www.telegraphindia.com
Kalimpong: Roshan Rai, a jawan with the Gorkha Rifles and a resident of East Main Road here, died in an encounter with militants in Kashmir on Tuesday. The body is expected to be handed over to Roshan’s family within the two days, before he is “cremated with full military honour”, army sources said.
www.thestatesman.net
SILIGURI, Nov. 14:
United Gorkha Revolutionary Front (UGRF), an extremist outfit of Darjeeling Hills, has finally claimed responsibility for the recent murder of Yonsing Lepcha, a GNLF leader. Lepcha, it may be recalled, was killed by unidentified persons on 24 October at his residence at Lower Santuk in Kalimpong’s Algarah gram panchayat area.
The UGRF has issued a Press release, claiming responsibility for the murder. They alleged that Lepcha was against their movement and helped the police to arrest their cadres. The Press release, signed by the UGRF’s spokesperson, Mr Rudra Acharya, stated that Lepcha used to give secret information about their camps to the police and had also been telling the locals not to support the UGRF activists. The UGRF has threatened that anyone who opposes their movement for the creation of a separate state in the Hills would have to face similar consequences.
The release stated that Lepcha was killed at his residence on 24 October around 11.50 pm by their “Army” under the leadership of commander Sangram. The murder of the GNLF leader had triggered panic in the region. The GNLF had also observed 24-hour bandh in Kalimpong sub-division on 25 October to protest against Lepcha’s murder. The party had demanded immediate arrest of those involved in the murder. The GNLF had threatened that they would be compelled to take law on their own hands if the culprits were not arrested within 15 days from the date of murder. However, 20 days have passed but the police are yet to arrest the assassins.
Nearly three months back, the UGRF had announced an armed struggle in the Hills for the separate state of Gorkhaland. In September, the UGRF had claimed that its armed wing, United Gorkha Revolutionary Army, has been running nine training camps in the Kalimpong sub-division. According to an intelligence report nearly 60 to 70 armed men are still hiding in the jungles of Kalimpong under the leadership of Ajay Dahal, former employee of Central Industrial Security Force.
www.telegraphindia.com
Kalimpong, Nov. 14: A two-member team of the Delhi police was in town to probe a case in which a placement agency had duped eight persons from the hills of Rs 16 lakh.
The eight, four of whom are from Kalimpong, had paid the money to Real Service, the Delhi-based agency, in 2003 through its local franchisee, Global Placements. Once run by PDF leader and lawyer Pratap Khati, the franchisee is now closed. Khati had on August 23, 2005, lodged a complaint against Real’s managing director S.D. Sharma at the Kalkaji police station in New Delhi, accusing him of not getting jobs for his clients despite accepting the money.
“On the same day, I also lodged a separate complaint with the deputy commissioner of police, economic offence, against Sharma,” said Khati. However, the victims of the fraud are not too happy with Khati himself. “When things didn’t materialise, instead of acting promptly, he waited for more than two years before complaining against Sharma,” said one of them. (more…)
From www.darjeelingtimes.com
Declaration by UGRF
Kalimpong: UGRF (United Gorkha Revolutionary Front) has issued the written Notification in their Letter-Pad Signed by Rudra Acharya, spokesperson of UGRF.We hereby notify the common people that Yogen Singh Lepcha has been successfully assassinated at his own resident under the command of Unit 7 Commander “Sangram”. He was found guilty, working as the Agent of State Government, which led to arrest of Mr. Philip Lepcha, Central Committee Member and Mr. Asish Rai and Mr. Ram Rai, Supporters of the Organisation.He was also responsible for the disclosing the information about the UGRF members in “Karang Jungle”. Yogen Singh Lepcha also found involvement in the extortion of money from common people, stated in the press release by UGRF.A GNLF Panchayat member of Algarah-Santhuk Gram Panchayat in Kalimpong sub-division was shot dead by UGRF militants 20 days back.So far, Police, State & Central Intelligent Department, CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) have not been able to arrest anyone in this regards, and believes the support of big Organistion behind UGRF.This is not a new incident in North-East Hills, where militants are very active, believes Central Intelligent Department.
From darjeelingtimes.com
Kalimpong tense once again
Nov 09,2006 by DT Correspondent
Kalimpong: Kalimpong Bazaar remained tense for a while against the case of Assault by Dipak Singh with sharp weapon to Mr. Benjamin Bhotia, GNDF (Gorkha National Driver Front) Secretary.The FIR was lodged by wife of Benjamin Bhotia that Dipak Singh attempted to murder Bhutia with sharp weapon at Bhutan House near 11 mile. The reason for dispute has not been mentioned in the FIR, but the Police suspected that personal reason might be the possible cause for conflict.Supporters of Bhutia and family members protested in the main road, disrupting transportation. The interruption by the Administration and the presence of MLA Mr. G Lepcha, at the right time, was able to control the situation in the Main Road.
This is the print version of the Hindustan Times article which was posted here previously.
Please click on the image below for a larger version.
www.thestatesman.net
Sudipta Chanda
SILIGURI, Nov. 3: At Kalimpong, it is the Citu versus the state food department from today.
Resisting the hike in the tariff of PDS wholemeal fortified atta (flour) from Rs six per kg to Rs 6.75 a kg with effect from 15 October in the Darjeeling Hills, the Citu and several other organisations held up normal life in Kalimpong for over an hour today.
Hundreds of Citu supporters posted themselves at Dambar Chowk, the hill town’s nerve center, from 1.15 p.m. close to 3 p.m. before police dislodged them, arresting 130 agitators in the process. The arrested persons were released on personal bond later. (more…)
www.telegraphindia.com
Kalimpong, Nov. 3: An academic exercise conducted by the first-year masters students of the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi, could be used as a basis for the planned expansion of the hill town.
That can only happen if the Kalimpong municipal authorities show an interest and approach the SPA, which is apparently too willing to oblige. A group of about 35 students of the institute today left the town for Darjeeling, en route to Delhi, after completing their field work here.
According to their study, the town has witnessed unplanned growth, especially in the last decade, and is on its way to becoming a concrete jungle like Darjeeling. The downward slide is also reflected in the non-existent sewarage system and abysmal condition of roads here. (more…)
www.telegraphindia.com
Kalimpong, Nov. 2: The frequent disruption of telecom services in the subdivision appears to be a result of increased cable thefts coupled with departmental neglect and police inaction.
According to rough estimates, about 3,900 m of polythene-insulated jelly-field (PIJF) cables of various sizes have been stolen from various parts of the subdivision in the last six months.
“We are not able to rectify faults on time because of the increase in the frequency of cable thefts,” said D.K. Deb, the subdivisional officer (telecom). (more…)
HindustanTimes.com
Amitava Banerjee
November 2, 2006
The cranky judge, his teenage daughter Sai and the cook are made to eat crow by a bunch of leather-jacket clad Nepali teenagers crusading for a homeland. They raid the dilapidated house tucked away under the shadow of the mighty Kanchenjunga — overrun it, wrest the judge’s ancient firearms, intimidates the cook, eat, shit and walk off with two trunk-loads of spoils. As a parting shot, the judge and his family are made to intone: “Jai Gorkhaland, we are fools…” The shell-shocked family retreats into the dank shell of the house in fear.
Kiran Desai’s Inheritance of Loss has won accolades as a work of literature — but has rubbed the hills the wrong way. “The book is fantastic. But she has presented a lop-sided picture of the locals and the place” said Bharat Mani Pradhan, a Kalimpong-based social worker. (more…)
