SIKKIM OBSERVER         July 7, 2012

Indian football skipper Sunil Chhetri signs 2-year deal Portuguese club

New Delhi, July 6: Top Portuguese club Sporting Clube de Portugal, also known as Sporting Lisbon, has roped in Indian striker Sunil Chettri, it was confirmed in a press conference on Thursday. Chhetri will play for the club's reserve team.

Accompanied by All India Football Federation President Praful Patel in the media conference, Chhetri said he was very happy to be going to play in a country that is in the Top-10 in the FIFA world rankings.

"This is one opportunity that I would never forget in my life. 165th is the nation that I play football (for) right now... and I'm going to go and play in the country which is fifth and in one of the best clubs in the world....one of the best clubs in the world," said an elated Chhetri.

"One thing that I can promise you guys, the ones who have made it possible for me to go there that I don't know how much can I achieve over there, I know for sure that I have to do a lot of hard work, I know that I'm not there yet but one thing's for sure, I'm not going to lose this opportunity.

"I'll make sure that I don't leave any stone unturned. I'll make sure when I'm 40 I don't say that I could have done anything better. I'll make sure when I'm 40 I can say I gave whatever was possible humanly for me. And I assure you... I will not let anyone down. I'll give my best," said Chhetri who had been a free agent since completing his one-year contract with Mohun Bagan after the end of this season. .  

The India football captain has reportedly signed a two-year deal with the Portuguese club that previously had Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani in its ranks.  

This will be Chhetri's second stint abroad after having been signed by Major League Soccer side Kansas City Wizard, a team he failed to make any league appearance for, in March 2010.

Dalai Lama says “thank you” to India on his 77^th birthday

Dharamsala, July 6: Thousands of Tibetan exiles and foreigners on Friday morning attended the 77th birthday celebrations of their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.

Large crowds began to assemble since morning at the Tsuglagkhang temple to join the birthday celebrations.

"Special prayer sessions were held for the long life of His Holiness," Tashi, a Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) spokesperson, told IANS.

The Dalai Lama, revered by the Tibetans as a "living god", attended the prayers held at the hilltop Tsuglagkhang temple, close to his official palace at McLeodganj.

The 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, who has been residing in Dharamsala for the last few years with his followers, also attended the function.

In a brief address in his Tibetan dialect, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, known for his trademark maroon robes, thanked the government of India and the people for their hospitality to the exiled Tibetans. He thanked the Tibetan for their heartfelt greetings.

The entire cabinet of the CTA and Prime Minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay were present at the function.

Born July 6, 1935, at Taktser hamlet in northeastern Tibet, the Dalai Lama was recognised at the age of two as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso.

He fled Tibet after a failed uprising against the Chinese rule in 1959, basing his government-in-exile here that never won recognition from any country.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his non-violent campaign for democracy and freedom in his homeland. Since fleeing to India, he has spent his time in exile pushing for autonomy for Tibet.

 Youth body calls for unity against ‘injustices’

Gangtok, July 6: The All Sikkim Educated Self Employed and Unemployed Association (ASESE&UA) President Nawin Kiran Pradhan has lambasted the State Government for non-fulfillment of its promises made to the people when it came to power 19 years ago in 1994.

During its state-wide tour, which began here yesterday, Pradhan is likely to call on all like-minded Sikkimese to come together to oppose the alleged injustices of the ruling establishment.

Briefing reporters here before the tour, Pradhan said when Chief Minister Pawan Chamling lit a candle for democracy in the State Assembly on September 9, 1992 he protested against “autocratic rule” and “corruption”  and demanded “freedom of speech and expression” for all citizens in the State.

“But after coming to power” and within a “span of 19 years…all the promises and issues addressed then” have remained “unfulfilled,” Pradhan said in a press statement.

Pradhan said for the first time in Sikkim’s history the Sikkimese people have been deeply “divided”, leading to rampant corruption in the administration. He alleged that law enforcing agencies in the State have also been “exploited.”

Referring to the recent drama during the budget session of the Assembly, Pradhan said dissident SDF leader PS Golay was raising “social issues” of the “common man” in the Assembly and his suspension from the House was most “unfortunate.”

“If the member of the House is not allowed to speak or address the issues of the common man in the House…it is clear that the ‘Democracy’ in State no longer exists,” Pradhan said.

He has urged all, including government employees, to unite and raise their voice against alleged injustices of the present government.

Under pressure, GJM demand quota in GTA for SC, ST

Darjeeling, July 6: Having decided to take part in the ensuing Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) polls the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has demanded reservation of seats in the new hill body for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

 Morcha President Bimal Gurung has asked Chief Minister Mamata Gurung to fulfill this demand. “Our party president has sent a letter to the chief minister requesting her to provide reservations to SC and ST communities in the GTA Sabha,” Morcha General Secretary Roshan Giri said.

This decision comes following request made to Gurung by the All India Scheduled Caste Association recently.

Presently, of the 50-member GTA only five seats are left for SC, ST and other “unrepresented communities”.

While SC community makes up about 9.7 per cent of the hill population the ST stands at 34 per cent. Prominent among STs in Darjeeling are Tamang, Limbu, Sherpa, Dukpa, Tibetan, Bhutia and Lepcha communities.

The two communities have formed SC and ST Joint Action Committee under the presidentship of MS Bomzom to pursue their quota demand. N.B. Kalikotey, the General Secretary of the All India Nepali Scheduled Caste Association, is the Joint Secretary of the new body.

The two communities have stated that reservation in elected bodies was their constitutional right and are planning to take legal recourse on the matter.

Child rights body visits Singtam hospital

Gangtok, July 6: Chairperson of Sikkim Commission for Protection of Child Rights Manita Pradhan, who visited the government hospital in Singtam, East Sikkim, has urged the hospital authorities to ensure that all benefits, schemes and health services provided by the government reaches the people.

Pradhan, accompanied by Commission member Yangchen Ladingpa, visited the hospital on Wednesday and met doctors and staff members of the hospital, an IPR release said.

According to Dr. MB Sharma (gynecologist) the hospital is all set to have an all-time operation theatre for Caesarian delivery.

Pradhan visited female ward, maternity ward pediatric ward and geriatric ward meant for the senior citizen. The Commission was glad to see that a neo-natal intensive care unit for the new-born babies with full medical apparatus which is going to be functional very soon. Pregnant women and the children along with other patients are found to be taken care of well by the doctors and staff of the hospital.

The Commission applauded CMO Dr. Tshering Laden, her colleagues and staff of the hospital for their efforts to provide better health care of women and children.

It may be recalled that the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling, made a surprise visit to the hospital exactly a year back.

Legal, political battles ahead for Chamling

WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR

Jigme N Kazi

Gangtok, July 6: This is going to be a crucial month for those who are bent on raking up corruption issues against the Chamling government in the court of law.

Though he has denied withdrawing his petition against the State Government in the Supreme Court, Delay Namgyal’s petition is likely to be heard on July 31. Insisting that he has not withdrawn his petition from the apex court, Delay says that the matter will come up before the court on July 31.

His critics say that though Delay has formally applied for withdrawal of his petition from the court, the apex court will hear his plea on July 31 and take a final decision on the withdrawal plea. “So far Delay has neither given a formal statement that he has not withdrawn his petition nor challenged the so-called fake application of withdrawal in the court,” said an observer

After Delay and Pema Dadul Bhutia raised the matter in the apex court in January this year notices were issued to the Centre, CBI and State Government for their reaction.

Delay and Pema had sought the apex court’s help to begin probe against Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and his cabinet colleagues for alleged corrupt practices after Congress leaders reportedly withdrew their corruption cases against Chamling & Co last year.

A public interest litigation filed by Anand Lama, a resident of Gangtok, before the High Court of Sikkim, will also come up for hearing on July 31. In his petition, Lama has alleged financial irregularities in several hydroelectric projects, including the 1200 MW Teesta Stage III project, in North Sikkim.

The Andhra Pradesh MP, Jaganmohan Reddy, the richest MP in the country, is said to have invested huge amount in Teesta State III, the State’s largest and one of the biggest hydel projects in the country. Lama says the next hearing the case is fixed for July 31. Reddy is presently in jail even as the CBI continues probing his alleged ill-gotten wealth.

   It is still not certain but there is a distinct possibility that anti-big dam activists under the banner of ‘Platform for Joint Action Against Hydro Projects in Sikkim’ may file a writ petition before the High Court here on the alleged Rs 20,000 scam in hydel projects in North Sikkim, which was reported in a national newspaper recently.

During the hearing of the 97MW Tashiding hydel project here recently, the High Court gave enough indications that interested parties were free to approach the court on the alleged Teesta hydel project scam in North Sikkim.

Recently, nine social organizations had written to Chief Justice of the High Court of Sikkim Permod Kohli urging him to take suo moto cognizance of alleged irregularities and corruption in the implementation of various hydel projects in the State.

Petitioners of the Tashiding hydel project case, which was transferred to the High Court from the Supreme Court, wanted the court to take up the Teesta project case as well but the court rejected this plea stating that issues raised in the two cases were different and should be taken up separately. Incidentally, the next hearing of the Tashiding hydel project case is fixed for July 24.

Apart from legal aspects of these cases, issues raised in the petitions have tremendous political ramifications. The Chamling government will find it increasingly difficult to fight controversial legal battles at a time when the political situation, after rebel ruling Sikkim Demoratic Front leader and legislator PS Golay came out openly against Chief Minster Pawan Chamling during the budget session of the Assembly recently, remains  fluid and unpredictable.

After his successful political debut in the Assembly recently Golay and his supporters are ecstatic and are likely to become more active in the coming months.

Editorial

TIMELY MANIPULATION

Is The CBI Really Independent?

Have you ever wondered why a Mulayam or a Mayawati is ready to extend the olive branch to UPA from time to time? Or why Karunanidhi, despite going through utter humiliation, ends up standing behind the UPA? Or how the UPA manages everyone so smoothly, except Mamata Banerjee? Well, the answer is in the central government’s massive manipulative control over the CBI, which can in turn then be used to blackmail anyone with any kind of shady dealing and existing CBI investigation; and given that most of our political leaders are corrupt, they can all be easily manipulated, minus rare exceptions like Mamata.

 Let’s look into some cases. Let’s start with UPA’s biggest problem, YSRC President Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy. He accused the Congress of using the CBI as a tool to harass its political opponents. Sakshi TV channel owned by Y. S. Bharati, wife of Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, aired an hour-long program defaming Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Following that, the CBI accused Jaganmohan Reddy of having disproportionate assets and targeted him under multiple sections. All government advertisements and notifications that Sakshi TV and newspaper used to get were stopped.

Similar was the case with UP’s ex CM, Mayawati. After getting a clean chit in the Taj Heritage Corridor case in 2007, Mayawati accused the UPA government of using the CBI to drag her unnecessarily in the disproportionate asset case as a revenge for her act of withdrawing support to UPA. All charges, however, were suddenly dropped and all cases against Mayawati buried, after she lost the UP polls. CBI said that it made a “grave error” while calculating assets of Mayawati. In return, the erstwhile harassed Mayawati supported UPA in Uttarakhand and also backed UPA’s presidential nominee.

Sikkim varsity is ‘institutional member’ of Press Club of Sikkim

Gangtok, July 6: 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.

As such, Sikkim University has been declared as “institutional member” of the Press Club of Sikkim.

At a function here at the university complex on Tuesday, 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 respectively of the Club.

Lama said he was thankful to the media for making contributions to the growth of the university since its inception. According to unconfirmed reports, Lama has got an extension of three months. He was due to retire this month.

Flame of Truth” global relay to begin on Dalai Lama’s 77^th birthday

Dharamsala, July 6: “The Flame of Truth”, a global torch relay, will begin on 6 July, the 77th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from Leh, Ladakh, (Northern India) and travel across hundreds of cities around the world. It will go on till December 10, World Human Rights Day, with the submission of appeal letters and thousands of signatures simultaneously to the UN Headquarters in New York City, UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and UN information office in New Delhi.

The Tibetan parliament on Wednesday issued a release stating that the Relay will be carried out in "solidarity with the courageous and selfless acts of our brave brothers and sisters inside Tibet and to make the world aware of their selfless acts and aspirations."

The central aim of the Relay and signature campaign is to urge the UN to discuss the Tibetan Human Rights issue based on earlier resolutions, send a fact-finding mission to investigate the ongoing situation in Tibet, and lastly the for the UN to take special responsibility to ensure that the basic aspirations of the Tibetan community living within Tibet are fulfilled.

The release also stated that since China's invasion of Tibet, Beijing has never changed its hard-line policies on Tibet. This has resulted in China exploiting not only Tibet's rich natural resources but, gruesome killing, torture, imprisonment and harassment of the Tibetan people continuously. As a result of the constant torment, "Tibet today, is like hell on earth."

July 4 ‘blackest day’ for Press freedom in Sikkim: youth body

Gangtok, July 6: The All Sikkim Educated Self Employed & Unemployed Association regards July 4, 2008 as the ‘blackest day’ for Press freedom in the State.

Association President Nawin Kiran Pradhan said on this day “bhattus and goondas” made a “preplanned attack” on members of the local media, Pradhan in a press release.

He said the culprits are “still roaming freely.” He criticized the Sikkim Police for failing to nab the culprits.

Pradhan said “even today vocal newspapers and journalist are politically banned and threatened by the ruling front in many parts of Sikkim.”

It may be recalled that a group of masked men in black leather jackets and armed with hammers and iron rods entered the office of “Hamro Prajashakti” around 8:30 pm in the evening of July 4, 2008 and attacked the journalists present in its office in Gairi Gaon, Tadong.

Seven journalists associated with the Nepali daily, Hamro Prajashakti and Himalayan Mirror, an English daily, were seriously injured in the attack.