लोकसभामा दार्जीलिङ समष्टिबाट गोर्खा प्रतिनिधित्वका सही हकदार श्री आर. बी. राई

7:36 PM

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Politics

लोकसभामा दार्जीलिङ समष्टिबाट
गोर्खा प्रतिनिधित्वका सही हकदार श्री आर. बी. राई

अब भाजपाप्रति विश्वास रहेन । दार्जीलिङभरि योग्य गोर्खा व्यक्तित्वहरू हुँदा-हुँदै एउटा राजनैतिक अनुभवहीन भएको व्यक्तिलाई अघि सारिनु भनेको भाजपा गठबन्धनको हामी गोर्खाहरूप्रतिको हेलचेक्राइ हो । योग्य गोर्खा उम्मेदवार दिए पुनर्विचार गर्न सकिने मूडमा बसेको क्रामाकपाले अब श्री आर. बी. राईलाई उम्मेदवार बनाएर चुनाउमा जानुबाहेक अर्को विकल्प छैन ।   

यसैले श्री आर. बी. राईले दार्जीलिङ संसदीय क्षेत्रका उम्मेदवारको रूपमा भोलि आफ्नो नामांकन भर्नेछन् ।

 राज्यसभा र लोकसभाको अनुभव पहिलाबाटै प्राप्त गरिसकेका श्री राई एक इमान्दार नेता मात्र होइनन् तर उनी एक अनुभवी, अध्ययनशील र योग्य गोर्खा उम्मेदवार हुन् । राज्यसत्ताको सम्पूर्ण शक्ति लगाएर गोर्खाहरूको आवाजलाई निर्ममतापूर्वक दबाउने तृणमूल पार्टी अनि भारतीय गोर्खाहरूलाई बारम्बार धोका दिएर हाम्रो विश्वासमाथि खेलबाड गर्ने भारतीय जनता पार्टीका उम्मेदवारहरूविरुद्ध अब हामीले गोर्खाल्याण्ड मुद्दाका इमान्दार सिपाही श्री आर. बी. राईको पक्षमा आफ्नो बहुमूल्य मतदान गरेर गोर्खाल्याण्डप्रेमी जनताको परिचय दिनुछ । तृणमूल र भाजपाजस्ता फासिस्ट शक्तिहरूको विरुद्ध गणतान्त्रिक शक्तिलाई बलियो बनाउनुछ । बइमानलाई धेरैपल्ट सघायौँ, अब एकपल्ट इमान्दारलाई सघाएर हाम्रो असली सङ्ग्रामको सुरुवात त्यहीँ बिन्दुबाट गर्नुछ । जनताको नेतालाई जनताले नै चिन्नुछ, चुन्नुछ । अत: गोर्खाल्याण्डप्रेमी, गणतन्त्रप्रेमी सबै-सबै मतदाताहरूलाई आर. बी. राईको पक्षमा आफ्नो बहुमूल्य मत दिने विनम्र अनुरोध गरिन्छ ।

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We won't accept compulsory imposition of Bengali language" - RB Rai (CPRM)

4:00 PM

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West Bengal

LANGUAGE ISSUE: "We won't accept compulsory imposition of Bengali language" - RB Rai

Senior Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM) leader and former Member of Parliament RB Rai has come out strongly against the proposed implementation of Bengali as a compulsory languages to be taught in schools.

Speaking to the press Mr RB Rai who was one of the leading figures in the struggle for the recognition of Nepali as one of the National languages of India under the VIIIth schedule of the Indian Constitution, said "the third language should remain optional and shouldn't be made compulsory and shouldn't be forcefully implemented... Optional means the right to choose, there was talk about having a third language in schools earlier too and Hindi along with other languages were given as a choice for the third language... today they want to remove Hindi and make Bengali language mandatory... we will not accept this... no one can impose the language people don't want to learn and we oppose any such move in strongest terms."

Mr. Rai also said, "this issue should not be given a political colour, and people from various backgrounds such as Literature, Education and Society should give leadership to the movement opposing any such move... and if it is done at a political level, then a collective leadership must be formed to steer the language related protests."

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SS Ahluwalia's appointment as minister of state - opinions and reactions

12:56 PM

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SS Ahluwalia

DARJEELING 5 Jul 2016 Darjeeling MP Surendra Singh Ahluwalia’s promotion as a minister of state and induction into the Union cabinet - the first instance for a Member of Parliament from Darjeeling since Independence - has brought mixed reactions from political parties of the hills.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha welcomed Ahluwalia’s induction, saying it reflected the respect and sense of inclusiveness the BJP-led government has accorded to the people living in Darjeeling and the Dooars region. In a press statement, GJM president Bimal Gurung congratulated the Darjeeling MP and extended his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“With Ahluwalia joining the Union Cabinet, not only Darjeeling but the entire region of north Bengal will find representation at the highest policy making body of the country, and he will now be able to push for transformation of this region for the better. This also shows Modiji’s commitment towards the people of Darjeeling and we look forward to the day when all our long pending demands will be fulfilled,” Gurung said, without specifying his party’s statehood demand.

Over the years,the Darjeeling hills did have representation in both the lower and upper Houses of Parliament, mostly from the hill units of national parties such as the Congress and the CPM. This is the first time that a Darjeeling MP has been appointed as a minister of state and inducted into the Union Cabinet.

SS Ahluwalia

The All India Gorkha League (AIGL) and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) too welcomed the development but were cautious with their words. “It is a good gesture for the hills and hope it will benefit us. As for the statehood demand, only time will say what impetus Ahluwalia will bring,” said Pratap Khati, the AIGL general secretary.

NB Chhetri, central committee member of the GNLF, said, “Ahluwalia’s induction into the Union Cabinet will benefit the hills. But it will depend on what portfolio the BJP leader is given.”

The newly formed Jan Andolan Party (JAP) led by Harka Bahadur Chhetri and the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM) were critical in their observation, saying Ahluwalia’s appointment was aimed at the election in Punjab where the BJP wants to give a face. “The sole agenda of the BJP government in making

Ahluwalia a minister of state is to give a Sikh minister as this will help the party in the Punjab election. It is also a strategy to help the GJM garner votes in the next Lok Sabha election as in the recent state Assembly election, the Morcha’s vote share decreased drastically,” said the JAP chief, adding Ahluwalia’s new role would only be a hindrance to the statehood demand.

CPRM spokesperson Govind Chhetri said, “As MP, Ahluwalia has failed to deliver. And we don’t see anything better happening for the hills with him as a minister of state.” The hill Trinamool Congress said it would only comment after the BJP leader was given a portfolio.


(EOIC)

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GJM & JAP both demands Inclusion of Dooars in Kalimpong district

11:12 AM

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Trinamool Congress

Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, June 7: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the Jana Andolan Party, two principal parties in the hills, have suggested the incorporation of additional areas from the Dooars in the proposed Kalimpong district.

The proposals were made at an all-party meeting convened by Darjeeling district magistrate Anurag Srivastava here today to seek feedback on the creation of Kalimpong district and Mirik subdivision. Sipchu, Toribari, Bagracote Pathorjhora, Ellenbari,Chilauna and Samsing - the Dooars areas the Morcha wanted to be in the Kalimpong district - are part of some of the 398 mouzas the party had demanded to be brought under the GTA's jurisdiction.

Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha, said: "We support the creation of Kalimpong district, a demand we had first raised. We want areas like Sipchu, Toribari, Bagracote Pathorjhora, Ellenbari,Chilauna and Samsing (which are presently in Jalpaiguri district) to be incorporated in the new district. These areas are contiguous to the present Kalimpong subdivision."

The all-party meeting in Darjeeling on Tuesday. Picture by Suman Tamang

Giri said the Morcha wanted three subdivisions and seven blocks in the new district, and three blocks in Mirik subdivision.

Anmole Prasad, a member of the JAP's bureau, said the party had made a written submission on various aspects of the formation of the Kalimpong district. The JAP also wants parts of the Jalpaiguri district to be included in the new district.

"We want the boundaries of the new district to be redrawn so that its two sides have highways and a compact zone is created," said Prasad.

The JAP basically wants areas lying north of NH31 in Jalpaiguri district to be the southern boundary of the Kalimpong district and areas like Kalijhora, Lohapul, Suntalay and Rambi, which are along NH10 and in the Kurseong subdivision, to be the western border.

The JAP wants Kalimpong district to have three subdivisions and 10 blocks. The party demanded at the meeting that four blocks be created to make up the new Mirik subdivision.

"We also seek the formation of a committee comprising stakeholders, NGOs, experts and citizens to monitor and assist the formation of the district and the subdivision. Future meetings should be held at respective locations (Kalimpong and Mirik) to enable detailed discussions and new administrative townships should be created there to de-congest the area," said Prasad.

Representatives of parties like the GNLF, ABGL, CPRM and the Trinamul Congress also attended the meeting.

Srivastava said the parties had been asked to submit the suggestions in writing by tomorrow evening.

"An all-party meeting is usually called before the start of the process to create a new district. We have asked political parties to submit their suggestions in writing by tomorrow evening so that we can go through them and then prepare a report based on administrative feasibility. The report will be submitted to the government as early as possible," said Srivastava.

Telegraph

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Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) withdrew support to TMC

7:42 PM

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Trinamool Congress

Darjeeling 5 Apr 2016 The Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League today withdrew its support to the two Trinamool candidates from Kurseong and Darjeeling asserting the party would first hold an internal meeting and decide on the matter in the near future. However, the party has not changed its decision of supporting Jan Andolan Party candidate Harka Bahadur Chhetri in Kalimpong.

Today’s statement is in sharp contrast to what transpired on Monday when a hill TMC delegation led by Darjeeling candidate Sarada Subba and general secretary NB Khawas met ABGL president Bharati Tamang. Tamang had announced before the media that the ABGL would support the TMC as the party wanted a change in the political establishment in the hills.

Speaking today at a press conference at the ABGL party office, Tamang said, “What I said yesterday regarding support to the TMC was entirely my personal decision and I believe this was misunderstood by the media. The final take on who the ABGL will support in Kurseong and Darjeeling will be decided only after we hold a party meeting either on April 8 or 9.”

Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League Bharati Tamang

ABGL sources said Tamang may have been forced to retract her statement following pressure from senior party leaders as some of them are in favour of extending support to the candidates fielded by the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM).

Asked for his comment, hill TMC general secretary NB Khawas said, “We met the ABGL president in her house yesterday seeking her party’s support for our candidates from Kurseong and Darjeeling and she was positive in her response. As for the sudden change in her stand, we would not like to say anything as it is for the ABGL to decide on the matter.”

EOIC

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CPRM announced Assembly election candidates from three hill constituencies

9:56 AM

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Politics

Darjeeling 20 Mar 2016 The Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist today announced the names of its candidates from the three hill constituencies for the Assembly election. The CPRM, which was formed in 1996 by disgruntled CPM leaders of the Darjeeling hills, has never contested Assembly elections. The party had earlier short listed two names from each hill constituency.

CPRM president RB Rai, the former Rajya and Lok Sabha MP from Darjeeling, announced the candidates’ names after a meeting of the party’s central committee. CPRM spokesperson Govind Chhetri will contest from Darjeeling, Arun Ghatani, general secretary of the Democratic Revolutionary Youth Front (DRYF), will stand from Kurseong, while CPRM central committee member Kishore Pradhan has been fielded from Kalimpong. Until now, the CPRM had not fielded its own candidates for the state Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, partnering with or supporting candidates of other parties including that of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

While announcing the names, the CPRM president said, “Our primary agenda is a Gorkhaland state as also development and parcha-patta (land rights) of tea garden workers. However, it appears that none of the political parties have taken up this agenda in earnest, which is why we have decided to field our own candidates.”

When asked whether the party had kept the option open for an alliance despite fielding its own candidates, Rai said, “Any alliance will depend on the other parties accepting our agenda, otherwise we will go on our own.”

The CPRM came into being after most CPM leaders of the hills dissociated themselves from the parent body saying it was against the statehood demand. The party has continued to give priority to the statehood demand since then.

“The issue of our identity is of primary concern. We may or may not achieve a separate state, but we will continue to work towards achieving it under all circumstances,” Rai said.

On whether there was any plan for an alliance with the Democratic Front – the conglomeration of four political parties including the CPRM - Rai said it was an altogether separate matter. “The Front was formed with the twin objectives of a speedy trial of the Madan Tamang murder case and restoration of democracy in the hills. The issue of elections was not discussed even though some Front leaders had wanted to field consensual candidates,” he said.

The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), the All India Gorkha League (AIGL), and the Darjeeling Sikkim Ekikaran Manch (DSEM) - the other three constituents of the DF - are yet to announce their decision on the upcoming Assembly election.

(EOIC)

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2016 Elections Darjeeling hills - discussing the possibilities

8:23 AM

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Politics

2016 ELECTIONS: PERMUTATIONS AND COMBINATIONS – DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILITIES

Writes : Upendra

The Chinese have a saying, “may you live in interesting times”... it is both a blessing and a curse. Interesting times could mean, a time of widespread success or even a time of utter chaos. As far as Darjeeling is concerned, it almost feels like someone or the other wished us “interesting times.”

Elections are here folks, and Darjeeling as usual is simmering with tension under the surface. There is a curiosity about the newly formed Jan Andolan Party, and old guards of GNLF are reviving their loyalty towards “Hariyo Jhanda.”CPRM and AIGL have remained in the sidelines as the drama unfolds; Congress and CPI(M) have been more or less silent too. GJM in the meanwhile is trying to hold on to the people, and even though they have made new friends in the Terai and Dooars, some old comrades are leaving them and siding with TMC.

Since we haven’t had Panchayat elections, the only reference point we have to evaluate the political possibilities in the three hill constituencies are the data from 2014 MP elections. Much has changed on the grounds since then, however, this is the only data point we have to compare and contrast some political possibilities in the coming days.

In 2014 elections, GJM supported BJP candidate Shri. SS Ahluwalia garnered a total of 289,017 votes, where as the entire opposition had garnered 161,714 votes (including the NOTA). It is interesting to note that None of the Above (NOTA) had garnered more votes than candidates from CPI(M), Congress and Gorkha Rastriya Congress. Dr. Mahendra P Lama was then supported by CPRM, DDUDF, BGP and AIGL; and Mr. Bhaihung Bhutia of TMC was supported by GNLF.

All said and done, GJM had garnered 55% more votes than the entire opposition combined.

This means that for the opposition parties to win in the hill region, they need to come together and after that, try and get at least 60% votes swing in their favour. Despite all their flaws, GJM base is holding strong and even if there is a swing, a massive 60% swing against them is highly unlikely, at least in the upcoming elections. Also the entire Hill opposition coming together to contest elections are exceedingly improbable.

This thus, opens up a wide range of possibilities for collaborations amongst the various political entities in our hills.

THOSE ASPIRING FOR GORKHALAND
Amongst the political parties championing the cause of Gorkhaland are GJM, GNLF and CPRM. Their methods and how they aspire to achieve it are markedly different though. CPRM doesn’t believe in interim set ups like GTA, and if it was up to them, they would rather dissolve GTA and continue the struggle for Gorkhaland statehood outright. GNLF on the other hand is currently seeking Schedule VI status for the GTA region, with the eventual aim of attaining Gorkhaland.

Meanwhile GJM is running the GTA and to be honest their situation is like the classic Nepali proverb – “Khayis ta hasiya, abo hagera hyer.” For them GTA is something they cannot afford to give up for the fear of Bengal running it through various proxies, and at the same time, they have not been able to run GTA the way it was expected to function.

Indeed there are multiple reasons for improper functioning of GTA, the primary factor being the non-transfer of funds, departments and powers by the Bengal government. Add to that the haphazard and often arbitrary functioning of the party bosses, and a system of nepotism and corruption has made GTA an almost non-functional administrative body, without any real powers. This has resulted in gross disenchantment amongst the general public against the usefulness of GTA, and thus their growing anger towards GJM.

However, currently GJM still continues to strive for Gorkhaland state and that is perhaps what is keeping their base from deserting them en masse.

THOSE ASPIRING FOR DEVELOPMENT
Making a marked shift from the usual ‘Gorkha’ and ‘Gorkhaland’ rhetoric, the Jan Andolan Party is silently increasing their support base. Their focus is in ensure

Via TheDC

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GJM have betrayed Gorkhaland statehood cause - CPRM

8:30 AM

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Politics

On the occasion of its 19th foundation day, the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist, considered the second largest party in the Darjeeling hills, denounced the ruling GorkhaJanmuktiMorcha for betraying the statehood cause. The CPRM is a shoot-off of the CPM, separated over ideological differences, and was formed as a new party in 1996. Since its formation, it has been advocating for a separate state of Gorkhaland as opposed to the CPM. CPRM spokesperson GovindChhetri lambasted the BimalGurung-ledGJM for compromising the more than a century old statehood demand, and compared the ruling party with the Gorkha National Liberation Front.

“We had high hopes that the GJM would work towards achieving a separate state after the GNLF settled for a compromise and accepted a council. However, going by the GJM’s antics, it has become clear that they too have betrayed our cause for fringe benefits. We had even come together on a common forum to struggle for Gorkhaland some years ago, but that failed to yield any positive results because of the GJM’s attitude,” Chhetri alleged.

The GJM, during the height of the second round of statehood agitation in 2013, had asked all political parties of the hills rooting for a separate state to come on a common platform – the Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee (GJAC). However, differences cropped up within a short span of time, forcing the parties to take to their own paths. “The GJM, like the GNLF, has shown that they are also not sincere when it comes to the statehood demand. They (GJM) have taken a step back by accepting the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, which is a hurdle to the statehood demand,” Chhetri said. Though an off-shoot of the CPM, the CPRM has always advocated for the creation of a separate Gorkha state, reasoning it was imperative that the Gorkhas’ identity issue be settled first. “We are treated like outsiders even though there is a rich history of Gorkhas sacrificing their lives for the country. We are yet to get our just dues from both the state and central governments. Our party will continue to struggle and work for Gorkhaland even in the most adverse of conditions,” said ShekharChhetri, of the DRYF, the youth wing of the party.

CPRM leaders were united in finding fault with the CPM for the split, alleging that Kolkata was never serious or had any sincerity towards the hills or its people. 

Source: EOI

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