www.kalimpong.info

Hindustan Times
HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times

Darjeeling, May 31, 2010
First Published: 00:21 IST(31/5/2010)
Last Updated: 00:24 IST(31/5/2010)

Gorkhaland, the proposed home state of the Gorkhas, has undergone a metamorphosis to become ‘Gorkha Adivasi Pradesh’.

The change in nomenclature, announced by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung on Sunday, is designed to assuage the feelings of the tribals and to justify the inclusion of the Dooars region in Jalpaiguri district, where the adivasis are in a majority.

GJM’s demand for the inclusion of nearly the entire Dooars has met with stiff resistance from the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad (ABAVP).

“We have nothing to do with Gurung’s announcements. Our problems are unique and not similar to the Gorkhas,” ABAVP state president Birsa Tirkey said. “Our demand is the inclusion of the region in the sixth schedule of the Constitution to safeguard the rights of the scheduled tribes.”

Appearing at a public rally to emphasise he was in charge after the murder of All India Gorkha League chief Madan Tamang on May 21, Gurung said, “We had given enough time to the government to implement our interim proposal …. As the government failed to do so, it will be the separate state demand henceforth.”

He said Siliguri would be an integral part of the new demand.

“We need the (New Jalpaiguri) railway station and (Bagdogra) airport as we are landlocked and will be handicapped without them,” he said. “We will not accept a separate state comprising the three hill sub divisions alone.”

According to the demand, the new state would have four subdivisions — Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Siliguri— of Darjeeling district and nearly the whole of Jalpaiguri, totalling 6,450 sq km.

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The Times of India
TNN, May 31, 2010, 08.41am IST

DARJEELING: In town on Sunday to attend the mass meeting of GJM, Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh condemned ABGL leader Madan Tamang’s murder and said the probe should be conducted by a central investigating agency like CBI.

Singh also slammed the Left Front government for “neglecting the Hills for its vested interests”. “The CPM-led government has neglected the Hills for 30 years, depriving it of progress and development. And this has been done for its vested interests,” he said. (more…)

The Times of India
Deep Gazmer, TNN, May 31, 2010, 08.49am IST

DARJEELING: After stiff opposition from the Adivasis over the inclusion of Dooars in the interim set-up, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has now decided to change the name of the proposed state from Gorkhaland to Gorkha Adivasi Pradesh (GAP), to gain the former’s cooperation in the separate statehood struggle.

Announcing the change of nomenclature at a meeting on the St Joseph’s School ground in Singamari on Sunday, GJM president Bimal Gurung appealed to Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad (ABAVP) to sit for talks.

“Both the Adivasis and the Gorkhas have been suppressed by Bengal. Now that the nomenclature has changed, we request the ABAVP to sit for talks to help both of us gain liberation from the imperial rule of the CPM-led government,” he said. “People of the Dooars and Terai should not feel isolated as the time has come to start a joint venture. We will hold meetings in Dooars very soon to gain the people’s confidence,” he added. (more…)

The Telegraph
VIVEK CHHETRI

Darjeeling, May 30: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to discuss nothing less than the demand for a separate state with the Bengal government and the Centre, putting an end to talks on an “interim set-up”.

Morcha leader Bimal Gurung said today at a large gathering at the St Joseph’s School (North Point) grounds: “The interim set-up is now a closed chapter.” The Morcha has rechristened Gorkhaland as Gorkha-Adivasi Pradesh to make the demand palatable to the Adivasis living in the Dooars and the Terai.

Gurung announced that the plan for a 10-day shutdown from June 12 had been dropped and the strike in government offices would be withdrawn from June 2.

Today’s rally had been touted as a “show of strength” following the act of defiance by residents of Darjeeling during the funeral of the slain Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League leader, Madan Tamang, on May 24. People had then shouted anti-Morcha slogans, blaming Gurung for the killing, and tore down the party’s posters and flags. A defiant Gurung returned to Darjeeling leading a cavalcade of a hundred cars the very next day and announced today’s rally. (more…)

From www.darjeelingtimes.com:
Saturday, 29 May 2010 14:20

Gorkha League, the oldest party of Darjeeling hills unanimously nominated Bharati Tamang as the new party president. Bharati Tamang, wife of committed and fearless leader of Gorkha League, the towering personality, Madan Tamang, was the only person that Madan Tamang used to fear; says a close member of Gorkha League. Huge party’s responsibility and people’s aspirations have been shouldered upon the lady. The DT correspondent tries to construe her past and future commitments…

DT: Under such a grim situation, you have taken the huge responsibility of the party, what have you thought of ahead?

BT: Right now I am going through trauma; I have not been able to extend my homage properly to my late husband. However, I am compelled to engross myself now with the party’s activities, beside, so many family responsibilities.

I accepted the post of ABGL president to fulfill the wish of the people and the dream of my husband. Peace and harmony among the people of Darjeeling was the dream of my late husband. Our efforts will be on restoring peace and democracy in a civilized way not in a barbaric way.

However, I have not yet clearly outlined the future course of action, but we have Political bureau, which will decide the upcoming strategies of our party.

DT: Can you explain about the Political Bureau and the existing members?

BT: It is our core committee, consisting of eight members of our party. They are S Zimba, Laxman Pradhan, Pratap Khati, Mani Sharma, Manohar Dewan, S K Pradhan etc. We are constantly in touch and having several meetings, we are currently taking the people’s opinions.

DT: Do you think in the present context of the hills, approaching civilized way would be successful?

BT: This is the democratic country, we respect democratic system and every solution can be solved though dialogue, not terrorizing people.

DT: What are your immediate programs?

BT: Tomorrow we are organizing a tribute program at the site where Late Madan Tamang was assassinated, which will be held in peaceful and disciplined manner, there will be no political slogans. Likewise, we have plans to observe such programs in many other places of the hills for the next forty nine days.

DT: Do you think that the funeral procession was exploited by other parties?

BT: To some extent yes! We had written the apt slogans and distributed to our supporters but as the funeral procession progressed it was beyond control.

DT: Do you have any counter program for GJMM’s May 30 public program? Like say Janta Curfew?

BT: We are in the state of shock…we are not bothered with GJM program; we do not want to confront with GJM. We don’t want to create chaos and enmity among our brotherhood; rather we would encourage unity among our people.

DT: If in case GJMM accepts Setup or Interim Council with greater territorial advantage will you oppose?

BT: Definitely we will oppose. This is the reason why my husband died. Any arrangement that bring us within the Bengal slavery, we will not tolerate.

DT: What did Ashok Bhattacharya, Jibesh Sarkar and Suman Patak say today during their visit at your home?

BT: They were here with condolences from the Chief Minister and assured that anyone involved in the assassination of Madan Tamang will not be spared.

DT: What would be the role of Democratic Front after the sad demise of Madan Tamang?

BT: That will remain as usual; it will have its own agenda. We will maintain our strong correlation as usual.

I also strongly believe in collective leadership as my late husband did, we can achieve only if we are united, we cannot accomplish anything single handedly.

Mrs. Tamang with son Sanjog

Mrs. Tamang with son Sanjog
Ma’am, since you are now a public figure, many of our people do not know about you properly, if you don’t mind, I would like to go into your past professional and personal life with regard to you and Late Madan Tamang.

DT: Can you tell us about your education and past professional career?

BT: I did my schooling at St. Teresa School, Darjeeling and graduated in Humanities from Loreto College, Darjeeling. Later when I was doing my B.Ed., I got the job opportunity at Government Press.

I was a govt. employee as a News Reader in Govt. Press Darjeeling under West Bengal government, situated near Raj Bhawan. I retired in 2006.

Darjeeling town is my birthplace; I was born in 1946 and married in 1975

DT: Did your husband have any objection on your professional career?

BT: I was working before I got married. Initially he had told me it is not necessary to do the job, but I convinced him that I should make a use of my education. So he left me to my wishes. Besides I always had so many responsibilities towards my family.

DT: Did you have any interest in politics?

BT: I was not so interested but when I listened and looked at my husbands’ activities towards the society, I always appreciated and I used to be encouraged.

DT: But in recent news we find that you never participated in the field programs but in any political program inside your house organized by your late husband, you always seemed to be active and supportive?

BT: Yes, after all it used to be my husband’s initiative, the good works for the society. I could not standby when my husband was busy.

DT: This signifies you are interested in politics?

She smiles….

DT: What are your interests or your hobbies?

BT: Knitting, gardening, cooking are the subjects of my interest…

DT: I never had an interview with Madan Tamang other than politics. What was your husband’s interest beside politics?

BT: He was a Naturalist too. He loved Gardening. He was an Arts student but his botanist friends used to consult with him because of his interest on plants made him so proficient on the field, especially rhododendron, we have here more than 60 varieties of Rhododendron. He was an expert on Tea too. He was fond of books. He bought books every place he visited. He has abundant amounts of books on various subjects of his interest.

He is also a member of Rhododendron society of England, National Geography etc.

He graduated from St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling but his mark-sheet is still lying in the College, which he never required.

DT: What do you say about your husband Madan Tamang?

BT: He was so loyal a husband, he was always ready for any help, I never thought about procuring house hold matters. We hardly had any quarrels, he had very good understanding. He used to serve morning Tea every day… Can you believe, he would maintain the domestic work including cleaning of bathroom, serving foods to dogs etc. he used to call me ‘Rita’ as my nick name.

He used to lead very simple life. He was content with simple and plain food. He never took any cigarettes, pan, alcohols etc. that’s why he was a physically fit person. He was very much disciplined, strict and sincere person.

His dream was to make a Garden in memory of his late parents, which now remains incomplete.

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PTI

STAFF WRITER 19:23 HRS IST

Darjeeling, May 29 (PTI) Security has been beefed up here with CRPF and police personnel posted in strength in view of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha’s (GJM) proposed rally to demonstrate its show of strength after the brutal killing of Gorkha leader Madan Tamang.

Adequate security measures have been made in the entire hill town to maintain law and order due to the GJM rally as police said they would take no chance.

Police was also posted in strength at North Point School ground, venue of the rally.

GJM president Bimal Gurung had earlier announced to gather five lakh people at tomorrow’s rally as most of the political parties, particularly CPI(M), claimed that Morcha’s support was diminishing after the angry protests following the murder of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League chief on May 21.

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The Telegraph
VIVEK CHHETRI

Darjeeling, May 28: Sleuths probing the murder of ABGL chief Madan Tamang are relying on telephone numbers and video clippings to identify the killers.

Sources who are in the know of things maintained that the investigators started making headway after tracking down various mobile phone numbers.

They also said that a cellphone was also found at Clubside motor stand, the site where Tamang was hacked to death on May 21, but there was no confirmation from the investigators. “We are tracking a few numbers and the investigation is heading in the right direction,” a source added.

In fact, the CID team has already detained a dealer of a cellular service provider as some of the SIM cards had been issued from his shop. “The SIM cards seem to have changed hands and we are trying to verify who were using the cards,” an investigator said.

Apart from the SIM cards, police have also found a 32-inch long patang, a sharp weapon. The patang might not have been the murder weapon but investigators believe that they can locate the area where it was made. “Different places use different material, depending on the locally available resources, to make the handle of such weapons. The area where it has been made has more or less been identified,” said a source.

The police have also laid their hands on a video footage in which some of the members of the gang that had attacked Tamang can be seen. “We can see one of them chasing the ABGL supporters right till the end of the Clubside motor stand before retreating,” said an officer, refusing to reveal the source of the footage. (more…)

The Telegraph

The Morcha has been given permission to hold a public meeting at St Joseph’s School grounds on Sunday. Raju Pradhan, assistant secretary of the Morcha, said the venue of the meeting has been changed from motor stand to accommodate more supporters.

Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh, who said he would attend Sunday’s rally, today met Union home minister P. Chidambaram and appealed to him to ensure peace in the hill town in the wake of Tamang’s killing, reports PTI.

“I have appealed to the home minister to ensure peace and law and order in Darjeeling. The GJM (Morcha) is for peace and tranquillity,” Singh told reporters in Delhi after meeting Chidambaram.

Asked about the alleged Morcha role in Tamang’s murder, Singh said the CBI could be asked to probe.

“Let the CBI probe the murder and the truth will come out,” he said.
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www.ptinews.com
STAFF WRITER 17:45 HRS IST

New Delhi, May 28 (PTI) Lok Sabha member from Darjeeling Jaswant Singh today met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and appealed to him to ensure peace in the hilltown in wake of the killing of top Gorkha leader Madan Tamang.

“I have appealed to the Home Minister to ensure peace and law and order in Darjeeling. The GJM is for peace and tranquillity,” Singh told reporters after meeting Chidambaram.

Singh said he will visit Darjeeling tomorrow and attend a peace rally there.

On being questioned on allegations of involvement of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) for Tamang’s murder, Singh said the CBI could be asked to probe the incident.

“Let the CBI probe the murder and the truth will come out,” he said.
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www.thestatesman.net
27 May 2010

For hours on Thursday, Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha (GJMM) president Mr Bimal Gurung (in SNS photo) was holed up in the Darjeeling Gymkhana Club in a series of meetings; first with his party’s central committee and then with various block presidents of his party to take stock of the turbulent situation in the Hills following All India Gurkha League (AIGL) leader Madan Tamang’s murder. Emerging from these meetings, he spoke to The Statesman’s SABYASACHI ROY in a freewheeling interview. Excerpts:

Q How do you react to being accused of Madan Tamang’s murder?
A: I have been charged with his killing by the state government, whom we do not believe. So we are not taking it seriously. Do they have any evidence of my involvement? Let them prove it first, though I know they can manufacture evidence. They are very good at that.

Q Whom do you suspect killed Madan Tamang and why?
A: We strongly suspect the hand of the Buddha administration behind the killing. They are keeping an eye on the 2011 Assembly election so that the Left Front can try to make a comeback in North Bengal riding the plank of Tamang’s killing. The security arrangement provided to Tamang had so many lapses… it could not have been that these gaping holes in his security were overlooked…. the murder was designed to create chaos in the Hills and derail the statehood movement.

Q But how can the Left Front win an Assembly election riding the wave of protests in North Bengal over Tamang’s murder?
A: Miss Mamata Banerjee has taken over the popularity and programmes of the Left Front. So the Marxists are trying to raise emotions over the Tamang killing by saying the Trinamul is hand-in-glove with the GJMM to divide the state. This campaign, they believe, may help them back to power.

Q What if GJMM activists are found to be involved in the murder?
A: Let’s wait for the findings of the CBI (as demanded by Madan Tamang’s widow) and not depend on any report of the CID, which is state government-controlled. I suspect it is to erase evidence of the crime and to delay the investigation that a CBI inquiry has still not been ordered… Surely the state government will concede the CBI is better equipped to probe the murder than the CID?

Q But what if a proposed CBI probe finds GJMM men were involved?
A: Let us not cross the bridge before it comes.

Q After Tamang’s murder many of your senior leaders resigned. Why? And then what made them return?
A: They were forced to (quit) by a section of people (who misinformed them about the murder and who was responsible) over the telephone in the hours after the murder. They misunderstood and resigned. But when the true facts came to light they rejoined the party.

Q Are you saying the CPI-M is using the AIGL against you?
A: Absolutely! The AIGL is being used against us to destroy our movement. During the last tripartite meeting, we had staged a walkout, so the CPI-M has no alternative left but to divide the Hill people and make them fight against each other.

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Harka Bahadur Chhetri, media and publicity secretary of the Morcha, who had resigned from the party for a day, said after the meeting: “We have asked the leaders to go to the people and explain the conspiracy of the state government to weaken the Gorkhaland demand.”

The central committee has also decided to write to the Prime Minister, Union home minister and the Bengal chief minister to demand a CBI inquiry.

“The state has created an atmosphere of terror while the murder was largely because of lapses on the part of the administration,” Chhetri said. “By initiating a CID probe, the state is trying to cover up the entire issue and are unwilling to initiate a CBI inquiry which we believe will uncover the truth.”

“No vehicles, other than those ferrying party workers, will be allowed to move into the motor stand where the meeting will be held. The entire area will be manned by 5,000 volunteers of the Gorkhaland Personnel and the Morcha’s youth wing,” added Giri.

“The meeting is for peace and if we are not granted permission, it has to be understood that the state is against peace in the hills. But whether or not permission is granted, the Morcha will go ahead with the meeting,” he said.

The Telegraph

Darjeeling, May 27: Jolted by the hills’ show of defiance on the day of Madan Tamang’s funeral, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung today directed the party leaders to go to the people with the message that the outfit had nothing to do with the killing of the ABGL chief. He asked them to explain the murder as a “conspiracy of the state government to weaken the Gorkhaland demand”.

Sources said Gurung had undertaken the exercise to “dispel” the widely held belief that Morcha supporters had hacked Tamang to death because he had not anticipated such a severe backlash against the party — even if it was for a day. On Monday, while the funeral procession snaked its way through Darjeeling town, people ripped off Morcha posters and festoons and shouted slogans asking Gurung to quit Darjeeling.

Gurung’s instructions to his cadres today are part of a “damage control measure” to ensure that the movement he is heading in the hills does not get derailed. (more…)

The Telegraph

Siliguri, May 27: The CPM today accused the Centre-appointed interlocutor for the tripartite talks on Darjeeling of hobnobbing with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and asked the government not to allow the hill party to hold a rally on Sunday.

Jibesh Sarkar, a CPM state committee member, today said: “The support base of the Morcha has already shrunk in the hills (after Madan Tamang’s murder) as compared to what it had enjoyed earlier. But we are surprised to see that the interlocutor, Lt Gen. (retd) Vijay Madan, is meeting them and has requested the party leaders to carry on the dialogue with the state and the Centre. We think that he is not playing an impartial role.”

The CPM leader appealed to the state government to consider the present support base of the Morcha before inviting it to the next tripartite talks in Delhi. (more…)