Cycles finally off ground

Writes : KOUSIK SEN

Teachers and students of Maharaja Jagadishnath High School in Raiganj felt relieved on Monday as the administration finally distributed the 2,000-odd bicycles of "Sabuj Sathi" scheme among students of the institution and another school located nearby.

The cycles had been lying at the ground of the school for the past eight months. Weeds and under-growths had covered the cycles and the school authorities and students could not use the ground, fearing snakebite or insect bite.

A few days back, the issue was reported in the media. This made the administration take steps. Workers were engaged to clean the bicycles and finally, those were distributed after necessary repairs on Monday.

"It is a great relief for us. First of all, we could not use the ground for sports and similar activities. Secondly, we were apprehensive that there would be snakes and insects under the weeds and the thick cover of grass and shrubs which had come up across the ground. Also, many students at our school who were eligible for a bicycle were often enquiring as to when they would get the cycles. It was nice that all the cycles were distributed today," said Sujit Pal, the headmaster of Maharaja Jagadishnath High School.

Officials of the district administration who were assigned with the task of implementing the scheme were present at the school and monitored the distribution. Students were found waiting enthusiastically for their turn to get the "Sabuj Sathi" cycle, a pet project of chief minister Mamata Banerjee launched in the state a few years back.

Bhabendra Das, a Class IX student of the school, was among these students. "We have been waiting for months and even though the cycles were there at the school ground, we could not get it. Finally, we got it today," said the student.

[Via : Telegraph]

GJM councillor Barun Bhujel’s death: Wife writes to PM Modi, Rajnath Singh; appeals for impartial probe

In her letter to the prime minister, Sabita had called for an evaluation of the postmortem report by an independent team. She had further appealed for a special investigation into Bhujel’s arrest, detention and death in custody.

Wife of GJM leader and Kalimpong councillor Barun Bhujel — who had died at a hospital while in judicial custody — has written to Prime minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, appealing for an impartial probe. Bhujel (40), who was arrested in June during the 104-day indefinite strike in the Hills for Gorkhaland, died at SSKM hospital here on Wednesday. The letter, which was sent on Friday by Bhujel’s wife Sabita, alleged that he died under “mysterious circumstances” and claimed that he was healthy before his arrest. “We are writing one letter after the other to the authorities. This time we have written to the prime minister and Union home minister for an impartial probe. We believe that it is planned neglect and ill treatment, which caused my son’s death,” said Bharat Bhujel, Barun’s father. Earlier, the family had written to the National Human Rights Commission and IG prisons (West Bengal), demanding a probe into the death.

In her letter to the prime minister, Sabita had called for an evaluation of the postmortem report by an independent team. She had further appealed for a special investigation into Bhujel’s arrest, detention and death in custody. She also wants the investigation report to be submitted at the earliest. Sabita alleged in the letter that her husband had been “left to die through ill treatment and neglect”.

“There are a number of mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of my husband Barun Bhujel that point a finger of suspicion at very high levels, which calls for an immediate probe into the matter,” the letter read.

Bhujel, councillor of ward 16 of Kalimpong municipality, was arrested in connection with violent activities related to the demand for a separate state. He was initially lodged at Siliguri jail. Later, when he developed ailments, he was admitted to North Bengal Medical College Hospital. When his condition became critical, he was shifted to SSKM hospital in Kolkata. The death had sparked fresh unrest in parts of the Hills, specially Kalimpong, which had been a stronghold of GJM chief Bimal Gurung. Gurung, who is in hiding and wanted in a number of cases, was prompt in condoning the death and asking people to hit the streets in protest.

“Our brother Barun was one of the first to be arrested by police from Kalimpong. I mourn his death and respect his supreme sacrifice for the fight for Gorkhaland. I share my condolences with his family members. It was police torture, which ultimately led to his death,” Gurung had said in an audio message from an undisclosed location. “I call up on all Gorkha brothers and sisters to hit the streets in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Terai and Dooars. Gorkhas all over should protest against such human rights violations. I appeal to everyone to observe a day of mourning and shut down.”

[Via: The Indian Express]

वरूण भूजेलको निधनको सही कारण खोजी निकाल्नु राज्य सरकार द्वारा उच्चस्तरीय अनि निष्पक्ष जाँच यथाशीघ्र हुनु पर्छ -बिनय तामांङ

युवा नेता वरूण भूजेलको निधनमा गोजमुमो बगी नेता एवं जीटीए -२ का (BOA ) का चियरम्यान  बिनय तामांङले एक प्रेस बिज्ञप्ती जारी गरी उनेले  हार्दिक सम्वेदना प्रकट गर्दै जनतालाई अबउसो फेरि गोर्खाल्याण्डको नाममा कसैको रगत नबगोस्, कसैको आँसु  नझरोस् भन्दै गान्धीवाद अनि गणतान्त्रिक प्रणालीमा गोर्खाल्याण्डको सपना पूरा गरौं भनी उनले जनतालाई अपील पनि गरेको छ ।

तिनले भने ,कालेबुङ नगरपालिका वार्ड नम्बर 16 का नगरपार्षद् एवं गोजमुमोका युवा नेता वरूण भूजेलको निधन भएको समाचारले आहत बनेको छु। स्व. वरूण भूजेल गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति मरिमेट्ने व्यक्ति थिए। गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्य गठनकै मागमा 2013 सालको आन्दोलनमा पनि उनी मसितै जेल बसेको  पनि बताए ।

स्व. वरूण भूजेलको निधनमा गहिरो शोक प्रकट गर्दै हार्दिक श्रद्धाञ्जलि अर्पण प्रकट गर्दै गोर्खाल्याण्डको सघंर्षमा आफ्नो बहुमूल्य प्राणको उत्सर्ग गर्ने उनको योगदान गोर्खाल्याण्डको इतिहाँसमा सदैव अमर रहनेछ भनी बताएका छन ।यो दुःखद घड़ीमा शोकाकूल परिवारका सम्पूर्ण सदस्यहरूप्रति पनि हार्दिक सम्वेदना प्रकट गर्दछु भन्दै हाम्रो तर्फबाट हुनसक्ने हरेक प्रकारको सहयोग वरूण भुजेल भाईको परिवारलाई गर्ने पनि उनले बचन दिएका छन ।

यसबाहेक वरूण भूजेलको निधन पुलिस कस्टडीमा नै भएको हुनाले उनको निधनको सही कारण खोजी निकाल्नु उच्चस्तरीय अनि निष्पक्ष जाँच यथाशीघ्र शुरू गरियोस् भन्ने माग पनि उनेले गरेका छन ।

GJM leader Barun Bhujel dies in hospital, supporters to observe a day of mourning

Writes: Ravik Bhattacharya

GJM chief Bimal Gurung alleged that police torture led to his death and called on people to hit the streets in protest.

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader and councillor from Kalimpong, who was arrested by police in June, passed away at SSKM hospital early on Wednesday morning. Family members of Barun Bhujel alleged that there was a delay in treatment which could not save his life. GJM chief Bimal Gurung, on the other hand, alleged that police torture led to his death and called on people to hit the streets in protest. Gurung appealed to the people to observe a day of mourning and for schools and colleges to be shut.

“He had chronic liver problem and pancreatitis. When he was brought to SSKM hospital his condition was very bad and therefore he was admitted straight to the ICU. Post mortem is being done,” said Manimoy Bandpadhyay, superintendent of SSKM hospital.

Bhujel was arrested in June 16 by police in connection to violence in Darjeeling during the 104 days long strike demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland. He was close to GJM leader Bimal Gurung and was the councillor from ward number 16 in Kalimpong.
Bhujel complained of ill health and stomach ache while he was in Siliguri jail and was admitted in North Bengal state general hospital. Later his condition deteriorated as he developed several ailments and was taken to SSKM hospital in Kolkata. Family members were called at around 2.45 am and told that he passed away. He is survived by his wife and two children.

“There was a delay in treatment. In jail he kept complaining about his ill health but authorities did not pay attention. Then he was admitted in a hospital in Siliguri, where only pain killers were given to him,” Bharat Bhujel, Barun’s father, told Indian Express.
“Later when his condition deteriorated he was transferred to SSKM hospital in Kolkata. There we got to know that he had developed several ailments including pancreatitis. For the last few days he was on ventilator. We were informed at around 2.45 that he passed away. Had he been given treatment at the proper time he would have not died,” said Bharat Bhujel.

Meanwhile, GJM chief Gurung called on people of the Hills to hit the streets in protest, in an audio message released immediately after Bhujel’s death. “Our brother Barun was one of the first to be arrested by police from Kalimpong. I mourn his death and respect his supreme sacrifice for the fight for Gorkhaland. I offer my condolences to his family members. It was police torture which ultimately led to his death,” Gurung said.

“I call upon all Gorkha brothers and sisters to hit the streets in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Terai and Dooars. Gorkhas all over should protest against such human rights violations through protests and social media. I appeal to everyone to observe a day of mourning,” Gurung added.

[Source: http://bit.ly/2yJmuw5]