Sex trade flourishes in Darjeeling

Porous borders along Nepal and Bangladesh have fuelled the growth of cross border trafficking in and around the tea estates in Darjeeling. And here intense poverty and unemployment, a deadly cockta…

nepali gaijatra-funny prachanda

Nepal’s Maoist leader speaks to Al Jazeera – 09 April 08

I wonder what would happen if the maoist fails to prove their worth and all these years of whatever they’ve been fighting for and hope we don’t end up in some civil wars killing each other. Not to forget that paperworks has been a lot easier these days than before unless we hand in some tips. Hope we’ll have a peace bright future..

Gorkha Samrat Durga Malla Darjeeling kalimpong

Durga Mall a great freedom fighter

32 held over statehood row

Cooch Behar, April 29: Thirty-two supporters of the Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association were arrested near the district magistrate’s office here today when they brought out a bicycle rally to demand the scrapping of the “illegal” panchayat polls.
In an unannounced programme, the protesters appeared at the gate of the office around 1.30pm and started shouting slogans demanding a separate state of Greater Cooch Behar and scrapping of the polls. Police seized 31 bicycles from them.
The district administration had clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC at Chhotokeshbari village in Mathabhanga since midnight last night in view of the association’s proposed cultural programme and a rally in the area to demand a separate state.
A large contingent led by additional police superintendent James Kujur was deployed in the area. The association, however, did not hold any programmes there.
“We do not want any untoward incident in connection with the association’s programmes before the polls and that is why the prohibitory orders were put in force,” said Rajesh Kumar Sinha, the district magistrate.
“Under the treaty of accession, Cooch Behar is a state where elections by the Bengal government are illegal,” said association leader Nirmal Roy.
Two association members had been killed when the police fired on a rally on September 20, 2005. Three policemen, including an officer, were also lynched. (The Telegraph)

Gurung warns of blackout

Siliguri, April 29: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung today threatened to blackout Siliguri by disrupting work at the hydro-electric plants in the hills that feed the trade hub’s power lines.
“We have decided not to pay any tax or bills due to the government from May 1 and they include electricity bills. If power supply to households in the hills is disconnected for non-payment of dues, we will stop work at all the power generating plants that feed Siliguri,” Gurung told reporters at Pintail village on the outskirts of Siliguri this evening.
“Rammam, Jaldhaka and a number of other hydel projects are located in the hills, along with transmission networks through which power flows into Siliguri. In the hills, we may have to light candles after dark, but the people of Siliguri will have to do the same,” Gurung added.
In Darjeeling, Morcha supporters today picketed the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd to prevent people from paying their power bills. The Morcha-affiliated All-Transport Joint Action Committee, too, has said its members would not pay road taxes until the condition of the roads improve.
The Morcha chief added that his supporters would definitely sit in an indefinite hunger strike in front of the Siliguri subdivisional office from May 1. The Morcha called the fast in protest after the Bengal government refused to give it permission to hold political programmes in Siliguri.
“Let us hold one meeting in Siliguri and we are sure that the political equation of the town will change overnight,” Gurung said.
The Morcha will also start changing the number plates of vehicles across Darjeeling district from “WB” to “GL (for Gorkhaland)” from July 7, said Gurung. “We have assigned serials A, B, C and D for the three hill subdivisions and Siliguri,” he said.
“We have also sorted out our differences with the Kamtapur Progressive Party (KPP Atul Roy-faction) and Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party about the boundaries of the separate states that we are demanding. We will not disclose the boundaries right now but Siliguri will be in Gorkhaland,” Gurung added.
In Darjeeling, Morcha secretary Roshan Giri said the party had postponed its march to Calcutta with 10,001 supporters. It will be held after May 25, when the matches of the Indian Premier League get over. (The Telegraph)

GJMM for taxes boycott in the Hills

SILIGURI, April 29: In what would only add to the state government’s trouble on the Darjeeling Hill issue, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha has called for non-payment of all sorts of central and state taxes including the BSNL telephone and electricity bills across the Hills from 1 May.The GJMM’s call to boycott taxes comes as a mark of protest to the state government’s persistent de-nial in allowing the GJMM to hold a public rally in Sil-iguri in favour of its Go-rkhaland demand. The Hill party has also called for an indefinite hunger strike on the same issue from 1 May, which is to be simultaneously carried out in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Siliguri and the Dooars. Announcing the boycott in a Press conference at the DGHC resort ‘Pintail Village’ in Siliguri this afternoon, the GJMM president Mr Bimal Gur-ung said, the tax and bill boycott program would continue unless and until the state government granted the GJMM permission for a rally in Siliguri. Adding further on the issue, the Darjeeling Hill’s new strongman said, in ca-se of telephone bills, the b-oycott would be applicable only to the BSNL landpho-ne, while the state-run telecom giant’s mobile services would be spared. Reacting to a query as what would happen if the power-supplying agency disconnected the lines due to non-payment of the bills, Mr Gurung said: “In that case, we would cut off the main supply lines that carry power to the plains from the various power plants located in the Hills.” Alleging that it was the state urban development minister and the Siliguri MLA, Mr Asok Bhatt-ach-arya who was actually instrumental in not allowing a GJMM rally in Siliguri, the GJMM president cautioned that if the state government does not budge from its stand, the people of the Hills would come out on the streets and thus a grave law and order situation would be created. Mr Gurung also deman-ded that the state urban development minister sh-ould seek a public apo-lo-gy for allegedly referring the Hill people as ‘foreigners’.“Instead of making indirect comment that he has not termed the Hill people ‘foreigners’, let Mr Bhattacharya seek a public apology for the remark and once he does that, he would be free to move anywhere in the Hills and carry out public meetings,” Mr Gurung said. Referring to the proposed indefinite strike slated for 1 May, the GJMM president today said, in case of Siliguri, the fasting venue would be the Siliguri SDO office campus. Earlier, the party was planning to organise the Siliguri leg of the hunger strike near Darjeeling More in the town.

GJMM’s ‘modus operandi’

In the past few days the report says that Morcha was not allowed to satge a rally at Siliguri on 27th April. Soon they declared it will hold rallies in Siliguri anytime between April 28 and 30, despite the Bengal government making it clear that no permission would be granted for such a programme. Again on 28th the report said “Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders today stuck to their plan of an indefinite hunger strike in Darjeeling district and the Dooars from May 1 after the Bengal government refused to alter its position and give them permission to hold political programmes in Siliguri.The Siliguri subdivisional office has been selected as one of the venues of the fast.”
At the Hills the morcha supporters are busy building their base. The approach is threatening (thank God there is no hatta bahar), coercing. The people are coerced or forced to join Morcha. Donations are asked. Gurung and his core team is busy in mobilizing the masses at Duars and they have been successful. Kamtapur People’s Party(KPP) is supporting the movement. The critical mass of the movement is being established. The foot rallyiest are welcomed in all of the plcaces they visited which is a welcome gesture from the mass. The critical factor is Siliguri. The Morcha is not been able to establish its foot hold there as it is facing retaliation from the non-neplese community specially Bengalis. Till now the process of revolution is peaceful and as per the aspirations of the masses. The base which Morcha was trying to establish in the hills is almost complete with the Duars in the footline. The siliguri factor is the cliche. A big question arises how will Morcha proceed further? Will Governemt lend its ear to the Morcha’s cry? Will Ashok Bhattacharjee be able to pacify the Morcha and entangle them in other business? Or will Morcha opt for the muscle war along with the politics?
Morcha has declared that it will stop paying the taxes and revenue state Government and will use GL as taxi number plate. Will they be successful in implementing the strategy? Morcha has declared to form Gorkhaland Police. (I heard that they have started recruitment process too but not confirmed)
It is worth quoting Prachanda here, “In history, wherever there has been a revolutionary movement, when people’s movement moves forward – in the process of revolution, a clique of feudal elements will be staying within the fortification of the army. They will stay in there until their end comes but in the end, revolution will, as seen by history, destroy the feudal elements and in the end, these elements will have to come to the people’s court and be tried. When the revolution begins, they will be staying within the army barracks and army protection and so they will not be the ones caught at the beginning. History has always shown this.” Is Gurung following the Prachanda way?

Morcha changes plan, gets ready for talks for Gorkhaland and Chattrey SSubba

Darjeeling, April 25: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has said it will hold rallies in Siliguri anytime between April 28 and 30, despite the Bengal government making it clear that no permission would be granted for such a programme.
The Morcha has, however, scrapped its earlier plan of a public meeting at Baghajatin Park in Siliguri on Sunday.
Today’s announcement comes a day after party president Bimal Gurung had said in Birpara that the Morcha would stick to its April 27 programme in Baghajatin Park. Observers said the change in stand has been done to keep an avenue for talks open with home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti.
“We will be meeting the home secretary in Siliguri tomorrow. We will ask him for permission to hold a rally, which if denied, we will go ahead and hold anytime between Monday and Wednesday,” said Roshan Giri, the Morcha secretary, over the phone from Kalchini where Gurung held his last rally in the Dooars today.
On Wednesday, chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb had said Siliguri was too tense for a rally. Sources in the Writers’ Buildings said the home secretary, too, has made it clear that permission would not be granted.
In another development, all government offices that have been closed for almost 15 days in the Darjeeling hills will be allowed to remain open from April 28 to May 5. The relaxation has been granted keeping in mind “pending work, important in nature” and to allow government employees get their salaries, said Giri.
Government offices usually need a week’s time to prepare the salary statement of employees and get them sanctioned from higher authorities. Tourists planning a joy ride on the toy train could be lucky if they visit Darjeeling during this time.
In Kalchini, Gurung said all vehicles from the Hills, Siliguri and the Dooars should sport new number plates with “GL” (for Gorkhaland) on them from July 7 onwards.
“Vehicles from Darjeeling should have GL-A, while B, C, D and E will be used by those vehicles from Kalimpong, Kurseong, Siliguri and the Dooars respectively,” said Giri.
The announcement is one among the many Morcha projects, which are difficult to implement. Gurung had earlier said 10,001 people would march on foot from Darjeeling to Calcutta from May 7. After a rethink, the party is now mulling taking its rallyists by vehicles.
Residents in Darjeeling are sceptical about the Morcha’s plan to change the registration plates of vehicles, largely because no insurance can be claimed if ever there is a change of number. This is apart from the fact that the vehicle owners might be arrested because the number plates will be considered fakes. (The Telegraph)

NEWS FROM HIMALAYA DARPAN ON GORKHALAND MOVEMENT