Raju Bista reminds Narendra Modi of Permanent Political Solution and other issue of the region

7:31 PM

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Raju Bista

JUST IN: MP RAJU BISTA MEETS WITH PM MODI TO DISCUSS VARIOUS ISSUES OF THE REGION

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista today met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss various issues concerning Darjeeling, Terai, and Dooars.

Here is the full press release from the Office of MP:

Today, I met Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji to discuss various issues concerning Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars. I thanked him for his continued guidance and unflinching support he has extended to me over the years.

I informed him about the immense love and trust people of our region, and North Bengal have towards his leadership, and told him how the people of Darjeeling LS Constituency had elected a BJP Member of Parliament for the 3rd consecutive time. I told him about how people in Bengal need BJP to get rid of TMC and their oppressive regime in the 2021 elections.

Among other things, we discussed my learnings and observations about the region and the challenges I have faced as the Member of Parliament representing one of the most prestigious seats in Eastern India.

I informed Modi ji about the sensitive Chicken Neck region and the significance of Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars from our national security perspective. I also informed him about the discrimination people here have had to face over the decades, and the absolute lack of development in the region. I apprised him about the potential of our region to become one of the most peaceful and prosperous in the nation.

In order to ensure long term peace and ushering in prosperity in the region, I have requested his intervention with regards to arriving at Permanent Political Solution as committed to in our 2019 Sankalp Patra. I also reminded him about the pending ST issue of 11 left-out Gorkha tribes and requested him to help expedite the process.

Given that majority of our people are dependent on Tea and Cinchona plantations for their livelihood, I appraised him about the rapidly declining tea industry and the need to rejuvenate the entire industry. I also requested him to ensure the protection of forest dwellers, and the culture, traditions, lifestyle, and language of indigenous communities from our region.

I informed Modi ji how Siliguri acts as a gateway to North East India and South East Asia and drew his attention to the immense potential of Siliguri to emerge as the hub of international trade, tourism and commerce. I informed Modi ji how decades of neglect have left the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Chopra and rest of North Bengal deprived of basic infrastructure and amenities; and requested for his help to transform our region.

Modi ji acknowledged the importance of peace prevailing in the Chicken Neck region and told me that the Government is equally concerned about resolving the issues of the region. On his advice, I will be taking up these issues with Hon’ble Home Minister Amit Shah ji soon.

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MP Raju Bista Presses I&B Minister for the Upgradation of Kurseong Radio station

10:06 AM

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Raju Bista

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista met Prakash Javdekar, Minister of Information and Broadcasting today regarding highlighted the issue regarding the Kurseong Radio Station and need of its upgradation. MP office has issued a press statement informig about the meeting.

Heres the full press release by Office of MP, Darjeeling.

Today, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista met with Hon’ble Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar ji to inform him about the significance of Kurseong Radio Station, and the need to upgrade the existing SW Transmitter to DRM transmitter.

On the 30th of July, 2019 a notice had been issued by Directorate General, All India Radio ordering the shutting down of 21 non-functional Short Wave transmitters, among which SW Transmitter in Kurseong was one.

Following this, staff members from AIR Kurseong had approached MP Bista through GJM Working President Shri. Lobsang Lama and had shared with him their concerns regarding the impact such an order could have on India’s only fully dedicated Nepali language AIR Station.

MP Bista informed the Hon’ble Minister that AIR Kurseong is the only radio station in the country that runs most of its program in Nepali, a language listed under the VIIIth Schedule of our constitution. MP Bista impressed upon Hon’ble Javadekar ji that while he supported the need for shutting down non-functional SW transmitters, however Kurseong’s SW Transmitter was fully functional and was providing service among the listeners from remote rural areas to listeners spread as far as Australia.

He also highlighted how shutting down of the SW transmitter will not only hamper the relay of information but given that our region is right next to China, in terms of National Security too it could pose a risk to remove the SW Transmitter without putting any alternatives in place.

He requested the Hon’ble Minister to:

• Put a stay on the shutting down of SW Transmitter in Kurseong, till the new DRM transmitter is put in place.

• Replace the existing transmitter with a new and modern 300KW DRM Transmitter, instead of merely removing the existing SW Transmitter.

• Develop Kurseong as an Earth Station, so that all the programs in Nepali language is can be created and broadcast nationally from there.

The Hon’ble Minister listened to the requests made by MP Bista and made a note of all the issues raised. He assured MP Bista that Kurseong Radio Station will continue to broadcast programs.

Reacting to the development, MP Bista said, “Since its inception in 1962, Kurseong AIR has contributed immensely to integrate the Nepali-speaking people with the rest of the nation. In our region, people consider AIR Kurseong station as part of our cultural heritage and this station has huge sentimental value and goodwill among the Nepali-speaking communities around the world. This station played a vital role in relaying information and keeping people updated during the 1962 Indo-China war. So we need to make sure that this station continues to broadcast at its full capacity.”

He added, “Because Darjeeling is a high mountain region, the reach of an FM transmitter is very limited, whereas SW transmitter helps reach all important information to the masses. Most of the people in rural Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts listen to all important information and programs, including PM Narendra Modi’s Maanki Baat using SW radio transmission. I have therefore requested Javadekar ji to replace the existing SW transmitter with a new and modern 300KW DRM Transmitter, this way AIR Kurseong will be able to reach a much wider audience internationally.”

He added, “I will do my best to work towards converting AIR Kurseong into an Earth Station, this way their programs can be broadcast via all digital platforms, and it will help our Nepali language singers, song writers, dramatists, artists, poets, story tellers and others to reach a much wider audience internationally.”

Office of Raju Bista
Member of Parliament, Darjeeling"

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Fellowship for Nepali Language Research Scholars and Artists

12:46 PM

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Raju Bista

Ministry of Culture Initiates Fellowship for Nepali Language Research Scholars and Artists

Ministry of Culture has included Nepali and Santhali languages for Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) fellowship after a delegation led by  Darjeeling MP Raju Bista met and requested for so. The delegation included the members from Assam Nepali Sahitya Sabha (ANSS). Informing about the meeting and thanking ministry about the swift action taken by Ministry of Culture, Office of MP, Darjeeling has sent out a press release. Here is the full press release:

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista and Delegation with Cultural Minister Prahlad Singh Patel

"Office of MP, Darjeeling
Press Statement, 31st July 2019

On the 18th of July 2019, the Darjeeling MP Raju Bista had led a delegation of Assam Nepali Sahitya Sabha (ANSS) members to meet with Hon’ble Prahalad Singh Patel Ji MoS (IC) for Culture and Tourism.

During the meeting with the Hon’ble Cultural Minister MP Bista highlighted how Nepali, despite being one of the National Languages of India under the VIIIth Schedule of our Constitution, had not been accorded due respect and support from the Central Government.

Among other things, MP Bista and the delegation informed the Hon’ble Minister that there was a need for support from the Ministry of Culture to our Nepali scholars and artists, and how Nepali had been kept out of the purview of languages that were receiving Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT).

Today, the Hon’ble Minister announced that the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training Fellowship will now be given to scholars and artists from Nepali language. Speaking to the Press, he said, ‘Under the Ministry of Culture there are provisions for fellowships and scholarships, a discrepancy had been brought to my notice. It had been brought to my notice that Nepali language had not been included under this fellowship and scholarship initiative. We have 22 Scheduled Languages in India, and despite English and Khasi not being a part of the Scheduled Languages Fellowships were being given to scholars in these languages, but despite Nepali and Santhali being part of the Scheduled Languages they were not included. Today, we have included both the languages (Nepali and Santhali) to be included under these Fellowships and Scholarships.”

Reacting to the development, MP Bista said, “ANSS executive members Dr. Khagen Sharma, Durga Khatiwada, Rudra Baral, and Dhaka Ram Kafley had brought to my attention some very important issues concerning the preservation and propagation of our mother tongue. Together, we had requested the Hon’ble Minister to look into our issues, Prahalad Singh Patel ji had assured us that he will take necessary action at the earliest. I am most thankful that the action has been very swift. I remain grateful to the Patel ji for this.”
MP Bista added, “We have raised many other important issues, which requires inter-Ministerial collaboration, with the Ministers concerned, and in due course of time, I will continue to follow up on the issues we have raised.” Among the issues, MP Bista is pursuing are:

1. Establishment of National Council for Promotion of Nepali Language

2. Establishment of Centre for Nepali Language Studies in Central Universities - JNU, DU, Himachal Pradesh Central University, Baba Sahab BR Ambedkar University Lucknow, Nalanda University, Visva Bharati (Santiniketan).

3. Appointment of at least two permanent Nepali language faculty members in Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIL)

4. Greater emphasis on Nepali language publication from National Book Trust

5. Establishment of dedicated Nepali Language channel in Doordarshan and All India Radio

6. Publication of Central Government Notifications and Advertisements in Nepali.

Office of Raju Bista
Member of Parliament, Darjeeling"

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Darjeeling MP Raju Bista elected as a member of the Tea Board

5:16 PM

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Tea Wage Movement

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has been elected as one of the members of the Tea Board of India. When he was asked by a journalist about his further course of action after being elected, he responded as follows:

"As you are aware the Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars along with neigbouring Assam produce some of the finest tea in the world, yet this industry is gradually dying.

Numerous gardens in our region have shut down, the tea garden workers and their families are suffering, and at the same time our tea industry is facing increasing competition internationally.

 My role will be to bring together all the stakeholders – workers, government, and industry representatives to develop a possible road map for the rights of the workers to be protected, rejuvenation of the tea industry in India, and create a healthy win-win situation for everyone.

I will be pushing for a comprehensive review of the Plantation Labours Act 1951, and implementation of the Minimum Wages Act. I am sure other members also share similar sentiments, so we will all work together to make this happen."

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