Photo:Hira

KUMUDINI PARIWAR TO LOOK AFTER THE WELFARE OF ECONOMICALLY WEAK MERITOROUS STUDENTS

Correspondent,kalimnews : Kalimpong, 24^th May :

On the occasion of foundation day of Kumudini Homes being celebrated as the Platinum Jubilee, the members of Kumudini Pariwar, an alumni association of the school, held its annual general meeting at Hotel Tres, Kalimpong. The meeting chaired by Udai Kumai, President was witnessed by B.C. Subba, ex-principal, Kumudini Homes as Chief Guest and Dr. R.B. Bhujel, Principal, Cluny Women’s College and ex-student as special guest. It was attended among others by the former students thronged from different regions including Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and adjoining areas. The prominent personalities to be present on the occasion were Everester G.T. Bhutia, Ex-Principal, Sonam Gyatsho Mountaineering Institute, Gangtok, Hari Ram Sharma, Ex-Secretary, Govt. of Sikkim, P.C. Sarda, Businessman, Gangtok, Dr. C.K. Subba, Darjeeling, H.P. Chhetri, Director, Harkamaya College of Education, Sikkim etc.

In the first session of the meeting Dilip Bhujel, Secretary presented his report and apprised the house about the achievement of the alumni association like restoration of clock tower of the school, organization of Run For Gorkhaland marathon among all the schools in Kalimpong, installation of a bust of late Tikaram Sharma, Ex-Headmaster, Kumudini Homes etc. during the two year term of the present executive body. The meeting also observed one minute silence in memory of those alumni members late Abhai Tshering, renowned football player, late Om Prakash Agarwal, businessman, late Bhuwan Singh Thapa, social activist who lost their lives recently.

A new executive committee of 23 members was re-constituted in the second phase of the meeting with the presence of Tapan Pradhan, Director, Saptashri Gyanpith as the Election Officer. Udai Kumai, Dilip Bhujel and Bijay Narayan Pradhan were unanimously re-elected as the President, Secretary and Treasurer respectively while Smt. Sanjogita Subba, Tapan Pradhan were inducted as the vice presidents. Hira Chhetri, Dr. Ismail Mangrati were elected Joint Secretary and Dinesh Khati and Rakesh Pradhan were elected as the joint treasurer in the newly formed committee. Other members included Kiran Pradhan, Bhim Giri, Sahadev Giri, L.B. Ghimirey, Santosh Pradhan, Dawa Lama, Bijay Mangrati, Dhruva Ghising, Moti Prasad Sharma etc.

The new committee discussed about the forthcoming programmes of the Pariwar which included financial help to the School, grant of stipends to the deserving students in Kalimpong irrespective of their school affiliation, making the alumni association an effective body with more innovative activities.

It may be recalled that the alumni association is already extending financial support to the economically backward meritorious students of the school. Now with the proposal to extend the facility to the students of other local schools the association has done an exemplary work.

GORKHALAND IS NOT THE GOAL OF GORKHA PARISANGH – C.K. SHRESTHA

Media Cell, BGP: Gangtok, 24 May :In order to give consistency to its activities and programmes, the leaders of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, popularly known as Parisangh held an interactive session at Gangtok on 21^st May. In the he programme which was chaired by National Working President C.K. Shrestha, Vice-President and Co-ordinator of Zone II (Darjeeling/Sikkim/Dooars) Smt. Latika Joshi, Secretary General Sukhman Moktan, Treasurer Rudra Adhikari, Member of Central Programme Cell (CPC), Delhi D.K. Pradhan, President Siliguri Sub-division Committee K.N. Pradhan, Vice-President Kalimpong Sub-division Committee Smt. Hiran G. Shrestha were present as the representatives of the organization while a section of local intellectuals and press and media workers took part in the session. Addressing the interactive programme held at the hall of Sikkim Press Club, Moktan highlighted the organizational features of the Parisangh and emphasized the need of formation of a national level pan-Gorkha social organization in India. According to Moktan, as disclosed in the session, the Parisangh has so far been able to garner support from the Gorkhas living in twenty two states and one union territory and with the help of the Gorkha people spread throughout the country the organization has been effectively carrying out different kinds of activities across India. He also said that the Parisangh has been organizing leadership development workshops in different parts of the country to impart the Gorkha youths proper training about formal information and knowledge of the organization and make them aware about the necessity of a national Gorkha body in India. In the workshop the participants are apprised of the seven point charter of demands of the Parisangh being raised at national level, he added.

Responding to the queries made by local media persons regarding the first and foremost issue of the Parisangh i.e. the separate Gorkha state in India, Shrestha clarified that the creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland is not the ultimate goal of his organization and the Parisangh would continue to work for the cause of Gorkha people scattered all over the country. The Parisangh demands that to honour and render justice to the Gorkhas of India for their tireless and selfless contribution towards the independence, re-building, security and development of the motherland, the Govt. of India should locate a territory in the country as the homeland of Indian Gorkhas, he demanded. He also opined that the separate state meant for the Indian Gorkhas could not be created by any single political party as the subject bears a greater issue to be discussed at national level and a national consensus must be brought by all political organizations of India in this regard. According to Shrestha, the issue of Gorkhaland state should not be treated as a political agenda as the Gorkhas are seeking justice from the nation i.e. India and not from any political outfit. Branding the demand of a separate homeland for Gorkhas as the national demand Shrestha claimed that the Gorkhas of over 22 states in India under the banner of Parisangh have adopted formal resolution in this connection as each and every member of a Gorkha family in this country are facing identity crisis at national level due to variety of reasons. He also said that the Parisangh believes that though the creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland does not bring solution to all the problems facing the Gorkhas in India, yet, a separate state of their own would definitely help sort out the identity problems of Indian Gorkhas. When asked about the role of Indian soldiers in the country Shrestha stated that most of the communities like Marathi, Kashmiri, Rajasthani, Bihari etc. have their states Maharastha, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Bihar respectively on the basis of their regiments in Indian army while the Gorkhas soldiers despite their sincere duties towards the country have nowhere to go after the service life.

In the interactive session the local intellectuals and media persons took part and shown their keen interest to understand the aims and objectives of the Parisangh.

Photos: Hira and Samiran

Victory Rally of GJM in Kalimpong

Gorkhaland demand will be met: Jaswant

The Times of India , DARJEELING, 23 May: Reiterating his commitment towards the creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland, senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh on Thursday said the demand for Gorkhaland would be met despite the saffron party being in the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

"The loss of the BJP makes no difference to the demand and the reasonable cause of Gorkhaland," Singh said while speaking to the supporters of the GJM and the mediapersons here.

This is his first visit to the region after winning the Lok Sabha elections from the Darjeeling constituency. He had left for a fortnight's tour of the capital and was campaigning for his son Manvendra Singh in Barmer, Rajasthan for the LS polls.

Jaswant is accompanied by his wife, two sons and grand-children. He headed straight to Kalimpong, where he will meet GJM president Bimal Gurung and other central committee leaders currently camping there.

Jaswant will address several public meetings and attend thanks-giving ceremonials. He will also meet ex-servicemen there, to personally thank them for campaigning and voting for him.

After attending meetings in Darjeeling on Friday, Jaswant will leave for Siliguri on Saturday to meet BJP unit leaders. He will fly back to Delhi on May 25. Jaswant defeated his nearest rival Jibesh Sarkar of CPM by 253,000 votes.

Morcha vows fight despite BJP rout

- Peaceful agitation assurance to tourists

OUR CORRESPONDENT - The Telegraph, Kalimpong, May 22: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung today iterated the time-frame — March 2010 — he has set for himself to attain Gorkhaland, despite the national verdict in the recently held Lok Sabha elections going against the party’s calculations.

Addressing a thanks-giving rally at the Mela Ground here today, the Morcha president urged his supporters not to waver from the goal despite the NDA, Morcha’s pre-poll ally at the national level, coming a cropper at the hustings. “Many will sacrifice their lives if Gorkhaland doesn’t materialise by March 2010. I have already said I will be the first to shoot at myself,” said Gurung, pointing an imaginary gun at his temple.

Gurung, who was his usual fire and brimstone self, said that the non-cooperation movement against the state government — like the non-payment of taxes — would continue, but there would be no attempt to disrupt normal life, at least in the next a couple of months. “This is (tourism) season and we should allow transporters, hotels, and other businesses to make money now,” he said.

The Morcha president also announced that his party would contest both the municipal and panchayat elections if the government conducts three-tier rural polls. “However, we will elect such candidates who can neither understand nor speak, because that is exactly what the state government has reduced us to,” he said, implying that the people of the hills have never been heard or understood.

Gurung also asked his party leaders to forget about contesting these elections themselves. “We are in midst of a movement. Anyone (from amongst the party leaders) who wants to contest these elections does not deserve to be in the party,” he said, suggesting the two institutions will be used to harass the state government. “I will compel them (state government) to willingly grant us Gorkhaland,” he said.

Speaking ahead of Gurung, newly elected Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh assured the gathering of about 10,000 people that he would remain true to the cause of Gorkhaland.

“From the world I come, a man’s word is enough. It will not have to be set in black and white… I will devote whatever remains of my political life to the cause of Gorkhaland,” he promised.

Speaking briefly, Singh said he was overwhelmed by the support given to him by the people. “The vote is not for Jaswant Singh. It is for Gorkhaland. This is not my achievement. It is about your struggle, your identity,” he said, as the crowd, most of them dressed in their traditional dresses, roared in approval.

Let us forget about the water scarcity for a moment and celebrate the victory and hope that Jaswant Ji will solve the problem in near future.PHOTO: SAMIRAN PAUL