HIMALAYAN
GUARDIAN Dec
3-9, 2014
Nepal Maoist leader forms new party,
calls for ‘armed struggle’
Netra Bikram Chand |
Kathmandu, Dec 2: Former secretary of the Mohan
Baidya-led CPN-Maoist Netra Bikram Chand on Monday officially announced the
formation of a new party, the fourth Maoist party to enter mainstream politics
since the former rebels joined the peace process in 2006.
The new party, Communist Party of Nepal Maoist
CPN (Maoist), declared Nepali Congress as its prime enemy. Chand blamed UCPN
(Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-Maoist Chairman Mohan Baidya of
undermining the bloodshed of more than 10,000 people and deceiving commoners by
joining hands with ‘enemies’ to weaken Maoism within the country.
The
party, leaders said, was the need of time to sustain the legacy of ‘people’s
war’ after the UCPN (Maoist) and CPN-Maoist ‘diverted from their principles’.
The leaders claimed that the party could go as far as undertaking an ‘armed
struggle’ in order to protect ‘national unity, integrity, sovereignty and
rights of people’, The Himalayan Times
reported.
Chand’s
document on ‘unified struggle’ talks of launching a new revolution with the
support of rural peasants and urban working class (middle class) along with
other marginalised communities.
Nearly a
third of the CPN-Maoist leaders, mostly young ones from the People’s Liberation
Army, have joined the party.
The
party further demanded an ‘all party conference’ to resolve contentious issues
of the constitution writing process. The party also asked to nullify all
unequal treaties signed between Nepal and India, including the1950 treaty.
Build
centres of learning, not temples: Dalai Lama to RSS
New Delhi, Dec 2: Sharing dais with RSS chief
Mohan Bhagwat and VHP patron Ashok Singhal at an event recently, Tibetan
spiritual leader Dalai Lama said India should remember and reinforce its great
tradition of tolerance and religious harmony and think about why it has more
temples than centres of learning.
The Dalai
Lama was speaking at the inauguration of the three-day World Hindu Congress
(WHC) organized with support from RSS and VHP. The conference was organized with the objective of bringing
together Hindus at a time "when the community is beset by very serious
challenges and is standing at a critical crossroad".
"We
are all equal. Born the same way. Sometimes we forget the sameness of humanity
and talk of divisions. In terms of we and they... We need sense of oneness among
seven billion people of the world," the Tibetan leader said. He pointing
out how all wars and violence are created by man and "unfortunately
religious faith also causes problems".
Dalai
Lama credited India for all the knowledge that Tibet and Buddhists have, but
said, "Ancient India was our guru. Not modern India, it is too westernized
... It is not enough to carry on puja and rituals. This nation produced great
thinkers. Now in every corner there is a temple. But places where one can think
or discuss are rare."
TO MT. KAILASH THROUGH NATHULA IN 2015
Gangtok, Dec 2: Indian pilgrims would be able to
visit Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet through the new route of Nathula in east Sikkim
from next year, state tourism department officials said here on Saturday.
Things
are progressing at a very fast pace and the Centre and the Sikkim government
are aiming at having the first batch of pilgrims visiting Kailash Mansarovar
using this new route in June 2015, the official claimed, PTI reported.
India
and China had signed a bilateral agreement on the Nathula alternative route on
September 18 this year. The route through Nath la will augment capacity and
reduce hardship and journey time, enabling many more to undertake the yatra,
the official said. More than 1,600 pilgrims, moving in 10 batches, are expected
to take the Sikkim route next year and preparations are underway to ensure that
the June deadline is met, the official informed.
Two senior
officials from the ministry of external affairs were recently in Sikkim to
examine the state’s infrastructural preparedness and to finalise other
nitty-gritty.
Nepal indigenous groups to unite on
federalism
Padma
Ratna Tuladhar (left) and Nagendra Kumal
Kathmandu, Dec 2: The Nepal Federation of
Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN)) and Padma Ratna Tuladhar-led Adibasi Janajati
Rastriya Andolan (AJRA) have forged a deal to launch a combined agitation to
press for the issues of indigenous groups, including ethnic identity -based
federalism.
The two
sides issued a joint statement informing about their plan to launch an
agitation at a time when the federation is said to have back off from
agitation, Kantipur reported.
In a
meeting coordinated by the Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities
Journalists Association (FoNIJ) at NEFIN’s office on Monday, Nefin Chairman
Nagendra Kumal and AJRA Chariman Tuladhar have signed the joint statement
issued after the meeting.
“Both
Nefin and AJRA has agreed to join hands for protest programmes to ensure
ethnic-identity based federalism in the constitution drafting process,” read
the press release. The press release has further stated that the subsequent
talks will be held to decide the structure and programmes of the protest.
NEFIN is
an umbrella organisation of 56 ethnic communities while AJRA is a cluster of
various ethnic organisations, sister wing of political parties, Janjati leaders
of other political parties, experts and individuals, among others.
Second
Sino-Nepal trade route opens
The new route is linked with the China’s railway
project
Kathmandu. Dec 2: In a major boost for bilateral
trade between Nepal and China, one more cross-border trading route has come
into operation. With China officially opening the Gyirong Port on the
Rasuwagadhi border on Monday, the second land route has opened for bilateral trade.
For
long, the Tatopani border was the sole trade transit with China. The new route
has historical importance as it was a busy trade link between Tibet and Nepal
during the Lichchhavi and Malla periods. Besides, the newly opened route is
linked with the Chinese government’s railway project.
During the fifth Nepal-Tibet Trade
Facilitation Committee meeting in Lhasa in September, the Chinese side had
agreed in principle to extend the Qinghai-Tibet railway to the Nepal border.
Hari Prasad Bashyal, Nepal’s consular general in Lhasa, and Dong Mingjun,
vice-chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region government, jointly inaugurated
the facility.
The Friendship Bridge connecting China with Nepal. |
China
briefly opened the route in August when the Tatopani border was shut due to
landslides along Araniko Highway. Nepali importers rerouted their shipments
from China via Rasuwagadhi for some time. China closed the route before Dashain
citing the lack of infrastructure on its side. According to Chinese
authorities, the customs, quarantine and immigration offices have come into
operation.
China
plans to scale up its trade ties with Nepal as a new bridge to improve the
connectivity between the two countries through Tibet was to be opened in
October this year.
The
bridge is in Gyirong Valley in the prefecture’s Gyirong county and will also
help revitalise Tibet’s Gyirong Port, Director of Gyirong Customs, Wang Long
told state-run China Daily.
China is
developing Gyirong to make a major land passage between Tibet and Nepal.
Currently, Nepal and China rely on Rasuwa Gadhi bridge built by Switzerland for
trade and also for visitors to cross over.
But the
bridge is not sufficient as trade and travel volumes between the two countries
have increased in recent times.
Besides
the bridge, China also plans to connect its new railway lines being built from
Shigatse up to India, Nepal and Bhutan borders by 2020.
The
Beatles’ ashram in Rishikesh lies in ruins
(Left) Rishikesh
yoga Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the Beatles.
Dehradun, Dec 2: George Harrison died on November
29, 2001, of lung cancer. He was cremated in Los Angeles and his ashes later
scattered in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. Much water has flowed down two of
India's holiest rivers 13 years since.
But in a
nondescript ashram, overrun by creepers of Uttarakhand's Rajaji National Park,
one of the defining legacies of Harrison and The Beatles continues to live on.
Situated
by the Ganga, the 'Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram' of Rishikesh — known the world
over as the Beatles ashram — is where the "band more famous than Jesus
Christ" dabbled in transcendental meditation under the tutelage of
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the spring of 1968. More famously, the Beatles ashram
in Uttarakhand is where the iconic 'White Album' was born. The album sold 9.5
million copies in the United States alone, The
Times of India reported.
Today, a
few Beatles devotees, mostly Western tourists, seek out the ashram to pay their
respects. Chris Cheul from England is one of them. With a guitar in his hands
and 'Dear Prudence' — one of the more memorable singles from the White Album —
on his lips, Chris walks around the abandoned ashram, "soaking it all
in".
"I
am a die-hard Beatles fan," he says, "and I couldn't stop myself from
coming here once I heard that the Beatles were here for three months and wrote
some of their most beautiful songs."
As per
official records, the UP forest department, in 1961, leased out 15 acres for 20
years to Mahesh Yogi to set up the ashram. The lease expired in 1981 but
Maharishi had moved base by then. The land was taken back and, two years later,
handed to the national park. Locals claim it was abandoned around 1977 and has
failed to gain the administration's attention ever since.
Much
like Chris, many people visit Rishikesh just to visit the ruin. A couple from
Australia who learned meditation from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi himself are among
them. "The transcendental meditation works," says John as Sussane
nods her head. "Otherwise we wouldn't have been practising it for the past
41 years. We came to the ashram in 1973. It was beautiful and serene, but now
all that remains is overgrown vegetation. The Beatles association by itself
attracts so many fans to this ashram even today. Something really needs to be
done about it."
Editorial
UNITY
IN DIVERSITY
Modi Faces A Daunting Task
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi recently urged the people to be vigilant and guard
India's unique unity in diversity, which gave it strength, and asserted that
its rich heritage could never be divided on ideological lines. Modi’s call will
be tested on how his party handles the delicate issue of Article 370 concerning
Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP will be forced to come out openly on this sensitive
issue whether it sits in the Opposition or forms the government after the poll
results are out.
So far
the Modi Government has done commendable job as far as tackling corruption in
high places. Decision making processes are faster, government officials are
made to work and accountability has been sought from appropriate authorities.
Even on foreign affairs Modi has shown the world that he can lead India to a
better future. As the Modi wave sweeps across the country winning many Assembly
polls the real test of his leadership quality would be to build an India that
reflects the age-old heritage of unity in diversity. In a real sense India’s
unity is based on its diversity.
Centre
to form panel on Gorkhaland
BJP, Cong, TMC against division of Bengal
Darjeeling, Dec 2: The Centre’s recent assurances
to Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on formation of a committee to examine the
demand for Gorkhaland state has given a fresh lease of life to hill politics.
"I
am happy to inform to all our supporters that Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon'ble Home
Minister has agreed to set up a committee to examine our century old demand of
Gorkhaland," said Morcha chief Bimal Gurung last week.
Gurung’s
statement came after a meeting of top level GJM delegation with Union Home
Minister Rajnath Singh, in presence of Morcha-backed Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia.
Reacting
to the Centre’s assurance, BJP West Bengal State President Rahul Sinha said, "We
will never support any split within the state."
Sinha knows
well that formation of Gorkhaland statehood may give BJP assured win in
Darjeeling, but, that will ruin BJP throughout the whole state as almost none
in the other 41 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal have any support to
this separate statehood demand, The
Economic Times reported.
Moreover,
the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) is the specified body constituted by
the Central Government in 1953 to recommend reorganization of state boundaries.
“There should
not be any need of any other committee," said senior Congress leader S
Malakar. Leaders from TMC, the ruling party in West Bengal, have also
criticized Singh's statement.
In
Delhi, Morcha said the delegation reminded the Union Home Minister of the BJP’s
promise in the election manifesto to “sympathetically examine and appropriately
consider” the demand of the hill people.
In
response, the party said, Singh agreed to form the committee and also requested
the Morcha to postpone its Delhi dharna, scheduled to start on December 18.
“On
Rajnath Singhji’s request, the GJM has decided to postpone the three-day Delhi
Dharna and ask the Central Government to expedite the formation of the
committee to examine our demand for Gorkhaland,” Morcha said.
It may
be recalled that former Darjeeling MP and expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh in
May this year alleged that the BJP was not serious on the statehood issue.
"It
is sad BJP has not fully accepted the statehood demand of the Darjeeling hills.
It is a reality that the state BJP will never agree to a division. Bengal has
already seen two divisions and does not want another,” Singh had said.
St.
Paul’s School celebrates 150th anniversary
The school, founded in Calcutta in 1823, was shifted
to Darjeeling in 1864
St.
Paul's School was founded in Calcutta by Archdeacon Corrie at the instigation
of John William Ricketts, a local Anglo-Indian leader, and opened at 11 Park
Street on May 1, 1823. The school was moved to its present Jalapahar estate in
Darjeeling in 1864 with 31 boarders and a few day scholars. At that time, at approximately
7,600 feet above sea level, it was the highest school in the world. A number of
its students fought in both World War I and World War II.
Bishop
Foss Westcott, Metropolitan of Bengal, Burma and Ceylon, played an important
role in the growth of the school. The Maharajah of Burdwan also made important
donations. Over the years a number of estates were purchased and merged with
the existing school estate. The Mount Vernon Estate, known as Dawkins, was
purchased at the beginning of the 1900s and the Terpsithea Estate in 1955.
The
school's original purpose was "to supply a good education at a moderate
cost to the sons of Europeans and East Indians", and it remained almost
exclusively white until after World War II. After Indian Independence in 1947
it became a school for wealthy Indians and attracted wealthy students from
other Asian countries, as of 1960 especially from Burma, Thailand and Sri
Lanka.
The
school celebrated its 150th anniversary in Oct-Nov this year.
There
is a ‘hidden agenda’ in Sikkim, BL body tells Centre
Gangtok, Dec 2: The Centre has been asked to
take a serious note of the ‘hidden agenda’ of a section of the people in Sikkim
to do away with the former kingdom’s special status within the Union.
A
seven-member delegation of the Bhutia Lepcha Protection Force (BLPF) led by its
President Phigu Tshering Bhutia has urged the Union Government to safeguard
Sikkim’s religious, social and political rights and interests as per Article
371F of the Constitution.
“We have
also appraised the Government in the Centre about the Hidden Agendas to do away
with the rights and benefits enjoyed” by the minority indigenous Bhutia-Lepcha
tribals, a release of the BLPF said.
BLPF President Phigu Tshering Bhutia |
While
condemning the Burman Commission report, the BLPF said the content of the
report dilutes political rights of all Sikkimese, particularly of the Sikkimese
of Nepali origin. Issues relating to crapping of mega hydel projects in west
and north Sikkim have also been raised with Central leaders, the release said.
The
issue of restoration of the political rights of Sikkimese Nepalese through seat reservation in the Sikkim
Legislative Assembly also figured in the talks and memorandum submitted to
various authorities at the Centre.
Brahmaputra
dam won’t hurt India’s Northeast: Beijing
Beijing, Dec 2: China on Monday promised to take
"full account" of concerns about its new hydropower dam on the
Brahmaputra in the river's downstream areas, which include India's northeastern
region. The dam will not come in the way of flood-prevention efforts undertaken
in the downstream areas, it said.
On
Sunday China had announced the completion of the first phase of construction on
the 500MW Zangmu hydroelectricity dam on the Brahmaputra, in its Tibetan region
across the Indian border. This is one of the five dams China has planned on the
river, which is called Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet, The Times of India reported.
"We'll
take full account of concerns of downstream areas," Hua Chunying, foreign
ministry spokeswoman said. "The hydropower stations that China has built
will not affect flood prevention and ecological systems of downstream
areas."
India
has repeatedly expressed concerns that intense dam-building activity on the
Brahmaputra would make downstream areas, including Arunachal Pradesh,
vulnerable to flash floods. Besides, the dams will give China the powers of a
'water tap manager' in the river's upstream areas. India's position is
especially vulnerable since there is no water treaty between the two countries.
But Hua
said China was in full "cooperation and communication" with the
downstream areas. She said during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to New
Delhi in September, it was India which "thanked China for the provision of
hydrological data and assistance in emergency handling" of the river
situation. "On the exploration and utilization of trans-boundary rivers,
China has been adopting a responsible attitude, and we ensure exploration goes
hand in hand with protection," she said.
Hua said
China looked at the Brahmaputra issue in the context of the "bigger
picture of China-India relationship". The two countries signed a
memorandum of understanding for enhancing cooperation in the field of
trans-boundary rivers in 2013, Hua said.
China
has built the $1.5 billion Zangmu Hydropower Station at a height of 3,300
metres above sea level on the 'Roof of the World', raising concerns among
environmentalists that damming the river will upset rare water species and
upset the fragile ecological balance in that part of the Himalayas.
ADB
reluctant to fund border road projects in Arunachal, Ladakh: Congress MP
Japan assures China it will stay out of Arunachal
projects
New Delhi, Dec 2: A Congress member contended in
Lok Sabha last Thursday that Japan is
now backing out of funding the border roads in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, a
project on which China has raised objections and questioned what the government
would do now.
Raising
the issue during Zero Hour, Ninong Ering claimed that following an agreement
between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at
APEC, Tokyo has now become against the funding, PTI reported.
He
recalled that the Asian Development Bank has been reluctant to fund the project
due to the Chinese objections.In such a situation, he sought to know how
government would go about early completion of the border roads at a time when
the Border Roads Organisation has drawn a roadmap.
Beijing: China said last Tuesday that it
had received a "clarification" from the Japanese government saying
Tokyo would not involve itself in infrastructure projects in Arunachal Pradesh.
Responding
to reports in India which said the Border Roads Organization (BRO) had given
'strategic' projects to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) along
the China border, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the Japanese government had
made clear that it would not involve itself in projects in 'disputed areas'
between India and China. Officials clarified this included Arunachal Pradesh,
which China has territorial claims on.
"China
has noted the report and has checked with the capable authorities,"
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei told reporters, in response to a
question on the issue raised by an official Chinese media outlet at a regular
press briefing. "The Japanese side has clarified that its cooperation with
India is not in disputed areas between China and India," Hong said.
Bhaichung conferred AFC 'Hall of
Fame Award'
Manila, Dec 2: Former Indian national football
team captain Bhaichung Bhutia was Sunday honoured with the AFC Hall of Fame
Award on occasion of the Asian Football Confederation's 60th anniversary here.
FIFA
president Sepp Blatter presented the award to Bhaichung on the Awards Night
here. AIFF president Praful Patel was also present as were a host of other
dignitaries from all over the footballing World.
Moments
after receiving it, Bhaichung said the award was not solely for him "but
for Indian football".
"It
is an honour to be accepting this award not on my behalf, but for football, for
India and for all Indian footballers who have to struggle against all odds to
prove themselves every single day," he told www.the-aiff.com.
"This
is an award for Indian football," he reiterated.
"When
I first started playing football as a kid, I never imagined where the game
would take me. As I moved up through various stages of my playing career - from
a teenager with East Bengal to captaining the national team - I had to face
obstacles at every single step of the journey," he recollected, IANS
reported.
"But
I loved the game. So, I stuck to it and every challenge I faced only made me
push harder. I know most Indian players today still face many of the same
challenges I did, and this award is for the passion and dedication that makes
them continue to play the game," he said.
"Bhaichung
has been the flag-bearer of Indian football in over 100 international matches.
He deserves this award for sure. My heartiest congratulations to him,"
Patel said.
"AIFF
has been keen on using his experience and post retirement, Bhaichung has been
closely associated with AIFF and we expect to work closely for the development
of football in the country,"
Patel
added.