The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday, April 14, released its manifesto or ‘Sankalp Patra’, with the tagline “Modi ki Guarantee”, for the Lok Sabha election 2024. Their 67-page manifesto, which is more of a big canvas policy statement, has avoided mention of all political issues, including – Gorkha aspirations.
There is no mention of PPS, or inclusion of 11 left-out Gorkha sub-tribes as Schedule Tribes.
The Indian Football Association’s (IFA) circular mentioned that the players had to prove that they were born between 1st January 2008 and 31st December 2009. GHFA had the responsibility of ensuring children qualified and all documentation was completed. Surprisingly, only 6 of the 20 children met the requirements. The rest were rejected due to lack of proper documentation verifying their date of birth. Subsequently, the entire team was disqualified and they did not play a single game in this important tournament.
Contrary to claims made by Hamro Party Chief Ajoy Edwards and Congress Candidate Munish Tamang, Congress Manifesto is silent on Gorkhas
What is most interesting for our region is that Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) led by Chief Minister P.S Golay encashed Rs 36.50 crores worth of electoral bonds, which is more than Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at Rs 30.50 cr, Janasena Party at Rs 21 cr, Samajvadi Party at Rs 14.10 crore and Jananata Dal (United) at Rs 14 crore.
While chatting with him, I got to know that his name is Biren Ghatani – once healthy until 2003, he progressively lost strength below his waist. Despite a decade-long search for a cure, none could be found. He turned adversity into opportunity, self-learning the art of knitting.
The Teesta Rangeet Rescue Centre (TRRC) volunteers have been playing an important role in rescuing those who face crisis in the Teesta river. In the lack of proper Civil Defence, and other government Rescue Organisations, TRRC has emerged as one of the most important bodies that has been providing rescuing people during natural disasters in the region.
Appreciating their efforts, Kalimpong SP Aparajita Rai, who is herself a daughter of the hills of Sikkim, sponsored a threee day training program conducted by the International Technical Rescue Association (ITRA), for them.
Teesta has massive siltation level, thus it is certain that the siltation level of the river will raise staggeringly with the construction of a series of dams and the sediment load will be trapped within the reservoirs, reducing their production capacity. This, in turn, could compel dam managers to release water during heavy rainfall, causing sudden flash floods downstream. Further, the NHPC has failed to undertake the study on the cascading effects of Dams (i.e. in case of dam breaking at the top what will happen to subsequent dams), which is likely to occur in coming days.
Every town worth its name has its own set of ghost stories. Kalimpong, considering its various past influences has several sets of it. Its Bhutanese, Colonial, Tibetan and Gorkhali influences have all left behind their ghost who haunt Ghost Story enthusiasts till this day. In fact this town even has Bihari spirits to add to the cosmopolitan flavor.
I cannot take names, you may call it professional ethics, but when I look back at some of the love letters I wrote then, I still choke with laugher. I recall a few; one was for a girl from St. Joseph’s Convent by a classmate of mine. After three days of momos and alu-chops and chini-pops, which I received as bribe to write that letter, I wrote a letter which included the line, “I have a disease and it’s only cure is you”. It was carefully copied down by the Romeo in his own handwriting and dispatched through a Postman, not before spraying the letter paper with Old Spice perfume stolen from his father’s bathroom cabinet- the postman was always a junior student who had to be pampered and protected. After several days of restlessness and sleeplessness came the reply. I still remember a fattish envelope being delivered to him. He opened it as quickly as he could and out came his original letter, torn to a hundred pieces, and it was accompanied by a chit which read “MADNESS IS A DISEASE CURED IN MENTAL ASYLUMS, NOT BY LOVE”…
Mr. Urgen Lama, one of the advocates appearing for the petitioners has informed us that the next date of hearing is fixed on September 13, 2023 in the Principal Bench in Kolkata. The above petitions which also include prayers for cancellation of all illegal appointments and an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation are all being heard analogously by the Hon’ble Court.