HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN         July 4, 2012

Indian envoy to China on Tibet tour

China to improve facilities for Indian pilgrims

Lhasa, July 3: The Indian envoy to China, S Jaishankar, is currently on a rare visit to Tibet, touring Mount Kailash and Manasarovar, two holy sites frequently visited by Indian pilgrims.

Jaishankar's visit to Tibet, the first by an Indian envoy in 10 years, comes at a time when more than 40 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet demanding freedom in Tibet and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile in India.

Shivshankar Menon, the then Indian Ambassador and present National Security Advisor, had visited Tibet in 2002. Jaishankar is scheduled to trace back the Indian pilgrimage route from Mount Kailash to the Nepal border, PTI reported.

Chinese authorities have already announced plans to step up investments in the region to improve facilities for Indian pilgrims. Earlier in June, hundreds of Indian pilgrims were stranded in Nepal on their way to Kailash-Mansarovar after Chinese authorities stopped them at the border saying that their vehicles did not have route permit.

Nepalese officials had confirmed that around 700-800 Indian pilgrims, all of whom had proper visa, were left stranded at the Tibetan border.

Although the Chinese authorities had cited vehicular permit for stopping the pilgrims, business people dealing with the Indian tourists noted that the restriction was enforced as a precautionary measure against the “possible infiltration by pro-Dalai Lama Tibetan activists. According to reports, the Indian envoy, besides visiting the pilgrim centres would also be visiting other Tibetan areas.

Jaishankar’s visit to Tibet comes on the heels of New Delhi’s request to re-open its consulate in Tibet’s ancient capital city Lhasa, fifty years after it was shut following the 1962 border war between India and China.

Beijing invited Jaishankar to have first hand look at the Himalayan region, specially sacred places like Manasarovar where it plans to step up investments to improve facilities for Indian pilgrims.

Pranab's resignation letter from ISI "fabricated": BJP

BJP may resort to legal steps against Pranab

New Delhi, Jul 3: BJP termed as "fabricated" the resignation letter of UPA Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee from the Indian Statistical Institute and said it had all options open before it, including legal, and would decide on the matter soon.

BJP also alleged the resignation letter of Mukherjee has been prepared only to save his nomination for the Presidential election and asked both Mukherjee and eminent scientist MGK Menon, who is the President of the Institute, to come clean on the issue.

"BJP alleges that it is a 100 per cent fabricated document....It's very unfortunate that persons contesting such offices as President of India are indulging in illegal activities. We are demanding justice from the Election Commission... We are waiting for a certified copy of the Returning Officer's order. It is open for all types of further action," BJP General Secretary Ananth Kumar told reporters, according to PTI

BJP leader and P A Sangma's counsel Satya Pal Jain said the signatures of Mukherjee on the reply to the objections raised by it and that on his resignation letter do not tally and their objections to his (Mukherjee's) candidature. "There are apprehensions on the genuineness of this document. This seems to have been manufactured after we raised objections to his nomination," said Jain.

On what action the party was contemplating on the matter after their objections were rejected by the Returning Officer for the President's election, the BJP leader said the party was exploring various options, including legal. "The battle has just begun. We will fight it out. It is a battle for justice. Very clearly, we are telling, all (our) options are open," said Ananth Kumar.

Jain said "we will take the next step after discussing within the party. The next step will be taken after discussing all legal aspects."

SU becomes member of Press Club

Gangtok, July 3: Sikkim University has been declared as “institutional member” of the Press Club of Sikkim.

President of Press Club Bhim Rawat said members of the Club are happy that SU had accepted its proposal to become an institutional member of the Club.

At a function here today, Rawat urged other corporate houses in the State to take membership of the Press Club.

Outgoing SU Vice-Chancellor Mahendra P. Lama handed over Rs one lakh and fifteen thousand to Rawat for membership fees and one year’s subscription of the Club.

Lama said he was thankful to the media for making contributions to the growth of the university since its inception.

Split in Nepal Maoist party will revive relations with Indian Maoists

New Delhi, July 3: The split in Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M) is likely to impact the Maoist movement in India.

The breakaway group headed by Mohan Baidya Kiran has already renewed ties with Indian Maoists, sources said.

Intelligence agencies are of the view that the split in Nepal will inject new energy to the Communist Party of India-(Maoist) and revive regular contact between the Maoists in India and Nepal. The relations between the CPI (Maoist) and the party in Nepal had dwindled since 2006, when Maoists formed the government in Kathmandu.

Baidya's new party Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) is likely to revive and reshape the Maoist movement in both countries. Before the final split at the Sherpa Sewa Samaj Building in Kathmandu between June 16 and 18, the last meeting of the rebel group was held in Delhi at a Karol Bagh hotel in the second week of April, a national daily reported.

One of the issues that came up for discussion at the Karol Bagh meeting was whether rebellion would be possible without armed cadres, as the Maoist army had surrendered in Nepal when the party joined the government.

But leaders of the breakaway group assured that about "3,000 armed cadres" had not surrendered in the last six years and some arms and ammunition had been kept hidden, even as most of the weapons were surrendered to the government.

Replying to a question recently on whether he will coordinate with regional Maoist parties, Baidya said, "The Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia (COMPOSA) is an umbrella organization to struggle in the interest of patriotic, Leftist and all other pro-people elements in the South Asian region. It has been weakened for some time now. We will find ways to strengthen it again and carry on with it."

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong was built by Bhutan’s first ruler

S. Deki

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong is 21km from Punakha in Central Bhutan. Bhutan’s first ruler  Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal met a young boy named Wangdi playing in the sand by the Punak Chhu and named the new dzong Wangdi Phodrang (Wangdi's Palace) which was later changed to Wangdue.

The dzong is a dramatic example of Bhutanese architecture. The structure follows the contours of a ridge high over the river. The cacti on the slope were planted to prevent invaders from climbing to the dzong. The dzong was founded in 1638 by the Shabdrung and was Bhutan's second capital until Trongsa was founded in1644.

The Penlpop of Wangdue Phodrang was the third most powerful ruler in the country. The dzong controlled the routes to Trongsa, Punakha, Dagana, and Thimpu. The sole entrance to the dzong is flanked by large prayer wheels. The Guru Tshengy Thondrol, depicting Guru Rimpoche is unfurled on the final day of the autumn tsechu festival. In the main prayer hall there are statues of Sakyamuni, Guru Rimpoche, and the Shabdrung. The dzong was repaired after a fire in 1837 and an earthquake in 1897.

The dzong was burnt down by a fire in the afternoon of  June 24, 2012. However, as the dzong was being renovated at the time of the fire, most of the historic relics had been put into storage and so were saved from destruction, sources said.

China to develop Tibetan areas close to Arunachal

Beijing, July 3:  China will develop Tibet's picturesque Nyingchi prefecture, located close to Arunachal Pradesh border, into a major tourist hub with an investment of USD 63.5 million which included construction of 22 "well-off model villages".

More than CNY 400 million (USD 63.5 million) has been earmarked to develop tourism in "South eastern Tibet", by China's southern Guangdong provincial government as partner assistance, official media here reported, according to PTI.

China refers Arunachal Pradesh as "Southern Tibet" which formed part of border dispute negotiations being held between Beijing and New Delhi.

"Nyingchi prefecture in southeastern Tibet, with abundant virgin forests, snow mountains, rivers and pastures, has potential golden tourism resources," state-run news agency Xinhua quoted an official in Tibet as saying.

An international tourism town is planned for Nyingchi county in the prefecture, which is expected to attract investment of more than CNY two billion from government and enterprises, the official said.

Besides the tourism town project, 22 well-off model villages, each with an investment of CNY 4.5 million, will be built in three years to help local residents to provide family hotel services and increase their incomes, the official said.

Nyingchi is located in southeastern Tibet, with an average altitude of 3,000 meters, where inhabited by Tibetans, Monba, Lhoba and other ethnic groups with unique folk customs and many rare cultural landscape.

 Azad J&K govt to host meet, prepare for polls

Meet to devise strategy for Kashmir freedom movement

Mirpur, July 3: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government will soon host all parties intra-Kashmir conference of political leadership from both sides of the Line of Control (LoC), AJK and Indian-held Kashmir, to encourage and materialise sincere efforts for early peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute.

AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed announced this while addressing a news conference at the PWD Rest House on Sunday, Pakistan News Service reported.

The AJK PM also announced that local bodies elections in AJK will be held in the near future.

To this direction, he said that the AJK Election Commission has been asked to make fresh voters' lists besides undertaking and completing the required demarcation of the civic constituencies.

He continued that the objective of intra-Kashmir meet was to devise collective strategy for making the Kashmir freedom movement complete success through exchanging ideas to this direction.

"It is also aimed at to ensure the effective role of AJK, the base camp of the Kashmir freedom struggle, to its said basic objective," he declared.

Majeed said that all the political parties of Pakistan and AJK would be consulted to establish consensus for holding of the proposed intra-Kashmir conference.

REWALSAR LAKE

A Buddhist pilgrimage centre in Himachal Pradesh

 Kunga Chukie

According to tradition, Lord Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) was incarnated as an eight-year-old child appearing in a lotus blossom floating in Lake Dhanakosha, in the kingdom of Oḍḍiyāna in ancient India and in modern times identified with the Swat Valley of South Asia present-day Pakistan. His special nature was recognized by the childless local king of Oḍḍiyāna and was chosen to take over the kingdom but he left Oḍḍiyāna for northern parts of India.

In Rewalsar (Himachal Pradesh), known as Tso Pema in Tibetan, Padmasambgava secretly taught tantric teachings to Mandarava who was the local king's daughter. When the king discovered this he tried to burn him but it is believed when the smoke cleared he was intact and in meditation. The king then offered Padmasambhava his kingdom and Mandarava. Padmasambhava left with Mandarava and later in Maratika cave in Nepal, after practising secret tantric rituals, Amitayus appeared and they both achieved immortal bodies in the form of the living rainbow body.

Since then, Rewalsar Lake has become a religious place for Buddhists. The Hindus too hold this lake sacred based on their own beliefs. Buddhist devotees from Tibet, Ladakh, Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh regularly visit Tso Pema throughout the year.

Rewalsar Lake is located at an elevation of 1360 m in the district of Mandi. It is 24 kms from the town of Mandi.

Editorial

DISTINCT IDENTITY

Centre’s Stand on Assembly Seat Issue

 The Centre’s stand on the seat reservation issue in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly is constitutional and just. The Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, himself a lawyer and once Sikkim in-charge of the Congress party, has said that 12 seats reserved for the indigenous Bhutias and Lepchas in the Assembly is based on the historic May 8, 1973 agreement. Khurshid’s  views on the seat issue is also based on the Supreme Court’s observations in the writ petition filed by Ram Chandra Poudyal, a Nepali politician who was against reservation of 12 seats for the Bhutia-Lepchas and one seat for the Sangha. Former Sikkim Lok Sabha MP Nandu Thapa has rightly applauded Khurshid for making the Centre’s position on Sikkim’s special status clear in the Parliament. Thapa was one of the prominent figures of the NB Bhandari-led Sikkim Parishad party in the 1970s which not only opposed the ‘merger’ but came to power after defeating pro-merger LD Kazi’s Sikkim Janata Congress in the first Assembly elections (in 1979) held after the ‘merger’.

     Khurshid has also rightly stated in the Lok Sabha on May 3, 2012 that any increase or decrease in Assembly seats in Sikkim would come after consulting all stakeholders on the issue. There ought to be a healthy debate and discussion in the Assembly and Parliament on the vexed issue of seat reservation in the Assembly. It is pertinent to note that while the Limbus and Tamangs, who were earlier placed in the OBC category, have demanded seat reservation in the Assembly on the basis of them being declared STs in the State, the demand for reservation of Assembly seats for ‘Sikkimese Nepalese’ has been given a quiet burial. After the unsuccessful bid to raise the seat reservation issue of Sikkimese Nepalese in the Assembly by Organisation of Sikkimese Unity (OSU) in 2000 no one has taken the matter seriously. The minority Bhutia-Lepcha leadership is unlikely to raise the Assembly seat issue of Sikkimese Nepalese as it is convinced that the political leadership of the majority community is not clear on the issue. We have ourselves to blame for dilution of our distinct identity; not the Centre.

Mamata happy with GJM’s decision to contest GTA polls

“Darjeeling is now smiling…peace, prosperity will bring new era”

C. Tamang

Darjeeling, July 3: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has welcomed the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s decision to contest elections to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

"Today is a very happy day for all of us, as my brothers and sisters of Darjeeling have decided to participate in the democratic process of elections next month," Banerjee said in her latest post on Facebook. "Truly Darjeeling is now smiling. Peace, development and Prosperity will bring new era in Darjeeling. On this happy occasion I congratulate all my brothers and sisters of Darjeeling," she said.

The GJM, which is unhappy that its demand for inclusion of Gorkha-dominated areas in the plains it wants added to the jurisdiction of the GTA has not been met, however, decided to take part in the elections on July 29 to the 45 seats in the hill council.

The party will contest the elections on its own. Altogether nine parties, including the Congress and Trinamool Congress, have so far decided to contest the polls. GJM president Bimal Gurung has not yet decided on whether to contest the GTA polls.

The Shyamal Sen committee has recommended inclusion of five mouzas or an area less than a sub-division in the plains for inclusion in the GTA's jurisdiction. The GJM had demanded inclusion of 396 mouzas.

Gurung together with a GJM delegation had chief minister at the state secretariat in Kolkata on June 28 after a meeting with Union Home minister P Chidamabaram in Delhi on the issue.

After backing Golay, Bhandari calls for opposition unity

Gangtok, July 3: Former Chief Minister and SPCC President Nar Bahadur Bhandari has back dissident ruling Sikkim Democratic Front leader PS Golay’s bid to take on Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and expose alleged rampant corruption in the administration.

Bhandari, a three-time former chief minister of the State, has not only backed Golay but said the Assembly Speaker KT Gyaltsen’s decision to suspend Golay from the Assembly was a “conspiracy and pre-planned.” He said the decision was aimed at curbing the rebel leader’s efforts to expose Chamling in the House.

Significantly, Bhandari, who is likely to play a greater role in formation of a region party in the State, has reiterated his call for opposition unity. He said he has met a number of opposition leaders and others on formation of a united front against Chamling.

Meanwhile, Bhandari’s loaded pistol kept in his house at Church Road, has gone missing.

He has lodged a complaint to the local police.

"I had gone out of station for two days on personal work and when I returned on Sunday night I could not find my pistol," Bhandari said.

Sikkim’s merger was ‘conditional’ and based on May 8^th pact: Ex-MP Nandu Thapa

“Centre has acknowledged Sikkim’s distinct character”

  Gangtok, July 3: Former Sikkim Lok Sabha MP, Nandu Thapa, said Sikkim’s merger with India was ‘conditional’ and the historic Tripartite Agreement of May 8, 1973 paved way for the former kingdom’s absorption into the Indian Union.

Thapa has also pointed out that unlike the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, the former Chogyal (king) of Sikkim did not sign away his kingdom to its protecting power.

In a letter to the Union Law Minister, Salman Khurshid, recently, Thapa expressed his appreciation in the manner that the Union Minister has acknowledged the “correct constitutional position/status” and the “distinctive characteristic” of the State of Sikkim.

Thapa was referring to Khurshid’s statement in the Parliament on the 12 reserved seats of the Bhutia-Lepchas in the Sikkim Assembly.

In response to BJP MP BalKrishna K Shukla’s query on reservation of scheduled tribes seats in the Assembly, Khurshid had stated in the Lok Sabha on May 3, 2012: “…12 seats reserved in the Assembly for Bhutia-Lepcha is not as Scheduled Tribe but as sequel to political agreement in the year 1973 between Government of India, the ex-Chogyal of Sikkim and the political parties of Sikkim.”

Referring to possible Assembly seat reservation for Limboos and Tamangs, who have been given ST status in the State, Khurshid said, “Any possible reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, proportionate increase in Limboo, Tamang, Bhutia-Lepcha etc. will depend on data of population of Scheduled Tribes in Sikkim on the basis of 2011 Census…”

“Any increase / decrease in the present status could be considered only after wider debate from all the stake holders in the State of Sikkim,” Khurshid said.

Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid’s statement on reservation of Bhutia-Lepcha seats in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly in the Lok Sabha on May 3, 2012.

“12 seats in the Assembly are reserved for Bhutia-Lepchas, not for scheduled tribes”

               “As may be seen from the above composition, 12 seats are reserved for Bhutia – Lepcha not as Scheduled Tribe but as sequel to political agreement in the year 1973 between Government of India, ex-Chogyal of Sikkim and Political Parties of Sikkim. Apart from Bhutias and Lepchas, Limboo and Tamang were recognized as Scheduled Tribes vide the Constitution (Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes) order (Amendment) Act, 2002 (32 of 2002).

b); Any possible reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, proportionate increase in Limboo, Tamang, Bhutia-Lepcha etc. will depend on data of population of Scheduled Tribes in Sikkim on the basis of 2011 Census, not only in terms of their number, but also dispersal patterns constituency-wise, based on such data, Sikkim Legislative Assembly may also need to pass a fresh resolution indicating number of seats that could be reserved for scheduled Tribes Communities, Bhutia – Lepchas communities, Limboo, Tamang communities etc. It is learnt form Office of the Registrar General of India that even though population enumeration exercise has been completed, it would require more then a year to get the individual Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes figures to be finalized and published. Hence, a decision regarding reservation of seats for scheduled tribes, Limboo-Tamang, Bhutia- Lepchas etc. will depend on individual population details of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes figures based on 2011 census which is still awaited. Any increase / decrease in the present status could be considered only after wider debate from all the Stake holders in the State of Sikkim.”

Sangma plays tribal card to garner support from northeast

P. Ghosh

Guwahati, July 3: Playing the tribal card, former Lok Sabha speaker and NDA presidential candidate PA Sangma on Saturday appealed to politicians in the mostly Congress-ruled northeastern states – a large share of who are tribals – to support his candidature "without any doubt or fear".

 "I belong to the northeast and I am a tribal candidate from the northeast. The presidential election is above party politics and no party can officially enforce any whip. So, I appeal to all the members of electoral colleges in all the states to vote for me without any doubt or fear," Sangma said while addressing a press conference at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) airport near Guwahati.

He said he would begin his campaign for the presidential polls from Tura on Sunday. Sangma, who arrived from New Delhi on Saturday, left for Tura straight from the airport after the press conference.

Sangma was also given a red carpet welcome by several organizations and people from Meghalaya and other states of the region at the airport.

He slammed media reports about apprehensions and calculations of votes over the presidential elections and said, "It's very unconstitutional to count the party-wise vote values regarding the presidential election. The election for the president's post is above party politics and that is why there is no party symbol used. The election is also conducted very confidentially through secret ballots."

The veteran politician, however, expressed his confidence about winning the presidential elections.

"I have contested parliamentary elections nine times and legislative assembly elections twice and I won all of them. I never lost elections in my life and I am going to win this presidential election too," he said.

"I am very happy to tell you that I have received lots of support from the northeastern states. I thank the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) of Assam, United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State Peoples' Democratic Party of Meghalaya, Mizo National Front (MNF) of Mizoram and many more parties who have decided to support me," he said.

Sangma said he banked on "vote by conscience" for his race to the top constitutional post of the country.