Don’t include Dooars, Terai in GTA: Tribal leaders

Last Updated: Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 15:37

Chalsa (WB): Adivasi leaders of Dooars and Terai in West Bengal today met state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and said they would not allow any area from the two tribal regions to be included in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration formed recently.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had demanded at the time of the GTA agreement that some mouzas of the two adivasi regions be included in the authority. While Dooars has 98 mouzas, Terai has 123.

The Dooars lies on the foothills of the eastern Himalayas around Bhutan while Terai is the area near the Siwalik range, the lowest outer foothills of the Himalayas.

Representatives of various adivasi organisations like the Toto Kalyan Samiti, Bodo People's Forum and Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad in a meeting with the Chief Minister here put forward three alternatives. 

Either an authority on the lines of the GTA to be named as Adivasi Territorial Administration for the two regions be formed, an Adivasi Autonomous Council be created or both the regions be included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

They also submitted some memorandums containing their demands to the Chief Minister.

Mamata said she needed some time to consider their demands.

PTI

Gorkha leader warns of agitation if bill does not fulfill promises

Kolkata, Sep 3 (ANI): Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Harka Bahadur Chettri has said people demanding the creation of a separate Gorkhaland state would agitate if the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Bill does not fulfill its promises.

Talking to reporters here on Friday, Chettri said: “If some impediment is created, if the promised autonomy is not given, if at the end of the day people feel that there is no provision, no scope, GTA is not creating any employment, GTA is unable to create infrastructure that it aims to create, in that case, definitely people will take to streets because nobody will have control over people if you fail to deliver GTA,” said Chettri.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition, Surya Kanta Misra slammed the state government for passing the bill in haste.

“You see 54 amendments on the part of the government itself show that they have not gone through the bill properly and even after giving 54 amendments, there is one provision that has been passed in the house one of the amendments which is patently unconstitutional,” he said

“The Constitution has no provision for the district level panchayat (council) in the Darjeeling neither the state act have it. They say the central government should agree to amend it in the parliament, but unless it is amended, so long it is not amended, even it is amended, only on the verbal assurance that it will get amended you cannot pass something unconstitutional in the assembly,” he added.

A renewed demand for a separate Gorkhaland region, which would include Darjeeling and some contiguous areas of Jalpaiguri District, has created fresh turmoil over the past few months.

The Gorkha population in West Bengal is estimated to be around a million. (ANI)

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill passed by Bengal Assembly

Kolkata, September 3, 2011: The West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Friday passed the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill with 54 amendments, overruling a demand by the Opposition to send it to a select committee for further discussions.

Amid charges by the Treasury Benches as well as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) legislators that this amounted to delaying tactics, Leader of the Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra said that peace and development go hand-in-hand and there was need to further discuss matters in a peaceful environment. He said peace might have returned to Darjeeling, but there was tension in the Dooars and Terai regions. He later told reporters that the government was confused and doing things that might be ultra vires of the Constitution.

Out of 54 amendments, 53 were moved by the government, accepting the demands of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. The government also accepted an amendment moved by opposition leader Surjya Kanta Mishra, relating to provision for reservation of seats in the GTA Sabha for SCs and STs and women. The government, however, didn't accept the amendment for reservation of women.
The state buckled under pressures from the GJM that wanted it to transfer financial and administrative powers along with executive powers to the GTA. It was incorporated in the amended version of the Bill that GTA would strive to establish ethnic identity of the Gorkhas as well as expediting their socio-economic, educational, cultural and linguistic development. The unnecessary mentions of the word 'Sabha' (the elected body of GTA) was dropped from the draft.
The mention of a zilla parishad was incorporated in the Bill.
Speaking on the Bill, chief minister Mamata Banerjee explained that the Centre would carry out the necessary constitutional amendment to make provision for a zilla parishad in Darjeeling. GJM member Harka Bahadur Chhetri explained that earlier the zilla parishad in Darjeeling had been abolished because the outgoing DGHC was functioning as zilla parishad.
Accepting GJM's demand, the amended Bill dropped the provision of the governor nominating two members to the Executive Sabha. All the 14 members of the Executive Sabha would now be nominated by the chief executive of GTA. The presence of one-third of members of the GTA Sabha would form the quorum for holding its meetings.
The principal secretary of GTA would not be transferred for a period of two years after assumption of office without consent of GTA. While the government in the draft Bill had agreed to delegate to GTA the power to make appointments only in Group-D posts, in course of the debate the CM agreed to GJM's demand and the amended version delegated to GTA also power to make appointments in Groups-B and C posts.
In a significant step, the government accepted an amendment moved by the leader of the opposition providing for reservation of seats in GTA Sabha for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs. "The reservations will be as per constitutional norms and the provisions of the agreement with GJM," minister Partha Chatterjee told TOI later. It appeared that GJM agreed to the amendment with reluctance. "We are prepared to accept whatever is the constitutional provision," GJM leaders Roshan Giri and Harka Bahadur Chhetri told TOI.
The CM also said that the governor who could nominate five members to the GTA sabha could also give nomination to representatives from these categories. Observers said this would pave the way for reservation of seats in the GTA Sabha for smaller communities like Lepchas and Bhutias as well as for adivasis who live in Dooars and Terai, where GJM has demanded areas for inclusion in GTA.
The chief minister announced that a development board would be set up for the Lepchas of Darjeeling under the state government. Lepcha groups are agitating in the streets of Kolkata for the past one month with this demand.
She said the government was taking steps to ensure that there was no discord between Gorkhas and adivasis in the process of identification of additional areas in Dooars and Terai for inclusion in GTA. She said Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad which had held agitations against such inclusion had been misguided by vested political interests. She accused the previous Left Front government of not being serious in addressing the problem of Darjeeling.
GJM member Harka Bahadur Chhetri later explained that the process of GTA formation and the expert committee on identification of areas in Dooars and Terai submitting its report would proceed in a parallel process. "The holding of the election will not depend on the submission of report by the committee, which has six months' time," he said.

GJM withdraws indefinite strike in Darjeeling

PTI, Aug 30, 2010, 02.55pm IST

DARJEELING: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has withdrawn the indefinite strike called in Darjeeling hills from Monday in view of the tripartite talks with the Centre and West Bengal government on September 7.

The decision was announced by GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri after a meeting with the Darjeeling District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police Devendra Pratap Singh.

The indefinite strike had been called to demand production of Nicole Tamang, the main suspect behind the May 21 killing of Gorkha leader Madan Tamang in the town, in court by Monday.

To press for the demand, Giri said batches of seven GJM supporters would fast in Kalimpomg, Kurseong and Darjeeling from September 1 to 17.

A GJM 'investigation team' has also been formed, he said, adding it would leave for Assam and Nepal in search of Nicole.

He also announced that henceforth government and Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council offices in the hills would be allowed to function unhindered.

DHR 128th anniv plans roll out

SILIGURI, 24 AUG: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is observing its 128th anniversary in collaboration with the North Bengal Science Centre through a slew of programmes including a photo exhibition showcasing the spectacular history of the toy train, now included amongst the Unesco world heritage sites. The postmaster general, North Bengal and Sikkim region, Mr Lalhluna, inaugurated the week-long exhibition being held on the NBSC premises. The joint director, tourism, West Bengal government, Mr Gopal Lama, the principal, Siliguri Institute of Technology, Mr S Dasgupta, the project co- coordinator, NBSC, Mr Rajib Nath and the director, DHR, Mr Subrata Nath were present. According to the DHR director, this year's programmes were kept low key in view of the indefinite postponement of the heritage service between New Jalpaiguri and Kurseong due to lanslides along the tracks. “We would celebrate the anniversary in a befitting manner in future,” Mr Subrata Nath said. Referring the frequent landslides in the hills, an octogenarian ex- DHR employee, Mr D B Thapa, who was felicitated on the occasion, issued a note of caution. “The unimpeded traffic flow involving heavy vehicles along the fragile hills might bring about natural calamities of grimmer magnitude in future. Those who love the hills must come forward to checkmate the unhindered vehicular movement to avoid a catastrophe,” Mr Thapa commented.

Hit by cyclone Aila, Darjeeling Toy Train on halt

Darjeeling, 31 May: The famous Darjeeling toy train is lying idle at Ghoom – the highest railway station in the world. Service at this world heritage rail route has been hit ever since cyclone Aila lashed West Bengal on May 25.

Along the 80 kilometre route from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling, the rail lines have been uprooted or blocked at more than 50 points.

“It is quite a disaster. The maximum damage has occurred between Kurseong and Darjeeling. We are trying to resume service from New Jalpaiguri to Kurseong,” says director, Darjeeling Himalayan Railways, Subhro Nath.

For tourists coming to Darjeeling it is a great disappointment as they will miss the majestic views offered by this century old train service. It was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1999.

 

Landslides disrupt toy train service in West Bengal

Siliguri, May 28: Landslides in West Bengal have disrupted the movement of the world famous toy train, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.The famous Darjeeling toy train runs between Siliguri and Darjeeling. 

The train stopped operation from Tuesday as heavy rains and severe landslides washed away a huge portion of the railway track. A huge pile of debris has accumulated on the tracks, halting the operation of the toy train.

"In 80 km route from Siliguri junction to Darjeeling, we have got landslides at 41 spots and total amount of muds and boulders is about 3500 cubic metres. We also have tree fallen on tracks at 16 spots. Out of the 16 spots, two spots are very heavy because very big tree trunk has fallen on track. We have got one location near Ghum where a portion of our track is washed away in between two buildings," said Subrata Nath, director, Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR).

The DHR is trying hard to resume the journey at the earliest, but the service is expected to resume not earlier than seven to ten days."We are trying our best to resume the services between new Jalpaiguri, Siliguri to Kerseong by Saturday. That will cover around 50 km of our track. So around 60 km, we will be able to make operational by this Saturday. And for the other one it may take another seven to ten days," added Nath.

The DHR toy train was started in 1896 by the then British Lieutenant Governor Ashley Eden, offering riders an opportunity to enjoy the majestic beauty of nature along the Darjeeling hills. 

At the beginning, this railway was named as the Darjeeling steam Tramway Co. Later when India gained independence in 1947, the railway was named as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR).DHR was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO on December 5 at their 23rd session. 

Darjeeling landslide toll reaches 27

Siliguri,28 th May: With the recovery of three more bodies, the toll in the landslides in West Bengal's hill district of Darjeeling due to Cyclone Aila has risen to 27, police said on Thursday.

"We have recovered three bodies from the debris at Rangiabong under Jorbungalow police station area this (Thursday) morning. One of the bodies has been identified as Pramila Rai, 68," a senior official of the Jorbungalow police station said. He said the teams of Natural Disaster Management Authority have started rescue operations in the cyclone-hit areas.

Meanwhile, State Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen reached Darjeeling Thursday morning to hold meetings with the district administration. He is likely to visit the landslide-affected zones and will also survey the situation there. "Search operations are on in some areas as at least four people are still missing from the Darjeeling district after the cyclonic storm," the police officer said.

According to district administration sources, 14 bodies were found in areas under Darjeeling Sadar police station, six in Jorbanglow police station area and seven in Kurseong sub-division.More than 500 houses were damaged due to torrential rain that started Monday, when Cyclone Aila hit West Bengal and continued on Tuesday.

Nearly 100 landslides took place across Darjeeling and its adjoining areas inconveniencing thousands of residents living in the hilly region. Cyclone Aila created havoc across West Bengal Monday, claiming a total of 87 lives by Thursday. 

Statue of Jesus Christ attacked in Kalimpong

Indian Catholic

NEW DELHI: A group of BJP led miscreants attacked the statue of Jesus Christ installed in the historical place of Pedong, and damaged it severely on April 25 in Kalimpong, West Bengal. According to a Evangelical Fellowship of India correspondent, Rev. Susanta Patra reported that some groups damaged the statue of crucifixion installed recently on a ‘Cross Hill’ belonging to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

It was reported that the miscreants try to take the 5 foot tall statue of Christ off the cross, breaking the statue badly. Speaking to EFI, parish priest, Father Peter Lingdamo said. “The police were very concerned and they came to inspect the incident soon after they were informed. We are positive that police protection will be provided should the need arises” The church did not file a police complaint. Pedong is predominantly a Christian area and such incident as reported was rare. Pray that calm will return to the area and for fruitful ministries in the area.

A CHARADE OF AN ELECTION IN THE HILL SUBDIVISIONS OF DARJEELING

DARJEELING,2nd May: As we have reported elsewhere, the elections in the hill areas of Darjeeling were rendered into a political sham on poll day, 30 April 2009. It had rained, indeed poured heavily throughout the morning and into the early afternoon.

Yet, it was found by late morning that a massive percentage of polling had been done in an astonishingly short period of time. This could only be done if buttons on the EVMs are pushed in a continuum without a break. The whole process reeks of a political sham.

The issue also raises several important questions:

1.What were the elections officials doing when this farce of a poll was taking place? Why they would not speak out, far less than file a written complaint about what was taking place, which was nothing but a breach of the Model Code for elections.

2.What happened to the five companies of paramilitary troopers who were assigned for duty in the hills? What prevented them from being present around the hill polling booths?

3.A strong demand was made to the ECI to ban and disband the Gorkha Land Personnel (GLP) – and it was found it was the GLP itself that was engaged in conducting the polls in the hiulls. In fact, they were in charge and in a harshly threatening mood all the time.

4.Throughout the polls despite complaints, the process of wiping away of the name and style of West Bengal Government and substituting it for ‘Gorkhaland Government’ was allowed to continue -- and the protests were in vain. The ECI could have also taken suo motu action from reports and photographs published in various news papers and magazines.

Finally and surprisingly, despite complaints, the ECI would not order re-poll in a single booth in the hill areas, opting instead for re-poll in two booths in the plains.

Memo Given to the Election Commission on the Situation in Darjeeling

April 25, 2009
TO

Shri Navin B. Chawla

Chief Election Commissioner

Election Commission of India

Nirvachan Sadan

Ashoka Road,

New Delhi

Dear Shri Navin Chawla,

I was recently in Darjeeling to address an election meeting of the CPI(M) candidate on April 21, 2009. Such a meeting could be held after some years due to the fact that the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha spearheading the movement for a separate `Gorkhaland' had created an atmosphere of fear and terror threatening any one opposing them of grave consequences if they held any political rallies in the hills.

I wish to complement the CEC also for creating an atmosphere which has permitted the possibility of holding such meetings.

You will recall that I had met you and your colleague Shri Quraishi on April 7, 2009 and handed over a memorandum requesting the CEC to take certain measures to ensure a free and fair election in these hills. I had also submitted a CD recording an inflammatory speech of Shri Bimal Gurung.

During the course of my visit, various sections of the people had brought to my notice many instances of terror that may prevent the conduct of a free and fair election. I am summarising some of the major suggestions that I had received.

I would be grateful if the EC could give a serious consideration to the following.

1.The EC must immediately launch a more intense campaign with wider reach to assure the people that their votes would remain secret. This is imperative to dispel fears that the voters could be identified subsequently and harassed/attacked etc.

2.CRPF should be deployed as early as possible in the hill areas and flag marches undertaken to restore voters' confidence

3.The Gorkha Land Personnel (GLP) camp at Gorubathan must be immediately dismantled and proceedings drawn up as per the law of the land against all the personnel involved in the camp, as trainers, trainees and administrative. Please ensure that no civilians are allowed to wear/use Army fatigues.

4.The CRPF should be maintained beyond the date of the election, April 30, 2009, to prevent post-poll violence that we apprehend, and to keep pre-poll peace that the people desire.

While complementing the EC for the conduct of election so far, I am sure that these suggestions would be seriously consider to further improve the conduct of free and fair elections.

With regards,
Yours sincerely

(Sitaram Yechury)

Copy to:

1)Shri S. Y. Quraishi, Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India, New Delhi

2)Shri V. S. Sampath, Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India, New Delhi

DARJEELING RALLY HAS FAR-FLUNG IMPLICATIONS

DARJEELING:This morning (22 April), the reactions and response that we received from the hill city, were overwhelmingly in favour of the CPI (M) rally in general rally and the address by CPI (M) Polit Bureau member, Sitaram Yechury, in particular.

Representatives of every hill community—the Tamangs, the Gurungs, the Lamas, the Thapas, the Mokhtans, the Bhattarais, the Pathaks, and the Chhetris et al—i.e., cutting across castes as well as social groups-- spoke paeans of praise in favour of the basic tenor of the CPI (M) rally.

SYMPATHETIC CHORD
The CPI (M) rally called for unity of the people of the hills, the plains, and of the hills and the plains. The political content of Sitaram’s address where he emphasised the position of the CPI (M) and the Left as friends and comrades of the hill communities in and out of the parliament struck a sympathetic chord, as they told us, among the minds of the hill people.

The talk about the Left fighting in and out of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the overall and not sectarian development of the hill areas kept being recalled repeatedly, even after the rally was over, as we were told, and its effects remaining yet powerful among the hill peoples in general.

GJMM IN A BIND
On the other hand, the separatist GJMM and its cohorts have been made angry at the way the CPI (M) could make its way back and in force to the hill townships of Darjeeling, Kurseong, and Kalimpong, in particular, and they are infuriated at the onrush of popular, indeed mass, support for the CPI (M), once again in the hills after a gap.

The scathing attack that Sitaram launched during his address at the opportunism and dangerous brinkmanship of the divisive kind of the BJP also blended well with the consensus in the hills, among people of such far flung areas as Chungtung, Hrishihaat, Kaujali, Jhenpey, Pemeti, Balachanr, Gokh, Bijonbari, Poolbazaar, Aatpara, and Teendharia.

BIMAN ON EC
Elsewhere, Biman Basu, CPI (M) Bengal secretary, and chairman Bengal Left Front told the media that the Left Front called upon the Election Commission to ensure that voting remained free and fair in the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong. Biman also complained that at least half-a-dozen letters written by him to the ECI on the situation developing in the hill sub-divisions had gone unresponded to and it seemed nothing would be done by the ECI to remedy and set right the recent state of tension there.

THIRD FRONT FOR A NEW INDIA: SITARAM YECHURY AT DARJEELING

DARJEELING: Addressing a mass rally held at the Chowkbazaar at Darjeeling Township in the late morning hours of 21 April, Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member of the CPI (M) called for a New India that could only be ushered in by the Third Front when it formed a government in Delhi.

The Darjeeling rally was politically important because the CPI (M) and the Left Front had not been able to organise rally this big earlier thanks to the armed and dangerous intransigence of the separatist Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM, as these separatists prefer t call themselves).

TWO INDIAS
Sitaram began by saying that another India existed within the fields of the present India. The India within was populated by the kisans, the workers, the middle classes, the lower middle classes, and the teeming millions of unemployed youth. The outer shell of the country comprised the multi-national corporations, the burgeoning finance capital, and the speculators.

The anti-people and anti-poor policies followed assiduously by the successive NDA and UPA régimes have seen Indian poor become poorer, and the rich, richer manifold. The time has come to make policy changes up in Delhi. The Third Front is the alternative to both these big bourgeois compositions. The Third Front stood for education, health, shelter, and employment for all, and for an independent foreign policy.

DISPARITY
The disparity in terms of wealth has reached the extent that a rich person is willing have his residence set up at a cost of thousands of crores of Rupees. On the other hand, 78% of the population have to make do with a daily income of less than Rs 20. Every day one thousand children die because of lack of health care facilities. Several crores of women who are carrying suffer from anaemia. Sitaram asked the rally whether they would be willing and continue to be witness to this national profile after 60 years of political independence.

Dwelling on the world economic depression, Sitaram said that every day one crore of people were thrown out of work, and the figure may soon reach five crore-a-day. In India, the number of kisans taking their own lives in the grinding poverty they were not willing to suffer from any longer grows bigger every day. Recently in Gujarat, 71 bidi workers had committed suicide. In Tamilnadu, workers are forced to sell off their kidneys.

POLITICAL SCENARIO
Sitaram pointed out that if one looked at the political scene, the BJP- and Congress-led alliances were unravelling from Bengal to Tamilnadu. The Third Front emerges stronger every day, every week. People will set up a government of the Third front by making Left unity stronger than ever.

CHOICE OF PM
Turning to the question of prime ministership, the speaker said that nobody knew who would finally be anointed the PM before and in the run up to the 2004 polls. The choice is decided only after the popular mandate is received. Could this happen, when a name is declared beforehand as the PM, and the people choose not to elect him at all! Sitaram reminded the rally that the present PM was not in the fray this time around. ‘We have not put a particular person as the projected PM because we have deep respect for the people’s verdict and for the Indian Constitution.’

‘MATCH FIXING’ TO FLOP
However much ‘match fixing’ the Congress and the BJP go in for in terms of capturing the Delhi masnad, the electorate of India is poised to create new history by voting the Third Front to office. Sitaram asked the rally to vote for the Left Front to solidify the people’s unity and to defeat the separatists. He accused the BJP of misdirecting the emotional outlook of the hill people by taking up the cause of the GJMM. The people of Bengal would not allow the conspiracy to divide up Bengal again to succeed, Sitaram Yechury concluded.

DANGEROUS PORTENTS OF GJMM MOVE

KOLKATA: The Bengal unit of the CPI (M) has expressed its worries over the developments of a divisive and sabotaging nature taking place in Darjeeling under the direct guidance and leadership of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM). It has written two letters to the Chief Election Commissioner in this regard. Below we quote the relevant portions of the two letters dated 19 and 20 April 2009.

“(…) we draw your attention to the serious situation prevailing in the three hill-subdivision Assembly segments of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong under the 4-Darjeeling PC, conditions that would surely prevent free-and-fair polling on 30 April 2009.

We may say that the Gorkha Jana Mukti morcha (GJMM) and its electoral partner the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is hell-bent on not allowing any electioneering and/or political campaigning by our Party in particular. Indeed, you may kindly note that the process of election itself is being distorted by these two political parties (i.e., GJMM and BJP) to the detriment of democracy, peace, amity, and solidarity.

The GJMM is engaged seriously at all levels to target the religious and linguistic minorities. The GJMM has several times forced the minorities to take part in processions that the GJMM has organised. The threat hangs ominously in the air that nobody would be allowed to vote against the GJMM-supported BJP candidate from the 4-Darjeeling PC, especially in the hill sub-divisions.

The GJMM has most recently asked the two organisations that they run viz., Hotel Workers’ association, and Taxi Drivers’ association to boycott all supporters of the CPI (M) candidate and they have forced the issue that no hotel rooms and no vehicles would be made available to any supporters of the CPI (M) candidate, thus crippling our election campaign considerably and in a most undemocratic manner which is also in contravention of the Constitutional proviso.

The GJMM as part of its threat technique has publicly pronounced that since they would know who voted for whom, they would initiate appropriate measure against those who do not vote for the BJP candidate.

The GJMM has kept ready a trained ‘police force’ that they call the Gorkha Land Personnel (GLP) at the ready at Gorubathan in the hill area and these trained men and women, supervised by ex-Army instructors are to be deployed in the polls, the GJMM has publicly declared, 15 per booth, and the apparent aim is to terrorise the voters into polling for the BJP candidate. They have also declared that no CPI (M) agent would be allowed to do his/her duty at the polling stations.

Even more serious, the election personnel of Darjeeling are tutored to work in favour of the BJP candidate, and mock training is being provided to the election personnel by the GJMM workers so that the official and other personnel persuade the voters to vote only for the BJP candidate. This is just a mockery of democracy.

In the same vein, the AROs including the SDO Siliguri himself is engaged in filing false and fictitious FIRs against CPI (M) workers. They also brief the media saying that the CPI (M) is the greatest violator of the Mode Code while flooding the different Police Stations with bogus complaints against the CPI (M) without checking the veracity.

In view of the above, we demand the following steps should be immediately initiated.

A. Para-military forces should be deployed right now and flag marches organised so that the voters regain confidence.

B. Polling personnel should be deployed from both the hill and the plains area. Employees from the plains too must be deployed as polling supervisors, and close circuit camera should watch out for malpractices within booths during polling.

C. Sector officers should carry hidden video recorders while each booth should be manned by CRPF personnel.

D. The GLP training camps at Gorubathan should be dismantled and legal action if any deemed necessary taken against the organisers of the camps.

E. The present system of decentralised counting should be rigorously adhered to instead of the proposed centralised counting at Darjeeling.

In its second letter, the Bengal CPI (M) wrote:

“It has come to our knowledge that more than 400 members of the Gorkha land Personnel (GLP) have been identified as carrying out arms training at Gorubathan near the border with Bhutan. They are trained by former Army instructors, and they wear olive green camouflage fatigues like the Indian Army.

These GLP personnel have been seen threatening voters to support the BJP candidate when the time comes for exercising their franchise. They have also been engaged in tearing own flags, banners, and festoons of the CPI (M) in the three hill sub-divisions.

In view of this, we demand:

A. CRPF should be deployed as early as possible in the hill areas and flag marches undertaken to restore voters’ confidence
B. The GLP camp at Gorubathan must be immediately dismantled and proceedings drawn up as per the law of the land against all the personnel involved in the camp, as trainers, trainees, and administrative. Please ensure that no civilians are allowed to wear/use Army fatigues.
C. The CRPF should be maintained beyond the date of the election, 30 April 2009, to prevent post-poll violence that we apprehend, and to keep pre-poll peace that the people desire.
D. Other measures as appropriate for a free, fair, and peaceful polling in the three hill sub-divisions should be initiated and as early as possible. (….).”

The response of any kind from the office of the CEC/CEO is yet awaited as we file this report.

BJP for creation of smaller states: Jaswant Singh

SILIGURI (WB), 10 April: BJP candidate from Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat Jaswant Singh on Friday said his party was in favour of smaller states but refrained from saying if it was for creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland. He said BJP in principle favoured creation of smaller states and the NDA government had created three states in the country. Without uttering the word 'Gorkhaland', Singh told a press conference that his party would 'sympathetically and appropriately' examine and consider the long-pending demands of Gorkhas, adivasis and other people of the area. Later addressing an election rally at Sukhiapokhri in Darjeeling, Singh, describing the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's demand for a separate seat as 'constitutional', said he would raise the matter on the floor of Parliament and do everything possible for the development of the district. The former external affairs minister, who is supported by GJM, accused West Bengal's Left front government for neglecting the district and the hills, in particular. He charged the Left Front government, during its 32 years of rule, had failed to provide the people of the district with minimum facilities like health, education, and road communication.

CPI(M) Memorandum to EC on Darjeeling

New Delhi, April 7, 2009: Shri Sitaram Yechury, member, Polit Bureau of CPI(M) and Shri Nilotpal Basu, member, Central Secretariat of CPI(M) met the Election Commission today and submitted a memorandum.The copy of the memorandum presented on the serious situation in the three hill sub-divisions of the Darjeeling Parliament Constituency in West Bengal and the need for creating an appropriate atmosphere for the holding of free and fair elections, is given below:

April 7, 2009

To

The Election Commission of India

Nirvachan Sadan

Ashoka Road,

New Delhi

Dear Sir,

With a great sense of concern and anguish, we would like to draw your attention to the abnormal situation prevailing in the 4-Darjeeling Parliament constituency in the state of West Bengal where the right of Left Front nominated CPI(M) candidate Shri Jibesh Sarkar is being undermined by the terror unleashed by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). At the outset, we would give you the background of the present situation. In three hill sub-divisions viz Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong which fall under 4-Darjeeling Parliamentary Constituency, it is the GJM which is dominating physically with force and violence pursuing the separatist slogan of Gorkhaland. The GJM is playing havoc by not allowing other parties, particularly the CPI(M) to campaign in those hill areas. Our Party have, time and again, informed the Election Commission, Chief Election Officer, West Bengal, District Election Officer and other law enforcing authorities about the prevailing situation, despite that no perceptible improvement is there in the ground level condition.The summary of the situation can be described as follows: 1.Our activists are not being allowed to move freely in their own areas, not to speak of campaigning for the election2.Those activists and supporters of the Party who attend the meetings are threatened and social boycott is enforced through the crude use of force and violence in the localities3.CPI(M) Party district office was forced to be closed down earlier on 27th March when our candidate Shri Jibesh Sarkar went to Darjeeling for meeting the voters. He was forced to withdraw from the area and the Party leadership was kept gheraoed for a long time inside the Party office.4.Our festoons and hoardings were not allowed to demonstrate in different areas of Hills and the foot hills as well by the gangs of the Morcha5.The GJM is also threatening the Tibetan, Muslim and other minority communities with dire consequences if they do not vote for the Morcha-supported candidate. This complaint has also been lodged with the All India Minority Commission which is an independent constitutional body.In the background of all these, we urge the Commission to take it up with the CEO of West Bengal and other concerned authorities to ensure that an appropriate atmosphere for a free and fair election is created in the three assembly segments of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong assembly segments of the 4-Darjeeling Parliament constituency. We strongly feel that the security arrangement should not only been ensured for the polling day but for the entire period of campaign in the run up to the elections. We particularly draw your attention to the need for ensuring the safety and security of our candidate and our activists and sympathisers during this campaign period. We also urge strong action be initiated against Shri Bimal Gurung, the GJM supremo for his vitriolic speech intimidating the minorities like Tibetans and Muslims (content is part of the CD placed in the annexure). We also request you to ensure that official meetings for the constituency in which representatives of political parties have to attend are held in Siliguri instead of Darjeeling. We also urge you that the counting of votes should take place in Darjeeling, Siliguri and Islampur as in the past. In the event of the counting for all the Assembly segments centrally at one place, we would like to suggest that it should be held in Siliguri and not in Darjeeling. Our apprehension is that it is not possible to hold the counting in a normal and peaceful atmosphere in Darjeeling. We are hereby appending all relevant past communications, as well as, written and video material to substantiate our contention.

(Sitaram Yechury)
Member, Polit Bureau,

(Nilotpal Basu)
Member, Central Secretariat

BJP trying to divide West Bengal: CPI(M)

Kolkata,4th April: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI(M)) on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to divide West Bengal and asserted that it would make BJP's tie-up with the pro-Gorkhaland Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) a poll issue.

"It is astonishing that the BJP has promised in its election manifesto to look into the Gorkhaland issue sympathetically. It is the reflection of its double standards," CPI(M) State secretary Biman Basu told reporters.

The CPI(M)'s reaction came in the wake of the GJM joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and extending support to Jaswant Singh's candidature from the Darjeeling seat. The BJP manifesto has promised to consider sympathetically the GJM's demand for a Gorkhaland state to be carved out of parts of north Bengal including Darjeeling.

Mr. Basu said the BJP had not supported the Gorkhaland demand at the all-party meeting in the state secretariat and accused it of being greedy for votes.

"The BJP's game plan is in sync with its policy of trying to divide the people on the basis of religion, language, caste and creed. This will definitely be an issue for us. We shall never allow Bengal to be divided again," Mr. Basu said.

CPI(M) terms BJP decision on Gorkhaland amazing

KOLKATA,3rd April: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s decision — as stated in its election manifesto — to sympathetically consider the issue of a separate State of Gorkhaland if it and its allies come to power is “amazing,” Biman Bose, secretary of the West Bengal State committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said here on Friday.

The BJP’s game plan was to divide the people of West Bengal. It was adopting “double standards,” as it had supported a resolution passed in the Assembly opposing any division of the State — one that was endorsed by all parties, he said.

“The BJP is following the imperialist design of divide and rule. It is an exponent of dividing the people of Darjeeling district as a whole,” said Mr. Bose, who is also chairman of the Left Front Committee.

The BJP is to contest from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency with the support of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), which is demanding the creation of Gorkhaland, comprising Darjeeling district and areas in the Dooars of north Bengal. The BJP president declared in New Delhi that Jaswant Singh would be the party’s nominee for the seat.

Mr. Bose said that for the sake of getting votes, the BJP was trying “to create discord among people and divide them along linguistic, religious and ethnic lines.” Its decision would provide momentum to divisive forces that were trying to undermine the unity and harmony among the people of the hills and the plains in Darjeeling district.

Reiterating the Left Front’s resolve not to allow any further division of West Bengal, he criticised the GJM’s writ that parties opposed to those forces that supported the creation of smaller States would not be permitted to campaign in the Darjeeling hills. Only the Trinamool Congress, the Congress and the BJP were being allowed to do so.

Mr. Bose declined to comment on the candidature of Mr. Singh for the Darjeeling seat. “I do not know whether Mr. Singh will get a clean chit from the Election Commission to do so,” he said.

Morcha-BJP poll nexus: Jaswant for Darjeeling seat

KOLKATA,03 April 2009: PLAYING THE Congress against the BJP, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has come up winners, roping in BJP heavyweight Jaswant Singh for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, having extracted a promise that the saffron brigade would consider the issue of a separate state of Gorkhaland sympathetically.

The Morcha brass had been after both national parties hammer and tongs for weeks, lobbying in New Delhi for all it was worth. It had held out the bait that it would support the candidate of either the Congress or the BJP depending on which party supported its statehood demand in the party manifesto. Given, that now the Morcha’s writ runs in the hills of Darjeeling, it is in a position to call the electoral shots. It has promised support to the BJP’s candidates in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar in North Bengal as well, which is home to a large number of Nepali speaking people. Again Jaswant Singh being a former Indian Army officer is likely to garner support from Gorkha soldiers and former servicemen. The BJP, which is not much of a political force in West Bengal, is likely to increase its presence in the state, especially in North Bengal with the help of the Morcha.

The Morcha has also promised support to saffron candidates in Northeast India, particularly Assam which has large sections of Nepali speaking voters. In fact Gurung was in Assam mobilizing support before he flew to New Delhi and met BJP Prime Ministerial candidate LK Advani at his residence to seal the ‘Jaswant deal’. Gurung was said to have insisted that the BJP field a real heavyweight. This was obviously to ensure that the BJP does not go back on its assurance of considering the statehood demand sympathetically in the event of its coming to power at the Centre. The Morcha on its part has spared no effort to woo the BJP, aware that the party is in favour of smaller states as it has reaped dividends from the formation of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand.

The Morcha president Gurung was said to be “satisfied” with the assurance from the BJP brass that it would “pursue” the Gorkhaland cause, media reports said. The Morcha also tried to impress upon the BJP leadership that it could influence the poll outcome in at least 10 seats in the country.

For the last one and-a- half months, the Morcha has been pitting the Congress against the BJP. It met leaders including Advani at a dinner party and broached the subject of support, should the BJP support its cause. Not getting adequate response at that juncture, it then approached the AICC member in-charge of West Bengal Keshav Rao, offering to support the Congress candidate in return for some sort of assurance to the statehood demand.

But the hill leaders increasingly began to realize that the Congress would not play ball. In fact the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee made it clear some time ago in the foothill town of Siliguri in North Bengal that there was no question of dividing Bengal. The BJP then sat up and began to wonder how to mention the Gorkhaland issue in its manifesto without making a commitment and get the Morcha’s support. It has now decided to consider the demand “with sympathy”. For both the Morcha and the BJP it has worked out to be a rather cosy arrangement as of now.

The BJP had announced its candidate for the Darjeeling seat, in former IPS officer Dawa Sherpa but he has not filed his nomination yet.

Gorkha Janamukti Morcha to be part of NDA

New Delhi : The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) will be a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and support Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Jaswant Singh for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal. Announcing this while releasing the BJP poll manifesto here on Friday, the party's prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani said the decision was reached after discussions with top GJM leaders.

GJM president Bimal Gurung and general secretary Roshan Giri have been camping in Delhi for the last two days, to hold discussions with the BJP. The GJM is spearheading an agitation for a separate state to be formed out of Darjeeling and the foothills of the Himalayas that are now a part of West Bengal.

BJP president Rajnath Singh announced earlier at the same venue that Jaswant Singh - now the party's leader in the Rajya Sabha - will be the party's candidate from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. With the support of the GJM, he is expected to be a shoo-in.