देशमा हार्‌यो, कालिम्पोङमा जित्यो - महेन्द्र पी लामा

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- महेन्द्र पी लामा

हामी छुट्टै राज्यका निम्ति संघर्षरत सबैको लागि गत केही सातामा विभिन्न अखबारहरूमा निस्केका चार–पाँचवटा समाचार अति नै चिन्ताजनक छन् । प्रथमतः १३ मेको टाइम्स अफ इन्डियामा दार्जिलिङका सांसदलाई संसद्को एक प्रमुख पब्लिक एकाउन्टस् कमिटीबाट हटाइएको खबर छापिएको छ । यस कमिटीबाट दार्जिलिङको सांसदलाई आफ्नै पार्टी भारतीय जनता पार्टीले नै हटाएको हो । यसअघि दार्जिलिङको सांसदलाई बीजेपीको उत्तरपूर्वी क्षेत्रहरूको देखरेख गर्न पदबाट पनि हटाइएको थियो ।

त्यसअघि दार्जिलिङका सांसदको नेतृत्वमा बनिएको जमिन उपलब्धि अधिग्रहण विषय संसद्को संयुक्त समितिको अवधि बढाइएपछि पनि कुनै ठोस रिपोर्ट नै प्रस्तुत गर्नु नसक्दा एनडीए सरकारले जमिन अधिग्रहण जस्तो महत्त्वपूर्ण मामलामा हार मात्रै नमानेर संसद्मा यसको परिचर्चा नै बन्द गर्‌यो । प्रश्नै–प्रश्न उठ्छ यहाँ ? एकपटक गोजुमुमोले ‘हामीले पठाएको सांसद केन्द्रीय मन्त्री' हुन्छ भन्थ्यो अहिले ऊ सांसदलाई नै आफ्नै पार्टीले यस्तो हालत बनाएपछि, दार्जिलिङमा आएर २८ दिनमै भोट जितेर गएको सांसदले संसद्मा छुट्टै राज्यको नामसमेत पनि उच्चारण गर्न सक्ला ? अब तीन वर्ष छ ।

दार्जिलिङका मानिसहरूले भूमिपुत्र र जातिको चिनारीसमेतलाई गलहत्याएर पठाएको सांसदले खोइ केन्द्रीय विश्वविद्यालय ल्याएको स्मार्ट सिटी खोइ ? दार्जिलिङलाई उत्तरपूर्वी क्षेत्रको काउन्सिलमा हालेको खोइ ? चिया कमानमा मानिसहरू बेसहारा भई भोकभोकै मर्दा पनि सांसद कहाँ छन्, सांसदलाई दार्जिलिङ ल्याएर जिताउने पार्टी कहाँ छन् ? पञ्चायत व्यवस्था के भो ?

महेन्द्र पी लामा

दोस्रो खबर, १३ मईको टाइम्स अफ इन्डियामा नै यत्रो ठूलो छापिएको थियो । बिहारको समस्तीपुरमा राजेन्द्रप्रसाद कृषकीय विश्वविद्यालय स्थापना गर्ने बिललाई लोकसभा र राज्य सभामा एकै दिनमा पारित मात्रै नगरिएर त्यही दिन राष्ट्रपतिले पनि स्वीकृति दिए । संसदीय इतिहासमा यो एउटा नौलो घटना थियो । अर्थात् सरकारले चाहेको खण्डमा विश्वविद्यालयको बिल एकै दिनमा पनि पारित गरिन सकिनेरहेछ हाम्रो सांसदले चाहिँ के गर्दैछ ? गोजामुमोले तीन–तीनवटा बजेटमा विश्वविद्यालयको घोषणा गरिनेछ भनी चारैपट्टि ढोल पिट्यो । डीपीआर बनाउनलाई लाखौँ रुपैयाँ खर्च गर्‌यो ।

मङपुमा आफ्नो हक अधिकार नहुँदानहुँदै पनि विश्वविद्यालयको निम्ति जमिन देखाइ टोप्लयो । तर विश्वविद्यालयको नमोनिशान छैन । विश्वविद्यालयलाई केन्द्रले दिँदा न डीपीआर चाहिन्छ, न बजेटमा घोषणा गर्नुपर्छ, न पहिल्यैबाट जमिन देखाउनुपर्छ । हामीले बारम्बार यी सत्य कुरा भन्दै आएका छौँ । केन्द्रीय विश्वविद्यालयको निम्ति संसद्मा सरकारले बिल मात्रै ल्याउनुपर्छ, अहिले बिहारको कृषि विश्वविद्यालय झैँ । सो बिल सरकारले ल्याउनुपर्छ, सांसदले ल्याउनुपर्छ ।

खोइ हाम्रो सांसद, खोइ हाम्रो बिल ? एउटा केन्द्रीय विश्वविद्यालयसम्म त ल्याउन नसक्ने सरकार सांसद र गोजुमुमोले छुट्टै राज्यलाई त ‘आकाशको फल आँखा तरी मर' नै बनाइदियो । भोट दिने जनता किन चुप छ ? एक दिन खाएर पाँच वर्ष भोकै बस्नु नै रुचाएको हो कि कुन्नि कहाँबाट हुत्तिएर आएको मान्छेलाई सांसद बनाउने हाम्रो जनताले ?

तेस्रो, रहेका सबै गोर्खा जातिका जातिलाई जानजातिको सूचीमा गाभ्ने जमर्को चल्दैछ । दोहोरी र फेद न टुंगैबिना ‘हाई लेभल' कमिटी केन्द्र सरकारले बनायो भनेर फेरि नाच्यो गोजुमुमोका भाइ भतिजाहरू । एकपटक मुखैमा, आँखाको अगाडि नै र गोर्खे छातीकै सामुने ‘बंग भंग हो बेना' भन्दा पनि यसरी नै अर्थनव्यर्थमा नाचेका थिए यिनीहरू र नाचेका नाचेकै छन् आज पनि । चुनावको अगाडि एनडीए सरकारले एउटा ‘संयुक्त सचिव' स्तरको कमिटी गोर्खाका जातलाई अनुसूचित जनजातिको सूचीमा हाल्नलाई विचार–विमर्शको निम्ति गठन गर्‌यो । यसलाई गोर्खाल्यान्डभन्दा ठूलो उपलब्धि हो भन्नेहरू पनि छन् ।

नोकरशाहीको सबैभन्दा तलका अधिकारीको नेतृत्वमा कमिटी गठन गर्दा मान्छे किन रमाएको ? सचिवस्तरमा, राजनीतिक स्तरमा वा विशेषज्ञ र न्यायाधीशको स्तरमा यो कमिटी बनिनुपर्ने थियो । यो केको ‘उच्चस्तरीय' ? पुङ न पुच्छरमा किन रमाउनु ? यो कमिटीको टर्मस् अफ रेफरेन्स खोइ ? जनजातिको सूचीमा हाल्न पाँचवटा खुड्किला चढ्नुपर्छ । तेस्रो खुड्किलो पुगिसकेको मागलाई फेरि यो कमिटी बनाएर प्रथम खुड्किलोमा किन झार्‌यो ? हिजोअस्ति जनजातिको माग प्रधानमन्त्रीको टेबुलमा छ र प्रधानमन्त्री विदेशबाट फर्किनासाथ पास हुन्छ भन्नेहरू कहाँ छन् आज ?

केही गर्नुपर्दैन । आसामका ६ जाति कोच–राजवंशी, मुतिया, ताई अहोम, मोरान र मुटोकलाई एनडीएका प्रधानमन्त्रीले लोकसभा चुनाव जितेको खण्डमा ६ महिनाभित्र नै जनजातिको सूचीमा हाल्छु भनेर आश्वासन दिएको दुई वर्ष भयो । भर्खरै भएको विधानसभाको चुनावअघि नै हाल्छौँ भनेर सात सदस्यीय कमिटी पनि बनायो, तर केही भएन । दार्जिलिङको सांसद र गोजमुमोले गोर्खाल्यान्ड झैँ यसलाई २०१७ को जीटीएको चुनाव र २०१५ को लोसभा चुनावको मुद्दा बनाउने नै छ । कारण यी दुवैमा यी दुई मुद्दाहरूलाई पार लगाउने न क्षमता छ, न लगनशीलता, न त इमानदारीता नै छ ।-

चौथो गत १५ मईमा टेलिग्राफ खबर कागजमा हामीले भन्दै आएको कुरोलाई नागाल्यान्ड सरकारले लैजान सुरु गरेको खबर छापियो । जापान सरकारले नागाल्यान्डबाट १५ हजार प्रशिक्षित नर्सहरूलाई जापान लगेर त्यहाँका बूढापाकाहरूका हेरचाह गर्नमा रोजगारका निम्ति निम्तो दिने । जापान र विश्वका विकसित राष्ट्रहरू अमेरिका, जर्मनी, फ्रान्स, इङल्यान्ड, क्यानडा आदिमा बूढापाकाहरूको संख्या अति बढी मात्रामा भएकाले चारैतिरबाट नर्सहरू लगेर जाँदैछन् । जापानमा भने बूढापाकाले हजारौँ रुपैयाँ तलब दिएर फिलिपिन्सबाट नर्सहरू ल्याउँछन् । कोरिया–चीन आदि राष्ट्रबाट ऐतिहासिक कारणले जापान नर्सहरू रुचाउँदैन ।

हामीले दार्जिलिङको कुना–कुनामा लोकसभा चुनावको समय दार्जिलिङबाट हजारौँ नर्सहरू जापान र अन्य राष्ट्रहरूमा पठाउने प्रस्तावना र कार्यक्रम अघि ल्याएका थियौँ । हामीले भनेका थियौँ– नर्स ट्रेनिङ स्कुल र केन्द्रहरूमा हाम्रा चेलीबेटीलाई भर्ना गरी, विदेशी भाषाजस्तै जापानिज सिकाएर, यी विदेशी सरकारसँग सम्झौता गरी, हाम्रै दार्जिलिङ र सिक्किम क्षेत्रका हजारौँको संख्यामा विदेश पठाउन प्रबन्ध मिलाउँछौँ भनेर । चुनाव हारेपछि पनि धेरै ठाउँहरूमा यस्तो प्रस्ताव राख्यौँ । म आफैँ जापानका विश्वविद्यालयहरूमा पढाउँदा र त्यहाँका उच्च अधिकारीहरूसँग कुराकानी गर्दा यसमा सहमति सबैले जनाउँथे । संस्कृति, रूप, रङ, लवाइखुवाइ आदिमा हाम्रा ठिटीहरू जापानसँग घतलाग्दो प्रकारले मिल्छन् । तर कसैले यो कुरो अघि बढाएन ।

गत ६ महिनामा उत्तरपूर्वी क्षेत्रका उच्च अधिकारी र राजनीतिक नेताहरूकहाँ विभिन्न कार्यक्रममा मैले यो प्रस्ताव राखेँ । आश्चर्यजनक कुरो, भारत सरकारका उद्योग वाणिज्य मन्त्रालयका अधिकारीहरू र उत्तरपूर्वी दुई राज्यका मुख्यमन्त्रीहरूले यो सुझावलाई टिपेर आज कार्यान्वयन पनि गरेकाले नै, नागा ठिटीहरू र खसिया ठिटीहरू नर्स भएर जापान जाने तरखरमा छन् । जीटीएले यस्तो कुरो सोच्न पनि सक्तैन ? सांसदलाई अत्तोपत्तो छैन हाम्रा ठिटीहरू र उनीहरूका परिवारले झेलेका पिरमर्काबारे । अनि नै दुःखलाग्दो कुरो हो, फोहोरमैला, दुःख–पीडा र अन्धकार भविष्यमा लादिएर पनि जनता ब्युँझिँदैनन् । यो ज्वालामुखी कहिले फुट्ने ? भित्रभित्रै लामाहरू खरानी भएपछि फुटेर पनि ज्वाला ननिस्केला एक दिन ।

पाँचौँ सिक्किमको एउटा नेताले सिक्किमे नेपाली हो, अरू गोर्खा हो, जो नेपालबाट आएर यहाँ बसोवास गरेका हुन् भन्ने एउटा खबर २२ मेमा छापिएपछि सर्वत्र भयानक हिसाबले भत्र्सना गरियो । गोर्खाहरूचाहिँ भारतीय सेनामा भर्ना भएर आएपछि देशको विभिन्न कुनामा बसोवास सुरु गरे ।

यिनी नेताले यस्तो खतरनाक भाषण दिएकोमा आफैँ लज्जित हुनुपर्ने हो । आफ्नो ज्ञानको सीमिततामाथि आफैँ घोत्लिनुपर्ने हो । तर लज्जित हुने नेता होइनन् यिनी किनकि यिनले आफ्नो नेतागिरीको दौरान भारतीय गोर्खा जातिको विरोधमा अनगिन्ती काम गरेका छन् । समयले यी सब जातिविरोधी कामलाई उजागर मात्रै नगरेर, भावी पुस्ताले धिक्कार्ने छन् ।

पाँचवटा प्रश्न राखौँ है त ? गोर्खा जातिलाई जातजातमा सिक्किम टुक्रा कसले पार्‌यो र पछि त्यही हावा सिक्किमदेखि बाहिर कसले बहायो ? के पश्चिम बंगालका मुख्यमन्त्रीले जातिगत बोर्ड बनाई गोर्खाहरूको गढ दार्जिलिङमा वीभत्स वातावरण जन्माउनुमा सिक्किमको हावाले प्रभाव पारेन होला ? भारतीय गोर्खाहरूका चिनारीको माग गोर्खाल्यान्डको एउटा प्रमुख हतियार दार्जिलिङ सिक्किमको राष्ट्रिय माग बन्द गर्ने प्रथालाई भारतको सर्वोच्च न्यायालयमा लडेको मुद्दामा करोडौँ खर्च गरी यसलाई गैरकानुनी घोषणा गर्नु कसले लगायो र पछि मागको यो दाहिने हात नै काटेपछि सहानुभूति देखाउँदै, सिक्किम विधान सभामा पुङ न पुच्छरको गोर्खाल्यान्डलाई सघाउने प्रस्ताव किन पास गर्‌यो ? त्यहाँको नेता भएको २२ वर्षमा भारत सरकार र कुनै उच्च आयोगलाई भारतीय गोर्खाहरूका चिनारी अस्तित्व र मागबारे कुन एउटा ठोस ज्ञापन दिएको छ, देखाउन सक्छ ?

सन् २००५ मा इन्डिया टुडेले गरेको दिल्लीको मुख्यमन्त्रीहरूको कन्क्लेभमा यिनी नेताले गोर्खाल्यान्डमाथि बोल्न किन मानेनन् ? सिक्किमबाट पठाएका गोर्खा नेपाली भाषा सांसदहरूले यिनी नेताले छत्रछायामा, छुट्टै राज्य त के भारतीय गोर्खाहरूले भोगेका पिरमर्का उत्पीडनमा किन प्रश्न उठाउँदैनन् र उठाएनन् ? फेरि त्यही सिक्किमबाटै गएकी सांसद सदस्यले कसरी नेपाली भाषा मान्यताको लागि लडिन् र तिनताकका नेपाली भाषी मुख्यमन्त्रीले कसरी भारतीय नेपाली राष्ट्रिय परिसंघ स्थापना गरेर गोर्खाहरूको निम्ति त्यतिविघ्न कार्यहरू गरे ? सन् २००३–२०१६ सम्म पनि भारतीय गोर्खा जातिमा रहेका तामाङ र लिम्बू जातका अनुसूचित जनजातिका सिक्किम विधानसभामा किन सिट आरक्षणको लागि यिनले लडेन र आज चारैतिर विरोध सुरु भएपछि किन लड्ने चासो देखाउँदैछ ? २००८ मा सिक्किम आएको डिलिमेटेसन कमिसनलाई यिनी नेताले के भनेर लट्पटाए ? अति नै भयानक र चिन्ताजनक यी कार्यले भारतीय गोर्खाहरूलाई सधैँ झक्झकाइरहनेछ ।

कालिम्पोङमा गोजुमुमोको जित भयो तर यो पार्टी र यसको मुद्दा देशमा धेरैपटक हार्‌यो । ... जित्ने सम्भावना नै छैन ।

तर फेरि जित्नु भनेको लड्डु बाँडेर कन्ट्रयाक्ट बाँडेर, सरकारले जनतालाई दिएको विकासको कोस आफू, भाइभतिजा, दलाल, संगिनीबीच बाँडचुँड गर्नु मात्रै होइन । जित्नु भनेको जाति, क्षेत्र विकासको लागि केही पाउनु हो, छुट्टै राज्य ल्याउनु हो । टक्कर दिनु हो । भूतको छाया भएर टक्कर दिन सक्तैन । विधान सभा र संसद्मा छायाको खेल हुँदैन, पैसाले जिताएको सदस्यको मोल हुँदैन । कहीँ न कहीँ, केही न केही कुरोमा झुक्याएर पठाएको सदस्यले आफ्नो रङ देखाइदिइहाल्छ । र नै देशमा जित्नुपर्छ, कालिम्पोङमा होइन । समुद्रमा पौडी खेल्नु पर्छ, खोल्सामा होइन ।


Via: Annapurna Post

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Mamata may appoint Harka Bahadur Chettri a Hill Minister

1:45 PM

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TMC

Defeated but in race for berths

The Mamata Banerjee government is likely to find some key positions for heavyweight ministers who became casualties in the poll fray. According to a source, the chief minister is weighing her options to position at least five former MLAs – Manish Gupta, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Upen Biswas, Shankar Chakraborty and Harka Bahadur Chetri.

They could be anointed head of state-run corporations, or could be put in specially created advisory posts in the departments they had headed before. Gupta had the power portfolio; Biswas backward classes; Chandrima law and health and Chakraborty PWD.

Chettri, who was backed by Trinamool in his fight against his former party GJM in Kalimpong, lost by a margin of 11,000 but is also likely to get a key post. “The chief minister doesn’t want to break the continuity. These former ministers have gained experience in running key portfolios and the chief minister wants to put that to use,” a senior leader explained. According to him, the chief minister believes that Gupta, Chandrima and Biswas have done commendable work and their experience is irreplaceable.

Harka Bahadur Chettri likely to become a Hill Minister

Harka, who has already met the CM after the results, has lent weight to Trinamool efforts to unshackle the GJM stranglehold in the Hills. The party has made some credible inroads in Kalimpong, Kurseong and even in Darjeeling.

Via: TNN

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JAP scores more votes in municipal areas than GJM in Kalimpong

8:44 AM

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Kalimpong Municipality

RAJEEV RAVIDAS

Kalimpong, May 20: The newly-formed Jana Andolan Party lost the Kalimpong Assembly seat to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha but it bagged 12 per cent more votes than its rival in the municipal areas.

In the Kalimpong civic area, JAP got 12,065 votes against the Morcha's 9,295 out of the total 23,591 votes cast. It means JAP secured around 51 per cent votes, while the Morcha got about 39 per cent. Around 10 per cent votes went to others, including NOTA.

Of the 23 Kalimpong municipality wards, JAP led in 19.

Party president Harka Bahadur Chhetri said the performance was encouraging and JAP would have formed the civic board had the municipal polls been held now. "We won in the municipal area. We will continue to pursue our political agenda and contest all coming elections," he said.

 JAP president Harka Bahadur Chhetri 

Asked if JAP would contest in Darjeeling and Kurseong, he replied in affirmative.

Morcha president Bimal Gurung, however, said his party would have won all 23 wards in Kaimpong if there was a civic poll. "MLA elections, MP elections, panchayat elections and municipality elections are different from each other. I will decide what work is to be done and which candidate has to be fielded in the municipal polls. I will work on it in the coming days. I am confident of winning all 23 wards," he said.

The Kalimpong civic body is run by the Morcha with all 23 wards in its kitty. The next municipal elections are due in December.

Telegraph

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Gorkha Janmukti Morcha poll winning margin down by 50%

8:31 AM

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result

Writes Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, May 20: In a span of five years, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's winning margin has come down by more than 50 per cent but the party says its not unduly worried.

"Whether we win by one vote or by one lakh votes, an election win is a win," said Morcha president Bimal Gurung.

The three Morcha candidates, Amar Singh Rai from Darjeeling, Rohit Sharma from Kurseong and Sarita Rai from Kalimpong, definitely won their seats by more than one vote, but five year backs, the party had won each seat by one-lakh margin.

In 2011, Trilok Dewan of the Morcha led GNLF's Bhim Subba in Darjeeling by 1,0,655 votes. Dewan had polled 1,20,532 votes against the GNLF's 13,977. In Kalimpong, Harka Bahadur Chhetri of the Morcha had polled 1,09,102 votes, while his nearest rival, Prakash Dahal of the GNLF, could garner 7,427 votes.

Bimal Gurung

The situation was slightly better for the GNLF in Kurseong, with Pemu Chhetri polling 21,201 votes. But even this could not save her from forfeiting her deposit of Rs 10,000. Rohit Sharma of the Morcha had polled 1, 14,297 votes.

This year, the Morcha won Darjeeling by 49,913 votes, Kurseong by 33,726 votes and Kalimpong by 11, 431 votes.

The victory margin dropped by nearly 90 per cent in Kalimpong. "This is not 2011 and anti-incumbency has definitely come into play," said a Morcha leader.

Right from 2014 Lok Sabha election, consolidation of opposition votes had started. In the Parliament elections, the GNLF had joined hands with the Trinamul Congress similar to this year, and Mahendra P. Lama, who is now with the Jana Andolan Party, was also in the fray.

In 2014, the anti-Morcha votes were 52,629 in Darjeeling, 42,788 in Kalimpong and 62,473 in Kurseong, taking the total number in the hills to 1,57,890. This year, the total anti-Morcha votes cast in the three Assembly segments was 1,94,699. The votes cast in favour of Morcha in the three seats, this year, was 2,50,026.

"This year, we had to brave everything, right from consolidation of opposition votes to support from development boards and then the use of district demand for Kalimpong against us. In the coming elections, these calculations will not hold true as election equations will be different," said Gurung.

He said: "We will, however, do all that is needed to address the grievances of the public even if that means making changes in the leadership."

The Morcha will have to face the civic polls later this year and the all-important GTA elections in July next year. "Four issues were instrumental in bringing the victory margin down. While anti-incumbency factor is one reason, the other reasons were formation of development boards, consolidation of opposition votes and the district issue in Kalimpong," said an observer.

Telegraph

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GJM Sarita Rai defeated JAP Harka Bahadur Chhetri in Kalimpong by over 11,000 votes

9:19 AM

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Sarita Rai

Kalimpong, May 19: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha candidate Sarita Rai defeated Harka Bahadur Chhetri in Kalimpong today by over 11,000 votes, leading to a clean sweep by the Darjeeling hills' most powerful party.

But the loss of Chhetri, the sitting MLA of Kalimpong who had broken from the Morcha and floated the Jana Andolan Party (JAP), gives rise to a fear that the new Trinamul government could put in abeyance its previous decision to form a separate Kalimpong district, a plank on which the JAP had fought the elections with support from Trinamul.

Morcha chief Bimal Gurung, whose party won Darjeeling and Kurseong as well, today surprisingly extended an olive branch to Mamata Banerjee soon after the results were declared and said that differences should be set aside and they must work together.

Gurung's relations with Mamata are currently at an all-time low and Mamata had fully extended support to Harka during the Assembly election.

GJM Sarita Rai Won by 11217 vote at ‪‎Kalimpong‬ Constituency

The outgoing government, while announcing the decision to form a Kalimpong district last December, had explicitly said that its decision was influenced by Chhetri, who had quit the Morcha and raised the district issue.

Chhetri today said his loss indicated that the people of Kalimpong were not in favour of the district, but he will render all possible help to the new MLA in realising the objective as it is for the good of the people of Kalimpong.

"Now it is the responsibility of the new MLA because I am no longer in that place...Whatever effort needs to be made from my side, I will definitely do that. But, unfortunately, the people of Kalimpong have decided otherwise. They feel the district is not important to them. However, if the new MLA wants my help at any point in time, I will definitely extend that help because it is for the betterment of the people of Kalimpong," he said.

Asked if he was hopeful that the new Trinamul government would act on the decision taken by the party's previous government, Chhetri put the onus on the chief minister. "It is up to the will of the honourable chief minister. It has the cabinet committee approval. I think it should be taken forward," he said.

Telegraph

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Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Win is a Mandate for Hill Unity

9:02 AM

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TMC

Darjeeling, Kalmpong and Kurseong 19th May 2016 The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has won all the three seats from the three constituencies in the hills, defeating the allied forces of the Jan Andolan Party, the Trinamool Congress and the Gorkha National Liberation Front. However, the victory margin was a far cry from what the party had achieved in the 2011 Assembly election.

- Amar Singh Rai, the GJM candidate from Darjeeling, polled 95,386 votes to defeat his closest rival Saradha Subba of the TMC by a margin of 49,913 votes, with her polling 45,473.

- In Kurseong, GJM candidate and former MLA Rohit Sharma got 86,947 votes as against 53,221 polled by TMC candidate Shanta Chhetri, with the win margin standing at 33,726 votes.

- Kalimpong witnessed a close fight between GJM candidate Sarita Rai and JAP president Harka Bahadur Chhetri, with the former garnering 67,693 and the latter 56,262 votes. Rai managed to win by a margin of 11,431 votes.

Thursday evening saw euphoric scenes in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong as GJM supporters who had gathered near the counting centres started singing and dancing after the results were announced. In Darjeeling, GJM supporters burst firecrackers and distributed sweets. In Kalimpong, GJM president Bimal Gurung walked nearly 2km from the counting centre to Dambar Chowk distributing sweets, and in Kurseong, GJM supporters gathered at the railway station to celebrate and savour the moment of victory.

Bimal Gurung after  Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has won all the three seats from the three constituencies in the hills

The GJM welcomed the victory but party leaders appeared a bit thoughtful with the margin of win as in the previous election, each party candidate had won resoundingly over their rivals, by at least 1 lakh votes. The GJM president though reacted realistically to the outcome saying there were several things to be addressed. “We were confident about our victory as the people are with us. A win is a win nonetheless irrespective of the margin. However, we will definitely identify our lapses and mend them,” said Gurung in Kalimpong.

The GJM chief also congratulated TMC chief Mamata Banerjee for retaining power and expressed hope that the two sides could work together for the welfare of the hill people. Meanwhile, Chhetri, the JAP candidate and party president, expressed optimism at the outcome. “In such a short span of time we have received good response from the people. We could have fared better had the election been conducted fairly. However, our party was not formed for elections and as such we will continue to work for the people,” Chhetri said, adding his party would contest all elections in the hills henceforth.

Amar Singh Rai said, “We respect the decision of the people but we have observed that votes in favour of the opposition have increased in comparison to previous polls.” Political observers said the lower victory margin for the GJM was the outcome of several factors and it has cast a shadow on the GJM even in victory. “Overall, the GJM’s vote bank was affected by the formation of the community development boards and the TMC-JAP- GNLF alliance. In Kalimpong, the JAP played the separate district card to their advantage and managed to snatch votes,” an observer said.


Via: ECOI

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Gorkha candidates who won Assembly Election 2016

9:45 PM

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West Bengal

Assembly Election 2016 have elected 2 gorkha MLAs from Assam and 3 from West Bengal Assemblies. Following are the Gorkha candidates who won Assembly Election 2016. MLA Bhaskar Sharma and Ganesh Limbu Lunga from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are two new first time Gorkha Member of Legislative Assembly. They replace heavy weight Congress leaders Pradyut Bordoloi and Tanka Bahadur Rai from Margherita and Barchalla Sonitpur constituencies of Assam.

Ganesh Limbu (BJP) from Barchalla Constituency of Assam
Congratulations to Ganesh Limbu of BJP for winning from Borsala constituency by a huge margin of 23682 votes. Now Assam Assembly have 2 Gorkha MLAs.Tanka Bahadur Rai for Indian National Congress got 30230 vots from the constituency.

Bhaskar Sharma (BJP) from Margherita Constituenc Assam
Bhaskar Sharma for winning from Margherita constituency ‪‎Assam‬ by a huge margin of 22744 votes. The second highest number of votes was obtained by Pradyut Bordoloi for Indian National Congress.

Amar Rai Gorkha Janamukti Morcha Darjeeling Constituenc West Bengal
Amar Rai, Darjeeling Municipal Chairman, secured  95386  votes and won by 49913 votes in Darjeeling where TMC Sarad Rai Subba got 45473 votes.

Gorkha candidates who won Assembly Election 2016

Sarita Rai Gorkha Janamukti Morcha Kalimpong Constituency West Bengal
GJM‬ candidate Sarita Rai with 67693 votes Won by 11431 vote at ‪Kalimpong‬ Constituency where she had to face a tough fight from former MLA Dr Harka Bahadur Chettri Jan Andolan Party (JAP) with around 56262 votes.

Dr. Rohit Sharma Gorkha Janamukti Morcha Kurseong Constituency West Bengal
Dr. Rohit Sharma was able to retain his Legislative Assembly seat. Dr Sharma got over 86947 and comfortably won by 33726 votes. Shanta Chhetri for All India Trinamool

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Gorkha Janamukti Morcha Wins all 3 Hill Constituencies in Assembly Election 2016

3:15 PM

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Trinamool Congress

19th May 2016 Gorkha Janamukti Morcha has won all three Hill Constituencies, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong in Assembly Election 2016.‎ Morcha candidates Amar Rai won from Darjeeling Dr Rohit Sharma won from Kurseong and Sarita Rai from Kalimpong.

Amar Rai, Darjeeling Municipal Chairman, secured  95386  votes and won by 49913 votes in Darjeeling where TMC Sarad Rai Subba got 45473 votes.

GJM‬ candidate Sarita Rai with 67693 votes Won by 11431 vote at ‪Kalimpong‬ Constituency where she had to face a tough fight from former MLA Dr Harka Bahadur Chettri Jan Andolan Party ( JAP) with around 56262 votes.

Similarly, In Kurseong  Dr. Rohit Sharma was able to retain his Legislative Assembly seat. Dr Sharma got over 86947 and comfortably won by 33726 votes. Shanta Chhetri for All India Trinamool Congress got around 53221 votes from the constituency.

 GJM candidates Amar Rai won from Darjeeling, Dr Rohit Sharma won from Kurseong and Sarita Rai from Kalimpong.

With GJM winning in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong, Congress is winning in Matigara, Phansidewa and Islampur and CPI(M) winning in Siliguri there is no trace of TMC in Darjeeling District.

The tie up of GJM & BJP secured the alliance a total of seven seats in West Bengal, the best so far for BJP in the state. While BJP won Kharagpur and Baisnabnagar, its alliance with GJM sealed the victory in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Kalchini and Madarihat.

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Gurung (GJM) - Harka (JAP) both confident on wining in Kalimpong Assembly Election

9:25 AM

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result

Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, May 17: Bimal Gurung will be in Kalimpong, the home turf of hill rival Harka Bahadur Chhetri, on May 19 when the votes will be counted and Bengal's fate be made known.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha did not explain Gurung's move to leave for Kalimpong today and stay put till the counting is done, but sources in the hills said the focus on Chhetri's backyard betrayed Gurung's unease regarding the Kalimpong seat from where his one-time party colleague is contesting.

Gurung and Chhetri had a public falling out after which the Kalimpong-based leader floated the Jan Andolan Party (JAP) that allied with Trinamul for the elections.

Sources in the Morcha, however, said Gurung who had earlier said that he "would dance at Motor Stand (in Kalimpong) on the counting day" suggesting that his party's victory was certain, was still confident about the party's performance.

Today, Gurung took a circuitous route to reach Kalimpong. "He left for Mirik and attended a prayer meet for B.K. Rai, a central committee leader of the Morcha and a former DGHC councillor from Mirik, who died recently. Gurung headed for Kalimpong late in the afternoon," said a source.

From the left Harka Bahadur Chhetri and Bimal Gurung 

After visiting Mirik, 35km from Darjeeling, Gurung returned to Jorebunglow and then he took the Peshok Road to go to Kalimpong, covering a total distance of around 110km.

The distance between Darjeeling and Kalimpong is around 45km.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri accompanied Gurung to Mirik and returned to Darjeeling from there.

"The fact that Gurung will be in Kalimpong, instead of Darjeeling, on the counting day indicates that the Morcha has been uneasy about the JAP," an observer said.

In the 2011 Assembly elections, Chhetri, who was then the Morcha candidate from Kalimpong, had won by a margin of over 1 lakh votes.

This time Chhetri, who quit the Morcha in September last year and floated the JAP, is contesting against Morcha's Sarita Rai in Kalimpong.

Going by the crowds that the JAP leader has attracted during the campaign, the contest could be a close call.

Sources said the Morcha leadership has accepted that the party's winning margin will come down drastically this time. "Our internal estimates suggest a winning margin of around 15,000 votes," said a hill party leader.

A Morcha source mentioned Gurung's promise to dance at the Kalimpong Motor Stand and said: "That is why he left for Kalimpong."

According to Morcha sources, Gurung has "strictly" told all elected GTA Sabha members not to leave their respective constituencies on the counting day.

"He has issued an express directive to all elected GTA Sabha members not to leave their constituencies," said a party leader who could not, however, explain the thought behind the directive.

The newly-formed JAP, which is facing the nine-year-old Morcha in its stronghold, also sounded confident of a victory.

"We are confident of winning Kalimpong," said Amar Lama, a bureau member of the JAP.

Chhetri's party is certain that their success in Kalimpong would have a cascading affect in expanding their strength in Kurseong and Darjeeling subdivisions - two areas where the JAP has not made any significant inroads so far.


Via Telegraph

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Ace Gorkha Shooter Mr. Sisir Rai from Gitdabling Kalimpong‬

12:37 PM

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sports news

Writes: Rupesh Tamang

Ace Shooter Mr. Sisir Rai from Gitdabling Kalimpong‬ is a Gorkha achiever who despite all odds have excelled in his field. While the whole nation is celebrating the success of Jitu Rai, there are those whose names are yet to catch the popular fancy. Mr. Sisir Rai is one such sportsperson who has stood against all odds and kept his passion for shooting as well as the Gorkha name flying high.

This is his story.
Name: Sisir Rai
Father: Sh. Dil Bahadur Rai,
Mother: Smt Harka Maya Rai,
Wife: Smt. Leena Rai (married in 1997)
Daughters: Nivedita Rai-15 yrs and Sanjina Rai, 6 yrs.
Permanent Address: Village Pochak, PO Gitdabling, PS Kalimpong, Darjeeling (WB),
Present Address: New Police Lines, Kingsway Camp, New Delhi-09.

Academic Qualifications
Primary School: Govt. primary School, Pochak.
Matriculation: Sita Ram Junior Memorial School, Gitdabling
Higher Secondary: St. Georges Higher Secondary School, Pedong
B. Sc : Kalimpong Govt. College.

Ace Gorkha Shooter Mr. Sisir Rai from Gitdabling Kalimpong‬

Mr. Sisir Rai was an excellent sportsperson right from his childhood days; however it was during his NCC days that his knack for shooting and natural talent in the same came to the fore. Perhaps it was his love for Shooting that drove him to join Delhi Police as a constable in 1997, that same year he got married to his sweetheart. It has been 19 years since he joined the Delhi Police and in 2007 he was promoted as the Head Constable.

After joining the Delhi Police, he made his mark in shooting and in 2001 was made a part of the Delhi Police Central Shooting team. In the first year i.e. 2001 of his shooting career, he participated with his team (Central team of Delhi Police) in Delhi State shooting Championship and succeeded to prove his capability when he won one Gold and one Silver medal in .22 prone free rifle.

He also participated in All India Police Games and All India G.V. Mavlankar Shooting Championship (Big Bore) at Phillaur, Punjab in .38 revolver and 303 Rifle.

But such is the life of a policemen, he was transferred to North West District from the Central Team, however he gave in his best and he performed various law & order duties assigned to him during his tenure in the District. During his posting in North-West District, he did Post-Graduation in Computer Science from Allahabad University.

His passion for shooting brought him to fore and in the year 2007, he was once again selected for Delhi Police Shooting Team.

Since 2007, he participated with his team in all events/ tournaments/championships and in every events/ tournaments/ championships he succeeded in winning numerous medals for his team.
Some of his best performances include wining:

2 GOLD: 59th National Shooting Championship (Big Bore) 2016, Team
GOLD: 58th National Shooting Championship (Big Bore) 2015, Team
GOLD: 58th National Shooting Championship (Big Bore) 2014, Team
GOLD: 23rd All India G.V. Mavlankar shooting Championship (Big Bore) 2014, Individual
GOLD: 7th All India Police Shooting Sports Championship 2013, Team
GOLD: 32nd North Zone Shooting Championship, .22 prone 2012, Individual
GOLD: XXVIII Delhi State Shooting Championship, 10mtr Air Rifle 2012, Individual

HIS STRUGGLES 
Every success they say is measured in 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, despite his knack and natural talent for Shooting, life as a Shoooter wasn’t easy for Mr. Rai. He states, “I was transferred on a regular basis from one unit to another, so it was difficult to pursue my shooting career… moreover, we don’t have basic training facilities like coaching, shooting range, rifle, pistols, ammunition, even target papers for that matter.”

Despite these drawbacks, Mr. Rai has continued to persevere. He managed to buy his own shooting rifles and pistols from his own salary to improve his capabilities.

Such is his passion that in the year 2012, he managed to import a shooting rifle from Germany at the cost of Rs 225,000 all of which he paid from his own savings. He also prepared a 10 mtr air pistol/rifle shooting range in his room and continued to practice in his spare time.

However life is not easy for Mr. Rai as the cost of ammunition are very high and he could not afford to import sufficient ammunition for training and he could only import them for competitions. As such proper shooting kits are crucial for a shooter to perform at his best, but without any financial support from the authorities, Mr. Rai has not been able to afford the best quality shooting kits as they are very expensive.

Despite all the hardships and financial constraints, Mr. Rai has continued to perform to the best of his abilities and won numerous Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for his team.

When asked to comment on his struggles, Mr. Rai says, “Shooting was my dream from childhood and I could achieve the same after joining Delhi Police. I want to continue my shooting career and want to represent for my country at International level and prove my capability to win gold medal for my country.”

Currently, Mr. Rai is coaching his daughter Nivedita Rai in pistol shooting and proudly states, “she has improved herself and got a chance to participate in Delhi State inter School Shooting championship, Open Delhi State Shooting championship in the year 2015. She also qualified for All India Inter School Shooting championship and Sports Crafts shooting Championship.”

We are hopeful that the Delhi Police, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, Bengal Government and Sports Ministry will come forward and extend financial support to Mr. Sisir Rai and his prodigiously talented daughter, so that they can make the entire nation proud by winning Gold at international tournaments.

If any of our readers want to financially support Mr. Rai and his daughter Nivedita, we’d request you to contact them at:
Phone: 8588855997
Email: sisirrai64@gmail.com

Via TheDC

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GTA Casual workers threaten agitation over regularization issue

12:48 PM

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kurseong

Darjeeling 12 May 2016 Casual workers employed in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) today threatened to start an agitation next month to pursue their long-pending demand for regularization.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-affiliated Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan (JAKS), today held a ‘pratanidhi sabha’ or a representatives’ meeting and passed a resolution to take up the regularisation issue as also to demand a raise to their salary once the Assembly results are out.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, JAKS general secretary Kishan Gurung said, “We have waited a long time on year after year of government assurances, but nothing concrete has materialised. Our members are frustrated now. We have given the state government a deadline till June of this year to address our demand; otherwise we will take to the streets.”

Today’s meeting was attended by representatives of 42 units, from Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik, Bijanbari and Tukdah. The GTA presently employs 5,300 workers on temporary basis. These workers were earlier employed under the now-defunct Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council on meagre remunerations.

Deepak Sharma and Kisan Gurung - spokesman for the Jamukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan - a file photo

After a series of agitations between 2008 and 2011, the then state government had assured to employ 2,372 workers on permanent basis, but that promise has failed to see the light of day. “We will write to the new government about our demand and the resolution we passed today,” Gurung said.

The GJM too, has taken up the regularisation issue in many rounds of bipartite and tripartite talks with the state and central governments as the matter finds mention in the GTA agreement and act.

Further, the JAKS wants the state government to include in practicality the group A and B employees under the enhanced pay structure. Presently, the state government has implemented a pay-band structure with a ceiling for the casual workers. In March this year, the state government enhanced the salary of the workers, but only group C and D workers have benefited. “Only C and D group workers’ salaries have increased and not of the A and B grades even though they are included under the enhanced pay structure as per the state government order,” pointed out Machendra Subba, the JAKS president.

After the enhancement, group C and D workers are getting Rs 22,500 and Rs12,000, respectively per month. Prior to that, the amounts were Rs 8,500 and Rs 6,500, respectively. Meantime, engineers, doctors, high school teachers and managers, who come under the A and B groups, get paid anywhere between Rs 13,500 and Rs 26,000.

Another resolution the casual workers discussed and passed was on the interference in the independent functioning of the GTA. The JAKS has demanded changes in the GTA agreement and act to negate unnecessary meddling by the state government on issues already transferred to the GTA so as to ensure its autonomy in the true sense of the word.

(EOIC)

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Kalimpong Half Marathon 2016

5:39 PM

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sports news

Kalimpong Half Marathon 2016 was flagged off from Pedong by Mr. Dawa Lepcha, Sabhasaad and Mrs. Sarita Rai (MLA contestant from Kalimpong) at 7am. The finishing line of KHM was Kalimpong Mela Ground. Out of 100 registered runners only 94 runners turned up in the start line. 12 runners ran KHM without registration. Within the cut off time of 3hrs, 96 runners completed KHM.

Among boys Ajay Chettri came first in 1hr 13mins and 35secs, Rupen Chettri came second in 1hr 15mins 30sec and Praveen Chettri came third in1hr 17mins 9sec. All the winners ae from 2 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (BODYGURARD) and currently posted in 17th Mile, Algarah. All the winners are the residents of Darjeeling Districts.

Among Girls Dichen Sherpa from Pagang Gumpa School, Algarah came first in 1hr 52 mins 4 sec, Anjana Acharya came second in 1hr 54mins 33sec and Babita Acharya came third in 1hr 55mins 19sec. Anjana and Babita are sisters and both are the students of Gagotri School.

Winner of Kalimpong Half Marathon 2016

Winners were given medals, certificates and tshirt of Run with Roshni with slogan, ‘WE ARE GORKHAS AND PROUND TO BE INDIANS’ by the Chief Guest Mr. Amlan Ghosh, ASP Kalimpong, who was welcomed by the band of Kalimpong Girls HS School. All the registered runners, who completed the KHM within the cut off time of 3hrs were given medals and timing certificate by the designated Guests- Mr. Nabin Poudyel, Principal of Pedong Degree College, Capt Prakashmani Pradhan, Principal of Rockvale Academy, Mr. Dendup T. Bhutia, President of Kalimpong Sports Association and Mr. Nardhoj Rai, Father of Roshni Rai.

Mr. Piyush Shah came to participate in KHM, all the way from Ahmedabad driving his Alto Car. Mr. Shah has run 100 marathon i.e. 42km in 200 days. He has also run 24hrs on treadmill. It was an honour for the youngsters of Kalimpong to see him running KHM.
Mr. Roop Betala, Mrs. Manasi Samudra, Cdr. Sunil Handa, Mrs. Ritu Handa came from Mumbai to participate in KHM.

Lt. Col. Shri Krishna and Mr. Shireesh Anjal came from Bangalore.
It was very inspiring to see Dr. Ashok Pratap Singh, DFO ( IFS) Siliguri and Mr. GR Santosh, (IFS) Director, Forest Training Centre, Dowhill, Kurseong completing KHM.
The entire logistics of Kalimpong Half Marathon 2016 at the finish line in Kalimpong Half Marathon was managed by the teachers and students of SUMI School, under the leadership of Mr. Ganesh Dahal. KHM was a grand success with the support of entire public, different organisations, associations and schools from Pedong to Kalimpong.

Following are the main vision of Run with Roshni Foudation ;
1. to eliminate the identity crisis faced by Nepali speaking Indian in their own motherland.
2. Bringing awareness among Indians, how the Nepali speaking people are Indians.
3. To bring awareness all over India that Nepali is a recognized language under the Constitution of India and it is one of the languages mentioned in the Indian currency.

If our Gorkha runners get Gold Medal from Olympic Marathon, we will get the support of International medias to fulfill the above visions. Now by getting the winners of KHM from Army, we are confident to realise our vision very soon.

‘Run with Roshni’ is a mission to eliminate the identity Crisis faced by Nepali-Speaking Indians in their motherland, with or without Gorkhaland. Roshni is not an individual. Roshni means “enlightenment”. It is a mission for the enlightenment and empowerment. Our mission is to enlighten people, who do not know, how Nepali-Speaking people are Indian and to empower Gorkhas in India. Gorkhas, who can climb any mountain, will now run for their empowerment.

Darjeeling has received enough number of her sons with the tricolour on their chest; now she will start receiving her sons with the tricolour on their shoulders. Martyr returns home with the tricolour on their chest, whereas sportspersons return with tricolour on their shoulders.


Team Run with Roshni.

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Jan Andolan Party cannot demand three-tier panchayat system in the hills - GJM

12:17 PM

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Roshan Giri

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today asserted that the Jan Andolan Party does not have the general mandate to take up the demand for a three-tier panchayat system in the hills as the matter is already under discussion between the GJM and concerned authorities in Delhi.

The GJM was reacting to JAP president Harka Bahadur Chhetri’s call to all political parties in the hills, including the GJM, to take forward the demand. On April 21, the JAP called an all-party meeting in Kalimpong to discuss the demand for a three-tier panchayat system, but the meet failed to yield the desired results. Another meeting is scheduled on April 29.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri today said he was aware of the all-party meeting called by the JAP but refused to participate. “We know the JAP has called an all-party meeting later this month and we are also invited. However, we will not attend the meeting because the JAP, which was formed recently, does not have the people’s mandate to initiate such programmes,” he claimed.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri and Harka in the past

Another contention of the GJM is that the matter of implementing a three-tier panchayat system in the hills has already been taken up by the party with the state and central governments. “We have taken up the issue in all the bipartite and tripartite meetings held so far and it is also mentioned in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration agreement and act,” Giri said.

According to the GJM general secretary, the Centre is in favour of implementing a three-tier panchayat system in the hills, but the state government is trying to skirt discussions on the matter. “We have not had a panchayat election since 2005 and the rural populace of the hills is suffering due to this. Delhi is in favour of such a system though, and we believe a constitutional amendment is required to have the system implemented in the hills. Sadly though, the state government is not serious about the issue and has not sent representatives to the tripartite meetings and this has kept the matter on hold,” Giri alleged.

During the tenure of the now defunct Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, a two-tier panchayat system was put in place in the hills as a Mahakuma Parishad was established in Siliguri sub-division of Darjeeling district. However, Subash Ghisingh and his Gorkha National Liberation Front opposed the two-tier system and allowed only the gram panchayats to function. But here too, no election has been held.

Reacting to the GJM’s refusal to attend the all-party meeting, JAP general secretary Nayan Pradhan said, “We have invited all political parties including the GJM, but it is not our problem if someone doesn’t want to attend. Our objective is to try and solve the problems being faced by the rural population because of the absence of a panchayat system in the hills.”

The April 21 meeting was attended by the Trinamool Congress, the CPM, the Congress and the Gorkha Rashtriya Congress.



Source EOI

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JAP GJM clash at Lava Kalimpong, 4 injuries, 2 HospitalIzed

9:50 AM

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Kalimpong

Writes Mukesh Sharma

Kalimpong 18th April: Kalimpong which overall witnessed a peaceful polls till 6.pm on 17th April Sunday reported a Clash among JAP and GJM party supporter at Lava around 33 kms away from main Kalimpong town.

The Clash which took place around 10 pm between two party have resulted in 4 injuries which were rushed to Kalimpong Sun divisional hospital around 2 informed Hospital authority.

Three GJM activist namely Rajesh Sherpa, Santosh Rai and Sandeep Sherpa while Deepan Tamang of JAP have been admitted with multiple injuries.

After the incident GJM party has lodged FIR against 22 JAP activist while JAP activist Pasa Tamang has lodged FIR against 8 GJM activist along with other.

Pasa Tamang of JAP have alleged Morcha of pelting stone and Bricks in his home after which they entered the home and injured his Wife with a Sharp Weapon JAP party president Dr Harka Bahadur Chhetri have said that while the whole election process have gone peace full but after election our party cadre have been receiving threats all over.  He said now the time have gone of one party domination here. We have come for a change in our political environment which we will continue even we loose or win this election.

Meanwhile C P Poudhyal GTA Councillor of Lava constituency have alleged JAP party of playing foul. He said our cadre have been beaten up by sharp weapons by their supporter. We have lodged a complain against 22 of Jap cadre . He demanded quick arrest of the Culprit .

Via kalimpongnewsexpress

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TMC demands re-poll in eight booths in Darjeeling Assembly constituency

9:28 AM

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Trinamool Congress

TMC for re-poll in eight booths

Writes Rajeev Ravidas and Vivek Chhetri

April 18: The Trinamul Congress in the hills today alleged that there was widespread rigging at eight booths in Darjeeling Assembly constituency and demanded re-poll in all of them.

N.B. Khawash, the general secretary, Trinamul (hills), said: "We want re-poll at eight booths. We have received complaints that there was widespread rigging in the booths. Moreover, two Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters were arrested while casting false votes at a booth in Singamari."

The ruling party today wrote to the district election officer (Darjeeling district magistrate) seeking the re-poll.

District magistrate Anurag Srivastava said the scrutiny of the EVMs had been held this morning in the presence of the candidates or their representatives. "I was also present. But none raised the allegation of rigging. The re-poll can be ordered only by the election observer," he said.

In another development, traffic in Kalimpong town came to a grinding halt for an hour this morning when some polling officials staged a road blockade at Thanadara. They were protesting against the authorities' alleged failure to provide them with vehicles to return home after overseeing the polling.

About 80 polling officials blocked the road.

A senior election officer, however, said some of the polling officials did not want to make a late night journey and stayed back on their own.

The protesters were finally given vehicles to go home.


Via Telegraph

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Voting day ends in Darjeeling, three poll-related arrests

9:17 AM

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kurseong

Darjeeling 17 Apr 2016 Amid allegations and counter allegations by candidates notwithstanding, the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly election in the three constituencies of Darjeeling district today ended by and large peacefully, with voter turnout recorded at 69 per cent by five in the evening.

Darjeeling SP Amit Javalgi said three poll-related arrests were made from across the hills during the course of the day. “In Darjeeling, two alleged GJM supporters were arrested for casting double votes and a case has been started against them. While in Kalimpong, a man was arrested for selling liquor,” he said.

The overall turnout in the six Assembly Constituencies of the district was recorded at 74 per cent when voting ended. The six constituencies comprise Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Kurseong in the hills, and Matigara-Naxalbari, Siliguri and Phansidewa in the plains.

In the hills, voters were seen queued up outside polling booths from early in the morning even as the weather remained cloudy and chilly throughout the day. Central forces personnel manned the booths to ensure voters got to exercise their franchise freely and without any kind of intimidation.

Even so, candidates of the five parties in the fray, namely of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Trinamool Congress, Jan Andolan Party, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist and Gorkha Rastriya Congress, didn’t stop from accusing one another of rigging and intimidation although there were no reports of violence anywhere.

JAP candidate Harka Bahadur Chhetri, who cast his vote at Chandraloke Junior Basic School in Kalimpong, complained about GJM activists intimidating voters outside polling booths even as he maintained he was confident of winning. “They (GJM) have lost the people’s faith and are resorting to intimidation. I am confident the majority of votes will be cast for me,” he said.

Shanta Chhetri of the TMC and Govind Chhetri of the CPRM, who cast their votes at Kurseong College in Kurseong and Hindi Himachal School in Darjeeling, respectively voiced similar allegations. “GJM agents were asking voters to vote for their party’s candidates. I will complain to the election commission about this. However, this (election) is a court and voters are the judges, and I am sure they will make the correct decision by voting for me,” said Govind Chhetri.

Meanwhile, Amar Singh Rai, the GJM candidate from Darjeeling, said he was satisfied with the voting process and sounded confident of an outright win by the Morcha. “There were two incidents where TMC polling agents tried to enter booths they were not assigned to. I apprised the returning officer about this. Other than that, polling went off well and I am satisfied. I am getting reports from our party members in Kalimpong and Kurseong that our candidates are doing well,” he said.

GJM president Bimal Gurung, who cast his vote early in the morning at the Patleybas Community Hall booth, said, “Voting went off peacefully and in a disciplined manner and I am satisfied. I am 100 per cent certain that we will win not only in the hills, but also in the Terai and Dooars regions.”

According to a report by the district election commission, overall polling stood at 74 percentage points by 5pm, and of the 89 complaints received, 83 had been disposed of while the remaining six were in the process. “Several complaints were received from the participating parties and most were redressed,” informed Darjeeling district magistrate Anurag Srivastava, who is also the District Election Officer.

(EOIC)

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Gurung, Harka both confident of winning on voting day

8:55 AM

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kurseong

Writes Vivek Chhetri and Rajeev Ravidas

Darjeeling, April 17: Bimal Gurung cast his vote at Patlaybash Community Hall in booth number 23/95 here today but the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader's mind was two hillocks away in Kalimpong.

Dressed in a blue tracksuit, Gurung voted around 9.30am and during his interaction with the media and supporters, he said: "The results will be good. I am confident that we will do well not just in Kalimpong but in all the constituencies where we have fielded candidates ... Harka will be politically finished when the results will be announced."

The Morcha has fielded candidates in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong and in Islampur and Chopra in the plains. It is supporting BJP candidates in Kalchini, Madarihat, Nagrakata and Kumargram.

Gurung, Harka both confident of winning on voting day

MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri, who quit the Morcha in September and floated the Jana Andolan Party (JAP), is contesting against Morcha's Sarita Rai in Kalimpong.

In 2011, Chhetri had won the seat on a Morcha ticket.

"In the urban area of Kalimpong, about 30 per cent of voters might not be with us and in the rural area about 20 per cent. But otherwise, we are still strong. A few people might have gone against us but there is nothing much to worry," said Gurung.

Going by the crowds that Harka attracted during his campaigns, the Kalimpong contest seems to be a close call.

JAP bureau member Amar Lama said: "The feedback (we got) suggests we have an upper hand in Kalimpong. This could be the beginning of the end for the Morcha. We had polling agents in all booths ."

There are 261 polling stations in Kalimpong, 317 in Darjeeling and 290 in Kurseong.

A Morcha worker was heard telling his friends in the Darjeeling party office: "I think we are doing well in Kalimpong. There are reports that the button against our candidate's name is more soiled in many booths of Kalimpong."

In Kalimpong, Chhetri voted at Chandrloke Primary School around 7.15am today.

Talking to reporters, the JAP president said: "I will definitely win. People who have seen my work and those who have lost faith in the Morcha will vote for me. Despite the Morcha distributing money (to lure voters), I will win. Bimal Gurung will definitely taste defeat for the first time.

Gurung said the charges were false.

Kalimpong's Morcha candidate Rai, who voted at Pedong today, said: "I believe that my win is certain. Once that is achieved, we will work for the development of Kalimpong."

At 5pm, the voting per cent was 69 in Kalimpong, 66.1 in Darjeeling and 71 in Kurseong.

In Darjeeling, Trinamul's Sharda Rai Subba said: "We had polling agents in 90 per cent of the booths. Where we did n't, false votes were cast."


Via Telegraph

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Darjeeling demanding Gorkhaland - Story of every election in West Bengal

6:34 PM

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West Bengal

Why Gorkhaland is still a hot issue in Darjeeling when azadi from West Bengal is a non-starter

Delhi and Kolkata have both effectively shut the door on a separate hill state for the Nepali-speaking district.

It is the story of every election in West Bengal: Darjeeling demanding Gorkhaland, a separate hill state, partitioned from the plains of Bengal. And it is the same as it votes on Sunday in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Political demands are always contested, but it is true that the Darjeeling region was never politically a part of Bengal in any form. It was annexed by the British Raj in 1850, taken from an exceedingly weak Sikkim, a princely state itself annexed by India in 1975. Bundled into the Bengal presidency by the British, Darjeeling has remained in Bengal even after 1947. This is even after the 1955 States Reorganisation Committee had successfully arranged Indian states according to language. Nepali-speaking Darjeeling district, therefore, is an incongruous part of Bangla-speaking West Bengal.

Darjeeling demanding Gorkhaland

Amar Singh Rai, the Darjeeling constituency candidate for the Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha is clear that the demand for Gorkhaland is based on ethnic identity. “We want a homeland for ourselves ­–­ for our own identity,” he said. “Although we are bona fide Indian citizens, we are still called ‘Nepali’. To get rid of the stigma we feel it’s essential that we have our own state.”

Popular demand
The Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha is the largest party in Darjeeling and it campaigns on almost a single-point agenda: the creation of a Gorkhaland state. The popularity of the Gorkhaland demand can be seen from the fact that in the 2011 Assembly elections, the GJM picked up 79% of all votes caste across the three constituencies in Darjeeling district. In Darjeeling town, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), widely seen as a Bengali party in the hills, received all of 3.5% of the votes cast.

Rai alleges that there is ethnic discrimination at play here, with the hills being ignored by the Kolkta's Bengali rulers. “Gorkhaland is a right of self-determination for us since West Bengal is oblivious to us,” Rai charged. “They don’t care about the tea industry or the rights of the tea garden workers.”

Support for Gorkhaland is starkly visible across Darjeeling town. Stores invariably list their address as “Gorkhaland” rather than the “West Bengal” it officially is.

Anup Chhetri sells winter wear in the busy Chowk Bazar area of Darjeeling town and is clear in his support for a new state. “We who live here need to decide what will happen with our land,” he argued. “How can people sitting in Kolkata or Delhi decide things about our home?”

Pie in the sky
In spite of this fervour, the Gorkhaland demand is now widely seen as a pipe dream. The demand has existed in some form or the other for a century now, culminating in a violent agitation in the 1980s led by the Gorkha National Liberation Front. The agitation led to the creation of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, a local government body to which the state government transferred some administrative powers. A 2007 agitation led by a new party and current incumbent, the Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha, led to the formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, with its powers expanded vis-à-vis the earlier Hill Council.

The revenue from the tea and tourism industry, though, means that Kolkata is extremely reluctant to let go of Darjeeling completely. And while the final decision to create a new state rests with the Union government – and not West Bengal – given the tiny population of Darjeeling, no ruling party in Delhi would wish to antagonise Kolkata. The political trade-off in terms of support from Darjeeling is simply too small.

Cracks in Gorkhaland
Recognising this ground politics at play, critics of the all-or-nothing demand for Gorkhaland have also emerged. From the Kalimpong constituency, the Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha is being opposed by Harka Bahadur Chettri, who broke away from the GJM in 2015, complaining that their voluble demand for Gorkhaland was simply a ploy to garner votes and one that was actually harming the development of the region.

This is not the only dissension at play. During her term as chief minister, Mamata Banerjee created multiple “development boards” aimed at specific minority ethnicities, other than the majority Gorkhas ­– a move that Amar Singh Rai angrily characterised as a “policy of divide and rule”. In the past five years, Kolkata has formed six boards for the Lepcha, Tamang, Rai, Sherpa, Bhutia and Mangar communities. Even the Trinamool candidate from Siliguri town, another Gorkha-Bengali contested space, is a Bhutia – India’s best-know footballer, Baichung Bhutia.

These ground realities mean that no matter the fervour on the ground and its use as a vote catcher, the creation of an actual Gorkha state seems quite unlikely.


Via scroll.in

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Demand for Gorkhaland: Ethnic politics still key cards in Darjeeling

5:28 PM

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West Bengal

Writes: Amitava Banerjee

Political debate in the Queen of the Hills this election season continues to revolve around ethnic issues.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), a BJP ally piggybacking on the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state, has significant sway in north Bengal’s Darjeeling Hills, which include Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong constituencies.
The demand for Gorkhaland gained prominence in 1986 when Subash Ghising and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) spearheaded a 28-month violent agitation that left 1,200 people dead. Bimal Gurung, a dissident GNLF leader, later floated the GJM and seized power in 2008.

Ever since, even national parties have been unable to sidestep this ethnic brand of politics.

However, it has been a balancing act for the BJP. Careful not to alienate the rest of the state, it has shied from using the word “Gorkhaland” but included the phrase “sympathetically examine the long pending demand of the Gorkhas” in its manifesto.
Mamata Banerjee, on the other hand, is projecting herself as an antagonist of the new-state demand.

She set up boards for the “all-round development” of various communities. Lepcha, Tamang, Sherpa, Bhutia, Rai, Limboo and Mangar hill communities already have such boards, while others are in the pipeline.

“If the GTA (Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, an administrative setup with all 45 elected members owing allegiance to the GJM) would have done its job sincerely, there would be no need for development boards. Development boards are the demand of the people,” said Banerjee.

Not to miss out on the opportunity, the GJM too has promised similar boards under the GTA, and the BJP is banking on the promise to include 10 Gorkha communities and the Dhimal community in the Scheduled Tribes list.

Harka Bahadur Chettri, the sitting Kalimpong MLA who severed ties with the GJM and floated the Jan Andolan Party (JAP), is gnawing into the GJM support base in Kalimpong with the promise to upgrade the sub-division into a district.

When Gurung accused the JAP and the TMC of being “anti-Gorkhas”, the JAP responded by drafting the West Bengal Reorganization Bill 2016 for the formation of a separate state under Article 3 of the Constitution and dared the BJP to pass it in Parliament.


via: The Hindustan Times

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First party (ABGL) formed for a separate state no longer features on Darjeeling’s political map

9:13 AM

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TMC

In house of man who started Gorkhaland stir, a family united by 3 political parties.

"The first ever party formed to fight for a separate state of Gorkhaland (ABGL was formed in 1943 by Damber Singh Gurung) no longer features on Darjeeling’s political map."

The Tamang family in Darjeeling is unique, at least politically. While Bharti Tamang, wife of late Madan Tamang heads the Akhil Bhartiya Gorkha League (ABGL), son Sanyog Tamang is with the ruling Trinamool Congress. Madan’s brother, Amar Lama, on the other hand, is backing Kalimpong MLA Dr Harka Bahadur Chettri’s Jan Andolan Party (JAP).

Bharti (69), who stays at Rhododendron — a bungalow surrounded by bushes of bright fuschia azaleas — in the town, is fielding only two candidates, both in Dooars. Her husband, former ABGL chief Madan Tamang was murdered in broad daylight in May 2010 allegedly by workers of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) headed by Bimal Gurung.

Slain ABGL leader Madan Tamang’s son Sanyog and wife Bharti at their residence in Darjeeling on Sunday. While Sanyog is a TMC member, Bharti heads ABGL. Madan’s brother is backing Jan Andolan Party.Express photo by Partha Paul.

“We are supporting Jan Andolan Party in Kalimpong and therefore, have not fielded candidates from there. We have also decided not to field candidates in Darjeeling and Kurseong,” Bharti said, not giving a reason why.

Her 35-year-old son, Sanyog Tamang, was hopeful of bagging the ruling party ticket for Darjeeling, but was passed over. “In this family, different members belong to different parties. My mother heads ABGL, I am with Trinamool and my uncle is with JAP,” he said.

The first ever party formed to fight for a separate state of Gorkhaland (ABGL was formed in 1943 by Damber Singh Gurung) no longer features on Darjeeling’s political map.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Bharti said: “But they all came and sought my blessings… We support everyone except the GJM.”

The family alleged that despite warrants issued on court orders for the 13 named in Madan’s murder, no arrests have yet been made in the case.

In the 2011 Assembly polls, riding on sympathy wave at Madan Tamang’s murder, ABGL had fielded candidates in three main hill constituencies but lost all. “The ABGL could have won then. It needed to strike the iron while it was still hot. But it did not manage to capitalize on the situation. Now, it is no longer politically important,” said a political analyst.

But Sanyog claimed a number of anomalies determined the 2011 results. “We came to know later that there were many polling booths where votes weren’t even counted. We knew we had the support of the people, but in the face of rigging, of course my mother would lose,” he said.

On a rocking chair in Rhododendron’s conservatory, where Madan Tamang would usually sit, a sketched portrait of his is kept. A shelf holds a framed certificate that says he was a member of the National Geographic Society. “Most people knew my husband as a politician. But more than a politician, who would not compromise on Gorkhaland, he was a naturalist,” said Bharti.

The couple would supply and export seeds of rohododendrons and work for hours — with no employed gardener — on the estate plantation. Now, the Tamangs have shut down the seed business. Also, shut is the tea estate they ran in Meghma — while half of the estate fell Indian side, the other fell in Nepal.

Via indianexpress

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