In our mountains we celebrate today as Bhadaure Purney!! as it is believed that today the 1st Jhyakri (shaman) got his gyaan from is guru. Today our traditional shamans (Jhyankri, Fedangba, Bijuwa, Dhami etc) visit their Guru and thank them for their teachings and the nurturing they gave.
Drug addiction is a common problem of youths these days. Most studies reveal that drug addicts are from the urban areas where there is sufficient…
Allowing tourism in Darjeeling from 1st July, 2020 is a blunder. I understand the plight and hardships the stake stakeholders of tourism industry are facing due to recent COVID19 pandemic crisis. I too am going through this adversity, as I myself am involved in tourism management in Darjeeling and Sikkim since past many years. We are facing extremes pressure to pay loans, EMIs, lease rent to the hotels, salaries to staffs and drivers, renewing and maintaining trade license of hotels, travel agency office, vehicles etc.
Although Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal and the state of Sikkim have been projected predominantly as tourist sites, the mainstay of the rural population continues to be agriculture. According to Census 2011, the majority of the population here are rural (60.58% in Darjeeling-Kalimpong & 75.03% in Sikkim) and agriculture is the main occupation. Here farming communities depend on wage labour, small businesses and tourism (homestays) to augment their income from agriculture and all these were also closed during the lockdown period.
To be born with conviction, of what you want to do or be, is both a blessing and a curse. The majority of us do not know, many ever, what is it that we want to achieve in life. For most of us the ‘PURPOSE’ of our life remains ever elusive. Even for those who know exactly what they want to do or be in life, many may not be able to live their dream because of numerous constraints and pressures.
In December 2014, we had uploaded an opinion piece about Karnell Villa school which was one of the oldest primary schools in Darjeeling. Today as the focus shifts there once again we are reproducing it.
Having spent half of his life as a drug addict, Bashu Isaiah Rai Lorung from Darjeeling decided after 15-16 years of drug abuse that being clean and sober had become a matter of life and death. So, Rai who was working for H.P Invent, one of the best corporate sector company in the business decided to dedicate his entire life helping those who have gone through the same phase as him.
Pushkar Chhetri, joins Adwiti Subba Haffner in a captivating interview as he talks about his life after the ill-fated accident 20 years ago that left him with a horrific spinal cord injury, rendering him paraplegic for life (paralyzed from the waist down)! Read the full interview of this incredible man who even under dire circumstances has lived like a pukka unbeatable “Gorkha” with courage, grit and “Khaile haar nakhaney” (indomitable will) admirable attitude.
As the data we have accessed showcases, the North South divide in number of beneficiaries is so stark that it exhibits the absolute failure of the state machinery in reaching out to the people in the north. We are not sure, if this is due to lack of initiative on the part of respective District administrations or Gorkhaland Territorial Administration to communicate the State Govt scheme well with the people.
In what may shock many, COVID samples are pending test at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) since the 19th of May.