SIKKIM
OBSERVER Saturday March 21-27, 2015
GJM raises Gorkhaland demand with PM
Modi reminded of his promise: ‘Gorkha ka sapna mera sapna hai’
New Delhi, March 20: In a bid to renew talks for a separate state of
Gorkhaland, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) delegation led by party chief
Bimal Gurung met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here yesterday and submitted a
memorandum demanding formation of Gorkhaland.
The seven-member
delegation, including Gurung, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri and senior leader
and MLA Harka Bahadur Chettri, reminded him of his promise made in Siliguri
during the Lok Sabha election campaign last year for creation of Gorkhaland.
Modi had said, “Gorkha ka sapna, mera sapna hai (The dream of Gorkhaland is my
dream)” last year and the BJP manifesto had assured of “sympathetically
examining” the GJM’s demand for Gorkhaland, The
Indian Express reported.
“We would also
like to remind your good self that during your campaign meeting in Siliguri in
2014, you had stated that ‘Gorkha ka sapna mera sapna hai’. The statement had
sent a wave of hope and encouragement among Gorkhas. We would also remind here
that the BJP has in its national manifesto of 2009 and 2014 (please find copies
attached) said that it will sympathetically examine and appropriately consider
the long pending demands of the Gorkhas, the Adivasis and other people of
Darjeeling district and Dooars region,” the memorandum stated.
After a
thirty-minute long meeting with Modi, Gurung said in a Facebook post: “ The
meeting was positive and fruitful and we are hopeful that the Prime Minister of
India will fulfill the dreams of the Gorkhas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also
appreciated the work done by the GTA in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.”
The party has also
mentioned in the memorandum that they have been an alliance of BJP for the past
eight years and has always ensured the victory of the BJP candidate in
Darjeeling since 2009. It further added that it supported BJP in states like
Uttarakhand and Assam as well.
Gurung further
stated that there was unrest among people as the GTA could not satisfy the
aspirations of the people of Darjeeling and Gorkhas living in several corners
of the country. “There is a strong feeling amongst the people of Darjeeling and
surrounding areas that their aspirations have not been fulfilled while being a
part of West Bengal. This sense of being deprived of social, educational and
political empowerment can only be addressed by the creation of a separate
state. Gorkhas are different culturally, ethnically and linguistically and find
it difficult to identify with mainstream Bengal. Historically, Darjeeling was
never a part of West Bengal,” the GJM leader said.
Solve fake Sikkim Subject Certificate issue, SNPP
tells govt
Gangtok,
March 20: The Sikkim National People’s Party (SNPP)
has demanded immediate action from the Chamling Government on the issue of
31,000 persons residing in the State holding fake identity certificates.
Exerting pressure on the government on the
issue the SNPP today held a dharna at the premises of the east district
collectorate.
SNPP President Biraj Adhikari, who was
present at the dharna, has demanded
constitution of Truth and Reconciliation Committee to settle the issue
amicably.
He said 31,000 persons in the State were in
possession of fake Sikkim Subject Certificates and Certificate of
Identification (COI) and the government has not acted on it for over four
years. This is not in the interest of Sikkim and bonafide Sikkimese, he said.
Old settlers welcome CM’s move on Residential
Certificate
Gangtok, March 20: The Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim (AOSS) has
welcomed Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s decision to issue Residential
Certificate (RC) to old settlers of the State.
The Chief
Minister’s commitment on the issue in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly on Monday
has brought ‘joy’ to the community who have been residing in the State for
decades and have made immense contribution to the State’s development, a
release of the Association said. Chamling had promised that the government
would bring out a notification for “issuance of Residentical Certificates
before upcoming Municipal Polls,” to old settlers and their descendants
residing in Sikkim before April 26, 1975, when Sikkim became part of India, the
release said.
The Association
has urged the government to spell out the ‘rights and benefits’ to be enjoyed
by RC holders.
The Association
has also thanked opposition Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM)’s Gangtok MLA Pintso
Chopel Lepcha for raising the issue effectively in the Assembly.
Vivid Kala Academy observes World Sparrow Day
Gangtok,
March 20: Two thousand students today observed
World Sparrow Day here at Tadong Senior Secondary School. The function was
organized by Vivid Kala Academy of Sikkim (VIKAS) and the Press Club of Sikkim.
The students were made aware of the
declining state of house birds, particularly the sparrows, dwelling in and
around urban areas. Senior government officer Usha Lachungpa, the resource
person, deliberated on the causes of declining affairs of house birds like
sparrows and the importance of restoring the milieu that these house birds
need. She said these birds are the one of those important factors that help
keep the bio-system and the ecology in balance.
VIKAS President Kiran Rasaily stressed the
need to make the World Sparrow Day a regular annual function in schools.
Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) chief and MLA PS Golay (right)
with RN Chamling, independent MLA, and SKM legislators.
IDENTITY ISSUE
Holistic Approach
Needed
Chief Minister
Pawan Chamling has finally decided to issue ‘Residential Certificate’ to old
settlers who were resident of the former kingdom. April 26, 1975, the date when Sikkim became
part of the Indian Union, has been made the cut-off year to identify them. This
decision should have been taken a long time back and the fact that it has come
after last year’s Assembly polls and just before the municipal polls smacks of
political motivation.
It has been
reported that there are more than 30,000 persons in Sikkim holding fake Sikkim
Subject Certificates and a large number possessing fake Certificate of
Identification. Perhaps many of those holding fake identity certificates would
qualify as ‘old settlers’ and given certain benefits. Several political and
social organizations have urged the government to solve the issue of those
holding fake identity certificates in the interest of Sikkim and Sikkimese.
Chamling ought to give a serious thought to this issue and take a more mature
and practical approach on the identity issue of all those residing in Sikkim.
Controversy over definition of ‘Assamese’
Guwahati, March 20: The All Assam Students Union (AASU) and 25 organisations
representing indigenous communities of Assam on Monday said the word
"Assamese" in clause 6 of the Assam Accord meant all indigenous
communities and all indigenous Assamese-speaking groups of the State.
They alleged that Dispur had
tried to derail the process of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC)
by creating confusion over who is an Assamese.
The organisations met here as
the controversy over the definition of Assamese deepened, The Telegraph reported.
To make their definition more
transparent, they said those whose names, irrespective of caste, community or
religion, were included in NRC 1951 were Assamese and eligible to enjoy
safeguards as promised by Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
Before the meeting, some of these organisations had
certain reservations over the definition of Assamese.
This is required to provide
constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to the
"Assamese" people under the Accord.
"Henceforth there cannot
be any confusion over the issue. All indigenous communities and all indigenous
Assamese-speaking groups of the state are entitled to get safeguards under the
Assam Accord," said AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharjya.
Today's meeting assumes
significance as some communities like the Bodos have refused to identify
themselves as Assamese and suggested that the word "Assamese" should
be replaced by the phrase "indigenous people of Assam" in the Accord.
Ulfa (Independent), led by Paresh
Barua, said in a statement that all indigenous people of Assam and their
children, who do not maintain any identity other than inhabitant of Assam and
who identify themselves with the word Assam, are Assamese.
The militant outfit said
accepting Assam Sahitya Sabha's definition on Assamese would be akin to making
indigenous communities helpless by depriving them of their birthright and would
also help people from other parts of the country take the safeguard of
"indigenous people of Assam".
CM has misled people on BLs: BLPF
Gangtok,
March 20: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has misled
the people on minority Bhutia-Lepchas of the State.This accusation has been
made by the Bhutia Lepcha Protection Force (BLPF).
While referring to the Chief Minister’s
recent statement made during a public meeting here, the BLPF in a statement
refuted the allegation that the minority Bhutia-Lepchas (BLs) were
‘blackmailing’ the present government on various issues.
The general body meeting of the
organization held here recently “took strong note of the baseless allegation”
made by the Chief Minister on “blackmailing the government”, a release of the
BLPF said.
While stating that “We, the Sikkimese BLs
are always accommodative and open-hearted for we believe in the common efforts
and destiny of the Bhutia-Lepchas and Nepalese of Sikkimese origin within the
purview of Article 371 F of the Indian Constitution” the release said the BLs
have raised various issues concerning the State’s cultural/ natural heritage
and political rights with the Chamling Government.
However, the 13 ruling party’s BL
legislators have remained unresponsive to the issues raised, the release said.
PEOPLE
WANT TO KNOW
People
Have A Right To Know
“Posterity
will salute Chamling if fake identity certificate issue is settled”
Sikkim Observer makes public an important document on the issue of Sikkim’s identity
certificate controversy. In a letter to Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling
last year former MLA Tseten Tashi Bhutia says there are about one and half lac
persons in Sikkim holding fake identity certificates.
To
The Hon’ble
Chief Minister of Sikkim
Mintokgang
Gangtok-737101
East Sikkim
Dated: 25/08/2014
Sub: Open Memorandum vis-à-vis Purification
of Sikkim Subject
Certificate / COIs
Hon’ble Sir,
Purify Sikkim Subject Certificate (SSC)
Register:
The sacred document which was submitted / surrendered to Home Ministry, Govt.
of India during the time of Sikkim annexation/merger in 1975 was Sikkim Subject
Certificate (SSC) register on the basis of which, all the Sikkimese had become
Indian. Hope a copy of the same SSC register is lying with the Government
of Sikkim today.
“As
per estimates published by a local paper, in Sikkim we have:"
1. Fake Certificate of Identification (C.O.I) holders = 1, 19, 289
2. Fake Sikkim Subject certificate (S.S.C) holders =
31, 180
Total =1, 50, 469
Total of 1, 50, 469 “fraudster” or illegal and fake documents.
What we think today is;
It is not only important but sense
urgent and need of the hour to purify the SSC register in the interest of our
future generation, else talking big about protection and safeguard of Sikkim
and the Sikkimese will become a futile exercise that would imminently
jeopardise our own posterity.
This further becomes most urgent,
significant and relevant given the present government of Sikkim’s priorities
and insistence to the Sikkim Subject Certificate /COI on all its policies and
programmes as being announced or formulated particularly with the inauguration
of its present term of governance, which is most appreciable gesture on its
part.
In fact, every State and
government has the sacred responsibility of safeguarding its native people. The
stand taken by the Government if really implemented both in letter and spirit,
it will rejuvenate the effect and significance of SSC and COI and would go
a long way in ensuring the socio-politico and economic state of the Sikkimese
at-large. This shall certainly curtail the ever increasing influx thereby
establishing a sense of pride and security amongst our Sikkimese people. If
not, the illegal SSC/COI holders will get multiplied and one fine day original
Sikkimese will be kicking out from their home land. So it’s now or never.
Therefore, we appeal the political
parties of Sikkim to rise above politics. We don’t mind to come out openly in
support of the Government if it’s really committed and wanted to eliminate,
reject or withdraw the illegal Sikkim Subject Certificate/C.O.I. issued so far.
Political parties in Sikkim should
understand that unless this is realized, whatever programmes/policies they come
out with will never achieve its target which would only then be meant for
securing a mere vote bank and accompanying politics.
Let’s accomplish this and posterity
shall salute you and our generation with awe & veneration.
Submitted in the interest of Sikkim and
the Sikkimese please
Yours Sincerely
Tseten Tashi Bhutia. Ex-MLA
Contact; 9434144224
MISCELLANY
Why Satyajit Ray’s ‘Sikkim’ was banned
(Left) Indian film-maker Satyajit Ray with the Chogyal and
Gyalmo of Sikkim at the Palace in Gangtok in early 1970s.
In 1971, Ray received a commission from
Palden Thondup Namgyal, the Chogyal (king) of the tiny Himalayan monarchy of
Sikkim, to create a documentary about his country. Back at that time, Sikkim
occupied a curious place in Asian politics. It was a protectorate of the
British Empire during the colonial years, but after World War II it was not
eager to become a part of the new Republic of India. Rather than seek out
independence, Sikkim signed a treaty with India that made it a protectorate of
India – the kingdom maintained its autonomy while India assumed control of its
defense and external relations. Most people in the West never heard of Sikkim
until 1963, when Namgyal married Hope Cooke, a New York socialite. She became
Sikkim’s queen, and it was her love of Ray’s work that brought the master
director to Sikkim to create a documentary that was intended to attract
increased tourism to the kingdom.
Ray took the duties of film’s narrator,
using his rich baritone voice to detail in English the various scenes being presented.
For the first half of the film, “Sikkim” is primarily a celebration of the
kingdom’s topography and botanical pleasures. Working in color cinematography –
this was not typical of Ray at this time, as he was still mostly rooted in
black-and-white for his dramatic features – Ray captures the beauty of nature
in a handsome manner. The only thing wrong is that it looks like any other
nature film. Really, if you’ve seen one rhododendron, you’ve seen them all.
Eventually,
Ray has to acknowledge that Sikkim is more than a kingdom of rivers and
flowers. When the people of Sikkim finally show up, Ray’s narration explains
their heritage can be traced to the Himalayan lands of Tibet and Nepal. While
Ray’s camera finds simple villages that appear to be lacking in most modern
conveniences, the people seem content with their lives. Indeed, the film dotes
on happy school children at their studies and in play, while Ray’s narration
proudly notes that one-quarter of the kingdom’s revenue is used to finance free
education. Namgyal and his American queen are briefly seen in the film, albeit
from a distance. There is also a quick glimpse of a photo of Sangey Deki, the
Tibetan who was Namgyal’s first wife until her death in 1957.
The second half of the film highlights an
annual religious that celebrates the victory of peace and prosperity over the
forces of evil. The chanting of Buddhist monks and a solemn dance ceremony are
the key features of this observance, which Ray presents in a straightforward
and unemotional manner.
Now, you may be wondering what’s wrong with
this type of a film? It all seems rather pleasant and maybe a bit quaint.
Indeed, it is so polite that it makes Rick Steves’ travelogue shows look like
Al Goldstein’s “Midnight Blue” in comparison.
Well, there was a slight but significant
problem with a single scene. Ray included a very brief shot of some poor people
hunting for food that was deposited in a dumpster behind the Chogyal’s palace
following a royal banquet. When the monarch saw this, he was livid and
immediately ordered that the film would be banned until Ray edited the work. By
this time, however, Ray was already working on other projects, and some time
passed before he could return to cut the offending scene out of his
documentary.
By the mid-1970s, however, things in Sikkim
were far from travelogue-level jolly. The Chogyal’s popularity was reaching new
lows among his people, and rioting in front of the royal palace in 1973 sparked
a conversation among the Sikkimese about becoming a part of India. Two years
later, the Indian military rolled into Sikkim under the pretense of restoring
law and order. The peasants that turned up in Ray’s film as happy subjects of
the Chogyal would turn out at the polls in 1975 for a referendum that called on
Sikkim to become a state within India. The monarchy was abolished, with the
Chogyal leaving to move in with his wife’s family in New York.
By the time Ray was finally able to re-edit
“Sikkim,” the Indian government owned the rights to the production. Government
censors took a look at “Sikkim” and felt uncomfortable because the film
depicted a happy little land and did not show any of the circumstances that led
to India’s absorption of the kingdom. Not only did the Indian government ban
“Sikkim” from being seen locally, but it ordered the destruction of its
negative and all known prints so it could never be seen elsewhere.
In the early 1990s, a global effort was
launched to preserve Ray’s films, many of which had been in advanced states of
deterioration. “Sikkim” was the most obscure of the films to be rescued – it
was never publicly screened and no copies were known to survive in India. A
global search located three surviving prints – one in Sikkim that was too
battered to be projected, one in the possession of Hope Cooke in New York and
one in a London archive. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
coordinated a digital restoration, but for years no one could legally screen
the work because of the ban by the Indian government.
In 2010, the Indian government finally
lifted its ban on “Sikkim” and the film’s copyright was transferred to the Art
& Cultural Trust of Sikkim, an organization that took control of the
Chogyal’s holdings following his departure from the kingdom. The film has since
been shown at several Ray retrospectives and film festivals and it has been
made available on an Indian DVD release. But in the U.S., the film remains
mostly unknown except for its weird history.
Sandip
Ray, the filmmaker’s son and a director in his own right, would later lament in
an interview about why this film sparked so much controversy and was kept from
view for decades. “We do not know why the film was banned for so long,” he
said. “But it is not a political film and has no propaganda. It is about the
flora, fauna, the natural beauty and diversity of the Himalayan kingdom.”
And while the younger Ray is grateful for
the restoration, he admits that his father’s work can never be properly
appreciated. “I remember that the
original film had excellent colors,” he said. “But unfortunately, now it is
lost. However, the present version is viewable.”
Unauthorized postings of “Sikkim” can be
found online at YouTube and DailyMotion. To date, these offerings represent the
only chance for wider audiences to witness Ray’s work. And, for the moment,
let’s be glad that the Indian government doesn’t try to block these postings –
after 35 years under harsh government restriction, this harmless little movie
deserves to have an audience. (Film
Threat - Bootleg Files)
RELIGION
Reincarnation of Bokar Rinpoche is found in Sikkim
The Official Statement on the Recognition of Bokar Rinpoche’s
Reincarnation:
21 January 2015
To give a brief explanation of the search for and identification of the
reincarnation of the glorious guru, Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche:
When the supreme guide and master Kyabje
Bokar Rinpoche passed to nirvana, enthroning his supreme nirmanakaya
reincarnation became a responsibility that none of the branches of Bokar
monastery could shirk. After his passing away in 2004, the traditional
forty-nine days of puja were held. At the request of Mirik Monastery, His
Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje came to Mirik and presided
over the last day of the puja. The following day Khenpo Rinpoche Lodrö Donyö
along with the monastery’s khenpos, lamas, chant masters, officials including
the general secretary and managers, and teachers as well as the monastic and
lay communities associated with the monastery offered the Gyalwang Karmapa a
mandala and representations of body, speech, and mind. They then fervently
requested the Gyalwang Karmapa to identify Bokar Rinpoche’s reincarnation
through his wisdom. The Gyalwang Karmapa graciously consented, and they were
filled with limitless joy.
During the decade that has since passed,
they have made their request again every year. The lamas and students from
Dharma centers in Asia and the West, and Rinpoche’s devoted students from
India, Nepal, and Bhutan repeatedly reminded His Holiness in a variety of ways,
but aside from receiving his consent, the requests bore no fruit.
At a meeting of the Kagyu Monlam working
team after the conclusion the Thirty-First Kagyu Monlam in January, 2014, the
Gyalwang Karmapa said for the first time that he hoped everyone would be able
to meet the reincarnation of Bokar Rinpoche during the Thirty-Second Kagyu
Monlam. Everyone was filled with great hope. On the thirtieth of January,
during a celebration of the Tsurphu New Year, the Karmapa gave a letter
identifying the reincarnation, which reads:
In the north of the hidden
land of Sikkim, in front of a mountain shaped like a lhashötorma there
is the six-year-old son of a father whose name has a ta and a mother whose name has an a. If he is
recognized as the reincarnation of Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche, it will be beneficial
for the teachings and beings.
30 January 2014
Several senior monastery officials were
immediately appointed as a search committee, and based on the letter, they
identified three lists of children, the names of whose parents, the topography
of whose birthplace, and whose ages mostly matched the identification letter.
But when presented to His Holiness, he gave no specific instructions on what to
do or who it was.
During the Thirty-Second Kagyu Monlam
held in Bodhgaya in December 2014, there was a great expectation of seeing the
reincarnation’s face, but it did not come to pass.
On the sixth of January, after the
Thirty-Second Monlam was completed, the Gyalwang Karmapa specially invited
Khenpo Rinpoche Lodrö Donyö to a dinner gathering for the Monlam working team,
which was also attended by the two heart sons. After the meal, the Karmapa said
with great delight, “Though I had hoped that Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche’s
reincarnation would be able to come to this year’s Monlam, the timing did not
work out. But we should be able to bring him to the upcoming Arya Kshema Winter
Dharma Gathering, and Khenpo Rinpoche should go bring the reincarnation to
Bodhgaya.”
On the eighth, Khenpo Rinpoche departed
for Gangtok, accompanied by a party including Khenpo Gawang as a representative
of the Tsurphu Ladrang. They arrived there on the ninth. In addition to the
identification letter from last year, they based their search on the Gyalwang
Karmapa’s advice to search in the village of Dimkhyim in the North Sikkim district.
The Gyalwang Karmapa had also recently provided new, more detailed maps and
diagrams of the reincarnation’s birthplace and information about the number of
members in his family. Khenpo Gawang and the general secretary searched in
Dimkhyim and found one boy who matched all of the criteria. They relayed the
information to His Holiness, who told them to wait while continuing the search.
On the twelfth, His Holiness said that
the boy who had been identified a few days earlier should be brought to Khenpo Rinpoche,
so the boy was brought to the Norkhill Hotel in Gangtok where he was staying.
With boundless delight, Khenpo Rinoche blessed the reincarnation by touching
his head and hands with the previous Bokar Rinpoche’s Shakyamuni statue that
had been his support for his vows and the blessed image of Tara that had been
his support for meditation. He also performed a cleansing ritual. His Holiness
told them that same evening to come to Bodhgaya quickly, so they departed the
next day for Bodhgaya, arriving on the morning of the fifteenth.
As related above, throughout the process
the Gyalwang Karmapa used his wisdom and great compassion to identify the
reincarnation of Bokar Rinpoche without mistake, fulfilling the wishes that
everyone from Bokar monastery and its associated branches as well as all of the
faithful disciples from dharma centers around the world have held in their
hearts for many years. It is due solely to the compassion and bodhichitta of
His Holiness that the reincarnation has been recognized—were one to fill the
entire universe with jewels and offer it to him, it would not repay even a
fraction of his kindness. All the disciples of Bokar Rinpoche, monastic and
lay, bow with body, speech, and mind and join their palms at the crowns of
their heads to express with a single voice their thanks for his unsurpassable
kindness.
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