Class boycott over Sir’s ‘affair’

TT, Alipurduar, Jan. 12: Students of a high school today boycotted classes and demanded that a teacher be sacked for having an affair with a Class IX student. The placard-carrying students of Sarna Adivasi High School at Phoshkardanga in Alipurduar block I demonstrated in front of the school. A section of guardians also joined them. The school has 850 students. The man in question is a para teacher of life science for the past two years and the girl was born, according to school records, on September 5, 1995 which makes her minor. Today’s protest has put the school authorities in a fix as the annual viva-voce is slated to begin from tomorrow. Dipankar Roy, a guardian who took part in the protest, said: “The teacher is in love with a Class IX student which is beyond our expectation. We are ashamed of sending our children to the school because schools are places where the teachers help students build character. We have submitted a complaint to the block development officer of Alipurduar-I and the additional district inspector of schools demanding that the teacher be sacked.” Under pressure, the school authorities brought both the families together and the families agreed for a marriage although the girl is minor, Roy said. “Today, we have asked the students not to attend classes and we have submitted a memorandum to the headmaster.” Debodipti Acharjee, the headmaster, admitted that he brokered a dialogue between the two families, who have agreed to a marriage in March. On the question of marrying a 15-year-old, Acharjee said: “The district magistrate is the appropriate authority for taking action against a para teacher. In this area, even students of Class VI or VII are getting married. What is the problem then if a Class IX student (gets married)?” Sabita Roy, the mother of the girl, however, denied any affair between the teacher and the student. She said the marriage would be held in March, but the date was yet to be finalised. The teacher described the hullabaloo about his marriage as a “conspiracy” of the local people. “My mother selected the girl for me and both the families have agreed. What is wrong in it? The date of marriage is yet to be finalised and I will marry her only after she becomes an adult,” he said. Citing the Hindu Marriage Act, Jaymalya Bagchi, an advocate of Calcutta High Court, said marriage of a girl of below 18 years was considered illegal. “According to the child marriage act, such marriage is a punishable act. A person guilty of awarding a minor’s marriage can be sent to jail upto two months.” Block development officer of Alipurduar I Pradipta Bhagat said he would visit the school tomorrow as studies were being hampered. “If the teacher marries a minor, which is an offence, action will be taken against him.” Gurkhas lose UK battle for pension parity right Tikendra Dewan (centre), leaves the high court on Monday. (Reuters) London, Jan. 12 (PTI): Former Gurkha soldiers in the UK armed forces have lost a major legal battle that sought parity in pension rights with their British counterparts, a verdict described as a “shattering blow” by the former war veterans from Nepal. Launched by the British Gurkha Welfare Society, the legal case was that nearly 24,000 Gurkha veterans who served in the British armed forces before 1997 and their dependents who live in Nepal receive only a third of what their British counterparts get as pension. The Gurkhas have been fighting for equal pension rights for almost a decade. Earlier, in 2003, a judicial review had upheld the UK government’s decision to pay nearly one-third of what was given to a British national. The British government had then compared the economy of the two countries — the UK and Nepal — to argue for a reduced pension for the Gurkhas. Currently, only those Gurkha soldiers who retired after 2006 enjoy equal pay and pension like their British counterparts. These Gurkhas are mostly from Nepal. After losing the case, the society said in a statement: “Gurkhas injustice continues.” Major Tikendra Dewan, the chairman of the British Gurkha Welfare Society, said they would fight on despite the “shattering blow”. “We are bitterly disappointed. We had hoped British justice would prevail,” he said. “We are saddened by the court's decision,” said Mahendra Lal Rai, general secretary of the Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organisation. “We don't understand why we continue to be denied equal pension rights when we have received settlement rights and equal status with the UK army.” Society officials believe that losing the case would encourage former Gurkha soldiers to move to Britain where they won the right to settle last year. After a high profile campaign last year headed by the actress Joanna Lumley, all retired Gurkhas now have the right to settle in the UK. But the inequality in pension continues. Justice Ian Burnett of the high court said the British people had “high regard” for the Gurkhas, but rejected their challenge on the grounds the ministry of defence had not acted unlawfully. Neetu deportation Case, PM orders inquiry IE,New Delhi:Over a month after the Pune police deported Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) student Neetu Singh to Nepal on charges of indulging in “anti-India activities”, Nepal Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal today stepped in and ordered an investigation into her case. Nepal acted after Neetu brought her case to his notice through a petition. While giving “instruction to investigate about her case”, the Prime Minister’s Office in Kathmandu also “requested” her to “remain available in Nepal to assist the (investigation) process”. The intervention comes at a time when the Union Home Ministry here is inclined to let Neetu return to India to complete her studies. Sources in the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), which had taken up her case, said they had been sent indications to that effect. The case of her deportation, which AIDWA and FTII students maintain was done on “false charges” at the instance of her influential Nepali politician-husband Amaresh Singh, came to light after The Indian Express first reported it on December 30. GNLF calls off strike TT, Siliguri, Jan. 12: The GNLF withdrew its indefinite strike in Panighata on the first day itself after a government official assured it that the party’s grievances would be looked into. The party had announced an indefinite strike at Panighata in Mirik block from today to protest the alleged anomalies in distribution of work under the 100-days’ work scheme. Since morning, shops in Panighata remained closed and vehicles were off the roads. Tea gardens had been kept outside the purview of the strike. “Though there is not much rationality behind the allegations, we intervened to defuse the matter,” said Surendra Gupta, the Darjeeling district magistrate. Train timing TT, Siliguri: A five-hour block would be imposed by the NFR authorities for safety related work on Bridge 127 between New Cooch Behar and Pundibari stations on Wednesday. A number of trains, including the 5619 Up Gaya Express, 3141A Up Teesta Torsha Express, 4056 Up Brahmaputra Mail, 5959 Up Kamrup Express and 2506 Up Northeast Express, will be held up along the route from one hour to five hours. The 614 Down passenger train scheduled to leave Bongaigaon at 6.45am will leave the station at 8.15am. Track injury TT, Siliguri: S.Bhattacharya, a resident of Tinsukia in Assam, was injured at New Jalpaiguri station on Tuesday evening while trying to board Howrah bound down Kamrup Express. GRP sources said he fell on the track while trying to board the moving train and hurt his leg. He was taken to NJP Railway Hospital and later shifted to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. Teacher held TT,Balurghat: Ramnath Das, 45, a teacher of Ujal Free Primary School, was arrested for his alleged involvement in a fake currency racket on Tuesday. Das, a resident of Basudevpur in Hili, was arrested by Calcutta police. Sources in the district police said a man arrested a few days ago had tipped them off about Das.