Non-GJMM front likely after 21 Dec tripartite talks

SNS, SILIGURI, 17 NOV: A non-GJMM political front is likely to emerge in the Darjeeling hills after the proposed 21 December tripartite talks, in Darjeeling. There are, however, differences among the possible front constituents about the inclusion of the GNLF in it. While the Communist Party Revolutionary Marxist leader, Mr R B Rai, favoured a broad-based political configuration involving the non-GJMM political forces including the GNLF, the All India Gorkha League leader, Mr Madan Tamang is against the incorporation of the GNLF.
These statements have assumed political significance in view of the GJMM threat to go all out if the 21 December parleys fail to yield result. The GJMM chief Mr Bimal Gurung has already made it clear that the GJMM would declare Gorkhaland on its own, and snap political and economic ties with West Bengal, if the talks fail.
According to Mr Rai, the whole concept is still mired in speculative murkiness. “We are not thinking of it right now. Let the three-way dialogue be over first. Then, depending on the developing situation, a broad-based political configuration might come into existence. All the non-GJMM parties might be involved in it,” he said. He, however, denied rumours of a meeting with the GNLF leader, Mr Subash Ghisingh, on the issue. “These reports are baseless,” he claimed.
Speaking on the possibility of a non-GJMM political front, the AIGL president, Mr Madan Tamang said that his party would not be involved in any front if it had the GNLF as its partner. “We might welcome a front sans the GNLF. Both the GJMM and the GNLF, as fascist forces, are two sides of the same coin. A non-GJMM and non GNLF political front is, however, possible,” Mr Tamang said.

However, welcoming such a suggestion, a Panighatta-based, GNLF leader, Mr Rajen Mukhia said that there were no permanent friends or foes in politics. “I, for one, am not in a position to tell anything definitively on this serious matter. Our leader, Mr Subash Ghising, would decide things at the right time. But I can say that politics, being regarded as an art of the possible, nothing is beyond the pale,” Mr Mukhia added.
No Appointments received by DGHC Casual workers
KalimNews: Inspite of waiting late in the night and having several meetings with the Central Committee of GJMM and Administration not a single appointment was received by the Janmukti Asthayi Karmachari Sangathan.
The administration including B.L.Meena, Administrator of DGHC and Surendra Gupta DM & CPS of DGHC requested the sangathan to wait for a day . It is said that Meena is in Kolkata and he couldnot meet the Chief Secretary.
 GJMM IN A MOOD TO BIFURCATE ALL CONSTITUENCIES
KalimNews:In a bid to reorganise the units and other regional level organisations of GJMM the Central committee of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to bifurcate 28th Constituency of Samsing Kumai to Todey Tangta area. 
This constituency was divided into five Blocks namely. Samsing, Kumai, Rongo Gairibas, Jaldhaka and Todey Tangta. After having intra party misunderstandings and allegations to the leaders new Officebearers were nominated by the Central Committee dividing the entire constituency into five blocks. The Block committees were functioning more efficiently than the previous Samasthi Committee.
Now after Mungpoo-Latpanchar episode  it is Jaldhaka's turn. Mungpoo-Latpanchar was also bifurcated in spite of objections of unit and other grass root level organisations of GJMM In a joint meeting of all the five blocks held in Rongo it was decided to give a deputation to the central Committee against its decision. It was also decided that no present Office bearers of present Block Committee will accept the post offered by central committee.
The present President and Secretaries of different BlockCommittees are respectively Samsing:- Kamal Giri, Kishore Thapa :Rongo -Sekhar Rai, Bijay Gurung : Jaldhaka-Hemant Chhetri, C.B.Tamang:Todey-Tangta-B.S.Rai, Chhunda Sherpa .
ABAVP to reconstitute committee to boost morale of party members

SILIGURI, 17 NOV: Following the electoral jolt in the recent Assembly by-poll in the Kalchini seat, the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad (ABAVP) has decided to reconstitute its Dooars-Terai coordination committee, for rejuvenating the morale of its members. Towards that end, the Adivasi body has convened a general meeting of its Dooars-Terai wing at Nagrakata on 6 December, where the new committee would be formed.In the 7 November Assembly by-poll at Kalchini in Dooars, the ABAVP-backed independent candidate lost the election to its archival, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM).
This is despite the fact that the Adivasis are the dominant community across the Dooars. The astonishing defeat has now prompted the Adivasi body to introspect and revamp its organisation in the region afresh. According to Mr Rajesh Lakra, general secretary of the ABAVP's existing Doors-Terai committee, instead of nomination or selection, the 6 December Nagrakata meet would directly elect the various office bearers to the new committee. “ABAVP members hailing from all across the Dooars and Terai region would converge at the Nagrakata meet and there would be an open election for the new committee. Our state leadership would also be present at the meet to oversee the proceedings,” Mr Lakra informed.
Adding further, he said that at the 6 December meet, the ABAVP is also likely to decide on some agitation programme coinciding with the 21 December tripartite talks at Darjeeling, over the Gorkhaland demand. The ABAVP is not opposed to the Gorkhaland demand per se, but is severely opposed to the inclusion of Dooars-Terai in the demanded state.
Meanwhile, the ABAVP has strongly denied any link with the Maoists, as has been reported in a Siliguri vernacular daily, recently. “Quoting police and Intelligence sources, the daily has reported an alleged connection between the Maoists and our leaders in north Bengal. But let us clarify that this is entirely a cock-and-bull story and the ABAVP does not have anything to do with the Maoists, whatsoever,” the ABAVP state president, Mr Birsa Tirkey, announced at a Press conference at Dagapur in Siliguri, this afternoon. “After being neglected and exploited for decades, we have now started raising our voice for legitimate rights, as guaranteed by the Constitution. We are into a democratic movement and we demand that our basic needs be addressed. If raising our voice for our own rights, is Maoism, then all the Adivasis in West Bengal are Maoists,” Mr Tirkey declared.

SNOWFALL IN TSONGU- Snow is here, but winter far away - Wait till December to feel the shiver, drizzle-induced chill not to stay: Met experts

TT, Siliguri, Nov. 17: Winter this year has to race hard to catch up with Siliguri, Met experts have said. And it may be as late as the first week of December before it comes calling on the foothills of the Himalayas. While snow drizzled in Nathu-la and its neighbouring areas today, a common phenomenon this time of the year in the higher reaches of Sikkim like the border pass at 14,400ft, there seems to be no sign of winter in north Bengal plains where the woollens are usually out in November. A light shower or two in the past 24 hours did raise a hope for the much-awaited cold, but weathermen have dismissed any hope of winter. According to the Met office, today was the “hottest day” of November in the past four years (see chart). Gopinath Raha, the in-charge of the Jalpaiguri flood and meteorological office, said an anti-cyclonic condition over the Bay of Bengal was the reason for the misty weather. “There were drizzles in almost every part of north Bengal in the past 24 hours which decreased the temperature, but it should not be described as cold that brings winter to the region. Usually, the minimum temperature varies in this part of the state during the middle of November between 15 and 16 degrees Celsius. But today’s temperature is 19.5 degrees, which is the highest in the past four years in the region,” Raha said. Smudges in the film? No, snowflakes float down at Kupup market near Nathu-la on Tuesday. Picture by Prabin Khaling The Met expert said the weather would remain the same in the next few days. “The anti-cyclonic condition that developed over the Bay of Bengal in the past couple of days has advanced towards the northeastern part of the country by covering Orissa and Bihar, resulting in the cloudy weather in the region,” Raha said. “There is a possibility of the weather remaining the same in the next two days.” The drizzle-induced morning chill prompted many Siliguri residents to bring out their woollens. Most of them were, however, not aware that today was the hottest compared to temperature on this day in the past four years. But the damp weather is expected to have a bad impact on winter farming, feel agriculture department officials. “As the paddy is ready for harvesting everywhere, the rainfall at this time will affect the crop. This type of moisture in the environment is ideal for blights,” said Mehfuz Alam, the assistant director of the Siliguri subdivisional agricultural department. In Sikkim, there was heavy snowfall at Chhangu and Nathu-la from the morning, disrupting the border trade with the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). Sources in the commerce department of Sikkim said no traders arrived at the trade mart at Sherathang from TAR. Traders from Sikkim, who managed to reach the spot, however, could not set up shop and returned to Gangtok. The trade through Nathu-la, located at 14,400 feet, officially closes on November 30. The first snowfall in Sikkim this season was at Yumthang in North Sikkim at 12,000 feet in the last week of October. Bengal bandhs Calcutta, Nov. 17: The SUCI has called a 12-hour Bengal bandh on November 24 and the BJP on November 30. The issue is the same — price rise. HS free of forms TT, Class XII students of the state board will no longer have to fill up the examination form to sit for the school-leaving test. The Higher Secondary board has already started sending forms with the particulars of students printed on them to schools. If the data available with the board is correct, students will have to only sign the form. The board will issue HS admit cards after receiving the signed forms. If there is a mistake in the printed form, students will have to provide the correct information in the corresponding blank column. “Filled-up forms often contain careless mistakes. The rectification of the errors delays the examination process,” said Onkar Sadhan Adhikary, the board president. As students provide most of the information sought in the exam form during registration (after admission in Class XI), the board has decided to only verify the data, said an official. Uniform exams the Morcha way Kalimpong, Nov. 17: Around 15,000 prospective Madhyamik and Higher Secondary candidates in the hills were for the first time given uniform questions for the selection examinations that began at 129 schools today. In the past, the schools framed questions individually or requisitioned those set by the All Bengal Teachers’ Association for the selection examinations. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-affiliated Janmukti Secondary Teachers’ Organisation (JSTO), however, decided to do away with that practice from this year and introduced uniform question papers at all the schools in the hills. The JSTO spokesman, Bhisan Roka, said the heads of the institutions wholeheartedly welcomed the new system when it had been first mooted in July. “Apart from making the examinations more competitive and thereby preparing the students in the hills to face the board examinations better, we are also trying to send a political message that we in the hills are equipped to take care of education on our own.” “We selected two teachers from each subdivision for every subject to draft the questions. The six sets of question papers were then handed over to a moderator, who framed the final question paper for each subject,” said Roka.