For current News log on to http://kalimpongonlinenews.blogspot.com

KALIMPONG NEWS IS AN ONLINE NEWS SERVICE OF KALIMPONG PRESS CLUB

MAIL US AT kalimpongpress@gmail.com

KALIMPONG NEWS REQUESTS VIEWERS TO SEND THEIR COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS AND ARTICLES WITH PHOTOGRAPHS. FOR COMMENTS- COMMENTS SECTION OF LEFT HAND SIDE COLUMN OR " Comments " PORTION OF THE POST CAN BE USED. COMMENTS will be posted only after moderation as per the blogging ethics.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

KALIMPONG NEWS .. Morcha keeps govt cars off roads in hills...ABGL sets ‘sincerity’ test for February 9


डी.के.वाइबा), कालेबुङ ६फरवरी: अखिलभारतीय गोर्खालीग (अभागोली) पार्टी अध्य्क्ष मदन तामङले शुक्रबार दार्जीलिङमा पार्टीको कार्यक्रम घोषणा गर्दै  जनता कर्फ्यूको घोषणा गरेपछि गोर्खा जनमुक्ति पार्टीले प्रतिक्रिया जाहेर गरेको छ । मोर्चाका प्रचार प्रसार सचिव डा.हर्कबहादुर छेत्रीले प्रतिक्रिया जाहेर गर्दै यसलाई जनता बिनाकाहरुको जनता कर्फ्यू भनि बताए । मोर्चाले जनभावनाको कदर नगरी गोर्खाल्यण्डको मागमा कम्प्रोमाइज गरेको लीग अध्यक्ष तामङको दाबीलाई डा.छेत्रीले पूर्ण आदरहीन रहेको दाबी गरे । डा.छेत्रीले लीग अध्य्क्ष तामङ मलाई सब थाह छ भन्ने रोगले पिड़ीत रहेको आरोप लगाए । "म टेबलमा बसेर डिस्कस गर्छु भन्ने तामङ कालेबुङमा टेबलमा तर्क गर्न किन आएन ? "भन्ने प्रश्न गर्दै त्यो तामङसित सत्यको सामना गर्ने साहस नभएर हो भनि छेत्रीले बताए ।  तामङले कालेबुङमा आयोजित गोर्खाल्यण्ड अन् द टेबल कार्यक्रममा  सबैको सामु सत्य साबित गर्न नसक्ने  थाह भएपछि एकलै गर्जिने बाघ वास्तवमा बिरालो रहेछ भर्न्ने जनताले थाह पाँउछन् भनेर रिस्क उठाउँन नचाहेको पनि तिनले दाबी गरे ।
तिनले अन्तरिम व्यवस्थाको कुरा दागोपाप बिघटनको निम्ति केन्द्र सरकारको सुझाव रहेको बताउँदै गोर्खाल्यण्डसित अन्तरिम व्यवस्थाको कुनै सम्पर्क छैन भने । "Without any prejudice to your long standing demand of Gorkhaland ,we need a set up to fill the vaccum created by the dissoulution of DGHC.Side by side your movement for separate state will continue.We dont say that you stop your agitation.It will carry on. "- यसरि केन्द्रीय गृह सचिवले स्पष्ट भनेका छन् भनि छेत्रीले बताए । अब अन्तरिमको अर्थ नबुझ्नेहरुलाई आन्दोलनको जिम्मा लगाउने कि राम्रो(पारसमणी बाबुको) अङ्ग्रेजी शब्दकोश पड़ने सुझाव दिने भन्दै यो दायित्व जनताको हो भनि छेत्रीले अझ भने ।
अर्कोतिर लीगले घरि घरि उठाएको सामुहिक नेतृत्वप्रति पनि छेत्रीले प्रतिक्रिया जाहेर गर्दै बिगतमा यो मौका PDF र संयुक्त मोर्चामा नपाएका होइनन् तर त्यसको कोक्याउने परिणाम जनताले बिर्सिएका छैनन् भनि छेत्रीले थप भने ।आजसम्म आलोचना बाहेक कुनै रचनात्मक कार्य नगर्नेहरुले कसरी सामुहिक नेतृत्वको कुरा गर्न सक्छन् ? छेत्रीले प्रश्न गरे ।सत्य र इमान्दारिता भनेको जनसभामा गरिने घोषणाहरु होइनन भन्दै अब जनता नभेएकाहरुको जनता कर्फ्यूमा जनतालेनै जवाब दिने पनि तिनले बताए । यदि जनताले नकारे राजनीतिबाट सन्यास लिनु पर्ने पनि डा.हर्कबहादुर छेत्रीले सुझाव दिए ।
TitBits: Indefinite Strike is called by GJVM in all Educational Institutions--
No Govt Vehicles will be allowed to ply--
BOBBNS has withdrawn its proposed strike in Siliguri--
2 hrs Chakka Jam withdrawn--
Janta Curfew called by ABGL on 9th Feb for 24 hrs in Hills and plains including Dooars. Relaxation in National highway 31A--  
GJMM meeting on 7th Bimal Gurung will address at Deolo--
Sahid Diwas organised by AGJMM in Dooars at Birpara on 7th Feb--
Strike called by ABAVP on 7th in Dooars supported by Nagarik Manch--
Foundation day of GLP observed in Upper Fagu, Gorubathan, Bimal Gurung received the Guard of Honour.  
Sikkim Federation of Working Journalists meeting held
Gangtok, February 6:
The Sikkim Federation of Working Journalists (SFWJ) today met at Press Club of Sikkim here today wherein it adopted its constitution. The constitution was drafted by a three member committee comprising of working journalists Bijoy Gurung, Khagendramani Pradhan and Bhim Rawat. 
   
  
 
Issued by 
   
  
 
Chewan K. Dahal the 
   
Publicity Secretary of SFWJ, the press statement stated that s
   
  
 
even members of the federation along with its president Jigme N. Kazi would attend the 28th Plenary Session of Indian Federation of Working Journalists to be held at Rajgir, Bihar from February 19 to 22.
   
Apart from holding various workshops on various contemporary issues the SFWJ would also publish a bi-annual journal. Today’s meeting was attended by all members of the federation. The body also seeks membership from working journalists from other parts of the state.

 TT, Feb. 5: After a night of violence, the student wing of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today went about enforcing its “ban” on all government vehicles plying in the hills and called for a closure of educational institutions in the area it wants as “Gorkhaland” till permission is granted for a rally in Siliguri.
With members of the Vidyarthi Morcha keeping a sharp eye on the roads, not a single government vehicle, including those belonging to police, moved in the hills and almost all officials stayed away from work.
Although there was no fresh violence, tension was evident in the hills as Morcha supporters stalked the streets and the police stayed behind shut doors.
However, the closure call to schools is unlikely to impact immediately as the educational institutions in the hills are only scheduled to reopen after winter holidays at the end of this month and the Morcha’s writ does not run in the plains.
But 10-odd schools and colleges in the Sukna area in the foothills may have to bow to the Morcha diktat.
Last night, after the police forcibly removed several youth supporters of the Morcha on an indefinite fast in Siliguri and arrested 22 of them, a police jeep was set on fire in Darjeeling and a constable and guard were beaten up in Kalimpong, where two buses were also torched.
The indefinite fast was announced to press for permission to hold a rally in Siliguri.
District magistrate Surendra Gupta, who had been confined to his office for 11 hours by the Morcha, was allowed to leave at 2.30am today, after the release on bail of all Morcha supporters arrested in Siliguri.
Although Morcha chief Bimal Gurung, who was in Kalimpong yesterday refused comment, central committee member Amar Lama said: “It is normal for the administration to provoke our supporters just before talks are to be held. They are to be blamed fully for the lathicharge.”
But inspector-general of police, north Bengal, K.L. Tamta, blamed the Morcha leaders for not being able to contain the violence unleashed in the hills by their supporters.
“They burnt police and government buses and even attacked a policeman in Kalimpong where Bimal Gurung had been camping last evening,” Tamta said. “The Morcha leadership has no control over its followers.”
Despite the blame game, the district administration made it clear that it would not go for any confrontation on the issue of plying of government vehicles. “No government vehicles are on the road, neither are there any police vehicles around,” Gupta said.
Officials said they would allow space for “tempers to cool” so that there was no repeat of last night’s flare-up.
But the Morcha is in no mood to relent on its demand for permission to hold a meeting in Siliguri.
“We have given the district magistrate seven days’ time to give us permission,” said Kismat Chhetri, president of the Vidyarthi Morcha. “If there is no permission forthcoming even after that, then government vehicles will not be allowed to ply in the hills.”
Current indications are that the permission that the Morcha is seeking may not be forthcoming in a hurry. “All our reports suggest that there will be a breach of law and order if we give the Morcha youths permission to hold the rally in Siliguri,” a police officer said. 
Janta Curfew
TT, Darjeeling, Feb. 5: The ABGL has decided to “challenge the people’s sincerity towards Gorkhaland” by calling a 24-hour “janta curfew” on February 9.
This is the first people-centric political programme of the ABGL following the formation of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in 2007. Observers believe the call for the curfew is an effort to test the ABGL’s popularity and disenchantment with the Morcha among the masses.
“We appeal to Gorkhaland- loving people of Darjeeling, Dooars and Terai to stay indoors for 24 hours on February 9. We are calling this programme janta curfew and we want to send a loud and clear message to the Centre, state and five-six leaders from Darjeeling who are willing to stay with Bengal. We have to tell the government that there can be no alternative to a separate state,” said ABGL president Madan Tamang.
“This is a very easy agitation as we do not believe in strikes or inconveniencing the general public. The janta curfew is a challenge to the people’s sincerity towards Gorkhaland. Just for one day, we want the people to stay indoors. Let us not even use vehicles that bring us milk or water as people can store them beforehand,” said Tamang.
The leader, however, said district administration and police could use their vehicles. Emergency services like ambulance, hearse and vehicles for wedding ceremonies, too, will not come under the purview of the curfew
“The mantra for attaining Gorkhaland is to be conscious citizen, a sincere leadership and a strong political programme. If our janta curfew goes on to be a success, it will inspire us to start new agitations. We know that the Centre, state and the agents of Bengal will try and disrupt our programme but the people have to support us as they are supreme in a democratic set-up,” said Tamang.
Even though Tamang did not take the name of any political party, the leaflet issued by the ABGL has accused the Morcha of confusing the people by talking about secret reports, set-ups and delimitation of boundaries. “By talking about secret reports, set-ups and delimitation of Gorkhaland boundaries, Bimal Gurung (Morcha president) is trying to force on us the same council that Subash Ghisingh had formed by merely changing its nomenclature,” said the leaflet.
Gurung, who is touring the hills, has been iterating that he will settle for nothing less than statehood.
Siege over DM Office deserted
The deserted collectorate in Darjeeling on Friday. Picture by Suman Tamang
TT, Darjeeling, Feb. 5: The Vidyarthi Morcha lifted its 11-hour siege of the district magistrate’s office today, but work could not resume at the collectorate as the hill outfit did not let government vehicles ply.
No government officer used his vehicle today. District magistrate Surendra Gupta, who was confined to his office till 2.15am, did not come to the collectorate either. Gupta, however, has an office at his residence as well.
The deputy magistrates posted at the collectorate were also absent. Many of them had been with Gupta, waiting for his release till early morning.
Gupta admitted that the officials were not using their vehicles. “No government vehicles plied. The police, too, have not used their vehicles so there is no question of being stopped,” he said.
But Vidyarthi Morcha activists did stop a few government cars (one of them was with registration number WMX-191) in town on Chowrastha Road.
Kismat Chhetri, the president of the student wing of the Morcha, said: “We allowed the district magistrate to leave his office this morning after telling him that we would wait for another seven days for permission. We also told him that till we get the nod to hold the meeting, we will not allow any government vehicles to ply across the hills.”
Official sources said since police had already sent a report apprehending a breach in peace and tranquillity if students were allowed to hold the meeting in the plains, it is unlikely that the district magistrate will give permission.
“Unless the situation improves dramatically and the police change their report, it is unlikely that the district magistrate will give permission especially after yesterday’s incident,” a source said.
In the morning, the Morcha brought out a procession in town and demonstrated in front of the collectorate. Soon, members of the Vidyarthi Morcha arrived and submitted a memorandum at the district magistrate’s office.
“We have submitted a memorandum to the police superintendent and have demanded action against the circle inspector of Bagdogra and the inspector in charge of Pradhannagar police station as they had led the lathicharge,” said Kismat Chhetri.
In Kurseong, MLA Shanta Chhetri’s house was stoned around two in the morning.
“Since my husband is in his last days and is in hospital in Kurseong, the Morcha leadership has allowed me to stay (in the hills). Despite supporting the cause of Gorkhaland, my house was targeted once again. This is very sad,” said Shanta Chhetri.
Since the Morcha writ began in the hills two years ago, the MLA has not been allowed to return to her house despite resigning from the GNLF.
Posted by AK Rai at 7:37 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)