Momo game allegedly claim it's first victim in Darjeeling hills

11:56 AM

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technology news

Amitava Banerjee | MP |Darjeeling: Debate over whether the class 12 student was coerced by the "Momo" game to commit suicide raged in the Hills. 

On August 20, an 18-year-old student Manish Sarki went missing in his hometown —Kurseong. Sarki was a Class 12 commerce student. When Manish did not return home until 9 pm, his anxious parents and neighbours launched a search operation for him. Later, he was found hanging inside a pig sty located at St. Mary's Hill in Kurseong.

On the walls of the pig sty, there were symbols and words spray painted such as — 'Illuminati' 'Doped', 'Hanged Man' and the name of a girl. "My son is a victim of the 'Momo game.' He was an obedient boy and good in studies. He would stay indoors most of the time and used to spend a lot of time playing games on his cell phone. I have lost my son," stated Chandramaya Sarki, mother of the deceased. 

18-year-old student Manish Sarki 

Arvin Ghatani, a friend of the deceased also feels the same. "Manish used to play a lot of internet games specially on social media sites. The symbols and the images found on the walls of the pig sty also appear on the Momo game app," stated Ghatani. 

"We did not recover any suicide note. The cell phone belonging to the deceased will be examined by cyber experts. Following this, it can be ascertained whether the death was prompted by the suicide game," stated Harikrishna Pai, Additional Superintendent of Police, Kurseong

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Pradip Pradhan joined Trinamul blaming GJM not delivering on its promise

10:19 AM

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Trinamool Congress

Writes Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, Aug. 24: Bhupendra Pradhan, a founder member of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the GTA chairperson, today joined Trinamul, blaming the hill party for failing to deliver on its promise of development.

Pradhan, who is better known as Pradip, joined the state's ruling party in the public meeting at the Kurseong Motor Stand in the presence of Trinamul minister Aroop Biswas.

Pradhan said his decision to join the Trinamul was to ensure development in the hills, particularly Kurseong. He accused the Morcha of failing to carry out any development work in the past four years.

The GTA elections are expected to be held around July 2017. The Morcha today decided to expel Pradhan.

The hill leader arrived at the venue in the car of Biswas, who is Trinamul's observer for north Bengal.

He said the Morcha leadership was not sincere about the Gorkhaland demand and added that if a sincere leader comes ahead for statehood, he would definitely support the demand.

"In the past four years, we have been able to do nothing for the hills. I have had a talk with Mamata Banerjee and she has promised to look into issues related to the development of Kurseong. I have also raised the issue of granting district status to Kurseong. I am confident that with the TMC, there will be development here," Pradhan said.

He, however, said that if development was not ushered in even by Trinamul, he could think of leaving his new party too.

Pradhan accused the Morcha of corruption, saying some party leaders "did not have the means to even buy a good brand of cigarettes" but now "when they go to Bagdogra airport they enquire about the cost of a helicopter run by the Sikkim government. Where has this confidence come from?"

At the sidelines of the meeting, Pradhan said Bimal Gurung would not resign from the GTA as he had recently threatened. "He will not resign, note it down, as there is money in GTA," Pradhan said.

Pradhan urged the people to ponder over why Harka Bahadur Chhetri, Anmole Prasad, Trilok Dewan and Amar Lama had left the hill's biggest party.

Pradhan said in the next three months, the Morcha will have "only 20 per cent support" in the hills.

Morcha to oust Pradhan
The central committee of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today decided to expel Bhupendra Pradhan, popularly known as Pradip Pradhan, who switched to Trinamul today, from the party.

Soon after the central committee session, the GTA Sabha members met at Gorkha Rangamanch Bhavan and submitted a written request to the GTA Sabha vice-chairman, Lopsang Yolmo, to convene a special meeting where, sources said, they would seek the removal of Pradhan as the GTA chairman.

The meeting is likely to be held on August 26.

Morcha general secretary and the GTA Sabha member in-charge of education, Roshan Giri, said: "At the central committee meeting, we discussed the Gorkhaland issue. The party has also decided to expel Pradip Pradhan from the primary membership."

A source in the GTA said: "According to Section 37 of the GTA Act, a special meeting can be requisitioned by one-third of the Sabha members and once the vice-chairman convenes a meeting, the chairman can be removed by a resolution adopted by a simple majority of the total number of elected members of the GTA Sabha."

There are 45 elected members in the GTA Sabha.

The Morcha has also decided to hold a public meeting in Kurseong on Sunday.

According to sources, the move is an attempt to boost the morale of party cadres in the area and counter the Trinamul gathering where Pradhan switched allegiance.

Today, around 300 voluntary teachers, who were members of the Janmukti Insecure Secondary Teachers' Organisation (JISTO) Movement Committee, burnt the effigy of Giri here before resigning from the Morcha.

The hill party had disbanded the Movement Committee last month after some of the members had criticised Giri alleging that he had not been working towards regularising the jobs of the 500-odd voluntary teachers in more than 120 schools across the hills.

Amit Gurung, the co-ordinator of the erstwhile Movement Committee, said: "We burnt the effigy of Roshan Giri today. Around 300 members have resigned from the party. We will soon meet chief minister Mamata Banerjee and decide our future course of action."

The teachers have decided to remain apolitical at the moment, sources said.

Told about the development, Giri said: "If by burning my effigy, their jobs are regularised, they are most welcome to burn my effigy everyday."

At Darjeeling Motor Stand, the Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarthi Morcha started a relay hunger strike "for Gorkhaland" today with seven student leaders participating in it.

Satyam Lama, the president of the Vidyarthi Morcha, said: "Our hunger strike is a message that our agitation is democratic in nature. We demand that the Centre open a dialogue on Gorkhaland and efforts be taken to constitute a committee to look into our demand."


Via Telegraph

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President Pranab Mukherjee in Darjeeling

3:58 PM

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West Bengal

Darjeeling 12th July 2016 President Pranab Mukherjee on his four day visit to Darjeeling he arrived at Darjeeling on July 12 accompanied by Governor of WB Keshari Nath Tripathi. A state reception was hosted in the afternoon in his honour in at Chowrasta Darjeeling where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was also present. President Mukherjee will preside over Bhanu Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Nepali poet Bhanubhakta Acharya, function in Darjeeling on July 13 which happens to be the first ever official celebration of the Bhanu Jayanti by the West Bengal State government since independence.The President President would be present in the Annual General Meeting of Darjeeling Tea Association the next day.

President Pranab Mukherjee and Governor Tripathi rested for a while at Kurseong Tourist Lodge on the way to Darjeeling who were received by senior Sub-divisional officials.

President Mukherjee on His Way to Darjeeling in Kurseong

Owing to President's visit to Darjeeling today, and given the cancellation of his aerial trip, the President and other dignitaries had to take a normal route to reach Darjeeling from Bagdogra airport. Vehicles traveling to Siliguri from Darjeeling had to take either the Mirik or Kalimpong route untill the arrival of President.

This is President Mukherjee's second vist to the Darheeling hill. The last time Mukherjee visited Darjeeling was on November 10, 2013 to flag off the 125th anniversary celebrations of St Joseph's School.

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तीन विधायकहरूले ममता व्यानर्जीसित कालेबुङ जिल्ला गठनको घोषणाको निम्ति आभार व्यक्त गरयो

11:28 PM

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Sarita Rai

दार्जीलिङ, कालेबुङ अनि खरसाङका तीनजना विधायकहरू क्रमैले श्री अमर सिहं राई, श्रीमती सरिता राई अनि डा. रोहित शर्माले आज माननीय मुख्यमन्त्री सुश्री ममता व्यानर्जीसित भेटवार्ता गरी कालेबुङ जिल्ला गठनको घोषणाको निम्ति आभार व्यक्त गर्दै दार्जीलिङ पहाड़को जनतालाई प्रशासनिक सुविधा प्रदान गर्नुको निम्ति अझै थप जिल्ला अनि महकुमाहरू निर्माण गर्नुपर्ने माग पनि पेश गरयो।

विधानसभामा आज माननीय राज्यपाल केशरीनाथ तिवारीजीको सम्बोधन कार्यक्रमको समापनपछि तीनजना विधायकले सुश्री ममता व्यानर्जीले उनकै च्याम्बरमा गएर सौहार्दमूलक भेटघाट अनि बातचीत गरेको थियो। विशेषरूपले कालेबुङलाई जिल्ला बनाउने प्रक्रिया शुरू गरिएकोमा माननीय मुख्यमन्त्री महोदयालाई समग्र पहाड़वासीको पक्षमा धन्यबाद दिइयो। यसको साथसाथमा खरसाङ महकुमालाई पनि जिल्ला बनाइनुपर्ने, मिरिकलाई महकुमा बनाइनुपर्ने तथा दार्जीलिङ पहाड़को सर्ववृहत खण्ड विकास क्षेत्र बिजनबारीलाई पनि महकुमा बनाइनुपर्ने पनि मुख्यमन्त्रीसमक्ष अपील गरियो। पहाड़का मानिसहरूले दीर्घकालदेखि विभिन्न प्रशासनिक समस्याहरू झेलिरहेको कारणले गर्दा जिल्ला अनि महकुमाहरूको विस्तार गरिन आवश्यक रहेको पनि मुख्यमन्त्रीलाई अवगत गराइयो।

तीन विधायकहरूले ममता व्यानर्जीसित कालेबुङ जिल्ला गठनको घोषणाको निम्ति आभार व्यक्त गरयो

मुख्यमन्त्री ममता व्यानर्जीले पनि पहाड़का विधायकहरूको उक्त अपीललाई सम्मान गर्दै सकरात्मक आश्वासन प्रदान गर्नुभएको छ। जिल्ला अनि महकुमा विस्तारकार्यको निम्ति थुप्रै औपचारिकता अनि पूर्वाधारहरूमाथि कार्य गर्नुपर्ने हुनाले यस विषय़मा चाड़ै कार्यान्वन गर्न नसकिने भएतापनि भविष्यमा उक्त विषयहरूमाथि राज्य सरकारले अवश्यै सकरात्मप पहल गर्ने माननीय मुख्यमन्त्री महोदयाले आश्वासन प्रदान गर्नुभएको छ।

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Hill TMC proposals on new Kalimpong district, Mirik sub-division

9:55 AM

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TMC

DARJEELING 10 Jun 2016 The Trinamool Congress hill unit has submitted to the Darjeeling district administration its suggestions on a new Kalimpong district and Mirik sub-division. The suggestions incorporate a wide range of proposals such as extending the existing boundaries, forming new sub-divisions and blocks, and setting up expert committees to expedite the process in a planned and systematic manner.

The hill TMC has proposed the creation of three sub-divisions under the new Kalimpong district for better administrative functioning. However, the areas to be incorporated in the sub-divisions have not been identified or specified by the party.

The TMC also wants the number of community development blocks to be increased to eight and the formation of a Teesta Highway development block. At present, Kalimpong sub-division has three blocks, Kalimpong I, Kalimpong II and Gorubathan.

Hill TMC proposals on new Kalimpong district, Mirik sub-division

The proposals also include increasing gram panchayat members to at least 7-10 in each GP for better representation. The Kalimpong sub-division comprises 42 gram panchayats at present. Further, the TMC also wants areas adjacent to Gorubathan block and Kalijhora under Kurseong to be included in the new district, although specifications have not been proposed.

“These are important factors that need to be looked into while forming the new district of Kalimpong. It must be remembered that Kalimpong is a vast area touching some areas of the Dooars in the plains. Administratively too, we want Kalimpong district to be viable to the people, hence the suggestions,” said NB Khawas, the hill TMC general secretary.

Regarding upgrading Mirik to a sub-division, presently one of the eight blocks in the hills, the TMC wants the area of Gopal Dhara tea estate that falls under Sukhaypokhari block in Darjeeling sub-division, and Seyok tea garden under Kurseong sub-division, to be added to the new sub-division.

It has also proposed the formation of three blocks in the new Mirik sub-division, Mirik at present being one of the blocks under Kurseong sub-division. The party also wants gram panchayat members in Mirik to be increased to 10 from the present six.

Another proposal is the bifurcation of the Jorebungalow-Sukhaypokhari development block and creation of a Sonada-Rungbull block with seven existing gram panchayats of Rungbull and Sonada areas. “We have already placed our suggestions before the Panchayat and Rural Development department through the Darjeeling district magistrate,” said Khawas.

The bifurcation of the Kurseong development block with 14 GPs and up-gradation of the Darjeeling-Pulbazar block with 23 gram panchayats to a sub-division is one another proposal of the hill TMC. The party has suggested the formation of a committee comprising experts and political and social organisation representatives to avoid any controversies which could delay the process of creating a Kalimpong district and Mrik sub-division.

Source EOIC

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103rd Foundation Day of the First Gorkha Library in India

9:25 AM

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kurseong

 Gorkhas and Library: A Centurial Conspectus

Writes: Animesh Rai*

Heartiest Congratulations to all on the 103rd Foundation Day of the Gorkha Library, Kurseong. The first Gorkha library in India was started at Kurseong on 8th June 1913. If we look into the history of this library, hundred years ago, a Lepcha named Jombey Paval had founded it with the help of his friends. Paval was originally from Kalimpong and worked at Kurseong hospital. The library was started in his rented house.

Initially the colonial administration suspected the formation of the Gorkha library, as the Bengalis had started an underground group like Anisulan Samity to challenge the colonial administration. Pandit Tulsi Bhattarai, the former member of the Gorkha Library Executive Committee said “the then founders of the library convinced the administration by stressing on the need of a reading place for the Gorkhas, who were mostly poor and illiterate”. Pandit Bhattarai claims that during the mid 1980’s, he was also an activist for Gorkhaland and had stopped Jyoti Basu, the then Chief minister of Bengal from entering the hills.

The idea of having a Gorkha library was earlier raised by Pratiman Singh Lama. He was highly influenced by the reading and discussing habits of Europeans at Darjeeling Planter’s Association. Lama was further inspired by the feeling which can be theoretically equated as ‘Public Sphere’. According to the German sociologists, Jurgen Habermas ‘Public Sphere’ is a platform where people can discuss anything freely without any pressure or threat of any kind.

According to Chalmers (2009:127), P.S. Lama often argued that on having a public sphere like the British system of library and rational discussions, “we can reap all and what honours we could achieve”. The aspirations and demands of the people for the foundation of the Gorkha library led Parasmani Pradhan to form Nepali Sahitya Samaj. Through this group he tried to unite the writers for the creation of an organised civil society.

In 1915, philanthropist Sardar Bahadur Lama donated Rs. 500 for the construction of the library building and the construction was further funded by the Kurseong Municipality. The local papers like Chandrika which was edited by Parasmani Pradhan started to print fund raising notes for the construction of the library.

Finally, the present Gorkha Library at Kurseong was completed at the cost of over Rs. 3,000 and started to operate from 1918. In the inauguration ceremony of the library, Sir H. Quinton, the British Civil Servant was invited as the chief guest. He was welcomed with songs and dances performed by the artists of the Gorkha Amateur Club. In a way of highlighting the local homogeneity and harmony, the chief guest was offered a flower garland by a Nepali and a silk scarf by a Bhutia, who were dressed in their traditional attires. The integrity of the hill community can clearly be revealed by surfing into the foundational tales of this Gorkha library which was institutionalised collectively by Lepchas, Bhutias and the Nepalis. The present Vice-Chancellor of Sikkim University, Prof. T.B. Subba argues that when the Hill Men’s Social Union was formed in 1930’s then the Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalis had collectively consented to call themselves as Gorkhas and accepted Nepali their language. The Union had also started a monthly magazine called the “Nebula” derived from the abbreviation of Nepali, Bhutia and Lepcha.

Almost after one hundred years, the social fabric of the local Gorkha community is breaking up across the political lines and lust for reservation, representation, tribal development boards among others. Our society is in a need of re-organisation and rejuvenation, politics of opportunitism and favouritism based on kin and kith relations has damaged the traditional social homogeneity. Amidst such moments of despair and disrepair, Mr. Bipal Barailey, 21year old school dropout, resident of Munsong tea estate, 21 kms away from Kalimpong has opened a library in his village. The library is being run in one of his rooms with few books and chairs. The era has come to retest the Gorkhas in the scales of communal unity and harmony. There seems to be a need for more Paval’s, friends and like-minded people who can come forward and help in the establishment of this library through any ways or means. The rejuvenation of the century old love for libraries for social empowerment must be accepted and assisted as a new hope for the creation of a better society.

Nabu, a GJM student wing Central Committee member from Kalimpong wants to appeal all the members of the civil society to kindly help the library by donating old books. He claims that this is an apolitical affair and everybody should unify irrespective of political backgrounds. Amid such moments of century old historical coincidences, in another case all the political parties of the region has been called by the district administration in a dialogue for the creation of Kalimpong district. Let us hope that the present political parties too can come over their differences and work together not just for Kalimpong alone but for the creation of Gorkhaland as well.

In a way of concluding, let us recollect the words of Prof. Mahendra P. Lama, the former Vice-Chancellor of Sikkim University. He used to say “Grandpa and Grandma passed away. We did not record their knowledge. As a result, they took away the precious libraries with them. Let us learn to archive things by recording and let us not repeat our mistakes”.

Libraries are after all depositories of many things like knowledge and wisdom, history and identity and many more. Let us all come together and not regret later in willingly watering the library planted by Mr. Barailey.

*Animesh Rai is a research student in the Department of Sociology, Sikkim University.

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Police complaint against Kurseong SDO for harassment and mental torture

8:31 AM

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kurseong

Darjeeling 25 May 2016 Alleging harassment and mental torture on her husband, Ranjana Pradhan Sar, the wife of Tridib Sar, a deputy magistrate at the Sub-Divisional Office in Kurseong, has filed a police complaint demanding action against the SDO.

In her complaint, Ranjana claims that Bipul Kumar Biswas, the Kurseong SDO, used to mentally torture her husband. This was going on ever since after the Assembly elections got over and today, things got to such a head that her husband had to be admitted in hospital.

“I rushed to the hospital when informed that my husband had been admitted in serious condition. My husband used to tell me how the SDO tortured him mentally. I’ve been told that my husband fainted and even got panic attacks,” Ranjana alleged.

Police complaint against Kurseong SDO for harassment and mental torture

She further said that not only her husband but other employees too were at the receiving end of the SDO’s highhanded ways. “Other office employees have also been harassed by the SDO on many occasions. But as things went out of hand today, I demand strict and proper action against the SDO so that such incidents do not recur,” Ranjana said.

Some of the staffers present during the incident said Sar suddenly fainted and had to be rushed to hospital. They staged a demonstration demanding the SDO’s transfer. “He fainted all of a sudden and fell from his chair around eleven in the morning. He was mentally disturbed since some time. The SDO had been harassing Sar and other staffers for quite some time. The SDO is anti-people and we want his transfer, otherwise we will start a pen-down agitation from tomorrow,” said BK Singh, one of the employees.

Darjeeling district magistrate Anurag Srivastava said he was looking into the matter and an inquiry would be initiated. “He (Sar) is doing well at the moment. He had to be admitted to hospital due to high blood pressure. As far as the complaint against the SDO is concerned, we will look into it,” he said.

When contacted, the SDO said he was not aware of the complaint against him. “I have not heard of any complaint against me. Therefore, I do not wish to make any comments now,” Biswas said.

Darjeeling SP Amit Javalgi confirmed of receiving a police complaint against the Kurseong SDO and said an inquiry had been started. “The wife of a deputy magistrate in Kurseong today lodged a complaint against the SDO alleging mental torture on her husband. We will make proper inquiries into the matter and also see if there are any criminal aspects,” he said.


Via  EOIC

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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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