SIKKIM
OBSERVER Saturday January 30-31, 2015
Respect freedom and diversity, Obama
tells India
New Delhi, Jan
29: In what
is being seen in some quarters as a parting shot at the Narendra Modi
government, in the wake of domestic controversies over religious freedom and
reconversion in India in the past few months, US President Barack Obama on
Tuesday talked tough on religious tolerance, saying India will succeed as long
as it is not “splintered” over religious lines.
He spoke about the values of democracy
that is common to both countries, and also the values of religious freedom and
equality that are a vital part of the Constitutions of both nations. The US
President added that “diversity” was, in fact, the strength of both nations, The Asian Age reported.
The Modi government has been facing a
lot of heat from the Opposition in Parliament in the past few months over these
controversies. Congress leader Digvijay Singh got into action swiftly on
Tuesday and took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wondering if he would
advise his “friends” in the Sangh Parivar to stop justifying the “Ghar Wapsi”
(reconversion) programme.
Speaking on “India and America: The
Future We Can Build Together” at New Delhi’s Siri Fort Auditorium, the US
President said: “Every person has the right to practise his faith without any
persecution, fear or discrimination. India will succeed so long it is not
splintered on religious lines,” Mr Obama told the audience that included a lot
of young people in his 30-minute speech.
The US President’s comments came in the
backdrop of multiple controversies in India over religious conversions and the
“Ghar Wapsi” programme by right-wing Hindutva outfits. President Obama also
cited Article 25 of India’s Constitution, that deals with the right to freedom
of religion, noting that freedom of religion was an integral part of the US
Constitution as well.
“Your (Constitution) Article 25 says all
people are equally entitled to the freedom of conscience and have right to
freely profess, practise and propagate religion. In both our countries, in all
countries... upholding freedom of religion is the utmost responsibility of the
government, but also the responsibility of every person,” he said. “We have to
guard against any efforts to divide us on sectarian lines or any other thing,”
he said. He also said there were people belonging to all faiths in both
countries.
Subash Ghising: Gorkha leader who gave
birth to Gorkhaland movement is no more
New Delhi, Jan 29: Gorkha National Liberation
Front (GNLF) chief Subash Ghising, who gave birth to the Gorkhaland movement, on
Thursday passed away at a hospital in New Delhi following prolonged illness. He
was 79.
"Ghising
was undergoing treatment at Sir Gangaram Hospital. He died this afternoon
(Thursday). His body will be taken to Siliguri (in West Bengal) for the final
rituals on Friday," GNLF central committee member Prakash Dahal said, IANS
reported.
Ghising
was suffering from several diseases, including liver related disorders, since
September 2014 and was moved to New Delhi after his condition deteriorated.
West
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as well as the opposition Communist Party
of India-Marxist mourned his death and offered condolence to the bereaved
family.
Ghising,
a former soldier, led a prolonged violent struggle in the 1980s for a separate
Gorkhaland state to be carved out of north Bengal's Darjeeling district, before
signing an agreement on Aug 22, 1988 with the central and state governments for
creation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), an autonomous governing
body for the hills. He chaired the DGHC till 2008.
He
lived-in-exile from the hills after his GNLF was sidelined in early 2008 by the
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha that spearheads the movement now. He, later, returned to
the hills in 2011.
Born
June 22, 1936 in Darjeeling, Ghising, who was vocal on issues concerning the
hills, formed a political outfit - Nilo Jhanda - in 1968 to further the cause.
He
raised the demand for a separate state for the Nepali-speaking people of the
Darjeeling hills for the first time in April 1979. He subsequently formed the
GNLF in 1980 to achieve statehood.
Mamata for development board for Sherpa community
Darjeeling, Jan 29: Signing off her three-day visit to Darjeeling, Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced her government’s decision to set
up a development board for the Sherpa community.
Gorkha Janmukti
Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
deputy chief executive Ramesh Allay and the three hill MLAs were seated beside
the Mamata when she made the announcement.
It may be
mentioned that GJM leaders had not taken to it kindly when Mamata had earlier
formed the Lepcha board, saying it was interference in the functioning of the
Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
The Chief Minister
chose the 119th birth anniversary celebrations of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose to
announce a Sherpa cultural board. Mamata set up Lepcha community development
board in 2013 and another for the Tamang community last year.
Mamata said the
state government would also soon release a fund of Rs5 crore to the Sherpa
board to construct houses for poor members of the community and that other
formalities would be
discussed later.
Earlier, she said Rs1 lakh each would be given to 10 members of the Sherpa
community.
On Thursday, the
chief minister handed out Rs 5 crore to the Tamang Development and Cultural
Board at Lebong, also to construct houses with a promise to give more funds.
Sikkim Express
Editor Amit Patro felicitated for his contribution to print media in the region
in Siliguri, West Bengal.
China slams Japan for calling Arunachal Pradesh part
of India
Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida (L) shakes hands
with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj before their meeting in New Delhi
January 17, 2015. (Left)
Beijing, Jan 29: China has slammed Japan for describing Arunachal
Pradesh as a part of India, saying the remarks have “seriously concerned”
Beijing.
China has even
lodged protest with Japan for remarks made by its Foreign Minister Fumio
Kishida in New Delhi recently.
Demanding a
clarification, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, “China has taken note
of such report.”
“We are seriously
concerned about this and have lodged solemn representation (diplomatic protest)
with the Japanese side, asking Japan to make (a) clarification and immediately
remove negative implications arising from this,” Hong said, PTI repoted.
Replying to a
question during an interaction in New Delhi on January 17 about Japan’s
indication that it may not be involved in infrastructure projects in Arunachal
Pradesh and whether this was due to China’s position, Kishida had said though
his government wants to improve connectivity in Northeast India, there was no plan
to provide any aid to the state.
“You specifically
pointed out the state Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India which is a
territory of India which is pending in terms of its dispute with China and for
the moment to my understanding there are currently no plans of Japan to provide
aid to this state,” he had said.
China claims
Arunachal Pradesh as part of Southern Tibet.
Hong said
Kishida’s remarks are contrary to previous stand taken by Japan on this issue
in the past.
“Japan has said
explicitly to China that it holds no position and it will not intervene in the
disputed area between China and India. Japan has also made public
clarifications on this,” he said apparently referring to Japan’s stand
expressed in November last year that it would not involve itself in
infrastructure projects in Arunachal Pradesh.
China said in
November last year that Japan had clarified when it sought Tokyo’s reaction to
reports that India’s Border Roads Organisation had given ‘strategic’ projects
to the Japan International Cooperation Agency along the China border.
Hong said,
“China’s position on the eastern part of China-India boundary is clear and
consistent.”
The issue is being
addressed through talks between Special Representatives from both sides, he
said.
“China and India
are seeking the solution to resolve the boundary question that is fair,
reasonable and acceptable to both sides. We hope the Japanese side can
understand the sensitiveness of China-India border question and respect China
and India’s efforts to resolve dispute through negotiations and be prudent in
its words and actions,” Hong said.
Why the mighty Teesta runs dry
The government of
West Bengal has diverted almost all of Teesta’s water, leaving little for
Bangladesh
By
VIMAL KHAWAS
The Teesta river,
often regarded as the lifeline of Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalayas, is one of the
major rivers flowing across the Eastern Himalayan landscape. It is the fourth
major river after the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna in the Eastern South
Asian region. The Teesta originates in the Sikkim Himalaya as Chhombo Chhu,
from a glacial lake Khangchung Chho at an elevation of 5,280m in the
northeastern corner of the state.
The lake lies at
the snout of the Teesta Khangse glacier descending from Pauhunri peak (7,056m)
in the northwestern direction. Many scholars consider Teesta Khangse glacier
and Chho Lhamo as the source of Teesta river – it flows along the entire length
of Sikkim and carves out some of the profuse and verdant Himalayan temperate
and tropical river valleys. As it flows down, the river forms the border
between Sikkim and West Bengal.
Teesta flows about
172km in the hilly region of Sikkim and Darjeeling (India); the river runs for
about 98km in the plains of West Bengal (India) and another 134km in Bangladesh
before joining the great Brahmaputra in Bangladesh. The river drains a total
geographical area of about 12,159km. Around 2,004 sq-km of the basin (or about
17%) lies in Bangladesh with the rest of the basin area being in India.
Its river basin
has been home to several social groups in Sikkim, Northern West Bengal (India),
and Bangladesh since its historic past. Starting from the Lepcha Tribe, Ethnic
Bhutias, and the Ethnic Nepalis in Sikkim-Darjeeling Himalaya, to the agrarian
communities of North Bengal and Bangladesh, Teesta Basin is the source of
livelihood for several socio-cultural groups.
Furthermore,
Teesta has been the source of ethno-cultural and ethno-religious basis of many
social groups in the Darjeeling-Sikkim region. Teesta river is the only source
of water to agricultural crops of the thirsty Northern Bengal and North Western
Bangladesh.
However, the
historic symbiotic and intimate human-environment relationship between people
and natural resource bases including water in the Teesta Basin has been
increasingly put to danger by diverse undercurrents of development in recent
times.
This has resulted
in imbalances in the environment and various ecological systems there. This is
a very serious issue both to the coming generations and ourselves. It is
important to understand that all the parameters of the environment are
intimately interrelated, and a change in one will negatively affect the other.
Besides other
forms of development, including expansion of agriculture and irrigation,
construction of roads and buildings, urbanisation, etc, the central and
provincial governments of India are forcefully underway with a series of
hydropower dams within the Teesta river basin. Consequently, the
Sikkim-Darjeeling catchment of the Teesta basin is expected to produce over
6000MW of electricity within the next few decades.
Ironically, the
first Human Development Report (HDR) of Sikkim (2001) authored by Mahendra P
Lama, the then Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister of Sikkim, strongly
advised Sikkim to harness the rich water resource of the Sikkim Himalaya. The
report further recommends the state government to take the help of the private
sector towards this end.
The State
Development Report of Sikkim (2008) takes similar stand as taken by HDR, 2001.
Both reports cite the success of Chukha Project of Bhutan as an example for the
development of hydro resource of Sikkim.
There are concerns
that building hydro-dams may lead to river-induced seismicity in this
geologically young and tectonically active region, besides several other
environmental, socio-cultural, and socio-economic fallouts because of their
little scientific basis.
There have been
serious issues on the table with regard to sharing of Teesta waters between
India and Bangladesh. Besides several existing and proposed hydro-dams in the
Sikkim-Darjeeling Catchment, the government of West Bengal has diverted almost
all of Teesta’s water via an artificial canal at the Teesta (Gajoldoba) Barrage
in Jalpaiguri to irrigate its thirsty North Bengal, leaving little or no water
for Bangladesh.
As a lower
riparian country of the basin, Bangladesh has been regularly voicing its
concern for the equitable sharing of the Teesta river. But it is still to be
achieved, despite several meetings between the Bangladesh and Indian
governments.
Experts often
project that the next 10-15 years shall witness depressing intra and
inter-state water disputes if policymakers of both India and Bangladesh do not
come up with solutions for the sustainable management and sharing of Teesta
water. There is an urgent need to go through our neighbourhood policy once
again.
It is sad to learn
that the National Geographic has listed Teesta river among the eight mighty
global rivers that run dry from human overuse. (Dhaka Tribune)
Ghising’s death loss to hill people: Gurung
Kolkata,
Jan 29: West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi and Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday condoled the death of Gorkha National
Liberation Front founder Subhas Ghishing.
The Gorkha Janmukti President Bimal Gurung
also condoled the death of Ghishing saying that his demise was a political loss
to the people in the Hills, PTI reported.
The governor said in a message, "Mr
Subhas Ghishing was a man of determination and had good support. He made a
great contribution to the uplift of the hills."
The Chief Minister tweeted, "On the
passing away of Subhas Ghising, I offer my deepest condolences to members of
his family. May his soul Rest in Peace."
Gurung, currently the chief executive of
Gorkhaland Territorial Administration said in a facebook post, "The sad
demise of Ghishing is a political loss to the hill people".
"His contribution towards the
development of the Hills will always be appreciated. I extend my heartfelt
condolence to the bereaved family and pray that God give them the strength to
bear the loss," Gurung said in a facebook post.
The GJM central committee member Harka
Bahadur Chettri told PTI from Darjeeling, "He was able to make the people
of Darjeeling accept the concept of Gorkhaland".
"He had some administrative weaknesses
but since he is no more his absence will leave a vaccum in the political life
of Gorkhas," Chettri said.
RBI raises concerns over SBS functioning
New Delhi, Jan 29: The Reserve Bank of India has raised concerns over the
State Bank of Sikkim (SBS), which does not come under any regulation or jurisdiction
since the Banking Regulation Act 1949 and the Companies Act do not extend to
it.
In a letter to the
central government, RBI has expressed serious reservations about the regulatory
vacuum that the State Bank of Sikkim is allowed to function in, said a
government official, who did not wish to be named.
"RBI has
pointed out that since the bank does not come under any jurisdiction, financial
and operational issues have arisen," the official said, adding that the
banking regulator is concerned about protecting the interest of depositors. The
State Bank of Sikkim's balance sheet has not been audited for the past five
years and the RBI has pointed out in the letter that the bank's name could
mislead depositors since it sounds as if it is an affiliate of forming loans
(NPAs) or bad loans are high," said another official aware of the issue, The Economic Times reported.
State Bank of
Sikkim's managing director and chief executive HK Chhetri refused to comment on
the bank's financial status although he confirmed that talks are on between the
state and the central government to resolve the issue.
"It is
because of the legacy issues. State government is the majority shareholder and
they are in talks with all parties concerned," he said.
Set up in 1968, State Bank of Sikkim has 35
branches. A bank official explained that since Sikkim joined the Indian Union
in 1975, it has been granted special status under Article 371 F of the
constitution. "If tomorrow there is a bank run, we will not be able to do
anything. Since no rules apply, there is no DIGC (Deposit insurance and Credit
Guarantee Corporation) cover," added the official
PEOPLE&PLACES
Dotsuk Gompa
The Bhutia Busty monastery in Darjeeling was
originally located at Mahakal hill
By
SONAM DEKI
.JPG)
Dotsuk Gompa at Bhutia Busty in Darjeeling. (Right)
The Dotsuk Gompa
at Bhutia Busty, the oldest monastery in Darjeeling, was first located on
Observatory Hill, located above Chowrasta.
It was built in 1765 by Lama Dorje Rinzing when Darjeeling was still a
part of the Kingdom of Sikkim. The name Darjeeling is believed to have
originated when monks of the monastery referred to the region as ‘Dorje-ling’,
meaning the land of the thunderbolt.
Another school of thought believes that it was
named after Dorje Rinzing. The monastery was destroyed by the invading Gurkha
forces in 1815. It was rebuilt in 1861 and was moved to its present
location in 1879. After Darjeeling was
‘gifted’ to the British Raj by the Chogyal of Sikkim in 1835 it was annexed by
the Britishers in 1861. The ill-fated monastery was again destroyed by a 1934
earthquake and owes its present existence to the Chogyal of Sikkim.
Spectacular views
of the Kanchenjunga can be had from the Bhutia Busty Monastery (also known
locally as Do-tsuk Gompa, meaning Do (stone) tsuk (erect). This was originally
a branch of the Phodong monastery in North Sikkim.
Observatory Hill
(locally referred to as Mahakal dara (hill)
dates back to the 18th century when a monastery was built here. Its
significance increased under British rule as many British officials and
affluent local families chose to reside in the locale. It now houses the temple
of Mahakal and is the religious centre for all local inhabitants.
Earl of Ronaldshay
(erstwhile president of the Royal Geographical Society) says, “In the interests
of historical accuracy I should, perhaps, add that I believe the commonly
accepted explanation to be incorrect. A derivation seldom heard, but which I
have the best of grounds for believing to be correct, is that which attributes
the word Dorje in the first half of Darjeeling to the name of a lama, Dorje
Rinzing, who founded the monastery which once stood on Observatory Hill.”
The Bengal
Gazeteer of 1947 says that Darjeeling and its neighbouring areas were originally
a dominion of the Sikkim kingdom. During the reign of Sikkim’s Chogyal Chagdor
Namgyal (1700-16), the area to the south-east as well as Kalimpong and Rhenock
were lost to Bhutan. Though reclaimed briefly, towards the end of the 18th
century (1788-89), the Gurkhas of Nepal over ran Sikkim as far east as Teesta
River and annexed the Terai grassland region. After the termination of
Anglo-Nepalese War (1816) tract which Nepal had wrested from Sikkim was ceded
to East India Company in 1835.
PRIDE OF SIKKIM
Raman Shresta
Bookman Raman Shresta receives a Letter of
Appreciation from the Honourable Governor of Sikkim at a state function during
last year’s Republic Day celebrations at
Paljor Stadium, Gangtok for "commendable entrepreneurship and remarkable
contribution made towards Sikkimese society".
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