SIKKIM OBSERVER July 26, 2012

Golay places it safe, abstains from voting

‘Conspiracy’,says Golay aide Bhojraj Rai

Rebel leader and dissident MLA PS Golay

Gangtok, July 24: Dissident ruling party legislator PS Tamang (Golay) did not cast his vote for the presidential polls. He was not in the House to cast his vote on July 19.

However, one vote from the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front went in favour of PA Sangma, the candidate of the BJP. Two votes were declared invalid.

Golay’s aide Bhojraj Rai alleged that the ruling party had conspired against Golay to create misunderstanding with the UPA. By casting one vote in Sangma’s favour, the SDF, which supports the UPA, tried to implicate that it was Golay’s vote that went against the UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee, Rai, a former MLA, said in a press statement.

Rai said the rebel leader, who was ready to take part in the polls, was aware of the conspiracy and abstained himself from voting. This has exposed the conspiracy and cheap politics of the ruling party, Rai said.

Pranab got 28 votes valued at 196 while Sangma got one vote valued at 7.

Teachers must know fundamentals of law: Justice Wangdi

Justice SP Wangdi

Gyalshing, July 25: Justice SP Wangdi of the High Court of Sikkim highlighted the importance of teachers to be well-equipped with the fundamentals of law. This would not only benefit them in their teaching career but would also help students to know the value of legal knowledge.

Justice Wangdi, who presided over the valedictory function of a two-day held here this week, handed away certificates to fifty government teachers of schools in the west district who attended the workshop.

The two-day programme on basics of law and para-legal volunteers was organized jointly by Sikkim State Legal Services and Human Resource Development Department (HRD) here at the Zilla Panchayat Bhawan.

Local scribes form Journalist Union of Sikkim, gets affiliated to national body

Members of the newly-formed Journalist Union of Sikkim (JUS) with representatives of Indian Journalist Union (IJU – seated) at the Press Club of Sikkim, Gangtok, on Sunday.

Gangtok, July 25: Local scribes have formed the Journalist Union of Sikkim (JUS) under the presidentship of Bhim Rawat. The new body will be affiliated to the Indian Journalist Union (IJU).

IJU President SN Sinha was here to form the Sikkim unit of the national body at a function held here at the Press Club of Sikkim office on Sunday, according to a press release of the JUS.

President of Assam Journalist Union, Geetartha Pathak, was also present during the function.

The Executive Committee of the JUS are: Bhim Rawat (President), Neeta Nirash, Vishnu Neopaney and KK Chettri (Vice-President) Joseph Lepcha (General Secretary), Nirmal Manger, Shekhar Khawas and Pradeep Mizar (Joint-Secretary), Prabin Khaling (Treasurer), Samir Subba (Assistant Treasurer), Bishal Gurung and Chewan K. Dahal (Publicity Secretary).

15 executive members of the committee are: Roshan Chettri (The Sikkim Daily Encounter), Rupesh Sharma (Himalibela), Menuka Pandey (Samay Dainik), Prakash Adhikari (News Live), Anusha Gurung (Sikkim Now), Chandra Prashad Dahal (Hamro Prajasakti), Amber Lachikathi (Himalaya Darpan), Bijoy Gurung (Sikkim Express), Arjun Piyush (Himilibela), Sandeep Rai (Himalayan Mirror), Homnath Dabari (Samay Dainik), Sanjay Agrawal (District  convener, East ), Wangchuk Bhutia (District convener, North ), Namo Dixit (District  convener, South) and Madhu Sharma (District  Convener, West) .

The new body will raise issues and problems pertaining to the working journalists in the State, the release said.

The first meeting of the new body will be to hold a two-day national seminar on the problems of journalists and newspapers in the country in Gangtok on October 6-7 this year.

The IJU will also hold its convention of the national executive committee during the two-day meet. The IJU has its state units in 24 states, including Sikkim.

SACRED SIKKIM: II

Relics of Buddha preserved at Norbugang Chorten in Yuksam

By Sonam Yongda

The sacred landscape consists of a large congregation of gompas or monastries such as Dubdi, Pemayangste, Tashiding, Ralang, Norbugang Sinon, Melli etc. Dubdi is the first Buddhist monastry in Sikkim and can be reached after an arduous climb being located on a hill in a verdant forest- a sacred grove near Yuksam. A stone throne shaded by a three hundred year old Cypress tree still stands here today. A footprint on the stone in front of the throne is said to belong to Lhatsun Namkha Jigme and is worshipped by the Sikkimese people.

Norbugang Chorten in Yuksam, West Sikkim

Opposite this throne is the Norbugang Chorten (stupa), which contains soil and water from all over Sikkim. Norbugang is the oldest chorten built in Sikkim and is believed to contain the conch shell, hair and cloth of the past and present Buddha and also the cloth of Maha-Maudgalaya and Sariputra (two disciples of Lord Buddha). It also contains the left shoe of Lord Padmasambhava and hair of Khandu Yashe Chogay (Consort of Lord Padmasambhava.)

The Pemayangste monastery commands a magnificent view of the Khangchen Dzonga and houses priceless religious idols and icons. Its interiors are covered with brightly painted murals of the Tibetan Buddhism pantheon. The site of the Tashiding monastery at the junction of the great Rangit and Rathongchu rivers is believed to have been miraculously raised up by Guru Padmasambhava. The holiest chorten of Sikkim, the Thongwa Rondol is situated here and it is said that a mere glimpse of this chorten is enough to cleanse all sins.

Premier Lama Ngadag Senpa Chenpo, after reciting 'vajra guru mantra' a hundred thousand times filled the precious vase with holy water which is regarded as very auspicious. The water of this vase is kept inside Tashiding monastery and taken out once every year. The level of water is predictive of future events and natural calamities. Apart from these important sacred sites which attract a large number of devotees during festivals, the landscape also consists of numerous monasteries and sacred sites of local significance, each village in the region having its  own a monastery and places of worship.

Tashiding Monastery, Tashiding, West Sikkim.

     During the annual Bumchu Festival of Tashiding (observed since many centuries ago), the water of the Rathongchu river is mixed with the holy water of the vase in Tashiding monastery. The Rathongchu River turns slightly white at the exact location where it meets River Rangeet. It is from this place that a designated quantity of water is collected for the holy vase, and distributed among thousands of devotees who come to this place not only from Sikkim but from the farthest regions of the Himalayas such as Nepal, Bhutan and West Bengal.

In the month of August during the Pang Lhabsol festival, Buddhist monks perform rituals and prayers in the name of the Khangchen Dzonga deity. The monks and devotees go all the way up to Dzongri, 'Dhaplha Gang' to offer prayers ánd offerings to the Khangchendzonga deities for a good harvest and to free the whole country from disease, hunger, famine war etc. Kathog, Khecheopalri lakes, etc. are important lakes in this area. Yuksam is considered as 'Lhakhang' or altar for offerings to the Khangchendzonga deities.

The seven holy lakes surrounding Khangchendzonga viz Khecheopari, Katok, Tso, Bar Cho Marpu, Phu Cho Karpu, Ka Bur La Tso, Sume Ten Tso and Darfuk Yum Tso are the seven offering bowls to the Khangchendzonga deities. Every landscape of highland, midland and low land and every river, stream, cave big trees have guardian deities (Yulha Zibda) of their own and therefore during the morning ritual in every monastery these deities are worshipped.

There are two monasteries in Dubdi, and the smaller one is dedicated to the protector deities of the region. The people of Yuksam make an offering of newly harvested food crops every season to thank these deities for their blessings. The head monk has the power to divert hailstorms, cyclones and other natural calamities with the recitation of mantras. This helps in preventing the crops from getting destroyed.

The region has many forested areas recognized as ‘sacred groves’ that are associated with the monasteries managed by the Lamas. Sacred groves, are sometimes also referred to as gynas (an ethnic Bhotia word meaning ‘forest garden’) They may either be stand-alone entities or part of a larger ‘sacred landscape’, as is the case of the entire forested region of the ‘sacred’ cultural landscape of Demojong.

Khecheopalri lake in West Sikkim

It is also, mentioned in the text that burning of any undesirable things like meat, killings, destructions of objects of worship like stupas, cutting down of trees and plants, misuse of lakes, destruction or, defacement of hills and rocks of the sacred areas of Sikkim would directly affect the deities of Sikkim and will invite disasters and natural calamities.

Khecheopalri known as the 'wishing lake' is one of the most sacred lakes of Sikkim. According to legend, Khecheopalri lake was originally situated at Yuksam, where people dumped carcasses of animals and other dirty things desecrating and polluting the sacred waters. This annoyed the deities of the lake which got shifted to its current location at Khecheopalri.

On the fifteenth day of the first month of the Sikkimese calendar a special puja is offered by the monk of Khecheopalri monastery and the community of Kecheopalri village in order to propitiate the lake deities to avert disease, natural calamities and personal harm. It is believed that any large scale destruction induced by human being within these areas will destroy these hidden treasures and will harm them. (to be continued)

PRIDE OF SIKKIM Padam Singh Gurung

By Shital Pradhan

The late Padam Singh Gurung (seated) with his grand children and great grand children.
Rifleman Padam Singh Gurung was a war veteran

It has been just thirteen days since he left this world but for those who knew him his legacy will live for forever. This World War II veteran was in his 100^th year when he passed away at Singtam, East Sikkim, recently after prolonged illness.  

 Recipient of Burma War Medal, Jammu and Kashmir Medal, Independence Medal (India) and Republic Day Award (Sikkim), Rifleman Padam Singh Gurung, born in 1913, was indeed the pride of Singtam and we are proud to be associated with this legend.

Popularly known as Singtam Thakurbari Mandir’s ‘Gurung Bajey’, Rifleman Padam Singh Gurung joined the 58 Gorkha Regiment, then known as the 3rd Battalion of Second Gorkha Rifles (3/2 GR), at a tender age of 19 as a rifleman.  The year was 1941 and the World War II had already started.
Gurung did his initial military training at Dehradun and later his unit was shifted to Loralai, Baluchistan (Pakistan), for further training that suited the mountainous terrains in Burma, where they were to be sent.
The 3/2 GR moved from Baluchistan to Quetta and then to Lahore by road. Thereafter, the unit moved to Tiruchinapalli (Tamil Nadu) through rail route and from there to Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram), capital of Kerala State). The unit was then dispatched to Burma through sea route. The Battalion landed at the southern tip of Burma and immediately joined the fight against the Japanese. The year was January 1942. The 58 Gorkha Regiment stayed for over three years at Burma where Gurung had participated in all the War Operations till Japanese army surrendered in 1945.
Mohan Pradhan ‘Neeraj’, noted Nepali literary writer from Singtam, remembers Gurung as a legend and a pilgrim of his generation. Pradhan recalls having a talk with the late Rifleman a few months back about his days at Burma during the WWII.
Gurung had said, “Japanese troops had invaded Rangoon and most part of Burma (now Myanmar) then. Our battalion was part of British Indian Army that fought the Irrawaddy River Operation against the Imperial Japanese Army. Every day for several hours heavy artillery firing was done from both sides along the Irrawaddy River.
“The situation there was such that we never knew that we would be alive to see our families back home. Bullets were passing through us.  In another instance, at Arakan Mountains, the Japanese troop had made captive Indian Army soldiers in their bunkers. It was here that 58 Gorkha Regiment showed their bravery and attacked the enemy post and released the Indian Army soldiers unhurt.”
Bhaskar Gurung recalls his grandfather talk about those army days when they did not possess well-equipped weapons as today but the sheer determination, courage, patriotism and the love for their country ultimately made them victorious. Bhaskar proudly says his grandfather always felt proud and honoured to have fought for the country. He believed that success comes through hard work and sacrifice and there is no short cut.
In his short stint of 13 years in the army he went on to win Burma War Medal, Jammu and Kashmir Medal, Independence Medal (India). Gurung was 31 when he retired from his service in 1953.
Married to Bhim Maya Gurung, who passed away in 1997, Gurung left behind three sons: Mani Kumar Gurung, Prem Kumar Gurung and Santosh Kumar Gurung and a daughter Sarda Gurung and half a dozen grandchildren and great grandchildren.
The Government of Sikkim honoured Gurung with the Republic Day Award in 2011 at the Republic Day function in Gangtok. Singtam Basibiyalo, a monthly literary, had also felicitated him last August. Gurung was an active member of the All India Ex-Serviceman Association of Delhi. He donated his land for the construction of Rajya Sainik Aaram Ghar at Singtam, which is used by ex-serviceman today.

He was also the land donor and the founder of Singtam Sai Samiti way back in 1970s. Gurung Bajey was also closely associated with the construction and development of Government Fruit Preservatory Factory, Singtam.  His involvement towards the construction of Singtam Nepali Dharamsala in early 2000 is also well-known.

Northeast ditches Sangma, sides with Pranab

New Delhi, July 25: Though the former Lok Sabha Speaker, Purno Agitok Sangma, who was fielded by the NDA-AIADMK-BJD in the recent presidential poll, claimed that he had the backing of the All India Tribal Council, he was able to manage just 9.64 per cent of the total votes from the MLAs of the eight northeastern hill States.

His rival and UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee, who was declared elected as the President on Sunday, got as much as 87.75 per cent of the votes. There were around 2.61 per cent invalid votes (total 13 votes).

A quick look at the voting pattern showed that Sangma was able to get the support of 48 of the 498 MLAs in the region, whereas Mukherjee received 437 votes.

While Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura Legislative Assemblies have a strength of 60 members each, Assam has 126 members. Sikkim (32) and Mizoram (40) are the other States.

The only consolation is that in Meghalaya, where Sangma and his son are MLAs, he received the support of 23 of the 60 members. In Tripura, Sikkim and Manipur, he got one vote each; in Aunachal Pradesh, two votes, and in Mizoram, 7. In Nagaland, he drew a blank and in Assam, Sangma obtained the votes of only 13 of the 126 members in the Assembly.

 Sangma obtained the highest votes of MLAs of Madhya Pradesh — 156, against Mukherjee’s 73 votes (total membership 230). This was followed by Tamil Nadu, which gave Sangma 148 votes against Mukherjee’s 45 (234) and Gujarat — Sangma, 123, Mukherjee, 59 (182).

In Mukherjee’s case, he got the record-breaking support of 351 members of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, against Mr. Sangma’s 46 (total membership 403).

This was followed by West Bengal, where the President-elect got 275 votes and Sangma, just three votes (294), and Maharashtra —  Mukherjee, 225, Sangma, 47 (288).

Editorial

MONEY POWER

Demand For Code Of Conduct

Allegations against the establishment for using threats and money power to wean away votes to get Pranab Mukherjee elected as the next President of India cannot be taken as a mere outburst of a frustrated loser, PA Sangma, who even failed miserably to get the much-needed votes from his own Northeast region. A large section of legislators in the Northeast would certainly have backed Sangma as he is a member of their clan and they would certainly want a tribal in the top post of the country. To say that caste politics in the polls to the highest office of the land is demeaning of the post is hypocritical and naïve.

 Who are the legislators who are ruling the states and the country? Many of them not only have criminal background but are well-known for their corrupt deeds. This is not say that Pranab would have lost the polls if the whole system in the entire country is neat and clean. But the reality – something many people pretend not to know – is that threats (CBI) and money power which come in the form of financial packages do work. In fact, the whole system in the country is corrupt to the core and this has a direct bearing on political activities such as the presidential polls. It is worth noting that Rs. 57,000 was given to Uttar Pradesh and Rs. 27,000 crore to Bihar as financial packages recently when Pranab was the Union Finance Minister. Many former CMs and prospective CMs are also under the CBI scanner. Therefore, Sangma’s suggestion that elections to the post of president and vice-president must come under the code of conduct is valid and reasonable.

Teesta III hydro project likely to be ready by Dec 2013

Gangtok, July 25: The 1,200 MW Teesta-III hydro project in Chungthang in North Sikkim, delayed by natural calamities and legal hurdles, is likely to be commissioned by December 2013. The project, which would supply power Sikkim, Haryana and Rajasthan, among others, is being developed by Teesta Urja, where four entities, including Sikkim government have stakes.

Power trading solutions provider PTC India, which holds 11% stake, said the project is expected to be ready by the end of next year, PTI reported.

"The construction activity of Teesta III project got affected due to the earthquake of September 2011. The project is now expected to be commissioned in December 2013," PTC India chairman and managing director Tantra Narayan Thakur told PTI.

Singapore-based Asian Genco Pte holds 50.1% stake in Teesta III while Sikkim government and Athena Projects Pvt Ltd has 26% and 11% shareholding, respectively.

Going by initial schedule, first unit of Teesta III was to be commissioned in August 2011, as per Teesta Urja website. The project would have six units of 200 MW each.

Sources said that more than 70% of work at Teesta III has been completed.

Apart from last year's earthquake that affected the project site, differences between Teesta Urja Ltd and Sikkim government have also delayed the implementation of Teesta III.

A Teesta Urja official said that delays have escalated the project costs, which is now estimated to be around Rs. 8,000 crore. Initially, the project expenses were projected at about Rs. 5,700 crore.

Earlier this month, issues regarding transfer of 26% stake to Sikkim government were resolved, sources said.

The Sikkim government had resorted to legal action on the issue of transfer of 26% stake in the project to itself.

On July 13, Rural Electrification Corp -- one of the lenders for the project -- had convened a meeting of Teesta Urja stakeholders. REC has proposed to take up cost over run funding to the tune of Rs. 1,000 crore.

According to the minutes of the meeting, Sikkim government officials assured support on all project-related issues, including infusion of equity and issue of no objection certificate (NOC), for bridge construction.

The run of the river project was awarded by the Sikkim government to Teesta Urja Ltd on BOOT (Build Own Operate Transfer) basis for a period of 35 years.