DEMAND OF GORKHALAND RAISED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PARLIAMENT

KalimNews, 22 July: Sushma Swaraj, MP and Deputy Leader of the NDA while explaining about insurgencies in the North East gave an appropriate speech on Gorkhaland in the Lok Sabha on 22nd July. And this was for the first time the issue of Gorkhaland was raised in a formal manner in the Parliament. FOR the text of her statement and proceedings made during her statement on the topic please CLICK HERE.

Bhanu Jayanti celebrated in Guwahati

Nanda Kirati Dewan,Guwahati: Guwahati Brihhatar Guwahati Bhanu Jayanti Samaroh Samitee celebrated the 195^th birth anniversary of great Gorkha poet Acharya Bahnu Bhakta with a two day (July 13^th and 20^th) program in the heart of Guwahati city Nepali Mandir Paltan Bazar. The first day program started off with hoisting of flag followed by floral tribute to great gorkha poet Acharya Bhanu Bhakta that was initiated by Pitamber Gurung President Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, Assam State Committee. Thereafter a cultural procession was taken out which was inaugurated by Bhaskar Dahal Advisor AAGSU. Later in the evening at the Gorkha High School common room “Sahitya Gosthi” was held where a host of literature persons, poets and writers shared their thoughts and recited their compositions.

A week later on 20^th July 2009 a open session and cultural program was held at Kumar Bhaskar Natya Mandir in Guwahati where Pitamber Gurung President Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, Assam State Committee attended as chief guest while Purna Chetri Spokesperson Gorkha Autonomous Council Demand Committee (GACDC), Young Gorkha Journalist Nanda Kirati Dewan, Poetess Goma Sharma and Digambar Publicity Secretary AAGSU graced the occasion as guest of honour in the meeting presided over by president of the celebration committee Arjun Chetri.

The cultural program anchored by gorkha activist and Chief of the Volunteer Cell AAGSU Shri Keshav Pandey attracted a houseful crowd. The cultural program started off with a meaningful chorus and ended with the song “Gorkhali ko Choro Hoon Mo, Gorkhey mero naam “by Riders band of Pankaj Rawat. The important part of the cultural program was the non Gorkhas in Gorkha traditional attire singing songs like “Mo ta abo rishou chu”, “Jou na Soltini” and dance in the songs like “Haat ma mobile phone kaslai garekie”, “Zal Zali aakha ma”. Cultural troupe group Sikander comprising of both Gorkhas and non Gorkhas entertained the crowd with modern Gorkha dance. The program ended at 11pm at night and the crowds were dropped to their destination in the arranged vehicles.

Lok Sabha :A proposal for upgradation of the existing National Highway 29 (E) from Gorakhpur to Sonauli in Uttar Pradesh, which is of 104.4 km length, has been entrusted to National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). A Detailed Project Report has been prepared by NHAI in this regard. It is being maintained through National Highway wing of Public Works Department (PWD) of Uttar Pradesh from funds provided by NHAI. In the past four years, a total amount of Rs 18.1 crore has been sanctioned and Rs 13.2 crore have been released by NHAI for upkeep of the Highway. Further, a proposal for construction of a new bridge in place of old Mahesara bridge on the Highway is under consideration. This information was given by Smt. Preneet Kaur, Minister of State for External Affairs in reply to a question by Shri Yogi Aditya Nath in Lok Sabha today. (PIB)

SOLAR ECLIPSE-22 JULY , 2009

AS SEEN IN KALIMPONG (OVERCAST SKY WITH FOG DUE TO INCESSANT RAIN at 6.27am for about 2.12mins of darkness)

PTI, Gangtok , July 22 Incessant rains proved to be a dampener with the people unable to watch the total solar eclipse in Sikkim this morning. Moderate to heavy rains occurred since last night and the weather worsened with mist preventing the people from viewing the celestial event.

Sikkim was one of the few places across the country where the eclipse took place lasting more than one minute between 0530 hours and 0733 hours.

Scientist had earlier said that eclipse would be clearly visibly in South, West and Eastdistricts of the Himalayan state.

Solar Eclipse: Diamond ring viewed in parts of Assam

Report and photos:Nanda Kirat Dewan:

Though Guwahati city visibility of Solar eclipse was 99.80% thousands of skywatchers burst into an applause in several parts of Assam as the crescent sun smiled upon in parts of Assam when the eclipse reached its maximum of 100 per cent at 6:26 a.m on Wednesday morning. But in some other places along with Dibrugarh people remained upset due to a cloudy sky where a host of scientists and sky gazers including from abroad were all geared up to conduct experiments in several institutions. In Guwahati, Goreswar, Bihata Chari Ali, Tezpur, Jorhat and Lakhimpur, sky gazers were spell bound as they came to view the beautiful diamond ring in the sky in the morning. People in several place came out in large numbers to have a glimpse of the rare celestial event. These places include Guwahati planetarium, Goreswar, Bihata Chari Ali, Tezpur etc where the people were mesmerized by the celestial event of total solar eclipse from 5-30 in the morning to around 7-30. Projectors, telescopes and special solar view goggles were made available to the people who gathered to have a glimpse of the cosmic event.