HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN     Wednesday April 3-9, 2013  

Tsuklakhang Trust to honour Lepcha Bongthings connected to Sikkim’s Guardian Deities

Gangtok, April 2: Two Lepcha Bongthing (priests) – one alive and the other who passed away in 2011 – will be felicitated by the Tsuklakhang Trust for their long services to the people of Sikkim. The two and their ancestors have been performing the annual Pang Lhabsol pujas to the Supreme Guardian Deities of Sikkim – Khangchendzonga and Yabdu – for a long time.

Late Ren Samdrup Taso Lepcha and Ren Pem Tshering Lepcha’s ancestors have been performing the annual rituals for generations, according to the Trust.

Late Ren Samdrup Taso Lepcha

Late Ren Samdrup Taso Lepcha was the son of late Ren Yangkyok Lepcha and late Renyu Champi Lepcha from Nung, located in Tingvong village, Dzongu, North Sikkim. He was better known as Nung Taso or the Kongchen Bongthing. He belonged to an ancient lineage of powerful Lepcha shamans who are the sole keepers of the ritual knowledge of the sacred Kongchen ritual. Ren Samdrup Taso Lepcha passed away at the age of 84 in his home in Nung during a minor earthquake on October 29, 2011.

His clan, the Garkum tsum ptso, is associated with the powerful mountain deity Kongchen and traces its ancestry back to the soldiers (vik) of Kongchen. Their lineage is said to have performed the worship to this protective deity since time immemorial, according to the Trust

The importance of this lineage for the appeasement of Kongchen and the worship of Sikkim as Beyul Demoshong was recognised by the Chogyals of Sikkim. Henceforth, the annual ritual to Kongchen and the other protective mountain deities of Sikkim became an integral part of the annual Sikkimese festival Pang Lhabsol held in the 7^th month of the lunar calendar.

The felicitation is “in recognition of the selfless service and contribution made towards preserving the ageless tradition of the unique Sikkimese festival of Pang Lhabsol,” and also to “offer good wishes and sincere prayers for his descendents long and healthy lives and perpetuation of their ritual lineage.” 

 Ren Pem Tshering Lepcha

Ren Pem Tshering Lepcha’s ancestors have been responsible for performing rituals in honour of Yabdü, the guardian deity protecting Sikkim’s southern gate, for over two and half centuries. 
He is the son of late Ren Pembo Lepcha and late Angu Lepcha of Chegra Busty, located above Teesta Bazaar under Kurseong Sub-Division of West Bengal. He descends from a line of Bongthings spanning more than forty generations, the Trust said.
The ritual for Yabdü forms part of the sacred Pang Lhabsol celebration which is unique to Sikkim. It is observed at the end of August or early September, on the immediate Friday preceding the 15^th day of the 7^th month of the lunar calendar when Pang Lhabsol is observed at the Tsuklakhang in Gangtok.

 Bongthing Ren Pem Tshering Lepcha has been holding the annual Pang Lhabsol ritual for Yabdü since 1962 following the demise of his late father. In olden days, the ritual used to be performed in a jungle above Kali Jhora and Teesta but this was discontinued at the time of his late grandfather due to attacks by tigers and other wild animals. 

Born around 1935, Bongthing Ren Pem Tshering Lepcha is now close to eighty years old and, having no son, has been training his nephew Ren Tashi Lepcha for the past three years with the view of ensuring the ritual’s continuity. He leads a very humble and pious life dedicated to ritual and prayer for the benefit of Sikkim and all sentient beings.

His personal association with the Palace and subsequently with The Tsuklakhang Trust spans more than fifty-one years. He is the only surviving Bongthing in the area who is not only a repository of the old culture, traditions and values but also one who still celebrates Sikkim as Beyul Demoshong, the sacred hidden land blessed by Guru Padmasambhava.

 The felicitation function will begin here at the Tsuklakhang Monastery premises on April 7 (Sunday) at 9.30 a.m.

All, including the media, have been invited by the Tsuklakhang Trust to witness this unique and auspicious occasion.

DNA study to observe vivacity of Uttarakhand’s Bhotiya tribe

In perhaps the first ever study of its kind, there is going to be a DNA study conducted on the Bhotiya tribals of Uttarakhand, as to what makes them so dynamic as to take the lead in studies and adorn top administrative and other positions as compared to the other tribes in this small mountain state.

It has been found that despite the topography constraints and also the non priority status given to education by the successive governments of Uttarakhand and earlier the neglect shown to the region by the Uttar Pradesh government, of which it was a part, the Bhotiyas, despite having a count of 36,438 only in this small mountain state have 80 per cent literacy.

The Bhotiyas, said to be ethno-linguistically Tibetan people, living in the trans-Himalayan region that divides India from China, made their presence in this part of the country almost centuries back, when they led a nomadic life traveling with their large flock of pack goats, sheep and ponies from the trade posts of Garotk and Gyanima in Tibet to the Gangetic plains.

The annual migration of their caravans took place along established trade routes, for the Bhotiyas were legendary traders and trans-Himalayan trade partnerships with nomadic Tibetan Khampas and Dokpas were formed and nurtured over generations until Chinese occupation of Tibet and subsequent 1962 Sino-Indian War, after which the trade stopped completely.

The Bhotiyas have made a number of success stories in this small mountain state and carved a niche for themselves in top administrative positions. The DNA test will start from the members of the scheduled tribe living in Pithoragarh district and will also cover those living in Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts. There are about 13 sub-sects among the Bhotiyas.

Other things that will also be studies are that despite having high intake of salt why do they not suffer from blood pressure and has the change from their old traditional nomadic way of living to high profile jobs brought any change in them.

Incidentally of the scheduled tribes found in Uttarakhand, while the Bhotiyas have an 80 per cent rate of literacy, the Tharus have 67 per cent, Jaunsaris 58.9 per cent, Bokshas 49.9 per cent and rajis 35.8 per cent. The literacy rate of the Bhotiyas happens to be six per cent more than the national literacy average. (Hill Post)

Editorial

NEPAL CRISIS

Elections May Be Delayed

The main objective of Nepal’s chief justice-turned-prime minister Khilraj Regmi’s job is to ensure that the general elections take place at the earliest so that an elected representative forms the government. This is a strange situation but as Nepal’s politicians were unable to do what they were supposed to do someone other than a politician had to be placed on top to see that petty politics do not come in the way of making democracy more meaningful to the people. Hopefully, Regmi will not repeat what a number of his predecessors did – and that is to remain in power as long as possible and forget the main reason for getting the top job.

It is to be noted that the new PM’s job is to head an ‘interim government’ and not to stay in power for too long. However, there are reports that the much anticipated election for a new Constituent Assembly in Nepal is likely to get delayed. The 11-point agreement among four major parties had proposed polls by June 21 but the interim election council led by Regmi is yet to announce election dates - more than two weeks after assuming charge. On Saturday, the Election Commission stated that possibility of holding polls within the June deadline is unlikely unless election-related amendments are made within the next few days. If polls are not held by June, before the onset of the monsoon season, it could get delayed by several more months. What next if even the head of judiciary fails to deliver?

POLITICAL SYSTEM OF BHUTAN: 1616-2013

The political system of Bhutan has evolved over time together with its tradition and culture. It has developed from a fragmented and a disoriented rule of the different regions by local chieftains, lords and clans into the parliamentary democracy we have in place today.

The first move towards a systematic scheme of governance came in 1616 with the arrival of Zhabdrung Nawang Namgyal from Tibet. He introduced the dual system of governance with the Je Khenpo as the spiritual head of the nation and the Desis, as the head of the temporal aspects.

But a major breakthrough came about in 1907 when the people unanimously enthroned Ugyen Wangchuck as the fist hereditary King of Bhutan. He was the man who had proven his mettle by banding together the different Dzongpons and Penlops (governors of fortress), ending centuries of strife and bringing much needed stability and peace to the country. Since then, the country has been ruled by successive monarchs of the Wangchuck dynasty.

In a move to ensure a more democratic governance of the country, the Third King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck instituted the National Assembly (Tshogdu) in 1953. Every gewog has an elected member representing it in the National assembly. It became a platform where the people’s representatives enacted laws and discussed issues of national importance.

The establishment of the Royal Advisory Council (Lodoe Tshogde) in 1963 as a link between the king, council of ministers and the people was another move towards democratization. It also advised the king and the council of ministers on important issues and ensured that projects were implemented successfully.

The institution of Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogdu (District Development Assembly) in 1981 and Gewog Yargay Tshogchung (County Development Assembly) in 1991 by the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck was another move towards decentralization.

But the devolution of the power of the King in 1998 to the cabinet ministers was the highest form of decentralization. The King, thereafter, began to serve as the Head of the State while the government was managed by the Prime Minister.

In November 2001, on the advice of the Fourth king, a committee chaired by the Chief Justice of Bhutan, was formed to draft the constitution of Bhutan. The constitution was launched in 2008 and with it a parliamentary democracy introduced. The progression from Hereditary Monarchy to that of a Parliamentary Democracy has been a carefully managed process that culminated in 2008 when Bhutan held its first elections country wide. The Druk Phunsum Tshogpa was mandated by the people to head the new government with a major victory. Today with 45 elected members, Lyonchen Jigme Y Thinley steers the government with just two opposition members from the People’s Democratic Party.

The organs of the Bhutanese government comprise of the Legislature, Judiciary and the Executive. The ruling political party, the opposition and the National Council now forms the legislative body.

GJM, ABGL leaders, supporters join TMC

North Bengal Development Minister Goutam Deb

Darjeeling, April 2:  Two leaders of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and Akhil Bharatya Gorkha League along with their supporters on Sunday joined the Trinamool Congress which also held a public meeting at Darjeeling hills.

Prominent defectors to the TMC fold include N B Khawas of the GNLF who was a councillor, Manoj Dewan, former general secretary of the AIGL and J B Tamang, a GJM unit leader from Munda Khoti below Sonada in Darjeeling.

The joined Trinoomul Congress in presence of North Bengal Development Minister Goutam Deb.

Tamang said he would continue to work for the development of the Hills and he was "not opposed to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration," PTI reported.

Dewan said more workers of the ABGL would join the Trinamool Congress. In his address, Deb said, "We are very happy to have these new friends among us. We hope others will come to the Trinamool Congress fold soon."

More than 50 supporters from various political parties, including Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) party, joined the TMC on Sunday. The induction comes ahead of the crucial panchayat election.

"This is the first political programme without our leader Mamata Banerjee in the Hills. Our message is that in democracy every political party has the right to organize its programme. We will not be intimidated in any way and will organize more programmes in other areas of the Hills," said Deb.

Deb spoke positively on the issue f converting Darjeeling Government College into a university and establishment of a medical and engineering college in Kurseong and Kalimpong respectively.

INTERVIEW Lhasang Tsering

“The Tibetan government-in-exile has forgotten our freedom struggle”

Interview with Lhasang Tsering, former president of Tibetan Youth Congress, and Rangzen activist on self-immolations of Tibetans in Tibet. (Translated from Tibetan by Sonam Gyatso, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives)

Tibet Times: What do you think are the main hopes and aspirations of the brave Tibetans who set themselves on fire inside Tibet?

Lhasang Tsering: Human beings, when faced with desperate situations, either kill others or kill themselves. Those Tibetans who set themselves to fire raised slogans calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet; some raised slogans about freedom in Tibet and there were also some who raised slogans for Tibet’s independence. In all, it is clear that Tibetans inside Tibet are not happy. These desperate actions makes it clear Tibetans are suffering under the brutal Chinese occupation and their intense desire for freedom is also clear. We, the Tibetans living in exile, must respect their aspirations. Particularly, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile must recognize this. Our government must respect the brave Tibetans who sacrificed their precious lives for the cause of Tibet.

Q: What would be the short-term and the ultimate impact on the Tibetan cause of these self-immolations? What is your personal view?

A: It is a huge loss for the family members and relatives of the brave Tibetan monks and nuns who set themselves on fire. They are no longer alive. However; it depends on us whether their actions will have a positive or negative result for Tibet and the Tibetan people. For example, if you hit others with just a single finger, rather than hurting others, you would be hurting yourself. However; if you hit with a firm, clenched fist with all five fingers joined in unison; it will hurt your opponent. I heard that some members’ in our community are debating whether these self-immolations are acts of violence. I feel really depressed and sad to hear such debates. People who circumambulate Tsuklagkhang and other holy sites kill insects by trampling on them. Can you refer to this as an act of violence? Their motive is spiritual accomplishment. It cannot be violence to sacrifice one’s life for the sake of protecting one’s country and one’s nation and to preserve our religion and culture. The real act of violence is being inflicted by the Chinese who oppress our people and create these desperate situations. Shirking from the responsibility to serve the Tibetan cause and failing to stand up to oppression and injustice is an act of violence and deceit.

Q: How do you define the present status of the Tibetan struggle for independence?

A: Considering the courage and dedication of Tibetans inside Tibet, the status of our struggle for independence is highly commendable and hopeful. However, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile has rendered our struggle directionless. Whether it is an individual or of a community; or even a nation; one must fulfill three conditions for a movement to succeed. Firstly; the aim of the struggle should be clear. Secondly; one must have the necessary confidence to achieve that goal. Thirdly; one must actively work to achieve that goal. Apart from merely stating that it is for the mutual benefit of Tibetans and Chinese, our present Middle Way Policy does not have clear aims and objectives. We do not have confidence because we fear that China is mighty and powerful. Apart from issuing statements or making speeches about our cause; in reality; in exile we do not have enough people who sincerely care about the Tibetan cause and no one actually leading an active struggle.

Q: Are you satisfied with official campaigns initiated by Kashag and the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile to highlight the critical situation inside Tibet?

A: As I said earlier; besides merely refusing to listen to the voice of the general Tibetan people; the Kashag is doing nothing to resolve the issue of Tibet. Therefore; it is not a question of whether it satisfies me or not. I am left in dejection and hopelessness. The government is an organization to lead people. What the Tibetan Government needs to do is to lead the struggle for freedom. The Tibetan Government-in-Exile, based in Dharamshala, has forgotten our freedom struggle and yet it seems that it perceives itself as running a real government. This is not right. The roof above our heads and the soil under our feet do not belong to us. They all belong to others. Even the general public knows that a ‘mutually beneficial’ solution for resolving the Tibet-China issue is not practical and achievable. Even if it may be achievable, we must know that we don’t have time to wait for long. Thousands of Chinese are migrating into Tibet even at this very moment when I am being interviewed here. Yes; Time is running out on us.

Q: What responsibilities and what kind of movements we Tibetans in exile must initiate considering the critical situation inside Tibet? Could you please share your thoughts?

A: In exile, non-governmental organizations and ordinary Tibetans are making every possible effort towards our freedom struggle. However, these will not bring real, meaningful result, as they cannot influence the international community. We need a clear plan and a leader who can lead us and unite us all. Without such leadership, it would be like laying thousands of bricks in the wilderness. Such bricks scattered on the desert surface will not result in a house. There are many people who appreciate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s decision to devolve his political power to an elected leader; but I absolutely do not consider it a positive step. For example; if there is a shepherd who, in the name of taking his sheep to a greener pastureland, herds them here and there, and finally leave the sheep in the middle of a vast desert telling them ‘now the authority is in your hands’, is the shepherd fulfilling his duty? Of course; democracy is important, but it is an internal matter of a free country. Is it worthwhile to argue about the shape and size of the house and the colour of the walls before you have the land to build the house? In my view democracy can wait; but not the struggle for freedom.

Q: All the people who immolated themselves are monks and nuns and we often say that our struggle is for the cause of Tibetan religion and culture, so what in your view are the responsibilities of the Tibetan reincarnated lamas belonging to different religious sects in exile?

A: I cannot speak about the views of Tibetans inside Tibet, but Tibetans in exile must have various opinions with regard to this matter. Some people are not able to express their views because of their faith and devotion. Personally, I think that I have put my best possible effort in leading movements and nurturing leaders for the cause of Tibet while I was working with Tibetan Youth Congress. What I want to say is that if [in our community] there are people who think there is a spiritual practice that is more precious and sacred than serving the happiness and wellbeing of one’s country and its people; then I request you not to live in the Tibetan community. Please do not take benefits from our community. I cannot accept a spiritual practitioner who seeks to achieve individual enlightenment and who works only for the personal benefit or for the next life without shouldering responsibility for Tibet and the Tibetan people. We Tibetans do not need such spiritual practitioners at this moment.

Q: After His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s devolution of political power to an elected leader, do you think we can see some change in our movement and the nature of our struggle?

A: His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been the Spiritual and Political head of Tibet for centuries. I cannot say for sure there could be a change in a day or two, or within the next few generations to come. On paper, it can be written that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has devolved his political authority to an elected leader. However; in the hearts and minds of Tibetan people it is only His Holiness the Dalai Lama who will remain as the Spiritual and Secular head of Tibet. When my body and mind separates from each other and when my flesh and blood spills out, even at that moment, my consciousness will regard His Holiness the Dalai Lama as my sole leader. [At this moment, Lhasang la took a pause and shed tears]. Once again I request His Holiness the Dalai Lama to reconsider his decision of devolving political authority when our freedom struggle needs him most because our nation is on the brink of death. The Tibetan people can change their clothes but how can we change our hearts?

Q: Do you see some hope that the Tibetan struggle [for autonomy] will gradually move on to struggle for Rangzen?

A: I am not a person who relies on empty hopes. If you ask me do I think should the struggle move on to Rangzen; in reality, I would say definitely I do. I was the one who openly expressed that it would be an impractical [solution] when His Holiness the Dalai Lama proposed the Middle Way Approach on 15 June 1987. At that time, there were Tibetans who even threatened to kill me. My children also faced problems in their school because of my position. I still keep the same political stand. I haven’t made the slightest change to it. I believe in truth and justice. I am not a person who only thinks about personal benefits. The Tibetan Government-in-Exile took a wrong position right from the beginning. There is no benefit in changing the driver if one is travelling on the wrong road. No matter how many times you change drivers, if your vehicle is going on the wrong road there is no change. First and foremost the Tibetan Government in Exile must change its course.

Q: What is your view on people who believe that we cannot have dialogues with the Chinese Government or receive international support if the Tibetans opt for Rangzen?

A: This is absolutely rubbish. They are ignorant about world politics. The policy of a state or nation is driven by its national interest. There is not a single nation in the world that frames their foreign policy by renouncing its own national interest for the sake of other nations. Between 1959 and 1965, the United Nations passed resolutions recognising Tibet’s right to self-determination. This happened when we were advocating Tibet’s independence. However; because of the spread of Communism in USSR and other countries, US and other western allies gave more focus on how to defeat Communism. As a result, Tibetan issue lost limelight then. After renouncing Rangzen as our official policy, we have not had a single nation that came up and extended meaningful support. Presently, as China is becoming more powerful, it naturally affects the interest of many other countries. For their own interests, not out of concern for Tibet, I am sure we will receive support from these countries if we take some clear actions. Isn’t it foolish to complain that one cannot get a sponsor for one’s child without first enrolling the child in school?

Q: Lhasang la, what is your expectation [from] and appeal to the Tibetans inside Tibet, especially Tibetans who set themselves on fire?

A: First of all, I would like to bend my knees to the ground in prostration before those valiant self-immolating sons and daughters of Tibet. At this present critical moment, we must prepare ourselves for a determined action. Even an old man like me has made preparations since long time back. I registered [the ownership of] my small bookshop and bank account in my wife’s name. We Tibetans must share our happiness and suffering together. Whether the loss of these lives benefits our cause or not will depend on the Tibetan Government-in-Exile and the officials working in the exile Tibetan community. I request our government to come up with a well-planned strategy and to take concrete step for our struggle for freedom if we really think Tibet’s situation is critical and feel solidarity with those brave Tibetans who have already given up their lives by setting themselves ablaze. It is not of much use for ordinary Tibetans to go and protest in front of the Chinese embassy if our government is not willing to lead us from the front. The Tibetan Government-in-Exile must lead the protests and demonstrations for our freedom! (Rangzen Alliance)

SIKKIM OBSERVER Saturday   March 30 – April 5,  2013    

Kerala’s Justice Kuriakose appointed new Sikkim High Court CJ

Gangtok, March 29: Justice Pius Chakkalavil Kuriakose is the new Chief Justice of the High Court of Sikkim. He was sworn in by Governor Balmiki Prasad Singh here at the Raj Bhavan yesterday.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, SLA Speaker KT Gyaltsen, Acting Chief Justice SP Wangdi, Cabinet members, Chief Secretary R. Ongmu and other officials and dignitaries.

Justice Kuriakose was appointed as Additional Judge of High Court of Kerela on September 9, 2002 and appointed as Permanent Judge of the High Court of Kerela on 2004.

The 62-year-old judge hails from Thripunithura in Ernakulam district of Kerala. He has replaced former Chief Justice of the High Court of Sikkim, Justice Permod Kohli, who was appointed as CJ on December 12, 2011. Justice Kohli retired on March 1 this month.

Kejriwal to support youth body, may visit Sikkim

 ASESEUA President Nawin Kiran (standing) speaking at Aam Admi Party meeting in Delhi recently where  Arvind Kejriwal (centre) is also present.

Gangtok, March 29: Aam Admi Party leader and social activist Arvind Kejriwal has assured “full support” to the issues pursued by All Sikkim Educated Self-Employed & Unemployed Association (ASESEUA). He has also accepted the Association’s invitation to visit the State.

This assurance has come even as activists of the Association participated in the various activities of the AAP in New Delhi recently, according to Association President Nawin Kiran.

“Our organisation is also in constant touch” with Kejriwal’s party and is also attending meetings conducted by the AAP, Kiran said in a press release.

“We congratulated him for the registration of his party and promised full support from our side for a noble cause he has been doing. And at the same time he has promised us full support for our cause,” Kiran said.

Presently, the ASESEUA team is stationed in Delhi and meeting “various national leaders both political and apolitical and appraising our grievances.”

Kiran said his team is also “being invited by various national organisations both political and apolitical for talks.”

According to Kiran, the Delhi trip was a “success” and Kejriwal has accepted the Association’s invitation to visit Sikkim.

“We will soon return home with an announcement for the people,” Kiran said. Meanwhile, the Association is all set to open its office in the State capital on April 4.

New Delhi: The health of Kejriwal, who is on the sixth day of his indefinite fast to protest against the "inflated" electricity and water bills in New Delhi, has started to deteriorate.

Party activists claim that Kejriwal's confidence is growing day by day due to the huge support that his agitation has been receiving from the residents of Delhi. AAP activists say that several people have joined the agitation and announced that they would fight with Kejriwal.

The party also claimed that 83,000 people have signed protest letters pledging not to pay the "inflated" power and water bills, taking the total to more than 2.69 lakh people. The signed letter will be delivered to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit shortly.

Be positive, says Dalai Lama

Sikkim in Buddhist pilgrimage map of the world: Chamling

The Dalai Lama (centre) during the opening of Buddha Park in Rabongla, South Sikkim, on Monday.

Gangtok, March 29: With the opening of the Buddha Park in Rabongla, South Sikkim, on Monday by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Sikkim has been placed in the pilgrimage map of the world, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling said.

The Dalai Lama performed the consecration ceremony of the 137-feet tall Buddha statue at the park on Monday. Governor BP Singh, Speaker KT Gyaltsen, Chief Minister and Chief Secretary R. Ongmu witnessed the function amidst thousands of Buddhist devotees from all over the State and neighbouring areas.

The Tibetan spiritual leader said that the people of Sikkim who are peace loving and religious should continue to follow the path shown by Lord Buddha. He said the newly-opened park, known as Tathagata Tsal, should be a place of worship and pilgrimage.

The Chief Minister said the Buddha Park will become a centre for pilgrimage tourism in the State.

The Chief Minister highlighted that his government’s policy is based on Buddhist values and is committed to supporting the State’s various religions and inculcating positive values in the people. He hopes that this new Buddha statue complex, which incorporates a library and a study centre, will attract pilgrims from far and wide.

His Holiness expressed his greetings to the crowd and said: "I've come to consecrate this outstanding statue, which we did according to the rites of Vajrakilaya, because this locality has historical connections with that meditational deity.”

“The place itself is quiet, open and peaceful and the statue adds to the natural beauty of the landscape, which I hope will inspire an inner transformation within the pilgrims who come here," he added.

On March 26 His Holiness gave White Tara Long Life Empowerment, followed by the offering to him of prayers for his long life.

On his arrival here on the same day, the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama today advised students of Sikkim to be positive in attitude and create a positive "karma".

 Speaking to students at Manan Kendra here, the Dalai Lama said: "future of an individual depends on a community, and of a community depends on a society and of a society depends on nation”.

The Nobel Laureate left here on Wednesday morning. He last visited Sikkim on December 2010.

Editorial

THE ULTIMATE TEST

Kejriwal, Make A Noise In Sikkim

No central leader dares to come to Sikkim and face the truth to what is really happening in the former kingdom. Even national journalists prefer conducted tours of the State sponsored by the State Government. For obvious reasons the Centre pumps in enough money in Sikkim to keep the people perpetually drugged. Even if Arvind Kejriwal does not come to Sikkim the fact that he has reportedly accepted the invitation extended by a Sikkim youth body to visit Sikkim is enough to keep the establishment on its toes. It will go all out to woo the activists of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Even Kejriwal will not be spared. If he and his team get tested in Sikkim and come out clean then they are ready and fit for the battle ahead. So, Mr. Kejriwal, make a noise in Sikkim and prove your credentials.

Dipankar Chakrabarti: The unsung revolutionary

Dipankar Chakrabarti, founder-editor of socio-political magazine Aneek, condemned Sikkim's 'feudal' monarchy in his writings, languished in jail for two years and recently died in Kolkata

By Sunanda K Datta-Ray

A little-known hero of the Emergency died in Kolkata the other day. I was looking for Dipankar Chakrabarti, the 71-year-old founder-editor of Aneek, a socio-political magazine in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, when I was told he had just succumbed to cardiac arrest. This often happens to me — someone I am keen on meeting inconsiderately chooses to bid adieu to life just then. But that’s another story. What is saddening is that more people didn’t know of Chakrabarti.

Someone at a meeting of the Association of Corporate Advisers and Executives asked me recently to recount what he called my newspaper’s heroic deeds during the Emergency. The hall burst into applause when I replied that just as there were more dispossessed East Bengal zamindars in Kolkata than there were actual zamindars in pre-partition East Bengal, there were more Emergency heroes after the Emergency than existed then. Chakrabarti wasn’t among them. Neither was he one of the glitterati who hold high positions and trot the globe while flaunting their supposedly radical ideology.

He neither sought nor received attention. But he and a colleague Sukanta Raha, whose name I learnt only this week, were arrested under the Defence of India Rules for an editorial titled “India’s annexation of Sikkim” in Aneek’s April-May 1975 special edition. They languished in jail for two years after Berhampore’s additional sessions judge refused bail because the article “seems to be calculated to prejudice the minds of the people against the territorial integrity of the Union of India”.

Dipankar Chakrabarti

When I told my Sikkimese friend, Karma Topden, former Rajya Sabha member and India’s one-time ambassador to Mongolia, he asked why Chakrabarti had been singled out for a distinction denied to B G Verghese and me. “Verghese’s editorial, ‘Kanchenjunga, Here We Come’ in the Hindustan Times was very strong”, Karma said. “And you made Sikkim an international issue with your reports in The Observer in London, and your book, Smash and Grab: Annexation of Sikkim!”

I told Karma Marxists would probably attribute the different treatment to class justice … or injustice. I’d add class understanding. District officials are less sophisticated than their metropolitan counterparts who might have made allowance for revolutionary rhetoric. Although Chakrabarti thought Sikkim’s monarchy “feudal and reactionary”, it was “the sacred task of every progressive and socially conscious” Indian “to unite shoulder to shoulder with the freedom fighters of Sikkim, so as to take effective steps to defeat the common enemies of the people of these two countries”. The enemy was the “expansionist Indian ruling clique”.

Despite the clichés, one must respect someone, especially in the moffusil, who sustained for 48 years a magazine that covered, says a Bangladeshi admirer, Farooque Chowdhury, many aspects of modern and ancient society, politics, economics, the Moscow-Beijing rift, China’s Cultural Revolution, globalisation and the environment. Chakrabarti founded the People’s Book Society and the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights. He translated Chinese revolutionary opera and essays by Paul Sweezy, the Harvard economist who wroteDemand Under Conditions of Oligopoly in 1939. Teaching economics at Berhampore’s Krishnanath College must have been one of many avocations.

So versatile a man had to be both Bangal (as East Bengalis are called) and Bolshie, Chakrabarti was born in Dhaka. He was so passionately involved in a country he left when he was six only because having been politically baptised in the Students Federation and sailed close to Communism all his life, he regarded both Bengals as a single revolutionary entity. Not content with famously saddling Lenin with saying (which he didn’t!) that the road to world revolution ran from Beijing to Paris via Kolkata, Bengali Leftists re-routed the road after 1971 to take in Dhaka.

I first heard of Chakrabarti in October 1984 after Smash and Grab was published. He wrote to The Statesman promising “support and sympathy” to “Mr Namgyal” (Prince Wangchuck Namgyal of Sikkim) who had asked apropos of my book, “Who in the world’s largest democracy will raise a voice for justice in Sikkim?” Chakrabarti replied, “It may interest him and others to know that our Bengali monthly magazine, Aneek, did precisely this.” He assured Wangchuck “that many people in India still consider the annexation of Sikkim to have been a blatant act of expansionism”.

He would have welcomed the revised edition of Smash and Grab now being prepared under Tranquebar’s imprint. It will spare readers what Chomsky called “manufactured consent” and save them from a pirated edition. I owe that to someone who paid more dearly than Verghese or I for his commitment to Sikkim’s freedom. (Business Standard)

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HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN     Wednesday March 27-April 2, 2013   Buddha Park will become centre of pilgrimage tourism: Dalai Lama, CM

Buddhist monks gather during the inauguration of a Lord Buddha statue by the Dalai Lama at Buddha Park in Rabong, South Sikkim, on Monday. (pix: AFP)

Rabong, March 26: With the opening of the Buddha Park here yesterday by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Sikkim has been placed in the pilgrimage map of the world, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling said.

The Dalai Lama performed the consecration ceremony of the 137-feet tall Buddha statue at the park here yesterday. Governor BP Singh, Speaker KT Gyaltsen, Chief Minister and Chief Secretary R. Ongmu witnessed the function amidst thousands of Buddhist devotees from all over the State and neighbouring areas.

The Tibetan spiritual leader said that the people of Sikkim who are peace loving and religious should continue to follow the path shown by Lord Buddha. He said the newly-opened park, known as Tathagata Tsal, should be a place of worship and pilgrimage.

The Chief Minister said the Buddha Park will become a centre for pilgrimage tourism in the State.

Process of ‘Sikkimizaiton’ of Nepal has already begun: Gurung

“The only way to save the country is through fierce uprising”

Gurung

Kathmandu, March 26: The four-party agreement made under pressure of the ‘foreigners’ to put in place a non-political government headed by Nepal Chief Justice is a conspiracy to bring an end to the identity of the political parties.

 “The game-plan is to disintegrate Nepal. Thus foreign agents supported the formation of a government under the CJ and election is being held under his leadership,” Dev Gurung, Secretary of Nepal Communist Party-Maoist told the media in Pokhara.

Gurung also threatened to foil the election until the 11 point agreement made between the major parties including Madhesi alliance reached March 14, 2012 is scrapped, PTI reported.

 “The four parties readily accepted submitting power to the Chief Justice because they knew that they have been a miserable failure. We will not take part in such an election held by a government that has been formed by the foreigners who want to see Nepal divided into pieces,” he said.

What is the guarantee that the ruling four-party syndicate will not sell the country to India, asked Gurung said while addressing an interaction program in Pokhara recently.

 “The process of Sikkimizaiton has already begun,” he said in the program organized by Tamuwan State Committee.

“They have totally surrendered themselves to the foreigners. Those who prefer to follow the foreign diktats could easily submit the sanctity of their motherland to the foreigners,” he explained.

“The four party syndicate is trying to eliminate the country from the world map. The only way to save the country is through a fierce uprising,” he also said.

Editorial

WAIT & WATCH

Wanted: Credible Candidates

Most Golay-watchers are playing a safe game at the moment. The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) rebel leader PS Golay hasn’t formally joined his new political outfit – Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM). Legally, he is still the MLA of the ruling party. And yet Golay was present during the opening of his party at his native village in West Sikkim recently. He has even attended subsequent party meetings during opening of SKM’s district offices. At present the Congress party seems to have become the first main victim as many of its supporters and leaders have joined the SKM. Apart from others there are a few within the ruling party big-wigs who are keenly observing the functioning of the new party. They will also observe public mood towards the SKM when Golay comes out openly shortly.

And yet there are those who have already taken the plunge and joined the new party – come what may. One of the notable and publicly-acceptable persons to join the SKM is Dzongu’s well-known social activist Dawa Lepcha. These kind of persons will surely boost the image of the new party. Old faces may be taken in the party but they need to be placed among the backbenchers. Giving them prominent position/places in the new party would certainly not be welcomed as there are very few among the has-beens who are worthy of being taken note of. What is needed is credible people who are competent, committed  and capable of bringing real change in Sikkim. Less than this is totally unacceptable. That, indeed, is a tall order for any party.

CHOMOLHARI: Bride of Khangchendzonga

Jomolhari оr Chomolhari sometimes known аs "the bride оf Khangchendzonga”, іs а mountain іn the Himalayas, straddling the border between Yadong County оf Tibet аnd the Thimphu district оf Bhutan. The north face rises оver 2700 m above the barren plains. The mountain іs the source оf the Paro Chu (Paro river) whіch flows frоm the south side аnd the Amo Chu whіch flows frоm the north side.

 The Chomolhari Basecamp trek offers you a wonderful variety of Bhutanese landscapes and is without doubt one of the most beautiful and unspoiled trekking areas in the entire Himalayas. The Chomolhari trek begins at Drugyel Dzong in Paro passing through beautiful Bhutanese villages, scattered hamlets and farmland. Bhutan's most serene vegetation zones differ from richly forested valleys to high alpine pastureland where Yak herders graze their animals.

Delicious and a rare trout fishing in the vicinity of the sky blue lake with magnificent views of three majestic peaks are some activities which can be done on a rest day. On this trek you will also encounter some of the rare species like the blue sheep, and if lucky, possibly even the Snow Leopard.

Chomolhari trek is a superb seven day trek for strong walkers. It goes into Northern Bhutan to the land of yak-hearders, to the base of Mount Chomolhari (Jhomolhari) at 7,316m/24,000ft and on to remote Lingshi Dong. One could savour upon the fabulous views of the mountains and exceptional flora along the trekking trails. There are few villages but you will encounter with many yak-herders on the way.

SIKKIM OBSERVER Saturday   March 23-29,  2013    

Dalai Lama to visit Sikkim, Siliguri next week

Gangtok, March 22: The Dalai Lama yesterday left Dharamsala for a five-day visit of Sikkim and West Bengal.

The Dalai Lama will lead a Vajrakilaya consecration prayer for a new Buddha statue followed by the official inauguration ceremony of the statue in Ravangla, South Sikkim, on Monday.

On Monday afternoon the Tibetan spiritual leader will give a teaching on Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (gyalsey laklen sodunma).

On Tuesday, His Holiness will confer White Tara Long Life Empowerment (Dolker Jenang Tsewang) and the State Government and Tibetan Communities in Ravangla will offer the long-life prayer ceremony (Tenshug) to His Holiness. He is expected to arrive in Gangtok on Tuesday evening.

On the final leg of the visit, the 77-year-old Tibetan leader will visit Salugura, Siliguri (West Bengal), where he is scheduled to give teachings on Tsong Khapa’s Concise Stages for the Path to Enlightenment (Lamrim Dudon) and Longchen Rabjam's Relaxing the Mind Itself (Sem-nyid Nyesol).

On March 29, His Holiness will confer an Avalokiteshvara Initiation (Chenresig Wangchen) and will return to Dharamshala on March 30.

The Tibetan leader last visited Sikkim in December 2010 and spent two days in retreat at Tashiding monastery premises, the most sacred place for Sikkimese Buddhist, in West Sikkim.

Give top priority to connectivity in North Sikkim, High Court tells BRO, BSNL

Gangtok, March 22: The Sikkim High Court has directed the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and BSNL to give top priority to road and telecom connectivity to the backward tribal region of North Sikkim.

Acting Chief Justice SP Wangdi has asked the two agencies to take “all possible measures, be it technical or financial” to ensure that road and telecom connectivity in North District are restored at the earliest.

Noting that the Bhutia-Lepcha tribals in the remote district have been continuously facing various problems due to poor road and telecom connectivity, Justice Wangdi asked the two agencies to give top priority to this problem and address the issues with the seriousness it deserves.

Justice Wangdi’s direction came during a hearing of a petition here on Wednesday filed by the Pipon and public of Lachung, North Sikkim.

Residents of Lachung were forced to approach the court as the two organizations have ignored the problems of the people and neglected the region, which borders China.

The court had made the Telecom Ministry as a respondent as BSNL comes under its jurisdiction. Telecom Ministry and BSNL have been asked to file a compliance report by April 18.

Editorial

CBI THREAT ON DMK

Congress Bureau of Investigation Strikes

There could have been a patch-up between the UPA and its ally DMK after the latter withdrew support to the Congress-led government at the Centre on the issue of human rights violation of Tamils in Sri Lanka. But with the CBI raids on DMK leader MK Stalin’s residence in Chennai this week immediate reconciliation seems impossible. Though the CBI’s raid was done in connection with a case related to  illegal import of luxury cars Stalin, whose father is DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, has denied wrongdoing. DMK leader TR Baalu’s allegation that the raid, which took place on Thursday, was politically motivated due to the DMK's decision on Tuesday to pull out of the Congress-led national coalition government will surely have more prominent people in the opposition to back his allegation. In fact, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram told local news channels on Thursday that he "disapproved" of the CBI raid on Stalin's home. He said it will “be misunderstood." Kamal Nath, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, also condemned the timing of the raid.

The timing of the raids, which effectively seems like a thinly veiled threat, appears to point to the usual Congress stratagem of turning the screws on regional leaders in order to secure political support for its survival at the Centre. The coalition government still can muster a majority of votes in Parliament even after the DMK's exit, which means it will be unlikely to face a no-confidence vote. There are enough indications that Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi, who is one of the accused in the 2G spectrum case, may face another jail term – and even see her properties attached – if they file a chargesheet against her under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. It is also learnt that the chargesheet against Kanimozhi and A Raja is being drafted and will likely be filed early next month. These are indeed veiled threats to UPA supporters such as Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati, who also face graft charges. Indeed, the BJP on Thursday alleged that the ruling Congress Party is using every means to muffle the alliance partners, who plan to abandon them. It said the government has been misusing the CBI to survive in government. It said that its allegation that the Central Bureau of Investigation is actually the Congress Bureau of Investigation has now been confirmed.

Thailand aims to enhance bilateral trade with India

Guwahati, March 22: Thailand is aiming to increase its bilateral trade with India to $16 billion by 2014 and is looking at the North Eastern region as a major hub for investment.   

   "Over the last 15 years bilateral trade between Thailand and India grew substantially reaching USD 8.2 billion in 2011 and "It is expected that this upward trend would be able to reach about USD 16 billion by 2014," permanent representative of Thailand in the Prime Minister's Office Nalinee Taveesin said.

She was speaking at a dinner meeting organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce here on Sunday evening, PTI reported.

She said the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement has created lot of opportunities for both sides to increase their bilateral trade and said her country is keen to increase its engagement with the North Eastern region.

"The governments of Thailand and India have the shared vision to bring the people of the two countries even more close. Under the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) framework, Thailand's 'Look West' policy meets with and perfectly complements India's 'Look East' policy and that's why Myanmar holds such crucial role as it shares borders with both Thailand and India.

"On a macro-economic front, Thailand, Myanmar and India have long enjoyed a close trade and investment relation and there has been close cultural ties since the 13th century (with the North Eastern region of India)," she said.

Taveesin said closer ties between India, Myanmar and Thailand will also help to strengthen trade and investment ties among all the member states of BIMSTEC and ASEAN and "deliver greater benefits to the whole business community in South East Asia and South Asia".

Taveesin said efforts to increase connectivity between India and ASEAN region is a win-win situation for both sides. "In terms of investment, Thailand ranks 36th among the largest investors in India with a cumulative FDI outflow of USD 94.8 million or about 0.06% of India's total FDI, it is mostly in machinery, feed and livestock products and construction.

"India has invested almost USD 460.2  million in Thailand mostly in chemical, paper, metal products, light industries, plastic products, auto and auto components," she said.

Regarding her government's efforts to increase trade ties with the North Eastern states, Taveesin said that "there is an wide open door for closer cooperation in numerous fields such as agriculture, forestry, mining, energy, hydro-power and eco-tourism."

She said: "North East India has been regarded by members of the business community in Thailand as a very important and attractive market and as a promising and welcoming investment destination.

"And combining these trends of North East India with Thailand, this powerful cooperation will certainly form a potential sub-regional hub with a gigantic market place full of opportunities with possibilities for investors, traders and people from India, Myanmar and Thailand."

HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN     Wednesday March 20-26, 2013  

DALAI LAMA TO VISIT SIKKIM NEXT WEEK

Buddha Statue consecration on March 25, White Tara Tsewang at Ravangla on March 26

Gangtok, March 19: His Holiness the Dalai Lama will perform the much-awaited consecration ceremony of the Buddha Statue at Ravangla, South Sikkim, on Monday (March 25).

The Tibetan spiritual leader, who will arrive in the former Buddhist kingdom, will perform the Vajrakilaya (Dorjee Phurba) ceremony at the Buddha Park (Tathagata Tsal) on Monday morning. In the afternoon he will give teachings on 37 practices of Bodisatva in Ravangla, an official release said.

On Tuesday, the Dalai Lama will bestow White Tara Long Life Empowerment. The State Government and the Tibetan community of Ravangla will offer long life offerings (Tenshuk) to the Dalai Lama on the same day. After lunch on Tuesday His Holiness will depart for Gangtok.

He is expected to leave for Salugara in Siliguri on Wednesday morning, the release said. In Salugara, His Holiness will give teaching on Je-Tsong Khapa’s Concise Stages for the Path to Enlightenment (Lam-Rim-Du-Don), and Kun-Kyen Long-Chen Rabjampa’s Relaxing the Mind Itself (Sem-Nyid-Nye-Sol).

He will also confer Avalokiteshvara Initiation (Chen-Re-Zig-Wang-Chen) on Friday (March 29) at Salugara.

Bhutan says no to Situ Rinpoche visit

New Delhi, March 19: Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has asked India not to allow Situ Rinpopche to visit his kingdom.

The Home Ministry, therefore, may not allow Situ Rinpoche, a high incarnate lama of the Kargu order of Tibetan Buddhism, to visit Bhutan, sources said.

The Bhutanese King has requested the Indian government to restrain Tai Situ Rinpoche, mentor of 17^th Karmapa Orgyen Trinley Dorje, from travelling to Bhutan, top government sources said, The New Indian Express reported.

It is learnt that Situ Rinpoche, who resides in Himachal Pradesh, wants to visit Bhutan.

The Centre is understood to have rejected Rinpoche’s request on the pretext that he could “meddle” with the clergy (Drukpa Kagyu) in Bhutan.

Bhutan is also said to be “wary” of Tai Situ’s visit, although he holds a Bhutanese passport. Situ Rinpoche reportedly sent the request to Delhi recently asking to be allowed to visit Bhutanese monasteries and then return to India.

New Delhi has imposed some curbs on Dorje too — especially on visits to the Rumtek monastery in Sikkim. Rumtek monastery is the exiled seat of the 16^th Karmapa.

Beijing supports Nepal’s ‘sovereignty’: Wu Chuntai

Kathmandu, March 19: The newly-appointed Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai said Beijing respected Nepal’s unity and sovereignty.

Briefing a select group of the media here on Sunday, Wu said, “The Chinese policy is to support Nepal’s sovereignty and unity,” and added that China intends to build long term ‘comprehensive cooperative partnership” with Nepal.

The new Chinese Ambassador took his Kathmandu assignment only last week after the energetic but highly arrogant Yang Houaln was recalled by the top level Chinese administration.

Wu said that there has been significant growth in people-to-people relations and cultural exchange between the two countries.

Bhutan to hold general elections next month

Thimphu, March 19: The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan will go to polls for the second time in its history next month for elections which will consolidate its transformation to democracy, according to a royal decree.

A vote for the 25-member upper house will take place on April 23, said the decree which was posted online. An election date for the larger and more influential lower house has yet to be announced but is widely expected in May.

“It is important that all voters take their right and duty seriously, exercise their franchise and choose the most competent and deserving candidate as their representative,” said the decree, AFP reported.

The landlocked Buddhist nation wedged between India and China held its first vote in 2008 after its beloved royal family opted to step back and peacefully turn the country into a constitutional monarchy.

Almost 80 percent of Bhutanese turned out to vote, handing a landslide to the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) or Bhutan United Party led by Jigmi Thinley — a two-time former premier under the previous royal governments.

Political parties have flourished since the last polls with a total of five parties set to contest the elections in the lower house, two of which are led by women.

Bhutan follows a unique home-grown development model focused on boosting Gross National Happiness instead of economic growth, putting respect for the environment and well-being of citizens at the heart of its policy-making.

The Kuensel newspaper said voting for the new 25-member National Council would take place at 850 polling booths dotted around the mountainous country, with results to be declared on April 24.

Dissident Tibetan writer faces further restrictions

Dharamsala, March 19: Chinese authorities have further tightened restrictions on Beijing-based Tibetan poet and blogger Tsering Woeser, moving police guards to the floor of her apartment building a day ahead of a US State Department ceremony honoring her for her courage in striving to uphold Tibetan rights.

Beijing has blocked Woeser from traveling to Washington to receive the award, which she has dedicated to the more than 100 Tibetans who have self-immolated in protest against Beijing’s rule in Tibetan-populated areas.

Woeser said she and her husband have been placed under 20 days of house arrest at their Beijing home while meetings of China’s National People’s Congress, the country’s rubber-stamp parliament, are in session.

Restrictions on her movements, already strict, have now been tightened, Woeser told Radio Free Asia by phone on Thursday.

“Today at around 7:00 p.m. [local time], I saw that two security officers were stationed at the door to the elevator of my apartment building,” Woeser said.

“They look friendly, but my movements are now even more restricted than before,” she said.

“They suspect that the U.S. Embassy might organize an event [for me], and that if that happens there could be media people present. So I was told that I cannot go out.”

“If these restrictions last for just a few days, I can cope, but it will be difficult for me if they go on for 20 days,” Woeser said, adding, “If they block my Internet and website, that will be a real problem for me.”

A total of 107 Tibetans have set themselves on fire so far in protests challenging Beijing’s rule in Tibetan areas and calling for the return of the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, who lives in exile in India.

Woeser has said that the self-immolations have given her the courage to continue with her own struggle for Tibetan freedom.

Woeser “has emerged as the most prominent mainland activist speaking out publicly about human rights conditions” for Tibetans, the State Department said this week in a statement.

Her website Invisible Tibet, together with her poetry and nonfiction and writings on social media have given voice to millions of Tibetans “who are prevented from expressing themselves to the outside world due to government efforts to curtail the flow of information,” the State Department said.

Jammu and Kashmir not part of India: Gilani

Srinagar, March 19: In occupied Kashmir, the veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani has said that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory and has never been a part of India.

Gilani in response to the resolution passed by Indian Parliament about Kashmir said that the rulers, opposition and media in India had been deceiving their own people by keeping them in dark about the reality over the Kashmir dispute.

He maintained that the Kashmiris had been struggling for implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations to decide their political future by themselves through plebiscite.

Senior APHC leader, Bilal Ghani Lone in a statement in Srinagar welcomed the passing of a resolution by the Pakistan’s National Assembly supporting the Kashmiris’ movement for securing their inalienable right to self-determination, Kashmir News Service reported.

People staged a protest demonstration against the continued arrest, harassment and atrocities committed by the Indian Paramilitary forces in different areas of Langate in Handwara.

An APHC delegation comprising Zafar Akbar Butt, Hakeem Abdur Rasheed, Syed Bashir Andrabi and others visited illegally detained Hurriyet leaders, Nayeem Ahmad Khan and Ghulam Muhammad Nagu, at Central Jail in Srinagar.

Meanwhile, Indian authorities continued to place the APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Mohammad Yasin Malik and APHC leader, Mukhtar Waza under house arrest. The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party castigated the authorities for prolonging the detention of the party Chairman, Shabbir Ahmad Shah.

The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Freedom League, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, in a statement said that historically and legally Jammu and Kashmir had never been part of India that had illegally occupied the territory in 1947.

Editorial

HOPE IN ASIA

Suu Kyi’s Next Challenge

Myanmar’s general elections in 2015 is critical for a nation that has lived under an iron fist for decades. The outcome of the elections also pose a big challenge to its two giant neighbours – China and India. The elections will also have a direct bearing on the economy in Thailand and Bangladesh. Hopefully, Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace laureate, will come to power after the polls. Over the years she and her National League for Democracy (NLD) have come to symbolise the struggle of Burma’s people to be free.

Suu Kyi's struggle for democracy now enters a new phase. She was recently re-elected Myanmar’s opposition leader at a landmark congress of the NLD. It is heartening to note that Myanmar President Thein Sein, who recently visited the United States for attending the UN Genral Assembly session, is doing all that he can to bring change and reforms in Myanmar. Suu Kyi has tremendous support in the West and this will surely not only help her to win the polls but to bring peace, freedom and prosperity to Myanmar. One of the toughest challenges that Suu Kyi faces comes from Kachin tribals and Muslim Rohingyas.

Myanmar has been under military rule since General Ne Win seized power in 1962 and remained so still now even though the regime claims that it has a representative government following the 2010 controversial elections. It is a nation where Suu Kyi, known as "icon of democracy", has been struggling for last many years for establishing popular rule and her difficult task for democracy earned her the Nobel Peace Prize. But Aung San Suu Kyi, who earlier was denied power despite winning the elections way back in 1992, still remains midway through the complex task of democratisation of her country.

China appoints new Tibet Governor, hardline policies to remain

By BEN BLANCHARD

Losang Gyaltsen, new Tibet Governor

China appointed a new governor for remote and restive Tibet on Tuesday, naming a hardline ethnic Tibetan in a signal that the government has no plans to ease up on its tight control on the Himalayan region.

Losang Gyaltsen, 55, was elected at the end of the annual meeting of Tibet's largely rubber stamp regional assembly, and replaces previous governor Padma Choling, according to an announcement by the official Xinhua news agency.

Losang Gyaltsen is a former mayor of Tibetan capital Lhasa and once taught Marxist theory, according to his official biography. His name is also spelled Losang Jamcan in English.

He reports to Tibet's top official, Communist Party chief Chen Quanguo, a position which traditionally has always been held by a Han Chinese rather than an ethnic Tibetan.

"He's rather hardline, but all officials at that level are the same," said prominent Tibetan writer Woeser. "There will be no real change in Tibet."

China has defended its iron-fisted rule in Tibet, saying the mountainous region suffered from dire poverty, brutal exploitation and economic stagnation until 1950, when Communist troops "peacefully liberated" it.

A post in Tibet is one of the most challenging positions for Communist Party officials, but can also be a route to higher office if they are judged to have performed well.

President Hu Jintao served as party boss in Tibet from 1988-1992, while rising star Hu Chunhua, recently appointed party chief in booming Guangdong province and seen as a possible future president, has some two decades of Tibet experience.

Speaking to Tibet's legislature on Tuesday, the new governor, Losang Gyaltsen, said the government would "resolutely struggle" against exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who China accuses of promoting violent separatism, charges he denies.

"We will unswervingly protect the unity of the motherland and ethnic harmony ... and maintain harmony and stability in Tibet," the China News Service quoted him as saying.

"Harmony and stability are the basic guarantee of Tibet's development and prosperity," he added.

China has tightened already strict controls in Tibet since an upsurge in self-immolations by Tibetans protesting Chinese rule over the past two years, though most of the burnings have happened in heavily Tibetan areas outside of what China calls the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Almost 100 Tibetans have set themselves alight since the protests began in 2009, most of whom have died.

Despite expectations for improvement, the crackdown inside Tibet could become even worse once Chinese Communist Party boss Xi Jinping becomes president in March as he seeks to cement his rule, said an overseas Tibetan rights advocate.

"I wouldn't be surprised if at the beginning of his tenure things might get worse before they get better, because he will want to stamp his authority early on," said Kate Saunders of the International Campaign for Tibet.

Xi's late father, Xi Zhongxun, a liberal-minded former vice premier, had a close bond with the Dalai Lama before the monk fled into exile in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule. (Reuters)

New Delhi floods northeast with cash to appease locals

Not treated as equals, India’s north-easterners can still feel like foreigners

IN THE evening shadows television crews line the way to room 305 in Manipur House, in Delhi. Perched inside, tiny on a leather chair, is Irom Sharmila. A long plastic pipe is taped inside her nose. An activist usually confined to a hospital in Manipur itself, a state in India’s north-east, she is dazzled by the camera lights. Microphones are thrust towards her mouth. She murmurs and stutters, her head gently rocking. But the aim of her protest is clear: India must scrap a law giving impunity to soldiers who rape, abduct, murder or torture her fellow north-easterners.

On March 4th Ms Sharmila was charged with attempted suicide. This has become an annual routine, punctuating what has become the longest hunger strike by anyone anywhere. The “Iron Lady of Manipur” has not willingly eaten or drunk since a Sunday in November 2000 when she learned of the killing of ten civilians at a bus stop in Manipur by men of the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force supposed to fight separatists. The soldiers enjoyed the protection of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, a crude law applied in much of the north-east for over half a century (and more recently in Kashmir).

Until the law goes, Ms Sharmila will accept only food that her jailers force through that tube. For how much longer? “That I can’t say.” Her protest should shame India’s elected leaders, army and highest courts. The law’s defenders point to the continuing low-level insurgencies that plague Manipur and parts of other north-eastern states, notably Assam and Nagaland. For locals, it means dread and uncertainty. Many leave. A few speak out.

Lift the law, as the United Nations and others demand, and a modestly hopeful story could be told of the north-east, a long-neglected corner of India with 46m people, connected to the rest of the country by a thin strip of land to the north of Bangladesh. Most of the region’s dozens of armed insurgencies are dormant or defunct. In February three states—Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura—completed untroubled elections, with high turnouts voting incumbents back in. Corruption and cynicism over politics may be spreading, but everyone prefers that to bombs and bullets. Soldiers are mostly kept to barracks, so their abuses are now thankfully getting rarer. Yet the army insists on the utterly free hand the act allows it.

Delhi pays some attention, and lots of cash. Eight small, poor states—mountainous Sikkim, and the “seven sisters” of the north-east—enjoy annual allocations of public funds ($4.7 billion in 2010-11, the most recent year for which figures are available). A diplomat who watches the area talks of a “devil’s bargain”, as money floods in to appease ex-insurgents and uppity local politicians. They squander much of it on cars and mansions, while dependency on the central government grows.

“Insurgency has become a cottage industry for all,” says a journalist and poet in Dimapur, Nagaland’s main, dusty, trading town. Its streets are filling with new shops that sell pricey handbags, electrical goods and luxury accessories. Election time, when candidates hand voters wads of notes, is a bumper shopping season. More darkly, a psychiatrist in Kohima, Nagaland’s hilly capital, talks of addictions to alcohol, heroin and other drugs, and the spread of HIV and other infections through shared needles. Some ex-insurgents prosper through extortion, crushing businesses. Organised crime often moves in where conflict winds down and guns are plentiful. Yet it hardly justifies deployment of soldiers, rather than police, against Indian citizens.

India boasts a “look East” policy, partly intended to enrich the north-east by increasing trade with South-East Asia. The plan has been boosted by reform in Myanmar, which borders Manipur and three other north-eastern states. India’s and Myanmar’s armies this year began joint border patrols. Palaniappan Chidambaram, India’s finance minister, says talks are at an “advanced stage” with the Asian Development Bank on financing new roads to allow large-scale trade across the border. There is even a plan for a road, and perhaps even a railway, all the way to Thailand.

Some natives of Nagaland fret that their forested land could become a mere corridor for others’ business. Probably more important are ties back west, to the rest of India. Cheap private airlines represent rapid change: over 250 weekly flights now connect the region to the rest of India. Improving roads, mobile phones, broadband and television broadcasts all bind the north-east in a way hard to imagine even a decade ago.

Meanwhile, people leave. In Khonoma, a hillside village of stone houses and Baptist churches surrounded by paddy fields, a graduate boasts of plans to teach at a university in “mainland” India. He says a third of his village have left. The train from Dibrugarh, a region of tea plantations in Assam, the north-east’s most populous state, is crammed with youngsters eager to work or study in southern India. Better educated, on average, and proficient in English, north-easterners are prominent among the staff of many of India’s technology firms, call-centres and hotels.

Yet discrimination goes on. Too many Indians make racist remarks about north-easterners’ “chinky eyes”. Strict Hindus and Muslims shun north-eastern Christians fond of beef and pork. Violence in Assam last year between Muslims and Bodos, a tribal group, led tens of thousands of north-easterners in Bangalore and other cities facing threats to their safety briefly to flee.

Sanjoy Hazarika, an Assamese writer in Delhi, says it is more revealing that hundreds of thousands chose not to flee and that anxiety dissipated fast. The sense of belonging to India could grow stronger. As a senior civil servant in Kohima puts it: “We have had 50 years of insurgency basically because people here don’t feel Indian.” That attitude, he says, is evolving—though slowly. A good way to help it change faster would be to give in to the Iron Lady’s demand. (The Economist)

China to finish Tibet rail line close to Sikkim soon

Beijing, March 19: China will finish its rail network in Tibet up to Xigaze (Shigatse) city located close to Sikkim by next year, allowing its military to move men and material with relative ease besides beefing up transportation in the strategically important Himalayan region.

The extension line of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway to link provincial capital Lhasa to Xigaze, second largest city in Tibet, is expected to be completed by next year, Chairman of the Tibet regional government Losang Jamcan said.

"Hopefully, the Lhasa-Xigaze rail line will be completed at the end of this year or the beginning of 2014," Jamcan said in a group discussion of the government work report at the annual session of the China's parliament here, PTI reported.

He said the completion of the project would facilitate the development of an ecological tourism zone that covers Lhasa, Xigaze and Nyingchi cities.

Xigaze and Nyingchi are the Tibetan city located closest to Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. Xigaze City is the administrative centre of the Tibetan prefecture of the same name, a 182,000 square km area that borders India, Nepal and Bhutan.

Shigatse, Tibet’s second largest city is close to Sikkim and has historical links with the former Buddhist kingdom of Sikkim.

It is also famous for Qomolangma (Mount Everest in the West), which rises up from within it.

China began the construction of the 253-km line from Tibet's capital Lhasa to Xigaze in September 2010.

China has extensively developed road rail and air infrastructure in Tibet connecting remote parts of the the Himalayan region to the mainland, which in turn helped the development of Tibet.

China so far built five airports in Tibet at Gonggar, Lhasa, Bamda, Xigaze and Ngari, which is located close to Himachal Pradesh.

Stretching through five counties as well as over the 90-km long Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra) Grand Canyon, the line is expected to bring rail network for the first time to the south western parts of Tibet, which now rely solely on roads for transport, state-run Xinhuna news agency said.

This is the first extension of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway that opened in July 2006.

The Lhasa-Xigaze railway, with a budget of 13.3 billion yuan (about USD 2.1 billion) is capable of transporting 8.3 million tonnes of cargo every year.

It is also regarded as a noted major engineering achievement as its designed route detour around nature reserves and drinking water sources to better protect the fragile plateau environment, the report said.

Jamcan said Tibet will continue to boost infrastructure construction to bring out the potential for tourism while protect the ecological environment in the region.

Tibet received 11 million domestic and overseas visitors last year, bringing in a total tourism revenue of 13.2 billion yuan (USD 2.1 billion).

Xigaze, with a history of more than 600 years, is Tibet's second largest city and the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas.

Sikkim Cong chief, Pro-Sikkim editor hospitalized in Delhi

NB Bhandari

                                                                                 

Gangtok, March 19: Both the two well-known Bhandaris of Sikkim – NB Bhandari and Hem Lall Bhandari – have been hospitalized in Delhi and undergoing treatment.

While Harvard-educated Hem Lall Bhandari has been in Delhi for treatment of his spinal chord for over a month, the former chief minister and State Congress chief, has recently been hospitalized for his ‘back problem.’

Hem Lall Bhandari

Hem Lall, who took over as editor of Pro-Sikkim after the death of its editor Tenzing Bhutia, fell into a gorge near his home in Rawtey (Rumtek) recently. He was hospitalized at Manipal Hospital and STNM and later referred to Delhi. According to the editor, his spinal chord has been badly damaged.

Thailand keen on investing in northeast: Thai Minister Taveesin

“Northeast a bridge between India and ASEAN”

Shillong, March 19: Thailand seems eager engage the peoples of the northeast to ensure the success of India’s Look East policy.

During her tour of the northeast and eastern region Thai Minister Nalinee Taveesin stressed the importance of her country’s active participation in trade and economic activities in the region involving the northeast.

 “I am glad that north east is showing active participation in this tri-lateral trade between India, Myanmar and Thailand and I assure that we will invest on what north east market has to offer”, Taveesin said here on Saturday.

Addressing a gathering at a summit on Integration Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce at Pinewood Hotel, the Thai Minister stressed on the need to improve connectivity in all spheres, be it infrastructural or technological connectivity to ensure a healthy trading relation and create synergy between the integrated Asian countries.

Stating that north east is blessed with rich resources, Taveesin said that this provides immense opportunities for both the countries and that they are looking forward to tap these energy resources.

Pointing out the fact that Thailand and north east shared a similar ethnicity, Taveesin said “This is a common thing that can take us forward with a sense of belonging besides proximity with neighbouring countries like Bangladesh is also another opportunity for the investors”, she said.

Taveesin, who had her schooling in Darjeeling’s Mt. Hermon School, however, stated that no matter how plentiful the resources and how keen the investors might be, without the support of  respective governments, nothing significant can be achieved, The Shillong Times reported.

Highlighting on the current perspective of BIMSTEC, Joint secretary (South), Union Ministry of External Affairs, Sanjay Bhattacharyya, said northeast has many chances to progress and become the focal point for all BIMSTEC activities.

“The government is focusing not merely on external economic policy but on strategic shift (Look East Policy) of which northeast has been identified as a bridge between India and the Asian countries”, Bhattacharyya said.

Stressing more on connectivity in the region, Secretary General of International Chamber of Commerce of Bangladesh Ataur Rahman said Bangladesh is looking forward to help build and improve connectivity and developmental infrastructures.

He also stressed on the need for public and private partnership on successful implementation of India’s Look East policy.

Earlier, the delegates from different Asian countries also met Chief Minister Mukul Sangma here on Saturday to discuss on issues to strengthen trade relations between the State and the neighbouring countries.

The summit was also attended by delegates from Korea, Singapore, South Asia Department, Myanmar and experts from different parts of the country.

INTERVIEW PA Sangma

“Northeast doesn’t matter in national politics”

P A Sangma, former Lok Sabha Speaker and President of the National People's Party, tells Business Standard’s Gyan Varma he has joined the National Democratic Alliance for the general election next year.
Gyan Verma: It was quite evident from the beginning that Pranab Mukherjee would win the presidential election because the Opposition did not have the required number. Why did you agree for a token contest?
PA Sangma: It was not a token contest; it was a contest to send a strong message that the 100 million tribals have been ignored, and the country should seriously think things over henceforth. We have been able to achieve this goal. Now, people have come to realise that tribals have been ignored in the past. In the last 66 years, candidates from different communities, except from a tribal group, have become presidents of the country.
Q: Till the point of the presidential election, you held the record of never having lost an election. But all that changed with the big loss against Mukherjee. Do you think you run out of luck?
A: I don't think it's a question of luck. Yes, it's true that I had never lost any election. I won parliamentary elections nine times, and Assembly elections twice. But the presidential election was different. It's an indirect election by the elected representatives of the people. Had it been a direct election, perhaps the result would have been different. Therefore, I don't think it is serious. Winning and losing are both part of the game. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gave me its full support during the presidential election. I knew we didn't have the necessary numbers. The election was an aspiration of the 100 million tribals that needed to be articulated.
Q: The National People's Party (NPP) didn't perform well in the Assembly elections. It was the very first election of this new party. You're the only national face from the northeast region and yet, it did not work for you? What do you think went wrong?
A: Well, several factors went against us. First, it is a newly formed party, and voters are not very familiar with the symbol. The change of the symbol was a big factor. Second, the ruling Congress has the power of money both in the Centre and the state. I had challenged the leadership of the Congress by running for the presidential election. I was certainly a target of the party. It's a conspiracy - the party used its monetary strength, while I didn't have any money at all.
Q: Of the 33 candidates the NPP had fielded, only two won. In fact, your son, too, lost the poll. What lies ahead for you and your party in Meghalaya and outside?
A: When people asked me whether the Meghalaya election was a make-or-break affair, I said in politics, there was no question of "do or die" or "make or break". It is a question of up and down. We have lost the election but it doesn't mean we will lose the election next time, too. In 1977, the world thought Indira Gandhi was completely out and finished. But in three years, she came back with a thumping majority. That's how politics works.
Q: It has been long speculated that you will join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and will lead the alliance during the Lok Sabha election from the northeast...
A: The question of joining the BJP doesn't arise. As far as the national politics is concerned, since the country is now divided between the NDA and the UPA, I have to be somewhere. I cannot be in the UPA because it will not accept me. Therefore, the only choice left with me is to join the NDA. I insist on saying "at the national level" because it has nothing to do with the State level. At the State level, we can go on our own. I have already spoken to leaders concerned, and joined the alliance formally at the national level.
Q: You have demanded a 10 per cent reservation in the Central jobs for the northeastern states. Was it only a demand to win over voters during the Assembly election, or would you try to build a national consensus on the issue? 
A: It was not committed for the purpose of the State election. It is a genuine demand of the people from the northeast that they must have their due share in employment in the Central government. We will pursue this matter further. In fact, the NPP as a party is meant for everybody, but I must admit it is certainly tribal-centric and northeast-centric. And this is the forum through which we will fight for our rights.
Right from the beginning, the northeast has not been considered an important part of the country because of its small population. Every northeast state has either one or two members of Parliament, and it doesn't matter much in the national politics.
Q: Your decision to contest the presidential election against Mukherjee in hindsight appears to have cost you dearly. Your daughter Agatha Sangma was dropped from the ministerial post and the Nationalist Congress Party was ready to take disciplinary action against her...
A: I have not lost anything by contesting the presidential election. In fact, I have gained. So long, people had been saying I was a national leader from the northeast region; now, by contesting the presidential election and forming the NPP, I have perhaps become a leader of the 100 million tribals in the country. So, it is not a loss; it is a gain. You can see the kind of response the new party is getting in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. As far as my children are concerned, I never told them to do politics in my name. If you want to do politics, you do it on your own merit. It is good that some are losing and some are winning, that's part of the game.
Q: The Congress came back to power in Meghalaya, the Naga People's Front (NPF) won in Nagaland and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI (M) returned in Tripura. It seems anti- incumbency is not an issue at least in the northeast...
A: As far as Tripura is concerned, there is practically no alternative to the Left. In West Bengal, the CPI (M) was ousted and the Trinamool Congress came to power in the last state election. But one year later, and people are repenting. It's the same with Tripura. Besides, the Congress has no leadership in Nagaland. As far as Meghalaya is concerned, the State never had a stable government for the past 35 years. It was expected that there would be a fractured mandate, but it is true that we never thought that we will perform so badly.

FASHION

Prabal Gurung: From Nepal to global fashion stardom

New York City stands to make over $400 million this week at New York Fashion Week and designer Prabal Gurung's runway show will be among the most anticipated of the global fashion event.

And Gurung is taking his look from the runway to the real world, going mass market with his new line for Target.

"I have this ... niche audience, it's at a certain price point ... for me, it's it more about, 'How do I get to the audience, the larger audience, the rest of America and let them know my own story?'"

His rise to success is a story of ambition -- since launching his own line and company just four years ago, his designs have been worn by some of the world's most famous and powerful women -- from the first lady, to the Duchess of Cambridge, to the Oprah Winfrey, who unknowingly helped push Gurung to begin his design journey, according to CBS News.

"I was in Nepal and I watched Oprah Winfrey's show. I had no idea as a kid in Nepal who she was. But I remember watching an episode of hers about living your dreams. And I still remember telling my sister, 'You know what? I've never been to America. I want to give it a shot and if it's a mistake, it's a mistake but at least it's my mistake."

Gurung left his family in Nepal 14 years ago, gaining entry into the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York. The up-and-coming designer then worked his way through the fashion ranks alongside the likes of Donna Karan, Cynthia Rowley and Bill Blass, before he decided to start his own company.

"Everyone had told me not to do it," he said of the risky choice to start his own line, "I had no savings, no investors, So I went on unemployment. It is challenging and I'm a creative person, I come from a design background. I don't come from a business background."

But soon enough, Hollywood starlets from Rashida Jones to Zoe Saldana to Demi Moore took note of the young designer, helping to catapult Gurung to star status.

Some of his big breaks have been outside of the traditional, Hollywood-centric fashion world, like when Michelle Obama donned his dresses in 2010 and 2011. Gurung acknowledges he has worked closely with the White House, but shied away from offering details about the working relationship.

He told CBS News' Norah O'Donnell that he was again "shocked" when Kate Middleton took Gurung global, wearing his dress on her official trip to Asia. He had not sent the clothes to the Duchess, and recalling the moment, he said "I don't know how it happened and I was in shock."

Despite his staggering success, he remains acutely aware that his in an industry many consider "frivolous," a claim he says he understands. However, he said, "Let's not forget that the fashion industry is a billion dollar industry. It generates employment."

Over the weekend, celebrities flocked to Gurung's show in New York as expected and this week, his style will be available at a much lower price point through his Target collection.

So what would Gurung say to his younger self, the little boy in Nepal?

"I'm a little emotional about it," he said, "I would say, 'You'll turn out just fine.'"