Centre missive to GJMM, CM serious about Hills: Asok, Bandh likely for Chattrey

Centre offer falls short
OUR CORRESPONDENT - The Telegraph

Darjeeling, Aug. 5: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha sounded apprehensive after a copy of the Centre’s letter expressing its willingness to hold an official-level tripartite meeting reached party chief Bimal Gurung. The Morcha, however, has not shot down the idea of attending the talks.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri, who could not disclose the contents of the letter as he is currently out of town, said the meeting was likely to be held on an “official level”.

Asked if the party was prepared to attend the talks on an “official level” which would essentially mean that top bureaucrats (either the chief secretary or the home secretary) would represent the state, Giri sounded dissatisfied.

“At the moment we would like to say it is better if the meeting is held on a political level. After all this is a political demand and can only be solved politically,” said Giri.

The letter is written by Union home secretary Madhukar Gupta and addressed to Amit Kiran Deb, the state chief secretary.

“We received the letter in which the Centre has expressed its willingness to convene a tripartite meeting. The dates have not yet been finalised,” said Giri.

The Morcha believes that creation of a state essentially involves the consensus of political parties in power and talks can only be fruitful if the leaders of these outfits are involved.

“What is needed more than anything else is political will,” said Giri.

Tourism plea

The Bengal government has requested the Morcha to help facilitate tourism during the festive months of October and November, reports our Calcutta correspondent.

State tourism minister Manab Mukherjee sent a letter to Gurung today with a “request for co-operation” to “ensure that a proper environment is maintained in the entire district” so that “tourism continues to take place in a smooth and unhindered manner”.

Mukherjee’s letter also pointed out how tourism contributes substantially to the creation of both direct and indirect employment in the region and plays a major role in economic development.

“However, tourism can only be sustained if tranquillity is maintained and all necessary services are provided to meeting the needs of tourists. We have requested the Morcha to ensure at least that,” Mukherjee said.

DARJEELING, Aug. 5: The Centre has sent a letter to the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha for tripartite talks on the Gorkhaland issue. The GJMM has received a letter from the Union Home Ministry in which, the Centre has expressed a desire to open dialogue with the GJMM on the separate state demand.

“We received a letter from the Union home ministry signed by Home secretary Mr Madhukar Gupta stating that the Centre is ready to hold a meeting with the GJMM on the Gorkhaland issue. We appreciate and welcome the Centre's move,” said GJMM spokesperson Mr Benoy Tamang today.

According to the GJMM leadership, no specific date was mentioned in the letter for the proposed talks. “We are prepared to attend the tripartite meeting on Gorkhaland but no date has been mentioned in the letter from the Centre. Since the Gorkhaland demand is a political one we request that talks on the matter should be held at a political level,” Mr Tamang said.

Date or not, expectation levels have started soaring in the political circle of the Darjeeling hills ever since it became known that the Centre has sent a letter to the GJMM leadership expressing interest in the talks.

Kolkata, Aug 5 (PTI) The West Bengal government today sought cooperation of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung to ensure that a tourism-friendly atmosphere was maintained in the entire district of Darjeeling during the festive season of October and November.

"I earnestly seek your cooperation to ensure that a proper environment is maintained in the entire district of Darjeeling during the forthcoming festive season to ensure smooth and unhindered tourism," state Tourism Minister Manabendra Mukherjee said in a letter to Gurung today.

Describing Darjeeling as one of the most important tourist destinations in the entire eastern region, Mukherjee said that many domestic tourists as well as foreigners visit Darjeeling throughout the year, especially during the time which coincides with festivals like the Durga Puja and Diwali.

Since tourism contributed substantially to the creation of both direct and indirect employment in the country, inflow of a large number of tourists to Darjeeling would not only facilitate economic development, but also improve the standard of living of the hill people, the minister said.

"Tourism can only be sustained if tranquillity is maintained and all necessary services are provided for meeting the needs of the tourists," the minister said. PTI

SILIGURI, Aug 5: The state urban development minister Mr Asok Bhattacharya today said that chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has assured him of stern administrative actions to nip the growing cult of lawlessness in the Darjeeling hills. He also asked the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha leadership to help the state administration in restoring normalcy in the hills to facilitate the proposed tripartite dialogue to resolve the tangle.

Meanwhile, the Darjeeling district CPI-M secretary Mr SP Lepcha today condemned the reported move by an NGO to take over the party office at Upper Judge Bazaar in Darjeeling.

Expressing concern over the growing cult of lawlessness in the Darjeeling hills, the minister said that he had informed the chief minister of the developments in the hills and the CM has assured him of suitable actions to contain the situation. “The state government cannot help but feel concerned as the government writ is being flouted in many areas of the hills. Political opponents are being hounded out of the hills as a result of the vendetta politics being perpetrated by the GJMM. The state government cannot remain a mute spectator for long in this situation,” Mr Bhattacharya said.

“It is all the more frustrating as the date of the proposed tripartite dialogue to resolve the hill tangle is impending,” the minister complained.

Urging the GJMM leadership to exercise restraint at this critical hour, Mr Bhattacharya said that the vendetta politics being practised by the GJMM would unleash an atmosphere of hostility when the need of the hour was to help in creating an environment conducive for the impending dialogue. “The sooner the GJMM leadership understands this the better it is for the hills,” the minister commented.

Meanwhile, taking a serious view of a reported NGO move to take over the CPI-M party office at Upper Judge Bazaar in Darjeeling, the Darjeeling district CPI-M secretary Mr SP Lepcha said that the move seemed to be brainchild of the GJMM. “The hill based political outfit seems to be rigid in eliminating all its political adversaries particularly the CPI-M from the hills. But we would not allow the GJMM's clandestine move to succeed,” Mr Lepcha said.

Siliguri, Aug. 5: District CPM leaders today told the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha not to test their patience by trying to take over the party’s office in Darjeeling.

Yesterday, Morcha leader Dinesh Gurung had said he would write to the district administration for permission to convert the CPM office at Judge Bazar in Darjeeling into a relief shelter of an NGO formed last month.

“The Morcha leaders and supporters are trying to illegally occupy our district office in Darjeeling. But they must understand that the CPM, despite provocation and attacks, is being patient,” Jibitesh Sarkar, a state committee member of the CPM, told reporters at a newsmeet here this morning.

“They must not try to test our patience because there is a limits to it. We are still harping on an amicable solution to the hill issue and it is the Morcha leaders who are trying to aggravate the situation.”

Gurung had said the NGO he headed, and not the Morcha, wanted to take over the building because it had become a den of addicts and was hardly used by the CPM.

CPM district secretary S.P. Lepcha denied the charges today. “The allegation that our office has become a den of addicts is baseless. The claim that we do not use the office does not stand because we were not allowed to go there.”

DARJEELING, Aug 5: The DGHC vehicles have become the forerunners of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha's decision to sport GL number plates on government vehicles as per the party's programme to establish “home rule” in all areas within the proposed territory of Gorkhaland.

Though the move to discard the WB for GL number plates on government vehicles by GJMM was scheduled to begin from 7 August, the Jana Mukti Asthai Karmachari Sanghathan (JAKS), an association of casualworkers under the DGHC and a frontal organisation of the GJMM took the initiative from 1 August itself.

“DGHC vehicles are running with GL plates since 1 August and every vehicle of the DGHC will have it by 7 August. Even though the DGHC authorities maintained that no DGHC officer would board vehicles with such plates, we as a frontal organisation of the GJMM will stick to our stand,” said JAKS president Mr Machendra Subba.

With the state government ignoring their demand for regularisation of DGHC casual workers, the JAKS recently declared that it has given up the apolitical stand and is fully supportive of all programmes launched by GJMM for Gorkhaland. “The authorities asked the DGHC vehicle drivers to submit the keys which we will not do at any cost. They may be unwilling to board vehicles with GL number plates but that will make no difference to our stand,” Mr Subba said. No action has been taken against them so far, he confirmed.

The authorities have so far held only one two-wheeler sporting a GL number plate and that was of Mr Madhukar Thapa, a GJMM leader from the Dooars although the GJMM central committee members are using GL number plates on their vehicles from 7 July.

Reacting to the JAKS decision, the Jalpaiguri divisional commissioner and DGHC administrator Mr BL Meena maintained that he was “watching” the developments and thrust the responsibility of taking action upon the district administration. “If any action is to be taken the district administration will do so as per the Motor
Vehicles Act. Discussions are also going on to arrive at a solution on the issue,” Mr Meena stated.

Bandh likely for Chattrey
- Bimal Gurung’s party wants discussions to be held at ‘political’ level 
Our Correspondent - The Telegraph
  
Kalimpong, Aug. 5: The youth and women wings of the CPRM have decided to call a bandh in the Darjeeling hills to protest against the continuous detention of Chattrey Subba and five others in the Jalpaiguri jail for allegedly masterminding the assassination attempt on GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh near Kurseong in 2001.

The six have been behind bars without trial for over seven years.

The central committee members of the Democratic Revolutionary Youth Front (DRYF) and Democratic Revolutionary Women’s Front (DRWF) will meet in Darjeeling on August 9 to decide on the date of the bandh.

“We will call it before August 22, the next date of hearing of Chattrey’s trial,” said Santosh Pradhan, the Kalimpong unit president of the DRYF.

The decision to call a shutdown comes a day after the hearing was deferred by a Jalpaiguri court again today.

Pradhan alleged the “illegal detention” of the six is proof of the Bengal government’s policy to suppress the democratic rights of the Gorkha people.

“The government wants to make an example out of Chattrey so that no one dares to raise the voice for Gorkhaland,” he added.

Film crew on tea trail
- 15000km expedition on autorickshaw 
VIVEK CHHETRI
 
Darjeeling, Aug. 5: Legend has it that the Chinese emperor, Sheng Nung, accidentally discovered tea in 2737 BC when a few leaves fell into a pan of water that was being boiled by his servants to help slake his thirst.

The discovery might have been “accidental”, but the most popular beverage in the world today has shaped kingdoms and government polices and created its own tradition.

The 5,000 year history of tea is now being traced across 15,000km from Darjeeling to London through 18 countries in the most unconventional mode of long-distance travelling — an autorickshaw.

Sophie Ibbotson and three of her friends had conceived the idea of Tracing Tea Expedition in 2005 when they were students at Cambridge. Now the young film-makers, all in their twenties, along with seven professionals from across the world, are making a documentary based on their “epic journey” with Ibbotson as the assistant producer, writer and presenter.

“We are starting from Darjeeling and will travel through Pakistan, China …essentially piercing through the heartland of Central Asia. We plan to cover the distance in seven months and our documentary should be available for a worldwide audience next autumn,” said Duncan McDade, one of the seven professionals in the 11-member Tracing Tea team.

During a weeklong stay in Darjeeling, the team has shot extensively in four hill tea gardens — Makaibari, Glenburn, Happy Valley and Badamtam.

McDade, who is the editor, added that they decided on tea as their subject because it is the world’s most popular brew. As for the autorickshaw, he said: “We have decided to travel in two autorickshaws as this is the best way to capture the charm of India. We will also have two cars following us during the trip.”

The team is not only looking to document the lives of ordinary people and their love for tea, but also to explore the myths and realities of the brew and how it has shaped the socio-economic and political realities of the region.

“It is more than just a travel documentary. We are trying to explore different aspects of tea from its origin to its influences,” said Barry Smith, Ibbotson’s friend from Cambridge and a researcher for the team.

Marlon Paul, the director of photography, with Michael Pye, the logistician. Picture courtesy www.tracingtea.com

After all, the history of tea has its own share of anecdotes that the team hopes to relive.

For example, Hui-tsung, a Chinese emperor (1101-1125), was probably the first to hold tea-tasting tournaments in his royal court. “It is said that he was so obsessed with the tournament that he did not even notice that the Mongols were taking over parts of his empire,” the research team says in its website, www.tracingtea.com.

The film will also focus on other titbits from history, like the war-like situation that was created when Dutch doctors praised the curative powers of tea, while the French and the Germans termed it harmful.

The film will also not be able to ignore the developments of 1767, when the British government passed the Townshed Revenue Act to impose import tax on tea and also ban the brew being imported to the colonies by the Dutch East India Company. It led to the famous Boston Tea Party in 1773 — an act of direct protest by the American colonists against the British Government in which they destroyed many crates of tea bricks belonging to the British East India Company on ships in the Boston Harbor.

The story is expected to find a place in the documentary, though the team is not going to the US or any of the tea-producing countries outside Eurasia.