Siliguri Gorkha Manch - Executive Body Meet

12:12 PM

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The recently constituted Siliguri Gorkha Manch, which says its vision is to work for the welfare of the Gorkha community living in Siliguri and the Terai region, on Friday conducted its first executive committee meeting where members discussed the organisation’s agenda going forward.

Siliguri Gorkha Manch - Executive Body

The meeting was held at the SGM’s Shahid Nagar office and was chaired by its president Sudha Passi and executed by secretary Suren Pradhan.

A two-minute silence was observed in tribute of former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam. Pradhan said only interested persons will be given membership and nobody will be forced or persuaded to join the SGM. He said the admission fee has been kept at Rs100 and Rs30 will be charged as the monthly membership fee.

Anyone wishing to pay the entire year’s amount at one time will get a month’s rebate, said Pradhan.

The SGM office at Shahid Nagar will be shifted to a new place in the same vicinity, he added.

If you want to join SGM please contact:

President: Smt Sudha Passi 9749303339
Vice President: Sunil Rai 7602695372
General Secretary: Suren Pradhan 9851260369
Asst Secretary: Rajesh Chhetri 9832038778
Treasurer: S D Tamang 9593846380

Via - TheDC

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Shoes for the runners of team Run with Roshni

10:09 AM

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sports

Gorkha youth icon Roshni Rai, the famed marathon runner hailing from Kalimpong and who has been running for the identity of Gorkhas residing across India, has unexpectedly found a good Samaritan in Mumbai.

A diamond merchant Mr. Mehra with Roshni Rai

It is learnt from sources that the story of the runner and her flagship campaign ‘Run with Roshni’ was covered by a local daily of Mumbai which spoke of the struggle that she and her team faces to maintain the campaign as she is not backed by any public or government organisation. She and her team raises funds to support the ‘Run with Roshni’ campaign, explained the paper.

Later, she received a call from someone introducing himself as LB Mehra, who asked her to meet him at the city’s popular ‘Palladium Mmall’. When she did meet the caller, Roshni was over the moon to find that Mehra, a diamond merchant, had purchased 13 pairs of Nike shoes, along with three pairs of socks each for the team ‘Run with Roshni’, the total bill which amounted to Rs70,000.

It may be recalled that Roshni had earlier approached for financial assistance with local organisations of Darjeeling through several online requests, but nothing much was done for the team. Even the GTA who honoured the runner with the ‘Gorkha Gaurav’ award had failed to do what the diamond merchant has done so generously. (HS)

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Siliguri Gorkha Manch Interactive Session Held

9:19 AM

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SGM (Siliguri Gorkha Manch) held an interactive meeting at Himali Sahid Nagar yesterday and the meeting was presided over by Shri Bhim Yonjan, a renowned social worker.

Siliguri Gorkha Manch Interactive Session 

Distinguished persons of Sahid Nagar, Bhanu Nagar,Prakash Nagar and Gandhi nagar were present in the meeting.

SGM General Secretary Suren Pradhan addressed the gathering and told that "SGM is a non-political organization having equal distance among all political party and under no circumstances it comes under influence of any political party."

Smt. Sudha Passi, SGM President told the gathering that "we must be united and join hands for improvement of our community and alround development of Siliguri, as well."

Shri Dilip Tiwari told that vision of SGM is very good and we must join hands to make it strong.
Shri S K Lama, Smt Shanti Lama and Smt Radhika Sinha also addressed and told to make SGM strong and must keep it away from politics.

Shri Bhim Yonzon informed that, "Bhanu Jayanti was celebrated at a large scale in Darjeeling, Siliguri, Dooars and Sikkim but no news was there in leading English dailies which hurt our sentiments, secondly this year Dinabandhu Manch was only allowed to be used from 12 noon to 3 P.M and not pernitted to run the program till evening."

He stated that these two issues must be highlighted by SGM and it should reach Govt through SGM.
At last Suren Pradhan informed that a meeting will be held on 26 Jul 2015 at 10 P.M at Mangal Maity Bhawan, on that day ad hoc committee will be dissolved and a new and permanant body will be formed on that date, all are cordially invited.

Today at 10 A.M there is a meeting of all convenors at Gorkha Kalyan Sangathan Salugara so please do come and attend the meeting.

Other members of SGM present were Smt T D Bhutia, Shri N L Chhetri, Shri Rajesh Chhetri and Shri N L Sharma.

Via: TheDC

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Police complaint against Darjeeling Red Cross for cutting trees

2:20 PM

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wake up

Darjeeling 16th July: Early morning today, it surfaced on the social media that trees on the Red Cross premises in Darjeeling were being cut and the planks from these trees were being loaded into pick up vans. Later when it was revealed that they did not have any permission the forest  authorities seized Wood and also filed Police Complaint Against Red Cross.

Trees on the Red Cross premises in Darjeeling were being cut and the planks from these trees
 were being loaded into a pick up vans

The incident have raised the serious question of the very existence of the most prominent NGO which is housed at the same Red Cross building where it took place, the Federation of Societies for Environmental Protection [FOSEP], which claims to champion the cause of Environmental Conservation in the region.

When FOSEP had nothing to say or do when the trees were being chopped down right under their nose, the concerned and responsible citizens of Darjeeling and Let's Green Darjeeling(N.G.O.) with the help of social media (The Darjeeling Chronicle) have saved the day.

It all started when TheDC published a post  [Details: http://on.fb.me/1Of6qTC] on 14th July saying "Some people have been cutting trees in the Red Cross premises for the past few days... and it's two more trees out of the town landscape ..." and raised the questions like Who gave the permission to CUT DOWN these trees?? Why is FOSEP quiet?? Why are none of the NGOs or Civil Society members concerned?.

When the report led Ms. Sumitra Tamang, a member of the Let's Green Darjeeling initiative to step in Mr. Prem Moktan from Red Cross had the reason for falling those trees, "these will cause landslides or damage homes in the neighbourhood." Mr. Prem Moktan allegedly told her that, their plan is to cut down all the trees below Red Cross building, and plant around some Rhododendron sapling.

Following the report from The Darjeeling Chronicle, Darjeeling Sub-Divisional Land Reforms Officer confirmed that he had not given any permission. He then went to visit the Red Cross Premises and after inspecting the area found that Red Cross did not have any permission from anywhere to cut those trees. Finally he filed a complaint against Red Cross authorities for felling the trees without any permission.

With inputs from The Darjeeling Chronicle

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Siliguri Gorkha Manch Draft Constitution Discussed

11:06 AM

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Siliguri Gorkha Manch Draft Constitution Discussed - Permanent Executive Body to Be Elected on July 26th of July, 2015.

Siliguri Gorkha Manch Draft Constitution Discussed

SGM held an internal meeting of Ad hoc committee at its office Sahid Nagar yesterday, which was presided over by Smt Sudha Passi.

General secretary Suren Pradhan welcomed the members and after a 2 minutes silence in honour of Mr. Amar Rai one of the SGM founding members who had recently died, those present discussed and finalised the constitution drafted by Capt S D Tamang and it was unanimously accepted.

The ad hoc committee which has been running SGM will hold a meeting with its advisory body on 18th of Jul 2015 at 5 P.M.

A meeting of ad hoc committee will be held on 21 Jul 2015 at 5 P.M, where program details for 26 Jul 2015 will be discussed, on this day ad hoc committee will be dissolved and a new permanent committee will be formed.

An interactive meeting of SGM will be held at Sahid Nagar on 19 Jul 2015 at 5 P.M with the people of Siliguri Municipal Corporation Area, all are requested to join.

A meeting of all convenors selected from various places will be held at Gorkha Kalyan Sangathan Office Salugara on 20 Jul 2015 at 10 A.M.

If you want to join SGM, please contact:
President: Smt Sudha Pasi - 9749303339
General Sec: Suren Pradhan - 9851260369 Treasurer: S D Tamang - 9593846380

Via : TheDC

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Siliguri Gorkha Manch - Connecting Gorkhas in Dooars and Terai

9:42 AM

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social

The Siliguri Gorkha Manch is on a mission, to connect Gorkhalis living in Terai and Dooars region together and to assist them in their times of need.

Siliguri Gorkha Manch - Connecting Gorkhalis in the Terai and Dooars

This purely NON-POLITICAL Body, is a SOCIAL ORGANIZATION, which seeks to assist people and bring them together.

In their course of outreach, yesterday Siliguri Gorkha Manch held an interactive meeting at Oodlaabari which was presided over by Shri H B Chhetri.

General Secretary of Manch Shri Suren Pradhan addressed first and he informed the gathering that the Manch is a non-political organization and it Acts in social causes, and that it won't come under under any political pressure under any circumstances.

He fruther said that in Siliguri if any of our community members face problems then the Manch shall definitely help them... Even in the case of medical treatment, college or University admissions and such the Manch shall help the needy in legal and possible ways.

He informed that, anyone facing problem in Siliguri may contact us any time from any where but his/her case must be genuine, and deserving of the time and efforts on the part of the Manch members

Smt Mamta Lama, Shri Bhanu Prakash Marmik and Vice President Sunil Rai also addressed the gathering.

Mr Raju Nepali, Mr T R Chhetri and P K Rai from the locality warmly welcome the vision of Siliguri Gorkha Manch. They have also assured to organize a free medical camp and blood donation camp.

Via: TheDC

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Awareness programme by SGM in Fapri

8:30 AM

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Siliguri Gorkha Manch (SGM), being a social organization, is also committed to serve society selflessly at its best possible way. The representatives of SGM have been reaching remote areas, where Gorkhas people are living and making them aware of their basic rights and facilities provided by the governments, through interactive sessions with the villagers at their own localities. SGM also encourage people and extend their support to voice their fundamental rights / schemes provided by the government.

Awareness programme by Siliguri Gorkha Manch (SGM) in Fapri

Such interactive session with the locals was organized by SGM at Kholachand Fapri under Dabgram 1 Gram Panchayat on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a free Medical Camp and blood donation and Grouping Camp will be held in Singi Jhora, organize by SGM on June 27. Representatives of SGM, Mr. Suren Pradhan, Sunil Rai, Hari Prasad Sharma, Bhanu Prakash Marmik, Smt Sunita Bhutia and Smt Hari Maya Sharma were present and addressed during the programme held in Kholachand Fapri.
We appreciate the commendable social works done by Siliguri Gorkha Manch.

Source: DT

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Gorkha Students, JNU Delhi speak up against state and the tea industry in West Bengal

12:42 PM

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Gorkha Students, JNU writes Under the context of triparty talks for tea garden laborer's wage revision, Sending you the poster (Click Here) which we brought today in JNU campus in solidarity of the ongoing demand of the tea garden workers under the banner of Coordination Committee of Tea Plantation Workers Union (CPTWU). Behind the idyllic hills, the scenic gardens, the “romance of the two leaves and a bud”, and the “smiling faces” of the workers, what remains carefully hidden is the ugly truth of sub-human wages, more than a thousand starvation deaths, and seething anger. The ongoing wage negotiations in the gardens in the hills, dooars & the terai have yet again brought to fore what the West Bengal government and the industry wishes to brush under the carpet. It gives us yet another opportunity to speak up against the lies and cunning of the industry as also the complicity of the state in depriving the workers of their basic minimum level of sustenance.

The ongoing crisis in North Bengal, the historic demand for Gorkhaland and the solution provided thereof is reflective of the sustained colonial exploitation and domination which finds its most blatant reflection in the Tea industry, where “Darjeeling Tea” is romanticised. This region of Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars is mostly featured by tea gardens and the population engaged in it. Approximately, 80% of the people forms the constituency fettered in this gigantic machine of production which is totally based on the exploitation and immiserisation of the working populace of this region since the days of British colonialism. The huge profits extracted from this exploitative tea plantations (according to the Darjeeling Chamber of Commerce, tea industry in the hills generates an average of Rs. 450 crores revenue annually, equal to that of the tourism industry in the region) has been in continuation creating a vicious cycle of poverty and continued appendage of the local work force for generation after generation for this industry.



We stand by the just demand of the workers to increase wages from Rs.90 to Rs.320. We reject the recent offers by the Planters and Government of abysmally low wage hike of just Rs. 21 and Rs.40 in phased manner in three years. We salute and stand in solidarity with the uncompromising struggle of workers for their rightful demand. Any attempt to break the unity of the workers or dilute the demands or betray the struggle must be resisted at all cost. We the Gorkha Students,(Jawaharlal Nehru University) stand in complete solidarity with the ongoing struggle of tea garden workers.

Our Demand to government and planter associations:
Increase the wage of workers from Rs. 90/Rs.95 in Darjeeling, Dooars and Terai tea estates to Rs. 322.

1. Reopen closed and abandoned tea estates immediately.
2. Casual labour should also be brought under the purview of Plantation Labour Act, 1951. 
3. Backlog of unpaid Provident fund and gratuity should be cleared without delay.
4. Declare and implement Minimum Wage for tea Plantation workers. 
5. Grant legal ownership of housing space to workers.

Submitted by : Dawa Sherpa - Gorkha Students, Jawaharlal Nehru University

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