Back in 2017, when the agitation of Gorkhaland was going strong. People were killed, jailed, the internet was banned but the hope then was strong. At least for me- I had an entrance exam at Shillong. A good escape from the reality of being inept to the land, which I loved the most.
For many TheDC might just be a page and a website posting news. But if you look deeper enough, it is a voice – yours, mine and everyone else’s. It represents independence, freedom and truth even when there have been uncountable attempts to shut it down and destroy it. It represents hope to endure, with nothing in hand but a pen, passion, an idea and the truth.
Much has been said and written about the so-called ‘Permanent Political Solution’ from many quarters. There are online discussions, zoom meetings, and political rallies galore, on ‘Permanent Political Solution’ (PPS). Some seem to believe it will be the panacea to all the issues confronting our region and people, while others believe it will be just another ‘Hawa-Mithai’.
I came to Darjeeling for my college 10 years back and one of my dear friends who was staying in Darjeeling for many years gives me a tip on the first day that was “you cannot predict and trust the weather in Darjeeling it is unpredictable ” anytime it can be rainy, sunny, cold, windy and so on”. It was very hard for me to understand until I went to Lebong to watch the Gold cup match on a very sunny day and ended up seeing fog most of the time, and the players and football only occasionally.
Darjeeling is a land blessed with music, “Educators” continue with the glorious musical traditions of our land. Different from the recent deluge of “Folk-Pop” that has dominated the Nepal music scenario, we are happy to introduce the “Educators”, a band that is rooted in rock. “Educators” are a Nepali rock band formed in 2018. All the band members are teachers at Turnbull Higher Secondary School, Darjeeling. The band is influenced by rock and the new wave of Nepali heavy metal and soft rock music. They like to experiment with music by blending mainstream traditional concepts with rock/soft rock genres.
एकदिन दुईजना गाईचोर एउटा ग्वाला को घर गाई चोर्न गएछ। एउटा चोरले गाईको घिच्रोमा बाँधेको घण्टी खोलेर त्यसलाई बजाउँदै पूर्वतिर लागेछ। अर्को चोर गाई लिएर पश्चिमतिर लागेछ। ग्वाला भने अत्तालिएर घण्टी बोक्ने चोर भएतिर दौरेछ। ग्वाला को गाई तो चोरे चोरे, तर त्यसलाई मूर्ख पनि बनाई राखेछ, चोरले।
Unable to understand his flow of thought, I ask him to explain and he goes, “Haina… think about it… there are many wives who get beaten up black and blue by their husbands on an almost daily basis… the whole village advises the wife to dump that piece of shit, yet they don’t leave their husbands and walk out… every once in a while when the abuse is extreme, the wife determines to leave… but finally stays back… she has her logic, she thinks of her children if they have one, she thinks of the little sense of security she gets in the familiar surroundings and hopes in the hearts of her heart that her abusive husband will change for the better… after extreme violence the husband too calms down for a few days, and tries to appease the wife with a few goodies and some words of love… but, eventually the man turns abusive again and the cycle continues…”
There is an election atmosphere all over the state now and preparations are in full swing in our constituency as well. All the political parties are trying to attract people in their own way. This time, as usual, some issues were left out – either no one discussed them and no one even included them in the manifesto. They concern the matter of “child protection against abuse ” and welfare of Youths has not found mention in the political discourse.
राजनीतिमा कुनै स्थायी शत्रु पनि हुँदैनन अनि स्थायी मित्र पनि रहँदैनन। भारतीय राजनीतिमा यस्ता अनेकौं घटनाक्रमहरू दिनोंदिन हावी बन्दै जॉदैछ। एक समय आफनो घोर बिरोधीको…
“Prudent Voters Can See the Change in the Horizon” argues our guest contributor Ranjan Sharma* in this election special article In a democracy, the citizens…