Interlocutor ToR includes “Addressing Gorkha Aspirations within the constitutional framework.”

Answering to a question raised by the Trinamool Congress MP from Maturapur, Bapi Halder, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityananda Rai has informed the Lok Sabha that the Government of India had “appointed an Interlocutor to hold constructive dialogue with various stakeholders”, as “there was no representation of the Government of West Bengal in two tripartite meetings, and no substantial representation in one meeting”, held on issues related to the Gorkha community.

The Minister said the “Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was formed following a tripartite agreement in 2011 between the Government of India, the Government of Bengal and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. In July 2017, all elected members of the GTA resigned. In view of the absence of elected members in the GTA and repeated requests for dialogue by Gorkha leaders, the Home Ministry convened three tripartite meetings on October 7, 2020, October 12, 2021, and April 3, 2025.

Subsequently, the Government of India appointed an Interlocutor fromer Dy NSA and IPS Officer Pankaj Kumar Singh to engage with various stakeholders, including representatives of Gorkha organizations, on issues concerning Gorkhas.

The interlocutor’s term is one year. The interlocutor will engage in constructive dialogue with various stakeholders and suggest measures to resolve these issues.

The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the interlocutor are as follows:

(i) To undertake constructive dialogue with various stakeholders including representatives of Gorkha organizations on the issues relating to Gorkhas in Darjeeling Hills, Tarai and Dooars region of West Bengal and suggest measures to resolve issues and roadmap in this regard.

(ii) To hold discussions with other stakeholders in Darjeeling Hills, Tarai and Dooars region of West Bengal in this regard.

(iii) Recommend measures for socio-economic upliftment, cultural recognition, and preservation of cultural heritage of Gorkhas in the region, and addressing their aspirations within the Constitutional framework.

It should be noted that interlocutor former Dy NSA Pankaj Kuma Singh (IPS) has been visiting the Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars region, and has held talks with various representatives here.

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Nepathya Live in Siliguri marks the band’s debut performance in the city, a moment long anticipated by audiences across North Bengal, Sikkim, and the Eastern Himalayan region – where Nepathya’s songs have circulated for years through recordings, memory, and cultural inheritance, but never before through a Siliguri stage

The concert will be held at Utsodhaara Teesta Township, behind Kawakhali Ground, placing Siliguri – often described as a gateway city – at the center of a rare cross-border cultural convergence.

The event is presented by PVE Network, Club Gravity, and Mainali International Human Resources. PVE Network – owner of the IP Let’s Get Loud India Series, which featured Sajjan Raj Vaidya – is also serving as the curator for the Siliguri project, framing the concert as part of a broader vision for culturally rooted, regionally significant live music platforms in eastern India.

Over the years, Nepathya has distinguished itself as one of the region’s most formidable live acts. The band has performed hundreds of concerts across Nepal, India, Australia, Europe, Japan, and North America, frequently drawing crowds in the tens of thousands. In Nepal, their open-air shows have repeatedly ranked among the largest ticketed live music events staged by a homegrown band, noted for disciplined sound, minimal spectacle, and a strong sense of collective participation.

According to Bikesh Kayastha, Founder of PVE Network, the decision to bring Nepathya to Siliguri was driven by a belief that audiences in this part of the country have long been underserved when it comes to landmark live performances.

“The idea of bringing Nepathya to Siliguri came from a simple conviction – that people in and around this region deserve to experience a band of this stature live,” Mr. Kayastha said. “This is about extending the live concert experience to the eastern side of the country and raising the benchmark for production and presentation, so the audience here receives the same quality of experience seen elsewhere.”

Early indicators suggest that the Siliguri concert’s appeal extends well beyond the city. Fans from parts of Bhutan and Nepal are expected to attend, while within India, a significant volume of early inquiries has come from Mumbai, Bengaluru, New Delhi, and across the Northeast region, reflecting Nepathya’s enduring resonance among urban and diasporic audiences alike.

Following the announcement, Early Bird tickets were released online and have seen rapid uptake, with only a limited number now remaining. Tickets are available via the District by Zomato App and Web.

In an era when live music is increasingly driven by scale and speed, Nepathya’s first appearance in Siliguri stands apart – arriving deliberately, and carrying with it the weight of geography, memory, and shared cultural history.

Event Details:
Event: Nepathya Live in Siliguri
Date: 28 February 2026
Venue: Utsodhaara Teesta Township, behind Kawakhali Ground, Siliguri
Presented By: PVE Network | Club Gravity | Mainali International Human Resources
Tickets: Early Bird tickets [limited availability] on District by Zomato App & Web

Note: For the first time, Nepathya bring their voice to Siliguri and we are honoured to be a part of their journey as a Media Partner.

We have not charged any money from the organisers or the band for the promotion, and are promoting the event as a mark of respect for the legendary Nepathya band.

The post Nepathya Live: For the First Time, Nepathya Bring Their Voice to Siliguri appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

This large-scale recruitment drive is for the appointment of Staff Nurses Grade-II across multiple categories.

Candidates interested can apply for the recruitment from 13 August 2025 on the board’s official website, www.hrb.wb.gov.in.

The application process will begin on 13 August 2025 (10:00 AM) and will remain open until 3 September 2025 (2:00 PM) through the official WBHRB website.

Please SHARE, someone in your timeline may benefit.

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PepsiCo, Coco-Cola, Kaisha Industries, Natural water Industries, Parle, Vinayaka Industries, Hornbill Industries, ITC, CG Foods, Perfetti Van Melle were revealed as the top 10 polluters of the Indian Himalayan Region for 2025 at the webinar ‘The Himalayan Cleanup Speaks: Insights to Action’ 8 August 2025 – Zero Waste Himalaya Day. The top polluters were identified through The Himalayan Cleanup audits were conducted across 8 mountain states in which 12500 volunteers cleaned 148 sites and audited 217854 plastic waste collected.

Zero Waste Himalaya and Integrated Mountain Initiative have been anchoring The Himalayan Cleanup since 2018, with a waste and brand audit to name the companies that pollute the Himalaya, and call them out to take responsibility for their plastic waste including designing out of the system. The call is also for the extended producer responsibility rule implementation with targeted focus for the Himalaya that recognises the importance and fragility of the landscape. 

The webinar’s context setting highlighted that existing policies and practices are not sensitive and sufficient to respond to the Himalayan waste crisis, and that there was a need to acknowledge the socio-ecological importance, fragility and challenges of the Himalaya. The need to shift the solution narrative beyond the broom, bin, landfill, burn and roll it downhill and to towards systemic solutions was stressed.The presentation on findings of THC 2025 by Ms. Priya Shrestha, member of Zero Waste Himalaya, highlighted that 217854 plastic waste collected was 93% of the total waste collected. 47% of the plastic waste collected was non-recyclable, thus challenging recycling as a complete solution. There has been a dramatic reduction in the   non-recyclable plastic collected in THC2025 compared to the past 6 years that needs a deeper trends analysis.  53% of plastic waste collected was recyclable and shows that the mountains are struggling with collecting and linking recyclable plastics for processing. 

Food packaging was consistently the highest trashed item at 93% of all plastics that shows the continued trend in the consumption of junk ultraprocessed food and the contribution of Big Food to the Himalayan waste crisis. 52% of food packaging audited was non-recyclable which highlights the limitations of recycling as a solution. 47.5 % of the food packaging was beverage bottles and 11% of it was the energy drink Sting, which had very high consumption among students, though it was not labelled as not recommended for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. While Sting still topped the list, THC2025 showed an increase in the number of energy drinks . The food and waste intersect was highlighted as very concerning for mountain communities, as there is clear evidence showing that junk ultraprocessed food and beverage to be the leading cause of non-communicable diseases and contributing to mental ill health.

Along with the top 10 polluters, Nimoj Industries, Parshuram Packaged Drinking Water, Nestle, Fresho Beverages, Linggi Lehmo Beverages, Haldirams, Pran, Dabur, Mondelez, Reliance were found in the top 20 companies polluting the Indian Himalayan Region from the Himalayan Cleanup 2025. While the top global and national brands have continued their presence as top polluters, THC2025 showed a big jump of local brands and bottled water brands that calls on targeted localised actions to reduce their plastic pollution. RK Paul Chawang, Amyaa – Arunachal Pradesh; Shirshendu S Das, Midway Journey – Assam; Kamlesh Rai, Biruwa – Darjeeling/Kalimpong; Abdul Rashid Bhatt, Kashmir University – Jammu & Kashmir; Preeti Chauhan, Little Green World -Leh Ladakh; Yoyung Shaiza, Enfogal – Manipur; Subhashish Dasgupta, MIMDI – Meghalaya; Mery Chakma, Mizoram Waste Solutions – Mizoram; Niksungla, Living for Environment – Nagaland; Tshering Uden Bhutia, KCC, Sikkim shared their key insights across the Indian Himalayan Region anchoring the THC2025 in their respective states and regions. While there is a need to look at the Himalaya with focussed urgency, contextual nuances across the IHR including local plastic brands and plastic used in religious spaces have to be factored in too in response to the waste crisis. These reflections also committed to taking THC insights as well as the Zero Waste Himalaya movement further into their states and regions through engagement with educational institutions, communities and Swachh Bharat Missions. 

Representatives of GAIA Ambily Adithyan and Break Free from Plastic Miko Alino responded to THC results and insights bringing in National, South Asia and Global perspectives. Miko stressed the need to go beyond the visual narrative of waste as well as end of life management issues and explore multiple pathways including legal and human rights to redress plastic pollution. Curb on production and systemic changes that also ensures a just transition was shared and put into perspective with global negotiations that are underway to end plastic pollution. Ambily shared her continued surprise about the amount of recyclables collected that shows challenges in mountain waste management systems which is not experienced in the big cities. She shared about the inclusion of mountains in the draft EPR policy that was submitted. The need for expanding allies in the health, wellbeing and front of packaging labelling was also expressed. 

Jigme Bhutia, MD SBM (Sikilkim) mentioned that THC had been instrumental in informing local waste management strategies and hoped that the demand of EPR would lead to meaningful outcomes.

Mr Ramesh Negi, President IMI in his closing remarks reiterated the Himalayan agenda and called out the need for mountain sensitive policies and allocation of adequate resources. He called out a development paradigm for the Himalaya that is not extractive and polluting and congratulated the organisers and volunteers of THC for their stewardship.

Mr RP Gurung, founding member of Zero Waste Himalaya and Integrated Mountain Initiative thanked all the participants and speakers for THC2025. He called out the launch of the Plastic Freedom Challenge 2025 where individuals go without plastic for a week coming out of THC as well as calling out Independence Day Celebrations to be plastic free.

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The ceremony was graced by two distinguished guests: Apoorv Om, an award-winning hearing and speech-impaired artist and activist, and Rita Mathur, affectionately known as the “Trekker Granny.” Their presence added an inspiring dimension to the occasion, underscoring the message that adventure knows no limits of ability or age.

Apoorv Om, a National Youth Awardee and Fit India Ambassador was celebrated for his remarkable achievement of completing a two-week specialized adventure and survival skills course at HMI. Despite his impairments, Apoorv demonstrated extraordinary determination, participating in activities such as rock climbing and other team-building exercises.

In his address, delivered through a sign language interpreter, Apoorv expressed profound gratitude to HMI Principal Group Captain Jai Kishan and the dedicated instructors for their innovative approach and unwavering support.

The event also honored the achievements of Rita Mathur who was the chief guest of the event, a 69-year-old trekking enthusiast whose exploits include scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, completing the Annapurna Circuit, and trekking to Everest Base Camp. As the Chief Guest, Rita shared her journey of defying age stereotypes and emphasized the importance of fitness and environmental stewardship in adventure.

Group Captain Jai Kishan, Principal of HMI, presented the graduation badges to the BIPARD participants, marking their successful completion of the rigorous course. He also handed over tokens of appreciation to Apoorv Om and Rita Mathur, recognizing their exceptional contributions to promoting inclusivity and adventure sports.

In his address, the Principal praised the graduates for their perseverance and urged them to carry forward the lessons of resilience and teamwork into their future endeavors.

The BIPARD graduation ceremony was not just a celebration of technical mountaineering skills but also a platform to spotlight the power of inclusion and determination. The event concluded with the message, “May you climb from peak to peak,” symbolizing the limitless opportunities that await those with the courage to explore.

The inspiring stories of Apoorv Om and Rita Mathur left an indelible mark on attendees, reminding all that the human spirit is capable of extraordinary achievements when supported by vision, dedication, and an inclusive environment.

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The PIL was directed against non-holding of municipal elections to three Hill municipalities of Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik for more than two years since the term of the last elected Board of Councillors expired in April 2022, without assigning any reason for such “inaction”.

The petitioner submitted that the process for holding elections was initiated in 2022 but was abruptly stopped for reasons best known to the state.

Initially the court was heard complaining that elections to other bodies, panchayats, cooperative societies and even student union councils had not been held in the state. They almost sounded helpless, against the non-compliance of their orders by the WB State administration.

Anand Bhandari the lawyer for the petitioner, drew the attention of the High Court (HC) to the SC judgement in Kishan Singh Tomar vs Municipal Corporation of Ahmedabad [case no: Appeal (civil) 5756 of 2005, where the appellant had filed a Writ of Mandamus to direct the Municipal Corporation of Ahmedabad and Gujarat State Election Commission to take necessary steps for holding elections for constituting the municipal corporation before the expiry of its duration.

The Bench of CJ Sivagnanam observed, the grievance expressed by the petitioner is fully justified and there can be no quarrel with the legal position that elections need to be conducted as per constitutional mandate.

The bench also observed that the Supreme Court, while dealing with the appeal in the mentioned case, took note of Article 243U of the Constitution which deals with duration of municipalities.

The Supreme Court judgment reads, “… for the independent and effective functioning of the State Election Commission, where it feels that it is not receiving the cooperation of the concerned State Government in discharging its constitutional obligation of holding the elections to the Panchayats or Municipalities within the time mandated in the Constitution, it will be open to the State Election Commission to approach the High Courts, in the first instance, and thereafter the Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus or such other appropriate writ directing the concerned State Government to provide all necessary cooperation and assistance to the State Election Commission to enable the latter to fulfill the constitutional mandate.”

HC observed: “Despite the constitutional mandate and the observation of the Supreme Court, we find that the State of West Bengal has not taken any action to hold elections and form Board of Councillors for Kurseong and Kalimpong municipalities, and Mirik notified area.”

The court directed the Principal Secretary of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department to consider the representation of the petitioner and “take a proper and legal decision bearing in mind constitutional mandate and the Supreme Court decision”.

“It is high time the state notifies the election to be conducted. The directions shall be complied with within six weeks from the date of order. The authority should also take note of the mandate under the relevant provisions of the West Bengal Municipal Act, 1993,” the court ordered.

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Darjeeling Nurse Allege Assault in Cooch Behar’s JNMCH, this is the second time such an incident has happened in this very hosppital

In a shocking incident, senior nurse from Darjeeling Sr. N. Tamang, who is currently posted in the Maharaja Jirendra Narayan Medical College and Hospital, Cooch Behar was physically assaulted and verbally abused by a first year PGT Dr. Vivek Raj.

According to the nurses we have spoken to, this is what had happened

“Sister N. Tamang who is a trade II Staff Nurse was serving in the Female Medical Ward, where interns and lab technicians had failed to draw me blood of one patient. So Sr. N Tamang approached Dr. Vivek to draw the patients blood.

This apparently offended Dr. Vivek, who apparently said that it is not his job to draw the blood. He said that it is to be done by sister or nurses only. After which he said “Mey sab intern ko utha lunga” in Hindi. This lead to verbal exchance of words between the sister and the doctor.

Infuriated, the Doctor allegedly first pushed Sr. N Tamang in the chest and then kicked her. He even used the word prostitute and r**di as well. He allegedly went on a rampage and used filthy language against the sister, calling her, “behen ka lauda, madarchod, mar dunga.”

It was only after the intervention by security guards and another doctor Dr. Kamal, that Dr. Vivek could finally be restrained.

When the other senior nurses and confronted that doctor infront of the authority he tried to hit her again in front of everyone. “He is not ashamed and unapologetic for what he has done” said a nurse, who was visibly shocked at the doctor’s behaviour.

The Nurses then approached the senior doctors on duty, who have been caught on camera laughing off the trauma faced by Sr. N Tamang.

The nurses then went to file a formal complaint with the police. That is when the hospital authorities sent a circular announcing the formation of a committee to inquire into the incident.

We spoke to the MSVP of MJN Hospital Dr. Rajiv Prasad, who said that, “we have formed an inquiry committee to look into the allegations, the committee comprises of Nursing Staff, Female Medical Officer and senior doctors, they will submit us the report within the next 72-hours, we will take action following the report submitted by the inquiry committee. Since the doctors have another version, we will wait for the report.”

When we stated that we have on video, a witness stating she saw the doctor kick and assault the nurse, Dr. Prasad said, “we will conduct thorough inquiry. We will conduct proper inquiry and take action, rest assured, there will be no injustice.”

When asked about senior doctors visibly smirking on video, Dr. Prasad said, “he is a very senior, and renowned doctor of our hospital, he does not mean to take the issue lightly.””

Meanwhile, Sr. N Tamang is traumatized after being assaulted in her own hospital, by a doctor.

A nurse from Kalimpong had been assaulted in this same hospital in 2021. No action has been taken against the perpetrators of that assault as well. It is obvious, the hospital authorities and the WB Health Department have failed to protect our Sisters. The authorities should take the strictest of action against the offending doctor. The nurses should feel safe in the hospital they work in, they should not have to fear assault, least of all from the doctor, who seems to have massive behavioural issues.

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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. ITRA is a USA based non-profit association, established by technical rescue practitioners for technical rescue practitioners. They provide global recognition of technical rescue practitioners including instructors.

The course, Swiftwater Responder Course is a highly sought-after course by life-savers across the world. The course comprises of various modules that train rescuers in various avenues of rescuing people from a fast flowing river. Please note that, we don’t have any such courses in our region, and the Teesta Rangeet Rescue Centre volunteers are probably the first trained rescuers from Darjeeling-Sikkim region.

The training was undertaken in Marsyangdi River in Nepal, under the trainer Vishnu Gurung, an international expert in Swiftwater Resuce and Response.

From our region, three individuals had been selected Sajan Dukpa, Sagar Basor, and Sangdup Sherpa. The trainees were taught various techniques related to rescuing people from the river, use of various boats and equipments, and technical knowledge for planning and conducting resuce operations in the river.

Corresponding with TheDC, Ms. Shanti Rai of the TRRC said, “I am so thankful to SP Aparajita Madam, who recognized the work we were doing, and the need for training. Without her personal initiative and help, we would have not been aware of such useful course.”

“I am so grateful to the instructor Vishnu Gurung ji who himself spent hours in the river to train our volunteers. While many others may have felt more comfortable teaching from the sidelines, Vishnu Sir was so hands-on. It was great to see an expert imparting their knowledge in such a practical manner” Shanti added.

It might be reminded that volunteers from the Teesta Rangeet Rescue Centre played a vital role in rescuing people during the recent Teesta Flashfloods, and any support to them is a support to humanity.

We thank SP Kalimpong Aparajita Ma’am, and thank her for taking the personal initiative to help our brave rescuers. We hope other government officials too take an inspiration from your dedication in ensuring a better Kalimpong and Darjeeling region.

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The case concerns a three storied building constructed by one Mohammad Saifulla, son of Sheikh Jahiruddin of Topkhana, 11 Mile, Ward No. 7, Kalimpong. This construction was challenged by Sh. Bir Bahadur Blon, a retuired school teacher, who claimed that the construction was done on his ancestral land.

On the 2nd of July, 2020 the Kalimpong Municipality had issued a “Stop Work” notice. Citing this, Justice Arindam Mukherjee of the Calcutta High Court had ordered for Kalimpong Municipal authorities to complete the enquiry as to the legality of the construction within a period of six months.

However, it later turned out that the construction had continued, and Kalimpong Municipality failed to produce the enquiry report in the stipulated time. The petitioner B.B Blon had then filed a writ peition asking for court’s intervention. Justice Suvra Ghosh of Calcutta High Court had then ordered the Chairman of Kalimpong Municipality to comply with the previsous order within one month.

During the course of enquiry, it was found that the building was illegally constructed. Despite one year given to Mohammad Saifulla to dismantle the illegal construction, no action had been taken.

Hearing into this case Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of Calcutta High Court passed the following order today, “I direct the Kalimpong Municipality to demolish the illegal part of the construction, for which admittedly no permission was taken from the Municipality, by 12 mid- night today. The Municipality is given liberty to use bulldozer to demolish the illegal construction in this regard. This court requires a report as to compliance of the order day after tomorrow when it will appear in the list and will be taken up at 1.15 p.m.”

Despite our attempts we could not contact Kalimpong Municipality Authorities or Mohammad Saifulla for their comments.

Will the illegal construction be demolished finally? that awaits to be seen.

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Aiming at attracting tourists flocking to the hills for the annual festival introduced last year, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) will also introduce an evening joyride service of the heritage toy train on weekends during the festival to be held from November 12 to December 5, NFR Katihar Divisional Railway Manager SK Choudhury said.

“The festival at Ghoom station by DHR will have cultural programmes and performances by local and outside artists and visitors will also be able to buy products and savour the hills’ cuisine from stalls there,” he told PTI.

He said that DHR, which runs 12 joyrides on the Darjeeling-Ghoom-Darjeeling route daily during daytime, will introduce an evening service after sundown which will run on weekends during the three week-long festival.

“The evening joyride is aimed at the tourists who will be going to Darjeeling for the Ghoom festival,” Choudhury said.

Ghoom, the sleepy hill station, as is signified by its name, is situated around nine kilometres before Darjeeling town when one travels from Siliguri in the plains and is situated at an elevation of 7,300 feet, which is around 600 metres above the queen of hills.

Though every day of the festival will be packed with various programmes, the weekends will feature special shows as footfall of tourists go up then, he said.

The DRM said that there will also be talent hunt programmes for local singers and dancers during the festival.

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