GJMM rejects Central interlocutor’s choice Romit Bagchi, SNS, SILIGURI, 16 OCT: The GJMM has rejected the name of Mr A Halder, former Central Intelligence Bureau chief proposed to it by the Union Home ministry as an interlocutor on the Gorkhaland issue. “This was about a fortnight back and since then we have received no communication from the Centre in this matter,” said the GJMM general secretary, Mr Roshan Giri today. He further said that the matter no longer held importance with the date fixed for the tripartite dialogue approaching fast. “We are concentrating on our homework to convince the Centre of the imperatives of carving out a state for the Indian Gorkhas in Darjeeling,” Mr Giri said. Speaking on the matter, the GJMM media secretary, Dr Harka Bahadur Chettri said that his party had rejected the name of Mr Haldar as the proposed interlocutor as, he had been propped up by the West Bengal government. “We were convinced that a person whose name was being insisted on by the state government would not help much in advancing the cause for which the process of the appointment was undertaken. Some time has passed since we conveyed our stand on the matter. Yet, the Centre has not taken any fresh initiative in this direction,” he said. Giving an account of the organizational revamping of the party with the crucial fourth round of the three-way dialogue approaching, Dr Chettri said that the party unit in the Dooars was being strengthened in particular. “The party president Mr Bimal Gurung has made it clear during his frequent tours to Kalimpong over the past few months that the Dooars unit of the party must be revived adequately to take on any eventuality,” he said. Asked whether there is a possibility of the revival of the agitation in that particular belt, the GJMM spokesperson said that it was not on the agenda right now. गोर्खाल्याण्डबारे भागोप सिक्किमका प्रतिनिधिहरूले मोदीलाई ज्ञापन गान्तोक,16 अक्टोबर(हिस) भारतीय गोर्खाहरूको मन प्राणको माग छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्ड गठन हुने कुरामा गुजरातका मुख्यमन्त्री तथा भारतीय जनता पार्टी(भाजपा) का राष्ट्रिय नेता नरेन्द्र मोदीले पूर्ण विश्वास व्यक्त गरेका छन्‌। आफ्नो तीन दिवसीय सिक्किम भ्रमणमा आएका मोदीलाई भारतीय गोर्खाहरूको शीर्षस्थ संस्था भारतीय गोर्खा परिसंघका प्रतिनिधीहरूले आज सॉंझ भेट गरेर गोर्खाहरूको राष्ट्रिय समस्या र मुद्दाहरूबारे एउटा ज्ञापन-पत्र सुम्पियो। भागोपका राष्ट्रिय कार्यकारी समितिका सदस्य प्रवीण खालिङले मोदीसित भेट गरेर उक्त ज्ञापन सुम्पिए। फोटोः भागोपका राष्ट्रीय सदस्य प्रवीण खालिङले मुख्यमन्त्री मोदीलाई ज्ञापन पेश गर्दै, अर्कोतिर मुख्यमन्त्री मोदीसित प्रवीण खालिङ। मुख्यमन्त्री मोदीलाई ज्ञापन चढ़ाउने क्रममा देशका गोर्खाहरूको मनप्राणको माग छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्डको गठन अनिवार्य रहेको तथा यो एक सय वर्ष भन्दा पुरानो माग रहेको जानकारी मोदीलाई दिइयो। यसै गरी उनलाई देशका सबै गोर्खाहरूको शीर्षस्थ संगठनले यो मुद्दा लगायत अन्य गोर्खाहरूको समस्याजडित मुद्दाहरूबारे पनि ज्ञापनमा उल्लेख गर्दै भागोपले चिन्हित गरिएको सातवटा राष्ट्रिय मुद्दाको बारेमा प्रकाशित साहित्य तथा गोर्खाहरूको इतिहास र आधुनिक भारत निर्माणमा रहेको योगदानको बारेमा प्रकाशित साहित्य प्रदान गरियो। भागोपको पक्षमा कुरा राख्दै खालिङले गोर्खाल्याण्डबारे बुझिदिने अनुरोध गरे भने वास्तविकतामा गोर्खाल्याण्डको माग के हो यसबारे भारतभरिका गोर्खाहरूले कस्तो धारना रहेको छ यो साहित्यमा उल्लेख गरिएको बताएर गोर्खाल्याण्ड बुझिदिने अनुरोध गरे। ज्ञापनमा गोर्खाल्याण्ड एक करोड 25 लाख भारतीय गोर्खाहरूको अस्तिव र चिन्हारीको प्रश्न रहेको उल्लेख गरिएको छ भने। यस मागको पुर्ति गरेर भारतीय गोर्खाहरूको निधारमा लागेको विभिन्न दाग पुछेर शुद्ध भारतीय भन्ने ठपा लगाएर राष्ट्रिय पहिचान सुनिश्चित गरिदिनु पर्ने माग राखेका छन्‌। यसै गरि भागोपद्वारा प्रकाशित भारतीय गोर्खाहरूको स्वाधीनता संग‘ाममा रहेको भूमिका र भारत निर्माणमा रातदिन एक गर्ने गोर्खाहरूको अवस्था बयान गर्ने पुस्तक र साहिय प्रदान गरिएको छ। गोर्खाल्याण्डको माग सय वर्ष पुरानो रहेको अवगत भए पछि मोदीले आफ्नो मन्तव्य जाहेर गर्दै भने गोर्खाल्याण्ड एक दिन अवश्य हुनेछ। यसै गरि भागोपको पक्षबाट भाजपा सधैं सानो राज्यको पक्षमा रहेको बताउदै यसबारेमा गत चुनाउमा पनि गोर्खाल्याण्ड घोषणा पत्रमा उल्लेख गरिएको अवगत गराउने काम गरियो। ज्ञापनमा सिक्किम राज्य समितिका अध्यक्ष डॉ. कमल गुरुंग, कार्यकारी अध्यक्ष नारायण भट्टराई, महासचिव सोमनाथ पाण्डेले हस्ताक्षर गरेका छन्‌। उल्लेखनीय छ भारती गोर्खा परिसंघले राष्ठ्रव्यापी रूपमा सबै राजनैतिक दलका नेता तथा सबै मु‘यमन्त्रीहरूलाई आफ्नो मुद्दाबारे जानकारी गराउने अभियान अन्तर्गत यसरी ज्ञापन पत्र र परिसंघको साहिय प्रदान गरेर गोर्खाहरूको मुद्दालाई बुझाउने प्रचेष्टा गरिरहेको छ। यसअघि सिकिम राज्य समितिले कंगसका पूर्वोत्तर राज्य प्रभारी तथा गोवाका पूर्व मु‘यमन्त्री लुइजिनो फलेरोलाई भागोपको मुद्दा र गो़र्खाहरूको समस्याबारे ज्ञापन दिएको थियो। Source: Himgirinepali.com Arrest warrant against cable network director issued SNS, SILIGURI 16 OCT: The Siliguri District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum or the Consumer Court in popular, has issued an arrest warrant against the director of Siliguri-based Combine Cable Network (CCN) for not paying up compensation to a disgruntled subscriber as was ordered by the Forum on 10 August. The Consumer Court, issued the arrest warrant against the CCN director Mr Kishore Ranjan Dasgupta on 8 October, asking the Siliguri police to execute the order by 23 of this month. The warrant, however, is bailable against a surety of Rs 25,000/-. Hearing into a cable subscription related dispute that dates back to 2002, the Siliguri Consumer Court had on 10 August asked the CCN authorities to pay a compensation of Rs 18,450/- to Mr KK Choudhuary, a subscriber based at Baghajatin Park in Siliguri. The Court had fixed a 30-day deadline for paying up the compensation, failing which, a 9 per cent interest per day would be levied, Justice Ms Anita Debnath had stated in the ordered. On 10 September, when the 30-day deadline was to lapse, CCN authorities appealed before the Court and sought some additional time. It was granted time till 8 October. “But the CCN authorities neither paid the compensation nor could obtain a stay order from any higher court by the stipulated date, prompting the Court to issue the arrest warrant against one of its directors,” informed Mr Suresh Kumar Mitruka, counsel for the disgruntled subscriber, handing over a photocopy of the arrest warrant to the Press. According to Mr Mitruka, the Consumer Court has already despatched the order to the Siliguri police station for execution. Contacted over the issue, the IC Siliguri PS Mr Aloke Chakraborty however said, they were yet to receive any such order and would take appropriate action as and when it arrives. The ties that would bind Nepalese, Gorkha SNS,SILIGURI, 16 OCT: Following in the footsteps of the luminaries of Bengal during the turbulent anti-partition agitation in 1905, an anti-Gorkhaland body “Bangla O Bangla Bhasa Bachao Committee” organised an innovative programme of tying rakhi on the Nepalese or Gorkha neighbours in Siliguri today to “promote inter-ethnic harmony in these troubled times”. “Rabindranath Tagore pioneered the Swadeshi movement tying rakhi on the Muslim neighbours on this historic day when the alien imperialists attempted to divide the Hindus and the Muslims on religious lines. We have tried to emulate Tagore despite our limited resources to promote harmony between the Nepalese and the Bengalis in Darjeeling district amidst the deepening atmosphere of malice-tinged suspicion,” said the BOBBBC president, Dr Mukunda Majumder. According Dr Majumder, the response was electric with the Indian Nepalese having participated in the programe with spontaneous gaiety. “It is evident that murky shenanigans being indulged in by the anti-harmony forces both in the hills and the plains have failed to create enduring fissures between the two long time neighbours in the district,” he said, adding that they might repair to the hills in a day or two with the message of brotherhood inherent in a simple string called rakhi. Mr Sujan Rai, a resident of Mirik, who had come to Siliguri in connection with the Diwali shopping, looked overwhelmed with emotion when a rakhi was tied on him. “I am besides myself with ecstasy. Such a humble thing like rakhi has forced me deeper into my real self where there is no division between one man with another on superficial grounds like regionalism and creed. Humanity must prevail ultimately, for the soul is one,” Mr Rai remarked. CPM urges early formation of SMC board SNS, SILIGURI, 16 OCT: Claiming that the absence of a full-fledged Siliguri Municipal Corporation board was hindering development process, the Darjeeling district Left Front today urged early formation of the SMC board. “Two weeks have passed after the new SMC mayor took oath of office, but the deputy mayor and other important posts are still lying vacant. The development works are yet to start properly,” CPI-M Darjeeling district secretariat member Mr Jibesh Sarkar said today. The SMC Mayor, Miss Gangotri Datta, however, said: “The vacant posts would be filled in within the statutory period. We are carrying out development projects. I held a meeting today to discuss matters on Chhat puja. However, development works at 14 added wards of the SMC would not be carried out due to the Model Code of Conduct for the Assembly by-poll in Rajganj,” she added. The board has to be formed within one month of the election of the Mayor. The SMC mayor was elected on 1 October. The district Congress leadership denied the Left Front's allegation that development works were being hindered due to the non-fulfillment of posts. Speaking on the matter, the Congress Darjeeling district general secretary, Mr Jiban Majumdar said: “We are trying to form the SMC board with our poll-partner Trinamul and we would do so within the statutory period. We are expecting to hold a meeting with the Trinamool leadership soon on the matter.” The Trinamul leadership, however, refused to make any comment on the matter. “I would not say anything in this regard,” the Trinamul Darjeeling district president, Mr Gautam Deb said over phone from Kolkata. The Trinamul has recently submitted a letter to the SMC authority demanding recognition as the principal Opposition party in the SMC. Missing American calls up wife- US citizen disappears from Sikkim, cops say he had taken a Siliguri-bound vehicle

TT, Gangtok, Oct. 16: A US citizen, who had mysteriously disappeared from Sikkim nine days ago forcing his Chinese wife to alert police here, today called her up and said he was “safe”. But police said they were yet to trace him. Fifty-three-year-old Samuel Mitchell had arrived in Sikkim from Calcutta on September 26 and his wife had spoken to him from China for the last time on his mobile phone on October 7, Lu Yuan wrote in an email to a local publication house here on Wednesday. Mitchell and his wife live in Kunming, China, and when they spoke for the last time he had said he would return home on October 11. “He had entered Sikkim on September 26 and he has not left the state as far as I can gather. My husband always informs me if there are any change of plans. But since October 7, his mobile phone is switched off, he is definitely missing and it is quite possible that he had suffered an accident,” she wrote in the email. She also said Mitchell’s Indian visa issued on December 22, 2008 by the Indian consulate in Guangzhou was valid till December 22, 2013. A senior officer of Sikkim police, contrary to Lu Yuan’s claims, said investigations had revealed that Mitchell had left Sikkim on September 30 after he was put on a Siliguri-bound car by a local youth. “However, we are looking into the details of the case and further investigations are on,” the officer said. He added that after a missing bulletin was issued in a local paper, the youth had contacted the police and given them this information. The deputy inspector-general of police (range), N. Sridhar Rao, said after the missing complaint was filed on Wednesday by the American consulate in Calcutta, all checkposts and police stations had been alerted. Lu Yuan had given all information about her husband to the American consulate on October 12 and 13. Madan Saraf, associated with The School of Chinese Language in Calcutta, whom Lu Yuan had also got in touch with said she had called him today to inform that Mitchell had made contact with her over the phone. “She called me around 4pm and said Mitchell had called her, but I have no further details. She said he did not sound well, so I fear that something is amiss,” Saraf told The Telegraph. He said he had met Mitchell, who is an educationist, once in Calcutta. “He is a very nice and dignified person and I hope that he is well. I had come in contact with Mitchell in connection with the language school.”