HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN      March 21, 2012

Bhandari calls for Opposition unity

“Corruption and communalism” have led to discrimination

Gangtok, March 20: While alleging that the virus of “corruption and communalism” had engulfed Sikkim, former Chief Minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari called on all Opposition leaders to rise above their narrow political objectives and unite the Opposition to create a democratic atmosphere in the State that would protect the constitutional and democratic rights of the Sikkimese people.

The Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee President while briefing reporters here at the party office yesterday said he would soon tour the State to create awareness among the people about their political rights guaranteed by the constitution.

He said corruption and communal politics have led to discrimination among various sections of the people in the State. He added that although the Congress party got 32 per cent of the votes polled in the Assembly elections in 2009, Congress workers and supporters have become “victims of political discrimination.”

Bhandari said lack of unity among the Opposition was mainly due to the fact that Opposition leaders’ main aim is to become the next chief minister.

Nepal govt bid to halt Gurkha recruitment in foreign countries

Kathmandu, March 20:  Indian and British Armies may no longer be able to employ Gurkhas, known for their valour, following a Nepalese government decision to eventually stop their recruitment in foreign countries.

Nepal's government has directed Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and other concerned ministries to implement the recommendations of a report that seeks to ultimately halt Gurkha recruitments in foreign armies.

The report approved by the Parliamentary Committee on International Relations and Human Rights on December 26, 2011, was later presented in the Legislature Parliament.

The report has drawn sharp criticism from Ex-Gurkha organisations which have warned to launch protests if Gurkha Recruitment Centres are shut down in Nepal, the Republica reported.

Nepalese Gurkhas are mainly serving in Indian Army and British Army.

The parliamentary report argues that although the Gurkha recruitment gave the Nepali youths limited employment opportunity, serving with foreign military had not allowed the country to hold its head high.

"Nepal's government is put on further loss after the Britain decided to provide citizenship to Gurkha soldiers, and the time has come to evaluate Nepal's foreign policy in regards to Gurkha recruitment," the parliamentary report said.

Oz seeks China’s nod to probe Tibet suicides

Melbourne, March 20:  Australia on Monday sought China's permission to send a top diplomat and lawmakers to Tibet to investigate a spate of reported suicides in the Himalayan plateau, a move that could irk Beijing.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr said that Australian Ambassador to Beijing Frances Adamson was seeking permission to visit Tibet to investigate the reasons for the self-immolations by young Buddhist monks and nuns, Australian news agency AAP reported.

Close to 30 Tibetans have set themselves ablaze during the past 12 months to protest against Chinese rule and Carr described protests as "distressing".

The Foreign Minister said that the ambassador will also ask Beijing to allow an Australian parliamentary delegation to tour Tibet.

"Our ambassador will be seeking today to travel to Tibet to see for herself the grievances that have given rise to the self-immolations," Carr told the Senate.

Adamson's deputy also would make a request to inspect Tibetan establishments in adjourning Sichuan province. Carr's announcement came as a delegation of 12 Tibetan-Australians visited Canberra to discuss the shocking protests with government, opposition and cross-bench parliamentarians.

Delegation leader Kyinzom Dhongdue welcomed Carr's announcement.

China is Australia's biggest trade partner in Asia with the two-way trade topping USD 106 billion in 2010.

Kashmir decks up to attract 20 lakh tourists

Srinagar, March 20: With a staggering 11-lakh tourists visiting Kashmir last year, the Jammu and Kashmir government aims to welcome 20 lakh tourists this year. An optimistic tourism director Farooq Shah says, "We have worked hard to promote our tourism industry throughout the world. Now it is time to reap the rewards. We are hopeful to receive around 20 lakh tourists this year."

The government is upbeat about tourist potential this year, in view of a peaceful summer-2011 that followed three consecutive years of turmoil in the state. With signs of violence ebbing in the state, the government has embarked on a major overhaul of the tourism industry to attract more tourists.

"We have to showcase Kashmir as a destination that attracts both high-end overseas travellers and the domestic visitors, while consistently projecting an impeccable image of the state," says tourism minister Nasir Aslam Wani.

He adds, "Besides the Jammu and Srinagar airports, the surface entry points at Lakhanpur and Lower Munda will provide a 'quick response mechanism,' facility to ensure that tourists are not made to wait for long hours."

The administration is roping in services of free porters for shifting tourists' luggage. "Two more buses will operate for luggage transit from the first airport drop gate to the terminal," said the minister.

Tourism director Shah says, "The tourism department has already kicked off a campaign under the title 'Preparation for Tourist Season 2012'. The campaign was required to bring professionalism among stakeholders. If we deal with tourists professionally, they will become our promoters."

The tourism minister has also asked the valley-based tour and travel operators to come under one roof to put in a joint mechanism to ensure better results for promotion of tourism. The tourism department is also planning to hold festivals every month.

Several departments, which take care of roads, electricity and water supply, have been instructed to work on betterment of roads, regular water and power supply, in preparation for the up-coming tourist season.

Himachal may cancel land allotted to Tibetans: Dhumal

Shimla, March 20: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal recently indicated that  his government will cancel allotment of land by the previous Congress government to Tibetan refugees if an ongoing probe found "any irregularity" was committed.

Dhumal said the allocation of land by the Virbhadra Singh-government to exiled Tibetans "is being enquired into".

"The Virbhadra government himself amended (land) laws to favour Tibetans. The allocation of land would be cancelled, if any irregularity is found," the Dhumal told reporters

The cancellation threat comes two days after Virbhadra Singh, the union minister of micro, small and medium enterprises, slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Himachal Pradesh for violating land laws by giving special permission to Team Anna member and counsel Prashant Bhushan to buy property in the State.

Dhumal said the land in Palampur town of Kangra district was allotted to Bhushan's Kumud Bhushan Educational society on his request.

Virbhadra Singh, a five-time former chief minister and Congress leader alleged that Bhushan's society had bought a tea garden that violated the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings Act of 1972.

The row over the land given to Tibetans, who fled to India in 1959 with their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is in a court since November 2010.

A division bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued notice to the Tibetan government-in-exile based in Dharamsala, the central and state governments regarding the case.

EDITORIAL

OPPOSITION UNITY

Congress Must Take The Lead

After former chief minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari took over the Congress party in Sikkim in August 2004 the party’s performance in the Assembly polls jumped from 2-4 per cent to around 30 per cent in the 2004 Assembly polls. This performance was repeated in the 2009 Assembly polls, when, according to Bhandari, the party polled 32 per cent of the votes polled. The rest of the Opposition parties polled around 5 per cent in the 2009 Assembly polls. The fact that the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front won all the 32 seats in the Assembly despite the Opposition party’s impressive performance makes one wonder about the way elections are conducted in this part of the world.

Bhandari’s bid to unite the Opposition, therefore, has sound basis. Ever since he was abruptly dethroned by his party (Sikkim Sangram Parishad) legislators in 1994, Bhandari has proved that he has the backing of a substantial section of the people with him. If dissident SDF legislator PS Tamang (Golay) fails to come out openly to challenge Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, Bhandari alone will not be able to effectively unite all anti-Chamling forces. However, Bhandari must make the first move to win over Golay if he is really serious on tackling Chamling, who seems to be firmly in the saddle as of now.

GTF  raises Gorkhaland demand in Delhi, holds dharna

"Only the creation of Gorkhaland will solve our identity problem"

New Delhi, March 20:  Gorkhaland Task Force (GTF), an alliance of political parties and social organisations, on Monday held a demonstration here to press for their demand of a separate Gorkhaland.

"We are demanding creation of a separate Gorkhaland state under the Union of India since a long time. We have organised a two-day dharna to assert our demand," Enos Das Pradhan, Chairman of Gorkhaland Task Force, said.

The activists demanded the creation of a separate state for Gorkha community as they feel that this will meet their aspiration for political identity, PTI reported.

"Our national identity is confused. We resemble the Gorkhas of Nepal and that's why many people in India think we are foreigners. The creation of Gorkhaland will establish our national identity in India," Pradhan said.

"The government created Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and said they have solved our problem. GTA does not have any legislative powers. It does not meet our aspirations," Pradhan said.

"In 1988 they created Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, we only suffered under it," he alleged. "Only the creation of Gorkhaland will solve our problem."

The Gorkhaland Task Force has units in 22 states of India and comprises political parties like the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, the All India Gorkha League and Gorkha Rajya Nirman Manch.

Rich tributes to Sister Declan of Kalimpong

GOAL paid rich tributes to Galway missionary nun Sister Declan Fahey who passed away in  Kalimpong on February 12 last month.

GOAL’s Country Director in India, John Wain said St Declan was a powerful woman, who devoted more than 40 years of her life helping to improve the lives of less fortunate children in India by developing access to education in the town of Kalimpong in West Bengal.

“In 1995, with the support of GOAL and the Irish public, I assisted Sr Declan with the construction of a primary school for children who could not afford to pay the fees demanded by the private schools,” he said, Ireland’s Galway Independent reported.

“In the 16 years since I left India, she had managed to introduce to the region a women’s college, a vocational training centre, a home for HIV-affected children, a school ‘drop-out’ centre, while she had also developed a proposal for a research institute,” added  Wain.

Wain said Sr Declan’s untimely death was “the end of an era” for Irish missionaries working in the hill stations of West Bengal. “Their work not only helped give the country its reputation for generosity and compassion, but provided a yardstick by which all aid agencies continue to judge themselves and be inspired by,” commented  Wain.

“We all owe people like Sr Declan a large debt of gratitude,” he added.

Originally from Roo, Craughwell, Sr Declan devoted more than 40 years of her life helping to educate young boys and girls in the town of Kalimpong. She was the last of the foreign missionaries in the hill town.

Sr Declan arrived in Kalimpong in April, 1971 and took charge of St Joseph’s Convent. She later served as the Superior at St Anne’s Convent and St Philomena’s School, Kalimpong, before establishing Cluny Women’s College for underprivileged boys and girls in Kalimpong in 1998.

Travel with Ian Wright from Sikkim to Singapore

The show will be telecast every Monday at 8 pm starting March 26

Gangtok, March 20: Globetrotter extraordinaire Ian Wright is back to discover the world’s best travel destinations through authentic local experiences in new episodes of INVITE MR WRIGHT only on India’s favourite lifestyle channel- TLC.

Thanks to Ian’s friends from across the world, who offer not just their hospitality but an inside track into their home turf! Follow Ian as he is invited to some of the best tourist destinations in the world by the people who call those places home. From Sikkim to Singapore and more, Ian gets a different perspective on life and culture in these vibrant places. INVITE MR WRIGHT 2 will air on TLC every Monday at 8PM, starting March 26th.

The first season of INVITE MR WRIGHT took a humorous and off-beat look at the world of travel. This new season sees our intrepid host back for more, this time in India, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam where he hangs out with an eclectic mix of people to learn about the life of the locals.

China may takeover Arunachal: ex-Army Chief

Guwahati, March 20: General V P Malik, former Indian Army Chief, said China may try to forcefully occupy Arunachal Pradesh anytime and that India has to step up the vigil along the Chinese border in that region.

Malik, addressing a symposium on how prepared India is to defend herself organized in Nagpur by the local daily The Hitvada, also stated that China may even forcibly occupy some of the territories in North West India.

Malik also voiced his concern to the fact that Chinese Defence budget has gone up by 11.5 percent but Indian policy matters are not even discussing about the raise, The Times of Assam reported.

Besides Malik, former Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis and former Admiral Sushil Kumar also participated in the event. The two former service chiefs stressed importance on the need to engage Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar to counter the threat and adopt a long-term foreign policy.

Speaking about the Kargil war, Admiral Sushil Kumar said the Indian Navy had deployed its ships in the Arabian Ocean though the war was fought on hills by the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. But we succeed in blocking Pakistan’s supply chain through the sea route which was a key factor in our victory, – said the Admiral.

Former Air chief marshal AY Tipnis spoke about the need for government-to-government, military-to- military and people-to-people interaction in the sub-continent.

BJP suspects Chinese role in Siang drying up in Arunachal

Himalayan News Network

Itanagar, March 20:  BJP has not ruled out a role by China in the steep fall in the level of the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh, a party release said.

A five-member party team headed by National General Secretary Tapir Gao visited the river, gathered local public opinion on the causes of the fall in water level and met officials of the Central Water Commission and the district administration during its three-day visit from March 11, the release said.

The team did not rule out a role by China in the phenomenon and found reasons to believe that China may be diverting the waters of the river in Tibet, it said. There were apprehensions that many areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and even in Bangladesh would go dry if the Chinese went ahead with their plan of building a dam, the release said, PTI reported.

The team was informed that some areas in the upper reaches of the river Siang had almost dried up. Stating that it was not possible to ascertain the causes in a single visit, it said, there was need for satellite-based observation on the phenomenon to reach a conclusion. The team will submit its report to the national BJP president  and the party MPs will take up the issue in and outside the Parliament, the release said.

TRAVEL&Living

Asian way of life

The best travel experience is one in which the traveller gets a whiff of a city’s culture and lifestyle. And that is exactly how Ian Wright does it in season two of TLC’s ‘Invite Mr Wright’, writes Juanita Kakoty 

The brilliant raconteur that he is, Ian Wright, the celebrated globetrotter and travel host, in a couple of minutes, offered me a kaleidoscopic peep into his experiences in India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, Australia and Singapore. These are the countries he has visited for the upcoming second season of the TLC series Invite Mr Wright, premiering on March 29, 2012 at 8 pm.

“In India, I travelled to Sikkim this time. I lived in a monastery and experienced Sikkim with three monks who showed me around. Initially, I thought it would be boring. But once we got there, I was amazed to see how colourful Sikkim was. There were coloured buildings all around you, everyone was in a costume, and everyone was with music. And to my surprise, the monks were such fun to be with. It was fantastic!” spoke Ian, who is often described as the funniest and best loved travel presenter on British TV, excitedly.

   “I lived in the Rumtek monastery near Gangtok, which is the first monastery built outside of Tibet after the Chinese invasion; and took a crash course in how the monks live their lives. That’s a feat, and it’s special because, usually, this is not allowed. I shaved my hair, learnt to chant, and ate vegetarian food that was great.”

In season one, Ian had travelled around Mumbai and Goa. “There I lived with Bollywood actor Arshad Warsi, visited film sets and learnt to act, dance and stage a fight. Hence, Sikkim was an altogether different experience from Mumbai and Goa. But both the times have been uniquely charming.”

Been there, done that

Invite Mr Wright, as a concept, has been very well received by the audience. “It is a great idea where I get to go to a country, stay there for a relatively long period, build relationships with the local people, live with them and see their culture through their eyes. And season two gets all the more better because it is more refined, more about personal opinions, relationships and more focussed,” revealed Ian. Talking of his varied experiences in season two, he spoke about how, in Indonesia, the team visited the island of Sumatra and spent time with conservationists trying to save the orangutans and green sea turtles. “This bit is more like a wildlife conservation film. There, we saw the local authorities sell and destroy the orangutans’ land; and how they have no desire to keep the apes safe.”

In Vietnam, Ian and his team visited Sapa, a frontier town in the northwest that borders China. “We drank rice wine for three continuous days at a hill tribe wedding. It was crazy! We also helped a young woman, who has started an orphanage for young girls, with photographic exhibitions.” In the island of Okinawa, Japan, Ian tried to pass on his Ipswich (believed to be England’s oldest Anglo-Saxon town) skills to the only football team on the island — Ryukyu FC. Then there were crazy experiences with Indians in Northern Australia, where he hung out with a mud-racing couple.

But the most difficult bit was when Ian had to cook for a top chef in Singapore. “Over there, I was with one of the top chefs of Singapore in the best restaurant, enjoying life, when one day I had to cook a meal. I made some English dish for them and the feedback that I received was pathetic.”

Ian might have travelled to India on work with Invite Mr Wright, but his tryst with the country began some 25 years ago. “I was about 23 years old then and had travelled all over India — to Kerala, Kodaikanal, Calcutta, Delhi, Darjeeling, Amritsar, etc. Those days, there was no Internet or mobile phones, and the only time I could speak to my mother was during Christmas, from a post office in Darjeeling. But in all those months, India had so much to offer that I was never bored, nor was my mind ever blank.”

Ending the conversation, even though he admitted to ‘hour-long’ anecdotes that he could share from his travels, Ian reflected, “What I love about India is that it is several countries united into one. As you move from one place to another, body shapes change, languages change, colours change, food changes, neighbourhoods change. And the most amazing thing about the country is that you don’t really have to go looking for places to see the local cultures and lifestyles. You just go to the street and watch the whole world go by.”

Himalayan Guardian March 14, 2012

Burma minority leader jailed for 20 years

Yangon, March 13: A court in Burma has sentenced a leader of the Karen ethnic minority group to two decades in prison for treason, his legal adviser says.

Nyein Maung, a member of the Karen National Union (KNU) central committee, was arrested last year in China and deported to Myanmar, where he was taken into custody.

A special court at Insein prison gave him life imprisonment - which is equivalent to 20 years - for high treason, said adviser Aung Thein, The Irrawaddy magazine reported.

Nyein Maung was handed an additional three years under the illegal organisation act, but will serve the two sentences concurrently, he said.

Burma considers the KNU - whose leadership is based in Thailand - to be an illegal organisation. Its armed wing has been battling the government since 1949.

The KNU signed a pact with the new reform-minded government in January in a move that raised hopes of a permanent end to one of the world's oldest civil conflicts.

But the organisation warned last month that the pact was "fragile", and pointed to the detention of Nyein Maung as a key issue of contention.

"I do not think the government will harm the peace talks with the KNU by keeping him in prison. Who knows? The president can grant a pardon for his release any time," the adviser said.

Focus on stability, progress in Tibet: Chinese Prez

Beijing, March 13: Chinese President Hu Jintao asked the military should pay more attention to safeguarding social stability amid a volatile situation in northwestern Xinjiang province and Tibet.

Speaking at a plenary meeting of People's Liberation Army (PLA) deputies to the National People's Congress, Hu said every soldier in the military must be aware that development and stability are the priorities, state-run Xinhua news agency said.

Hu, who is also the General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), stressed that the PLA and the armed police must focus on national defence and army building, and adhere to the fundamental requirement of making progress while maintaining stability.

Hu is set to retire towards the end of this year. Internal stability continue to be main focus of Chinese leaders as China like last year would be spending more on internal security budget than that of defence this year.

 There is growing stress on internal security due to heavy deployment of forces in Xinjiang, where the security forces battled separatist forces of East Turkistan Islamic Movement,(ETIM). Tibet has witnessed unrest following over two dozen self-immolation attempts by Buddhist monks calling for the return of the Dalai Lama from India.

New road to link Yunnan, Tibet

Beijing, March 13: A deputy to China's top legislature has suggested constructing a new route linking southwestern Yunnan province with Tibet autonomous region.

The new route would originate in Kunming, Yunnan's capital, and pass through the city of Dali and the Lisu autonomous prefecture of Nujiang to reach Lhasa, capital of Tibet, and is of "strategic significance" in promoting the local economy, boosting ethnic solidarity and maintaining stability in the border region, said Ding Xiuhua, a National People's Conference deputy from Nujiang prefecture.

The current route from Kunming to Lhasa is 2,314 kilometers, but the new route would be just 2,055 kilometers, she said, Xinhua reported.

The current route is hazardous, as it traverses three major rivers and more than 10 mountains with altitudes of over 4,000 meters, making it almost impassable in winter, according to Ding.

The new route would be passable year-round if two 1,600-meter tunnels were created, Ding said.

"The construction of the new route will also boost economic development along the road," Ding said.

Moreover, the route would connect the resource-rich, but impoverished regions of Nujiang in Yunnan province and Nyingchi county in Tibet to the outside world and make their resources accessible, Ding said.

Tibet-Bhutan border police station set up

Beijing, March 13: China has established its highest border police station at 5,373m above the sea level on its border with Bhutan in Shannan prefecture. It has also set up an all-female police station in Tibet's Nyingchi prefecture, which borders Arunachal Pradesh in India.

These moves are being seen as aimed at keeping a close watch on a road being laid to connect Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh with Bhutan, said a Beijing-based source on Sunday.

The Chinese authorities, it is learned, may also use these police stations to keep a tab on Tibetans who try to escape across the border.

The police station has come up in a Tibetan village, Pumaqangtang village of Shannan prefecture, which has a population of 900 people. The site of the female police station, Nanyi Village of Mainling County in Nyingchi prefecture, has 445 inhabitants. "The foundation of the police station marks the progress of border administration , and it plays a positive and important role in social development and lasting peace and stability along Tibet's border," Tashi Dodan, head of the public security border detachment of Shannan prefecture, told the official media.

China has intensified scrutiny on its border with Nepal to curb the flow of Tibetan rebels, who often find their way into India.

It is being helped by the Nepalese government in this. But Chinese authorities fear that Tibetan dissidents might use the Bhutan route to escape from China, the source said.

The female police station will cover the Lopa people, China's least populous ethnic tribe. It has 20 officials between the ages of 18 and 31. Nanyi's beautiful landscape attracts a large number of tourists every year, said the official Xinhua news agency.

The move follows a call by Chinese leader Jia Qinglin, who recently stressed the need to safeguard social harmony and stability in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

Burma holds peace talks with ethnic Kachin rebels

The Kachin are one of Burma's largest ethnic rebel groups

Yangon, March 13: Burma's government is holding talks with ethnic Kachin armed rebels in the hope of brokering a truce in the decades-long conflict.

The government has signed provisional ceasefires with several armed ethnic groups in recent months as part of political reform in the country, the BBC reported.

But attempts to end the fighting in Kachin state have proved difficult.

Western nations say the lifting of sanctions depends on progress being made towards national reconciliation.

Meanwhile, a prominent monk, who served years in prison for anti-government activities, has been questioned in custody for the second time in recent weeks.

The family of Shin Gambira told the BBC's Burmese service he had been detained for about 24 hours and questioned about a recent visit to Kachin state.

Conflicts between Burma's central government and rebels from the various ethnic minority groups have flared sporadically over the decades since the country gained independence.

Gambira was one of the leader's of the "saffron revolution" protests in 2007

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by fighting and there are many reports of human rights abuses.

The civilian government, backed by the military, which came to power in 2010 is attempting to sign ceasefires with rebel groups in preparation for further political discussions.

Last week, they signed a preliminary ceasefire with the ethnic Karenni rebels in the east of the country.

But the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Rachel Harvey says that after decades of mistrust, many of the groups that have agreed a truce have done so with extreme caution.

The Kachin have so far refused to sign any agreement before political issues are resolved but are now entering into talks.

Meanwhile, fighting between the rebels and the army is continuing, say reports, forcing thousands of people to remain in temporary camps on either side of the border with China.

Our correspondent says reaching a nationwide peace deal is widely recognised as key to Burma's future political and economic development.

“Karmapa not connected to funds scam”

Shimla, March 13:  Tibetan spiritual leader the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje did not appear personally in a recent court hearing in Una town of Himachal Pradesh .

But his attorney appeared on his behalf seeking exemption of the 26-year-old spiritual guru in connection with a seizure of a huge amount of foreign currency in his monastery in Dharamsala a year ago.

 “We have applied for the exemption of his appearance in court as the Karmapa is in Bodh Gaya presiding over an import religious function (puja),” Narender Pal Singh his attorney said,  the Hill Post reported .

Distancing himself from the case Singh said the Karmapa said the chargesheet is mainly against the people who are involved in selling land to the Karmae Garchen Trust for cheating and forgery.

“The Karmapa has not even been served the court summons so far,” Singh claimed.

“Even though the Karmapa heads the trust he has never attended even a single meeting which involves building a permanent structure in Dharamsala,” he said.

“Nor has he played any administrative, financial or management role. These duties are held by his administrative office, ” he said .

“The Karmapa has expressed his feelings of hurt, he has also said that he has great faith in the Indian judicial system and has the highest respect for the democratic values of this country,” Singh said.

A chargesheet was filed by the state police against the Karmapa in December last year. The chief judicial magistrate in the town of Una had asked the Karmapa and nine others, including his aides, to appear personally in court on March 6.

The Karmapa has been charged under penal provisions related to conspiracy.

A year ago the Himachal Pradesh police recovered Indian and foreign currencies including 120,197 Chinese yuan.

The Karmapa is the spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu school, one of the four sects of Tibetan Buddhism. He fled Tibet in 2000 and has been living in Dharamsala since then under the protection of the Dalai Lama.

Editorial

CONG DILEMMA

Let The People Command

After a humiliating performance in the just-concluded Assembly polls in five states the Congress party has made yet another blunder by dumping its man and party supporters in Uttarakhand. Harish Rawat was the obvious and unanimous choice for the chief ministership but the party high command chose a less popular man for the job. The revolt within the party for this lack of sensitivity is inevitable. Rawat’s supporters, including majority of the elected legislators, have threatened to split the party and rightly so.

  The Congress party ought to know by now, particularly after its poll debacle in Uttar Pradesh, that it cannot afford to cold shoulder regional leaders. Having lost the upper caste battle to BJP, the tribals, dalits and minorities in UP are split between SP and BSP, leaving the Congress without a vote-bank to build up the party in UP. In many other states the party is toying the same line. It must now reconcile itself to the fact that depending on a few individuals, no matter how great they may be, to win votes does not work anymore. It must listen and respond to the sentiments of its supporters and stop commanding from New Delhi.

Until 1852, Kanchenjunga was the highest peak in the world

Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world with an elevation of 8,586 m (28,169 ft) and located along the India-Nepal border in the Himalayas. Kangchenjunga is also the name of the section of the Himalayas and means "The Five Treasures of Snows", as it contains five peaks, four of them over 8,450 m (27,720 ft). The treasures represent the five repositories of God, which are gold, silver, gems, grain, and holy books.

Three of the five peaks – main, central, and south – are on the border of North Sikkim in India and Taplejung District of Nepal, while the other two are completely in Taplejung District. The Kangchenjunga Himal includes twelve more peaks over 7,000 m (23,000 ft).

Until 1852, Kangchenjunga was assumed to be the highest mountain in the world, but calculations made by the Great Trigonometric Survey of India in 1849 came to the conclusion that Mount Everest (known as Peak XV at the time) was the highest and Kangchenjunga the third-highest.

 Kangchenjunga was first climbed on May 25, 1955 by Joe Brown and George Band, who were part of a British expedition. The British expedition honoured the beliefs of the Sikkimese, who hold the summit sacred, by stopping a few feet short of the actual summit. Most successful summit parties since then have followed this tradition. (Wikipedia)

DILEMMA OVER GTA POLLS

No elections without inclusion of Terai & Dooars: GJM

C. Tamang

Darjeeling, March 13: The first elections to the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) has run into a controversy. While Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants the polls to be held now that the GTA has obtained the presidential assent, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) insists that elections would not be held without the inclusion of Terai and the Dooars in GTA.

Briefing the media for the first time every since President Pratibha Patil gave her assent to the GTA Bill in Kolkata on Wednesday, the chief minister, while announcing the surrender of Maoist leader Suchitra Mahato, said: "What else would you ask for? The GTA Bill has been cleared and elections will be held as per the agreement. In another three months, you would have nothing more to ask for. We've fulfilled most of our commitments."

GJM supporters took to the streets in the Darjeeling hills on Sunday reiterating their opposition to any move to hold elections to the GTA without the inclusion of areas in the Terai and Dooars region in the north Bengal plains within the territorial jurisdiction of the proposed body.

Processions were taken out and rallies organised by the youth and women wings of the GJM in the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong where demands were also raised for an interim set-up comprising nominated members till the formation of the GTA, The Hindu reported.

But even as the GJM leadership has made clear that there could be no compromise on its demand for the inclusion in the GTA of what it claims to be 398 Gorkha-dominated mouzas in the Terai, Dooars and Rajgunj block of Jalpaiguri district, various regional groupings in these areas including the local units of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad (ABAVP) have reaffirmed their opposition to any such move.

“We are against the transfer of any areas in the Dooars and Terai to the proposed GTA and shall launch a prolonged agitation if any move towards this end is made”, said Birsa Tirkey, State president of the ABAVP which claims to enjoy substantial support among the tribals of the region.

The Bengalis, Kamptapuris and the Adivasis have however rejected the idea of ceding any part of the Plains to the GTA.

History of Darjeeling

Darjeeling originally belonged to Sikkim

Until the beginning of the 18th century, the area between the present borders of Sikkim and the plains of Bengal, including Darjeeling and Kalimpong, belonged to the kings of Sikkim. In 1706 the king lost Kalimpong to the Bhutanese. And control of the remainder was wrested from them by the Gorkhas who invaded Sikkim in 1780, following consolidation of the latter's rule in Nepal

 These annexations by the Gorkhas, however, brought them into conflict with the British. A series of wars followed, eventually leading to the defeat of the Gurkhas and the ceding of all the land they had taken from the Sikkimese to the British. Part of this territory was restored to the king of Sikkim and the country's sovereignty guaranteed by the British in return for British control over any disputes which arose with neighboring states.

 One such dispute in 1828 led to the dispatch of two British officers to this area, and it was during their fact-finding tour that they spent some time at Darjeeling. The officers were quick to appreciate Darjeeling's value as a site for a sanatorium and hill station, and as the key to a pass into Nepal and Tibet. The officers' observations were reported to the authorities in Calcutta and a pretext was eventually found to pressure the king into granting the site to the British.

The transfer, however, rankled with the Tibetans who regarded Sikkim as a vassal state. Darjeeling's rapid development as a trading center and tea-growing area in a key position along the trade route leading from Sikkim to the plains of India began to make a considerable impact on the fortunes of the lamas and leading merchants of Sikkim. Tensions arose and eventually the British annexed the whole of the land between the present borders of Sikkim and the Bengal plains, and withdrew the Raja's annual stipend. These annexations brought about a significant change in Darjeeling's status. Previously it had been an enclave within Sikkimese territory, and to reach it the British had to pass through a country ruled by an independent king. After the takeover, Darjeeling became contiguous with British territory further south and Sikkim was cut off from access to the plains except through British territory.

This eventually led to the invasion of Sikkim by the Tibetans and the British military expedition to Lhasa. When the British first arrived in Darjeeling it was almost completely forested and virtually uninhabited, though it had once been a sizeable village before the wars with Bhutan and Nepal.Development was rapid and by 1840 a road had been constructed, numerous houses and a sanatorium built and a hotel opened. By 1857 Darjeeling had a population of some 10,000. The population increase was due mainly to the recruitment of Nepalese laborers to work the tea plantations established in the early 1840s by the British. (SikkimOnline.Info)

SIKKIM OBSERVER March 17, 2012

Stage set for GTA polls, govt issues notification

Kolkata, March 16: The Mamata Banerjee government on Wednesday issued the notification for the GTA Act, signalling preparations for elections in the Darjeeling Hills, even as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) demanded the inclusion of some 400 moujas in the Terai-Dooars. The notification to formulate rules for the elections to the GTA will be issued on Thursday.

According to the gazette notification issued by the hill affairs department, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Act to set up the GTA for the Darjeeling Hills takes effect on March 14, 2012, a Kolkata daily reported.

The GTA Bill was passed in the Bengal Assembly in September last year, accommodating most changes sought by the GJM. Through 54 amendments, the GTA Bill had tried to ensure that the legislation was in accordance with the tripartite agreement and the Hills body got more autonomy than the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), which it will eventually replace.

After the chief minister had blamed the Centre for the delay in getting assent, there was possibility that the fragile peace brokered by the GTA deal might have been disturbed once again. The GTA Bill got presidential assent on March 7, paving the way for setting up the GTA and holding elections in the Hills.

On Tuesday, chief secretary Samar Ghosh had said, "The election to the formation of the GTA will be held with the existing area as per the tripartite agreement. The government is not taking cognizance of the GJM's demands."

On Friday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had iterated that elections in the Hills will be held as per the tripartite agreement. The GJM has been demanding that the high-power committee, looking into the inclusion of fresh areas from the Terai and Dooars in GTA, should submit its report before elections are held.

Now that the notification for giving effect to the GTA Act has been issued, the delimitation process for the election will also begin. After delimitation, a draft will be published for the delimited constituencies. There will be an interval of 15 days to register objections.

Hishey sworn in as Rajya Sabha MP

Gangtok, March 16: Former Minister and senior ruling Sikkim Democratic Front leader Hishey Lachungpa was on Monday sworn in as the new Rajya Sabha member from Sikkim by Vice President Hamid Ansari.

Lachungpa, who succeeds OT Lepcha, was elected to the lone Rajya Sabha seat in February this year.

The new Rajya Sabha MP hails from the tribal-dominated region of Lachung, North Sikkim.

Editorial

GTA POLLS

Participate In The Democratic Process

The decision of the Mamata Government in West Bengal to go ahead with elections to the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) is an indication of its firmness to implement  the tripartite pact signed in July 2011 despite the fact that the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), one of the signatories to the deal, is in no mood to go ahead with the polls before settling the territorial jurisdiction of the new body. In fact, the GJM has indicated its unwillingness to join the poll fray if its demand on inclusion of the Gorkha-dominated areas in the Terai and Dooars in the GTA are not met. With the West Bengal Government formally proceeding ahead with the poll process the ball is now in the GJM’s court.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee swung into action when she was apprised of the delay in getting President Pratibha Patel’s approval of the GTA by the GJM leadership.

The Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, which was blamed for the delay in getting the GTA implemented, acted promptly to Mamata’s appeal and without any delay got the presidential approval of the pact. The GJM should now act responsibly and participate in the poll process and ensure that Darjeeling gets the much-needed economic boost. A committee is looking into the issue of inclusion or non-inclusion of areas in the Terai and Dooars in the GTA. Reactions from the GJM should be reserved until the findings of the committee are in the public domain. Majority of the plainspeople, including Adkivasis and Bengalis, have opposed GJM’s demand on the issue. The Mamata Government will have to play a balancing role on this controversial issue when the time comes. As of now hill people must not be led astray but wholeheartedly participate in the democratic process.

 State preparing for panchayat polls

By A Staff Reporter

Gangtok, March 16: The State Election Commission has begun the process for elections to Zilla Panchayats/Gram Panchayats, which is likely to be held later this year.

The Commission has already issued its schedule for the polls:

Preparation of Draft Electoral Rolls               -12.3.2012

Segregation of ward wise electoral rolls         -13.3.2012 - 02.04.2012

Filing Claims and Objections                          -23.4.2012- 30.04.2012

Disposal of claims and Objections                              -01.5.2012 to 09.5.2012

Printing & Final Publication of electoral rolls - 21.5.2012

A designated officer appointed for each Polling Station are to be contacted by all concerned voters for inclusion of their names in the electoral rolls and filing of claims and objections by filling up the forms available with the designated officer, a press release of the Commission said.

“All political party workers and concerned public are requested to kindly cooperate with the authorities for preparation of defect free electoral rolls,” the release said.

Monasteries reflect Sikkim’s unique identity

Observer News Service

Gangtok, March 16: The Governor BP Singh has urged everyone to work unitedly for restoration of monasteries in the State which were destroyed by last year’s earthquake. He said the monasteries in the State reflected Sikkim’s unique and distinct identity.

A presentation on the State Government’s strategy to restore and rebuild the monasteries damaged during the  September 18 earthquake was made before  the by the representatives of the Ecclesiastical Department, Cultural and Heritage Affairs Department and Building and Housing Department at the Raj Bhavan Winter Camp.

The representatives were led by the Additional Chief Secretary, R. Ongmu. The presentation was made by Devika Chettri, Additional Town Planner, UDHD, a Raj Bhavan release said.

The Governor was informed that the Ecclesiastical Department had received reports of damages from 326 monasteries. Acting on the reports, the Ecclesiastical Department and the Buildings and Housing Department had undertaken a joint survey of monasteries.

Following this, the Building and Housing Department has submitted detailed project reports for restoration, repair and minor retrofitting of 124 monasteries to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Government of India.

The Government of Sikkim has recognised 6 monasteries (Ringhim, Chawang,  Tashiding, Chungthang, Hungri and Tholung) as critically damaged.

 The restoration process will be handled by experts in various fields, the release said.

The Governor emphasised that the monasteries in Sikkim lend a unique identity to it among the union of States. The State should do its best to ensure that the sanctity and the beauty of the monasteries are maintained.

The Governor directed the Building and Housing Department to ensure that the restored and reconstructed monasteries, to the extent possible, be made earthquake resistant. He also called for involvement of the local communities in the rebuilding process.

The Governor also expressed the need to create inventories of all the relics in the monasteries.

CM inspects Tadong college, makes promises

Gangtok, March 16: The Chief Minister of Sikkim Pawan Chamling along with the Minister for HRDD NK Pradhan, Minister UDHD D.B.Thapa and Chief Secretary Karma Gyatso visited the Sikkim Government College, Tadong on Wednesday to inspect the ongoing infrastructural development in the college premises.

The visit is also aimed at solving some of the long-pending problems of the people residing near the college. The people living in this area have been facing the problem of thoroughfare as the road passes from inside the college premises. Hence the people have been demanding an alternative road, an official release said.

The Chief Minister has directed the concerned department to take a holistic approach and prepare a comprehensive project report to solve the problem once and for all. Sanctity and security of the college should not be a compromise while preparing the project report, the Chief Minister added.

While interacting with the college authorities and the student representatives at the meeting hall of the college, the Chief Minister said the government would give two new buses to the College. He also sanctioned in principal the demand of the student representatives for internet facility in the college and solve the drinking water problem of the college. The Chief Minister also dealt upon the various issues pertaining to the college.

The Sikkim Government College was established during the year 1972 and moved to the present premises in 1983.

HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN        Feb 29, 2012

SIKKIM BAGS TOURISM AWARD

 New Delhi, Feb 29: Sikkim received tourism award from President Pratibha Patil at a function here today.

Pitching for accelerated development of the tourism sector, Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai said, “Efforts are on to promote India as a 365-day tourist destination” at the National Tourism Awards 2010-11 ceremony here.

The President gave away prizes to 78 awardees in over 50 categories.

Awards were given to States and Union Territories, hotels, travel and tour operators and private organisations among others in recognition of their performance in their respective fields and also to encourage healthy competition with an aim to promote tourism.

While Madhya Pradesh got four awards in different categories, Sikkim got three awards for tourism infrastructure and tourism related programmes.

Federalism based on ethnicity unacceptable: Ex-Nepal PM

RP Sharma

Kathmandu, Feb 28: Former Prime Minister and senior Nepali congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the proposal forwarded by the so-called expert commission on State Restructuring was not acceptable to his party.

The proposal is not aimed at preserving the territorial integrity of the country rather it encourages disintegration of the nation-state, said Deuba.

“The proposal does not look like being drafted by experts. It gives the impression that it is drafted by immature individuals.”

 “The Nepali Congress does not accept federalism based on ethnicity,” said Deuba.

Detained Tibetans in Nepal on hunger strike

Himalayan News Network

Kathmandu, Feb 28: Thirteen Tibetans, detained last week for protesting against China in front of the United Nations office in Nepal, started an indefinite hunger strike on Monday to press for their release, the president of the Tibetan Youth Congress in Nepal said.

The activists, including two women, were demanding U.N. intervention in their homeland after a series of self-immolations against Chinese rule there, Reuters reported.

Tsewang Dolma quoted the protesters as saying the detentions, since Friday, were a violation of human rights.

"The hunger strike is to demand their release," she said.

Human rights groups working for the Tibetan cause say Nepal was under pressure from China to crackdown on the activities of Tibetan exiles.

Journalists banned from entering Tibet: report

Dharamsala, Feb 28: China's Tibet Autonomous Region is out of bounds for foreign journalists. This causes media persons to resort to clandestine methods to get into the region, says a global press freedom organisation.

Foreign journalists, banned from entering Tibet, have been prevented by the police

from covering demonstrations by Tibetans in other Chinese provinces, Reporters Without Borders (RWB), a non-profit organisation, said in its report released last week, IANS reported.

"In the last week of January in Sichuan province, a crew from CNN was arrested at a toll barrier and prevented from travelling to neighbouring Tibet."

It said such "restrictions are unlawful, the authorities regularly cite bad weather or the poor state of roads to restrict access to the autonomous region".

Consequently, journalists are forced to resort to clandestine methods to get into Tibet or provinces with Tibetan populations. It said foreign journalists suspected of wishing to defy police instructions themselves become victims of harassment by the security forces.

"Not only are foreign media organisations prevented from covering these events, but the authorities have also organised a veritable disinformation campaign, using pro-government media such as the Global Times, which play down the disturbances and accuse the international community of interfering," said the RWB.

"Out of sight of the world, a major crisis is unfolding. Even Pyongyang has an international media presence, which is not the case in Lhasa."

The RWB added: "As in the past, the Chinese authorities aim to control the Tibetan people behind closed doors, excluding journalists, foreign ones in particular, who might be troublesome witnesses of what is happening.

Chinese authorities have stepped up major crackdowns against suspected dissidents in Tibet in recent months, with young men taken away from homes and families being separated. Tibetans, who had travelled out of China on valid documents, have been detained on suspicion on return and over a score have immolated themselves in protest, say Tibetans living here.

In the past year, 23 monks, nuns and other Tibetans set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule, according to the Tibetan government-in-exile, a democratically elected body of the exiles that is based here.

Federalism should safeguard identity of all people: Yadav

RP Sharma

Kathmandu, Feb 28: President Rambaran Yadav has said the national integrity should be maintained while taking the nation towards federal structure. He said federalism in the former Hindu kingdom should guarantee protection of all people.

Inaugurating the Kavre Fair that began at Janagal in Kavre on Saturday, The President said all Nepali people first wish to identify themselves as a people belonging to a country where Lord Buddha was born and Mount Everest is located. Regional identification as Himali, Pahare and Madhesi comes after the national identity of the Nepalese.

Expressing concerns over the remarks by some of the incumbent ministers and the political leaders intended in breaking up political ties, the President suggested to the political parties to work together so as to conclude the peace process and constitution drafting process in the slated timeframe.

Stressing the need of further promoting the Nepali culture and identity, the President said identity of all castes, communities and religion and culture should be guaranteed while restructuring the State.

Promotion of foreign investment and development of the industrial sector was possible only after the completion of the peace and constitution drafting, he added.

Though the Nepal Government has already announced the year 2012 as the 'Investment Year', atmosphere of investment could not be created as the lasting peace was yet to be established in the country.

Arunachal, Bhutan to boost tourism

 Itanagar, Feb 28: Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan have agreed to boost tourism through mutual cooperation.

A five-member Poverty Reduction Committee of Bhutan’s National Assembly, led by its chairman Dupthop, visited the State recently and discussed the matter with Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, official sources said.

Pointing out that Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh had several similarities culturally and geographically, Tuki said the cooperation would eventually generate gainful employment and reduce poverty, PTI reported.

Tuki said that construction of a road from Tawang to Bhutan was progressing at a rapid pace and sought the Bhutan Government’s cooperation to speed up work in its territory.

“Once this road is completed and connects towns of Bhutan with Tawang, we could work on border trade, which would be beneficial for both the sides economically,” Tuki observed.

The Chief Minister also wanted helicopter services to be introduced between Tawang and Bhutan, which, he believed, would increase the tourist arrival substantially.

Dupthop agreed to a proposal by Tuki that a tourist circuit be developed encompassing Bhutan and parts of Arunachal Pradesh religiously linked to each other.

Media censorship declining in Burma

Yangon, Feb 28: Newspaper articles that would have been rejected by Burma's draconian state censors just months ago are making it into print, in one of many signs that the long-repressed country is becoming more open.

Though censorship persists — especially on political issues — the government is allowing many stories to be published without prior review, and journalists who were once jailed, beaten or blacklisted are testing the new boundaries, Time magazine reported.

Zaw Thet Htwe says a story he wrote about prison conditions wouldn't have been allowed under the military junta that ruled until last year. It was the first story he had written since being released from prison himself, in part for distributing a video of local donors handing out aid to disaster victims.

China might resort to territorial grabs in Ladakh, Arunachal: report

New Delhi, Feb 28: China may resort to territorial grabs, including through a "major military offensive", especially in Arunachal Pradesh or Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, and India should respond with "a strategy of quid pro quo", says a report by an independent group of Indian analysts.

"Our frontiers with China have been mostly stable for some years now. However, China could assert its territorial claims (especially in the Arunachal sector or Ladakh) by the use of force," says the report that seeks to outline a foreign and strategic policy for India in the 21st century, The Economic Times reported.

"There is the possibility that China might resort to territorial grabs. The most likely areas for such bite-sized operations are those parts of the Line of Actual Control where both sides have different notions of where the LAC actually runs. These places are known," says the report.

The report contends that India can't "entirely dismiss the possibility of a major military offensive in Arunachal Pradesh or Ladakh".

The report entitled "Non-Alignment 2.0: A Foreign and Strategic Policy for the 21st century", was unveiled Tuesday evening at a panel discussion at Hotel Ashok in which National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and his immediate predecessors M.K. Narayanan, currently West Bengal governor, and Brajesh Mishra participated.

"China will, for the foreseeable future, remain a significant foreign policy and security challenge for India. It is the one major power which impinges directly on India's geopolitical space. As its economic and military capabilities expand, its power differential with India is likely to widen," says the publication in a chapter entitled "The Asian Theatre".

The debate on India's options in dealing with an emerging China, among other things, has coincided with the two-day visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to India that began on Wednesday.

Media continues boycott of JK House proceedings

L. Verma

Jammu, Feb 29:  Media persons on Tuesday continued to boycott proceedings in the Jammu and Kashmir legislature in protest against assembly Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone's controversial remarks made the previous day.

Over 100 media persons were staging a sit-in outside the main gate of the State Assembly demanding that the Speaker "take back" his remarks about the media.

Lone had Monday said that the media "during the session" works under his control and that they will have to disclose their sources to him.

His remarks came after Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohhammad Sagar expressed his reservations about the "source-based stories" appearing in the media.

To this, legislator of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Nizamuddin Bhat said the media "works under the control of the Press Council of India".

However, the Speaker immediately responded: "The media during the session works under my control."

This statement prompted an immediate walkout by the media in protest.

Minister Sagar and political advisor to the chief minister, Devender Singh Rana, along with some legislators tried to placate the media persons, asking them to resume their coverage of the Assembly proceedings.

But the journalists remained adamant on their stand that the "Speaker must take back his words".

"We extend our support to the ongoing protest by the state's media fraternity against remarks passed by the Speaker against mediapersons and their functioning," BJP state president Shamsher Singh Manhas said.

"Media is an important pillar of democracy and BJP opposes any attempt to suppress the freedom of press."

FEDERALISM IN NEPAL

The Battle For Supremacy

The main hurdle towards drafting a new constitution for Nepal is the contentious issue of federalism. Ethnic Nepalese are unlikely to accept Nepali Congress’s demand that federalism should not be based on ethnicity. Former Prime Minister and senior Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba’s statement that his party would not accept a federal structure based on ethnicity is a strong reminder to other communities in Nepal that the Bahun-Chettris, who have ruled Nepal for nearly 250 years since 1769, when Nepal came into being, are not ready to give up their power so easily.

While Nepal’s President Rambaran Yadav has not directly opposed Deuba’s statement he wants the new federal structure should safeguard the distinct ethnic identity of all Nepalese, meaning the ethnic communities and the madhesis, while ensuring that the national identity of Nepal and Nepalese remain intact. In a country where the majority  ethnic communities feel disadvantaged economically and politically for centuries and the minorities are determined to preserve their ground come what may the battle line seems to have been drawn even as the former Hindu kingdom struggles to usher in a new era of freedom and democracy.

ANNEXATION OF SIKKIM

“A black day in the history of democratic India”

Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal wrote to Indira Gandhi when his Palace was attacked by the Indian Army in 1975

By Sheetal Pradhan

I believe this piece of article was more of a documentary as the title suggest "The Story of Sikkim". A part of a many story in opinions 24x7 blog. The article gives a simple narration about Sikkim in brief. What I liked the most was the annexation part and as in my part what I see I share. So this interesting piece of extract is provided here which did touch my heart, especially the "letter" sent by our Chogyal (King) to Indira Gandhi, when Sikkim Royal Palace was attacked by the Indian Army .

""Finally, in 1975, the Kazi (Prime Minister) of Sikkim went against the Chogyal and appealed to the Indian Parliament to change Sikkim's status to a full state of India. His appeal was approved. In April 1975, a 5,000-strong contingent of the Indian Army invaded Sikkim and surrounded the Chogyal's palace. His 300 bodyguards, who were themselves trained by the Indian Army, were caught and driven away, while one of them was shot. The Chogyal was arrested. In his last letter to Indira Gandhi, he wrote:

"I have no words when the Indian army was sent today in a surprise attack on Sikkim Guards who are less than 300 strong and were trained, equipped and officered by the Indian army who looked upon each other as comrades. This is a most treacherous and black day in the history of democratic India in solving the survival of our little country by use of arms."

The Chogyal died under Indian surveillance, supposedly of a weak heart. The Sikkim National Flag was lowered and subsequently banned, being replaced by the Indian Tricolour. A referendum was held under which 59% of the electorate came out to vote. Of them, 97.5% approved a merger with India. However, historians strongly dispute the statistics provided by the Indian Government as well as the fairness of the referendum, which was conducted by the Indian Army. Nonetheless, Sikkim was merged with the Indian Union as its 22nd State.

Interestingly, the treaty which enabled the merger had a special clause inserted into it by India: the merger of Sikkim and India could never be disputed in any court of the land, including the Supreme Court. Of all the instruments of accession signed between various Princely States and the Indian Union, only this one contains this special clause. Details of what actions Indian Intelligence agencies took before the annexation, including the accession of Bhutan to the United Nations, remain sketchy, mostly because the Government classifies it as a state secret." (Proud to be a Sikkimese)

No governance and plenty of corruption in Uttarakhand

By Jagdish Bhatt

It has been 11 years since Uttarakhand came into being after the hill areas were carved out of Uttar Pradesh. And while its people struggled for statehood, braving the bullets and lathis of the police and para-military forces so that their hopes and expectations could become a reality, things have only deteriorated and gone from bad to worse.

Over the past decade, governance has taken a beating, while corruption at all levels from the highest rungs to the lowest in the babudom is rampant and become a way of life in the state. And though both the Congress and the BJP, which have formed governments in the state, make tall claims of eradicating corruption, ensuring transparency and efficiency in the working of the government, facts at the grass root level even today indicate on the contrary.

Recently chief minister B C Khanduri spoke of the competent and honest (sic)administrative machinery in Uttarakhand. But if what is going in the state capital, Dehra Dun, right under the nose of the government is any indication, one can only presume what will be happening in the rural hinterlands of the state. Sample this, as to what extent things are going haywire.

The CBI conducted raids on LPG agencies in Dehra Dun and reached the conclusion that they have 30 per cent fake connections in their registers. As a result customers have to wait for days to get their supply. The fake registrations are either sold directly to commercial organizations or they are used to refill commercial cylinders, which are then sold Rs 1000 to Rs 1100 per cylinder. The actual commercial cylinder costs Rs 1300. Incidentally the CBI undertook the raids following inertia over the large number of complaints of irregularities by the state government.

Fair price shops under DPS are supposed to supply ration to new card holders after one month of a new ration card being made. But they do not supply ration for over two to three months, and the ration meant for the ration card holder is conveniently sold to shops in the open marker. The District Supply Officer and inspectors are unconcerned being hand-in-glove with the ration depot holders as ration meant for PDS supply is openly being sold in the markets.

There is a system under which the concerned department has to take permission from the state government for floating any tenders over Rs 50 lakhs. However, the state energy department was circumventing these directions by breaking the high value tenders into smaller value tenders below Rs 50 lakhs so that necessary government permission was not required. An enquiry is now underway.

A team of scribes of a regional daily went to police stations as individuals without revealing their identity. They found most of the police stations refusing to lodge FIRs and in one case the police constable even took Rs 200 to lodge a complaint. Most of the scribes posing as civilians were threatened of dire consequences, if they insisted for lodging the FIR.

Ten persons were killed when an unfit mini bus rolled down the khud while going from Tuini to Vikasnagar. Passengers, who were mercifully to escape the accident said that the bus was not fir to ply on the roads and broke down on three to four occasions. They told the driver to stop the bus, but he kept plying it without listening to the passengers, resulting in the accident. How come the RTOs are allowing unfit vehicles to ply on the roads.

Building which have been reportedly sealed by the MDDA because of being illegal constructions, have been fully constructed and completed despite the ban on their construction. How have the MDDA authorities become blind and allowed the completion of structures that they have themselves sealed for being illegal. Will someone explain

This is just a sample of what is happening at the grass root level and citizens are at the receiving end, with no one bothered to listen to their woes, as every senior officer seems to be operating in actual connivance with his juniors and sharing the spoils.

Uttarakhand has recently had its vidhan sabha elections and results are to be declared on Mar 6. Whether it is the BJP or the Congress that forms the government, only time will tell, but will these two major parties, who have promised efficient and transparent administration, look into these rampant instances of mass corruption and at least improve upon, if not make life better for the people of the state. (Hill Post)

Sikkim party condemns statements against Indian Nepalese

“The entire Himalyan belt from Burma to Sutlej belongs to Nepalese”

Gangtok, Feb 28: The Sikkim Liberation Party (SLP) has reacted sharply against anti-Nepali stand adopted by Bangla Bhasa Bachao Samiti and Adivasi Vikash Parishad (AVP).

In a press statement, SLP chief DN Nepal said the statements issued against Indian Nepalese by the two organizations were “unconstitutional” and “offensive.”

Nepal said statements against “Indian Nepalese” are being made because the leadership of this community are not only “directionless” but are engrossed in “amassing wealth.”

“Those speaking out against the Nepalese community should know and understand that the entire Himalayan belt right from Burma (Myanmar) in the East to Sutlej in the West belonged to this community,” a resolution passed by the SLP during its meeting said.

According to Nepal, the two organizations have alleged that Nepalese living in India are “foreigners.”

Mukunda Majumdar of Bangal-O-Bangla Bhasa Bachao Committee criticized the attempt to divide Bengal and opposed inclusion of mouzas in Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). He said, "Majority of the Nepali-speaking people in Terrai and Dooars are foreigners." The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has refuted the charge.

Meanwhile, the nine-member panel set up to examine the inclusion of areas in Terai, Dooars and also Siliguri under the new Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) will decide on the submission of its recommendations in its meeting on March 16.

CBI rescues Darjeeling girl from Delhi

C. Tamang

Darjeeling, Feb 28: A 14-year-old girl, who was missing from Darjeeling since November, 2011, was rescued by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from Munirka in south-west Delhi recently. This was a big break for the Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the CBI, that was set up recently to collect, collate and analyze data on kidnappings and abductions from across the country.

According to an official, the AHTU received information about this girl and began investigations. During the course of investigations, the sleuths came to know that the girl, a resident of Darjeeling, was lured to Delhi by a young man who promised her a job there, a national daily reported.

Once in Delhi, he handed her over to others who abused her. The man who took her to Delhi and his associates also had plans to sell her to a brothel. A case has been lodged against the gang. The CBI began a search for the girl and traced her to Munirka in South West New Delhi. Sleuths have come to know that The man who took her to Delhi and his associates also had plans to sell her to a brothel.

In January this year, the CBI designated a unit in the Special Crime Zone of the CBI as the AHTU. It was realized that though a lot of human trafficking takes place in the country there was no centralized organization to deal with the matter exclusively. Most of this trafficking takes place from the eastern parts of the country as well as Nepal.

Entertainment

Barfee film shooting in Darjeeling

Priyanka takes music teacher to Darjeeling

Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra took her music teacher Samantha Edwards to West Bengal's hill city Darjeeling, where she is shooting for Anurag Basu’s film 'Barfee'.

Piggy Chops said she is very much passionate about music and is very much thrilled about her international recording deal with Desi Hits and Universal Music to record her debut music album.

Priyanka is practising singing everyday after hectic shooting schedules in Darjeeling.

Her debut music album will contain 10 pop songs that will be released globally this year.

An uninterrupted and successful shooting schedule in Darjeeling has resulted in a high spirited Barfee team. So much so that Writer-director Anurag Basu has decided on a music launch of the film in Darjeeling. This is for the first time that a Bollywood film music release is taking place in.

Basu arrived in town on February 16 along with Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D’Cruz, shooting for his romantic thriller Barfee. Basu has shot to fame with films like Murder, Gangster, Life in a Metro and Kites. Pritam is the music director of the film.

According to Basu: “We will have a music launch for the film in May in Darjeeling. The whole team including the cast will be in Darjeeling for the music release. Barfee will have 6 songs." The film is slated for July 13, 2012 release.

The locales for the shoot include Tindharia, Bhotey Bustee, Hotel Windamere, Chowrasta and the Planters Club in Darjeeling. Shooting is scheduled to end in Darjeeling on February 29. While Priyanka had left Darjeeling on February 23 for Hyderabad where she is shooting for the film Krish; Ileana D'Cruz had left on February 25.