bhutanese Government agreed to consult the British Government in regard to its external relations.
• Further, in the event of disputes with or complaints against the various rulers of Sikkim and Cooch Bihar, the Bhutanese Government agreed to refer the matters to the British Government for arbitration and settlement.
Bhutan also received a portion of land at Kalimpong to set up a Bhutanese Agent and was authorised to use the Calcutta mint for making a new die for copper coins. The British-Indian Government also assured to assist Bhutan in developing its natural resources. Further, Mr. Dover, the former State Engineer from Sikkim examined the road from Bahsa to Chuka to make it mule worthy at an estimated cost of Nu. 55,000.
The signing of this treaty ensured a long and a lasting peace and friendship between the two countries. It was signed at a time when the powerful nations of the world were beginning to divide themselves into two power blocs. It was also a time when hostility between these power blocs was escalating beyond control. There was every possibility of small nations being absorbed and influenced by powerful nations if it did not have a close, reliable and a powerful ally.
Thus, the signing of the treaty was beneficial for both the nations. On one hand, the security and sovereignty of Bhutan was ensured. On the other, the fear of the British-Indian Government that Bhutan would come under the influence of other powerful nations and threaten its security and dominance in India was no more significant. Since the signing of the treaty, the two Governments collaborated to ameliorate the bond and support one another. Further, the steadfast cordial relationship that Bhutan and India enjoys today is definitely a beautiful legacy of the Treaty of Punakha. (Bhutan2008.bt)
Mamata-Bimal golden handshake leaves hills in Morcha hands

Mamata withdraws TMC candidates from GTA polls

Kolkata, July 24: Clearing the way for complete dominance of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in the proposed Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced the withdrawal of her party’s candidates from the GTA polls.

GTA is an autonomous body to look after the administration of the Darjeeling district and its foothills. GTA elections are scheduled to take place on July 29.

The Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha (GJM), a dominant political outfit in the Darjeeling hills, has obtained 28 out of the 45 seats to the GTA.

“There were 17 contestants participating in GTA elections from the Trinamool Congress. We have decided to withdraw our nominations. We do not want confrontation with GJM,” Mamata said while addressing the rally commemorating on July 21 as Martyrs’ Day.

The rally was attended by GJM leaders and MLAs like Mr Harka Bahadur Chhetri.

Mamata’s a move that paves the way for the main hill party, the GJM, to win all the 45 seats uncontested.

The announcement came soon after Chhetri heaped lavish praise on her, saying Darjeeling and West Bengal will remain together under her stewardship. July 21 was the last date for withdrawal of candidature from the GTA polls.

"The GJM has already won a majority by winning 28 seats uncontested. In the larger political interest, all our 17 candidates will withdraw their nominations. We are doing this out of our love for the people of the hills, though the last date of withdrawal is already gone," Banerjee said.

"We do not want any confrontation with the GJM. We will go to Darjeeling Aug 4 for the swearing-in ceremony," said Mamata, addressing a mammoth Trinamool Congress rally here.

Thrukpa Tsezhi: Turning the Wheel of Dharma

Sikkim’s unique Buddhist festival

Thrukpa Teshi festival is celebrated by the Buddhists all over the world. On this special day the Buddha preached his first sermon of four Noble Truths to his five disciples at a deer park in Sarnath. It is one of the four major Buddhist festivals. The first turning of the Wheel of Dharma began seven weeks after Buddha’s enlightenment at Bodh Gaya in Bihar.

The first Noble Truth is the truth of suffering. The second Noble Truth is the truth of the origin of suffering. The third Noble Truth is the cessation of the suffering. The fourth Noble Truth is the truth of the Eight Fold Path leading to Nirvana.

This day is celebrated on the fourth day (Tsezhi) of the sixth month (Thrukpa) of the Tibetan calendar in the month of July or August every year. This festival is celebrated all over the former Buddhist Kingdom of Sikkim.

In Muguthang in Lachen, North Sikkim, the locals celebrate the festival with a yak race, which is participated by the Drokpas (yak herders). Prayers and pujas are held all over Sikkim, including the Palace monastery of Tsuglhakhang in Gangtok.

In Lachen and in many other places the occasion is also celebrated as local deities day and prayers and sang (incense) are offered to local deities of respective regions in Sikkim as well as to Khangchendzonga, Sikkim’s Guardian Deity. Some families also worship their ancestral deities (Pho-lha) on this day.

Finnish mission in Lachen

A Missionary School in Lachen, North Sikkim, around 1938. The Finnish missionaries taught the Lachenpas not only how to read and write in English but also how to weave rugs and plant potatoes.

India to strengthen military preparedness along Indo-China border

Security panel to raise 2^nd battalion of Arunachal Scouts

New Delhi, July 24:  Aiming to strengthen military preparedness along the China border, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is understood to have discussed the proposal for raising the second battalion of Army’s Arunachal Scouts.

The CCS meeting in New Delhi, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is understood to have discussed the proposal to raise the second battalion of Arunachal Scouts to protect country’s boundary with China in the northeastern state, sources said.

The proposal has come up for discussion before the CCS around two months after the first battalion of the Arunachal Scouts was deployed in Riyang district there, reported PTI.

In Scouts battalions, the officers are from the regular Army whereas the majority of the soldiers are drawn from local areas. The Arunachal Scouts has been formed on the lines of the Ladkah Scouts which is deployed in high altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

During the 25th anniversary celebrations of statehood of Arunachal Pradesh, Defence Minister AK Antony had announced the raising of second battalion of Arunachal Scouts.

He had also said that special emphasis is being given to the operationalisation of Advance Landing Grounds (ALGs) which will be of immense use and importance for the locals and military.

In the backdrop of aggressive modernisation of military infrastructure by China on its side of the boundary, India has taken various steps to strengthen its defences.

Assam remembers American missionary

Bronson compiled first Assamese dictionary

Hill Media Network

Guwahati, July 24: Assam on Friday remembered the American Baptist missionary who compiled the first Assamese dictionary in 1867 and brought out the first Assamese newspaper named ‘Orunodoi’ in 1845. Friday (July 20) was Reverend Miles Bronson’s 200th birth anniversary.

Born on 20 July 1812 in New York, Bronson arrived in Assam as part of the American Baptist Mission in 1836. He first set up a school at Namsang in eastern Assam and brought out ‘A Spelling Book and Vocabulary in English, Assamese, Singpho and Naga’ in 1839 before shifting to Sivasagar to bring out ‘Orunodoi’.

“We can never forget the contributions of Bronson and his associates including Nathan Brown and Oliver Cutter to the development of Assamese language. While he arrived less than 10 years after the Brahmaputra Valley was annexed to British India, he wrote many books that helped enrich several languages of the region,’ Assam Sahitya Sabha general secretary Paramananda Rajbangshi said, Hindustan Times reported.

The Sabha, he added, has drawn up a year-long programme to mark Bronson’s birth bi-centenary. To be celebrated as the Year of the Dictionary, the schedule includes publication of at least two new Assamese dictionaries, a series of seminars and awareness programmes on dictionaries, setting up of three bronze busts of Bronson and generating awareness about correct use of the language on television and other social media.

Bronson wrote two books in Garo (Meghalaya) language in 1863 before the first Assamese dictionary containing 14,000 words in 1867. His team’s biggest contribution, though, was in restoring Assamese as official language and medium of instruction in Assam in1873 after it was replaced by Bengali in 1836 by the British.

“Had it not been for Bronson’s team, Assam would not have seen the birth of the first newspaper within 19 years of British occupation of the Brahmaputra valley,” said veteran journalist Profulla Chandra Borua, a compiler on journalism in Assam.

Bronson, incidentally, was the first missionary to try to evangelize the Nagas. He returned to the US in 1878 and died in Eton Rapids on November 10, 1883.

Don’t want to break their hearts: Naga Olympian

Dimapur, July 24: Overwhelmed by the attention she is getting in Nagaland for being only the second athlete from the State to qualify for the Olympics, Indian women's archery team member Chekrovolu Swuro says winning a medal in London would not just be a personal high but also an expression of her gratitude to her "tribe".

In 1948, Nagaland's Dr Talirmen Ao led a barefoot Indian football team to become the first Olympian from the Northeastern hilly State bordering Myanmar.    

Being the second Naga Olympian after Dr Ao, the 29-year-old from Dzulha village of Phek district of Nagaland is a popular figure in the State, Times of India reported.    

In fact, chief minister Neiphiu Rio is all set to fly London with his entourage to cheer for Swuro during the July 27-August 12 extravaganza.    

"There are prayers for me (at the Nagaland churches). The chief minister (Neiphiu Rio) has wished me luck personally. He is also likely to fly to London to cheer for us. It's a proud moment for me," Swuro said in an interview.   

"They are very happy for me and doing every little thing possible for me. It's an additional responsibility on me. I'm overwhelmed. I don't want to break their hearts," said the sub-inspector with the Nagaland Police.    

The Ahoms Of Assam

Ahom King Chao Lung Siuka-pha

The Ahoms, the dominant Tai group of Assam belong to the great Tai ethnic and linguistic family of South-East Asia. The original homeland of the Ahoms was Yunum of Southern China. They came to Assam and established a tiny kingdom in 1228 A.D in the easternmost part of India with Charaideo as its capital in the district of Sivasagar under the leadership of Siuka-pha, a Tai prince from Southern China.

Before the advent of the Ahoms, Assam was known variously as Pragjyotisha and Kamarupa in different period of time. In the epic period, the country was divided into Sonitpur, Kundil Rajya and Pragjyotisha. In addition there were the kingdoms of Hidimba, Davaka, Manipur and Tripura. Later the kingdom of Kamarupa arose in early Christian era, but this kingdom disappeared by the middle of the twelfth century A.D.

Another kingdom known as Kamata also appeared in this region by this time. Taking advantage of this weakness of the Kamarupa, Kamata kingdom, the chiefs of the Koch and Mech tribes organized several independent principalities on the western part of the kingdom of Kamarupa. Thus prior to the advent of the Ahoms, this land of the Brahmaputra was divided politically, socially and racially.

The Ahom Monument

The Ahoms under Siuka-pha came and founded the first Tai kingdom in 1228 A.D. The tiny kingdom thus formed, was gradually extended by them eastward and westward in stages and thus they became the undisputed lord of the entire Brahmaputra Valley from Sadiya on the east to the river Manaha on the west. The Ahoms created history by ruling gloriously this land for six hundred years.

Thirty eight rulers belongs to Ahom royal dynasty ruled Assam from 1228 A.D to 1826 A.D. It was during their long protracted reign that the land and the people came to be designated as “Assam” and “Assamese”. Till today they are known by such names. It may be considered as  their greatest contribution to the land of their adoption i.e, Assam.

INTERVIEW Bimal Gurung

“GTA is only the preparation for the separate state of Gorkhaland”

(L to R): Dinesh Trivedi, member Trinamool Congress party, Mamata Banerjee, chief minister West Bengal, Bimal Gurung, leader Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and Home Minster P. Chidambaram, at the signing of the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) agreement on this July 18, 2011, near Siliguri in West Bengal.

Bimal Gurung has been a major force in the movement to carve out a separate state for Nepali-speaking Indians or Gorkhas from West Bengal, since 2007.

Gurung, 49, broke away with the Gorkha National Liberation Front chief Subhash Ghisingh and formed a separate party, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, in October 2007. For now Gurung has to make do with the autonomous Gorkhaland Territorial Administration or GTA.

In an exclusive interview with India Ink’s Anuradha Sharma in Kolkata recently, Gurung shared his views on numerous subjects. Escerpts:

Anuradha Sharma: You come from a very humble background. You were one of the militant leaders of the Gorkhaland movement of late ’80s. Today you are carrying the hopes of thousands of Indian Nepalis. How do you describe your personal political journey?

Bimal Gurung: I was born to a very poor family, so poor that having finished one meal, we would wonder when the next one would be. I have done odd jobs ever since my early days and so could not acquire good education. I became a part of the violent agitation spurred by the dream of Gorkhaland. I was young like all other youths who took part in that agitation. There was no one to guide us, to tell us that the gun is of no use, that you should be holding the pen instead. Neither did the political leadership seem to care. And in the end after all the sacrifices, they sold the Gorkhaland dream.

Sharma: Why did it take you so long to oppose Subhash Ghisingh?

Gurung: It was the politics of fear that he resorted to. The general feeling the people in the hills had was they would be killed if they opposed him. In 2005, I first said at a public meeting in my village (Tukvar) that we want Gorkhaland and not the Sixth Schedule status that Subhash Ghisingh was rooting for.  My family members and friends got very worried for my safety and would ask me to keep a low profile. But in 2007, when Subhash Ghisingh brought home a Sixth Schedule status, I parted ways with him and formed my own party on October 7 and started a new agitation. This agitation is non-violent, intellectual.

Sharma: Your detractors accuse you of muzzling opposition voices in the Hills?

Gurung: There is no opposition, actually, just a few opposition leaders without practically any supporters. The so called leaders kept quiet all the time when they had an opportunity to speak for the Hills people, for Gorkhaland. Today, I and our party have brought our Gorkhlanad agitation this far, from sadak to sansad (street to the Parliament). It does not suit them to now pretend to be standing up for the people and raising the Gorkhaland demand. Do you think the people will be convinced by them?

Sharma: What role did Prashant Tamang, the Gorkha winner of Indian Idol, play in your party’s success? While Ghisingh chose not to engage with the singer, you organized fan clubs and canvased for him in the talent hunt. Did that help you build a ready base of supporters?

Gurung: Prashant’s victory was a matter of our pride. We had backed him with all that we had. Besides, he got the whole Gorkha community united. He stirred nationalism in the hearts of the people. That helped the movement.

Sharma: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration is now a reality. What next?

Gurung: Gorkhaland, of course. The GTA is only the preparation for the separate state of Gorkhaland.

Sharma: Do you see that happening anytime soon?

Gurung: Oh yes. In six months (from the formation of GTA), or a year maybe. I will not let it delay further.

Sharma: But you had given such a deadline earlier too. You had said that you’d achieve Gorkhaland by March 2010.

Gurung: I was misled. I trusted some wrong people and made mistakes.

Sharma: The chief minister, whose state government is signatory to the GTA agreement, has categorically spoken against the creation of a separate state.

Gurung: Goji-ko ho? (Is it anyone’s personal property?) So many states have been created in India since Independence. Why should only the Gorkhas not be allowed to have their state? Nothing short of statehood is a complete solution to the problems of the Gorkhas, be it identity or development. The geopolitical situation of the region logically demands a separate state.

Sharma: Do you have a road map for the development of Darjeeling hills? What will be the focus areas of the GTA?

Gurung: Yes, we have elaborate plans for development in the hills, of bringing back the lost glory of Darjeeling. Education is our top-most priority. Education was the worst hit sector during the violent Gorkhaland agitation of the ’80s. Once upon a time we had some of India’s best schools and colleges.

Look at what the agitation and 22 years of Subhash Ghisingh’s rule has done! It has set our hills back by 40 years. We will also focus on industry and employment generation. Unemployment is a major problem with our youths.

Sharma: Do you still believe the Trinamool government is better than the former Left Front government?

Gurung: Yes. Mamata Banerjee as a chief minister feels strongly for the hills. She played an active role in making the GTA come through. But she is a political leader and her political interests tend to go against the interest of the people of the hills.

Sharma: Why is it that your deputy, Roshan Giri (general secretary), and not you, who signs on all official agreements with the government, including the GTA?

Gurung: I will sign only on a separate Gorkhaland state agreement.