Didi attains Tamang Development and Cultural Board Annual Convention

10:28 PM

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Tamang Development Council

The Tamang Development and Cultural Board celebrated its first Annual Convention today in Darjeeling. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee was horned  as the chief guest of the event. The banner of the event read "TD&CB and the entire Tamang community of the hills Welcome our hon'bel chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee" 

 Tamang Development and Cultural Board Annual Convention

Later Mamata Banerjee on a social media wrote:

"The lovely Tamang people of the hills had invited me to be present in the Annual Convention today in Darjeeling.

The convention celebrated the first anniversary of Tamang Development and Cultural Board, which our Government had set up in January last year. The New Year celebration ‘Lochaar’ was also held.
I was very happy to watch the brightly attired little children and young brothers and sisters performing an excellent colourful cultural programme including the famous traditional Tamang dance, "Dumphoo".
We are assisting the Tamang Board with various development and cultural activities including housing for their people.
It is our earnest endeavour that all the people of the hills prosper and be happy.
My best wishes to all of them. I really love my Darjeeling brothers and sisters.
We are always with them and will be with them."

The Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee handed over a cheque worth Rs 5 crores to Tamang Development and Cultural Board (TDCB) Chairman Sanjay Moktan in a program organized at Lebong stadium.

Ms. Banerjee was attending the Foundation Day celebrations of TDCB, which was announced in January last year, an started functioning from June 2014.

Speaking at the occasion Ms. Banerjee said, "Last year we had given 5 crores, we are giving another 5 crores, use it for developing the community... in a transparent manner.. help the poor people in your community."

The proverbial 'Development Board' chickens have come home to roost and can open up a Pandora's box full of political quicksands that can gobble up TMC whole.

Now the Sara Bharat Matua Mahasangha - one of the most well organized minority community organizations in Bengal is now demanding the formation of a 'Development Board' for the socioeconomic development of the community in Bengal.

Will Bengal be able to afford "Development Boards" for all of them?

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Lack of transparency in Tamang Development and Cultural Board

10:45 AM

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Tamang Youth Association

Darjeeling, Oct. 16: A member of the Tamang Development and Cultural Board’s general council has alleged lack of transparency in the functioning of chairperson Sanjay Moktan, whose appointment was announced by Mamata Banerjee at a public meeting here.

Today, general council member Sanyog Tamang, called a news conference at his house here and said they did not know that a fixed deposit account had been opened in a bank in the name of the board. He alleged that some members of Tamang community were collecting subscriptions in the name of the board.

“Since the formation of the board, the chairperson, Sanjay Moktan is working in a non-transparent manner. Not a single meeting of the general council of the TDCB has been called till date. The general council members do not know who proposed and decided to open a bank account for the board,” said Sanyog , the son of ABGL leader Madan Tamang who was murdered here in 2010. “I have heard from reliable sources that the board has made a fixed deposit of Rs 5 crore for a period of three months. The general council has not been informed about the decision,” Sanyog said.

Mamata Banerjee had announced the Tamang Development and Cultural Board earlier this year at a public meeting and she had said Moktan would be its chairperson.

The board was formed on July 16, 2014 and it has been granted Rs 5 crore to build houses for community members.

“We have heard that the board has already started distributing houses but the general council is not aware of the development. We have also heard that the board has employed 10 staff members but we are not aware where the office is located,” Sanyog said.

He also alleged that Rs 200 was being collected by a section of people from the community from each person to avail himself of the facilities. “The board is for all the members of the Tamang community. Why should anyone pay subscription for its facilities?”

Sanyog added that Moktan was using a car with a nameplate of the Tamang board for personal use. “He is moving around in a vehicle carrying a nameplate of the board. It is being used for school duty (for family members) and shopping,” said the member.

The general council of the board has 14 members (apart from three ex-officio members) and Sanyog said at least seven of them were not happy with chairperson Moktan. “In the coming days, we will decide our course of action.”

The board also has a 10-member executive committee of which Sanyog is not a member.

Moktan refuted all allegations. “The decision to open a bank account and start the process of identifying houses to be built were taken by the executive council which held a meeting on September 26.”

Asked about the Rs 5 crore fixed deposit in the name of the board, Moktan said: “We cannot disclose certain decisions taken by the executive council. The onus to prove the allegations lies with the person who raised the allegation.”

Moktan said the government had not yet given him an official vehicle. “We do not have an office at the moment and we have written to the government for staff members. We are operating from an office of the Tamang Youth Association (a community-based social organisation). The board was registered a month ago and we are in the initial stage.”

Moktan also denied the allegation of people collecting subscription and said the board has decided to call a meeting on October 22. Sanyog said the meeting was being called as Moktan had got to know that others were dissatisfied.

Source: Telegraph

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Tamang Development and Cultural Board announced by Mamata Banerjee

2:17 PM

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Tamang Development Council

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced the formation of Tamang Development and Cultural Board at a public meeting in Darjeeling’s Chowrasta

Lauding the developmental work done by Lepcha Development Board, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the setting up of Tamang Welfare and Cultural Board in Darjeeling on Thursday. Addressing a public gathering in Darjeeling, she announced an additional Rs. 20-crore grant to Lepcha Development Board and Rs. 10-crore grant to Tamang Development and Cultural Board.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced the formation of Tamang Development
 and Cultural Board

The announcement at the first public meeting of the Chief Minister after her party lost the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) alliance is significant. Her attempt to set up Lepcha Development Board was met with criticism by the GJM who had described the development as an attempt to create division among the people of the hills.

She also announced that the son of slain Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League leader Madan Tamang, as one of the member of Tamag Welfare and Cultural Board. The family members of Mr. Tamang have alleged that senior GJM leaders were involved in his murder in broad daylight.

“I want your trust, I want your faith…. I am not doing development for your votes,” the Chief Minister said. Ms. Banerjee also said that she has approached the Centre for conferring tribal status on the 11 communities from the region. “We have written to the new Central government to confer tribal status on 11 communities of the hills,” she said.

During her address delivered in Hindi, she made references to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the regional autonomous council, which is run by the GJM, and said both the GTA and the State government will help in the development of hills.

“There will be politics but one should not bring politics into development,” the Chief Minister said, adding that she will meet the representatives of the GTA and local MLAs on Friday.

Referring to the Rs. 250-crore safari park-cum-zoo in Sukna near Siliguri, Ms. Banerjee said the upcoming project will play a big role in boosting tourism in the region. She said the 261-acre safari park will house several animals, including tigers, leopards, rhinos, and a variety of reptiles and birds.

On the issue of the closed tea gardens, the Chief Minister said that the Centre should come up with a package. She claimed that her government has decided to pay Rs. 1,500 to the workers of the closed tea gardens and assured that the workers will be provided jobs under the 100-day-work guarantee scheme.

Reacting to the formation of Tamang Board, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said: “The state government is indulging in divisive politics here. They want to divide the Gorkhas and rule. But they will not be successful.” Incidentally, one of the board members is Sanjog Tamang, son of slain Gorkha League leader Madan Tamang. Madan’s murder case is being investigated by the CBI while several senior Morcha leaders, including Giri, had figured in the FIR as “conspirators”.

The meeting, or the “administrative programme”, was organised by Darjeeling district administration, and both the GJM and its wing GTA had claimed that they “did not receive any official invitation” to attend the programme.

Mamata, however, informed that her officers did go to invite GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung but were told that he was “busy with his birthday celebration programmes”. “(Upon learning) I wished him on his 50th birthday,” the CM said.


Later in the day, a Morcha delegation, led by Giri and MLAs Trilok Dewan and Rohit Sharma, held a meeting with chief secretary Sanjay Mitra where it was decided that a GTA delegation led by chief executive Bimal Gurung will remain present at the administrative review meeting today. Mamata will hold the meeting at 2 pm.

Source: thehindu and mumbaitv

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After the Tamangs Mamata Refuses to Meet Lepcha Representatives

8:00 PM

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Tamang Development Council

After snubbing the representatives from the Tamang Youth faction which had declared allegiance to TMC before the elections, by not meeting them at all on Friday. It was the turn of the ILTA representatives to bear the burnt of Mamata's ire.

Lepchas with TMC candidate Bhaichung during LS election campaign

Yesterday a high level delegation of Lepchas had arrived in the morning to meet the West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee at Mongpong. However, they were kept waiting all day, and they eventually had to leave dejected in the evening without getting a chance to meet the Chief Minister.

Speaking to the press the ILTA Youth Wing Secretary Dorjee Lepcha tried to downplay the incidence and said, "we had come to give a courteous visit to the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and after waiting for many hours, we were informed that since she had come to rest she would not be meeting anyone."

However earlier in the day Mamata Banerjee had in fact met local people regarding and discussed some problems and issues the locals were facing.

Political observers in Darjeeling see this as a reminder to everyone associated with TMC in the hills that they are replaceable. Speaking to TheDC a senior political observer from Kalimpong said, "It was bound to be, after all TMC gained much less votes in the hills than they had been told they would gain... and that impression to TMC that they would gain over 2 Lakh vote from the hills were given by the very same leaders from the Lepcha and Tamang communities, whom Mamata refused to meet..."

Clarifying further he said, "No one likes to be lied to, least of all Mamata Banerjee who has a reputation for being straight forward... she does not tolerate fools and liars and some community leaders from the hills were not honest with the CM about how much clout they actually had in their own community... This was bound to be.. I honestly don't blame the CM."

Another political insider said, "In refusing to meet the representatives from those factions of the Lepcha and Tamang youth associations, which had in fact openly supported TMC in the Lok Sabha elections, Mamata is sending a clear signal to everyone in Darjeeling - perform or perish... I will not be surprised if Gautam Deb loses favour with the CM in the coming days, after all he is the in-charge for the hills, and ultimately it will be seen as his failure and not TMCs."

Of the four community groups from the hills which had openly come out in support of TMC candidate Bhaichung Bhutia, representatives from All India Sherpa Buddhist Association section of Limbu community led by ND Subba and Mangar samaj did not seem to try to meet Mamata, else there is a good chance that they may also have been snubbed.

However, there is a distant possibility that perhaps the Chief Minister choose not to meet these two groups as she actually wanted to rest and not discuss politics, or may be she is sick and tired of sycophants and thus has no interest in entertaining them any more.

In a reverse snub of sorts, this time around the GJM leaders did not seek to meet Mamata or pay her a courtesy visit either, which otherwise they would normally do.

Seems like Darjeeling is waiting for interesting times ahead.

[During happier times: File pic of ILTA, TYA and Mangar Samaj representatives at a TMC rally in Kalimpong in support of Bhaichung]

Source: DC facebook

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Gurung Tamu Youth Association confused over govt nod for Tamang board

10:37 AM

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Tamang Development Council

The Gurung Tamu Youth Association today conducted a meeting to discuss several issues regarding the addition of the Gurung Tamu Community in the Scheduled Tribe category. Chief among the issues discussed was the confusion related to the letter sent by the state government on the formation of a Tamang Development Board.

Kishore Gurung

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, GTYA Press & Publicity secretary Santa Kishore Gurung (Tamu) thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for requesting the prime minister to include the Gurung Tamu community in the Scheduled Tribe list. He also congratulated the Tamang Youth Association for getting the approval for a Tamang Development Board. 

However, he said the association is confused with a paragraph in the letter sent by the state government on March 1 to the TYA. The letter carries varying guidelines for the new board, but paragraph number 3 reads, “This Board will also carry out the above activities with respect to other communities as may be notified from time to time.”

Gurung said the association has failed to understand who the “other communities” are being referred to are and has requested the state government for a clarification.

He said, “if the ‘other communities referred in the said letter are the 11 Gorkha communities demanding tribal status, we would request for some rectifications.” 

Gurung explained the inclusion of the 11 communities into the Tamang Development and Cultural Board is likely to create a rift amongst them and the GTYA does not support any move that could divide the Gorkha community.

He suggested that instead of including the 11 communities, the government should form a single 'Gorkha Tribal Development and Cultural Board' to represent all the concerned communities. Another option would be to provide each tribe with its respective board and not bring others under any particular tribe. Gurung also informed the association will soon hold a meeting with representatives of the 11 communities to discuss the issue.

Source:Eoi

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Akhil Bharatiya Tamang Bodh Sangh criticised Tamang Youth Association for supporting TMC

10:02 AM

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Tamang Development Council

The central committee of the Akhil Bharatiya Tamang Bodh Sangh has criticised the Tamang Youth Association’s decision to support the Trinamool Congress candidate from Darjeeling constituency for the Lok Sabha election.

Speaking to reporters today, ABTBA general secretary MK Tamang said the decision to support a particular party could affect the very organisational structure and unity among community members. Everyone should be aware of the political situation and individually decide on which party or candidate to support.

Rally for Tamang Development Council

“The decision to support TMC does not include the entire Tamang community’s views and is completely individualistic,” the ABT 

The approval by the state cabinet for the formation of a Tamang Development Board has elated members of the Tamang community. The Tamang Youth Association today called a press meet in town following the return of its representatives from Kolkata after meeing with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The TYC leaders expressed happiness and thanked the chief minister for fulfilling their wish.

TYA president Bishnu Golay said, “The matter will now be discussed by the SC/ST department and the board formed once the Lok Sabha elections are over.”

Golay added the TYA will support the TMC in the election. “We are very thankful to the TMC for its support and have decided to support the party in the upcoming election as a goodwill gesture,” he said.

Source- Eoi

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Caste politics over Darjeeling LS seat, Trinamul tilt by Tamangs

11:04 AM

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Trinamool Congress

An association of Tamangs, a community that is the largest in number in the hills, has said it will support a Trinamul candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat.

Since the years of Subash Ghisingh’s influence in the hills in the 1980s, no community outfit has been known to separately declare allegiance to any party other than the one dominant in Darjeeling or backed by it.

Trinamul tilt by Tamangs

Also, the Tamang Youth Association has sounded its support for a party that is not from the hills but is trying hard to get a toehold.

Trinamul has not announced any candidate for the Lok Sabha elections. Trinamul all-India general secretary Mukul Roy recently said that his party would contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The Tamang Youth Association, which had organised Mamata’s public meeting in Mirik on January 21, is not the only one or the most influential outfit of the community. So, it cannot be said with certainty that Tamangs, who make up approximately 15 per cent of the hill voter percentage, would vote en block for Trinamul.

The reason for the Tamang Youth Association’s support to Trinamul is chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s promise to create a Tamang Development and Cultural Board.

Nazoo Glan, the chief advisor of the association, said: “We had placed our demand for forming a development body for the Tamang community before the chief minister at Kalimpong in September last year. She has almost fulfilled her commitment by passing a resolution at the state cabinet to form a development board for our community.”

He said as the community was “extremely happy that she has kept her promise to our community and in order to express our gratitude, we will support the Trinamul candidate in Darjeeling Parliament seat in the upcoming elections”.

The Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency comprises seven Assembly segments — Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong in the hills and Matigara-Naxalbari, Siliguri, Phansidewa and Chopra in the plains. The constituency has over 14 lakh voters.

The number of voters from the three hill subdivision adds to around 6 lakh. Traditionally, it has been seen that the candidate who got widespread support in the hills ultimately won the seat. Though the plains have more voters than the hills, the vote there is fragmented.

If the Tamang Youth Association is able to influence even a lakh people to vote Trinamul — it claims a membership of around 1.5 lakh — in the hills and some in the plains, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha would have a contest to deal with.

The Tamang community has around 2.2 lakh people in the hills and another 2 lakh in the Dooars, which makes the community 30 per cent of the over 14 lakh voting population in the seven segments.

The Morcha has been guarded in its reaction to the Tamang association’s decision. Its general secretary Roshan Giri said the party “would wait and watch”.

That the Tamangs have found favour with the Trinamul-led dispensation became clear in one of the steps taken by the state government yesterday.

The government said that the proposed Tamang Development and Cultural board would be asked to look after the interests of nine other hill communities, some of which have sought welfare boards like that of the Tamangs’.

The move has upset the other communities, which perceive the state government’s indifference towards them.

Today, when Mukul Roy was asked about the Tamang association’s support he said he did not know about the matter.

Another senior Trinamul leader, asked about the Tamang board being given the responsibility of the other communities, said: “The Tamang community is leaning towards us. They are happy that a development board has been set up for them. So what is the harm in giving them some more responsibility so they can feel a part of this government?”

However, the Tamangs are not the only hill community that Mamata has wooed. The state government has agreed to recommend to the Centre to give tribal status to 10 hill communities.

A member of a hill community who was present at a Calcutta meeting on Saturday with Mamata, said the chief minister did not seek their support for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections for having recommended their community for ST status.

“No politics was discussed. She only expressed her desire to visit Darjeeling after the Lok Sabha elections,” the representative said.

A source in the hills said: “This time, the hill votes are getting divided and this is definitely a cause of concern for the Morcha.”

Of the over 4.97 lakh votes polled by Morcha backed candidate, Jaswant Singh in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Singh had got 4,11,739 votes in the hills.

“If Trinamul can manage to get around 1 lakh votes from the three hill sub-divisions it can give a good fight to a hill (Morcha) candidate,” said the source.

Source: Telegraph

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