HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN             Gangtok, Sikkim                                                 Aug 29, 2012

HERMONITES KINDLY NOTE THE NAMES OF HERMONITES OF THE PICTURES BELOW - Jigme N Kazi's blog is : www.jigmenkazisikkim.blogspot.com

Tibetans want distinct identity within China

We are not seeking to secede from China: Dicki Chhoyang

     Exiled Tibetan Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay with Minister of International Relations Dicki Chhoyang

Dharamsala, Aug 28:  The objective of the “Tibetan struggle” is to exist within China and within the framework of the Chinese constitution but with the “distinct cultural identity” of the Tibetans intact, according to Dicki Chhoyang, Minister of the Department of Information and International Relations of the exiled Tibetan government.

This message was conveyed to the international community during a meeting of parliamentarians in South Africa recently.

"Fundamentally, the Tibetan struggle is about a people's fight for its right to exist with its own distinct cultural identity and language within the provisions of the Chinese constitution. This includes the right to practice their religion openly and without hindrance from the State as permitted in all free countries. We are not seeking to secede from China," Chhoyang said.

Since 2009, 49 Tibetans have self-immolated to express their emphatic rejection of Chinese repressive policies in Tibetan areas. All have called for greater freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet. "Despite Kalon Tripa Lobsang Sangay's appeal to not resort to such drastic actions, Tibetans inside Tibet have continued to do so because there is no conventional space for protest. Hence, we feel a moral obligation to speak on their behalf and appeal to all people of conscience to stand in solidarity with them," Chhoyang added.

She said the contribution that Tibetans wish to make to the world is that of asserting the value of non-violence as a tool of political action and bringing to the fore the universal fraternity of all human beings irrespective of race and religion.

Sangma launches National People’s Party, to work for tribal unity

PA Sangma

Shillong, Aug 28: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Meghalaya on Friday merged with National People’s Party (NPP), a newly-formed outfit formed by PA Sangma.

Sangma, who had resigned from NCP as its General Secretary and unsuccessfully contested the Presidential poll against Pranab Mukherjee last month, would be NPP’s president.

Altogether 13 out of 14 NCP legislators, including two of Sangma’s sons Conrad (leader of opposition) and James Sangma, backed their father, PTI reported.

"Once I was considered one of the most powerful men in Congress... Yet I quit that party not for any bigger post but for my principle," Sangma said while addressing the formal launch of the new party in the state.

The former Lok Sabha Speaker was expelled from Congress, together with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar in 1999, for opposing Sonia Gandhi’s Prime Ministerial aspirations citing her foreign origin.

"I said back then only an Indian by birth should be the Prime Minister of the country and I stick to my principle," he said.

Sangma said he was faced with this dilemma of taking forward the aspirations of millions of tribals who wanted to see a tribal president.

Sangma said though the vast tribal population is spread across the country it has "not got their due share" and so NPP would try to give tribals their rightful dues.

Pointing out that the country has 57 tribal MPs, Sangma said "if we can come together, who can touch us? The launch of NPP is towards uniting the tribal in the country."

JK leader for inclusion of Kashmiris in Pak-India talks

Srinagar, Aug 28: Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has stressed the need to include Kashmiri leadership in the dialogue process between Pakistan and India to make it meaningful and result-oriented.

   Briefing the media here recently, the APHC Chairman said, “India and Pakistan are talking. Indo-Pak dialogue is not enough. There has to be Kashmiris’ participation in the parleys.” He said that the confidence building measures and economic issues could build much better trust level between the two countries, Kashmir Media Service reported.

 He said that the Kashmir dispute couldn’t be pushed on the backburner. “There is realization in India that Kashmir movement is indigenous. The revolutions in Middle East have made India and Pakistan realize that they cannot ignore issues,” he said, adding that despite its internal problems, Pakistan had always supported the Kashmir cause and it had been a part of its foreign policy.

Mirwaiz maintained that India needed to change its traditional approach towards Kashmir. “I think 2008, 2009 and 2010 had given an opportunity to the Indian leadership to think, to discuss and deliberate but they chose to look on other side. The problem with New Delhi is that they only come to terms when there is a fire fighting situation. The moment they feel things are manageable and under control they tend to forget the past. This approach has to change. It is unfortunate that Army and paramilitary forces are playing a much bigger political role today,” he said.

 He said that India was resorting to political, economic, social or cultural aggression to distort the Kashmiri culture and identity.

The Mirwaiz said that the Hurriyet leadership didn’t need to prove its representative character by participating in elections as polls in the territory were aimed at addressing the day-to-day problems of the people. He said that the Hurriyet would only take part in a referendum under the supervision of neutral observers that was intended to ascertain the aspirations of the Kashmiri people about their future.

Bhutan seeks China’s support on UN seat

Beijing, Aug 28: Bhutan has sought China's support for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the term 2013-14. This was revealed by the Bhutanese government after its leaders held border talks with a visiting Chinese delegation in Thimphu on Friday.

"The talks were held in a warm and friendly atmosphere," the Bhutanese foreign ministry said in a statement. "It will provide the opportunity for the two nations to better understand each other's positions, which will facilitate an early and just settlement of the boundary issues."

The meeting discussed Bhutan's aspiration to serve as a non-permanent member of UNSC, elections for which are scheduled for October this year, said Bhutan's leading English daily, Kuensel.

An eight-member Chinese delegation led by vice foreign minister Fu Ying participated in the border talks just six weeks after the two countries established diplomatic ties for the first time. China is expected to bargain hard before helping Bhutan achieve its international ambitions in the form of a non-permanent seat at UNSC.

Tibetan film Drapchi selected for Warsaw film fest

Tibetan opera singer Namgyal Lhamo in Drapchi

New Delhi, Aug 28: After its world premiere and impressive response at Osians Cinefan, Arvind Iyer's debut feature Drapchi has been selected for the 28th Warsaw International Film Festival in October.

Written by Pooja Ladha Surti and produced by Iceberg Nine Films, the 78-minute-long film, shot in four countries and starring acclaimed Tibetan Opera singer Namgyal Lhamo, will be screened in the World Today section of the festival.

Drapchi attracted a motley crowd of world cinema lovers at Osian's where both Iyer and Lhamo were present.

Asked about the response the film received at the festival, Iyer told PTI, "A scene when Yiga Gyalnang (Namgyal Lhamo) is seen running her hands on a barbed wire fence on an icy cold winter day, when her voice says 'As long as Wise Spirits live, Tibet will Live' was very much appreciated.

"That one liner juxtaposed with Lhamo's explosive track 'Changkha' and the barbed wire that pinched hearts and triggered a lump in the throat seemed to encapsulate the times that Tibetans live in."

The film has been signed on by Hollywood whiz and publicist Linda Brown who has worked on movies such as 2012 Sundance Festival winners Valley of Saints and Middle of Nowhere.

Asked if he felt that his work would fan trouble with the Chinese, Iyer says, "A lot of people ask me that and I don't know what to say anymore because I try and look at Tibet from a 'Tibetan-inside-Tibet' perspective and I have always maintained that the Tibet belongs to Tibetans.

"However, there is a systematic run down of tradition and culture inside of Tibet and this is where artists such as Namgyal Lhamo continue to play such a massive role in keeping that cultural flag flying high."

First Tibetan Olympian wins medal for China

Russia's gold medalist Yelena Lashmanov (C), Russia's silver medalist Olga Kaniskina (L) and China's bronze medalist Qieyang Shenjie pose on the podium of the women's 20km walk at the athletics event of the London 2012 Olympic Games in London. (pix:AFP)

London, Aug 28: Choeyang Kyi (Qieyang Shenjie in Chinese), a Tibetan athlete from Tibet, won a bronze medal for China in the recently-concluded Olympics held here.

Choeyang won a bronze medal in the women's 20-kilometer race walk. "I'm extremely honored to take part as the first representative of the Tibetans at the Olympic Games and to win a medal," she said.

She said she heard Tibetans encouraging her along the route that went past the residence of Queen Elizabeth II, AP reported.

 "I heard it! Really. I heard a Tibetan cheering me on. At the time, I looked backward but couldn't see who that person was," Choeyang said.

In China, the government-run Xinhua News Agency and other media said Qieyang was the first Tibetan to make it to a Chinese Olympic team.

Work at Demchok in Ladakh stops under Chinese pressure

Srinagar, Aug 28: For the third time in last three years, under the Chinese pressure the work on one more development project has been stopped in Demchok area of Leh district in Ladakh region, officials said.

 Official in Leh said work on the project was temporarily suspended and the authorities are trying to find out what had exactly happened.

 Sources said that the Chinese Army has reportedly asked the officials, contractor and other workers to suspend work on an irrigation project in Demchok area near the Actual Line of Actual Control (LAC).

 Officials said that the project had been started in 2004-05. Under the project, water according to officials, is to be transferred from the Indus River into a 3.5 km-long irrigation canal. The river water according official sources was also supposed to be used for developing pastures to help the local people, who earn livelihood by rearing cattle in these border areas.

Demchok is on lower right corner. Looks like it falls into Chinese administered area, or the area where there is no demarcation and a lot of confusion persists.

 Official sources said that the latest incident is the third time in last three years that a major development project was stopped in Leh under Chinese pressure. “We had to suspend the construction of passenger sheds in same area in 2010 after their objection,” a state government official said adding that the matter was later reported to Army guarding the area. He added that another road project was abandoned by the state government after China's strong objection. “This is the third incident,” he said.

 District Development Commissioner (DDC) Leh T Angchuk told Greater Kashmir over telephone that the work has been stopped on the project and not abandoned. “The work has been stopped and not abandoned,” he said and added that the matter has been first reported by the concerned contractor. “We are verifying the facts and want to know what exactly has happened,” he said.

 DDC said that area where the site falls is located on India side. “There the river bisects the area and we are unable to understand what is the problem to them (China),” he said and added that yet there is local witness that they (Chinese) have crossed over to this side. “I have asked the army to be more vigilant and speed up the patrolling of the area. We are hopeful the work would be started on the project again,” T Angchuk said.

Heritage status for Himachal hotel

Shimla, Aug 28: Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (HPTDC)- run Hotel Castle in Naggar in district Kullu has been accorded with Heritage status by Union ministry of Tourism.

The Castle was built by Raja Sidhi Singh in early 16th century.  It is believed that stones for construction were brought from Gharhdhek of Baragarh across the river Beas. Another belief is that stones were passed on to the site by a human chain from the ruins of the fortified palace of Rana Bhosal called Gharhdhek situated below the present Baragaon village.

No metal or iron was used in the fixing of two main doors of the Castle. The wooden beams used in the walls here prepared from whole trees. The Castle was used as a royal residence and state headquarter until the middle of the 17th century, when Raja Jagat Singh transferred the capital to Sultanpur in Kullu.

However, Castle continued to be used as a summer palace by subsequent rulers until the British took over the whole of Kangra and Kullu from Sikh’s in 1846, when Raja Gyan Signh sold it to the first Assistant Commissioner, Major Hay, for a gun.

The latter converted the northern wing to the European way of living by putting in staircase, fireplace and chimneys. He later sold it to the government when it was used as a Court House.

In 1947, with the departure of the British, the court activity ceased but its door remained open for visitors and travellers as it was converted into a civil rest house and later converted into a hotel in 1978.

The Hotel has tastefully done rooms and was extensively re-furbished in 2003-05 by HPTDC.

Editorial

FIX ACCOUNTABILITY

No Excuses For Losses

The UPA Government’s much-hyped talk on transparency and accountability in public life came to naught when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh very sheepishly refused to hold responsibility for losses running into thousands of crores of rupees in the “coalgate scam”. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, too, seems to have absolved of his responsibilities in the 2G scam. While Singh has refused to accept the CAG report stating that it was “baseless”, the Congress party feels that the Supreme Court has given a clean chit to its Finance Minister. However, the BJP has rightly pointed out that Chidambaram was very much a part of the decision- making process in fixing the Spectrum price along with A Raja "disregarding" the advice of Finance Ministry's officials for auctioning the Spectrum.

      Seeking a trust vote in the Parliament on the coal scam is an easy way out to escape responsibility. Like the presidential polls the UPA has the numbers to win the trust vote. But will it win the hearts of the people if a mid-term poll takes place now? “I wish to say that any allegations of impropriety are without basis and unsupported by the facts,” Singh’s statement in the Parliament said, challenging the national auditor whose report states that private firms gained windfall benefits of upto 1.86 lakh crores because coal fields were not auctioned, and were given to them at under-valued rates.  Given the present nationwide anti-graft campaign it will be very difficult for the Congress to convince the people that it is clean and that it has not benefited financially from the companies that were assigned coal fields. Singh was the coal minister when the coal allocations were made in 2004-05. While the Comptroller and Auditor General did not indict the Prime Minister's Office in its report, it said that the screening committee that decided who would get coal fields followed a system that lacked transparency.

The Bhutia Busty Gompa in Darjeeling

The Bhutia Busty monastery in Darjeeling was originally located at Mahakal hill

By Sonam Deki

      Dotsuk Gompa at Bhutia Busty in Darjeeling

The Bhutia Busty, the oldest monastery in Darjeeling, was first located on Observatory Hill, located above Chowrasta.  It was built in 1765 by Lama Dorje Rinzing when Darjeeling was still a part of the Kingdom of Sikkim. The name Darjeeling is believed to have originated when monks of the monastery referred to the region as ‘Dorje-ling’, meaning the land of the thunderbolt.

 Another school of thought believes that it was named after Dorje Rinzing. The monastery was sacked by the Nepalese in 1815. It was rebuilt in 1861 and was moved to its present location in 1879. The ill-fated monastery was again destroyed by a 1934 earthquake and owes its present existence to the Chogyal of Sikkim.

Spectacular views of the Kanchenjunga can be had from the Bhutia Busty Monastery (also known locally as Do-tsuk Gompa, meaning erect (tsuk)  stone (do)). This was originally a branch of the Nyingmapa (Red sect) sect’s Phodong monastery in North Sikkim.

The Bhutia Busty monastery in Darjeeling in 1870s

Observatory Hill (locally referred to as Mahakal dara (hill) dates back to the 18th century when a monastery was built here. Its significance increased under British rule as many British officials and affluent local families chose to reside in the locale. It now houses the temple of Mahakal and is said to be the religious centre for all local inhabitants.

Earl of Ronaldshay (erstwhile president of the Royal Geographical Society) says, “In the interests of historical accuracy I should, perhaps, add that I believe the commonly accepted explanation to be incorrect. A derivation seldom heard, but which I have the best of grounds for believing to be correct, is that which attributes the word Dorje in the first half of Darjeeling to the name of a lama, Dorje Rinzing, who founded the monastery which once stood on Observatory Hill.”

The Bengal Gazeteer of 1947 says that Darjeeling and its neighbouring areas were originally a dominion of the Sikkim kingdom. During the reign of Sikkim’s Chogyal Chagdor Namgyal (1700-16), the area to the south-east as well as Kalimpong and Rhenock were lost to Bhutan. Though reclaimed briefly, towards the end of the 18th century (1788-89), the Gurkhas of Nepal over ran Sikkim as far east as Teesta River and annexed the Terai grassland region. After the termination of Anglo-Nepalese War (1816) tract which Nepal had wrested from Sikkim was ceded to East India Company in 1835.

The Observatory Hill, also known as Mahakal dara, Darjeeling, was the original site of the Bhutia Busty (Dotsuk Gompa) monastery.

Tea tourism hopes to regain ‘Queen of Hills’ status for Darjeeling

Darjeeling, Aug 28: Tea producers are venturing into tea tourism projects in the picturesque Darjeeling hills, hoping the newly-created Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) will restore peace in the region.

The three picturesque Darjeeling hill subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong in northern West Bengal have been on the boil for nearly three decades over the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland. Agitations, killings, police crackdowns and long shutdowns had severely impacted the local economy and its mainstay, tea, and tourism, IANS reported.

Elected members of the GTA were sworn in earlier this month after the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) swept the polls, raising hopes that the law and order situation would improve in the hills.

Banking on this, firms possessing tea estates in the "Queen of Hills" have lined up projects for developing tea tourism.

"At least five to six proposals for setting up tea tourism projects in Darjeeling hills have recently been submitted to the West Bengal government by different companies," Darjeeling Tea Association secretary Kaushik Basu said.

Darjeeling stalls near Chowrasta to be removed

     Shops along Nehru Road, Darjeeling

Darjeeling, Aug 28: All the 182 temporary stalls along Nehru Road, which are located between Keventer’s and Chowrasta, will soon be removed to make way for a car park in the area.

Dismantling of the illegal stalls began last Monday under the direction of the Darjeeling Municipality. These shops which main sell tourist-related items such as shawls, woolen gloves, mufflers, gift items etc. came up during the 1970s.

The municipality has assured the shopkeepers alternative spots to put up their stalls.

Sikkim Hermonites felicitate Jigme for Press award

“Jigme is a trout and an upstream swimmer”

Jigme N Kazi with Karma Bhutia- SC 1972

Gangtok, Aug 28: The Sikkim Hermonites Association (SHA) on Friday (Aug 24) felicitated writer-journalist Jigme N Kazi for being awarded this year’s Khangchendzonga Kalam Puraskar award by the Press Club of Sikkim recently. SHA President Karma P. Bhutia, Secretary Sports Department, said Kazi, who completes three decades in the profession this year, deserves being awarded for his contribution in the field of journalism in the State. Bhutia also complimented Kazi’s wife Tsering T. Namgyal, senior teacher in Tashi Namgyal Academy (TNA) who was also present during the function, for her support to her husband despite the family undergoing enormous pressure in the past so many years.

Former President of SHA and former Managing Director of STCS Tempo Bhutia said Kazi was like a trout, a rare kind of freshwater species, and an “upstream swimmer,” who had his own mind and functioned independently, a press release by SHA General Secretary Suresh Sarda said.

Most Hermonites were surprised that a man who has worked for so long and achieved so much and who is always against the establishment should be rewarded at this point of time. “That someone from the minority Bhutia community who has always functioned independently and wrote against those in power should be awarded now is a big surprise,” said a Hermonite.

While thanking his friends, Kazi said three persons – his maternal grandfather, the Chogyal of Sikkim, and his former school Principal, GA Murray – had the greatest influence in his life. That the felicitation function of the Sikkim Hermonites should take place on Murray’s birthday (Aug 24) is a great honour for him, Kazi said.

During the function it was decided that Sikkim Hermonites will participate in this year’s Speech Day function of Mt. Hermon School, Darjeeling, in November this year. Justice Altamas Kabir, who is likely to become the next Chief Justice of India (CJI) next month when the present Chief Justice SH Kapadia retires, is expected to be the Chief Guest on Speech Day. Kabir is an alumnus of Mt. Hermon and was a student there in the 1950s.

Tempo Bhutia - SC 1969

Punam Agarwal - SC 1969

Raj Kumar  - SC 1969

Thentok Lachungpa - SC 1971

Surendrapal Singh Lamba - SC 1971

Udai P. Sharma - SC 1972

Uttam Kumar Pradhan - SC 1973

Suresh Sarda - 1990s batch

Phinto Choppel - 1980s batch

Prakash Mundra - 1990s batch

‘Silent invasion’ still on in Assam: Sangma

Ranchi, Aug 28: Former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma has alleged that demographic change was silently taking place in Assam and asked the people to be careful of the "silent invasion" in most tribal-dominated regions.

"According to the May 24, 1971 formula, Bangladesh nationals were to be identified and deported to that country. But 25 years have since been passed and Rs 400 crore spent, only a thousand Bangladeshis were identified and only one was deported from Assam," Sangma claimed while addressing a gathering here.

He said north-eastern states did not allow too much industrialisation because "outsiders" would come to seek jobs and then settle down, "changing the demography", PTI reported.   

"Tribals are self-content about what they earn that is why Bangladeshis are working even for Rs 25 on daily wages, changing the demographic structure. But the structure should be maintained by being careful and aware of the silent invasion," he said.

ULFA warns of attacks on 'Indians' in Assam if ‘atrocities’ continue

Guwahati, Aug 28: The ULFA has warned of attacks on "Indians" in Assam if "atrocities" on Assamese people did not halt in other parts of the country.

A statement signed by its elusive chief Paresh Baruah alleged that 14 Assamese youth had been killed in "mainland India".

"The atrocities on Assamese ... must be stopped immediately, failing which we will be forced to take necessary action on Indians living here," said the statement.

The statement also warned India-based Muslim groups against spreading communal hatred in Assam, IANS reported.

It charged All India United Democratic Front chief Badaruddin Ajmal with spreading communal hatred by saying Muslims were being killed in Assam.

The ULFA statement follows ethnic violence in Assam and the consequent flight of thousands of Assamese from places like Bangalore and Pune due to mysterious telephonic threats.

INTERVIEW Fu Ying

“China and India are partners, not rivals”

China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Fu Ying, who has recently visited Bhutan and Nepal, talks with China Daily about her visits to these two South Asian countries.

China’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Fu Ying China Daily: You have recently visited Bhutan and Nepal. The Chinese people have a great dealof interest in the two countries. Could you share with us your impressions?

Fu Ying: Yes, I have just been to Thimphu to attend the China-Bhutan boundary talks and co-hosted diplomatic consultations in Kathmandu. The visits were productive and enjoyable. Bhutan and Nepal are both situated at the southern slope of the Himalaya Mountains and are endowed with unique geographical features and rich cultural heritage.
My first stop was in Paro, which has the only international airport in Bhutan. The runway lies between the high mountains, and you have to admire the skillful way the pilot navigated the plane around mountains peaks. The drive from Paro to Thimphu was an enchanting experience. We feasted our eyes on the natural scenery all around us as well as the colorfully painted traditional wooden farmhouses that looked like they were sleeping in the green valleys. The children walking in the streets were all in traditional-style uniforms and well-mannered. It is easy to see why Bhutan ranked very high on the National Happiness Index in the world.
Now to Nepal, it's my second visit, and I found the country a lot busier and livelier. There have been lots of political changes, and it's remarkable that the overall economic progress has continued. I remember when sitting under a huge bodi tree as we waited for a delayed flight, a young Nepalese monk explained about the search for inner peace. The calm cultural atmosphere there was deeply touching.
CD: Bhutan is the only neighbor with whom China has not established diplomatic relations. The boundary talks have been going on for years. Could you update us on the progress?
FY: Yes, China-Bhutan boundary negotiations started in 1984. Over the years while the talks were going on, the two sides have maintained an effective discussion on building up understanding, trust and exchanges. Thanks to the agreements reached, we have also maintained peace and tranquility in the border areas.
This is the 20th round of talks, and I found my meetings friendly, substantive and constructive. Both sides were accommodating and forward-looking. China appreciates Bhutan's positive attitude on its relations with China. We agreed to continue exchanging visits and gradually expanding cooperation in areas of common interest while advancing the boundary talks with patience.
My visit culminated in a call on the fourth king of Bhutan. I was deeply impressed by the former king's knowledge and sharp insight on the affairs of the outside world. The meeting was warm, and we could sense the king's wisdom and foresight. Small wonder he came up with the vision of building "Gross National Happiness", which is attracting wider international attention.
CD: Nepal as China's neighbor is at an important juncture of its political transition. What is your view on China-Nepal relations? How has your visit helped deepen the relations?
FY: China and Nepal have always enjoyed strong and healthy relations. To quote Prime Minister Bhattarai, ours is a "problem-free relationship". For China, Nepal is a good neighbor, good partner and good friend. I reaffirmed China's policy of noninterference in Nepal's internal affairs, respect for Nepal's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its people's choice of development path. I also expressed our best hope that Nepal's peace and constitution drafting process arrive at a successful conclusion.
The purpose of my visit was to follow up on the important visit to Nepal by Premier Wen Jiabao last January. China is committed to effectively implement the important agreements reached during the visit, including assistance programs, infrastructure projects and people-to-people exchanges. We highly appreciate Nepal's firm commitment to the one-China policy and its position of not allowing any forces to use its territory for anti-China activities. I am glad that this policy is shared by all political parties.
The visit has also made me more confident about the future of China-Nepal trade and investment cooperation. We discussed many potential areas for cooperation. I noticed that Nepal's traditional handicraft and its places of historic interest will prove very attractive for Chinese buyers and tourists.
The world is rapidly changing. Developing countries like China and Nepal need to work hard to maintain stability in order to pursue economic progress. We must grasp the opportunities enabled by globalization that makes it possible for us to achieve faster economic growth and industrialization, which we missed out on the past.
CD: As was reported, you also met with the secretary-general of the South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation. What is the state of relations between China and SAARC?
FY: Yes, I called on the secretary-general of SAARC in his office in Kathmandu. We had good discussions about how to bring the relations closer. He emphasized that SAARC saw China as a very important partner and is interested in exploring further dialogue and cooperation. I expressed China's willingness to support SAARC and expanding cooperation with SAARC members in the areas of economy, agriculture, transportation, human resource training and disaster relief. I also invited him to visit China.
China shares a 4,700-km-long border with SAARC countries, and our joint population is close to 3 billion, almost half of the world's total. China is committed to good neighborly relations with SAARC members and attaches importance to its contacts with SAARC as an organization. China became a SAARC observer in 2006. In 2012, China appointed its ambassador in Nepal as its resident representative to SAARC. We are ready to work with SAARC to build stronger ties.
CD: Both Bhutan and Nepal have close ties with India. What is your reaction to press reports that China and India are engaged in a strategic rivalry in South Asia?
FY: From my point of view, China and India are partners, not rivals. As the two biggest emerging economies, China and India share common interests in major international and regional issues. In recent years, China-India relations have seen strong momentum of growth thanks to the consensus of both leaders.
China respects India and all other South Asian countries for developing close and friendly cooperation. We share a common belief in the principles of equality and mutual benefit in state-to-state relations. China would like to promote its relations with all South Asian countries including Bhutan and Nepal. This is not targeted at any third country, nor will it hurt the interests of other nations. Instead, it will only add to the common prosperity of the region. China is also ready to expand cooperation with India in promoting regional development. For example, the need for connectivity can be better met if China, India and South Asian countries work together and avail themselves of the good opportunity offered by the strong growth in the region.
President Hu Jintao remarked that the 21st century should be one of peace, development and cooperation. This is a worthy goal for us all to strive for.

SIKKIM OBSERVER   Aug 25, 2012

Renown Sikkimese photographers honoured on World Photography Day

     (L to R) Joseph Lepcha, Kiran Rasaily, Jigme N Kazi and Tenzing C. Tashi at the inaugural function of World    

     Photography Day in Gagtok on Sunday.

Gangtok, Aug 24: The week-long World Photography Day 2012 celebrations in Sikkim, which began here  on Sunday (August 19), is dedicated to two Sikkimese gentlemen, whose pioneering work in the field of photography in Sikkim, has been much appreciated by those who knew them well.

For the old Gangtokians, late Tseten Tashi (popularly known as ‘Rhenock Yap Maila’ or TTT i.e. Tse Ten Tashi)) and his son late Paljor Dorji Tashi, are well-known figures in Sikkim.

Tenzing C. Tashi, daughter of Paljor Tashi (also known as Penjorla) and research assistant at the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (NIT), Gangtok, who was present during the inaugural function, describes her grandfather, recipient of Pema Dorji (the highest civilian award during the Chogyal era) and former Secretary to the Chogyal of Sikkim, as “a man much ahead of his times.”  Tenzing Tashi, who provided all the photographs of her father and grandfather for the exhibition, says most people remember her father as “a simple, unassuming man who was always approachable, and ever ready to lend a helping hand.”

Organised jointly by Vivid Kala Akademi Sikkim (VIKAS) and Journalist Union of Sikkim (JUS), the photography exhibition, including some rare and unique photographs by late Yap Tseten Tashi and Yap Penjorla, at the old Star Cinema Hall, New Market, MG Marg, will conclude on August 26.

Sikkim Observer editor Jigme N Kazi, chief guest for the inaugural function, said the photographs reflected Sikkim’s people, history and cultural heritage.

Speaking at the inaugural function here on August 19, VIKAS President Kiran Rasaily said the World Photography Day in Sikkim is being organized to “honour their (Yap Tseten Tashi and his son Yap Penjorla) pioneering contributions in the field of photography in Sikkim.” Rasaily, who knew the duo intimately, said more photographs of people, flora and fauna, wildlife and nature will also be exhibited during the celebrations.

JUS General Secretary Joseph Lepcha said, “We are helping and supporting Vivid Kala Akademi, which is celebrating World Photography Day for the second time in Sikkim. We hope local youths will come for the exhibition and see our past history.”

Some of the photographs exhibited are by some local journalists, including Bijoy Gurung, Pappu  Mallick and Prabin Khaling.

SIKKIM People & Places

IN FOND REMEMBRANCE OF OUR YESTERYEARS: TWO OF A KIND

By Tenzing C. Tashi

Her grandfather Yap Tse Ten Tashi, son of Rhenock Athing Rai Sahib Kazi Sonam Dadul, was not only Secretary to the Chogyal of Sikkim but also Sikkim’s first well-known native photographer. Tenzing C. Tashi, writer and research assistant at the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (NIT), says her father Yap Paljor Dorje Tashi was basically “an IPR man” and pursued his passion for photography with equal zeal and competence as his father.

YAP TSE TEN TASHI

‘Amongst his innumerable specimens, Tse Ten Tashi himself is the rarest of them all’

Rhenock Yap Tse Ten Tashi was the official photographer of the Chogyal of Sikkim and King of Bhutan

Yap Tse Ten Tashi

A feisty man who captured the collective imagination of many, Rhenock Yap Tse Ten Tashi doffed many hats: orchidologist, amateur botanist, photographer, entrepreneur, and much-loved friend and family man.

A scion of the Rhenock Dhakarpa family that traces its roots back to two of Sikkim’s finest native military brains-Changzod Chothup a.k.a. General Satrajeet for his 17 consecutive victories over marauding Gorkha armies, and Deba Tsang Rinzin- TTT, as he liked to call himself, was above all, a Sikkimphile.

He served as Private Secretary to Chogyal Tashi Namgyal, Crown Prince Paljor Namgyal and Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal. In 1963, he was conferred one of Sikkim’s highest honours, the Pema Dorji, in recognition of distinguished service rendered to the Sikkim Darbar.

Largely a self-taught man, his perennial thirst for knowledge; all pervasive passion for orchids, rhododendrons and alpine plants; and boundless energy translated into a legendary reputation that spread beyond the borders of his native Sikkim.           

For most travellers, a visit to TTT’s residence in Sikkim was de rigueur, the high point of their visit. There, amidst a profusion of blooms in his roof top orchidarium, his Rhode Island Red poultry farm in the background, Yap Tse Ten Tashi was a suave and effortless host.

He would proffer his guest an orchid, his trademark ‘chang’ and then, as Dean Gaspar said,

‘he talked, with a great personal pride, of Sikkim and the Royal Family, of mountains and flowers and birds and butterflies and people...all, with an imagery that captivated’.

A man much ahead of his times, and with a bewildering plethora of interests that ranged from bodybuilding-it is said he could bend an iron bar against the wall with his chest!- to trying to discover a native cure for cancer, TTT was somewhat of an enigma to most of his contemporaries.

TTT had an intuitive understanding of plants and discovered many new species and mutations. He used to send specimens of his discoveries to Kew Gardens where the scientific community would minutely dissect the flower to check if it was indeed a new species; a genuine find could be named by the finder. On the eve of the coronation of the 12th Denjong Chogyal in 1965, TTT discovered a new orchid, Sikkim’s 601st orchid to be precise, which he promptly named ‘Cymbidium Eburneum var. Denjong Chogyal.’ Among others, he also named another orchid ‘Dendrobium Ashi Kesang Wangchucki’ after the Queen Mother of Bhutan.

The American Rhododendron Society (ARS) contracted him to collect seeds of several rhododendrons and send them to the ARS, which then used them to grow several seedlings. Even today, rhododendrons that trace their origins back to these seeds dot American landscapes.

The triumvirate of Yap Tse Ten Tashi; former Chief Secretary of Sikkim, Mr. K.C.Pradhan and Mr. Britt Smith of the ARS  pioneered conservation efforts in Sikkim, culminating ultimately in the creation of the Khangchendzonga National Park and the Kyangnosola Alpine Plant Sanctuary. The latter is home to Tse Ten Tashi Cave, an ornithologist’s haven.

TTT probably started taking photographs in the wake of the German Schäfer expedition to Tibet via Sikkim in 1938-39. His close friend, Mr.K.C.Pradhan recollects that “TTT’s first camera was a Rolleiflex Twin-lens Reflex 2.8F TLR. 120 roll film with 16 shots. The Camera was brought by Ernst Schafer in 1938 during German Natural History Expedition.

 Rai Saheb Bhim Bahadur Pradhan, then Forest Manager and close to Schafer, was so enamored with the Camera that he struck a bargain and exchanged with seven tiered ancestral ceremonial brass lamp. The lamp must be either at Berlin or Chicago Museums where the Expedition’s treasures were intercepted at high sea by the Allied Forces.  He used it prolifically and TTT being family friend used to borrow frequently. TTT was so hooked to it that the former gave it to TTT around 1944 as by then he had lost interest in photography.”

Thus began TTT’s long tryst with serious photography, which would see him remembered as one of Sikkim’s first well-known native photographers, and also his appointment as the Court Photographer to both the Chogyal of Sikkim as well as the Druk Gyalpo, the King of Bhutan.

Interestingly, in keeping with his impetuous character, TTT did not stick to one camera or one brand very long. He liked to try out several cameras, and would happily lend and borrow cameras. Although he mostly used and owned modest cameras, he had an innate flair and produced excellent results with them.

Some cameras made a lasting impression on TTT, such as the Hasselblad Camera ordered in the early1960s by some Tibetan gentry. TTT delivered this beauty safely to Tibet, but made sure he tried it out first!

He also used the Asahi Pentax Spotmatic briefly. This commanded a cult following among photographers, and TTT was happy to join its legions of admirers.

But above all, Leica was TTT’s favourite. Most of his slides that he used to stock with Magnum Photos in USA were all from Leica. TTT used to regularly send his slides to photo-stocks, and earn a regular side- income from them, as well as from selling fresh eggs to the Palace and the now Raj Bhavan!

As TTT found it taxing to send his slides and photographs all the way to Mumbai to get them developed, he set up Sikkim’s first photographic studio, Tse Ten Tashi & Co, with his own bathroom at home doubling up as its darkroom! TTT also opened a branch of Tse Ten Tashi & Co in Kalimpong near Jetmull Bhojraj’s establishment.

The Gangtok photo studio or the ‘Parkhang’(Tibetan:studio) as it came to be popularly known, made passport photographs including ID for Tibetan refugees, studio portraits and sold photographs taken by TTT. It also sold postcards based on his photographs.

He trained a number of photographers and dark room technicians, including Rinchen Lepcha and Twan Yang. Yap Tse Ten Tashi himself made several movies on Tibet, of which only a few survive today. The fate of a cine-movie that he took of His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama’s flight from Tibet and apparently sold to someone abroad remains unknown.

TTT was fully aware that he was recording history through his photographs, commenting that one day, his photographs would be invaluable testimonials of history. At one time, he had an exhaustive collection of photographs taken in Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet. Sadly, not much remains of his collection today. While a few photographs nestle in family albums, the major bulk of his collection is lost forever. Many of the photographs in the retrospective on display here were sourced from abroad.

A jovial, gregarious and extremely vital personality, Yap Tse Ten Tashi had several friends and admirers. Nari Rustomji, Dewan of Sikkim aptly summarized him as,

‘Amongst his innumerable specimens, Tse Ten himself is the rarest of them all - a truly, truly precious bloom, radiating, through all the seasons, fragrance, beauty, humour, scholarship and- greatest of them all - compassion.’

Perhaps it is only fitting that Yap Tse Ten Tashi chose to name his residence in Gangtok bazaar ‘Light of Sikkim Building’.

YAP PALJOR DORJI TASHI

‘The height of greatness is not how tall you stand, but how much you stoop to shake the smallest hand’

Yap Penjorla not only inherited his father’s love for photography but had the gift of being able to relate to anyone from any strata of society

Yap Paljor Dorji Tashi

The eldest son of Yap Tse Ten Tashi, Yap Penjorla not only inherited his father’s love for photography but also exhibited the same easy charm of his father.  

The Rhenock family having traditionally rendered consummate service to the Darbar, it seemed only natural for a young Penjorla to join the Palace in 1966 as the Aide-de-camp to Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal. Conscientious and loyal, he quickly rose to the post of Deputy Secretary to the Chogyal.

As Sikkim made the transition from Himalayan kingdom to 22nd state of India in 1974-75, Penjorla also made the personal transition as Deputy Secretary in the Home Department. In 1975, the Department of Tourism was created and he served as the first Deputy Director. In 1979, the State Government created the Protocol Division of the Home Department; he was chosen to helm it as Joint Secretary. He also served as the first Director of the Information and Public Relations Department. He held several posts in his long innings in the State administration until his voluntary retirement as Secretary to the Government in 1997.

But Penjorla always considered himself, in his own words, ‘An IPR man’. IPR was the Department that he could identify with most, and which most people associated him with. He was happy to be able to continue to explore his passion for photography, and to meld it with his official duties. He was the one who introduced the first aerial photography shots for the annual IPR calendar; strapped into his seat but dangling precariously out of a helicopter, he captured frame after frame of Sikkim’s natural beauty from his dangerous vantage point.

An affable man, Penjorla established a formidable reputation as a man of great integrity and greater humility, earning himself the sobriquet of ‘Buddha Bhagwan.’ He exemplified the idiom, “The height of greatness is not how tall you stand, but how much you stoop to shake the smallest hand.”

His friends, contemporaries and most especially his subordinates from various Departments remember him as a simple, unassuming man who was always approachable, and ever ready to lend a helping hand. He had the gift of being able to relate to anyone from any strata of society, a trait that was to win him many loyal friends who still speak of him with much love and respect.

    A former colleague at IPR, late Mr. Pemba Thondupla, wrote of him: ‘We, in IPR Department, learnt a lot and benefited immensely from his wise counsel. Yap Penjorla himself was so however so modest and unpretentious that he can honestly be termed humility personified. He always passed on the credit of good work to others and took the blame on himself. Generous, sympathetic and courteous, he went out of his way to help his subordinate staff with whom he often merrily shared his snacks and jokes. There was not an iota of vanity in him.’

It is difficult to ascertain when exactly Penjorla started his tryst with photography, but as he was one of the very first subjects of his father’s photography while he was still in diapers, he was exposed to photography at a very early age. He cut his teeth on the other aspects of photography while helping at his father’s Tse Ten Tashi & Co. studio. Photography was such an integral part of his father’s life that it was only a natural corollary that Penjorla should also gravitate towards it.

One of the earliest cameras he inherited from his father was a Mamiya, of Japanese make. A close friend, Mr. Babulal Malu of Panorama, recollects that it was a Sekor Super 23, with 120 mm format.

Later, while dabbling with mid-format cameras, Penjorla enjoyed the developments of the 70s and 80s, which saw major battles between the major Japanese SLR brands: Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Minolta and Olympus. Cameras were no longer heavy, all-metal and manual brutes; the invention of the IC resulted in much sleeker beauties with electronic automation and compact, lightweight bodies.

Originally, like most other photographers, Penjorla was enamoured of Nikon SLRs. This ruled the professional SLR market, with its dual advantages of solid quality and worksmanship. Among other Nikon models, he used a Nikon F1 for a long time, and extolled its virtues.

In the late 1970s, Penjorla was particularly taken in by his Canon AE-1, a 35 mm SLR film camera for use with interchangeable lenses. This historic camera was the first microprocessor-equipped SLR and notched up sales of over one million units, due to a successful marketing strategy. The various manual controls and accessories, combined with the lightweight body and unbeatable price, appealed to Penjorla who went on to own many other Canon cameras.

Like his father, he liked to own and try out a series of modest cameras and zoom lenses. He briefly flirted with other brands like Pentax, Minolta and Olympus but continued to be an A1 and F1 man for the longest time ever, despite owning a more sophisticated Canon EOS Rebel. He was well-conversant with the intricacies of owning and using a SLR, and his conversations were often peppered with terms like ‘aperture/ thyristor/Nikkor zoom/shutter speed’ at a point of time when there were very few aficionados of photography in Sikkim.

With regard to his photography, he was essentially a purist. He mostly liked to work with 35mm Ektachrome transparencies. He preferred the challenge of manual focus, fixing his own lens, and setting the aperture and shutter speed manually for the perfect frame. Although he sometimes enjoyed the relative ease of autofocus, and fixed lens, he held that too much technology killed the real art of photography. He also preferred black and white film, saying that colours detracted from the essence of shape and form.

When the first digital cameras came out, beyond a cursory onceover, he had no real interest in what was being heralded as the new dawn of photography. He was old school; he enjoyed the setting up of a shot, the taking of the shot and yes, the delicious anticipation that marked the wait for a roll of film to be developed and printed.

As a photographer too, Penjorla was more inspired by the simple beauty of things. Mountains were a particular favourite. He would wake up early and spend hours waiting for dawn to break over Mt. Khangchenzonga, and capture the changing silhouettes of the mountain in a series of mostly 36 exposures. Although there was no digital imaging those days, he would carefully overlap his photographs on each other and stick them together to produce the entire Khangchendzonga range. He also loved to shoot portraits, and would often be spotted cajoling someone with a particularly expressive face to pose for his lens.

At first glance, his photographs are deceptively ordinary. A more introspective examination reveals how his lens manages to capture the extraordinary beauty of seemingly very ordinary every day events. His photos transcend the obvious to explore and reveal to the viewer the finer, more subtle nuances of relationships, events and just being.

He was a prolific photographer, and loved to document events and milestones. He built up a huge collection of photographs that encompass mountains, chortens, monasteries, landscapes, flora, fauna, festivals, the Royal Family and always, his people portraits. These are being worked into a currently under-production coffee-table book on Sikkim called ‘Hiatus in the Himalayas’, which is, in a nutshell, one man’s lens, his daughter’s words.

His soul was his window to the world and his lens captured that essential goodness.

(Tenzin C. Tashi, Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (NIT), Gangtok, tinatashi@gmail.com)

Drop Nyati, Todari from forest panel: SIBLAC

By Tseten Tashi Bhutia

Gangtok, Aug 24: You must be aware that the appointment of K.P.Nyati and N.P Todaria in the Forest Advisory Committee has become a subject of national controversy. The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest itself has violated environmental norms while according its clearance to many hydro power projects in Sikkim in the past. 

For instance, the 97 MW Tashiding Hydro Power Project in West Sikkim and 300 MW Panan Hydro Power Project in North Sikkim received the clearance from MoEF without having referred the matter to National Board of Wild Life violating the Supreme Court Order.

Both these HPPs fall within the 10 kms radius from the boundary of Khang-chen-Ddong-nga National Park. As such, the MoEF should have scrapped these projects on the ground that they have violated environmental laws. But the MoEF granted clearance simply to promote the business interest of private companies involved in these projects.

SIBLAC (Sikkim Bhutia-Lepcha Apex Committee) seriously apprehends that appointment of Nyati and Todaria in the Forest Advisory Committee has been made purely to promote the business interest of multi-national companies engaged in hydro-power and mining industry. With this considered opinion, SIBLAC decided to endorse the views of South Asian Network on Dams, River and People (SANDRP) and 49 other NGOs from all across India to cancel the appointment of Nyati and Todaria in the Forest Advisory Committee. (Tseten Tashi Bhutia is Convenor of Sikkim Bhutia-Lepcha Apex Committee – SIBLAC)

Chief Secy visits North Sikkim, assures people on reconstruction work

Sikkim Chief Secretary Karma Gyatso

Mangan, August 24: Chief Secretary Karma Gyatso said till the date the State Government has received only Rs. 200 crore out of the Rs. 1,000 crore promised by the Central Government as earthquake relief fund.

Gyatso, who is on a two-day tour of North Sikkim, assured that Chungthang would be become a model town and a gateway to North Sikkim. He assured the people that the government would do its best to restore assets damaged during last year’s devastating earthquake.

Already Rs 2 crore has been sanctioned for reconstruction of Chungthang monastery, Secretary, Ecclesiastical Department, said. Gyatso, who patiently listened to problems and grievances of the people during a public meeting here, was accompanied by several secretaries and officials during his tour.

The Chief Secretary urged the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to extend “full support” toward restoration work, an IPR release said.

The Chief Secretary along with the Chief Engineer BRO also visited Khedoom where landslides have totally damaged the road connecting Chungthang with Lachung.

REC to give additional Rs 995-cr loan for Teesta III hydro project

New Delhi, Aug 24: Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) will extend an additional loan of Rs 995 crore to the 1,200-MW Teesta III hydro project in Sikkim whose overall cost has escalated to more than Rs 8,500 crore.

With the additional amount, State-run REC's total lending to the project would be Rs 3,095 crore, sources said.

Teesta III project has seen substantial cost overruns due to delays on account of natural calamities as well as legal hurdles, PTI reported.

Sources said the cost overrun is about Rs 2,700 crore. The additional term loan of Rs 995 crore would include Rs 851crore senior debt. Originally, REC was to lend Rs 2,100 crore for the project, they added.

The fresh amount has been sanctioned since the project cost has jumped to Rs 8,581 crore from Rs 5,700 crore estimated earlier.

Earlier this week, REC communicated to project developer Teesta Urja about its decision to sanction the additional loan, sources said.

As per the original schedule, the project was to come up in September 2012. Now, it is anticipated to be fully operational by December next year. About 70 per cent of work has been completed.

The run of the river project was awarded by the Sikkim government to Teesta Urja Ltd on BOOT (build-own-operate- transfer) basis.

An earthquake last year and differences between Teesta Urja Ltd and Sikkim government have also led to delays in implementation of Teesta III.

Last month, power trading solutions provider PTC India, that holds 11 per cent stake, had said the project is expected to be commissioned in December 2013.

Singapore-based Asian Genco Pte holds 50.1 per cent stake in Teesta III while Sikkim government and Athena Projects has 26 per cent and 11 per cent shareholding, respectively.

The plant, which would supply power to Sikkim and Haryana, among others, would have six units of 200 MW each.

Editorial

JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

People Are Supreme In Democracy

Mamata Banerjee ought to be applauded for her recent comments on corruption in the judiciary. In response to Calcutta High Court’s admission of a contempt of court petition against Mamata for her remarks on the judiciary the West Bengal Chief Minister minced no words when she said:  “My speech in the Assembly is recorded; you can take a copy of that. I have talked about electoral reforms, judicial reforms and administrative reforms. If talking about our country's drawbacks is a crime, I am ready to commit it a thousand times.” A similar petition was also filed in the Supreme Court seeking contempt action against Mamata for her remarks that judgments are delivered for money.

The petitioner has alleged that Mamata’s comments “tends to lower the integrity, reputation and authority” of the judicial system in the country and would undermine people’s confidence in the judiciary. It must me noted that the West Bengal Chief Minister did not wage an all-out war against the judiciary only. She is absolutely right when she defended her stand:  “Each profession has good and bad people. I have talked about the lack of values in various fields including the judiciary, politics and media.” Mamata will surely give a befitting reply to those who fail to see things in its proper perspective. Though there are many in the judiciary whose reputation is above reproach the public is widely aware of the lack of people’s faith in the judiciary as a whole. If speaking the truth, even on the judiciary, can be construed as contempt of the court who will take action those who are guilty of contempt of justice?

ALIEN ISSUE

Take Wake-Up Call Seriously

In the current crisis in Assam the electronic media seems to be helping the establishment in diverting the attention of the people from the real problems and issues faced by the people in the Northeast, including Sikkim. Day after day there are television debates on “social media”, “rumours” on who is behind all the violence and mass exodus from southern parts of the country to the Northeast. As usual the government sees a foreign hand and in this case the blame is on Pakistan. We must be reminded that vested interests, including foreign powers, will surely fish in troubled waters. But the essential thing is to get to the bottom of the matter and look into the real causes of what is happening in the Northeast.

The BJP has categorically stated that the real issue in the Northeast is a fight between Indians and foreigners. Opposition AGP President and former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, too, has rightly pointed out: "Non-implementation of the Assam Accord and failure to detect and deport the illegal immigrants are the main reasons for the present crisis. The fate of Assam's indigenous people is being sacrificed for political expediency."

It is a fact that despite local opposition lakhs of illegal immigrants in Assam have been provided valid government documents to prove their nationality as Indian citizens by “powerful patrons”. In Sikkim, too, fake “Sikkim Subjects Certificates” are provided to non-bonafide Sikkimese and this issue is gradually becoming a major political agenda for the Opposition.  Putting the balm over the present turmoil to ease mass exodus to the Northeast should only be a temporary measure to stem the crisis. The country has suddenly realized how race and religion in India’s vulnerable Northeast can become a cocktail for a major political movement that would dangerously endanger the country’s security interest and territorial integrity in the strategic and sensitive region. If the present wake-up call is buried under the rubbles of temporary peace and quite then we are heading towards a greater political catastrophe in the not too distant future.

HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN        Aug 22, 2012

New Nepal alliance agenda: ethnic federalism

Prachanda to lead Maoists, Madhesis and Janjatis under Federal Democratic Republic Alliance

Prachanda

Kathmandu, Aug 21: In a significant development the Maoists led by its leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has struck a deal with the Madhesis and Janjatis and formed the Federal Democratic Republic Alliance (FDRA).

The establishment of ‘ethnic federalism’ in the former kingdom is the main goal of the 20-party Alliance, which is headed by Prachanda.

Led by the ruling Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), constituents of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), and several small Madhesi and Janjati outfits have come together to form the FDRA. Prominent parties in the alliance are Forum-Loktantrik, Forum-Ganatantrik, Tarai Madhesh Loktantrik Party (TMLP), TMLP-Nepal, Sadvawana, Tamsaling Nepal Rastriya Dal, Sanghiya Sadvawana, Marxist Leninist-Socialist, Nepal Family Party and others.

The Maoist chief said the newly-formed alliance of “pro-federalists” will ensure the drafting of a constitution which is

“an ethnicity-based federal structure.” Prachanda explained that resignation of the Prime Minister, Baburam Bhattarai, is not the solution to Nepal’s woes. He said the need of the hour is to “reach an agreement on contentious issues.”

“The move is widely perceived as a bid to drive opposition parties, mainly the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML who are often labelled by the parties in FDRA as anti-federalist forces, into a corner and deter them from making moves to dislodge the current government,” a newsmagazine observed.

Reacting to formation of the newly alliance, Chairman Mohan Baidya Kiran of Nepal Communist Party-Maoist, on Sunday described the new party as an ‘unholy alliance.’

Sikkim Speaker, Minister lead delegation to Bangalore, assures students

Gangtok, Aug 21: A high-level delegation of the State Government led by Speaker KT Gyaltsen and HRD Minister NK Pradhan called on Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar in Bangalore yesterday and expressed concern over the safety and security of Sikkimese, including students, residing in the southern State.The delegation comprising HRD Secretary CS Rao, Gangtok Municipal Corporation (GMC) Deputy Mayor Shakti Singh Choudhary, and Namchi Municipal Corporation (NMC) Vice-Chairman NH Ansari, also met the Karnataka Chief Secretary and DGP.

The Karnataka CM gave “all assurance” regarding the safety of all Sikkimese and informed the delegatiom that all possible help would be extended, an IPR release said.

The delegation had gone to Karnataka to ‘check on the ground reality’ after thousands of Northeast people fled the city for their homeland due to fear-psychosis.

 The delegaation also met with the Sikkimese students and assured them of the efforts that the State Government was undertaking. The students were requested to go about their studies as normal and were informed of a helpline for any assistance.

Tibetans were alerted in south India

Mysore, Aug 21: Tibetans living in a South Indian city were put on alert following a knife attack on a monk and reports that other Tibetans may soon be targeted for assault, sources in the region say.

The attack on Wednesday in Mysore city came following clashes between Muslims and other ethnic groups, some resembling Tibetans, both in northeastern India and in the western Burmese state of Rakhine.

On Aug. 14, two Indians riding a motorcycle stabbed Tenzin Phuntsog, a Tibetan monk, in the back, Lobsang Jamyang, president of the South Indian Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, told Radio Free Asia.

“There are about 300 Tibetan students studying in Mysore City, and most of them have now left for the safety of their homes in the Tibetan settlements of South India,” Jamyang said.

Weeks of fighting between Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingyas in Burma and in India’s northeastern state of Assam have fueled ethnic tensions in South India.

Additionally, police have cited rumors that people resembling northeastern Indians, East Asians, or Tibetans will be attacked at the end of the Muslim fasting period around Aug. 20.

India ‘decisive’ factor in solving China-Bhutan border dispute

On August 10, 2012, Fu Ying, head of the Chinese delegation and Vice Foreign Minister and Khandu Wangchuk, head of the Bhutanese delegation and Acting Foreign Minister of Bhutan held the 20th round of border talks in Thimphu.

Beijing, Aug 21:  India’s influence over Bhutan would be a “decisive” factor in resolving border dispute between Beijing and Thimpu, a Chinese expert said.

“India has tremendous influence over Bhutan,” Fu Xiaoqiang, a researcher with the state-run China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations told the Global Times newspaper referring to the close Indo-Bhutan ties.

 “If Bhutan can settle border issues with China, the result will certainly create norms that will likely be followed in the border talks between China and India,” he said.

His comments came as Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying made a rare visit to Bhutan last week to take part in the 20th round of boundary talks between the two countries, PTI reported.

Fu’s visit took place in the backdrop of a surprise meeting between Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his Bhutanese counterpart Jigmi Y Thinley on the sidelines of a UN meet in Rio de Janeiro in June, where the two expressed their desire to establish diplomatic ties.

Though neighbours, the two countries have not yet established diplomatic relations as Bhutan, a strongly ally of India, had remained aloof since 1951 from China after Beijing took firm control of Tibet, which shared borders with Bhutan.

Relations between Beijing and Thimpu remained traditionally strained following their border dispute.

The two countries shared about 470-km long contiguous borders and held 20 rounds of talks to resolve the dispute and inked an agreement promising to ‘Maintain Peace and Tranquillity on the Bhutan-China Border Areas’ in 1998.

Any settlement of the Bhutan-China border is regarded as significant for India as Chumbi Valley, a vital tri-junction between Bhutan, India and China border is just 500 km from Siliguri corridor. Known as “Chicken Neck” it connects India’s land links with its North Eastern states as well as Nepal and Bhutan.

Fu who visited Bhutan on August 10 also met Bhutan’s King Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

Fu appreciated the importance the King attached in developing ties with China and his commitment to resolve the border issues, Chinese Foreign Ministry said, the report said.

The King, according to the ministry, said China has become Bhutan’s third largest trading partner and he “believes that a rising China will play a wise and balanced leadership role in the world”.

The 20th round of talks were held between Fu and acting Bhutanese Foreign Minister Khandu Wangchuk in Thimphu.

“China hopes to make joint efforts with Bhutan on the basis of previous talks, continue to seek fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solutions through friendly consultations and make the border line a bridge of friendship and cooperation between the two countries,” the Chinese minister said.

“Bhutan firmly pursues the one-China policy, thinks highly of China’s long-term foreign policy of treating all countries as equals, no matter large or small and good-neighbourly friendship and is willing to strengthen coordination with China on the international arena,” Wangchuk said.

Karnataka: Uneasy calm in Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlement

Mysore, Aug 21: Though the attack on a Tibetan student in Mysore city shocked many refugees, an uneasy calm prevailed in Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlement, the biggest outside Tibet.

The refugees who stopped going out for their daily needs for the past two days fearing violence, have asked their kith and kin to return. Tibetans say it would affect their children’s career if the apprehension continue, as many are returning home from colleges and work, fearing violence after Ramdan celebrations.

As many as 300 Tibetans studying in Mysore city have expressed their wish to return to Bylakuppe Settlement, Gurupura near Hunsur and Vadayarpalya near Kollegal, according to reports.

“We are expecting more from Bangalore to reach the settlement by Friday evening,” said Tashi of New Settlement. People in the settlements are praying for the safe return of children from far-off places.

Local representatives directed them to stay back in the settlement and avoid going to Mysore or Bangalore. “My cousin has not gone out of Kushalnagar to purchase tiles for her house under construction, fearing that something may happen after the Mysore attack,” said Dorje, who works in a local school.

The tension has affected the business of Tibetans to a great extent. Those who have taken loans to start businesses, have also returned, sources in the Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlement said.

 “Tibetan Settlement had witnessed good business in recent times. The incident will have a negative impact on the financial condition of the refugees as more jobless people are set to return. We are refugees and guests in India. Though we are not from the northeast, we are feeling the pinch,” they say.

Meanwhile, patrolling has been stepped up near Golden Temple, Bylakuppe, Guruipura and other places which have a Tibetan concentration and a tight vigil is kept on every tourist entering their places.

Burma abolishes media censorship

Yangon, Aug 21: Burma has abolished pre-publication censorship of the country's media, the information ministry has announced.

The Press Scrutiny and Registration Department (PSRD) said that as of Monday, reporters would no longer have to submit their work to state censors before publication, BBC reported.

However, strict laws remain in place which could see journalists punished for what they have written.

Burma has kept tight control over all aspects of its media for some 50 years. But the civilian government has been gradually easing restrictions since taking office last year.

"Censorship began on 6 August 1964 and ended 48 years and two weeks later," Tint Swe, head of the PSRD, told AFP news agency on Monday.

"Any publication inside the country will not have to get prior permission from us before they are published.

"From now on, our department will just carry out registering publications for keeping them at the national archives and issuing a license to printers and publishers," he said.

Tint Swe said the likelihood of permission being granted for private newspapers to be set up was "closer than before" and could happen after a new media law is enacted.

A ministry official told AFP films would still be subject to censorship. The head of the BBC's Burmese Service, Tin Htar Shwe, says journalists in Burma are cautiously optimistic about the reforms, but that the end of the law does not necessarily mean the end of the censorship altogether.

Many laws still exist under which journalists can be punished for writing material which angers or offends the government, she says.

Wai Phyo, editor of the Weekly Eleven journal, told Reuters the move was "a big improvement on the past", but that editors would now be under increasing pressure to ensure their publications remained legal.

In the past, entire newspapers have been shut because of their reports and many reporters have been jailed.

But in recent months, journalists had been given guidelines allowing them to write about controversial topics, something that would have been unthinkable under the previous military rule.

Some 300 newspapers and magazines covering less sensitive issues had already been given permission to print without prior censorship and restrictions were lifted on 30,000 internet sites, allowing users unrestricted access to political content for the first time.

In October last year, Swe said censorship should be abolished as it was incompatible with democratic practices, while warning that all publications should accept the responsibilities that go with press freedom.

JKLF chief urges international community to resolve Kashmir issue

Srinagar, Aug 21: In occupied Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik has appealed to the United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the world community to raise their voice for resolution of Kashmir dispute so that peace in South Asia could be made possible.

Muhammad Yasin Malik addressing a big public gathering at Charar-e-Sharief on Friday said that the people of Kashmir also wanted to live with freedom. He said that if the international community continued its silence over the long-pending dispute, uncertainty would further increase in the region.

The JKLF Chairman said that India could not suppress the ongoing liberation movement of Kashmiris through use of brute force and urged the people of Kashmir to foil the nefarious designs of enemies by forging unity among their ranks.

The separatist leader stressed the international human rights organisations to play their due role in immediate release of all illegally detained Kashmiri Hurriyet leaders and activists.

People raised high-pitched pro-freedom slogans on the occasion.

"Silence of the world community on Kashmir equals to criminal negligence. If the world community continues with the same behavior of negligence, it would put world into a more dangerous situation like that of Hiroshima and Nagasaki," said Malik.

 Referring to the August 15th address of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Malik said, "By ignoring Kashmir and only referring towards so-called panchayat elections, and saying all is well in Kashmir, a leader of high stature has done unlike of his status...It is unfortunate that today Indian leaders like conquerors tell us that there is no issue in Kashmir."

India concern over Chinese troops in PoK

New Delhi, Aug 21:  India has raised with China the issue of presence of Chinese security forces in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and has conveyed that Pakistan has been illegally occupying parts of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947, government told the Lok Sabha on Friday.

"Government is aware that China is executing infrastructure projects in PoK," Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur said in a written reply. "Government has raised this issue with the Chinese side and has clearly conveyed India\'s consistent position that Pakistan has been in illegal occupation of parts of Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir since 1947," Kaur said, PTI reported.

China regards Kashmir as a bilateral matter to be settled between India and Pakistan, she said, adding "government has conveyed its concerns to China and about their activities in PoK and has asked them to cease such activities." Replying to a separate question on violation of Line of Actual Control (LAC) by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh, she said "China disputes the international boundary between India and China. There is no commonly delineated LAC in the border areas between India and China."

India reacts strongly to OIC mentioning JK as country

New Delhi, Aug 21: India on Friday strongly reacted to Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)'s mention of Jammu and Kashmir as a country, terming it as “unacceptable”.

“We note that there is an erroneous and factually incorrect mention about an integral part of India by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in its communiqué issued at its Fourth Extraordinary Summit held in Makkah on August 14-15, 2012.

This is wrong, unacceptable and we reject it,” official spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Syed Akbaruddin said, PTI reported.

He was replying to India's position on OIC's reference to Jammu and Kashmir in its Islamic Solidarity Summit in Makkah. Under the heading of 'Solidarity With Other Member States', Final Communiqué at OIC Summit, said; "The Summit affirms its solidarity and full support for Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan and Jammu and Kashmir, Iraq, Yemen, Ivory Coast, the Union of Comoros and the Republic of Turkish-Cyprus in addressing the challenges facing these countries."

In the past also, the grouping has been referring to Kashmir as "occupied territory", which has never gone down well with New Delhi. In the Makkah Islamic Solidarity meet, the OIC also suspended the membership of Syria from the Organization.

Editorial

INDIGENOUS MOVEMENT

Towards Identity-Based Federalism

Nepal’s mainstream parties which have for long ignored the plight and prospects of the former kingdom’s plainspeople and indigenous communities in the country’s economic and political set-up may now be forced to reconcile themselves with the changed situation. The formation of Federal Democratic Republic Alliance (FDRA) in Kathmandu last week is a significant move towards emancipation of the downtrodden people of Nepal who have been placed on the sidelines down the centuries.  If Nepal is to pursue its goal towards a democratic republic it must give due weightage to its ethnic minorities and marginalized madhesis. That the Maoists led by Prachanda has finally embraced these two very significant sections of Nepal’s population and taken them into their fold is a step in the right direction. It is true that indigenous people are usually marginalized the world over. The likely formation of a separate ethnic party in Nepal next month will go a long way in creating an alternative political force in the country given the fact that mainstream political parties have failed to deliver. Fact is that even in democratic India the indigenous people are not given their due rights and share in governance. The unity of purpose displayed by the elite across the political spectrum led to poor performance of the former Indian Speaker, PA Sangma, in the recent presidential polls in India.  Sangma has now decided to form an indigenous people’s political party to create greater awareness of their economic and political rights and to ensure that they assert their rights.

   The key issue of the new alliance in Nepal is formation of provinces along ethnic lines which would give the madhesis and indigenous people demographic advantage in the proposed provinces. One member of the ethnic communities in Nepal rightly pointed out: "An ethnic political party is now a must for the indigenous people. It is our only way of being heard." The recent rally in Kathmandu on August 9 – declared by the United Nations as World Indigenous People’s Day – by the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NFIN) is aimed at putting more pressure on mainstream parties in Nepal to evolve a consensus on the touchy issue of identity-based federalism. Now that the FDRA has take up the issue in right earnest parties such as Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (UML) may be forced to look deeply into power sharing in a democratic set-up. Those who point out that ethnic-based federalism would lead to ethnic conflict and division of the country must note that a government of a particular community, for a particular community and by a particular community cannot for long endure as it is undemocratic and unjust and has created the present mess in Nepal. It is time to clean up the mess before Nepal sinks deeper into the mire.

Sikkim govt gets assurance on safety of Sikkim students in B’lore

Himalayan News Network

Gangtok, Aug 21:  The State Government has taken a very serious view over the situation arising over the reported news of attacks on the North Eastern people residing in southern cities, including Bengaluru.

 In order to ensure safety of Sikkimese residing in these cities, Chief Secretary Karma Gyatso spoke to his Karnataka counterpart, S.V. Ranganath, according to IPR Secretary KS Tobgay.

Gyatso conveyed the State Government’s concern about the safety of Sikkimese, including students, to his counterpart.  In response, the Chief Secretary of Karnataka gave full assurance as regards the safety of Sikkimese in Bengaluru. 

He also assured the State Government that the law and order in Karnataka was under control and therefore there was no reason to worry or panic, a press release by Tobgay said.

Gyatso has also requested the Speaker, K.T. Gyaltsen, to take up the issue with the Karnataka Government during his visit to the State which is scheduled for September 18 next month, 2012.

The Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police Jasbir Singh have been in constant touch with their counterparts in the aforementioned cities, an IPR release said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, is in constant touch with his counterparts and is monitoring the situation closely, has appealed to all to remain calm and united..

Chamling said that even in New Delhi all the parties are united in sending out a clear message of unity so that the ugly events are brought to a close and the culprits and perpetrators are found and punished.

Exiled Tibetan govt minister meets Sikkim ministers on welfare of Tibetan refugees

Dolma Gyari

Gangtok, Aug 21: Home Minister of the Tibetan exiled government Dolma Gyari, who met HRD Minister NK Pradhan here last week, held talks on the shifting of Thonmi Sambhota school from Gangtok to somewhere else in the State.

Matters regarding providing mid-day meals to the students of the school was also raised with the HRD Minister, who expressed his concern for the welfare of Tibetan refugee students in the State.

Gyari, former Deputy Speaker of the exiled Tibetan Parliament, also met Chief Secretary Karma Gyatso and raised several matters pertaining to the welfare of Tibetan refugees in the State.

“We are grateful to the Sikkim Government and the people of Sikkim for all the help and concern extended to our people in the past so many years. We would never think of encroaching on the rights of the Sikkimese people but would be grateful if humanitarian aids are provided to poor Tibetan refugees in the State,” Gyari told Himalayan Guardian.

Gyari also met Speaker KT Gyaltsen and Power Minister Sonam Gyatso and Additional Chief Secretary R. Ongmu.

She has met the Tibetan community and various organizations representing them. The Tibetan leader also paid a visit to Thonmi Sabhota school during the Independence Day celebrations.

National media body takes up Sikkim scribe case with Delhi Police

Gangtok, Aug 21: The Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ) has responded positively to its Sikkim unit’s request for taking up the case regarding robbery of a Sikkimese scribe in New Delhi recently.

The Secretary General of IFWJ, Parmanand Pandey, has taken up the matter with Delhi Police.

Pandey has informed the Sikkim Federation of Working Journalists (SFWJ) President Jigme N Kazi that he has approached the Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Police to probe into the robbery of Duk Nath Nepal, editor of Shangrila Times, a Gangtok-based Nepali daily, who was robbed of his money and other items, including laptop, worth around Rs 2 lakhs, in New Delhi on June 27, 2012.

Nepal was accompanied by Madhusudhan when the two were robbed by five unidentified assailants.

NASBO, ASESEUEA express concern over mass exodus of NE people

Gangtok, Aug 21: The All Sikkim Educated Self Employed and Unemployed Association and the  National Sikkimese Bhutia Organization (NASBO - 371F) have expressed concern over the repercussions of the recent violence in Assam in several cities in the south which have prompted thousands of people of the Northeast to flee these places for their homeland.

“The situation all across the country is very grim and the respective authorities should take this issue at highest possible level and solve to matter at the earliest,” Association President Nawin Kiran Pradhan said.

“We are receiving phone calls from Sikkimese based outside State that they are facing problems due to this racial/communal tension and some have started returning back. Some of these messages were found to be true and some only rumours,” Pradhan said.

“In the wake of the fear-psychosis that has ultimately erupted thereby posing threat to the very safety the students hailing from the North-east, including Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and the North Bengal regions, the Sikkimese parents are now much worried about the prospect and safety of their wards and inmates at Bangalore,” NASBO President Sonam Kaleon said in a press statement.

 “At such hour of crisis, it is appropriate that we, the entire Sikkimese society, work jointly in facing the circumstances. We appreciate the initiatives being taken by the Sikkimese Chief Secretary with his counterpart in Karnataka in ensuring safety of our Sikkimese students there,” Kaleon said.