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The Telegraph
VIVEK CHHETRI

Darjeeling, March 30: The CPRM has dropped the idea of “consensus” candidates in the three hill Assembly seats and decided not to “participate” in the elections, saying that different political parties have turned the democratic process into a “drama” to fulfil their agendas.

The CPRM is considered to be a force to reckon with in the Kurseong Assembly constituency, where its absence from the electoral arena is likely to ensure a head-on clash between the GNLF and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

Reeling off the reasons which shaped its decision, the CPRM accused the state government of stalling the democratic process in the hills.

“It (state government) did not allow the Morcha to take out a padayatra in the Dooars and refused to start a judicial inquiry into the Sibchu police firing. Besides, the state and the Centre were not ready to start negotiation on the Gorkhaland issue,” said CPRM president R.B. Rai.

The party did not spare the Election Commission either in its criticism.

“The Election Commission did not hear all voices before arriving at its decision (of certifying normalcy in the hills). Events leading to the release of the GLP members who were in possession of murder weapons (khukuris) also proves that there is no writ of administration in the hills,’ said Rai.

“In the given situation (where parties are fighting for the Sixth Schedule, interim council), the CPRM believed that the voices of Gorkhaland could not be heard through the elections,” said Rai. “Elections will only be a drama and the CPRM does not want to participate in this polls,” said Rai.

The CPRM had earlier tried to field common candidates with the ABGL in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. But all its efforts were in vain.

Observers believe that with the CPRM sensing little chances of winning the elections, it has taken a middle path like in the past. “In this elections, it has received very little importance not just from the Morcha but also from the ABGL, which announced its own candidates. This has forced the CPRM to keep away from the elections,” said an observer.

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The Telegraph

March 29: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha tonight lifted the embargo on the first flush of Darjeeling tea from more than 60 gardens.

The decision was taken following a meeting between the Darjeeling Tea Association and tea trade unions of the Morcha, CPRM and the Congress in Darjeeling today.

The Morcha has been enforcing the embargo on the despatch of the first flush from 80-odd gardens in the Darjeeling hills for around a month, seeking the fulfilment of a charter of demands, including a hike in workers’ daily wages from Rs 67 to Rs 120-150.

“But the relief will be applicable to only 63 gardens, which are under the DTA,” said P.T Sherpa of the Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union.

The Morcha exempted the DTA gardens from the purview of the embargo, as the association was ready to hold talks on the revision of wages in the hill gardens. The DTA move was contrary to the decision taken by the Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations, the apex body of tea planters in India, that no separate talks could be held on the revision of wages in the hill gardens.

Around 20 estates, whose business will continue to be crippled by the embargo, belong to the Indian Tea Association and other organisations.

In another development, a meeting convened by the state labour department in Siliguri today appealed to the Morcha to lift the embargo. The meeting also rejected the Morcha’s demand for separate talks on the revision of wages of hill labourers.

Subal Biswas, the additional labour commissioner of the state, presided over the meeting, which was attended by the CCPA and various trade unions, including the Citu and the Intuc. The Morcha union was also present.

The talks were held to discuss the wage revision of the garden workers in Bengal.

“Morcha union leaders were requested by all of us to withdraw the embargo so that Darjeeling tea could be sold overseas and in the domestic market. Representatives of all other trade unions also said no separate talks could be held only for tea workers in the hills,” said Aloke Chakraborty, the Darjeeling district president of the Intuc.

“A general industry wide discussion, as it has been the practice over years, followed by an agreement, is necessary to maintain parity in wages.”

Monojit Dasgupta, the secretary general of the CCPA, spoke on similar lines. “We are serious about inking the new wage agreement at the earliest. The tripartite talks have proved to be fruitful in fixing the wages. The issue can be resolved amicably.”
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The Telegraph

Jalpaiguri, March 29: Chhatray Subba, accused of masterminding the assassination bid on GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh in 2001 and currently in a Jalpaiguri prison, today refused to contest as a CPRM candidate in the coming polls, saying he was not aware of the “ground realities”.

Sharan Dewan, a co-accused in the case, has also refused the offer of Assembly candidature. The CPRM had proposed that Subba could be fielded in Kalimpong and Dewan in Kurseong.

“It is not possible for me to assess the organisational strength of the CPRM by sitting here in the prison. I don’t want to be a pawn in the hands of any political party without having any clear idea of the ground realities. That is why I have turned down their offer,” Subba said while being brought to the Jalpaiguri District Court for a hearing in the case.

However, two other prisoners of the Jalpaiguri Central Jail have initiated the process of filing their nominations.

Wilson Champramari, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-backed independent MLA, signed his election papers today to contest from Kalchini. He was arrested in connection with the Sibchu violence on February 8.

Rajesh Lakra, a leader of the dissident faction of the Adivasi Vikas Parishad known as the Dooars Terai Adivasi Vikas Parishad, also sent the nomination papers from the prison today. Lakra has been in judicial custody ever since he was arrested for being allegedly involved in an arson attack. He will contest from Nagrakata.
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The Telegraphn

Darjeeling, March 29: The Darjeeling hills today plunged into celebrations when the news of the Sikkim Assembly’s resolution trickled in.

Sensing the people’s mood, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha called for a five-day celebration across the hills to welcome the Sikkim support.

Men beat drums and women sang and danced as they took out a rally through the streets of Darjeeling under the banner of the Morcha. The residents were elated that their long-standing demand for a separate state carved out of Darjeeling hills had been accorded legitimacy with the passage of the resolution.

“It is a historic day for us. It is the first official document in favour of Gorkhaland. The document will be a major weapon for us to justify the demand for statehood before the Centre,” said Morcha chief Bimal Gurung.

Gurung believes the resolution will justify the creation of Gorkhaland from the “security point of view”. “Sikkim is a sensitive area which shares its borders with China. They, too, want Gorkhaland to be created and this proves that creation of Gorkhaland is good for the country from the security point of view,” he said.

He said the Morcha would now try and get similar resolutions passed by other north-eastern Assemblies. “Such resolutions will force the government to think on creation of Gorkhaland….In the 103 years of the agitation, this is the first major step forward,” said Gurung.

Rallies will be taken out in Darjeeling in the next few days as part of the celebrations. “Even the tea gardens will be closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday so that workers can come and join in the celebrations for three days,” said Gurung.

He also said the Morcha would soon felicitate Chamling in Darjeeling.
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The Telegraph

Gangtok, March 29: The Sikkim Assembly today passed a resolution in favour of the creation of Gorkhaland, saying the separate state was a “genuine and legitimate” demand of the people of Darjeeling hills.

The motion proposed by chief minister Pawan Chamling also said Gorkhaland was needed to ensure peace and development of Sikkim and uninterrupted traffic on NH31A.

The resolution was passed three weeks after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung had met the chief minister in Gangtok.

“The people of Darjeeling have been demanding Gorkhaland state…. The demand of the people of Darjeeling for formation of state is genuine, legitimate, legally justified and within the parameters of the Constitution of India. The Central Government may kindly consider the legitimate demands of the people of Darjeeling for statehood and take necessary steps as required under the Constitution,” reads the resolution.

Chamling said Gorkhaland was the “ultimate and permanent solution to ensure peace, security and development of Sikkim and the region and free movement on National Highway 31A”. (more…)

IBN Live News
PTI | 05:03 PM,Mar 29,2011

Kolkata, Mar 29 (PTI) The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha hailed a resolution passed in the Sikkim Assembly today favouring Gorkhaland and urged the Centre to take steps to fulfil the legitimate demand of the Gorkhas.

”Gorkhaland is the common aspiration of the people of Darjeeling. We are extremly happy and we thank Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and the ruling SDF for the passing of the resolution,” GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told PTI over phone from Darjeeling. Giri said the GJM would now like the central government to look into the demand for Gorkhaland within the framework of the Indian constitution. He said GJM was participating in the West Bengal Assembly election and if elected, its legislators would focus on the Gorkhaland demand inside the Assembly. ”Sikkim knows our problem better than West Bengal,” another top GJM leader Harkabahadur Chetri, who is contesting as a GJM candidate in the Kalimpong Assembly seat, said over phone from Kalimpong. Chetri, GJM central committee member, said political parties in West Bengal should also ‘take a lesson’ from the Sikkim resolution and made it clear that the proposed interim set-up for Darjeeling hills was a ‘closed chapter now’.

The ruling CPI(M) and major opposition parties in West Bengal are opposed to the creation of a Gorkhaland state comprising Darjeeling hills and Gorkha-dominated areas in Terai and Dooars in north Bengal. The Sikkim Assembly today passed a resolution which stated that the formation of Gorkhaland is the only solution to ensure free movement of traffic on NH 31A – the life line of the land-locked state and vital for peace, security and development of Sikkim.
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The Telegraph
VIVEK CHHETRI

Darjeeling, March 28: The ABGL today declared its candidates for the three hill seats, but the party did not rule out the possibility of reaching on a consensus with the CPRM to fight the elections together.

Bharati Tamang, the widow of former ABGL chief Madan Tamang, will be the candidate in Darjeeling, while Tribhuwan Rai and S.K. Pradhan will be fielded in Kalimpong and Kurseong respectively.

Rai and Pradhan are the presidents of the ABGL’s Kalimpong and Kurseong subdivisional committees.

Although the CPRM has already named its candidates for the three seats, the two parties were still holding negotiations to chalk out a strategy to fight the polls together. “There is still a strong possibility of both the parties fielding consensus candidates. Let us wait till April 4 (the last day to withdraw nominations),” said Dawa Sherpa, the working president of the ABGL.

The CPRM had earlier said it wanted to field Bharati Tamang in Darjeeling and had proposed the names of Chhatray Subba and Saran Dewan for the other two seats. Both are currently lodged in jail for their alleged role in an assassination bid on GNLF president Subash Ghisingh in 2001.

However, the CPRM decided not to press hard for the candidature of Chhatray and Dewan. The party will field L.M. Lama in Darjeeling, B.M. Rai in Kurseong and J.B. Rai in Kalimpong.

“There is still time for the consensus candidates. If a deal is clinched, there should be no problem in withdrawing them,” said R.B. Rai, the president of the CPRM.

The ABGL and the CPRM are already unanimous on the nomination of Bharati Tamang’s candidature. Both the parties hope she can cash in on the people’s sentiments over the murder of Madan Tamang.

“I will seek justice from the people. I want peace and democracy to be restored in the hills so that no other children are murdered the way my husband was,” said Bharati.

The woman admitted that she was a novice in politics. “I had to go through a lot of suffering. Even though I did not have a political background, I had to join the ABGL as the party too felt my husband’s vacuum,” said Bharati, who is now the president of the ABGL.

The ABGL will be fighting the elections on a number of issues, including Gorkhaland. “Our stand is clear on Gorkhaland. We do not need any stepping stone (reference to the Sixth Schedule and the interim set-up) to achieve our goal. Peace and restoration of democracy are also important at the moment,” said Sherpa.

The ABGL will also highlight frequent strikes in the hills in the campaign.

“Our statehood agitation must not be turned into a mockery. Strikes should be called as the last resort. Education, which plays a major role in the hill economy, has to be safeguarded and the embargo on the dispatch of tea will only hurt our people as garden owners will cut down the bonus rates. We also need to set up industries dealing with software as we have a huge pool of English speaking and computer savvy youths in the hills,” said Sherpa.

Meanwhile, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha candidates filed their nominations in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong and brought out huge rallies. K.B. Wattar of the CPM also filed his nomination in Darjeeling today.

The Morcha also decided today to back BJP candidate Manoj Tigga in Madarihat.
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The Telegraph
VIVEK CHHETRI

Darjeeling, March 27: A clear picture of the electoral battle in the hills has not emerged yet with the CPRM and the ABGL still unable to thrash out their candidates for the three Assembly seats in the region.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has already dropped the idea of consensus candidates for Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong and has decided to go it alone.

The CPRM is now working with the ABGL to jointly field candidates in the three seats. However, even before the talks between the two parties were concluded, the CPRM had made public its choice of candidates. This has raised questions on the ability of the CPRM and the ABGL to decide on the consensus candidates.

“We would like to field Bharati Tamang, widow of late Madan Tamang, in Darjeeling. We are pitching for the candidature of Chhatray Subba and Saran Dewan in Kalimpong and Kurseong respectively,” said R.B. Rai, the president of the CPRM.

Rai said Bharati, the working president of the ABGL, should be made the candidate to honour the sacrifice made by Madan Tamang for the restoration of peace and democracy in the hills. Madan was hacked to death allegedly by Morcha supporters in Darjeeling on May 21, 2010.

However, the names of Chhatray Subba and Saran Dewan, both of whom are currently lodged in the Jalpaiguri correctional home for allegedly plotting the assassination bid on GNLF president Subash Ghisingh, on February 10, 2001, has surprised many. The duo have been in jail since 2001 and the trial has not yet been completed.

“They are the true soldiers of Gorkhaland issue and this is why they have been lodged in jail for the past 10 years,” said Rai. The CPRM, however, said if no “consensus” could be evolved at its meeting with the ABGL tomorrow, the party would announce its own candidates.

“If there is a problem in accepting our proposal, we will field L.M. Lama in Darjeeling, B.M. Rai in Kurseong and J.B. Rai in Kalimpong,” said Rai.

The CPRM, the second largest party in the hills after the Morcha, had attended a meeting of political parties to discuss the possibility of fielding consensus candidates in the three constituencies. The Morcha which had called the meeting later changed the plan and named the candidates for the three seats.

Observers believe the CPRM-ABGL combine, considered to be the main Opposition forum in the hills, is now under pressure following the GNLF’s show of strength.

“If the ABGL-CPRM combine does not fare well in the elections, they will have much to lose. Perhaps, this is the reason why the parties want to be doubly sure of their candidates before finalising the names,” said an observer.

The GNLF brought out a rally of around 800 supporters in Mirik today. Arjun Rai, the party’s co-ordinator in Mirik, said: “Even without the presence of our leader Subash Ghisingh in the hills, many people turned up for the rally today. Once our leader climbs up, we will paint the hills in green (colour of the party’s flag).”

Supporters of the GNLF had marched through the streets of Kurseong and Darjeeling yesterday. For the first time in three years, around 3,000 GNLF supporters brought out a rally in Kurseong when its candidate Pemu Chhetri went to file her nomination. Even in Darjeeling, around 100 GNLF supporters brought out a rally after Bhim Subba filed his nomination.

“With the GNLF showing that it still has supporters in the hills, the CPRM and the ABGL need to prove that they are also a political force to reckon with,” said the observer.

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The Telegraph

Darjeeling, March 27: Cracks appeared in the apex body of tea producers’ associations in India with the Darjeeling Tea Association holding separate talks with trade unions in the hills today on the revision of garden workers’ wages.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had demanded an increase in the daily wage from Rs 67 to Rs150-Rs154. Following this, the Consultative Committee of Plantation Association, the combination of all tea producers’ bodies in India, had started negotiations with the Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union, an affiliate of the Morcha. (more…)

Update: Please note corrected dates for the concerts. The dates for Kalimpong are 8th, 9th and 10th April. The previous version of the image incorrectly reported the dates as only 9th & 10th. Thank you.

A choir from Cambridge, UK is visiting Kalimpong in April to perform at various locations including Dr. Graham’s Homes, and ITBCI. Below is a press release.

Press release:

Singers from Cambridge sing European choral music in Kalimpong

On the 9th of April a choir from Cambridge, UK, will perform a very special programme of music in Mani Lhakang, Kalimpong. Inspired by the 150th anniversary of the most famous visitor to Kalimpong, Rabindranath Tagore, the choir is exploring Tagore’s Western connections through words and music. Tagore’s web of influences is such that the programme includes some of the most sublime choral music of the European tradition, with pieces by Finzi, Schumann, Macmillan and Vaughan Williams.

Described as “a superb choir” by UK national newspaper The Daily Telegraph, Ishirini is a chamber choir made up of young singers trained in the chapel choirs of Cambridge University. Suzi Digby, OBE, one of the judges of the competition BBC Choir of the Year has complimented their “stunning, varied repertoire”.

As part of the concert Ishirini will be performing a piece they have specially commissioned a piece for the tour which interweaves one of Tagore’s many songs with English and biblical poetry in collaboration with local school, Dr Grahams Homes. During their visit they will also be collaborating from musicians from the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Cultural Institute.

For more information about the choir and their visit to Kalimpong please visit their website: www.ishirini.co.uk/events/india.

This link contains more information about the entire concert series, including background, influences and poems.

This link contains a flyer with some information about the concert series.

The Telegraph
VIVEK CHHETRI

Darjeeling, March 25: Transporters in Darjeeling have threatened to stop operating tourist vehicles to Sikkim from March 28, if an alleged discriminatory agreement between the Bengal and Sikkim governments is not amended to accommodate their interests.

The Queen of Hills Tourist Co-ordination Committee has also “requested” the transporters in Sikkim to refrain from plying their vehicles to the Darjeeling hills from the same day.

The committee issued the threat after three vehicles carrying 12 German tourists were allegedly seized by Sikkim police near Pelling on March 20.

“While the Germans were being ferried from Darjeeling to Pelling in West district, they wanted to visit Rabdentse palace. But the three SUVs were taken to the Tikjuk police station. One of the vehicles didn’t have documents, as they were under the possession of the Darjeeling district administration. The papers had been taken by the authorities as the vehicle could be used for election purposes,” said Pasang Sherpa, the president of the committee. (more…)

Yahoo! News
PTI – Fri, Mar 25, 2011 11:15 AM IST

Kolkata, Mar 25 (PTI) The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which has spearheaded the Gorkhaland agitation in the Darjeeling hills, has decided to focus on its demand for a separate state in the coming West Bengal Assembly election.

Tilak Dewan, GJM central committee member, and two other central committee members Harkabahadur Chetri and Rohit Sharma would contest from Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong constituencies respectively, GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri told PTI from Darjeeling.

Giri said the GJM would also contest in Kalchini and Madarihat constituencies while it would back a Progressive People”s Party candidate at the Nagarakata seat. These three constituencies are situated in the Jalpaiguri district of north Bengal.

He said Wilson Champamari would seek re-election from Kalchini seat while the party would put up an adivasi candidate at Madarihat.

“What will be the party”s strategy in Malbazar, Matigara, Alipurduar, Siliguri and Dabgram-Phulbari constituencies in north Bengal where we have a support base will be clarified after two days from now,” he said.

Without elaborating, state BJP president Rahul Sinha told PTI that his party was in talks with the GJM for a poll tie-up.

Chetri, a key GJM leader, said, “We want to voice our demand for Gorkhaland inside the Assembly and that is why we are participating in the election,” he said.

The proposed interim set-up for the Darjeeling hills is a ”closed chapter now” and a Gorkhaland is their only demand now, he added.

Panchayat elections in the hills have not been held since 2005 because of the whims of the parties holding sway in the region at that time first the Gorkha Liberation Front and then the GJM.

The hill municipalities, too, are being run by a board of administrators from 2009 when GJM refused to contest the elections and nobody filed any nomination.
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