SIKKIM OBSERVER Page 1        December 8, 2012

Chamling appears before Patra Commission on graft charges

Gangtok, Dec 7: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling last Thursday appeared before Justice Patra Commission of Inquiry that was constituted last year to probe allegations of corruption against him and some of his colleagues.

Chamling made an appearance before the Commission to reply and clarify on the allegations made by the State unit of the Congress party, according to a statement of the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF).

Chamling, a four-time chief minister, was accused by the Congress of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. Similar accusations were made against some of his ministerial colleagues as well.

Chamling’s party moved a resolution last year for instituting a panel to probe the allegations. The SDF statement said that Chamling’s appearance before the Commission was “in conformity with the rule of law and democratic values” that the CM had been adhering to.

Opposition parties have alleged that the probe is an eyewash to fool the people.

Tenzing’s death is a great loss to Sikkimese

     Late Tenzing Bhutia (right) with NASBO President Sonam Lama Kaloen during the hearing of the 97 MW Tashiding     

     Hydro Electric Project case at the Sikkim High Court premises last Monday (Nov 26). Bhutia, along with Kaloen, had     

     challenged the project in the Supreme Court. The case was referred to the Sikkim High Court.

Gangtok, Dec 7: The Press Club of Sikkim has condoled the “untimely death” of Tenzing Bhutia, editor of ' Pro-Sikkim' English weekly, which was launched only last week.

Bhutia met with a fatal car accident on Wednesday evening near Adampool in lower Rumtek.

In a statement, the PCS said Bhutia’s demise is “a great loss to the press and media fraternity” in the State.

The National Sikkimese Bhutia organization (NASBO 371F) said Bhutia’s passing away is “an irreparable loss to anyone who would not hesitate to consider himself a ‘Proud Sikkimese’.”

In a statement, NASBO President Sonam Kaloen said Bhutia was always concerned about the “ever diluting distinct identity and rights of Sikkim and the Sikkimese people.”

 In his efforts to preserve Sikkim’s distinct identity Bhutia worked with Denjong Lho-men Chog-du and Sikkim Bhutia-Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC).

600 lamas, nuns participate in historic puja in Tashiding monastery

Gangtok, Dec 7: Around 600 lamas and nuns participated in the just-concluded ten-day-long historic puja in Tashiding monastery in West Sikkim.

Monks and nuns from 50 monasteries from all over Sikkim, including Taktse (Gangtok) and Sikkim Institute of Higher Nyingma Studies, Deorali, participated in the recitation of one hundred thousand prayers of Guru Rinpoche’s Le’u Dun Bumtherma which ended on Sunday.

Organised by Conservancy for Trans Himalayan Art and Culture (CTAC) with the consent of the State Government, this historic puja, which began in Tashiding on November 23, was led by several highly-placed lamas and rinpoches: Gonjang Rinpoche, Lachung Rinpoche and Khenpo Lha Tshering.

Drakar Tashiding is believed to be the most sacred place for Sikkimese Buddhism. This place was visited by Guru Rinpoche and Yishey Tsogyal in the 8^th century.

The Le’u Dun Bumtherma prayers “was never recited one hundred thousand times at a time at a particular event,” according to Jamyang Dorjee, regional coordinator of CTAC. This was done for the first time in Tashiding. Dorjee said one of the most outstanding achievements was that monks representing Nyingma and Kyagyu orders participated in the prayers.

Some of the prominent sponsors of the puja were Gyari Rinpoche (Lodi Gyari, former special envoy of HH Dalai Lama), Mindroling Tulku Penam Rinpoche (Dehrudun), Sogyal Rinpoche and Hollywood actor Richard Gere.

7-day Kagyu Monlam puja begins in Bodhgaya on Dec 14

     Sikkim’s Sonam Yongda (second from left) along with Sikkimese contingent receiving HH 17^th Karmapa Trinley Thaye     

     Dorje at Bodhgaya during 2011 Kagyu Monlam.

Bodhgaya, Dec 7: The annual Kagyu Mönlam Chenmo 2012 commences here on Dec 14 and will continue till Dec 20.

His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje, who is expected to reach here on Dec 13, will preside over the entire Mönlam session for 7 days at the Sacred Mahabodhi Stupa, under the Bodhi tree, where Buddha Shakyamuni attained Enlightenment 2500 years ago.

The organizing Committee has already started their planning and preparations for this mega event in which about 50, 000 trulkus, khenpos, rinpoche, monks, nuns and lay devotees from across the world and particularly the Himalayas- Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan - are expected to participate in offering Grand Prayers for universal peace and prosperity.

 The 14th Gyalwang Shamarpa Mipham Chokyi Lodrue is also expected to attend the Grand Prayer.

Editorial

 PRO-SIKKIM

The Time Is Now

The tragic and untimely death of Tenzing C’wang Bhutia, who just last week launched his Pro-Sikkim English weekly, ought to remind us that procrastination is the thief of time and those who wish to contribute something meaningful to society must do it now and not leave the task to some other time. ‘If you put off doing what you ought to do, you will end up not having enough time to do it properly.” Though Tenzing spent most of his life as an employee of the State Bank of India his heart was elsewhere. His flirtation with journalism and social organizations in the past three decades revolved around certain issues that concern the people of Sikkim. At the heart of his political activism was his passion to preserve Sikkim’s distinct identity within the framework of the Constitution of India.

Tenzing’s death is a personal loss to the editor of this paper. He worked tirelessly and enthusiastically for the Nepali edition of Sikkim Observer in the early 1990s when the establishment made it very difficult for independent journalists to function freely. Tenzing’s first known publication was The Sikkimese, an English weekly published from Gangtok. Due to various reasons it folded up. During the launch of Pro-Sikkim in Gangtok last week former chief minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari rightly said that being “pro-Sikkim” does not mean that we are “anti-India.” New Delhi ought to come to a more realistic view of the situation in the former kingdom if it wishes to protect its security interests in the region. If there are those who genuinely feel the need to preserve Sikkim’s distinct identity within the bounds of India then they should appreciate and honour Tenzing’s loudable contributions for a just cause. Death cannot and must not be the ultimate victor if there are those who dare to dream for a more free and just society.

SC acts on Tamang murder plea, issues notices to CBI

Gorkha leader Madan Tamang  was murdered in Darjeeling on May 21, 2010. (left)

New Delhi, Dec 7: The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and West Bengal government on a plea seeking a fresh probe into the killing of a Gorkha leader in Darjeeling following allegation that investigation by state police and CBI were "tainted, biased and malafide".

A bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and justices S S Nijjar and J Chelameswar also issued notices to the CBI, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal police and the Darjeeling Police on a petition by Bharati Tamang seeking the probe into the murder of her husband Madan Tamang, president of All India Gorkha League.

Bharati, in her plea, also sought quashing of the charge- sheets filed by the CID and the CBI on August 30, 2010 and August 20, 2011 respectively, saying "investigation has suppressed vital information and evidence whilst submitting both the chargesheet and the supplementary chargesheet in order to exclude the same from the materials to be used in prosecution of the co-conspirators."

She has also sought a direction from the apex court to appoint "an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising of senior officers headed by a competent person or authority of impeccable credentials" to conduct a fresh probe into the conspiracy and murder of Madan Tamang on May 21, 2010 at Darjeeling.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Bharati, sought appointment of the SIT alleging the "police failed to arrest, interrogate and arraign the accused persons named in the complaint and the FIR lodged pursuant thereto which was vital for establishing the extent of the conspiracy to commit the murder."

Tamang was killed allegedly by "a group of about four hundred supporters of Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) carrying deadly arms" on the morning of May 21, 2010 when he was overseeing preparations for a public meeting.

Bharati also said that "despite handing over of investigation to the CBI, the same yielded the arraignment of only one more accused whilst keeping quiet about the role of the main persons against whom allegations had been levelled and against whom substantial evidence is already forthcoming."

She has accused the Centre and the State of trying to protect top leaders of GJM whom she has arraigned as parties.

On September 26, the Calcutta High Court had granted bail to four persons, Swadesh Rai Majhi, Sipen Maley, Sumi Rai and Puran Rai, accused in case.

Prime accused Nicole Tamang, a GJM central committee member, fled from CID custody following his arrest on August 15 from a hideout at Bijonbari in Darjeeling.

SFA mourns death of Bhaichung’s father

Gangtok, Dec 7: The Sikkim Football Association convened an emergent meeting to condole the sudden death of Sonam Topden Bhutia, the father of Bhaichung Bhutia.

Sonam Topden, 73 years of age, passed away on Thursday (December 6, 2012) morning in his residence at Tinkitam, South Sikkim. He is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter.

SFA members observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the departed soul. All the members expressed their deep condolences to Bhaichung and his family at their hour of bereavement.

After jet crash it is now bear scare in Dzongu

Gangtok, Dec 7: After the recent plane crash the bears have invaded the Lepcha-dominated region of Dzongu in North Sikkim.

The villagers of Lower Gyer of Shipgyer in Upper Dzongu have been advised by the panchayat members to refrain from entering the jungle there owing to the risk of wild bear attacks, official sources said on Thursday.

One person was killed there in a bear attack last week, they said, PTI reported.

It is learnt that the bear is still in the jungles around the village with more sightings reported in the area and the panchayat secretary has also advised the people to even avoid the approach footpath which connects with the PWD road after daylight hours.

A Jaguar fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed in an inaccessible forested area in Dzongu last Friday with the pilot suffering serious injuries.  

The fighter jet, on a routine sortie from the Hashimara airbase near Siliguri in West Bengal, crashed near Lik in Upper Dzongu with the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Yogesh Yadav, suffering serious injuries and the wreckage catching fire.

    "A court of inquiry has been ordered into the crash," IAF Group Captain Amit Mahajan told PTI in Shillong.

 Centre clears proposal on Sikkim Scouts battalion

New Delhi, Dec 7: The Government yesterday cleared proposals worth over Rs 13,000 crore for a major expansion of the strategic Naval air base at Karwar where the Russian-origin aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov will be berthed and raising a new battalion of Sikkim Scouts for the Army.

The proposals were cleared at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here, Navy sources said.

The CCS cleared a proposal to raise the first battalion of Sikkim Scouts for the Army which will mainly comprise youth from the northeastern state.

The new battalion will be established on the lines of Ladakh Scouts, which is mainly deployed in the region from where the troops are drawn.

On the need for having such battalions, Army officers said the two primary reasons were local youth's natural acclimatisation to the region's terrain, weather and environment.

Sikkim has a population of just 5.4 lakh as per 2001 census and according to government figures, 60 per cent of them are below 24 years of age.

India's border with China along Sikkim extends to 222 km. China claims a small tract of territory in Sikkim called the 'Finger Area' too.

Under the plan, Navy will carry out the expansion of the Karwar base on the country's western sea board in Karnataka where it will berth Admiral Gorshkov, now rechristened INS Vikramaditya, and carry out military aircraft operations. The aircraft carrier is expected to join the Navy next year end, Outlook magazine reported.

It plans to deploy the Scorpene submarines and a number of surface ships at the base after the completion of the over Rs 10,000 crore project at Karwar.

Codenamed Project Seabird Phase IIA, the work will involve construction of a wide range of new facilities and augmentation of certain existing facilities, they said.

As per the plans, the Navy will be able to base around 30 major warships at Karwar after the completion of Phase-IIA by 2017-18.

It is also planning to establish a Naval Air Station there for deploying fixed and rotary wing ship-based military aircraft, they said.

Project Seabird has been dogged by long delays, fund crunches and truncated clearances since it was first approved in 1985 at an initial cost of Rs 350 crore.

Phase-I, which was completed at a cost of Rs 2,629 crore in 2005-06, has enabled the Navy to base more than 15 warships at Karwar.