Morcha squad to shield boss

TT, Darjeeling, Oct. 5: The Gorkhaland Personnel (GLP) from now on will oversee the security of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung. An elaborate plan is being worked out by the ex-servicemen, who are members of the voluntary squad, for his protection. The decision follows an attempt made on Gurung’s life in Kalimpong on Saturday but GLP members claimed that the plan was already on the anvil. For over a year, two armed policemen have been deployed by the government for Gurung’s protection. Col. (retd) Ramesh Allay, the chief of GLP, said: “At the moment, around 30 to 40 GLP personnel, including women, will provide security to the party president. “We have started reviewing the overall security of our party president. We have come up with an elaborate plan that will include two tiers of security — internal and external.” On Friday evening, a resident of Kalimpong who was allegedly inebriated, had tried to climb the dais at the Mela Ground where Gurung was delivering a speech. The man was not allowed to go up to the stage by organisers, who had found a bangfok(chopper) in his possession. Reacting to the incident, some people allegedly owing allegiance to the Morcha attacked the houses of ABGL and former GNLF leaders in Kalimpong the next day. Allay said the Friday-attack had been blown out of proportion by the media. “The media had over-reacted to the incident. I was present at the venue that day and we don’t think there was a larger conspiracy to attack anyone. That is why I maintain that the decision to look after the security of our party president has nothing to do with the incident,” said Allay. Morcha leaders from Kalimpong had immediately lodged an FIR with the Kalimpong police station alleging an attempt on Gurung’s life. “We are also thinking of providing security to the very important members of the central committee,” said Allay. The GLP members are trained in martial arts, but do not use any firearms. Honour for DHR Society Some of the souvenirs brought out by the DHR Society to raise funds for the community services MRINALINI SHARMA, TT, Siliguri, Oct. 5: After several accolades for its community service programmes along the toy train tracks, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society (DHRS) now has an award in its kitty. The Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRPS), a UK-based federation of over 60 community rail way partnerships and promotion groups, has honoured the Society with the Best International Achievement Award for its welfare projects along the toy train routes. The award recognises the combined efforts of the Society, its chapter here, India Support Group and the subsidiary wings — Education Group and the Darjeeling Railway Community Support (DRCS) — in sponsoring a wide range of welfare initiatives. “At a gala dinner ceremony held at Swallow Hilltop Hotel in Carlisle on Friday 25, September 2009, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society (DHRS) received the ‘Best International Achievement Award’ for its projects in communities living by the side of the entire stretch of the DHR,” Paul Whittle, the DHRS vice-chairman, wrote in an e-mail toThe Telegraph. Every year, the ACoRPS selects various organisations — both domestic and international — engaged with local railways for the Community Rail Awards under several categories. The association, funded by the UK’s department of transport, works towards making local rail services more sustainable by providing better station facilities and improved train services. The DHRS was formed in the UK in 1997 and has been working to promote awareness and increase support for the toy train in Darjeeling since then. It has now over 800 members in 24 countries. The Education Group has sponsored art and drama competitions and funded small projects. It has also created and distributed study material about the DHR to 30 schools. The DRCS, on the other hand, raises funds in the UK, with which it supports a wide variety of community-based projects that include free health check-ups, construction of parks and children’s playgrounds and generation of employment opportunities in the hills. Partha visits Siliguri to check on alleged CPM threats SNS,SILIGURI, 5 OCT: Senior Trinamul Congress leader Mr Partha Chatterjee today visited Ward number 47 of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation on party chief Miss Mamata Banerjee's instruction to check out on alleged threats against the Trinamul’s candidate in the SMC poll from the Ward ~ Mrs Moumita Mojumdar ~ allegedly by CPI-M supporters. According to a Trinamul leader Mr Krishna Pal, CPI-M supporters have let loose a reign of terror in several wards including ward number 47 from where the former mayor, Mr Nur-ul-Islam had been elected. “The 24 Trinamul candidates who contested in the SMC elections met the party chief, Miss Mamata Banerjee yesterday and apprised her of the situation following which, she asked Mr Partha Chatterjee to look into the situation. We would lodge a police complaint tomorrow detailing the CPI-M instigated intimidation,” Mr Pal said. Meanwhile, ruling out the possibility of the division of the state to placate the Gorkhaland protagonists in the Darjeeling hills, Miss Mamata Banerjee today said that the long accumulated development grievances in the hills should be addressed seriously. “The Hill populace has been neglected for long, which has goaded them against the state. The anger is justified, but we cannot allow another division of our state,” Miss Banerjee said at NJP after flagging off the ‘Paharia Express’ today. The CPI-M has, however, expressed its reservations over reducing government functions into a party affair. Taking strong exception to the Railway department's keeping the state minister Asok Bhattacharya and member of Rajya Sabha Mr Saman Pathak out of the train inauguration and other programmes during the Railway minister's two-day visit to Siliguri and adjacent areas, the CPI-M state committee member, Mr Jibesh Sarkar said that it amounted to an outrage of democracy. “The CPI-M would take out a condemnation rally in Siliguri tomorrow, while the Darjeeling district Left Front would organise a political convention on 10 October at Dinabandhu Mancha to protest against the humiliation of the democratic spirit of our polity,” Mr Sarkar added. Youth Cong asks Pranab to remove district president SNS, JALPAIGURI, 5 OCT: The Jalpaiguri district Youth Congress leadership today sent a letter to the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee President Mr Pranab Mukherjee (in picture) demanding immediate removal of the district Congress president Mr Biswaranjan Sarkar from his post over his role in the Siliguri Mayoral issue. According to the Jalpaiguri district Youth Congress president Mr Saikat Chatterjee, the Jal[aiguri district Congress president has “damaged” the Congress's anti- Left image by taking Left Font support to grab the SMC Mayor post. “He has played a dirty game to serve personal interests,” Mr Chatterjee alleged. The Youth Congress leader also slammed Mr Sarkar for passing “objectionable” remarks against the Jalpaiguri MLA and senior Congress leader Mr Deba Prasad Roy. Mr Roy resigned from the PCC vice president's post after the Congress took Left Front support to corner the SMC Mayor's post. “The development has created acute frustration among the grass root supporters. Mr Sarkar should be immediately removed from his post for the betterment of the Congress party,” Mr Chatterjee claimed. Rejecting the Youth Congress leader's allegation Mr Biswaranjan Sarkar said that he had acted according to the instruction of the Congress high command. “The Trinamul Congress wants to eradicate the Congress from West Bengal and we would not allow that. I still believe Mr Roy's resignation from the PCC vice president's post is a move to earn the Trinamul's support during the Assembly elections as he is planning to contest from the Dabgram-Fulbari Assembly seat in the 2011 Assembly elections. Moreover, I never asked the Left Front to support us in the Siliguri Mayor election,” Mr Sarkar claimed. Discarding Mr Sarkar's allusion, Mr Deba Prasad Roy said that he had not resigned with an eye on the 2011 Assembly elections. “I have served several important posts in the Congress in the 45 years of my political career and so, an MLA post does not mean the world to me. Neither do I believe in such brand of politics. I have resigned to protest against what happened in the SMC Mayor election. The WBPCC leadership has requested me to withdraw my resignation and I have asked them to send me a formal request so that I can reconsider my decision. I have also sent them a report on the role of some local Congress leaders over the SMC Mayor election,” Mr Roy said.