Gurung meets Gen Madan
SNS, SILIGURI, 2 NOV: The GJMM president, Mr Bimal Gurung (in picture) called on the Centre appointed interlocutor Lt Gen (Retd) Mr Vijay Madan in Darjeeling today amidst questions by some anti-Gorkhaland pressure groups over the citizenship-identity of the interlocutor.
Mr Madan arrived in Darjeeling on Saturday presumably to mediate on the dragging statehood controversy and would leave the Hills tomorrow. Talking to reporters in Darjeeling after today's meeting Mr Madan and the GJMM chief, Mr Bimal Gurung said separately that it was a courtesy meeting.
Expressing satisfaction over Mr Madan's appointment as the interlocutor, the GJMM media secretary, Dr Harka Bahadur Chettri said that they were yet to have a detailed discussion with him. “The meeting between our leader and Mr Madan was a courtesy call today,” he added.
The party general secretary, Mr Roshan Giri accompanied by central committee members, Mr Amar Lama and Mrs Asha Gurung called on Mr Madan yesterday.
Meanwhile, a number of anti-Gorkhaland pressure groups slammed the Centre for having appointed a former Gorkha Regiment official as the interlocutor. “His identity as an Indian citizen is doubtful. Perplexingly enough, the Centre has entrusted such a person with the responsibility of mediating on an emotive issue involving far- reaching political and strategic ramifications. More perplexing is the state government's role. Seemingly bereft of drive, it is molly coddling with the Centre,” said the spokespersons of the Bangla O Bangla Bhasa Bachao Committee and Jana Chetana.
” The national identity of the interlocutor being under cloud we would not accept him as a representative of the Centre. Besides, there would be no legitimacy in the dialogue if he does not take the non-political representatives of the plains into confidence. The GJMM cannot claim monopoly as the issue is larger than a mere self-determination bluster of a particular ethnic community,’ said the BOBBBC president, Dr Mukunda Majumder.
A Jana Chetana spokesperson, Mr Mridul Chakravarty said that his organization would file a case challenging the basic premise of the Gorkhaland agitation at the Calcutta High Court soon. “Mr Madan being an ex -Gorkha Regiment official is a Nepalese citizen as per the 1947 tripartite agreement involving the Indian government, the British government and the government of Nepal. The Centre has broken a nasty joke with the self-pride of West Bengal having sent such a person as an official emissary to mediate on the state division demand,” he added.
Lack of tourist inflow surprises Darjeeling no more
SNS, SILIGURI, 2 NOV: Darjeeling, almost devoid of tourists at the peak of the tourism season, no longer occasions an element of surprise. As if it has become a rule rather than an exception over the past few years as the air remains loaded with an impalpable foreboding with volatility hovering all around. According to the locals, the number of tourists is significantly less this year than the past two years taken together. “We are growing accustomed to this, aware as we are of the fast drifting political trajectory. The advent of winter seems splashing the hill station with its multi-coloured splendour and yet, the wonderful transformation of the landscape remains unseen with no tourist left to ejaculate ecstasy,” lamented a veteran resident, Mr Bhusan Lama.
Roaming about the celebrated promenade called Mall, one cannot help feeling melancholy with no joyous tinkling being heard from the tourists.
Asked why the tourists are giving a short shrift to the ‘queen of hill stations’ a local Dipesh Thapa smiled pensively. “Perhaps they are steering clear of Darjeeling in apprehension of being strike-struck. The political mercury is as inscrutable as the mercy of the sun on the hills,” he added.
The ever-buzzing Chowk Bazar and those on the Gandhi Road and Nehru Road around the Mall are doing business as usual and the trading is brisk. Yet the bargaining expostulations, which the tourists indulge in, are conspicuously missing.
The story is more sombre for the eateries including the fashionable ones. These look almost deserted. The staffs of restaurants around the Mall look a dejected lot. “This is the time of penance for us. We are incurring loss in the hope that our next generation would see a happier life. But Gorkhaland or no Gorkhaland, Darjeeling would be reduced to its phantom if it rejects its composite core,” he mumbled under his breath.
However, contrastingly, Lava in Kalimpong sub-division has been drawing tourists from several states. A number of foreign tourists have also added to the grandeur. According to a local, Mr Joseph Tamang, the tourist turnout is good to moderate. “The inflow has waned since the festive days. Even now the tourists are seen jostling for accommodation. But they are coming principally through Gorubathan in the Dooars,” he said. “Come December and there would be no tourist left in the hills. The hills would hibernate, while the surface of life would bubble with statehood excitement,” Mr Tamang mused.
Rs 1 lakh: price tag for dead boy |
TT, Siliguri, Nov. 2: The state government on a recommendation from the National Human Rights Commission has agreed to pay as interim compensation Rs 1 lakh to the parents of a boy whose life was snuffed out when he was just six years old because of alleged medical negligence.
 The home (special) department on September 30 this year ordered the district magistrate of Darjeeling to disburse the amount to Nurul Islam, the father of Sarfaraz Hussain who died on May 10, 2003.
However, a case filed by the family against three doctors and two nurses of the Siliguri Subdivisional Hospital where Sarfaraz died has been pending in the subdivisional court since 2003.
The worth of a child’s life set at Rs 1 lakh, few wanted to discuss it, arguing that “something was better than nothing” and citing the fact that it was an “interim compensation”.
Asked if the amount was adequate for the death of a boy whose whole life lay ahead of him, Abhiranjan Bhaduri, secretary of the Association for the Protection of Democratic Rights, said the NHRC was still hearing the case. “We are hopeful of adequate compensation. If the amount is not adequate, we will take steps then. This is just a relief granted by the NHRC.”
Satadal Gupta, a human rights lawyer, said Rs 1 lakh was not the “final” compensation. “It has been mentioned in the order that it is an interim compensation and the case is still with the NHRC,” he said. “Let us wait for the final compensation.”
Hindol Sengupta of Siliguri Welfare Organisation said “interim” it may be, but compensation was a solace to the family. “It is good that the bereaved family got at least something. We are looking forward to see the final decision.”
On May 10, 2003, Sarfaraz, a resident of Ranabasti in Subhaspally here, died in the hospital allegedly after a doctor administered an injection on him.
“My son suffered a knee injury on his left leg on April 30, 2003, and was suffering from high fever and pain since then. We took him to the hospital on May 1 and the doctors prescribed some medicines. They refused to admit him despite his serious condition. As the fever and the pain did not subside, we visited the hospital again on May 2 and one doctor, Sudeb Sanyal, checked him. Such was the negligence on his part that he prescribed an X-ray of the right leg instead of the left, which was paining. He corrected it when we pointed out the error,” Islam, the father recollected.
Vivekananda Sarkar, another doctor of the hospital, examined him on May 3 again, but Sarfaraz’s condition deteriorated.
Pleas to admit the child to the hospital fell on deaf ears, the father said. “He was finally admitted on May 9. The next day, Rajashri Guha, a lady doctor, gave him an injection around 10am.
A convulsion started but the doctor did not attend to him again. Even the nurses on duty, Aparna Sinha and Swapna Das, behaved rudely. My son passed away around 2pm,” the father said.
Islam is a small businessman in Siliguri and his family consists of wife Shabnam Parveen and two sons, younger than Sarfaraz.
“Although we have received a compensation of Rs 1 lakh, the real justice will come when these five people because of whose negligence my son died, are punished under law,” he added.
When the family had tried to lodge an FIR against the five, police had refused to accept it. The complaint was registered after the family approached organisations like the APDR and the Siliguri Welfare Organisation. The FIR was finally lodged with the Siliguri police station on May 22, 2003.
“We took the matter to the NHRC, wrote to the chief minister, the health minister, Prime Minister and the President as well. The compensation is the first step to redress the family’s grievances but justice will be delivered only after the culprits are punished,” said Bhaduri of the APDR.
The Telegraph had reported a series on the child’s death (see grab), forcing the district administration to exhume the body on May 24, 2003, 14 days after his death, for a postmortem.
The autopsy report had said the cause of death was osteomyelitis, a disease of the bone and bone marrow, which if left untreated, could lead to septicaemia, a life-threatening infection that could turn fatal.
A three-member probe panel, too, was set up by the Darjeeling district health authorities, headed by the deputy chief medical officer of health.
Its report on June 16, 2003, indicted the hospital authorities for gross negligence in the treatment of the boy.
Surendra Gupta, Darjeeling district magistrate and the drawing and disbursing officer, said he would have to look into the details of the case before he commented. “We will disburse the amount as soon as possible,” he said.
Bonfire, songs to mark hill school anniversary |
 RAJEEV RAVIDAS, TT, Kurseong, Nov. 2: Former students of Dow Hill School and Victoria Boys’ School from different parts of the country converged here over the past three days to sing their praise for “the school of our happy childhood days” and renew their links with friends and teachers.
The 130th anniversary of the two sister schools ended with a bonfire on the playground of DHS, 3km from here, on a mildly chilly early winter night yesterday. After about four hours of dancing at the autumn ball in the school gymnasium, the 150-odd alumni sang their school anthems — “Dow Hill to thee we hymn our praise” and “Victoria, Victoria” — holding hands around the fire.
“Every time I hear or sing the school songs, it gives me goose pimples. Every passing year only makes the heart go fonder for DHS and VS,” gushed forester Praveen Katwal, who had studied in both the institutions.
Boys study up to Class III in DHS, while girls continue till Class X. Victoria School has classes from IV to X. Alpana Lal and her sister Anjana, both ex-Dow Hillians, came all the way from Lucknow to be part of the reunion.
“We had a great time; even my son is enjoying the experience. I talk so much about my school at home, I had to get him here,” said Alpana.
Darjeeling-based rally organiser and part-time actor Vikash Pradhan, who was away in Itanagar on assignment, journeyed for over 30 hours to catch the last couple of hours of the get-together. “I am coming straight from the NJP railway station,” he said.
Calcutta resident Suvobrata Guha (Basu), who had come with his wife and son, was all praise for the North Bengal and Sikkim chapter of Victoria and Dow Hill Alumni Association (Vadha), which had organised the celebrations.
“Kick-starting the celebrations from Darjeeling was a brilliant idea. DHS and VS are not just the pride of us students, but of the entire Darjeeling hills,” said Guha, who is a shipping executive.
Vadha secretary Manoj Chandra Rana said the schools deserve heritage status. “We will endeavour to secure such a status for our schools. Our chief guest at the inaugural ceremony Manish Kumar (director of development project, Unicef, Delhi) has promised to work with us in this regard,” he added.
The two schools were set up in 1879 by the British for the education of the children of government officials on the lines of public schools in England. They are the only government-owned ICSE residential schools in Bengal.
 TT, A group of Lepcha children at a picnic organised by the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) to mark its annual meeting at Namprikdang in North Sikkim on Sunday. The organisation, which was opposing the setting up of hydel projects in Dzongu, a Lepcha reserve, felicitated those who have been supporting its cause since it came into being on July 19, 2004. Recently, the ACT called off its indefinite and relay hunger strikes that began in June 2007 after the state government invited them for talks. Welcoming the initiative of the government, Atup Lepcha, who has been re-elected its president, said: “We are hopeful of getting a positive response from the government.” Sikkim Citizen Forum convener Thukchuk Lachungpa, ACT general secretaries Dawa Lepcha and Tenzing Lepcha and other youths who had participated in the relay hunger strike were felicitated. Picture by Prabin Khaling |
TT, Jalpaiguri, Nov. 2: Workers of the closed Nowera Nuddy Tea Estate, one of the four gardens owned by Tata Tea in the Dooars, resorted to indefinite hunger strike from this evening, demanding immediate reopening of the estate.
The management had declared a suspension of work at the estate on September 14 and the garden has been shut since then. “Twenty-four workers of the garden have joined the fast-unto-death on the subdivisional office premises in Malbazar. We are supporting them,” said Rajesh Lakra, secretary, Dooars-Terai Coordination Committee of Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad.
TT, Siliguri: Four men and five women were arrested after a sex racket was busted here at Millanpally on Monday. Police said Shayamali Guhathakurta, one of the arrested women, had been running the racket from her rented house over the past couple of months. The local people first raided the house and then informed police about the sleaze.
TT, Islampur: Abdul Hayat, who had been arrested on robbery charges and had fled from police custody, was re-arrested from Bikor on Monday. He had fled while being forwarded to the Islampur subdivisional court on October 16.
TT, Jalpaiguri: A 15-year-old boy, Sunit Oraon, a resident of Hridaypur village in Nagrakata, died of malaria on Monday. More than 500 residents of the locality are suffering from the mosquito-borne disease, health department sources said. |
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