BJP MLA demands Padma award for Subash Ghisingh

BJP MLA of Darjeeling Neeraj Zimba has

demanded that Padma awards be conferred on former president of Gorkha National Liberation Front Subash Ghisingh

posthumously. 

This year, the prestigious Padma Shri award was conferred on Kaajee Singh, a "madal" (traditional Nepali instrument) exponent based in Kalimpong district.

Zimba on Friday said he had written to Darjeeling MP Raju Singh Bista

reminding him about the conversation the two had three years ago. 

"I spoke to him (Bista) earlier, to take initiative to recognise the contribution of Ghisingh.

He has left a mark in the history of Indian Gorkhas," he said. Zimba said he had

requested the BJP MP to lobby for nomination and recommendation of

Ghisingh for the Padma award in the coming year. 

"Ghisingh is a towering personality of the Gorkha community and is well known for his social, political, and literary contributions and for spreading awareness among the Indian Gorkhas. 

He had also written and published more than 20 books," Zimba said. Ghisingh was born in 1935 and died in 2015. 

He was the president of the GNLF and was the first politician from the hill to coin the word 'Gorkhaland'. 

Ghising ruled Darjeeling hills for more than 20 years as chairman and later administrator of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council which now has been

replaced by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. 

Under Ghisingh, the GNLF in the 1980s spearheaded the statehood agitation. 

Later, in 2001 he also raised the demand of including the hills under the sixth schedule of the Constitution. 

Neeraj Zimba, originally from GNLF, won the Darjeeling assembly seat with a BJP ticket. 

Source : VOS of Mirik.

লক্ষাধিক টাকা নিয়ে ব্যাংকে যাওয়ার পথে ব্যক্তিকে অপহরণ, গ্রেপ্তার ৩

১১ লক্ষাধিক টাকা নিয়ে ব্যাংকে যাওয়ার পথে এক ব্যক্তিকে অপহরণের ঘটনায় রাজগঞ্জ থেকে গ্রেপ্তার করা হল তিন অভিযুক্তকে। ক্যাশ মানেজমেন্ট সার্ভিসে কর্মরত এক ব্যক্তি প্রায় ১১ লক্ষাধিক টাকা নিয়ে ব্যাংকে জমা দিতে যাওয়ার পথে কয়েক জন দুষ্কৃতী তাকে অপহরণ করে বলে অভিযোগ। এরপর এই বিষয়ে অপহৃত ব্যক্তির শ্যালক এনজিপি থানায় গিয়ে লিখিত অভিযোগ দায়ের করেন। সেই ঘটনার তদন্তে নেমে মালবাজারের ক্রান্তি এলাকা থেকে অপহৃত ব্যক্তিকে জ্ঞানহীন অবস্থায় উদ্ধার করে পুলিশ।

এরপরই এই ঘটনায় রাজগঞ্জ থেকে ৩ জনকে গ্রেপ্তার করেছে পুলিশ। তাদের নাম সঞ্জয় মোদক, শ্যামল রায় এবং আশিস বিশ্বাস। বুধবার তাদের জলপাইগুড়ি আদালতে তোলা হবে। জানা গিয়েছে, অপহৃত ব্যক্তি পরিতোষ রায়, রেডিয়েন্ট ক্যাশ মানেজমেন্ট সার্ভিসে কাজ করেন। ঘটনার দিন বিভিন্ন কোম্পানি থেকে ১১ লক্ষ ৫ হাজার টাকা সংগ্রহ করে ব্যাংকে জমা দিতে যাচ্ছিলেন তিনি। ফুলবাড়ি থেকে শিলিগুড়ি আসার পথে কামরাঙ্গাগুড়ি এলাকায় তাকে অপহরণ করা হয় বলে অভিযোগ।

The Times Dooars Proudly Wishes Akshay Kumar #Gorkha Upcoming - Millennium Blasting MovieGorkha first look: Akshay Kumar plays war hero Ian Cardozo

The Times Dooars Proudly Wishes 

Akshay Kumar #Gorkha Upcoming - Millennium Blasting Movie

Gorkha first look: Akshay Kumar plays war hero Ian Cardozo

Gorkha: Actor Akshay Kumar has collaborated with filmmaker Sanjay P S Chauhan for a film based on the first war-disabled officer of the Indian Army to command a battalion and a brigade.

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has announced yet another film. He has collaborated with filmmaker Sanjay P S Chauhan for a war film titled, Gorkha.

The film will be based on war hero Major General Ian Cardozo. Announcing the film, Kumar wrote on Twitter, “Sometimes you come across stories so inspiring that you just want to make them. #Gorkha – on the life of legendary war hero, Major General Ian Cardozo is one such film. Honoured to essay the role of an icon and present this special film. Directed By – @sanjaypchauhan.”

Akshay Kumar also shared his first look from the movie. In the photos, the actor is seen in a military uniform. From the look of it, it seems he is uttering a war cry. In one of the photos, he holds a sword in his hand and his intense gaze is sure to scare his enemies. The words, “Celebrating India’s 75th Independence anniversary” on the poster hint that Gorkha might hit the theaters on Independence Day in 2022.

Who is Major General Ian Cardozo?

Major General Ian Cardozo is a former Indian Army officer. He was the first war-disabled officer of the Indian Army to command a battalion and a brigade. He joined his battalion 4/5 Gorkha Rifles at the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. His regiment called him ‘Cartoos’ as they found it difficult to pronounce his first name. At war, Cardozo stepped on a landmine and got his leg critically injured. Due to the absence of medics, he had to use his khukri to amputate his own leg. Later, his unit captured a surgeon from the Pakistan army who operated on Cardozo’s leg.

Covid curbs? Travel to the Dooars for a taste of Bhutan

North Bengal tour operators promote hamlets that share neighbour’s culture

File picture of girls in traditional dresses dancing to entertain tourists in the eastern Dooars near the India-Bhutan border

Writes : Binita Paul

Want to visit Bhutan but find the compulsory paid quarantine too cumbersome? Try the Dooars instead, which has similar culture and cuisine, tour operators in north Bengal are saying.

Tour operators have started promoting tiny hamlets in the eastern Dooars close to the India-Bhutan border and are offering homestay accommodations to tourists who want to visit Bhutan but can’t owing to various entry regulations of the neighbouring country amid the pandemic.

“If one intends to visit Bhutan, one has to stay in paid quarantine for a fortnight and only then move around the country. That is why a considerable number of Indian tourists are feeling disinclined to visit Bhutan which otherwise is a favourite destination for Indians. In such a situation, we are offering them an alternative to stay at a location that is near the India-Bhutan border, and enjoy cuisine and culture similar to Bhutan,” said Raj Basu, convener Association for Conservation & Tourism (ACT).

He said that a number of villages, especially those in eastern parts of the Dooars in Alipurduar district that also has the Buxa hills, have emerged as new destinations for tourists who seek secluded spots to enjoy the idyllic landscape of the area flanked by Bhutan hills

Among these include places like Daragaon, Buxaduar, Lalbanglow, Tanshigaon, Ochlum, Lepchakha, Khataline, Chunavati, Adma, Namna, Serubari, Fulbari and Panbari.

A historian in North Bengal University said that the Dooars earlier belonged to Bhutan and so the culture and cuisine of a number of tribes in these hamlets are similar to that of the Himalayan kingdom.

“The region was annexed to British India after the Sinchula Treaty of 1865. The main interest was the control on trade between the maritime and the mountain routes, where we had the 18 gateways or the Dooars. Over time, settling patterns have changed, but some people’s habits remain the same,” he said.

For example, if one treks to the Buxa hills, there are villages where the Dukpas reside. Their food, clothes and even houses are similar to the residents of Bhutan.

“They even celebrate the New Year according to Bhutan’s calendar. This festival is called Gyalpo Lhosar,” the academic said.

“Any tourist can easily reach this region in the Dooars where they can feel like they are staying at a hamlet in Bhutan,” he added.

Source : The Telegraph

NFR introduces vistadome coach on train from New Jalpaiguri

The special train service with a vistadome coach for tourists who seek to enjoy the spectacular beauty of forests in the Dooars was introduced by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) from New Jalpaiguri on Saturday.

John Barla, the Union minister of state for minority affairs and Alipurduar MP, flagged off the train from New Jalpaiguri. In north Bengal, this is the first time that such a service has been introduced on the broad gauge. Earlier, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) introduced vistadome coaches in its toy train service.

The train, NFR sources, said, between New Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar junctions along the Dooars route will run thrice in a week, from Friday to Sunday. Leaving New Jalpaiguri in the morning, it is set to  reach Alipurduar in the afternoon, covering 169km. After an hour, it will depart for the return journey and reach New Jalpaiguri in the evening.

Halts are at Siliguri, Sivok (the station that serves Sevoke town), New Mal, Chalsa, Madarihat, Hasimara and Rajabhatkhawa.

“The train will have a vistadome coach with 44 seats. Also, there will be two AC chair car coaches, two general chair car coaches and two power-cum-luggage vans. The IRCTC will provide refreshment on board,” said an official of NFR.

The fare, sources said, is Rs 85 for general chair car, Rs 310 for AC chair car and Rs 770 for the vistadome coach.

Along the route, the railways will also make arrangements in some of the stations where tourists can have various experiences to enrich their journey.

“Selfie points have been developed in Sivok and Hasimara stations where passengers can also enjoy tea tasting. Arrangements have also been made for folk dances at Chalsa and Hasimara stations during the return journey to New Jalpaiguri,” the official added.

“Response is good. People are enthusiastically booking tickets for the vistadome coach. We hope in due course, it will turn out as a major attraction for tourists visiting north Bengal,” said Guneet Kaur, the chief public relations officer of the NFR.

Parthapratim Roy, a train enthusiast on board the inaugural journey, said: “I believe this new train service will attract more tourists to enjoy the beauty of the Dooars on the foothills of the Himalayas .”

The DHR authorities announced the launch of a “Steam Jungle Tea Safari” from August 30, that is, Monday “It will run between Siliguri Junction and Rongtong every day. Passengers can board vistadome dining cars and enjoy a ride in the toy train. It will be a four-hour-long return journey with stops in Sukna and Rongtong,” said a source.

As part of the trip, tourists can visit the DHR gallery in Sukna. “Complimentary refreshments would be served on board. A trip per person will cost Rs 1,200, with some discount during lean seasons (winter and monsoon months),” said an official.

source: telegraph 

Assam move to protect land rights of Gorkhas

The government's decision will make it easier for the community to buy, sell and transfer land in the four districts

[Ranoj Pegu.File photo]

Writes :Umanand Jaiswl

The Assam government on Thursday declared Gorkhas living in the tribal belts and blocks in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) a protected class.

The move will, among other benefits, make it easier for the Gorkha community to buy, sell and transfer land in the four districts — Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri — that make up the BTR.

Education and welfare of plain tribes and backward classes (non-BTC) minister Ranoj Pegu announced the decision, adding that over 1.65 lakh Gorkha community members will benefit from the move.

“Under the provisions of chapter X of Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886, the cabinet has approved to include Gorkhas as a protected class in the tribal belts and blocks in the districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri who are residing there before 2003, that is, when the districts came under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution,” Pegu said.

The Bodoland Territorial Council was established as an autonomous council on February 10, 2003, under the Sixth Schedule, which provides for the administration of tribal areas and safeguarding the rights of tribals.

Pegu also said: “Similarly, the cabinet has decided to notify the indigenous Tai Ahom, Moran, Muttock, Chutia and Gorkha people residing in the Sadiya tribal belt (Upper Assam) as a protected class. The government has also decided to create more tribal belts and blocks.”

There are 17 tribal belts and 30 blocks spread across Tinsukia, Sonitpur, Nagaon, Morigaon, Lakhimpur, Kamrup, Kamrup (metro), Goalpara, Dhemaji, Darrang, Bongaigaon and the four BTR districts in Assam.

The move was welcomed by the Gorkha community, the fulfilment of a long-pending demand.

There are around 25 lakh Gorkhas in Assam, of whom about 3.5 lakh reside in the BTR, most of whom migrated to Assam during the British rule.

Nanda Kirati Dewan, spokesperson of the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang, state unit said the 2003 cut-off year would ensure no “newcomers” could avail the benefit extended to the permanent residents of Assam by claiming to belong to the Gorkha community.

“It is a historic development. We have always demanded that we be treated as an indigenous community. It is a step in that direction. The setting up of the Gorkha Development Council in 2003 was the first baby step towards recognising Nepali/Gorkha language speakers as indigenous Gorkhas in Assam. We also request the Assam government to extend the same rule in the new belts and blocks to be created in the state,”Dewan said.

Some other cabinet decisions announced by Pegu and cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika in separate media interactions included:

n The cabinet has approved the placing of The Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, before the Assembly and repealing the existing The Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950.

n Renaming the post of gaonburha (village headman) as gaon pradhan and restricting the upper age limit of gaonburahs to 65 years. The minimum age required to become a gaonburah is 30.

n Unemployed youth can register themselves online through the employment portal instead of going to the employment exchange. The applicants who have already registered and their cards are still valid, will be given an option of entering their previous registration number to retain the date of their initial registration.

n The government will bear the complete cost of litigation faced by its personnel while protecting the state’s borders since most of the cases filed by the people of neighbouring states are “frivolous and instituted in a vindictive manner with a view to demoralising the government servant from taking a bold stand on border protection”.

News Source Via : The Telegraph

Over 500 people from Rajbanshi community protest statehood call

Under the banner of 'Punyabhumi Khalisamari Janapad Basi' (residents of the pious land of Khalisamari), the daylong demonstration was held at a local school ground

Over 500 people from the Rajbanshi community, including academics, intellectuals and Trinamul supporters, met at Khalisamari in Mathabhanga subdivision of Cooch Behar on Sunday to protest the separate statehood demand recently raised by a few BJP leaders like John Barla.

Khalisamari, a hamlet 55km off Cooch Behar town, is the birthplace of Panchanan Barma, the most revered statesman of the Rajbanshis.

Under the banner of “Punyabhumi Khalisamari Janapad Basi” (residents of the holy Khalisamari land)”, the protest was held at a school ground. “In 1905, Panchanan Barma fought the partition of Bengal decided by the British. We are his followers and we protest against any further division of the state,” Girindranath Barman, who lost as a Trinamul nominee this time, said. 

“Some BJP leaders are trying to foment tension in the region by raising the demand. We will fight together against it,” said Girindranath, the Trinamul candidate of Mathabhanga Assembly seat, who lost to BJP’s Sushil Barman.For the past few weeks, the demand for separate state or Union territory of north Bengal is being raised by BJP’s Alipurduar MP John Barla and others.

Though the state BJP leadership asserted that it is not the party’s stand, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, during his recent visit to the region, remarked that elected representatives had voiced “peoples’ aspirations.”

To counter this narrative, Trinamul has taken the strategy to engage prominent figures of the Rajbanshi community against the demand. Sunday’s event was the first of its kind. “The protest at Khalisamari appear to be a strategy to stoke the sentiments of the Rajbanshis, who revere Panchanan Barma. There were a number of Trinamul leaders at the event. It is evident that Trinamul is trying to drive home the point that the saffron camp wants to divide the state, which can help erode the support base of the BJP,” said a political observer.

Protesters said that in Khalisamari, the Mamata Banerjee government was developing a second campus of the Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University and a museum of his memorabilia.

“The BJP is trying to halt such development work. Our movement against the demand to divide the state will continue,” said Girindranath.

[Rajbanshi community members protest at Khalisamari, Cooch Behar, on Sunday. pic

Main Uddin Chisti]

Via : The Telegraph