No Gorkhaland, Nor the Sixth: Binay Pleads the Fifth

7:59 PM

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Politics

Neither Gorkhaland nor Sixth Schedule status. The current lot of politicians in Darjeeling Hills have now raised the demand for inclusion of the region in the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.

Binay Tamang, the president of a faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) that enjoys the backing of the state government, yesterday said that the party has decided to press for inclusion of entire north Bengal in the Fifth Schedule.

“In our party’s foundation day, it has been resolved that GTA areas and the rest of north Bengal should be declared a Scheduled Area. This will help this economically backward region develop and, in turn, benefit all the communities living here,” Tamang, who also happens to the chairman of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), today told reporters at Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri.

Tamang was in Delhi yesterday to participate in a demonstration against the BJP-led Centre’s alleged double standards as regards the Gorkhaland demand. The demonstration, however, was cancelled as Delhi Police withdrew the permission at the last moment.

“They allege that there is no democracy in Darjeeling. But it is in Delhi where democracy is being trampled. At the phone call of BJP minister SS Ahluwalia, Delhi Police did not allow us to hold the demonstration,” he said, adding that the party later held the foundation day meeting at Vasant Vihar in the Capital.

“If Gujarat and nine other states can have Scheduled Area, why not north Bengal? After Deepavali, we will hold a series of protest rallies and meetings in Delhi to press for this,” Tamang added.

Under the provisions of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, Scheduled Area is treated differently from the other areas because they are inhabited by socially and economically backward aboriginals and special efforts need to be made to improve their condition.

The entire set of normal administrative machinery is a state is not extended to a Scheduled Area, and the Central government shoulders a greater responsibility for its overall development.

There are Scheduled Areas in Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh

[Via: Newsmen]

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Term of GTA2 Board of Administrators extended by 6 months

4:27 PM

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GTA2

Amitava Banerjee

Darjeeling: The term of the Board of Administrators, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, has been extended for another six months.

A notification from the Home and Hill Affairs department, government of Bengal on September 15 stated that an Authority (read Board of Administrators) was appointed under the provision of Section 65(b) of the GTA Act 2011, to exercise, discharge and perform all the powers, duties and functions of the GTA.

"The said Authority has been functioning as the Caretaking Authority of the GTA in terms of that notification. And holding of general election to re-constitute the GTA Sabha does not appear to be possible in the present situation" stated the notification.

 "The Governor, in terms of the relevant provision of Section 17(1) of the GTA Act 2011, is pleased to allow extension to the aforesaid Caretaking Authority of the GTA to function for a further period of six months with effect from 20-09-2018," read the notification. Incidentally, on September 20, 2017, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced the formation of an administrative board to run the GTA with Binay Tamang as Chairman and Anit Thapa as the Vice-Chairman.

Via : www.millenniumpost.in

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Bimal Gurung faction leader Suraj Subba arrested

8:49 PM

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Politics

Suraj Subba, the former general secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's trade union, was arrested on Monday in connection with the 2017 June 8 clash that triggered the last round of the statehood agitation in the hills.

He was the general secretary of the Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union before Binay Tamang took charge of the Morcha.

"Subba was directly involved in the incident that occurred on June 8, 2017 and in mobilisation (of supporters) to commit crimes during the agitation. He was arrested on Monday," said a police officer.

Once Binay Tamang took charge of the Morcha in November last year, Subba was removed from the post. He had been the general secretary of the union since the Morcha was formed in 2007.

Assistant public prosecutor Pankaj Prasad said Subba had been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

[Via:TT]

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आसाममा १ लाख गोर्खाहरूको नाम मेटिएको घोर विरोध गर्दछौं -बिनय तामाङ

6:00 PM

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Politics

नेशनल रेजिस्टर अफ सिटिजन मार्फत आसामका कूल ४० लाख मानिसहरूको नाम काटिएको छ भने उक्त ४० लाखमध्ये १ लाख गोर्खाहरूको नाम मेटिएको हामीलाई जानकारी प्राप्त भएको छ। गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चा आसामका ती सबा गोर्खाहरूलाई उक्त ट्राफ्ट फाइनल राफ्ट नरहेकोले फेरि पनि आफ्नो नागरिकता प्रमाणित गर्ने समय रहेको जनाउँदै पुनः आवेदन गर्ने अपील गर्दछौं।यति गरेर फाइनल ड्राफ्टमा पनि यदि कुनै वैध भारतीय गोर्खाहरूको नाम छुटिन गए प्रावधानअनुसार अन्य कानूनी प्रक्रियाहरू अप्नाउने दिशामा उनीहरूलाई गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चाले पूर्ण सहयोग गर्ने आश्वासन प्रदान गर्दछौं।

आसाममा भाजपा सरकारले शुरू गरेको एनआरसीको हामी घोर प्रतिवाद जनाउँदछौं। यो भाजपाको राजनैतिक स्वार्थप्रेरित पदक्षेप हो।

यसबाहेक पश्चिम बंगालमै पनि एनआरसी लागु गर्ने भाजपाको मनाशय रहेको छ। भाजपा पश्चिम बंगाल प्रभारी दिलीप घोषले पश्चिम बंगालमा पनि एनआरसी लागु गर्ने भाजपाको योजना रहेको बताइसकेका छन्।भाजपाले राजनैतिक स्वार्थ सिद्ध गर्न नै बंगालमा पनि एआरसी लागु गर्ने षड़यन्त्र बुनेका हुन्। यदि बंगालमा पनि एनआरसी लागु गरेको खण्डमा बंगालको उत्तरपूर्वी क्षेत्रमा बसोबासो गर्ने गोर्खाहरूलाई पनि आसामबाट झैं उच्छेद गर्ने षड़यन्त्र भाजपाद्वारा शुरू गर्ने हामीलाई शङ्का रहेको छ।बंगालका अल्पसंख्यक समुदायहरूको नाम मेटाएर बंगालको सत्ता हत्याउने ताकमा भाजपाले बंगालका अल्पसंख्यक समुदायको पनि नागरिक अधिकार हनन गर्ने सोच बनाइरहेको हामीलाई शङ्का भइरहेको छ।

आसाम अनि पश्चिम बंगालमामात्रै नभएर देशका अन्य कतिपय राज्यहरूमा पनि एनआरसी लागु गर्ने भाजपाको योजना रहेको छ। यदि भाजपाले यसो गरेको खण्डमा सम्पूर्ण देशमा नै साम्प्रदायिक हिँसा अनि दङ्गा- फसाद फैलिएर जाने पनि निश्चित रहेको छ। यसरी राजनैतिक स्वार्थसिद्ध गर्नुको निम्ति राष्ट्रको साम्प्रदायिक सद्भावना भत्काउनु तथा राष्ट्रिय सुरक्षामाथि प्रश्नचिह्न खड़ा गर्नु अति निन्दनीय कुरा हो। हामी यसको घोर विरोध गर्दछौं।

विनय तामाङ
अध्यक्ष
गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चा।

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Mamata Banerjee to lay foundation of first state university in Darjeeling - Binay Tamang

6:37 PM

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Mamata Banerjee

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Jul 14, 2018, Darjeeling: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will lay the foundation of a state university in Darjeeling next month, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief Binay Tamang said on Friday.

Tamang made the announcement at a GTA event to mark the 204th birth anniversary of Nepali poet Bhanubhakta Acharya here and said the varsity would be located at Mungpoo, 30km from Darjeeling town. The choice of Mungpoo has special significance: it is the place where Rabindranath Tagore stayed in the hills. It is now home to cinchona plantations.

"Chief minister Mamata Banerjee spoke to me (on Thursday). She told us she would lay the foundation of the state university in Mungpoo when she visits the hills next month," Tamang said on Friday.

The demand for a separate university has been an old one. The Tamang-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has long sought one. "The central university never came through but we are confident the state university will be functional from 2020," Tamang said.

EOI: Gorkhaland Territorial Adminstration chairman Binoy Tamang on Friday on the occasion of the Bhanubhakta Puruskar programme revealed the decision of the West Bengal government to set up a state university in Mungpo in Darjeeling.
Mungpo, incidentally, is full of memories of Rabindranath Tagore.
Tamang said he had a discussion with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the sidelines of the Tea Advisory Council (TAC) meeting at Uttarkanya in Siliguri on Thursday with the demand that was first raised by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha GJM after its formation in 2007. “Today is not the right forum, but still I would like to share good news with the people of the hills. I had a meeting with the Bengal CM on Thursday and raised the issue of a Central university for the hills, which has been a long standing demand. Ten years have gone but those who had raised it (in reference to his predecessor Bimal Gurung)
failed to achieve anything. But today I would like to announce that within a month the Chief Minister will be in the hills to lay the foundation stone for a state university in Mungpo,” Tamang said.
After the 104-day agitation and strike were withdrawn in September 27, 2017, the Bengal Chief Minister during a state function had announced that a state university would be established in the hills. She had directed the district administration to identify the land where the university would come up. “The issue of land was taken up during review meetings with the state government, district administration and the GTA. The Darjeeling district administration had identified a land in Mungpo where the state university will be set-up,” Tamang said in the presence of the Darjeeling district magistrate.
GJM under Gurung had raised, among other demands, the issue of establishing a Central
university in the hills with the BJP-led Central government. GJM had also requested Darjeeling M.P. Jaswant Singh (in 2009) and S.S. Ahluwalia(2014) to take up the issue with the BJP top brass and the Central government but nothing concrete has materialized yet.
For higher education, students from the hills students have either to go to the North Bengal University  in Siliguri or to other cities incurring additional expenses and inconveniences to parents.

Via Telegraph

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बिमलको साझा मन्च र गोजमुमोले हराएको सन्तुलन

11:11 AM

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Opinion

🏻बबिता मादेन
सम्मान र समर्थन भन्ने जब्बर्जस्ती जुटाउनु सकिने कुरा होईन, न त सत्ताको हाँकमा शत्रांशको माहौल सृजना गरेरै जनतालाई वंशमा राख्न सकिन्छ । छल र बलको प्रयोगले सत्ता हासिल गर्न सकिन्छ तर जनताको मनमा ठाँउ बनाउन सकिन्न । नेतृत्वमा नैतिकता नरहे पछि आवेशमा उटपट्याङ क्रियाकलाप गर्नु र बोलिमा सन्तुलन हराउनुले उल्टा जनताको सामु हाँसो र निन्दाको पात्र मात्र भइन्छ ।

बिमल होस या बिनय नामले केही फरक गर्दैन, फरक पर्नु पनि हुदैन जनतालाई केवल कामसंग सरोकार हुनु पर्छ ।
व्याक्ती पुजाको संस्कारले पहाडलाई सखाप पारेको हो र जबसम्म यस खाले संस्कारको जरा काटिदैन सत्ताको मनमानीलाई कसैले रोक्नु सक्दैन।

फिलहाल गोजमुमोसंग भएको एउटै मुद्दा विकास मात्र हो र यसको पार्दर्शिता जसरी भए पनि जनता समक्ष पुर्याउने कोशिशमा छ तर जनता चाहन्छ गोजमुमोको ढाँचागत बिकास गोर्खाल्यान्डको बाटो भएर जाउन । गोर्खाल्यान्ड प्रत्येक गोर्खाको आत्मामा बस्छ यस्तोमा यदि आत्मालाई नै शरीरबाट अलग गर्न खोजे त्यो शरीर छटपटिन निश्चित छ ।
विकास कै कुरा गर्दा पनि झोडा, नाला र बाटोदेखि बाहिर निक्लेर कार्य गरे त्यो आफुले बताईरहन पर्दैन मुल्यांकन जनता आफैले गरि हाल्छ।

भर्खरै मात्र मुख्यमन्त्रीले सुकुना, सेभोक लगायत पाँचवटा पुलिस आउट पोस्टलाई दार्जीलिङ जिल्लाबाट छुट्याएर सिलिगुडी पुलिस कमिशनरेटभित्र अन्तर्भुक्त गर्ने निर्देश दिइयो । पहाडका सत्ता दल गोजमुमोले यसबारे के सोचेका छन ? के पार्टीबाट यसलाई रोक्ने पहलहरु गरिन्दैछ त ?? पिन्टेल भिलेजको जमिन अघिबाटै बिवादको घेरोमा छ । दागोपाप कालमा शुरु गरिएको दार्जीलिङ मोड स्थित टुरिष्ट इन्फर्मेसन सेन्टरको जिर्णोद्वार बारे किन पहल गरिएको छैन ? सिलिगुडीको मुटु मानिएको दार्जीलिङ मोडमा गोर्खासंग सम्बन्धित कुनै सम्पती हुनु भनेको गोर्खाको किपट समान हुन ।

अलग राज्य गठनको निम्ति सिमाना अति नै आवश्यकिय तत्व हो जस माथी बंगालले दिन- दिनै अतिक्रमण गरिरहेको छ। खुम्चिएर अझै कति सानो हुनु पर्ने ? यस्ता कुराहरु माथि पार्टीको किन ध्यान जादैन ??

उता बिमल गुरुङले साझा मन्चको कुरा के उठायो यता बिनय समुहमा भुइचालो जाला जस्तो भयो । हडबडाहटमा नेताहरुले दिएको उटपट्याङ भाषणहरुले पनि पार्टीभित्रको असुरक्षितपनालाई छर्लङ्ग पारिदियो । कुनै बेला बिमल गुरुङ साझा मन्चका कट्टर विरोधी थिए सत्ताको मात नै यस्तो हुन्छ कि यसले लट्टिएपछि नेताहरुको मनस्थिति काबुमा हुदैन । विपक्षीहरुको प्रस्तावलाई तिनले सिधा खारेज गरिदिन्थे । उनले चाहेको भए पहाडमा गतिलो साझा मन्च तयार हुन सक्थ्यो ।

छुट्टाछुट्टै बसेर अझै दुई शातब्दीसम्म चिच्याई रहे पनि गोर्खाल्यान्ड सम्भव हुने होइन । लक्ष्य फत्ते गर्नु हो भने सामुहिक सहभागिता नितान्त जरुरी छ । साझा मन्चमा उभिएर बिचार साझा गर्दै साझा सिद्धान्तलाई अंगाले बंगालको कालो शासनदेखि मुक्त हुन ज्यादा समय लाग्दैन ।
तर सामुहिकताका त कुरै छोडी आज पहाडको राजनीति जुन थोत्रे बिषयहरु माथी केन्द्रित हुँदै गईरहेको छ यसले स्वास्थ राजनैतिक गरिमा माथी त आधात पारी नै रहेको तर सामाजिक परिवेशलाई पनि बिथोल्ने कार्य हुदैछ ।

आफ्नो छवि सफा राख्न अन्य माथी व्याक्तिगत हमला र एकार्कामा हिलो छेपाईले पथभ्रष्टको दिशामा अग्रसर गराउँदछ । यदि बिमल दागी हुन भने यसको राजदार बिनय तामाङ हुन ।

कुरा स्पष्ट छ न यहाँ कसैको विरोध, न त समर्थन छ । विकास जरुरी छ किन कि हामीले आफ्नो आर्थिक व्यवस्थाको घरेडी पनि मजबुत बनाउनु पर्छ तर गोर्खाल्यान्डसंग सम्झौता गरेर होइन र जबसम्म नेतृत्वले विकाससंगै अलग राज्यको मुद्दालाई समेटेर लादैन जनताको आक्रोशका सामना गर्नु पर्ने नै हुन्छ ।

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Darjeeling, Kalimpong to benefit from 'Nijo Griho Nijo Bhumi Prokolpo'

7:34 AM

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West Bengal

Darjeeling: Now, Darjeeling and Kalimpong will finally benefit from "Nijo Griho Nijo Bhumi Prokolpo" of the Bengal government.

The scheme is being routed through the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in the Hills. The "Nijo Griho Nijo Bhumi Prokolpo" was launched on October 18, 2011 by the Chief Minister of Bengal, whereby 5 decimal of land is provided to the homeless, landless beneficiaries.

"This scheme along with the rest of Bengal was earlier available in the GTA area. Initially 25% of the applicants benefitted from the scheme. However, the scheme was stopped under the GTA. We have decided to reintroduce the scheme again through the GTA and have been given a go ahead by the State Government," stated Binay Tamang, Chairman, GTA.

In a meeting on May 14, the GTA and state government officials decided to reintroduce this scheme in the Hills. A follow up meeting was held at the GTA Chairman's office in Darjeeling on Friday attended by Land reform Officers, Block Officers and GTA officials.

"Application made earlier will also be processed along with fresh ones. Earlier there was hardly any promotion of the scheme in the Hills, hardly anyone knew about the scheme. This time, we will be giving advertisements in newspapers and TV channels so that people come to know about the scheme and the deserving ones get the benefit," added Tamang.

Applicants can submit applications in Block Offices, Block Land and Land Reforms Office and Gram Panchayat offices as per their convenience.

Committees have been constituted in each of the 8 blocks comprising Block Development Officer, Block Land and Land Reforms Officer and a member of the Board of Administrators, GTA.

Applications for the Kalimpong 1, Kurseong, Mirik, Sukhiapokhari, Rungli Rungliot and Darjeeling - Poolbazar Block will be received from June 4 to June 9. For Kalimpong 2 block, it will be from June 11 to 16 and for Gorubathan block from June 18 to 23.

The applications will be scrutinised by the committee formed in each block and then will be recommended by the Sub Divisional Land and Land Reforms Officer to the GTA. The GTA will then forward the list to the state following which land documents will be handed over by the state government.

When questioned on the fate of tea garden workers, who have been demanding documents since long, Tamang stated: "Tea gardens are leased land of the State Government. The workers can apply. The concerned departments and the state government will then decide," added Tamang.

[Via: Millennium Post]

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Rohingya entry in the hill rumours, says Binoy Tamang

5:00 PM

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Politics

SNS, Darjeeling/Kurseong, 29 April 2018: The chairman of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Board of Administrators, Binoy Tarnang, has put to rest speculations that a group of Rohingya Muslims may have found their way up to the Hills.

Two youth leaders of a national party and some other local leaders and political parties have been misleading the Hill people by highlighting the Rohingyas in a wrong way for their own vested interests and keeping in mind the upcoming 2015 parliamentary elections," he said at a programme in Kurseong yesterday.

A video showing a group of Muslims getting down from a bus in Kalimpong had gone viral very recently, fuelling speculations that they may be Rohingya refugees. 

Fugitive leader of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) Bimal Gurung had alleged that the state government may have been trying to have Rohiugyas settled down in the region, while leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League, Pratap Khati had written to the Kalmpong District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police, urging them to look into the matter.

"The people who have reached Kalimpong are actually Indian citizens and students from a polytechnic college in Kolkata who have come to visit the place." Mr. Tamang said, adding that as the GTA chairman,he has been monitoring the issue seriously.

According to him, he will leave the GTA if anybody provides him proof of even a single camp of Rohingyas in Darjeeling Hills.

Defending the state government, Mr Tamang said that Darjeeling Hills or North Bengal is surrounded by international borders guarded by central forces and "not by the state government or Nabanna."

Mr. Tamang also issued a press release today and said that the rumours were the handiwork of political parties outside Darjeeling, which have set their eyes on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"This is a ploy of parties outside Darjeeling to destabilize the Hills that are gradually getting back to normal (after last year's violent Gorkhaland agitation), while these parties have set their eyes on the 2019 general elections and are trying to take political mileage by spreading violence again." Mr Tamang said. He further urged all the Hill people to ignore such false campaign and rumours and keep intact Darjeeling unity and communal harmony.

Sns

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