A Bengali twist for the Gorkhaland demand

SNS, SILIGURI, 5 JAN: To give an interesting twist to the GJMM-sponsored agitation for Gorkhaland, five Bengalis, all belonging to the All Gorkha Minority Forum, joined the 24-hour relay fasting programme in Darjeeling today. Apart from the Bengalis, six from the Marwari community and one from the Sikh community are also on fast for the statehood demand, which began at 9 a.m. today.
Defending the decision to join the fasting agitation, a GJMM leader, Mr Subhamay Chatterjee said that the objective of their participation was to draw the attention of the Centre and the state government to the urgency of addressing the problems being faced by the e\thnic minorities in the Darjeeling hills.
“Our collective interests remain unaddressed in course of negotiations on the statehood tangle. Yet, it is imperative in a democratic polity to address the minority grievances. We hope that our participation in the relay fasting would convey the message to the concerned authority and some attention would be given to the matter during the fifth round of three-way dialogue,” he said.
He further said that the formation of a separate Gorkhaland would serve the interests of the ethnic Bengalis, settled in the hills, much better. “The West Bengal government has done nothing for us, though the number of those belonging to the ethnic minorities scattered in the three sub-divisions in the hills is not trifling. We are invincibly convinced that the GJMM leadership would give us more importance when Gorkhaland comes into being. Mr Bimal Gurung and the party's central committee have assured us on this count many a time,” Mr Chatterjee added.
Another faster, Mr Saibal Chakrabarty said that their concept of a separate state in the Darjeeling hills was in perfect blending with the GJMM-conceived Gorkhaland state. “We dream of a state where the multi-layered ethnic fabric would be well protected and every community would have a pride of place. Mr Gurung has also repeatedly stressed on a multi-ethnic Gorkhaland in contrast to an ethnically monolithic polity,” he added.

According to Mr Goutam Das, one of the participants in the relay fasting agitation, their interests would be more secure if Gorkhaland was carved out of West Bengal. “The society in the hills is a tolerant one and we have not the slightest problem co-existing with the majority community,” Mr Das added.

According to Mr Goutam Das, one of the participants in the relay fasting agitation, their interests would be more secure if Gorkhaland was carved out of West Bengal. “The society in the hills is a tolerant one and we have not the slightest problem co-existing with the majority community,” Mr Das added.

Govt tea aid after 12 years - 944 workers of ringtang garden to get rs 1000 a month

The factory building of the Ringtang garden that had been almost razed to the ground in 1997. Picture by Suman Tamang TT, Darjeeling, Jan. 5: The state government has decided to provide financial assistance to 944 workers of Ringtang Tea Estate, 12 years after the management abandoned the garden. A.D. Dutta, the additional labour commissioner of Bengal, issued a notification on the government’s decision on December 29. According to the notification, a worker will now be entitled to a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000 with retrospective effect from July 1, 2009. The worker should be a “regular” with his/her name on the rolls of the plantation. Among the other conditions necessary to avail of the benefit, the labourers should have worked continuously for at least a year prior to the alleged closure/lockout and should not have retired, resigned voluntarily or accepted a scheme of separation and must not be above the age of 58. The monthly stipend is being given under the head of “financial assistance to the locked-out industrial units”. The factory of the garden, situated 30km from Darjeeling town, had been razed to the ground on December 19, 1997 following a labour unrest. Since then, the owner of the estate, Sushil Chowdhury, has neither constructed the factory building, nor has been running the garden properly. As a result, the workers were not getting their salaries or any statutory benefits like their provident fund, rations or health care facilities from the management. A workers’ committee had been formed which paid the 944 labourers Rs 10 — Re 1 was deducted as transportation charge — for every kilogram of greenleaves plucked. Chowdhury had claimed that although he was not part of the committee, he had provided “technical knowhow” to the panel. However, allegations were levelled against Chowdhury that he had been running the committee and raking in profits by selling the leaves to other gardens at a higher price. Prashant Pradhan, the assistant secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-affiliated tea union, expressed happiness at the government’s decision. “We are happy for the workers. The party has been continuously fighting for their rights,” he said. On September 21, the Morcha had distributed Rs 10.8 lakh as “puja bonus” to the 874 families of the garden, Pradhan claimed. Axe-rebel challenge for Chamling PS Golay VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Gangtok, Jan. 5: The rebellion is out in the open but the Sikkim Democratic Front has neither expelled nor initiated disciplinary action against the rebels. Both camps are waiting for the other to blink. “If they are dissatisfied with the SDF, they should leave the party on moral grounds. This is the basic principle of democracy. All the 32 MLAs got their mandate because of the leadership of Pawan Chamling (Sikkim chief minister),” said Bhim Dahal, the spokesperson for the SDF. Bhojraj Rai, one of the rebels, countered Dahal. “I challenge them to throw us out. Why is he (Chamling) so restless with small fries like us?…We will leave the party at the right time but then he will regret for not having expelled us.” The chief minister, it seems, does not want to create a political flutter by expelling Bhojraj and his accomplice, P.S. Golay, the MLA from Upper Burtuk. The rebels, on the other hand, are looking at creating a ripple when they exit the party. In a way, they have been successful in catching attention. The Sikkim government has showcaused 11 employees asking them to reply within 10 days why they had attended a picnic organised by Golay on the banks of the Teesta in South Sikkim on December 21. In a statement issued today, Golay said: “As an elected public representative, I warn the state government that the Sikkimese people will revolt in a massive scale to search (sic) the democracy being wiped out by our party by misusing its official powers.” He said the picnic was an apolitical gathering and no political speeches were made there. For Golay to resign from the SDF at this stage would mean he has to forfeit his MLA seat. The rebels, however, claimed they did not believe in horsetrading. “In democracy, the common people is the biggest strength. We do not always have to get MLAs on our side,” said Bhojraj, indicating that he relied on the anti-incumbency wave and mass protests. Dahal, however, said: “There is no anti-incumbency, only pro-incumbency here. All the MLAs are with us.” At the moment, “fighting corruption” figures high on the rebels’ agenda. “Chamling said he would make the Sikkimese self-reliant. Today, people line up at his door to receive Rs 1,000. A number of hydel projects have come up and the state government is the guarantor for the private companies (that take loans). Locals have no share (in the companies). Why can’t the government undertake these projects,” said Bhojraj. He was referring to the long queues in front of Chamling’s house during festivities when the chief minister is known to distribute gifts in the form of cash to his supporters. Bhojraj also alleged that often when hydel companies defaulted in loan repayments, the burden fell on the Sikkim government, which always volunteered to be the guarantor. In that case, he said, the government should take the loans and initiate the projects itself, sparing misuse of funds. Hydel projects figure high on the SDF’s dream of making Sikkim self-reliant. “Around 18 hydel projects are underway and within the next four to five years, Sikkim will be able to earn revenues to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore annually,” said Dahal, handing over a copy of “India’s best manifesto of a political party”. The SDF is confident that after having overcome the anti-incumbency factor by replacing more than two-thirds of the sitting MLAs this time, it can drown all voices of rebellion with its “development” card. A card, the rebels believe, will no longer work in corruption-ridden Sikkim. 19 shops gutted in Birpara TT, Alipurduar, Jan. 5: A fire gutted 19 shops completely in Birpara last night, while 13 others were partially damaged. The fire broke out around 11.30pm. After almost an hour, a fire engine came from Dhupguri while two engines from Hasimara and Malbazar arrived two hours later. The fire was brought under control around 4.30am today. Manna Lal Jain, a leader of the traders’ association in Birpara, 65km from here, said: “For the last eight years, we have been demanding a fire station here. Some officials visited the spot but none have assured us of compensation. The total loss is not less than Rs 1 crore.” All-party meet divided on Telangana Chidambaram talks of ‘reasonable time frame,’ says Centre will act on sense of the meeting Vinay Kumar — Photos: V. Sudershan, TH, Delhi, 5Dec:Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Praja Rajyam Party president K. Chiranjeevi emerge from the all-party meeting on Telangana in New Delhi on Tuesday. NEW DELHI: A crucial meeting of eight recognised political parties, called by the Centre to discuss the Telangana issue, ended without arriving at a consensus on Tuesday. The meeting, however, did not oppose further discussions within a “reasonable time frame” on the issues that have arisen out of the recent agitations in Andhra Pradesh for and against the creation of a separate State of Telangana. “It was a good meeting and everybody expressed their views. It is quite clear that the views of the political parties are divided. I summed up their views   and will take them to the Prime Minister and formulate a course of action,” Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters after the nearly five-hour meeting. While the stand of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, which has been spearheading the agitation for a separate State was quite obvious, the Bharatiya Janata Party felt there was no need for further discussion and steps should be taken to carve out Telangana. “It appears to me that no one is opposed to further consultations with other groups and stakeholders. Should such consultations become necessary, they were keen that it should be concluded within a reasonable time frame,” Mr. Chidambaram said. Signed statement. The representatives of the eight parties said in a signed statement that they had “expressed our views at the meeting and they have been noted by the Central government.” They appealed that “peace, harmony and law and order should be maintained in the State.” Replying to questions of reporters, Mr. Chidambaram said that political parties must show leadership. “They must work to resolve the problem and that is the only way to settle issues in parliamentary democracy.”                He said a mechanism had to be evolved and the Centre would act on the sense of the meeting and take it forward. Asked if there was a time frame, he said it would be a “reasonable” one. Asked if there would be a Telangana State, Mr. Chidambaram said: “We are trying to help the political parties of Andhra Pradesh find the answer to the issues of the State. We are here to help.”