63rd INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATED IN KALIMPONG

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63rd INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATED IN A DIFFERENT MOOD IN KALIMPONG

Rajiv Pratap Rudy, M.P. of Rajya Sabha , the Chief Guest of the Celebration Addressing the audience

GLP ON GUARD, Not a single case of disobeying them

Was it a coperation or a Fear factor?

Press Photographers too were not allowed to come down to the ground near them to take photographs

PIX: Samten Kabo & Samiran Paul

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION IN KALMPONG

Cultural Programmes presented by Students of ICSE & Nursery Schools on the eve of 14th August Pix: Samiran Paul

TEXT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, Dr. Manmohan Singh's address from the ramparts of Red Fort on the occasion of Independence Day

“Dear countrymen, brothers and sisters,

I consider myself fortunate to once again have the opportunity to address you on this sacred day of 15th August. On this auspicious occasion, I extend my hearty greetings to all of you.

. Today is most certainly a day of happiness and pride for us. We are proud of our freedom. We are proud of our democracy. We are proud of our values and ideals. But we should also remember that it has taken the sacrifices of lakhs of Indians to bring us where we are today. Our well being and progress have been built upon the foundation of the hard work and sacrifices of our freedom fighters, the brave jawans of our armed forces, our farmers, our workers and our scientists.

Today, we remember all those martyrs who laid down their lives for the freedom and security of our country. The best way of paying homage to those brave sons of our country will be to resolve today that we will always stay committed to strengthening the unity and integrity of our nation. Let us all together take a vow that we will spare no effort to take India to greater heights.

The elections held a few months back have strengthened our nation and our democracy. In these elections, the people of India have favoured a politics that integrates our country and our society. You have chosen a political arrangement which is secular and which includes many varied strands of thought. You have voted for a democratic way of life which provides for resolution of differences through debate and discussion. I am of the view that we have received a mandate for starting a new era of cooperation and harmony in our national life.

We accept with humility the great responsibility you have entrusted to us. I wish to assure you on this sacred day that we will work with sincerity and dedication to fulfil the expectation of each and every citizen of India. It will be our effort to ensure that every citizen of India is prosperous and secure and is able to lead a life of dignity and self respect. We will derive inspiration in our work from the ideals of service and sacrifice bequeathed to us by the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Our Government will follow the path shown by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Shrimati Indira Gandhi, Shri Rajiv Gandhi and other great leaders of our country. It will be our endeavour to carry everyone with us and to lead the country ahead on the path of development by creating an environment of consensus and cooperation.

We know that India's progress can be real only when every citizen of our country benefits from it. Every Indian has a right over our national resources. The policies and schemes of our Government in the last 5 years have been based on this paradigm. It has been our endeavour to ensure that the benefit of development reaches all sections of the society and all regions and citizens of the country. Our efforts have succeeded to some extent. But our work is still incomplete. We will carry it forward with firm determination and sincerity.

As you know, our economy grew at a rate of about 9% from the year 2004-05 to the year 2007-08. This growth rate came down to 6.7% in 2008-09 due to the global economic crisis. It is only a result of our policies that the global crisis has affected us to a lesser extent than many other countries. Restoring our growth rate to 9% is the greatest challenge we face. We will make every necessary effort to meet this challenge¬¬¬ -- whether it is for increasing capital flows into the country, or for encouraging exports or for increasing public investment and expenditure. We expect that there will be an improvement in the situation by the end of this year, but till that time we will all have to bear with the fall out of the global economic slow down. I appeal to all businessmen and industrialists to join us in our effort to tackle this difficult situation and to fulfill their social obligations fully.

I have always believed that India's prosperity is not possible without the prosperity of our farmers. This is the reason why our Government had waived bank loans of lakhs of farmers. We have increased the support prices for agricultural products by far more than ever before. This year there has been deficiency in the monsoons. This would definitely have some adverse impact on our crops. But, I am sure we will be able to meet the situation quite well. We will provide all possible assistance to our farmers to deal with the drought. In view of the deficiency in the monsoons, we have postponed the date for repayment of bank loans of our farmers. We are also giving additional support to farmers for payment of interest on short term crop loans.

We have adequate stocks of foodgrains. All efforts will be made to control the rising prices of foodgrains, pulses and other goods of daily use. I appeal to all State governments to exercise their statutory powers to prevent hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities.

We will have to adopt modern means to be successful in agriculture. We will have to make more efficient use of our scarce land and water resources. Our scientists must devise new techniques to increase the productivity of our small and marginal farmers. More attention will have to be paid to the needs of those farmers who do not have means for irrigation. The country needs another Green Revolution and we will try our best to make it possible. Our goal is 4% annual growth in agriculture and I am confident that we will be able to achieve this target in the next 5 years.

It is our ardent desire that not even a single citizen of India should ever go hungry. This is the reason why we have promised a food security law under which every family living below the poverty line will get a fixed amount of foodgrains every month at concessional rates. It is also our national resolve to root out malnutrition from our country. In this effort, special care will be taken of the needs of women and children. We will endeavour to extend the benefit of ICDS to every child below the age of six years in the country by March 2012.

The first UPA government had given the right to 100 days of employment in a year to every rural family through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. In the last 4 years, this programme has been expanded to cover the whole country. The programme has been able to fulfil the expectations from it to a large extent. In the year 2008-09, it benefited about 4 crore families. It has also contributed to improvement in rural infrastructure. In the coming days we will improve the programme to bring more transparency and accountability into it. New types of works will be added to the works that can be taken up under the programme.

We know that good education is not only desirable in itself but is also essential for the empowerment of our people. We have recently enacted the Right to Education Act. This law provides to each child of our country the right to elementary education. I wish to make it clear that funds will not be a constraint as far as education is concerned. We will give special attention to the needs of disabled children. As a result of our efforts in the last few years, almost every child in our country has access to primary education today. Now we also need to pay greater attention to secondary education. Secondary education will be expanded through a programme that will ensure that every child in the country gets its benefit. We will endeavour to provide bank loans and scholarships to the maximum possible number of students to support their education.

A new scheme will be started to help students from economically weaker sections of society by way of reduced interest rate on their education loans. This will benefit about 5 lakh students in getting technical and professional education.

Good health is one of our basic needs. The National Rural Health Mission that we have started aims at strengthening the infrastructure for rural public health services. We will expand the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana so as to cover each family below the poverty line. In our journey on the road of development we will pay special attention to the needs of our differently abled brothers and sisters. We will increase facilities available for them.

While touching upon issues related to health, I would also like to make a mention of the flu that is spreading due to the H1N1 virus. As you all know, some parts of our country have been affected by this illness. The Central Government and the State Governments will together continue to make all necessary efforts to control the spread of this infection. I also want to assure you that the situation does not warrant a disruption of our daily lives because of fear and anxiety.

The special programmes that our government had started for the development of rural and urban areas will be accelerated. We have been successful to some extent in improving the infrastructure in rural areas through Bharat Nirman. But there is still a wide disparity between the development of rural and urban areas. To this end, the allocations under Bharat Nirman have been increased substantially this year. We will set more ambitious targets for schemes for house construction and telecommunications in rural areas.

We will accelerate our efforts to improve physical infrastructure in the country. The Road Transport and National Highways Department has initiated action for construction of 20 Km of National Highways every day. Similarly, Railways have started work on the Dedicated Freight Corridors. We are giving careful attention to the problems of Air India and will resolve them soon. The schemes of roads, railways and civil aviation being implemented in Jammu & Kashmir and the States of the North East will be especially monitored.

We had started the Jawaharalal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for the urban areas. We will accelerate this programme also. Today, lakhs of our citizens live in slums which lack basic amenities. We wish to make our country slum free as early as possible. In the next five years, we will provide better housing facilities to slum dwellers through a new scheme, Rajiv Awas Yojana.

Climate change has become an issue of global concern in recent years. If we don't take the necessary steps in time, our glaciers will melt and our rivers will go dry. The problems of droughts and floods will grow in seriousness. We also need to prevent air pollution. India wishes to tackle the problem of climate change in partnership with other countries of the world. We have taken a decision to constitute 8 National Missions. We are committed to meet the challenge of climate change through these 8 Missions. To increase the use of solar energy and to make it affordable, we will launch the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission on 14th November of this year.

The sacred Ganga is the life source for crores of Indians. It is our duty to keep the river clean. We have constituted the National Ganga Authority in which the Central and State Governments will jointly work towards this end. The cooperation of the public is also needed in this effort.

Our natural resources are limited. We must use them more efficiently. We need a new culture of energy conservation. We also need to prevent the misuse of water. We will pay more attention to programmes for water collection and storage. "Save Water" should be one of our national slogans.

If we work united, we can meet all challenges that confront us. Our citizens have the right to express dissent and anger. I also maintain that every government should be sensitive to people's complaints and dissatisfaction. But nothing is achieved by destroying public property and indulging in violence against one's fellow citizens. Our democracy has no place for those who resort to violence to express their disagreement, and the government will deal firmly with such people.

Terrorism has emerged as a threat to peace and harmony in all parts of the world. After the horrific terror attacks in Mumbai in last November, our government has taken many steps against terrorism. To root out terrorist activities, our security forces and intelligence agencies are being constantly upgraded. I am sure that with cooperation from all sections of our society, we will be successful in eliminating terrorism from our country.

Some parts of our country continue to be affected by the Naxalite menace. It is the constitutional obligation of the government to protect the life and liberty of our citizens. Those who think that they can seize power by recourse to the gun do not understand the strength of our democracy. The Central Government will redouble its efforts to deal with Naxalite activities. We will extend all help to the State Governments to make their police forces more effective. Central forces will be provided wherever they are needed. We will also do more to ensure better coordination among States.

I would also like to state here that we will endeavour to remove those causes of social and economic dissatisfaction which give rise to problems like Naxalism. We believe in a development process which will remove backwardness, unemployment and reduce disparities in income and wealth. We seek active partnership of our brothers and sisters of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in our development processes.

We do not subscribe to the view that to take special care of the deprived sections of the society amounts to appeasement. In fact, we believe that it is our solemn duty to do so. Our government will give its full attention to the well being of our brothers and sisters belonging to the minority communities. We have started many schemes for the welfare of the minorities. These programmes will be taken forward. The funds for the special schemes taken up for the development of minority concentration districts have been enhanced quite substantially this year. Similarly, we have allocated increased funds for scholarship schemes for minorities that the first UPA government had started. A Bill to prevent communal violence has been introduced in Parliament and efforts will be made to convert it into a law as soon as possible.

The practice of female foeticide regrettably persists in our society. This is a shame for all of us. We must eliminate it as early as possible. Our progress will be incomplete till women become equal partners in all areas of our life and in our nation's progress. Our government is committed to the early passage of the Women's Reservation Bill. This legislation will provide one-third reservation for women in Parliament and the State Assemblies. We are also working on a legislation to provide 50% reservation for women in rural and urban local bodies. In fact, we should find ways and means to increase the participation of women in all democratic institutions. Our government will make sustained efforts for social and economic empowerment of women. We have decided to launch a National Female Literacy Mission, through which female illiteracy will be reduced by half in the next three years.

We are proud of our brave soldiers. It is our duty to ensure that ex-servicemen are able to lead a life of comfort. We have accepted the recommendations of the committee constituted to examine the issue of pension of ex-servicemen. This will lead to increased pension for about 12 lakh retired jawans and Junior Commissioned Officers.

In our journey of development, we should not only pay special attention to some sections of our society, but must also take care of the special needs of the backward regions of our country. We will redouble our efforts to remove regional imbalances in the level of development. Here I would like to make a special mention of our States of the North-East. Our government will constantly endeavour to make the States of the North East equal partners in the country's progress. Imphal or Kohima may be physically far away from Delhi, but the welfare of our brothers and sisters of the North East is always close to our heart. We know that without their well-being the country cannot move forward.

There have been two elections in Jammu & Kashmir since I addressed you on the last Independence Day. The first one was for the State Legislative Assembly and the second for the Lok Sabha. People of all areas of the State have participated vigorously in both the elections. This is a proof that there is no place for separatist thought in Jammu & Kashmir.

Our Government will continue assisting the State Government in improving governance in all parts of Jammu & Kashmir. It will be our endeavour to ensure that human rights are respected in the State and all its citizens are able to lead a life of peace and dignity in an environment of safety and security. We respect the special assurances and concessions provided to Jammu & Kashmir in our Constitution. We will continue to honour these special provisions.

Today's world is becoming smaller in many respects. Whether it is the international economic crisis or terrorism or climate change - what happens in one part of the world has an effect on other parts also. The international economic and political order is changing. Questions are being raised on the functioning and continued effectiveness of the multilateral institutions established in the 20th Century.

Our foreign policy should be able to cater to India's interests in these constantly changing circumstances. I am happy that we have been successful in doing this to a large extent.

We have good relations with the United States, Russia, China, Japan and Europe. There is a tremendous amount of goodwill for India and its people in the countries of South East Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and the Gulf. We have further strengthened our traditional ties with Africa. We are looking for new opportunities in Latin America.

As far our neighbours are concerned, we want to live with them in peace and harmony. We will make every possible effort to create an environment conducive to the social and economic development of the whole of South Asia.

However good our programmes and schemes might be, their benefit will not reach the public till the government machinery is not free of corruption and till it is not effective in their implementation. I would like our public administration to be more efficient so that programmes for public good can be implemented faster. We need to improve our delivery systems to provide basic services to our citizens. We will act with speed on the recommendations of the Administrative Reforms Commission to strengthen governance. Renewed efforts will be made to decentralize public administration through the Panchayati Raj Institutions and to ensure greater involvement of people in it. Initiative will be taken for a new partnership between the civil society and the government so that tax payers' money is better spent. We have enacted the Right to Information Act to enhance accountability and transparency in public life. This law will be improved so that it is more effective.

We have to make special efforts to strengthen the administrative machinery for our rural programmes. Those who live in villages and semi-urban areas should get services similar to the residents of urban areas. Communication and Information Technology can go a long way in achieving this objective. Recently, we have set up the Unique Identification Authority of India. This is a historic step to link up the whole country through a high quality administrative arrangement. We expect the first set of identity numbers to be available in the next one to one and a half years.

Today, as I stand before you I can feel the energy of more than 100 crore Indians marching ahead on the path of progress. Some people question whether India will ever be able to attain its true potential. I have no doubt about this. We are rapidly moving forward. We have faith in ourselves. We have political stability. Our democracy is an example for the whole world. We are gaining in economic strength. And most importantly, we have full confidence in our youth. They are our future. I am sure that they will take our country to a new glory.

Let us all commit ourselves today to working for a golden future. On this sacred occasion let us resolve that nation building will be our highest duty.

Jai Hind

Jai Hind

Jai Hind.”

Highlights of PM's Independence Day Speech- 2009

A confident Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh sent out a positive Independence Day message that India had self faith, political stability and economic strength to march towards “a golden future.” The Prime Minister calls for a “new era of cooperation and harmony in our national life.” Asserting that people had rejected in the last election sectarian politics and have “chosen a political arrangement which is secular,” the Prime Minister promises to take every one along and to create “an environment of consensus and cooperation in the country.” Spelling out his philosophy and priorities the Prime Minister asserted that his government will pay special attention to minorities. He insisted that caring for minorities is not appeasement. Highlights of PM’s speech • PM warns hoarders and black-marketers • No one will go hungry • No need to panic in the face of H1N1 flu. No disruption of daily lives. • Effort to ensure that benefits of development reach all sections of society and all regions and citizens of the country. • That every citizen of India is prosperous and secure and is able to lead a life of dignity and self respect. • Restoring our growth rate to 9% is the greatest challenge we face. We expect that there will be an improvement in the situation by the end of this year. • Appeal to businessmen and industrialists to join in effort to tackle difficult situation and fulfill their social obligation. • This year there has been deficiency in the monsoons. We will provide all possible assistance to our farmers to deal with the drought. • Date for repayment of farmers bank loans postponed. Additional support given to farmers for payment of interest on short term crop loans. • We have adequate stocks of foodgrains. All efforts will be made to control rising prices of foodgrains, pulses and other goods of daily use. • Country needs another Green Revolution, the goal is 4% annual growth in agriculture. Achievable in the next 5 years. • Food security law under which every below poverty line family will get a fixed amount of foodgrains every month at concessional rates. • Special care to be taken of needs of women and children. To extend the benefit of ICDS to every child below the age of six years by March 2012. • NREGA program to be improved to bring more transparency and accountability into it. • Right to Education Act enacted, funds will not be a constraint. • We will give special attention to the needs of disabled children. • Secondary education will be expanded through a program that will ensure that every child in the country gets its benefit. • Will provide bank loans and scholarships to the maximum possible number of students to support their education. • New scheme to help students from economically weaker sections get education loans at reduced interest rates. Will benefit about 5 lakh students in technical and professional courses. • The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana to be expanded to cover every family below the poverty line. • Additional funds allocated for Bharat Nirman - the programs for development of rural and urban areas to be speeded up. • Accelerated efforts to improve physical infrastructure in the country. Construction of 20 Km of National Highways every day. • Railways have started work on the Dedicated Freight Corridors. • Road, Rail and civil aviation projects being implemented in J & K and the North Eastern States will be specially monitored. • In a step to make the country slum free new scheme Rajiv Awas Yojana being launched. • India will meet the challenge of climate change through 8 National Missions. • The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, aimed at increasing the use of solar energy and making it affordable will be launched on 14th Nov. this year. • We need a new culture of energy conservation. • More attention to programs for water collection and storage. "Save Water" should be one of our national slogans. • Every government should be sensitive to people's complaints and dissatisfaction. But nothing is achieved by destroying public property and indulging in violence and the government will deal firmly with such people. • To root out terrorist activities, our security forces and intelligence agencies are being constantly upgraded. With cooperation from all sections of society we will succeed. • Redoubled efforts to deal with militant activities. Will extend all help to the State Governments to make their police forces more effective. • Those who think that they can seize power by recourse to the gun do not understand the power of our democracy. • Will endeavour to remove those causes of social and economic dissatisfaction which give rise to problems like Naxalism. • Seek active partnership of the our Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe brothers and sisters in our development process. • The schemes for the welfare of the minorities to be taken forward. • Funds enhanced substantially for the special schemes for development of minority concentration districts. • A Bill to prevent communal violence has been introduced in Parliament and efforts will be made to convert it into a law as soon as possible. • Female foeticide is a shame on all of us. We must eliminate it as early as possible. • Our government is committed to the early passage of the Women's Reservation Bill. • Working on a legislation to provide 50% reservation for women in rural and urban local bodies. • National Female Literacy Mission to be launched, Aims to reduce female illiteracy by half in three years. • Have accepted the recommendations of the committee on the issue of pension of ex-servicemen. This will benefit 12 lakh retired jawans and JCOs. • Will take care of the special needs of the backward regions with redoubled efforts to remove regional imbalances. • Government constantly endeavours to make the North Eastern States equal partners in the country's progress. Without their well-being the country cannot move forward. • There have been two elections in J& K in past year with people participating vigorously. Proof that there is no place for separatist thought in the state. • Endeavour to ensure that human rights are respected J&K and all its citizens are able to live in peace and dignity in an environment of safety and security. • As far as our neighbours are concerned, we want to live with them in peace and harmony. Will make every possible effort to create an environment conducive to the social and economic development of the whole of South Asia. • Benefit of good programs will not reach the people till the government machinery is not corruption free. Public administration to be more efficient. • Need to improve delivery systems to provide basic services to our citizens. • Renewed efforts to decentralize public administration through the Panchayati Raj Institutions and to ensure greater involvement of people. • Initiative will be taken for a new partnership between the civil society and the government so that tax payers' money is better spent. • Right to Information Act to be improved to make it is more effective and enhance accountability and transparency. • Special efforts to strengthen administrative machinery for rural programs • Unique Identification Authority of India set up. First set of identity numbers expected to be available in the next one to one and a half years. • Nation building will be our highest duty. (pib)

THE ABSENT CELEBRANT - How did Gandhi spend August 15, 1947? Politics and Play - Ramachandra Guha It is well known that when India became free on the August 15, 1947, Mahatma Gandhi declined to join the festivities in New Delhi. While his follower, Jawaharlal Nehru, spoke in the Council Hall about India’s tryst with destiny, and the crowds danced on the streets outside, Gandhi was in Calcutta, seeking to restore peace between Hindus and Muslims. His refusal to join his colleagues in New Delhi has been interpreted by some commentators as a sign that he was in mourning. This interpretation is not entirely tenable. While Gandhi was distressed by the religious rioting that accompanied Independence and Partition, he did not gainsay the value and achievement of political freedom. But he remained concerned with what his fellow Indians would make of their hard-won, and somewhat belated, swaraj. The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi has seven entries dated August 15, 1947. The first is a letter written to his Quaker friend, Agatha Harrison, in London. Gandhi says here that “my way of celebrating great events, such as today’s, is to thank God for it and, therefore, to pray”. Agatha Harrison had apparently asked whether he followed the debates in the British parliament on the Indian Independence bill. Gandhi said he did not get time to read newspapers; in any case, he commented, “What does it matter, who talks in my favour or against me, if I myself am sound at bottom?” Item four describes a visit to Gandhi’s temporary home in Beliaghata of the new governor of West Bengal, C. Rajagopalachari. When the governor congratulated him on the “miracle he had wrought” (namely, the cessation of violence in the city), Gandhi answered “that he could not be satisfied until Hindus and Muslims felt safe in one another’s company and returned to their own homes to live as before. Without that change of heart, there was likelihood of future deterioration in spite of the present enthusiasm”. The fifth entry for the day relates to a visit by some communist activists. Gandhi told them that “political workers, whether Communist or Socialist, must forget today all differences and help to consolidate the freedom which had been attained. Should we allow it to break into pieces?” Soon after the communists, a group of students came to the Haidari Mansion in Beliaghata to seek Gandhi’s advice. The Mahatma told them that “students ought to think and think well. They should do no wrong. It was wrong to molest an Indian citizen merely because he professed a different religion. Students should do everything to build up a new State of India which would be everybody’s pride”. The last item in the Collected Works for this day pertains to a speech made at a public meeting at the Rash Bagan Maidan in Beliaghata. As reported in his own journal,Harijan, Gandhi began by congratulating Hindus and Muslims for “meeting together in perfect friendliness”. He hoped that this “was not a momentary impulse”. From the theme of communal amity he went on to speak of the responsibilities of ordinary citizens. Earlier in the day, when the new Indian governor had taken over from his British predecessor, a crowd had invaded Government House, tramped over the lawn and flower beds, marched into the building and generally made a nuisance of themselves. Hearing of this, Gandhi said “he would be glad if it meant only a token of people’s power. But he would be sick and sorry if the people thought that they could do what they liked with the Government and other property. That would be criminal lawlessness. He hoped, therefore, that they had of their own accord vacated the Governor’s palace as readily as they had occupied it. He would warn the people that now that they were free, they would use the freedom with wise restraint...” In this narration, I have skipped one item, number three, in part because I think it the most important, and hence best dealt with last. This pertained to a visit to the Mahatma by the ministers of the new government of West Bengal. What Gandhi said to them is summarized in the Collected Works. But there is a slightly longer, and somewhat more vivid, account in Manu Gandhi’s book The Miracle of Calcutta. This informs us that when the Bengal ministers sought his blessings, Gandhi told them, “Today, you have worn on your heads a crown of thorns. The seat of power is a nasty thing. You have to remain ever wakeful on that seat. You have to be more truthful, more non-violent, more humble and more forbearing. You had been put to test during the British regime. But in a way it was no test at all. But now there will be no end to your being tested. Do not fall a prey to the lure of wealth. May God help you! You are there to serve the villages and the poor.” His words made sense then, and they make sense now. At a time when many — most? — ministers in state and Central governments are consumed by arrogance and self-love, they need to be reminded that, as elected representatives of the people, they should be motivated rather by truth, humility and service. In a deeply divided polity, the political parties must recognize that in times of crisis, they should set aside their differences and work together for social peace. When populist notions of democracy stress exclusively on rights and encourage a cavalier attitude to State property, it is well to be told that citizens also have responsibilities. Finally, in 2009 as in 1947, a special role devolves on students, who, with their lives in front of them, can do more than the middle-aged or elderly in building an India worthy of the nation’s founders and of their ideals. Gandhi’s words and warnings have a strikingly contemporary ring. Since they were uttered in Calcutta, those who live in that city, and in the state of which it is part, may read into them a special meaning. In the recent past, West Bengal has been peculiarly prone to political partisanship, State apathy and populist violence. However, these tendencies are manifest, in lesser or greater degree, in other states as well. Wherever we are this August 15, we would do well to remember, and take heed of, what a very wise Indian said and did on this day 62 years ago. The Telegraph, 15 August , Opinion: ramguha@hotmail.com Anti-GJMM groups threaten agitation SNS, SILIGURI, 13 AUG: Anti-Gorkhaland pressure groups today threatened to launch a ‘strident and prolonged’ public movement if the Centre and the state government embark on providing fresh autonomy for the Darjeeling hills after scrapping the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. “The outcome of the just held tripartite dialogue on the hill imbroglio rings alarm bells for the integrity of the state as well as of the country,” the pressure group leaders said. Rapping the Centre and the state for “bending to the bullying” by the Gorkhaland protagonists, the Jana Chetana president, Dr Debaprasad Kar said that a Hill Council with enhanced administrative power whether under the Fifth or the Sixth Schedules of the Constitution would empower the pro-Gorkhaland forces to give citizenship rights (via residence certificates) indiscriminately to thousands of Nepalese migrants. “This would blur the Indo-Nepal international border into a free zone for unrestricted entry into the Indian territory. Besides, the basic premise behind the autonomy speculations is flimsy, as there exists no demarcating lines between the Indian citizens of Nepalese origin and the Nepalese migrants. Providing fresh autonomy would become a retrogressive venture from the standpoint of the country's long term national interests,” Dr Kar added. Echoing the view, the Bangla O Bangla Bhasa Bacao Committee president, Dr Mukunda Majumder said that they would oppose the fresh regional autonomy proposals tooth and nail. “The signs are ominous. The authority of the inspector general of police, north Bengal Mr KL Tamta is being curtailed to please the Gorkhaland agitators. Besides, the state home secretary's comment that the GJMM would have to wait for Gorkhaland has further mystified the state government's stand vis-à-vis the statehood movement. We would launch a prolonged agitation if the fresh autonomy concept becomes a reality,” Dr Majumder said. A senior Aamra Bangali leader, Mr Khusi Ranjan Mondal said that their movement might turn violent if the Centre and the state move forward with the fresh autonomy proposal. “Greater autonomy for the hills, definitely a precursor for a separate state, would push to the brink the socio-political identities of the non-Gorkha communities living in the region,” he stated. One more H1N1 suspect admitted to NBMCH SNS, SILIGURI/MALDA, 14 AUG: Another suspected Swine Flu patient, hailing from Pune, was admitted at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital this evening, raising the number of patients admitted at the hospital to four since the outbreak of the disease. However, the second patient, admitted at the medical college on Wednesday, Mr Kartik Barman, tested negative as per the report received from a Kolkata-based pathology centre. According to Dr Rudra Narayan Bhattacharya, the nodal officer, NBMCH Swine Flu preventive unit, the name of the patient admitted today is Dr Debaji Samadhan (29), a resident of Pune. “He is associated with the World Health Organization-sponsored polio alleviation programme. He worked in Bihar for some time. He fell ill today with high fever and cough. We admitted him at the quarantine ward. He is being kept under close observance,” he said. Prof Bhattacharya further said that Mr Kartik Barman, admitted on Wednesday with Swine Flu like symptoms, today tested negative according to the report received from the WHO-recognised pathology centre in Kolkata. “However, the condition of the third patient admitted last evening Mr Kamal Basnit from Rangpo, Sikkim, remains grave. The swab test report is likely to reach us tomorrow,” Prof Bhattacharya said. Meanwhile, the leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Mr Partho Chatterjee today alleged in Siliguri that the NBMCH lacked adequate infrastructure to take on the Swine Flu challenge. “The infrastructure might collapse if the Flu challenge turns grim,” he said. In another development, the Malda chief medical officer (health) Dr Srikanta Roy has sent special instructions to all block medical officers (BMOH), health, on handling suspected Swine Flu cases. The BMOHs have been asked to keep special vigilance over influenza-afflicted patients who had just returned from the Swine Flu-hit states. “They have been asked to send such patients to the district hospital for reexamination, observation and collection of samples for laboratory tests”, said Dr. Roy. The district health department has also issued guidelines for those down with high fever. Mr Noor Islam, the only suspected Swine Flu patient in the district, is being kept at the quarantine ward. “The throat swab has been sent to Kolkata for H1N1 virus confirmation,” said Dr Roy. Talks to open garden fail- Citu insists on action against Tata Tea doctor TT, Siliguri, Aug. 14: A meeting called today to end the lockout at Tata Tea’s Nowera Nuddy estate failed as the workers and the management stuck to their stands. The operations in the estate have been suspended since Tuesday following an alleged assault on the garden doctor who had refused to sanction maternity leave to a woman worker. The meeting was held at the assistant labour commissioner’s office at Malbazar this afternoon. The Cha Bagan Mazdoor Union, an affiliate of the Citu, demanded that action be taken against the estate doctor R.K. Ratan Singh. The union wanted that the workers who had been accused of targeting the doctor be spared. “Our representatives said at the meeting that the medical officer had misbehaved with the workers and bypassed his duty,” said Chanu Dey, the CPM zonal committee secretary of Malbazar and a Citu leader. “The management had promised to inquire into the charges against the doctor and we wanted to know if any probe had been conducted.” Dey said the lockout was illegal and demanded that all workers be paid wages and rations for the days the garden was closed. “The union also wanted the immediate re-opening of the estate and opposed any move to take disciplinary action against the accused labourers.” On Monday, Singh had been kept confined by the workers for 11 hours and his chamber ransacked, forcing the management to shut down the garden in Malbazar. “The management felt that it was unsafe to run the garden at a time workers were taking law into their own hands and hence, declared the lockout,” said Prabir Bhattacharjee, the secretary of the Dooars Branch of the Indian Tea Association, of which Tata Tea is a member. Malbazar is located around 55km from Siliguri The talks began around 3.30pm and the West Bengal Cha Mazdoor Sabha, another union active in the garden, was also present. The estate was represented by managers of Nowera Nuddy and Damdim — another garden owned by Tata Tea —along with Bhattacharjee. A manager expressed fear that a lenient attitude on the part of the management would lead to further attacks by the workers. Bhattacharjee said: “The management is sincerely trying to resolve the matter. But certain fundamental issues related to the discipline of workers need to be sorted out before any decision can be taken.” “Even after three hours of talks, a compromise could not be reached. Nevertheless, we have asked both the sides to consider each other’s proposals and come for another meeting in my office at 3pm tomorrow, despite being Independence Day,” said Sadahn Chandra Byapari, the assistant labour commissioner. Hen turns cock: not cockamamie

The rooster at the house of Chaki. Picture by Main Uddin Chisti MAIN UDDIN CHISTI, TT, Cooch Behar, Aug. 14: A domestic hen has lost her cluck and is now strutting around as a rooster with a raucous cock-a-doodle-doo. Not a cock and bull story. The hen had hatched at the house of Sadhan Chaki in Dinhata about 18 months ago. Till six months back, the mottled bird used to lay about 35 eggs a month and all was well. “The frequency of her egg-laying started to drop and about a month ago, she stopped laying completely. We thought that she was laying them elsewhere and decided to keep a check on her activities,” Chaki said. But a shock awaited Chaki. Within a month, the hen had become a rooster and a large comb and stately strutting took over the bird’s behaviour. Some blamed it on the radiation from mobile towers. “Too many mobile phone towers are playing havoc with the natural world, it is not a good omen,” said Sikha Roy, a first-year college student. Tapan Roy, a vet and the deputy director of the animal resources development department, said the transformation was possible. “It is caused when the ovary becomes dysfunctional and the male testosterone hormone takes over to develop male physical and behavioural characteristics. There has not been much research on this in our country,” said Roy. Leopard skin found TT, Siliguri, Aug. 14: Customs officials seized a leopard skin and 3kg of bones of the animal from a Bhutan national and arrested him last night. Rinchen Dukpa, a resident of Sandong in Bhutan, was held at Gayerkata in Jalpaiguri district, about 85km from here, after he came from Phuentsholing in a bus. “The length of the skin is 69 inches and its front and rear width are 14 and 57 inches. In the international market, the approximate value of the skin and the bones is around Rs 10 lakh,” an officer said. The consignment was wrapped in three packets. Liquor haul TT, Islampur: Chakulia police recovered illicit liquor worth Rs 50,000 from different areas on Thursday evening. Nobody has been arrested. Ganja seized TT, Siliguri: Chapal Mondal, a resident of Ghogomali, was arrested on Thursday night for possessing 7kg of cannabis. He was carrying the narcotic in a briefcase, police said.