Search Results for Darjeeling

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Review Meeting – A Political Masterstroke or a Bureaucratic Gaffe?

After a hard fought andolan of 4-years from 2007 to 2011, finally the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Agreement was signed between the Center, WB Govt and GJM representatives. The invitation, specifically to GJM is clearly for the resumption of the dialogue from where the center had left it in 2011. The File Number at the top of the letter, F.NO. 12013/01/2011-SR is a dead giveaway. In probability the invitation wasn’t sent to other political parties, as they were not a part of the GTA Agreement.


Padmashri Ren. Sonam Tshering Lepcha – In Memorium

On the 14th of October 1960, Ren. Sonam became the first among Lepcha people to air his voice on All India Radio. In 1963, he staged his first Musical, “Teesta Rangeet” in Lepcha language. He has composed and compiled numerous Lepcha songs, researched on Lepcha musical instruments, and presented dance-dramas based on Lepcha folklore. He has also published “Vom Jat Ling Chhyo”, a book of Lepcha folk songs in 2011.


Latpanchar – Lessons in Citizen Science and Community Stewardship

The village community shares a deep connection with the surrounding forests and the biodiversity it harbours. They have been documenting the natural history of the region for several years now. Some tourist guides from Latpanchar have called for the need to design and implement strict tourism guidelines to ensure minimal disturbance to wildlife and promote ethical tourism practices.


7-reasons Why Bamboo Shoots Are Good for Our Health

A fresh bamboo shoot has significant amount of vitamins A, B6, C and E as well as calcium, potassium, niacin, iron, folate, copper, zinc, selenium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and thiamine. Shoots also contain phytochemicals such as lignans and phenolic acids which have anti-cancer, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.


Gorkhaland and The Kalimpong Massacre – July 27th, 1986

The Kalimpong Massacre is a pivotal moment in the history of Darjeeling, and literally marks the day when our beautiful, peaceful, silent, and tolerant hills lost its innocence. The anger which was given birth on July 27th, 1986… ended up engulfing all of the hills, Terai and Dooars. Thousands of youth lost their lives, thousands of mothers lost their sons and daughters, thousands of wives became widows and thousands of children became orphans.


Coping During a Pandemic: A Positive Psychology Perspective

We are currently facing the worst pandemic ever, the COVID19. Around late January 2020, we were just getting to know about a certain virus that has hit China, and little did we think it would be knocking our doors too. The World Health Organization announced the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020 and declared it as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. Since then numerous countries have reported thousands of cases and deaths and the number still continues to rise.


The Board Results – Embarking on a Journey

A week back, the results of different board exams (both 10th and 12th) were out, and many students have panned out with flying colours. I express my joy in your success and doff my hat with respect for the effort invested in the studies. The limelight that you have drawn as an outcome of your hard work is worth the endeavour. The result might have come as a relief, amidst the anxiety that looms large, and the hard times caused by COVID19.


Deepankar Waiba – A Musical Bureaucrat

Deepankar Waiba is a WBCS officer and a very talented artist too. A trained economist, he is a painter, musician, singer and a composer he comes from Munsong, a gorgeous but very remote place in rural Kalimpong. He has struggled hard to make a mark for himself, this is his story.


His Name is Dharmendra Singh, and He is Not a Nepali

A statement issued by Varanasi police says that the person whose head was tonsured lives in a govt quarter of the Water Resource department in Bhelpur in Varanasi. Both his parents used to work in the department, and now his brother is an employee of the department. The police also state that his family and his forefathers had no connection with Nepal.


Reflections in the Times of COVID19

It is appalling to reflect how things unfold, causing fear across the globe, petrifying individuals to the core, and making people skeptical of others’ well-being. Things might have turned out to be so in the glare of COVID19; however, the situation was not of this seven months ago. When I think of all these eventualities, nestle in my quarantined space, at home, I look around to find a warm environment: lush green plants, panoramic view of the hills and tea gardens, occasionally a glimpse of the majestic mountains at five in the morning, and the erratic tantrums of the weather―clear in the morning, then the blanket of fog parading over the hills in a stealthy routine followed by spasmodic drizzle. This exquisite being of Nature and my quarantined state cozily bulwark me from the deathly situation out there, but the thought keeps striking a chord, on my mind, of what transpired all this time.