HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN     Wednesday June 12-18, 2013  

Sangma for political solution to the Naxal problem

“Go into the root-cause of the problem”

Raipur, June 11: Former Lok Sabha Speaker and National People's Party chief P A Sangma yesterday said the Chhattisgarh government should find "a political solution" to the Naxal problem.

"What has happened (the Naxal attack in Bastar on Congress leaders) is very unfortunate and I completely reject this violence, but simultaneously we urge the state government as well as the Centre to go into the root-cause of the problem," he said here.

"As a tribal leader, I appeal (Naxals) to shun violence and come out for a dialogue. The government should find a political solution," he said.

Asked about possible impact of Bastar attack on the coming Assembly polls, he said, "Definitely it would have impact on Congress as they have lost their top leaders."

Sangma also said he was "very much against" using Army to fight Naxals, agencies reported.

"Their mindset is to fight enemy, not our people. In North-East, it is quite evident that even after deploying Army and imposing AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Power Act), insurgency has upsurged," he said.

"Tribals were ignored and suppressed. They are accused of being Maoists and Naxalites, hence they are scared to come to the capital (Raipur), which is very bad...There should be an economic package of Rs 2 lakh crore for the development of fifth schedule areas (listed in the Constitution)," Sangma said.

Sangma also said that Third Front will play a key role in coming Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh and will field candidates in all the ninety seats.

The Third Front in the state includes NPP, Chhattisgarh Swabhiman Manch, CPI, CPI (M), Rashtriya Gondwana Gadtantra Party and Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha.

Students protest against support to “His Majesty King Gyanendra”

Kathmandu, June 11: Dozens of students staged a rare protest on Monday against Nepal’s former king at the start of his private pilgrimage in the southeast of the country, police said.

Police arrested six protesters after they blocked roads and tore down banners welcoming Gyanendra Shah to Saptari district, in a rare demonstration against the monarchy which was abolished five years ago. “They also dismantled makeshift gates (built over the roads) welcoming the former monarch,” Rajendra Thakuri, a local police officer of Saptari district, AFP reported.

He said the students were angry at public displays of support for Nepal’s monarch, particularly banners in the town of Rajbiraj that still proclaimed the former king as “His Majesty King Gyanendra”. Police said around 60 protesters blocked roads throughout the district, forcing their closure and prompting police to deploy some 300 officers.

Dalai Lama invited to Hong Kong

Dharamshala, June 11:  His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, has been invited to visit Hong Kong by a Tibetan and Han-Chinese religious organisation in September. The organisation said it is confident that His Holiness will be able to make the trip.

Philip Li Koi-hop, chairman of the Hong Kong Tibetan and Han-Chinese Friendship Association, expressed his optimism while speaking to Hong Kong based newspaper the South China Morning Post. Li said he has visited the Dalai Lama four times in India between 2009 and 2011.

"One time I asked him if he wanted to come to Hong Kong. He answered 'Yes', and said a University of Hong Kong professor had invited him earlier. But the Hong Kong government rejected the visit," Li, who has visited the Dalai Lama four times in India between 2009 and 2011, reports said.

Li said the current invitation to the 77-year-old spiritual leader, who relinquished all his political authority to the elected Tibetan leadership in 2011, was sent following his return from his latest visit.

Li further said that he hopes to use media pressure to urge the Dalai Lama to come to Hong Kong as well as to lean on the Immigration Department to allow the visit.

He has applied to the Immigration Department as well as sent letters to authorities in the mainland, and to President Xi Jinping, to allow His Holiness the Dalai Lama to visit the city.

The Hong Kong Tibetan and Han-Chinese Friendship Association was set up in 2010 to ''defend Tibetans' core value and promote ethnic harmony in China.'

An official of the Association had earlier told the Kyodo news service based in Tokyo "they want to gather people who would defend Tibetan culture and to build strong ties with them."

Li also said that if the Tibetan spiritual leader is permitted to visit Hong Kong, "his visit will represent significant progress in easing tensions with Beijing."

However, His Holioness The Dalai lama's private office has clarified that there was no such plan to tour the special administrative region under the control of People's Republic of China.

“Yes, it is true that the Private Office received the letter and our concerned staff had immediately replied saying that His Holiness' visit would not be possible for the time being,” said Nagpa Tsegyam, secretary at His Holiness the Dalai Lama's private office

“His Holiness has no scheduled plans of visiting Hong Kong in the near future,” he said, adding that there was a lengthy process involved in organising spiritual leader's visit and required detailed planning.

Tourists return to the Kashmir valley

Srinagar, June 11: J&K appears to be back on the popularity charts again after a brief lull in April, when tourist arrivals dropped by a sharp 30%. Houseboats, hotel rooms and planes are booked to capacity and bursting at the seams allaying apprehensions earlier this year that the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru may impact tourist footfalls.

Tourism ministry officials said that if the trend continues, the State would have received as many if not more tourists in 2013. J&K received a record 13 lakh tourists in 2011 and 2012, and industry estimates suggest that this is likely to continue. In fact, number of tourists in January and February, 2013, had doubled since 2011, Times of India reported.

However, the trend was stymied for the first time in April 2013, when the number of tourists dropped from 1.06 lakh in 2012 to 80,000. Guru was executed on February 9, 2013, following which protests flared up in the Valley and curfew imposed. Mobile, cable TV and internet services were disrupted and there was tension in parts of Kashmir for over 10 days. None of this was encouraging for tourism.

“There were fears within the government that Afzal Guru's execution would cause unrest and consequently impact tourism which was reflected when we received figures for tourist arrivals in March and April. April is the beginning of the season and it was a cause of deep worry,'” a tourism ministry official said.

The tourism ministry in collaboration with the ministries of home affairs and civil aviation and the state government had announced a two-week long Kashmir festival from May 14 onwards. “We began plans to offer 20%-30% discounts on airfare, houseboats and hotel room to boost tourism in the Valley. However within two-three days of announcing the discounts, the response was tremendous and we withdrew the offers,'” the official said.

Editorial  

MIXED REACTIONS

Chamling’s Dual Stand On Gorkhaland

There was no need for Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling to indirectly oppose formation of Gorkhaland state during the recent chief ministers’ conference in New Delhi. Though it was his Urban Development Minister DB Thapa who attended the conference on Chamling’s behalf the stand adopted at the meeting where Sikkim actually opposed formation of smaller states has justifiably caused discomfort in neighbouring Darjeeling. When Thapa spoke at the meeting he was speaking on behalf of the Chief Minister and, therefore, for the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to blame it on the minister alone is not a proper thing to do. The All India Gorkha League has at least voiced its doubt on Chamling’s sincerity on the statehood issue mainly because the Chamling Government has not only passed a resolution in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly supporting creation of Gorkhaland but Chamling himself as stated after the CMs’ conference that he supported the statehood demand in Darjeeling.

There could have been a strong reaction on Sikkim Government’s dual stand on Gorkhaland. Does this reflect that Gorkhas in North Bengal are gradually losing faith on Gorkha/Nepali leadership on the statehood issue? While most Sikkimese, including ‘Sikkimese Nepalese’, would fully back the statehood demand there are those in Darjeeling who are comfortable with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) – at least for the moment. Others are demanding 6^th schedule/Union Territory status for Darjeeling. In the meanwhile, the Centre is keenly watching our flip-flop on ‘Gorkhaland’ and is convinced that we are not very serious and sincere on the issue.

Chamling’s sincerity questioned on Gorkhaland issue

Darjeeling, June 11: Not all parties here are pleased with Sikkim’s flip-flop on the demand for creation of Gorkhaland state. While the ruling Gorkha Janmukti Morcha blamed Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s cabinet colleague, Urban Development Minister DB Thapa, for opposing creation of smaller states in the country the opposition All India Gorkha League (AIGL) cast doubts on Chamling’s sincerity on the issue.

After Thapa opposed creation of smaller states in the country at the CMs’ conference in New Delhi last week, Chamling on Monday said he supported demand for Gorkhaland. In fact, Chamling said India should have at least 50 states like the USA.

 “We welcome the Sikkim Chief Minister’s support to our demand as it has also been passed in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly. But one of his minister has shown Darjeeling hills in a negative manner which is unacceptable”, said JGM General Secretary Roshan Giri.

Thapa had said formation of separate states may create unrest in Sikkim.

AIGL General Secretary Pratap Khati said it was difficult to ascertain Chamling’s sincerity on the statehood issue given the fact that the Sikkim Legislative Assembly two years back had passed a resolution supporting the creation of Gorkhaland state. (see edit on page 4)

600 Nathula tourists stranded

Gangtok, June 11: Around 600 tourists returning to Gangtok from Chhangu Lake, Baba Mandir and Nathu-la were stranded at 5th Mile, 15km from Gangtok, following a landslide on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg on Saturday evening, official sources said.

"Around 5pm, when the tourist vehicles were returning from Chhangu Lake, Baba Mandir and Nathu-la, slush and the debris blocked the road at 5th Mile and 112 vehicles were stuck," said a check post police officer at 2nd Mile, Sabitri Pradhan, over the phone, PTI reported.

Pradhan said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) had started clearing the debris and the tourists would be brought to Gangtok as soon as possible.

"The tour operators with whom the tourists had booked vehicles have been informed. Some of them have reached the spot and are trying to bring the tourists back to Gangtok," said Pradhan.

BRO director A K Das said workers had been deployed to clear the road.

Gorkha agenda cheers Darjeeling tea planters

Kolkata, June 11: Darjeeling tea planters' keenness to launch tea tourism has found support in the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's development agenda but the Mamata Banerjee government is sitting idle on the project. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung has asked planters to come up with development projects including tea tourism which can generate employment and earn revenue for the newly formed Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA).

Planters are keen on tea tourism because it provides them an alternative source of income at a time when erratic weather is affecting tea production. Talking to ET, SS Bagaria, chairman of Darjeeling Tea Association, said: "The GJM leader has told us that GTA has outlined a number of development projects for the region. Tea tourism is one of the important projects that he has suggested. Planters too are keen to develop tourism projects as this will add to their profitability." Though Mamata Banerjee is gung-ho about tea tourism, her government has not yet allowed planters to convert land use from agriculture to tourism, The Economic Times reported.

"I have submitted three such projects but I am yet to get a no-objection certificate from the government. Tea tourism has immense potential in the hills and can attract international tourists," said Bagaria. Gurung has asked planters to consider the setting up of an auction centre in Darjeeling and take active part in the development of the region.

Darjeeling tea industry veterans say the project will not take off unless the government takes the initiative. Ashok Lohia, chairman, Chamong Tee, the largest Darjeeling tea producer, said the GJM supremo is perturbed that teas from other regions were being branded and sold as Darjeeling tea.

Transportation of food grains to NE via Bangladesh

Kolkata, June 11: Transporting food grains for the mountainous northeastern states of India via Bangladesh began on Sunday, and the first consignment is expected to reach Tripura within 10 to 15 days, reports IANS quoting officials.

"A barge carrying the first consignment of 3,000 tonnes of foodgrains for Tripura left Haldia port (in West Bengal) on Thursday for Ashuganj river port in Bangladesh. From Ashuganj port, the food grains would be ferried to Tripura by road," a senior official of the Tripura food department said.

He said: "The first consignment is likely to reach Tripura within 10 to 15 days. In the next few months 10,000 tonnes of foodgrains for Tripura would be transported by this route."

Ashuganj river port in eastern Bangladesh under Brahmanbaria district is 35km from Tripura capital Agartala.

Surface connectivity is a key factor as the hilly region is surrounded by Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and China, and the only land route to these states from within India is through Assam and West Bengal.

During the monsoon season (June to September), road transport becomes very difficult in the mountainous region due to floods and landslides. For ferrying essentials, goods and heavy machinery from abroad and other parts of the country, India has for long been asking Bangladesh land, sea and rail access to the northeast.

Agartala via Guwahati, for instance, is 1,650km from Kolkata and 2,637km from New Delhi. The distance between the Tripura capital and Kolkata via Bangladesh is just about 350km.

BEAUTY CONTEST

Sneha Subba is Miss Sikkim

This year’s Miss Sikkim Sneha Subba (centre) with Preeti Yonzon (right), 1^st Runners Up, and Srijana Adhikari (left) 2^nd Runners Up, at the Miss Sikkim 2013 contest in Gangtok on Saturday (June 8, 2013).

KALIMPONG: Your Quiet Hill Destination

Kalimpong is a bustling bazaar town set among the rolling foothills and deep valleys of the Himalayas. Kalimpong has become an important tourist destination owing to its temperate climate and proximity to popular tourist locations in the region. It is famous for its flower market, especially the wide array of orchids. Other attractions include Buddhist monasteries, including the Zang Dhok Palri Phodang - known for its rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, churches, an excellent private library for the study of Tibetan and Himalayan language and culture.

Kalimpong is also known for its traditional handicrafts. Although not many travellers bother to visit Kalimpong, there's enough here to keep you occupied for a couple of days, and for the energetic there's some good trekking and river-rafting in the river Teesta.