Sikkim Observer Nov 19-25, 2011

Sikkim High Court defers Teesta hydro project case against Jagan Reddy

Observer News Service

Gangtok, Nov 18: The High Court of Sikkim will take up hearing of a PIL on mega hydropower projects in Sikkim against  Lok Sabha MP Jagan Mohan Reddy’s involvement in the Teesta Stage III hydel power project in North Sikkim next March.

The hearing of the case which  to take place on Tuesday has been adjourned as the petitioner Anand Lama’s lawyer failed to turn up. “He was unwell and he could not appear in the court,” Lama said.

Lama, a local resident, filed the PIL in August 2011 and the date for admission of the case was fixed for November 15.

The hearing of the case has now been adjourned to March, Lama said.

 Lama has made several parties respondents in the case: Sikkim Government, Sikkim Power Development Corporation, Power Department, CBI, CAG and Teesta Urja Limited.

 Besides approaching the High Court, Lama has also filed a written complaint with the CBI, which is currently engaged in probing Reddy’s disproportionate assets, including his investments in several hydro power projects in the State.

Reddy is believed to have made huge investments in the State’s biggest power project – the 1200 MW Teesta Stage III, located at Chungthang in North Sikkim. This project is run by Teesta Urja Limited and Himurja Infra Pvt Ltd. Besides this, Reddy may also have invested in the 99 MW Panan hydropower project in Dzongu, near Chungthang in North Sikkim.

CBI sleuths reportedly visited the State last month to probe into Reddy’s involvement in hydro power projects in the State.

Maximum damage took place at the Teesta Stage III power project area in Chungthang during the recent earthquake when a 6.9 magnitude hit the State killing more than 100 and causing extensive damages all over the State.

Reports say that massive blasting of rocks in power project areas in North Sikkim led to greater death and destruction when the earthquake struck the area.

Lama, who had filed a written complaint with CBI New Delhi for investigations in Sikkim, was asked by the Central sleuths to mark a copy to the zonal office of the CBI in Kolkata, since Sikkim comes under Kolkata jurisdiction, a report in a Guwahati daily said.

Last month, the Joint Director and head of zone Hyderabad, V V Laxmi Narayan, had asked Lama to furnish all relevant details of the case for the Hyderabad CBI to initiate investigations in Sikkim.

SLP for united front against Chamling

Centre must make stand clear on Sikkim; we are becoming refugees in our own homeland:  Duk Nath Nepal

Observer News Service

Gangtok, Nov 18: The Sikkim Liberation Party (SLP) Convenor Duk Nath Nepal while accusing the Centre of backing corrupt and undemocratic regimes in the State since its controversial merger in 1975, has called on all Opposition parties in the State to forge a united front to dislodge the Pawan Chamling Government, which has been ruling the State for more than seventeen years since 1994.

“In the past 35 years the Centre’s main policy in Sikkim has been to gradually dilute and destroy Sikkim’s distinct identity,” Nepal said at the party’s first press conference held here on Sunday. “The method used by the Centre has been to back corrupt governments such as Bhandari and Chamling, who have not only suppressed democratic aspirations of the people but have exploited the people economically through corrupt means,” Nepal said.

The SLP leader, a prominent critic of both the present and former chief minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari, said the people of Sikkim want the Centre to make its “stand clear” to the Sikkimese people, who are becoming “refugees in their own homeland.” In a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Nepal said his party, formed in May this year, had earlier submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister regarding “violation of the spirit of merger” but “the biggest democracy of this world” did not even bother to respond to the views raised in the memorandum.

“The belief of the Sikkimese people that they are becoming a victim of conspiracy and grand design has a solid base,” Nepal’s letter, dated November 13, 2011, to the Prime Minister said. Nepal said the Centre’s hidden agenda for Sikkim is to “erase” the Sikkimese people using puppet regimes, whose chief aim is to indulge in rampant corruption and suppress the democratic process. “Such regimes purchase or victimize those who fight for a just cause that they once espoused,” Nepal said.

Those who fail to toe the official line has no place in Sikkim, Nepal, who was once put behind bars and paraded in the court “barefooted and handcuffed”, said. “If you are in the Opposition you will not be able to exercise your democratic rights and get privileges and benefits that are meant for all citizens in the country,” Nepal said.  “The Constitution of India does not apply in Sikkim,” he added.

While calling for “unification” of the Opposition, Nepal, a former General Secretary of the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee admitted that after Chamling SPCC chief Bhandari has the most following in the State. “However, the Congress party speaks in two voices. While its local unit wants to fight against rampant corruption in the administration the national unit is in favour of Chamling,” Nepal pointed out.

“I’m in touch with some Opposition leaders and am confident that we will be able to unite against Chamling,” Nepal said.

Patra Commission to probe graft cases against Chamling & Co an ‘eyewash’: SPCC

Gangtok, Nov 18: The Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) remains adamant on its rejection of the Patra Commission’s bid to probe allegations of corruption against Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and his past and present Cabinet members leveled by Congress leaders in the State.

Only former chief minister and SPCC President Nar Bahadur Bhandari appeared before the one-man Justice (Rtd) RK Patra Commission here on Monday. The rest of the seven petitioners did not attend the hearing of the case.

They maintained that since they had, through an affidavit, challenged the legality of the Commission there was no need for them to appear before the Commission.

SPCC spokesperson Kunga Nima Lepcha said since the Inquiry Commission set up by the Chamling Government was “an eyewash” it was not acceptable to the party.

The SPCC maintains since the case is before the CBI the Commission did not have any legal jurisdiction to take up graft cases against Chamling & Co.

Besides approaching the CBI and the Supreme Court on graft cases against Chamling, the SPCC has brought out its publicated – Sikkim Mahaloot – detailing charges against senior members of the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF). This magazine, brought out in English and Nepali, has been widely circulated in the State and New Delhi.

After Sikkim quake tourists flock to Darjeeling

Observer News Network

Darjeeling, Nov 18: Tourists have been flocking to Darjeeling after a massive earthquake rocked neighbouring Sikkim.

"We had come here in 2008, but we had to go back due to some problem. Since 'didi' (West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) has taken up the government we have come here again," said Mrinalini Sengupta, a tourist from Kolkata, ANI reported.

Tour operators have been expecting a jump in tourist inflow to North Bengal, as tourists were still afraid to visit the quake hit Sikkim state. We are giving alternative destinations like Darjeeling, Kalimpong Lava, Lolegaon. These are becoming alternative destinations and sometimes some parts of Sikkim like Ravangla and.... which are okay we are giving preferences to those destinations also but we would like to inform that yes in Darjeeling, the number of tourists are more in Darjeeling and this area as compared to Sikkim where tourists are less this time," said Samrat Sanyal, a tour operator from Siliguri district.

Darjeeling with its varied landscape and spectacular beauty has been a favourite and affordable destination not only for the locals, but also for people across the globe.

Tourism in Darjeeling, which accounts for substantial revenues for the state tourism industry, has been badly hit since 2008 when the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) revived a violent stir in support of forming a separate state of Gorkhaland.

Now, the internationally famous hill resort is hoping to return to its good old days after the inking of a peace accord in July in this year.

Editorial

POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Good News In Burma

Change is finally coming to Burma – thanks for international community’s denunciation of the military regime in this country. Last month the civilian government of Thein Sein took a small step towards the democratic process with the release of 4,000 prisoners. Around 200 of these are political opponents of the former military junta. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released from years of house arrest at this time last year, has not been detained again. She is also allowed to take part in political activities. This in itself is a remarkable development in the right direction. Suu Kyi has said that she views the attitude of the new government towards “change” as “genuine.”

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s proposed historic visit to Burma next month will surely open new avenues – both political and economic – for Burma and Asia as a whole. Sein’s government will have to do more than bring gradual reforms in the country. There has to be genuine national reconciliation in the country. Burma must regain the respect and confidence of a large number of tribals fighting against the military regime for decades along its borders. Both India and China must take a more active role in shaping Burma’s future. Burma needs to do more to ensure a free passage of peoples living in South and Southeast Asia.

POWER PROJECTS

Reddy in the Dock

Anand Lama needs to be congratulated in taking on Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha MP Jagan Mohan Reddy in the High Court of Sikkim. His filing of a PIL against Reddy for his involvement in Sikkim’s biggest hydropower project – Teesta Stage III- in Chungthang in North Sikkim will surely reveal a lot of things hidden from the public domain by vested interests. However, it is most unfortunate that a petition filed in August 2011 will be formally taken up in the High Court only in March 2011. Reddy is already under the CBI scanner and another High Court has ordered probe into his multi-crore financial dealings in Andhra Pradesh and elsewhere.

While the Chamling Government is determined to go ahead with its hydropower projects most Sikkimese have opposed them. Even almost a thousand days of hunger strike by Lepcha tribals in Gangtok the Chamling Government remained firm and resolute on implementation of hydro projects in the State. Chungthang and Dzongu in North Sikkim were badly hit by the 6.9 magnitude September 18 earthquake. Besides Reddy there are reportedly many highly-placed politicians who have invested in the State’s largest hydropower project. The hidden facts need to be placed in the public domain at the earliest. Do we still have to wait for another five months to get to the truth?

LHABAB DUCHEN: One of the four great events in Buddha’s life

There are four major Tibetan Buddhist holidays—duchen or ‘great occasions’—marking the four events known as the ‘great deeds’ of the Buddha. The first is Chotrul Duchen, which falls on the first full moon of the year and celebrates the time when the Buddha is said to have displayed a different miracle each day to spur on his disciples. The leaders of the six main philosophical schools of the day challenged the Buddha to a contest of miraculous powers. The Buddha displayed a different miracle each day for fifteen days, and, utterly defeating his opponents, inspired students many to follow the dharma. 
The next is Saga Dawa, which remembers the Buddha’s enlightenment, death and parinirvana. And the third is Chokhor Duchen, which commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon and the teaching of the Four Noble Truths.
 The teaching of the Lhabab Düchen is one of the four Buddhist festivals commemorating four events in the life of the Buddha, according to Tibetan traditions. Lhabab Düchen occurs on the 22nd day of the ninth month on a Tibetan calendar.
This is a Buddhist festival celebrated to observe the descent of Buddha from heaven back to earth. Buddha had left for heaven at the age of 41, having ascended to The Heaven of Thirty-Three (Trayastrimsa) in order to give teachings to benefit the gods in the desire realms and to repay the kindness of his mother by liberating her from Samsara. He was exhorted by his follower and representative Maugalyayana to return, and after a long debate managed to return. This is considered to be one of the eight great deeds of the Buddha. He returned to earth by a special triple ladder prepared by Viswakarma, the god of machines.
 On Lhabab Duchen, the effects of positive or negative actions are multiplied ten million times. It is part of Tibetan Buddhist tradition to engage in virtuous activities and prayer on this day.
The most westward and perhaps most obscure of the eight places of pilgrimage is Sankashya, whose name may derive from a stupa built there by Kashyapa Buddha's father and dedicated to his son. This is the last of the four places common to the buddhas of this world.
Some say that during his forty-first year Shakyamuni went up from Shravasti to the Tushita Heaven and passed the rainy season retreat teaching Abhidharma to his mother, Queen Mayadevi, who had died seven days after Buddha's birth and been reborn as a male god in Tushita. The same happens to the mothers of all the buddhas, and they too later go to teach them, afterwards descending to Sankashya.
Seven days before his descent the Buddha set aside his invisibility. Anuruddha perceived him by his divine sight and urged Maudgalyayana to go and greet him. The great disciple did so, telling the Buddha that the Order longed to see him. This was the time Prasenajit's statue was made. Shakyamuni replied that in seven days he would return to the world. A great assembly of the kings and people of the eight kingdoms gathered. As the Buddha descended, a flight of gold stairs appeared, down which he came. He was accompanied on the right by Brahma, who, holding a white chowny, descended on a crystal staircase, while to the left Indra came down a flight of silver stairs, holding a jewelled umbrella. A great host of gods followed.
The Buddha bathed immediately after his descent, and later a bathing house and stupa were built to mark the site. Stupas were also raised at the spot where he cut his hair and nails, and where he entered samadhi. The three flights of stairs disappeared into the ground, but for seven steps of each, which remained above. When Ashoka came here later he had men dig into the earth around the protrusions in order to discover their depth. Although they reached the level of water, they could not find the stairs' end. With increased faith, Ashoka then built a temple over them with a standing image of the Buddha above the middle flight. Behind this temple he erected a great pillar surmounted by an elephant capital.
Hsuan Chwang tells that the original stairs had existed until a few centuries before his visit, when they disappeared. Various kings built replicas of ornamented brick and stone, with a temple containing images of Shakyamuni, Brahma and Indra above them. These were within the walls of a monastery, which he describes as excellently ornamented and having many fine images. He further says that some hundreds of monks dwelt there and that the community had lay followers. Two centuries earlier Fa Hien found roughly 1,000 monks and nuns living here pursuing their studies, some hinayana and some mahayana. Both pilgrims tell stories of a white-eared dragon who lived close to the monastery, caring for it and the surrounding area. Fa Hien especially remarks on the abundant produce of the land and the prosperity and happiness of the people.
Sankashya lies in the central Uttar Pradesh, 47 kms. From Farrukhabad on Kali Nadi. It is believed that there Buddha, along with Hindu God Brahma and Devraj Indra, descended from heaven by a ladder of gold or gem, after giving sermon to his mother in heaven, thus making the place a centre of Buddhist pilgrimage. Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese traveler, recorded the construction of ladder by the local prince at the site of the original ladder. He also saw at the site a monastery, a pillar of Ashoka, several Stupas and a mega tank. At the spot of descent, stands a temple with a statue of the Lord Buddha. The place is known for Mauryan Emperor Ashoka's Pillar.
Post-Sikkim quake workshop: get involved, be prepared
New Delhi, Nov 18:  A meeting of India's top seismologists and earthquake specialists, which discussed issues arising from the Sikkim earthquake, has strongly recommended that northeastern states set up their own state disaster response units instead of being dependent on centralised forces like the National Disaster Response Force.
In addition, the national workshop on 'Housing, Resilience and Rehabilitation' on Nov 11-12 at Jamia Millia Islamia, which saw senior level representation from the governments of five states - Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim - suggested several innovative steps such as extensive use of ham radio operators and "community radio stations in every district" to respond to crisis where normal telecommunications are knocked out, including mobile phone networks, IANS reported.
They said that most urban centres in the northeast faced major disasters in the event of a severe earthquake: retrofitting of existing buildings, especially "lifeline buildings such as schools and hospitals" was crucial.
"Retrofitting Clinics may be established in every district to develop cadre of trained masons, contractors and engineers and provide information and guidance on retrofitting to the community," the recommendations said.
While awareness was flagged as a key component of preparedness, the workshop recognised the urgent need for "short-term sensitisation programmes for elected representatives, community leaders and government officials."
For Sikkim, the workshop declared that the state government should consider setting up a separate "Department for Disaster Management under a designated officer no lower than a rank of a Secretary/Commissioner who will report directly to the SDMA (State Disaster management Authority". It also noted that the Regional Node for Disaster Risk Reduction in North East Space Applications Centre premises at Umiam, Meghalaya, should be the nodal agency with centres in each NE state with electronic and satellite connectivity.
In addition, the workshop flagged the need to involve communities in projects, programmes and policies. "Since public awareness is at the heart of preparedness, an intensive campaign must be waged from door to door and village to village, involving students and teachers.”
The workshop was organized by Sanjoy Hazarika of Jamia's Centre for North East Studies under the auspices of its Sikkim Studies Programme with collaboration from the National Centre for Peoples Action and Disaster Preparedness in Ahmedabad of Rajendra and Rupal Desai.
Tie-up between Sikkim Manipal with Scotland varsity
New Delhi, Nov 18: Students who have pursued MBA from Sikkim Manipal University will now be eligible to get an additional MBA degree from Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland.
The two varsities signed an MoU last Friday.
“This MoU will be path breaking as we are targeting the 600,000 alumni of Sikkim Manipal University who are eligible for this course,” Edinburgh Napier University principal and vice chancellor Dame Joan Stringer, IANS reported.
According to Stringer, the students can chose between an online course or a campus course. While the regular MBA in the campus costs around 12,000 pounds, it will cost 4,000 pounds to the alumni of Sikkim Manipal University.
Those choosing an online course will have to pay 2,600 pounds only.
“The MoU will promote knowledge sharing, reflecting the deep interest and commitment towards building a strong educational foundation for higher education fraternity at large,” Sikkim Manipal University vice chancellor Somnath Mishra said.
Scottish Education Secretary Michael Russell said the MoU boasts India-Scotland ties in the field of education.

HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN Nov 17-23, 2011

CBI to probe Jagan's benami role in Sikkim hydel power projects      

Himalayan News Network

Hyderabad, Nov 16: The heat of Jaganmohan Reddy’s scams and unscrupulous business activities has touched even the North East corner of the country. The CBI is now probing the benami funding of two hydel power projects in Sikkim allegedly by Reddy’s companies.

Following a PIL filed by a Sikkim resident, Anand Lama, in the High Court of Sikkim, it is revealed that Reddy had invested around Rs 200 to Rs 500 crore under benami companies in Sikkim on these projects.

A CBI team visited Gangtok in October to probe the case under the guidance of Joint Director V V Lakshminarayana, the Deccan Herald reported. Reports in Sikkim also indicate that CBI sleuths visited Sikkim to probe Reddy’s assets during this period.

As per the facts of the case, the third phase of the 1,200 MW hydel project in Chungthang in tribal-dominated district of North Sikkim is being undertaken with private investment by an unknown company Teesta Urja Ltd. Similarly another company M/s Himurja Infra Pvt Ltd is setting up Pavan Hydro power project of 99 MW on the Lepsa reservoir.

Both the projects are wholly and privately funded by two companies, which are alleged to be benami for Y S Jagan. A senior IAS officer in the chief minister’s office during the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s rule was said to be the brain behind the project and also instrumental in getting these projects for Jagan.

In the PIL, Lama alleged that the funds for these projects were raised by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. Lama had appealed to the CBI to probe the case in detail about the scandalous racket.

The PIL was filed in the High Court in August and the hearing for admission of the case was to take place this week.                         

Nepal may ‘slash all facilities’ to Tibetans

Himalayan News Network

Dharamsala, Nov 16: Following the self-immolation by a Tibetan monk in the Nepali capital of Kathmandu, the Himalayan kingdom is reportedly mulling over restricting even the fundamental human rights of Tibetan refugees.

Talking to the Telegraph Nepal, a senior Nepali official said that the government might “slash all the facilities being granted to the Tibetans residing in Nepal”, including their freedom of movement.

“The government of Nepal is committed on its one-China policy. We will not allow any activities that go against the interest of our neighbours," said Sudhir Kumar Sah, spokesperson of Nepal’s Home Ministry.

"This will lead to a situation where the government may have to slash all the facilities being granted to the Tibetans residing in Nepal, such as that of their freedom to move even,” said the spokesperson.

A Tibetan monk in Kathmandu last week had set himself on fire protesting China’s continued occupation of Tibet and demanding the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet.

The revelations by Sah comes in the wake of a proposed visit by the Chinese Premiere Wen Jiabao to Nepal in the coming weeks.

Nepal is home to around 20,000 Tibetans and a major transit point for Tibetans escaping Chinese repression enroute to India.

Gyari to assist in Tibet-China dialogue even after retirement

Hill Media Network

Dharamshala, Nov 16:  His Holiness the Dalai Lama's special envoy Lodi Gyari on Friday issued a statement stating that while he no longer would be officially involved with the exiled Tibetan government he would continue to assist in Tibet-China dialogue.

Formerly a civil servant under the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Lodi Gyari became special envoy in 1991.

Now that His Holiness has stepped down as political leader of the exile government, Lodi Gyari has decided to cease any involvement with issues relating to the CTA. All such matters will now be handled by the Office of Tibet in New York, The Tibet Post reported

"This, however, does not imply that I do not have any desire to assist in the work of the new administration or that the new Kashag (cabinet) does not have any confidence in me,” Gyari said and added "It is merely a reflection of the process of clarifying the structure under the new system in place now."

Gyari said he will continue to be involved in the Tibet-China dialogue process, including leading efforts to arrange talks with the Chinese leadership.

"The present tragic situation in Tibet and the repressive policies of the Chinese authorities make one wonder if it is even worth making any efforts for the dialogue," he said, but concluded that, "On the other hand the prevailing situation confronts every sensible person that the only way is through dialogue."

LESS OPTIONS

Heat in the Himalaya

Mega hydel projects in the high Himalayas and the country’s strategic interest in the frontier region cannot go together. If the policy makers in New Delhi fail to give top priority to the country’s security interests in the region India will pay a heavy price in the long run. Unfortunately, our corrupt bureaucrats are always willing to submit to the short term gains of their political masters giving scant regard to the long term interest of the people and the country at large.

In the western Himalayan States such as Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh there is a move to away with hydel projects and vital tourist destinations to cater to better and faster communication network such as rail links and air space for the army. China’s preparedness – both military and communication – on the northern side of the Himalaya on the Tibetan plateau is making India sit up and take note. But the reality is that the Indian government, including State governments, are utterly incapable of expediting road and other construction works in the Himalayas and its foothills mainly because the establishment lacks the will and the resources to match up to the Chinese.

Sikkim is a typical example on how the Centre deals with security-related issues. The damage caused to roads, bridges and buildings –endangering national security interests – during  the recent September 18 earthquake will not stop the powers-that-be from going ahead with hydel power projects in this strategic and sensitive border State no matter how much the people oppose them. Most of the quake funds will be used to repair roads and build new roads or tunnels at the site of mega power projects near Chungthang in North Sikkim mainly because vested interests have a stake in these projects.

Democracy has failed South Asia: Nepal PM

Sachin Parashar

Nepalese Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has warned that if the political dissensions in his country prevent successful drafting of the constitution, the path to democracy may have to be revisited.

Bhattarai, leader of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), said democracy in its traditional form had failed the people of South Asia by not being participatory enough.

Nepal's peace process, which is expected to lead to drafting of the constitution, has been subjected to incessant delay because the political parties have failed to iron out their differences. Offering all possible assistance to Nepal, PM Manmohan Singh had complimented the Maoist leader in an official banquet on Friday for having joined Nepal political mainstream.

"We are optimistic about the constitution but if we fail, there is going to be the big question that whether or not the democratic path is appropriate,'' said Bhattarai in the presence of top Congress leaders and leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj. He was speaking at a function organized in his honour by JD-U national president Sharad Yadav.

Bhattarai said people might have to take up arms again if the traditional form of democracy fails to address their concerns. ``Democracy has to be made more participatory. If we fail to do it legally and constitutionally, people will be forced to take up arms again,'' he said.

"The copied traditional democracy in South Asia serves only small sections of the society. It fails to take into account class and caste differences and also doesn't accommodate the interests of minorities and tribals,'' he added. Bhattarai's remarks came towards the end of his four-day visit to India during which, as he said on Saturday, the two sides managed to foster the spirit of trust between them.

The visit also saw the countries signing an agreement for investment promotion. Bhattarai was slammed by the opposition parties in Kathmandu by a sell-out to India in signing the investment promotion agreement. Earlier in the day, Bhattarai described his visit to India as successful and emphasized that it had opened a new chapter in the bilateral relationship. (The Times of India)

Suu Kyi senses genuine desire for change in Burmese govt

Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese opposition leader, signalled on Monday she was ready for full engagement with the country's military-dominated regime, and insisted the president was "genuine" in his desire for change.

Speaking at a rare public appearance to mark a year since she was freed from house arrest, Suu Kyi said Myanmar President Thein Sein appeared to be a man with whom she could do business. She also said she had revived her political party from near extinction since her release.

"Looking back at the past year, it has been eventful, energizing and, to a certain extent, encouraging," she said. "I spoke of my intention to form a net-work for democracy. This network has been one of the great successes in the past year."

The daughter of Burma's foremost independence campaigner has spent 15 years and 19 days of the last two decades in detention, as she fought its military rulers for democracy.

She appeared in a cramped, humid room at her party's headquarters to explain how much had changed since she was freed.

"A lot of work needs to be done," she said. "We need to make sure it works out correctly. It's a lot more tiring than before."

Although technically disbanded, Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, is to meet on Friday to decide whether to formally re-establish itself in response to recent government reforms.

"There is no such thing as them and us, but working together to a common, national goal on the basis of mutual faith and understanding," she said. "I have met President Thein Sein and I believe he is very genuine in his desire for change."

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, plotted a new course for the party while under house arrest on the shores of Rangoon's Inya Lake.

The NLD was punished for boycotting national assembly elections last November. The assembly is, in effect, a front for the army that controls about 84 per cent of seats.

This week's NLD meeting will also take a crucial decision on whether to contest byelections for 48 seats where the results were annulled following voting irregularities.

Obstacles remain in the rapprochement process with the regime, how-ever. The NLD has given the government a list of 591 political prisoners still in jail. The release of the detainees has been delayed by infighting even though the move was recommended by the regime's own human rights body.

The opposition is also critical of the military's role in recent fighting with ethnic minorities on Burma's northern border.

"What everybody is worried about at present is the lack of peace in the country, especially the fighting in Kachin State, which is a cause of concern and sorrow for us," said Suu Kyi. "I am always ready to do my bit to bring about peace in the country."

Some senior members of her party are reluctant to agree to military ground rules.

U Win Tin, one of its founders, warned the constitution still granted the military the right to reimpose the junta.

"I don't know whether there is any real intention to change the system," he said. "But we are willing to follow our leader on this."

Reformists, however, are pushing forward in the hope that the generals will gradually loosen their grip.

"We all know things have been difficult," said Myo Yan Nuang Thein. "I prefer to be optimistic." (The Vancouver Sun)

Opp to boycott civic polls in Darjeeling

“No democratic atmosphere in the hills”

Darjeeling, Nov 16: Almost all Opposition parties in the hills will not contest the forthcoming civic polls in Darjeeling.

While the CPM fears physical assault to their supporters and candidates if they took past in the polls, the GNLFchief Subash Ghising  maintains that the polls are “illegal.”

The All India Gorkha League President Bharati Tamang believes that holding of elections to civic bodies is aimed at derailing the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

With almost all anti-Gorkha Janmukti Morcha parties deciding not to contest the polls the ensuing polls will be a cakewalk for Bimal Gurung-led Morcha.

 “The people in the hills cannot come forward openly and so, the elections cannot be fair. Even the last Assembly elections were not held in a free and fair atmosphere,” Tamang said.

Former hill affairs minister and the CPM Siliguri strongman Asok Bhattacharya said, “There is no democratic atmosphere for participating in the municipal elections,” Bhattacharya said.

 “We had thought that with the change in guard, democracy would be back in the hills. But the new government is working like the previous one,” added Tamang.

Centre backing corrupt regimes to erase Sikkim’s identity: Sikkim Liberation Party

Make stand clear on Sikkim, says SLP chief

Himalayan News Network

Gangtok, Nov 16: The Sikkim Liberation Party (SLP) Convenor Duk Nath Nepal while accusing the Centre of backing corrupt and undemocratic regimes in the State since its controversial merger in 1975, has called on all Opposition parties in the State to forge a united front to dislodge the Pawan Chamling Government, which has been ruling the State for more than seventeen years since 1994.

“In the past 35 years the Centre’s main policy in Sikkim has been to gradually dilute and destroy Sikkim’s distinct identity,” Nepal said at the party’s first press conference held here on Sunday. “The method used by the Centre has been to back corrupt governments such as Bhandari and Chamling, who have not only suppressed democratic aspirations of the people but have exploited the people economically through corrupt means,” Nepal said.

The SLP leader, a prominent critic of both the present and former chief minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari, said the people of Sikkim want the Centre to make its “stand clear” to the Sikkimese people, who are becoming “refugees in their own homeland.” In a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Nepal said his party, formed in May this year, had earlier submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister regarding “violation of the spirit of merger” but “the biggest democracy of this world” did not even bother to respond to the views raised in the memorandum.

“The belief of the Sikkimese people that they are becoming a victim of conspiracy and grand design has a solid base,” Nepal’s letter, dated November 13, 2011, to the Prime Minister said. Nepal said the Centre’s hidden agenda for Sikkim is to “erase” the Sikkimese people using puppet regimes, whose chief aim is to indulge in rampant corruption and suppress the democratic process. “Such regimes purchase or victimize those who fight for a just cause that they once espoused,” Nepal said.

Those who fail to toe the official line has no place in Sikkim, Nepal, who was once put behind bars and paraded in the court “barefooted and handcuffed”, said. “If you are in the Opposition you will not be able to exercise your democratic rights and get privileges and benefits that are meant for all citizens in the country,” Nepal said.  “The Constitution of India does not apply in Sikkim,” he added.

While calling for “unification” of the Opposition, Nepal, a former General Secretary of the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee admitted that after Chamling SPCC chief Bhandari has the most following in the State. “However, the Congress party speaks in two voices. While its local unit wants to fight against rampant corruption in the administration the national unit is in favour of Chamling,” Nepal pointed out.

“I’m in touch with some Opposition leaders and am confident that we will be able to unite against Chamling,” Nepal said.

Sikkim Observer Nov 12, 2011

Thousands flock to Chorten Gompa to receive blessings from Dodrupchen Rinpoche

5-day Nyingthig Yabzhi initiation ceremony held in Gangtok

Hill Media Network

Gangtok, Nov 11: A five-day Vajrayana empowerment ceremony concluded here at the Chorten Gompa on Wednesday with a record crowd of over 10,000 attending initiations given by Kyabze Dodroupchen Rinpoche on the last day.

Thousands of Budhhist devotees, including Rinpoches/Tulkus and lamas, from all over the State, neighbouring areas and from abroad flocked to the Chorten Gompa to receive the blessing. A largest number of devotees were from Bhutan.

Dzogchen Rinpoche and Dojum Rinpoche were among those who participated in the ceremony. Other Rinpoches included Payul Lhatul Rinpoche, Khando Rinpoche, Kushok Gemu Rinpoche, Lachung Rinpoche and Namchi Rinpoche.

The empowerment of Nyingthig Yabzhi according to the Dzogchen tradition of Nyingma order of Tibetan Buddhism is a rare and powerful ceremony given mainly to Buddhist practitioners.

Dodrupchen (85), the highest and oldest Nyingmapa Rinpoche, is the lineage holder of this precious and sacred tradition. Chorten Gonpa, on the outskirts of Gangtok, is the main seat of the Fourth Dodrupchen Rinpoche, holder of the Longchen Nyingthig lineage. Though born in Golog (Kham) in eastern Tibet, Rinpoche has been in Sikkim since 1957.

   While Dzogchen (Great Perfection) teachings are well-known for their direct and instantaneous approach to practice, they are also rich in key instructions that concern more gradual and accessible ways to transform the mind. This collection of teachings is drawn from the Heart Essence or Nyingtik, an approach to spiritual practice that is considered the most profound approach to realization in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

   The first text in this collection is a short text from the Nyingthig Yabshi, the Four-fold Heart Essence, a set of teachings compiled by Longchenpa that combines the Dzogchen lineages of Vimalamitra and Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche). It presents a series of practical instructions that are to be followed before engaging in more advanced forms of Dzogchen practice.

Allow Karmapa to visit Sikkim on Nov 17: Chamling

Gangtok, Nov 11: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling wants His Holiness the 17^th Gyalwa Karmapa Ogyen Thinley Dorje to visit the State on November 17.

This day is observed as Lhabab Dhuechen, a holy day for Buddhists. Chamling made the demand during his recent tour of North Sikkim, a region dominated by minority Buddhist Bhutia-Lepcha tribals. He has now written to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, urging him to allow the Karmapa to visit the State on Lhabab Dhuechen.

If the Centre does not allow the Karmapa to come to Rumtek the State Government wants him be permitted to visit Phodong monastery, which belongs to the Kargyu order of Tibetan Buddhism to which the Rumtek monastery belong.

The Chief Minister said he would ask his MPs to raise the issue with the Union Government. Earlier, Sikkim’s Rajya Sabha MP OT Lepcha had raised the issue in the Parliament.

Though Rumtek monastery in east Sikkim is the seat-in-exile of the Karmapa Lama, Dorje, widely acknowledged has the genuine Karmapa, has not been allowed to come to Sikkim.

This is partly due to the controversy of having several claimants, including Trinlay Thaye Dorje, to the Rumtek throne.

BJP wants Hazare to visit Sikkim to expose corruption

SPCC going soft on Chamling: Chettri

Gangtok, Nov 11: The State unit of the BJP has urged social activist Anna Hazare to pay a visit to the State to highlight the need to take immediate action on alleged corrupt practices of Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and his government.

It has also accused the Sikkim PCC of going soft on Chamling after threatening him with court cases on the corruption issue.

Though the SPCC had filed a graft case against Chamling and his Cabinet members before the Supreme Court and the CBI it has not been very consistent in pursuing the matter. There are unconfirmed reports that the SPCC’s graft petition against Chamling in the Supreme Court was withdrawn recently.

The BJP has requested Hazare to visit the State as the State Congress party is “keeping mum” on the issue, BJP State unit President Padam Bahadur Chettri said.

He said the BJP has sent a letter to Hazare highlighting alleged corruption in the State administration involving the Chief Minsiter.

“During your countrywide visits, please include Sikkim in your itinerary. We will be delighted to have you in our midst. Mahatma Gandhi never visited Sikkim. Your visit will be like the visit of the Father of the nation,” Chettri said in his letter to Hazare.                   

While stating that the people of the State have been “extremely tormented” by the “corrupt State government” in the past 17 years, Chettri said, “A series of criminal complaints were filed against him but all ended in his favour.”

Chettri said if Chamling is clean, which he claims to be, “he should welcome CBI investigation” in the State. The BJP chief said Chamling was blocking CBI’s entry in the State mainly because he was corrupt.

Editorial

CHINA-INDIA TIES

The Final Conflict

The Indian army has predicted a war with its nuclear-armed neighbor China by 2017 as Beijing continues to strengthen its military muscle. A secret military exercise, called 'Divine Matrix', by the Indian troops visualized a war scenario with China in five years’ time. "A misadventure by China is very much within the realm of possibility with Beijing trying to position itself as the only power in the region," a senior army officer told a national daily following the maneuver. An Indian military's assessment has outlined that Beijing would rely on information warfare (IW) to bring New Delhi down on its knees.

Two years back the Pentagon released a report warning that China was busily trying to arm its forces with weapons that can be used to nullify the superiority of any naval and air power that could disrupt the balance of region.

According to one Indian analyst though, we're poised to attack them by 2012. Bharat Verma, editor of the Indian Defense Review, had said “there are multiple reasons for a desperate Beijing to teach India the final lesson, thereby ensuring Chinese supremacy in Asia in this century.” China and India comprise 40% of humanity and boast economies that are expected to loom large over the 21st century. They also represent two of the world's fastest-growing militaries, armed with nuclear weapons, and are expanding their spheres of influence across oceans.

Jonathan Holslag, a Brussels-based scholar of Chinese foreign policy and author of the recent book China and India: Prospects for Peace, is among a growing number of observers who have dismissed the idea of "Chindia" — a term once often invoked, expressing optimism over the joint geopolitical rise of the two Asian giants. He spoke about the fault lines between the two neighbours, Washington's place in the region and how tensions could escalate into war. The subtitle of your book suggests that conflict is already under way. Is greater confrontation and perhaps even war inevitable in the coming years? It's not inevitable, but peace cannot be taken for granted. The scope for these two countries to develop peacefully and fulfill their national interests without entering into competition is getting smaller due to internal social pressures and rising nationalism.

The last war fought between India and China was almost 50 years ago. How much of a strain is its legacy? Ever since the 1962 war, both sides have been extremely cautious and suspicious of each other. There has been no resolution to the border issue [over remote, heavily militarized territories in the Himalayas] in spite of numerous rounds of negotiations and tensions that have flared recently. It's a kind of historic scar that impedes progress. And this traditional sticking point is now compounded by a newer contest.

We see now that both sides' economic aspirations are leading to more competition, especially in Asia, and this is slowly spilling over in a negative way into the realm of high politics of security and diplomacy.

India still has to start the industrialization of its society — a process that China began well before. Inevitably, there will be a fierce contest for raw materials, mainly in Asia. We see this already happening in Burma, in parts of Central Asia, Africa and elsewhere. This is only going to become fiercer. It's also a myth that somehow the two economies, with their different strengths, will be able to complement each other in the long term. India has to turn to manufacturing and China is not going to give up suddenly its own industries. They're too important for the country's stability.

 Affected Chungthang residents demand compensation

Observer News Service

Gangtok, Nov 11: Residents of Chungthang in Sikkim, devastated by the September 18 earthquake, have demanded compensation for the loss of life and property from the authorities of Teesta Hydel project.

In a memorandum to the Managing Director of Teesta Urja, the residents have demanded compensation due to the damages caused by the earthquake as their houses had been rendered weak at the project site due to blasting for the project, PTI reported.

The memorandum cited a report of the Mines and Geology department, a couple of years ago, on the causes of house damage in the area due to blasting and other construction activities.

The memorandum also quoted the report as having raised the issue of damage in the event of an earthquake.

Subsequent to the report, a claim for damage compensation for 170 families was filed as also public request made for one time payment of three times the cost of visible damage and also insurance cover for all the houses, the memorandum stated, the report said.

With maximum casualties in the quake taking place in Chungthang and adjoining areas, the memorandum said 20 people had died in the project area prior to the earthquake.

"It proved beyond any doubt that the fear and apprehension of the people regarding the negative impact of the project were correct," the memorandum said.

The memorandum underlined the fact that a survey of the Mines and Geology department clearly established that there had been definite damage to public property by the blasting in the project area.

While Teesta Urja authorities have announced compensation for the damages and the lives lost, the residents point out that this is a 'paltry' sum considering the magnitude and extent of damage and loss of life and property.

Stressing that the people of Chungthang Gram Panchayat Unit and Shipgyer GPU in Lepcha reserve of Dzongu, had sacrificed their ancestral land for the development of the project, they demanded that the company reconstruct their houses and rebuild their lives and also provide for other infrastructural development in the area.  

Appointments temporary: SBS

Observer News Service

Gangtok, Nov 11: State Bank of Sikkim has clarified that five persons appointed as Jr. Accounts Assistant, as reported in local newspapers, are purely on temporary basis to meet up the increased workload of the bank at the time of recent crisis due to earthquake and also due to increased workload in view of the opening of four new branches this year.  

 SBS said the Board of Directors has given approval to create posts of 10 Jr. Accounts Assistant to meet up the increased work load, according to an official release.

It said all the 10 posts will be filled up through competitive examination and interview shortly.

Sikkim may lose Kanchenjunga ritual after death of Lepcha priest

Gangtok, Nov 11: The Lepcha tribe believe their ancestors were made from snow on Kanchenjunga's summit.

Members of a mountain tribe in India say one of their most important rituals may never be performed again, after the death of their spiritual leader.

The Lepcha community, in the state of Sikkim, pray every year to the world's third highest mountain, Kanchenjunga, BBC reported.

However, their 83-year-old priest, Samdup Taso, who used to conduct the elaborate ceremony, died last week leaving no anointed successor. The Lepchas regard Kanchenjunga as their guardian deity.

They believe their earliest ancestors were created from the snows on the summit of the peak, which towers over their homeland.

Around 50,000 members of the Lepcha tribe live in the tiny Indian state of Sikkim, which lies in the heart of the Himalayas between Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet.

Although many have converted to Buddhism and Christianity, they still follow some of their traditional rituals.

The Lepchas have been praying to Kanchenjunga for hundreds of years, with the ceremony always led by descendents of their original priest.

However, Samdup Taso's son decided not to follow his father's profession, and there is no sign of any other family member stepping forward to take on the role.

"The tradition has ended forever," a local resident, Sherap Lepcha, told the Times of India.

The Lepcha are regarded as the original inhabitants of the Indian state of Sikkim

"It is not possible for another person to learn the rituals and take Samdup Taso's place."

Jenny Bentley, an ethnographer specialising in the Lepchas, said: "He was the last one in an ancient lineage of shamans who could perform the royal Kongchen [mountain deity] ritual."

"With his death a large part of the oral tradition and memory is lost irrevocably," she told the Sikkim Express. A local filmmaker, Dawa Lepcha, said it was a sad situation.

"Of course it's a great loss to us, because it's a part of our history and part of our identity that is being erased."

Kanchenjunga was first climbed by British mountaineers in 1955. The first member of the team to complete the ascent, Joe Brown, stopped just short of the top, out of respect for the belief in Sikkim that the summit of the mountain is sacred.

Himalayan Guardian Nov 2, 2011  

LONG LIFE INITIATION BY SAKYA TRIZIN AT NGOR GOMPA TODAY

Himalayan News Network

Gangtok, Nov 1: His Holiness the Sakya Trizin, the 41^st throneholder of the Sakya lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, will bestow Long Life initiation (tsewang) to the general public at Ngor Gompa tomorrow (Nov 2).

His Holiness, who arrived here last month for the 50^th anniversary of the founding of Ngor Gompa in Sikkim, will begin the tsewang ceremony at 2 p.m. tomorrow, according to Kunga Y. Hotchotsang, Director of Sagnor Chotsog Centre (Ngor Gompa).

During his stay in the State, the Sakya Trizin, along with Gyalyum Chenmo and His Eminence Luding Khen Rinpoche visited south Sikkim. He also performed a fire puja at Ngor Gompa for the recent earthquake victims.

His Holiness spent much of his time here giving teachings and empowerment on Vajrayogini, which was participated by lamas, foreigners and selected lay people.

His eldest son, His Eminence Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, bestowed Vajrapani-Hayagriva-Garuda  (“Tak-Chak-Kyung Sum”) initiation to the public at Ngor Gompa on Sunday.

His Holiness will leave the State on November 4.

Bhutan king’s book released

Hill Media Network

New Delhi, Nov 1: A collection of photographs capturing the essence of Bhutan, its people, wildlife, monasteries and little-known everyday life, clicked personally by its king was launched by its new queen here on Monday.

The coffee-table book Bhutan: Through the lens of the King comprises over 160 pictures, include a stunning photograph of Jetsun Pema Wangchuk, taken by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck before she became his queen.

"All the photos in the book reveal his majesty's love, respect and affinity with his people...," said Pavan K Varma Indian ambassador to Bhutan who has written an introduction to the book.

Moderate earthquakes in China’s western region

Himalayan News Network

Beijing, Nov 1: Two moderate earthquakes this morning shook China's northwest and southwest regions.

The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude-6.0 earthquake hit China's Xinjiang region about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the city of Yining at 8:20 a.m. today, while the other quake struck the region bordering Sichuan and Gansu provinces at 6 a.m. at a magnitude of 5.5.

There were no immediate reports of injuries. The earthquake in Xinjiang occurred at a depth of 17 miles (27 kilometers), while the other temor was 10 miles (16 kilometers) deep.

China's worst quake in recent years was a 7.9-magnitude quake in Sichuan province in May 2008. It left nearly 90,000 people dead.

Change repressive policy, Dalai Lama tells China

Himalayan News Network

Dharamsala, Nov 1: The Dalai Lama has blamed China's "ruthless and illogical" policy towards Tibet for the recent deaths of monks who set themselves on fire in protest against Beijing's rule.

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader also called on the Chinese government to change its repressive policies in Tibet, which include a crackdown on monasteries and the Tibetan language.

"For their own interest, not just the interest for certain sort of problem here and there, but for the whole country's sort of future, they have to act [with a] realistic sort of policy," said the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, The Guardian reported.

At least nine Tibetan clerics or former clerics have self-immolated in south-western China over seven months in protest against Chinese rule. Five of them have died of their injuries. Earlier this month a nun became the most recent casualty and the first woman to die.

The Tibetan government-in-exile, which has accused China of an official policy of cracking down on religious institutions, called for the international community to urge Beijing to open a dialogue on its policies in Tibet and traditionally Tibetan regions of western China.

"Actually, the local leader must look what's the real causes of death," the Dalai Lama told reporters in Tokyo during his visit to victims of the tsunami that stuck Japan in March. "It's their own sort of wrong policy, ruthless policy, illogical policy."

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama and his supporters of encouraging the immolations. The practice was unknown among clerics until two years ago, when one monk burnt himself to death in Sichuan province's Aba county, the predominantly Tibetan area in which most of the deaths have taken place.

Amnesty International has said the spate of self-immolations "indicates a new level of desperation" on the part of Tibetans.

Nepal Christians hold protest rally over burial ground

RP Sharma

Kathmandu, Nov 1: Nepal's minority Christian community has threatened to go on a hunger strike unless the government sets aside land for them to bury their dead.

About 1,000 Christians attended the protest in the centre of Kathmandu on Monday, some carrying banners which read "Give us our rights, give us burial grounds".

Pastor Sundar Thapa - who led the protest - said the Christian community wanted the government to provide space in all 75 districts of the country so that "we can bury our dead according to Christian practices".

"If the government listens to our demands, we will [continue] peacefully living in this country and helping this country to develop. But if it doesn't listen, then we will have to come on to the streets in coming days," he said.

Some Christians have warned that if the government does not provide the land, they will even go so far as to parade their dead in front of parliament.

The Supreme Court temporarily lifted the Pashupatinath temple ban, but the dispute continues and Christians have been protesting since it was announced.

Christian leaders have also been demanding that the government formally recognise their status.

Hindus make up the majority of the population in Nepal - Christians comprise about 1.5% of the country's 27 million people.

The community has been trying since February to persuade the authorities to give them designated burial grounds.

At the moment, they say, they are often forced to dig up bodies and find new places to bury them when local communities object to the graves.

But, the BBC's Joanna Jolly says, Christianity is becoming more popular in Nepal, partly because poorer Hindus view it as a way to escape the rigid caste system and better their lives.

Unlike Hindus, who cremate their dead, Christians need designated land for cemeteries and it is this demand that has brought them into conflict with the government.

Despite ongoing meetings with ministers, no land has been given. The community members say sometimes they have to resort to throwing corpses into rivers in secret at night because they do not know what else to do with them.

In March, hundreds of Christians protested in the capital, Kathmandu, demanding designated burial grounds.

In February, they were prevented from burying their dead in the grounds of the Hindu Pashupatinath Temple - which they have done for decades. Temple authorities said that there was no space left for new grave.

'Himalayan Viagra' earns Bhutan's yak herders a fortune

T. Dem

Thimphu, Nov 1: Yak herders in Bhutan are growing rich from trading a rare aphrodisiacal mushroom found only in the high Himalayas.

The herders can earn more in a month from collecting the wild, parasitic Cordyceps sinensis fungus, dubbed "Himalayan Viagra" than they can in a year from yaks, thanks to recent tales of its aphrodisiacal and medical properties.

It sells for as much as $80,000 for 2.2 pounds in Hong Kong after a Chinese running coach credited it with the success of his record-breaking athletes.

With a licensed household collecting as much as 2.2 pounds of the fungus in a season, the archery-loving herders even started importing expensive bows from the U.S.

Dophu Dukpa, a Cordyceps auctioneer, said, "You can see the effects everywhere, in the new clothes and shoes. They are slaughtering far fewer yaks and spend a lot more time on their archery. But instead of the traditional bows, they are importing these fancy bows from the U.S."

Nigel Hywel-Jones, a British mycologist researching whether the trade is sustainable, said, "For one thing, it is very hard to find. It looks like a brown twig in a landscape of brown twigs. Secondly, an area that might be full of Cordyceps one year will have almost none the next. Those cycles, and the fact that pickers always miss a fair proportion, probably allow populations to recover."

The mushroom, which feeds on and then grows out of the body of the ghost moth caterpillar, is the subject of widespread pharmaceutical research.

One possible explanation for its effectiveness is that it contains an acid that closely mirrors one of the constituent elements of DNA.

India-Nepal pact dispute  in Supreme Court

Himalayan News Network

Kathmandu, Nov 1: From being disputed by his own comrades as well as other major political parties, Nepal's Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's "gamble" made during his visit to India this month - the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement - has now landed in court with Nepal's Supreme Court to hear a public interest litigation filed by a senior lawyer, Balkrishna Neupane.

"The court will begin hearing the case from Wednesday," Supreme Court spokesman Hemant Rawal said.

The agreement, signed on Oct 23 by Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Nepal's Minister for Industry Anil Kumar Jha during Bhattarai's maiden official visit abroad after becoming Nepal's prime minister, is a commonplace one for India.

New Delhi has similar pacts with over 70 countries while nearly 10 more are in the process of being ratified. Also, the newly inked pact is yet to be implemented since Nepal and India would first have to complete the exchange of formal diplomatic notes first. Finally, it is not a permanent one but will remain in effect for 10 years, after which it can be scrapped or renewed.

Still, the hawks in Bhattarai's Maoist party, who have been opposing all his decisions as well as agreements with India, are opposing the trade pact, asking for it to be endorsed by parliament first. Though Bhattarai met the leader of the hawks, Mohan Baidya, to persuade him to drop the opposition, Neupane, has now gone to court, asking for the agreement to be scrapped. The veteran lawyer has a formidable reputation for earlier nationalistic PILs, like challenging the inclusion in the republic of India states which once belonged to Nepal.

Besides the legal dispute, the agreement will come into limelight once more on Nov 3 when the Maoist party will hold a meeting of its leaders to discuss this as well as other contentious issues. Nepal's captains of industry however have welcomed the agreement.

Public opinion in favour of revoking AFSPA: Abdullah

L. Verma

Srinagar, Nov 1: Union minister Farooq Abdullah on Monday said there was a "massive" public opinion in favour of revoking the Armed Forces Special Powers Act but maintained that all the stakeholders should discuss the issue and take a collective decision.

"If you see the people's opinion across the country, there is a massive opinion that AFSPA should be revoked," Abdullah, who is also president of ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Abdullah said he was hopeful that various stakeholders including the Army and government of Jammu and Kashmir will sit together to discuss the issue and take a decision on it.

"If peace has returned to the some areas of the state, this law should go from those areas. If peace has not returned, then it should be declared as such," he said.

The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy said all opinions, including that of the Centre's team of interlocutors, should be taken on board while taking a decision on revocation of AFSPA.

Asked about the demand for rotation of Chief Minister from some leaders in Congress, a coalition partner in the state government, Abdullah said he would not comment on the issue.

"I do not want to create confrontations. We cannot move ahead by confrontationist approach."

The National Conference had said there were some politicains who prosper in chaos. "If there is no chaos, they cannot dip their fingers in honey bowls," the minister added.

Uttarakhand to adopt Jan Lokpal Bill

 Himalayan News Network

New Delhi, Nov 1: Uttarakhand Cabinet is likely to adopt a replica of the Jan Lokpal bill on Saturday, in a clear sign of BJP hitching its wagons to Anna Hazare to be on the right side of voters in the battle of perception.

The State may bring the chief minister under Lokpal's purview and give the ombudsman suo moto powers to lodge corruption cases, search and seizure. Importantly, it could expand the Lokpal selection panel from the troika of CM, leader of opposition and chief justice of high court as is currently the case, to include some eminent citizens, IANS reported.

The changes will tighten the weak ombudsman institution in the hill State and help BJP adopt an anti-graft plank for the coming polls, a radical break from the negative perception about the party which forced it to bring in B C Khanduri in place of Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. Khanduri was reinstated on September 11 when BJP decided on the desperate measure to rescue its sinking ship.

The 'adoption' of Jan Lokpal would be big step in the Hazare-led focus on graft. BJP in Uttarakhand coming up with a legislation mirroring the Jan Lokpal bill to burnish its credentials would be a first of sorts that could have a ripple effect among the jittery political spectrum, with pressure on others to follow suit.

The move could pile pressure on Congress which has begun to work on anti-graft measures with promised deadlines but which has continued to insist on its authorship on these initiatives.

Congress is confident it can defuse Hazare's aggression by enacting the Lokpal bill in the winter session of Parliament. The standing committee is in the final stages of deliberations and may finalise the bill soon.

Bhutan royal couple to visit Lawrence School

N. Bhat

Shimla, Nov 1: Lawrence School, the alma mater of Bhutan's new queen in Himachal Pradesh, has invited the newly-wed royal couple to the school, her former teacher said.

The couple is presently  in India on a nine-day official-cum-honeymoon trip.

"We have invited queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck to visit her alma mater with the king," Neelam Tahlan, who was Jetsun's house mistress while she was in the residential Lawrence School in Kasauli hills, told IANS.

Tahlan, who attended the royal wedding in Bhutan recently, said she spoke to Jetsun on the phone and extended her the invitation on behalf of the school.

"I would love to visit my old school," Jetsun responded.

Pema tied the knot with the 31-year-old king at a colourful Buddhist ceremony at a 17th century monastery in the ancient capital of Punakha Oct 13.

In New Delhi, Bhutan's monarch, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, met President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Jetsun, 10 years younger to the king, did her higher secondary schooling from Lawrence from 2006 to 2008. She completed her Class 12 in March 2008.

Her younger sister Serchen Doma is still studying here.

China military build-up in Ladakh border

Hill Media Network

Ladakh, Nov 1: The Indian army has long voiced concern over the depth and pace of China's military modernisation, especially in its infrastructure bordering India.

On the Line of Actual Control at Demchok in South-East Ladakh, signs of that modernisation on the China side were visible.

Lt General Ravi Dastane, Army Commander, Leh said, "We are watching it closely, it's a capability they are building, it also has a military implication."

Colonel SK Sheoran said, "Before 2008 they were 35km behind Demchok, now a platoon strong is deployed in the Zorawar Hill."

In contrast, infrastructure in Ladakh is non-existent. All military and civil vehicles move along dirt trails similar to the mule tracks of the 1962 war.

EDITORIAL

BAHUN-CHETTRIS

Gorkha Division Uacceptable

The upper-caste Hindu communities comprising Bahauns and Chettris, who also fall under the Gorkha umbrella, are not included in the OBC listin Uttarakhand. Whether this is discriminatory or reality of some truth underlying the fundamental differences within the Gorkha ethnicity (ethnology) requires to be carefully studied. The creamy layer adjective in discrimination inter se is an accepted norm in the application of legally sanctioned largesse provided by the government for the benefit of the hard-pressed lower income group.

If this provision is justified the non-inclusion of Bahun-Chettris in the OBC category, requires a re-examination, as many from the groups also fall under various economic deprivations.  Therefore, the economic criterion in identifying the same group outside the OBC classification does not hold much water.

Most of the Gorkha communities in India are already included in SC, ST or OBC list leaving behind only the Bahun-Chettris out of purview of legal categorization. This act not only fractures the concept of Gorkha/Sikkimese Nepalese terminology it also divides the Indian Gorkha/Nepalese community. This has related implications in the Gorkhaland issue and the demand for a state within the provisions of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.

Apropos Himalayan Guardian 31 Aug-6 Sept 2011 “Migrants outnumber tribals in Manipur: Report” extracted from Himalayan News Network Imphal August 30, 2011. In which it is stated the Manipuri Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh is said,  after (ILP) consultation with his cabinet, will urge the Centre to re-introduce the Inner Liner Permit Regulation which was withdrawn since 1950.

It is believed the withdrawal of the ILP has resulted in the illegal migrations into Manipur mainly from Burma and Bangladesh. Based on, “a report compiled by United Committee Manipur ‘Influx of Migrants into Manipur’, the number of migrants (7,04,488) outnumbered the State’s indigenous tribal population (6,70,782) while the majority indigenous Meetei was just 9,18,626 (2001 census)”. 

It is for all concerned to note well Darjeeling District too was covered under the ILP Regulation, probably along with Cooch Bihar, Jalpaiguri, Malda and West Dinajpur under North Bengal since its inception as Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (Line System known as Inner Line Permit) 1873. This system entailed the requirement by all foreigners, regardless of any treaty terms India had with foreign countries – including the 1950 Indo Nepal Treaty of Friendship, to obtain entry ILP before entering into the named districts. The permit system was restrictively observed in the Northeast states where even Indian nationals require a permit to enter the ILP (referred to as Protected Area Permit (PAP) in the Northeast) regime state viz. the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Sikkim.

It would be interesting to ask the people of the other States viz. Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura why the ILP Regulation was withdrawn if applied earlier.  Now that Manipur is raising the issue after discovering the withdrawal of ILP has affected adversely its demographic structure of the State by infiltration of foreign illegal immigrants, to a dangerous point of converting the States ethnic majority into a minority in contrast to the former.  

The ILP (PAP)  system was also applied to Darjeeling District and also to other districts of North Bengal without which entry to any part of the districts to all foreign nationals was regulated. After entering the ILP district, the foreign nationals to enter certain restricted areas of the district required an additional entry permit under the Restricted Areas Order 1963 by obtaining the Restricted Area Permit (RAP).

It is not known at what point of time ILP (PAP) or its amended version if any, was withdrawn in Darjeeling District, may require to be verified. It is however known that the more restrictive RAP was withdrawn on 16 August 1990 vide Government of India No. 15011/6/89 -F.I. Dt. 25.7.90.  The civil society of the district require to discuss this issue threadbare and come to a confirmed understanding whether the withdrawal of PAP and RAP in Darjeeling District has adversely affected the demography or it has advantaged the District’s economic development.  If at all, the impact of the entry permits withdrawal is observed to have been grossly damaging in turning the three hill sub divisional towns and adjoining areas of the District into achieving the international title, as the most densely populated hill station in the world. As a result of which the damage to the overall environment has become ecologically unsustainable, rather beyond recovery, if drastic decision and immediate actions are not taken. Every passage of day is drowning the District into an eternal quagmire, relief from which, GTA alone will not be able to handle the situation alone however sincere. The people must contribute an equal share of effort and considerations, rising above the usual bickering and blame games, whether political or apolitical, each individual should come upfront challenging the problems.

Out of the many immediate actions the party and the public require to initiate is the re-imposition of both PAP and RAP which imposition in Sikkim has effectively been managed by diluting the Government of India No. 15011/6/95 –F I. New Delhi 26.6.98 Subject: Relaxation of Restricted/Protected Area Regime in Sikkim. Like Sikkim PAP and RAP require to be reinstated to regulate illegal immigration and permanent settlement in the District, at the same time tourism entry system remain relaxed and unfettered access to immediate obtainment of entry permits with due observance of time period restriction allowed for tourism purposes.

In 2008 the Manipur and Nagaland Chief Ministers used the Fourth Northeast Business Summit at Guwahati to strongly plead for the waiver of the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) and Protected Area Permit (PAP) systems (claimed to have hindered the promotion of tourism in their States). It is possible the two Chief Ministers are not fully aware of the safeguard measures by which the said two permit regimes protect the ethnic population of the State, without which it would open a floodgate for the free entry of foreign and domestic migrants to the disadvantage of the local civil population in time – by overturning the demographic structure in the impacted areas

Like the Chief Minister of Manipur who has comprehended the blunder made by his predecessors in removal of PAP and RAP in 1950, which is now realized only in 2011, is undertaking action to undo the wrong.

In Darjeeling past political leaders too have blundered on this front, more out of ignorance than reckoning the necessity of PAP (1873) and RAP (1963) Regulations withdrawn in 1990. , was totally out of context and an unfriendly act by the State in destabilising  the population structure in the District. The only way the State can vindicate the adverse impact of the withdrawal of PAP and RAP is to immediately re-impose the two for the safeguard and protection of the people of the District. To achieve that end the people of the District require to come overboard indifferent to political affiliations and agenda, and place the petition of reintroducing PAP and RAP on one plank for submitting the demand to the concerned the State and Centre authorities. The onus of reinstatement falls squarely on the state in order to undo the wrong. Hesitation to implement the idea would directly expose  all those in opposition to the people of the District.

UK minister to visit quake hit Dr. Graham’s Homes

Hill Media Network

London, Nov 1: Kelso North and Ednam Parish Church minister, the Reverend Tom McDonald, will be winging his way to northern India this month to find out how badly a unique children’s home was hit by an earthquake.

Last week, The Southern reported on the long-term fundraising link which has existed between the Kelso and Ednam congregations and the Dr Graham’s Homes in Kalimpong.

About 400 of the students are supported by organizations, including Kelso North and Ednam Parish Church.

Although none of the youngsters or members of staff were injured, substantial damage was caused by the earthquake.

The church’s kirk session has given McDonald three weeks’ leave of absence to enable him to make a return visit to the region and find out the extent of the rebuilding work needed. He was in Kalimpong for seven weeks last year on study leave.

The trip is being made possible through the generosity of benefactor, Donald Munro, who has been a supporter and friend of the church for a number of years.

Munro founded and runs Strathclyde Pharmaceuticals in East Kilbride.

As well as funding McDonald’s trip, Munro has donated £10,000 to the disaster fund set up to rebuild the wrecked cottages at Kalimpong and other damaged buildings such as the hospital. The cottages house the students.

 McDonald will be in India from November 17 to December 13. Anyone wishing contribute to the disaster fund can do so by contacting him on 01573 224677 or emailing revtom@20thepearlygates.co.uk

EU status for Darjeeling tea

Hill Media Network

Darjeeling, Nov 1: The European Union (EU) has registered India's Darjeeling tea as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product. Darjeeling tea is the first commodity from India to get the status.

The status implies that the brew produced only in Darjeeling can be sold as Darjeeling Tea in the EU countries. It is the seventh non-EU product receiving the protected status, following one from Colombia and five from China, EuAsiaNews reported.

The EU executive body said Darjeeling tea has been added to over 1,000 names of agricultural products and foodstuffs protected as PGI in the EU.

Three EU schemes known as PDO (protected designation of origin), PGI (protected geographical indication) and TSG (traditional specialty guaranteed) protect product names from misuse and imitation and help consumers by giving them information concerning the specific character of the products.

A section of blenders, who at present pass off a brew with a certain percentage of Darjeeling brew as Darjeeling Tea, have been given a five-year time to shift to the new business.

GJM, ABAVP agree on “Gorkhaland and Adivasi Territorial Administration”

Darjeeling, Nov 1: In a development that is expected to have a major impact on the politics of north Bengal, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and a section of the State leadership of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad (ABAVP) on Sunday jointly proposed the setting up of an autonomous “Gorkhaland and Adivasi Territorial Administration” for the Darjeeling hills and the Terai and Dooars region.

This body, it is proposed, will replace the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), to be created for the Darjeeling hills and for which a memorandum of agreement was signed among the Centre, the West Bengal government and the GJM on July 18. A Bill was also passed in the Assembly on September 2 for setting up the GTA, The Hindu reported.

“A joint delegation of the GJM and the ABAVP will soon place the proposal before Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram,” GJM general secretary Roshan Giri.

The two organisations were at loggerheads over the GJM demand for inclusion of Gorkha-dominated areas in the Terai and Dooars region within the GTA's territorial jurisdiction. The ABAVP leadership earlier threatened to launch an agitation if “even an inch of land” in the region is transferred to the GTA.

Now, “with the GJM and the ABAVP proposing the setting up of the Gorkhaland and Adivasi Territorial Administration, we can look forward to a future in which the two parties can work for the development of the region spanning the Darjeeling hills, the Terai and the Dooars,” Giri said.

“The proposed new body is the outcome of an understanding between the GJM and us. We have been demanding the setting up of an Adivasi Territorial Administration [ATA] for the Terai and the Dooars under the Sixth Schedule and on the lines of the proposed GTA but to no avail. We shall jointly take our proposal for a new body to the State government and the Centre,” said Tejkumar Toppo, ABAVP State secretary.

But ABAVP State president Birsa Tirkey struck a note of dissent. “Those leaders of my organisation who arrived at the understanding with the GJM had no official authority to do so. The matter will now be taken up by the ABAVP State committee,” he said from Ranchi.

GJM chief Bimal Gurung and the president of the ABAVP's regional Dooars unit, John Barla, were among those present at a conference at Mangpong in the Kalimpong sub-division, where the proposal for the new body was announced.

Tremor takes two lives in North Sikkim

Gangtok, Nov 1: Low-intensity tremors, which continued to rock north Sikkim one and a half months after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake devastated the region, have killed two people at Dzongu, North Sikkim,  which had borne the brunt of the September 18 calamity.

The tremor measuring 3.2 on the Richter Scale killed an 85-year-old resident of Nung village and a 27-year-old man hailing from Lingdem Basti in the region on Saturday morning, delayed reports said.

Police sources said the 85-year-old was trying to escape from his house which was violently shaking when the temblor struck at around 8:30 a.m.

Medical reports said his death was triggered by a heart attack after he slipped down the stairs.

Another casualty was a 27-year-old man, Sonam Wangyal Lepcha, from Lingdem Basti who died after he fell down from the Lingdim Bridge at Dzongu.

Chief Minister Pawan Chamling visited the affected area today and met the affected families. He distributed Rs. one lakh each to the families as ex-gratia.

Sikkim Observer Oct 31, 2011

“WHITE PAPER”

Make It Authentic

Chief Minister Pawan Chamling did the right thing and at the right time. During his tour of the earthquake-ravaged North Sikkim this week, Chamling declared that his government would soon bring out a “White Paper” on utilization of funds for quake victims. With much confusion and controversy over the role of the State Government on the recent earthquake, including alleged misuse of relief funds and materials, there is the need for the State Government to come out clear on the subject.

Already the Opposition has alleged ‘discrimination’ on distribution of relief funds. It has also demanded a “White Paper” that should include why the government in the first place signed more than two dozen MoUs with private power project parties when it was “aware of the high seismic activity” in Sikkim. When most people blamed hydel projects for triggering off the earthquake (6.9 on Richter scale) in North Sikkim Chamling passionately criticized those who held this view. The “White Paper” must come out clear on this controversy. The State Government has demanded a huge amount of money from the Centre as well as other international financial institutions to rebuild the State.  The “White Paper” must justify this demand with facts and figures that should be made public at the earliest.

HARD BARGAIN

China Buys Europe’s Silence

As EU officials flew to Beijing this week to beg for financial help, Brussels was accused of allowing China to ‘buy Europe’s silence’ over its appalling human rights record.

Campaigners spoke out after the head of Europe’s bailout fund arrived in the Chinese capital to discuss the terms on which the hardline regime might agree to inject billions into the struggling eurozone countries. Campaigners fear EU negotiators will cave in to Chinese demands to tone down criticism of the regime’s human rights record.

Experts believe Beijing will also press for the lifting of a long-standing Western arms embargo and demand preferential trade terms. Tim Hancock, campaigns director at Amnesty International, warned there was a real danger that Beijing would exploit Europe’s weakness for its own ends. He said: ‘Human rights concerns must not be traded away in return for Chinese assistance in the euro crisis. China must not be allowed to buy silence from Europe. If our silence on human rights issues is at stake, then that is too big a price for Europe and for China’s citizens to have to pay.’