ABGL explores court option for meet - Party will approach HC to counter refusal of permission

VIVEK CHHETRI,TT, Darjeeling, Nov. 29: Persistent stonewalling by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the repeated refusal of the Darjeeling district administration to allow it to hold public meetings in the hills have prompted the ABGL to think of seeking a solution from the high court. The latest blow has been the administration’s denial to grant permission to a rally that the ABGL had planned to hold on December 7. On two other occasions in the past year, the party, one of the most vocal against the Morcha, had been refused permission to stage public shows in Darjeeling town. “If Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee can hold his rallies in Maoist-infested areas in south Bengal, why cannot we? What kind of law and order situation is prevailing here in Darjeeling?” ABGL president Madan Tamang asked. Tamang said his party would approach police tomorrow for a written copy of the order refusing permission for the December 7 meeting to be submitted in the high court. “We had applied for permission for the meeting on November 22 and we were verbally told that it could not be allowed because of a law and order problem,” Tamang said. In the past one year, the ABGL had tried to hold two public meetings in Darjeeling but both had been derailed by the Morcha. Large crowds had jammed the venues so that the ABGL could not go ahead with the meetings. The Morcha explanation of the jam-packed venue was that they were a “spontaneous reaction of the general public” who did not want the rallies. “The state government is afraid that its political stooges in the hills will be exposed if I hold these meetings. In the past, they used the Morcha to stop my meetings but this time they have shown their true colours by directly getting the administration involved,” alleged Tamang. Calling upon the Morcha to refrain from taking his criticism in a negative perspective, Tamang, said: “They should take it with a positive mind. I don’t want this agitation to go to waste by settling for an arrangement which is less than statehood.” The ABGL president had lately been accusing the Morcha leadership of agreeing tacitly to an alternative to the DGHC, a stand that had been denied by the Morcha stridently. An official of the Sadar police station here admitted that they had noted that “there could be law and order problem” if the ABGL went ahead with its meeting. “Moreover, specific location as to where in Darjeeling town the party intends to hold its public meeting has not been clarified in their application,” said the officer. Amal Kanti Roy, subdivisional officer of Darjeeling, refused to say much. “Since it is a holiday I will not be able to furnish the details immediately. I think the venue has not been clearly mentioned in the application,” he said. Tamang, however, alleged that the administration was trying to stop him deliberately. “The government has been exposed. They will be forced to give me a written answer tomorrow, once I apply for a certified copy,” Tamang claimed. In the meantime, the Morcha has remained non-committal towards supporting the 12-hour Bengal strike called by the BJP tomorrow. “We do not want to comment on the strike,” said a senior Morcha leader. The party had backed the BJP for the Lok Sabha election, paving the way for Jaswant Singh’s victory from the Darjeeling seat. Singh was later expelled from the BJP.

INTERLOCUTER IN KOLKATA 

KalimNews Kolkata,29 Nov: Interlocutor Leut.General Vijay Madan appointed for the tripartite talk among Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Govt of West Bengal and Central Government (Govt of India) is now in Kolkata. He will be visiting the Secretaries and Chief Minister of West Bengal Government. 

He will be arriving in Darjeeling on 2nd December and will leave Darjeeling on the morning of 4th . It is also presumed that he will be visiting Dooars on his way back. On his visit he will meet with Bimal Gurung and other political leaders as well s Government Officers.

Gorkhaland interlocutor to visit city

TNN.29 Nov KOLKATA: Lt Gen (retd) Vijay Madan, whom the Centre appointed as interlocutor for talks with all stakeholders on the Gorkhaland issue, will be inKolkata on Sunday for talks with state government officials. He will also meet governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi. 
The scheduled fourth round of tripartite talks between Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders, the Bengal government and the Centre will be held in Darjeeling on December 21. 
The decision to appoint the interlocutor was agreed at the third tripartite meeting in Delhi on August 11. The home ministry announced Madan's appointment on October 23. 
Madan had been to Darjeeling earlier this month and held discussions with GJM general secretary Roshan Giri and its central committee members, Amar Lama and Asha Gurung. He is expected to visit Darjeeling again in December, before the fourth round of talks. 
Sources said Madan's visit to the city is seen as a move to prepare the groundwork for the next tripartite meeting. Madan would meet the chief secretary, home secretary and other senior officials to discuss possible solutions. 
GJM chief Bimal Gurung had already announced that he would intensify his agitation and declare Gorkhaland if the December talks fail. 
Sources said efforts were on to increase the ambit of functioning of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. GJM leaders had also been looking for more power and control of the entire Darjeeling district, but the state government wants to exclude Siliguri sub-division, which functions as a mahakuma parishad. 
In the August talks, the three sides had decided to have an "interim arrangement" in place of the present council.

DOOARS TRIBAL TO LEND SUPPORT TO TRINMOOL CONG
TOI KOLKATA 29 Nov: Breaking free of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad (ABAVP), tribal leaders in the Dooars and Terai are planning to follow in the footsteps of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) by extending support to Trinamool Congress. It was GJM's support that helped Trinamool wrest Rajganj in the recent assembly bypoll.
The tribal leaders, who've decided to support Trinamool in the next assembly poll, are likely to meet Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata in the first week of December.
ABAVP was floated a year ago to combat GJM in the Dooars. But its formation spurred massive ethnic strife. The latest political development, it is feared, may lead to fresh ethno-political trouble in this tea garden belt, as a section of ABAVP activists don't share some tribal leaders' enthusiasm to support Trinamool Congress.
These activists prefer to keep their Adivasi brand afloat by maintaining a distance from mainstream political parties. A year ago, members of different mainstream political parties had come together under a common ethnic umbrella for tribals to form ABAVP. "Adivasis in the tea garden belt united to further their cause. If some try to enter into an alliance with Trinamool, ABAVP members who had earlier belonged to Left parties won't agree," said a Parishad leader.
The difference among ABAVP leaders was evident during the recent Kalchini assembly bypoll. A section of tribal leaders fielded independent candidates, ignoring prominent leaders. In spite of losing, the ABAVP candidate ranked second, relegating Congress and RSP to the third and fourth positions respectively.
Political observers and intelligence officers fear that factionalism among tribals may pave the way for insurgency. ABAVP president John Barla is not worried, though. "We plan to meet Mamata Banerjee for development of our region. If she does something for our development, it will be reflected in the ballot box," he said.
Sources confirmed that the ABAVP delegation scheduled to meet Mamata will comprise Barla, Birsha Tirke, Rajesh Lakra and Tezkumar Toppo. "Most of these leaders hail from Congress. Leaders from the Left Front will not join the initiative," said another tribal leader.
Leaders of Left parties in the region are happy. They hope divisions within ABAVP might encourage the erstwhile Left members of the outfit to return to their original fold. "If tribal leaders go in for an alliance with Trinamool, we will get back our support base among tribals," said Asu Sarkar, an influential CPM leader.
Like the Left, GJM leaders also view divisions within ABAVP as an opportunity. GJM leaders are trying to reach an understanding with tribals to launch a joint movement. ABAVP secretary Rajesh Lakra admitted that GJM leaders had approached them. "The GJM leadership has approached us for talks to discuss our common problems," said Lakra.

Intelligence agencies are, however, alarmed over the region's chaotic political situation. "Both mainstream and ethnic political leaders have failed to find a headway for the region. So, people are losing faith in them. It may pave the way for Maoists and other insurgent outfits," said a senior intelligence officer in North Bengal.

Grandmother awaits return of dead grandson

Mohan Prasad, SNS, Kurseong, 29 NOV: She knows that her grandson will never return and yet she doesn't lock the door from the inside. Instead, she places a stool “pidha” against the door, like earlier times. Her grandson used to return home, sometimes late in the evening, around 7:30 pm. She used to leave the door unlocked so that he could get in easily without knocking or calling her. She still places a stool against door instead of the lock. Kurseong sub-divisional hospital psychiatrist, Dr TP Dukpa said that it may have been a habit which is continuing even after the death of her grandson or it may be a sentimental activity. However, without examining her properly, it is difficult to say that she has any problem.
64-year-old Bisash Thapa, who’s been in shock for the last one year, keeps on waiting for justice. She is today a lonely old woman, living off the pension of her late husband, and no one to look after her. Mrs Thapa's grandson was murdered around one year ago. Till date, the murderers have not been caught and justice is yet to be meted out. But Mrs Thapa is living in the hope that one day justice will prevail. The question of who killed her one and only grandson and why, frequently occurs to Mrs Thapa. However, even after a gap of more than one year, Mrs Thapa finds no answer to this question that haunts her. The administration has proved to be incapable of solving this murder mystery.
Just like any other day, on 28 June, 2008, at around 4 pm, Mrs Thapa's grandson, Upesh Thapa (15), who was a class 9 student of St. Alphonsus School, Kurseong, left the house and told his grandmother that he was going to his friend's place. He mentioned that he would be back by 7 in the evening but unfortunately he never came back. On the morning of 29 June, 2008, Upesh Thapa's dead body was found at the WBSEB Store-Gate, which is located on the way to his house, near Kurseong Municipality office.
As per police sources and the post mortem report, Upesh Thapa was murdered with a rope tied around his neck. Several injuries and cut-marks were spotted on his head, face and neck. The motive behind the murder was possibly random looting as Upesh's cell phone has been missing since. This explanation, however, does not satisfy the residents of Lower Dumaram Busty-Kurseong, and they allege that the police have failed to trace the real murderer.
Mr Laxman Gurung, resident of Lower Dumaram Busty, and a neighbour of deceased Upesh Thapa said that even after a gap of a year, the police officials failed to solve Upesh Thapa's murder mystery. As a result the residents of the area do not feel secure. They also do not feel that the police can efficiently protect them.
Another neighbor, Mr Purna Gurung said that it is indeed unfortunate that the police, even after a gap of several months, have still not been able to solve the murder mystery of an innocent class 9 boy. Mr Gurung also informed that several deputations has already been submitted to the police administration by the residents of Lower Dumaram Busty, but so far, the administration has only made assurances.
He also informed that day by day, the condition of Upesh's grandmother is deteriorating, following the loss of her one and only grandson. She has been living in a state of shock for several months now.

In this connection, when questioned, the Kurseong SDPO, Mr Rakesh Singh said that so far, three IO (investigation officer) have been changed to solve the case quickly. He assured that inquiry is on, and the police are trying their best to solve the matter.

BISON RUN OVER BY TRAIN
IE Chapramari,Jalpaiguri,29 Nov:A bison died after being run over by a passenger train in North Bengal’s Chapmari forest area at 9 am today.

According to the District Forest Officer, Wildlife II Jalpaiguri, Tapas Das, the bison was coming out of Chapmari sanctuary and was crossing over to another jungle on the other side of the railway tracks when it was hit by the Mahananda Link Express.

“The animal died on the spot. It is difficult to fence these jungles and to make sure that the animals do not cross the railway tracks. With these old tracks cutting across jungles, such mishaps have become common,” said Das.

Honey lovers on the prowl, claws three

TT, Siliguri, Nov. 29: Bears are straying out of forests in Kurseong and in the past two months there have been two attacks on humans and regular raids for cattle.

The honey lovers have devoured quite a few apiaries, too, besides the kitchen gardens at Ghalaytar, Mana, Labda, Tham, Chambi, Turuk and Babu Khola in Sittong I, II and III gram panchayats.

Residents of these villages recalled that the raids started around October.

“A bear attacked Anita Gurung and her son Diwas at Mana when they were on her way to her mother’s house in the afternoon of October 1,” said Arun Rai of Sittong Busty. Anita fractured her right hand where the animal had struck while Diwas had been clawed all over.

“They were admitted to the Kurseong subdivisional hospital and the forest department bore the expenses of their treatment,” said Rai. Anita and Diwas are residents of Labda Busty-Mungpoo.

The second and the more recent incident of mauling was on November 15 when 71-year-old Chenam Lepcha of Taklit in Sittong I was attacked near his paddy field.

“It was around 8.30am when Lepcha was working in his paddy field. He was caught off guard when the bear attacked him from behind. It ran away when Lepcha cried out for help and villagers reached the spot. But he suffered severe injuries on the chest and head,” said Chandra Rai, another resident of Sittong Busty. Both the attacks had been during the day, but cattle raids had been reported at night.

Those who have seen the bears described them as big and burly measuring up to more than six feet in height. Ever since the attacks, villagers armed with tins, firecrackers and torches have been keeping vigil at night. “On November 24, at 3.30am, the goats in my pen suddenly started bleating. When we rushed out we saw this big bear around six feet in height scrambling away with a goat slung on its back. We burst firecrackers to scare it away. There have been at least 10 instances when cattle was stolen by the bear,” said D.B. Gurung of Tham Dara in Sittong III.

Dhan Bahadur Gurung’s apiary in Labda Busty was raided too. “The honey combs were damaged but nothing much happened to the apiary. The bees, too, were there,” said a villager.

Forest officials said they were doing their best to “restrict the movement of the bears to the forest”.

“According to our survey, three Himalayan Black Bears are causing the damage. Our guards and staff are patrolling the villages daily in a bid to restrict the movement of the bears to the forest. We have provided compensation to the villagers who have lost their cattle and bore the treatment expenses of the three persons who were mauled by bears,” said Dipak Rasaily, the deputy ranger of Baggaura.

Sumita Ghatak, the divisional forest officer, (wildlife I), said one probable reason why bears were straying was the increase in its population. “The problem is not Sittong’s alone. We have got reports of such incidents from other parts of the hills too,” she said.

Foresters to tranquillise ‘jilted’ rhino

TT, Siliguri, Nov. 29: Foresters have decided to tranquillise an adult male rhino that left Gorumara National Park on November 12 after losing a fight with another, probably over a female rhino.

Since leaving Gorumara, the seven-year-old rhino has travelled about 60km to reach the Baikunthapur forest division and finally it entered Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary.

“Five kunki elephants have been used to track the rhino since Friday in our efforts to drive the animal back to Gorumara. But we have not been successful as it often hides itself in the bushes,” an official of the Baikunthapur forest division said.

Driving the rhino back to Gorumara will not be an easy task, as there is a possibility of the animal getting hurt during the process, the official said. “If the rhino, while being driven back, enters any tea garden or forest village that falls on the way, it may create panic among residents who can also attack the animal in fear. Considering this option, we have decided to tranquillise the rhino as the last resort.”

The official said: “On November 12, the rhino left Gorumara after having lost a fight with another. The fight was probably over a female rhino.” The animal entered Apalchand forest and then reached Bodaganj under Belakoba range by crossing the Teesta. It was last seen at the Eighth Mile area in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary near Siliguri last evening, the official said and added that trekking 60km was nothing unusual for a rhino.
Pakistan constructing bunkers along border

New Delhi, Nov 28 (IANS) The paramilitary Pakistan Rangers are building ‘defensive’ bunkers along the frontier with India to defend themselves from possible attacks from within their own territory, the chief of India’s Border Security Force (BSF) said Saturday.

‘We have come across certain construction activities across the border. In some instances, the bunkers being constructed are facing their own territory,’ BSF chief Raman Srivastava told reporters here. Srivastava said this could be seen as a preventive measure taken by the Rangers to defend themselves from attacks by the Taliban or other militant groups.Srivastava also praised the operations of the BSF’s newly-raised women’s wing. ‘The women constables have expressed desire to be posted along the borders and also to be made part of anti-Maoist operations. We are discussing what other duties could be given to them,’ he said.
A woman BSF constable on the Bangladesh border in North 24-Parganas. This is the first deployment of women along the eastern frontier, said inspector- general CV Murlidhar. The presence of many women among smugglers and infiltrators necessitated the move.