Culture of Peace Research Support is very significant to us, as it is also a reflection of the growing influence of our century-old movement and its narrative asserting that we are culturally, ethnically and linguistically different from Bengal and its people  Dr. Binu Sundas

Our demand and agitation for separation from West Bengal and the creation of Gorkhaland state has been ongoing for more than 100 years now. We justify this based on distinct cultural and ethnic identities. We have, at the same time, also argued that we have a closer cultural and ethnic affinity to the states of the Northeast.  Based on this second argument, there have been proponents who have also asked the Government of India to make special provisions in the Constitution for the inclusion of our region into the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. But all these years, our efforts have fallen on deaf ears.

Moving beyond the non-material reasons for the separation from Bengal and the inclusion in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, our region has suffered from underdevelopment to no development. The grievances of the people of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts have been the step-motherly treatment meted out to us by the Government of West Bengal. We do not have ownership of our resources. It is appropriated by the West Bengal government under the pretext of taxes and the use of the material as well as the non-material resources is constantly under surveillance. Forest, land, rivers and everything associated with it are used to harness economic benefits for the state and nothing in return comes to the region or the people.

Had we been part of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, which has taken the responsibility to accelerate the region’s socio-economic development by planning, execution and monitoring of various schemes to develop the region, we would had been a prosperous region with the forest, tea, timber and hydro power resources that are there in our disposal. Under the tutelage of the above Ministry, we would have reached the potential we have. However, being part of the state of West Bengal, we are excluded from all the benefits of the Ministry and the state is not concerned with our socio-economic and political welfare. The West Bengal government’s Tea Tourism and Allied Business Policy, 2019, which allows 15 percent of the tea garden’s land to be used for tourism and associated businesses, is reflective of the exploitation and marginalization of our region by the state. This Policy has been recently amended to allow for 30 percent of the land to be used for tourism purposes.

The country as a whole is oblivious of what has been happening in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. They are ignorant of the history of the region and the people and fall into the trap of the dominant narrative set by the state of West Bengal and many of its intelligentsia. It is also due to our shortsightedness. Our advocacy regarding our demand and movement has always remained limited to the political sphere. Other spheres were not considered to be significant in the effort to achieve our goal. Neither institutions nor organisations- governmental or non-governmental came forward to support or understand our issue. The rallying of these organisations, I understand, is very important for our movement. They can change and create a favourable environment in the nation for our movement. They could have helped us not only by building narratives through their contacts but could also have used their moral suasion to appeal to the government’s sense of right or wrong.

The advertisement for the research grant for the Culture of Peace research programme by Zubaan in collaboration with Heinrich Boll Stiftung becomes significant to us. It is open to applicants from the eight Northeastern states, along with those from Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. The advertisement further states that our region has been included as a contiguous region. Though the institutions do not have any political reasons for our region’s inclusion but for us it is politically a very significant development.  It indicates that certain organisations, have started to understand that our region’s inclusion is of paramount importance to establish the continuity of the northeast region. Further, it is also an indication that some actors have come to the understanding that people from Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong lack support and need to be supported. Finally, this advertisement is also a reflection of the growing influence of our century-old movement and its narrative asserting that we are culturally, ethnically and linguistically different from Bengal and its people, and that this distinction is gaining legitimacy.  

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The B. Ed course is designed to train the aspiring teachers through these very important domains. As such, the National Council for Teacher Education prescribes the possession of the B. Ed degree as one of the essential requirements for a candidate to be appointed as a teacher.

But, sadly enough, what was devised to usher a revolution in the process of teaching and learning, has potentially resulted in a nexus of corruption and forgery. There are growing concerns voiced by education stakeholders that the B. Ed course could amount to the largest number of fraudulent degrees in states like West Bengal.

This becomes more relevant to us as the hill region produces a large proportion of the teaching aspirants, a lot of whom are becoming a part of this nexus to fulfil their basic requirement.

What is more surprising is that the irregularity isn’t being carried out under the blanket, but blatantly and in broad daylight.

Allegations from various quarters, students, teachers, civil society point to practices where Teacher Training colleges, in places like Murshidabad, Malda and Birbhum are handing out degrees, without requiring the candidates to attend any classes. Reports suggest that certain private institutions may be operating by charging hefty fees from the students to enroll them into the B. Ed course, and in turn students don’t have to attend classes or even complete their internship. They just have to visit there for a couple days every semester to write the examination, and the rest of the work is done by the management. That is all that the students need to do. Just in over 4 rounds of visit to the institution, a regular B. Ed degree is ready for them.

The process of recruitment in these colleges are run through a network of intermediaries or “agents”, who reportedly assist candidates with admissions to certain institutions. These “agents” are said to be either the ex-students of such institues or run some kind of educational consultancy. They are allegedly given a certain amount of “cut-money” per student for the enrollment. The posters advertising these courses run all over Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The advertisers don’t put the name of the college in the posters, but just the name of the place or town.

The audacity, however, to brag that they can provide the degree without the candidates to be having to attend the classes has always gone beyond my comprehension.

The Enforcement Directorate has previously alleged that the Education Ministry officials and former Minister of Education in West Bengal Partha Chatterjee took bribes to give licence to B.Ed colleges across the state.

In 2023, the West Bengal government has cancelled the approval of 253 colleges of the state’s 624 private B.Ed colleges after investigations revealed anomalies and mal-practice at these institutions. However, recent reports suggest that such practices are continuing in many institutions across the state.

Assam government initiated scrutiny of B.Ed and D. El.Ed degrees awarded by universities in West Bengal, following allegations and complaints of universities in West Bengal issuing such degrees illegally.

Most of the candidates obtaining these degrees are simultaneously working elsewhere. Many are already teaching, even in Government schools across the hills (or at least there have been cases). Their attendance and their salaries both have been running simultaneously. Later the same “regular” degree gets accepted by the same Employer, including the Government, pursued in the same period that they were paying them their salaries in full.

The question is not if these institutions are having a free hand on the course and the degree, but the question is that is the authority unaware about it? Or will they be the last one to know? Or is it a willful neglect or rather acceptance?

If the degrees are so readily available in the market, distributed easily to those who can pay the price – why to even care about making it an essential requirement for recruitment.

The situation is so bleak that even Calcutta High Court had to express their frustration over widespread irregularities in B.Ed College Admissions in West Bengal

In a state where most of the things under the purview of education has been under severe scrutiny, does this not add to the sense of willful negligence? Are the hundreds of people who are graduating every year from these institutions actually even trained??

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We, the CONCERNED YOUTH OF HILLS, would like to draw your attention towards one of the well known yet least cared issues of the hills of Darjeeling and Kalimpong (GTA region) : the problem plaguing the education system in the hills.

We all are well aware about the crucial role a good education system plays in shaping a good society. A well educated individual in any society is an asset who will go on to help in building a society, a state and the nation.

However, the current situation of the hills as to the subject matter is grim and gloomy. Few issues that we would like you to look into includes :

1. It has been more than two decades since the hills saw any official and formal form of teacher recruitment. The last time the hills had a recruitment agency was in 2000.
2. Present recruitment of the teachers are being carried out on the basis of the political party affiliation of the candidate.
3. Most of the candidates so nominated are not even eligible to teach as they lack required educational qualifications like B.Ed. or D.I. Ed., thus clearly violating the norms set by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE ).

All these issues and problems will ultimately have severe repercussions on the quality of education that a child receives. When quality is compromised parents (especially the poor ones) are likely to find it pointless in sending the children to schools reducing enrollment of the children.

This will clearly go against article 21(a) of the Indian constitution which provides for right to free and compulsory education to the children from age 6- 14 years.

Moreover, at the time when the government is trying to increase the enrollment ratio in schools such situation will act as a drag to the initiative.

Furthermore, article 16(i) of the constitution provides for the right to equal opportunities in employment. But when the education received itself is of poor quality how will right under the article play out is also a serious concern.

Therefore, considering all these issues and its consequences, we would like to place before you a sincere request to kindly look into these matters urgently. We would be more than happy to be included and provide our support in whatever plans and initiatives that you will devise to address these issues.

Thanking you,

Sincerely
Concerned Youth of Hills

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In their memorandum to the Chief Minister, the members of WBCUPA has alleged that arrears of ROPA 2019 and of Career Advancement Schemes and other promotions, amounting to more than Rupees Six Crore, are due to the teachers and other staff members across hill colleges in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.

As GTA is responsible for the administration of the colleges within its jurisdiction, the memorandum has highlighted GTA’s failure to release the arrears: “The GTA on their part claims that they receive a consolidated budget from which they can only pay the salary and are in no position to release the arrears.”

It is interesting to note that while the teachers in the colleges in the plains have already received their ROPA and other arrears, their counterparts in the hill colleges have struggled to trace and claim their share of arrears and other benefits.

A teacher from Sonada College, speaking on condition of anonymity, claims, “Our arrears are pending since a long long time, some since more than a decade. However, so far no one knows about our arrears. We have written to concerned authorities but to no avail. The GTA claims it has not received arrears from the state government, while those in Bikash Bhawan (headquarter of college education in Bengal) say they released our money long back. At the end we are the losers.”

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It must be remembered that ever since the emergence of GJMM as a dominant hill party piggybacking on the sentimental issue of Gorkhaland, the issue had been made poll plank even at the Municipality elections, and all the logic-defying citizens continued to vote despite knowing that the Parliament is the only appropriate forum to address their aspirations. Like rats dancing to the tune of Pied Piper, hill people continued to blindly follow the so-called Gorkhaland leaders who could even prophesize the date of state formation unbeknownst to New Delhi.

Between 2007 and 2017, anyone criticizing the GJMM party or exercising democratic rights by showing allegiance to TMC would amount to a sort of seditious act. It was only in 2017 that the party thought it was opportune time to press ahead with the Gorkhaland agitation under the garb of linguistic imperialism for the state government had just imposed the Bengali language to be compulsorily taught in schools across the state, the order that it rescinded later on.

The fall out of this ill-conceived, strategy-less agitation is before all of us to see amidst the exchange of tirades between the two warring factions of GJMM. What has been more painful, demoralizing than the failure of agitation itself is the manner in which the GJMM leadership cowered before the CM Miss Mamta Banarjee, once their bete noire. Their political gambit of allying with TMC by seriously compromising the century-old emotive issue of Gorkhaland has not gone down well with the large section of the conscientious population who value self-esteem above political manipulation.

The upcoming assembly election comes as an acid test for the leaders of both GJMM factions to redeem their political image from being compromised leaders who can’t strike an honorable bargain with the state government. After all, by eating their own words, backtracking their resolve, common people are feeling being cheated and opine that their allegiance to the state government has been more of a Faustian bargain since they all have traded the century-old martyrs’ dream of a separate state against their immunity from nagging legal cases arising from the ill-conceived agitations.

However equally irksome has been the silence and lethargy of the BJP in according tribal status to the eleven Gorkha communities and working towards the vaguely defined permanent political solution. Hill people still feel let down by the saffron party despite helping it win in three successive general elections from the constituency and are still sluggishly hopeful that it would deliver something positive in the interest of the region.

It is in this catch 22 situation that the Hills has been caught now, and the denizens would be cautiously going through their manifestoes, being partly sentimental in choosing the lesser of evils would be the only political choice left for all. Only on May 2, would we be knowing if the Faustian bargain has really struck a chord or not with the hill citizens.

Writes – Saakal Ulysses Dewan

The post West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021- Faustian Bargain for Hills appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

पछिल्लो केही समय यता पहाडको राजनैतिक परिभेष संदिग्ध अवस्थामा छ । केही शंकास्पद, अलिकति मधुरो केही अपुग । यस्तो लाग्छ, स्थिति कुनै अज्ञात शक्तिको नियन्त्रणमा छ जहाँ पुनः एकपटक आशंकाहरु जुर्मुराएर उठ्ने तर्खरमा लागेका छन अनि नेता – जनता दुवै वास्तविकतासँग परिचित हुन डराइरहेछ ।

राजनीतिमा केही नभएर पनि जोडदारको चर्चा भने भइरहने ठाउँ हो दार्जिलिङ । अन्त – अन्ततिर पुगेपछि शुरुदेखी पहल गर्नु पर्छ भन्छ यहाँको राजनीतिले। नेताहरुद्वारा भइरहने अज्जब – गज्जबको बयानबाजीसँग जनता आश्वस्त छन् । यहाँ राजनीति हुँद्दामा हिड्छ डरले पनि अनि करले पनि । आज अन्कटारको कष्ट भोगेर भोलि बिर्सिदिन्छन मानौँ हिजो केही भएकै थिएन यसैकारण पनि यहाँ प्रश्नहरुले टाउको ठाडो पार्दैन बरु गुमनाम बनेर कुनै गल्लिको एकान्तमा एक्लै बर्बराई बस्छ, गनगन गरिबस्छ।

त्यसो त पहाडसँग जटिल, विकट र नितान्तै आवश्यक मुद्दाहरूको भरमार छन् जसको चर्चा पनि प्रायः नै भइरहन्छ तर निष्कर्ष सबै शून्य । नेताहरुलाई विश्वास छ मुल मुद्दाको समाधान भए अन्य झिनामसिना मुद्दाहरु आफै साम्य भएर जानेछ तर मुल मुद्दाको समाधान कहिले र कसरी गरिने उनिहरुसँग न जवाब छ न रणनीति ।

बढो चतुर्‍याइँसँग भाजपाले नाम दिएको छ ‘स्थायी राजनैतिक समाधान’। थाह छैन त्यो राजनैतिक समाधानको स्वरूप कस्तो हुनेछ अनि कतिसम्म क्षमतावान हुनेछ । यसले संवैधानिक अधिकारहरुलाई मान्यता दिन्छ कि दिँदैन चिन्हारीको संकटलाई सम्बोधन गर्छ कि गर्दैन, किन भने दागोपाप र जिटिए पनि पहाडको राजनैतिक उथलपुथललाई साम्य गरिने कोशिश नै थियो ।
दागोपापदेखी जिटिएसम्म आइपुग्दाको अनुभवलाई बटुलेर नेताहरु दावी गर्छन् ‘केन्द्र सरकारको स्थायी समाधान बंगालबाट छुट्टै कुनै व्यवस्था नै हो ।’ केन्द्रको संज्ञानमा आइसकेपछि अनि जब यो समाधानको भौगोलिक अवस्थान निर्क्योल गरिसकेपछि फेरि उनीहरु मुद्दालाई केलाउन, खोतल्न, निफन्न, जोखाना हेराउनमा किन व्यस्त छन यो कुरा अपच्य छ । चर्चा जहाँ र जुन स्तरमा हुनु पर्ने त्यो भइरहेको छैन अनि जे गरिन जरुरत छैन त्यो गरिरहँदा यि अन्योलपुर्ण गतिविधिआई सजिलैसँग डाइजेस्ट गर्न नसकिने कुरा पनि हो ।

कार्यप्रणाली चरणबद्ध तालिकामा कार्यन्वन भइरहेको देखिएको छैन । दिल्ली पुगिसकेको मुद्दालाई पहाड मै छलफल गरिबस्दा त्यो निष्कर्ष विहिन मात्र होइन सेलाएर पनि जाने सम्भावना हुन्छ । भाजपाको बन्द संकल्प पत्रभित्रबाट झिकाएर मुद्दालाई सदनको टेबलसम्म पुर्याउनुमा दिमाग र शक्ती खर्चिनु पर्ने हो न कि अन्य सन्दर्भहरुतर्फ ध्यान मोडेर मुल बिषयबाट विमुख भइरहनु पर्ने । स्थायी राजनीतिक समाधानको स्वरूप जे नै भए तापनि सर्वप्रथम यसको सार्वजनिकरण हुन जरुरी छ ।

गत लोकसभा चुनावपछिको यो समयलाई गोर्खाको लामो सघर्षको सन्दर्भमा धेरै अनुकुल पनि मान्न सकिन्छ । केन्द्रमा भाजपाको सरकार अनि सरकार बहुमतमा हुनु , क्षेत्रमा गोर्खा भाजपा सांसद अनि दार्जिलिङको विधायक भाजपाको हुनु , पहाडका प्राय जस्तो राजनैतिक दलहरुमा गठबन्धन अनि ती गठबन्धन भाजपाको घटक दलहरु हुनु , सम्भवत पहाडको पक्षमा यति सकारात्मक संकेत यो नै पहिलोपटक पनि हुनुपर्छ ।

अब प्रश्न उठ्छ, यति अनुकूल समयको सदुपयोग हुन किन सकिरहेको छैन ? स्टेयरिङ्ग कमिटी गठन हुन नसक्नुको कारण के हो?

गठबन्धनको धर्म पालन नगर्नुमा कुनै एक दललाई मात्र जिम्मेवार ठहर्याउन सकिन्दैन । चुनावको लगत्तै पश्चात गोरामुमोको भाका फेराई अनि गोजमुमोको ( बिमलपन्थी) आफुन्जे प्रवृतीले गठबन्धनका दुई टाउँके दलहरुको नैतिकतामा संदेह देखा परेको हो । जब दलहरु समुहमा बाँधिन्छन भने कुनै पनि मुद्दा स्वतः सामुहिक हुने कुरा हो । फरक मुद्दाको निम्ति फरक प्रतिक्रिया हुनु अस्वभाविक होइन तर जब सबै दलहरुको लक्ष एउटै हो भने यसमा फरक गतिविधिले आपस्तमा मनमुटाव सृजना गर्नु स्वभाविक हुन्छ जुन अनुशासनलाई प्रत्येक दलले ध्यानमा राख्नु अनिवार्य हुँदछ ।

गोर्खाको पक्षमा भाजपा सरकारको नीति संतोषजनक छैन यो कुरा विगतमा कैयौं पटक प्रष्ट भइसकेको छ । केन्द्रको कुटनैतिक जञ्जालमा बारम्बार फसिसकेको गोर्खाहरुलाई आफ्नो शासकीय चालमा लोल्याई राख्नुमा दिल्ली माहिर छ । आफ्नै चुनावी घोषण पत्रमा स्थायी राजनैतिक समाधान उल्लेख गर्ने भाजपाले जिटिएको रिभ्युको निम्ति वार्ता डाक्नु कुनै तकनिकी गडबडी वा अवस्थानको उचित जानकारी नभएर हो भन्ने सोच्नु हास्यास्पद सिवाय अरु केही होइन । देशको कुना-कुनामा गिद्दे नजर गाडेर बसेको भाजपा सरकारले दार्जिलिङको अवस्था भाप्नुमा कुनै गल्ती गर्न सक्दैन ।

‘स्थायी समाधान’ जस्तो रहस्यमयी नाममा नै केन्द्रको कुट्निती झल्कन्छ जहाँ एकातिर पहाडलाई थुम्थुम्याई राख्न सकियोस् अर्कोतिर बंगालको सिंहासनसम्म पुग्ने मार्गमा पनि कुनै बाधा उत्पन्न नहोस् ।

केन्द्रको यहीँ कुट्नितीलाई काट्न सक्ने रणनीतिको निर्माण आजको समयको मांग हो तर यसको ठिक विपरीत गठबन्धन दलहरु बीचका मनोमालिन्यता र दलहरुका असमर्थताले केन्द्रको यहीँ दुबिधालाई दुर गर्न सहयोग गरिरहेको छ भन्दा गलत हुने छैन ।

केन्द्रको संज्ञानमा आइसकेको मुद्दालाई अघि बढाउन स्टेयरिङ्ग कमिटी त्यो प्लेटफार्म पनि हो जहाँबाट सरकारलाई चाप दिन सके त्यो असरदार साबित हुन सक्छ । कमिटी गठन हुन नसक्नुमा अहिलेसम्म कुनै नेताले तथ्यपुर्ण कारण प्रस्तुत गर्न सकेको छैन ।

यो पनि हो कि मुद्दाको मामिलामा स्टेयरिङ्ग कमिटी एक मात्र औजार र अन्तिम विकल्प होइन तर आउने दिनहरुको निम्ति सर्वभारतिय स्तरमा एउटा विराट मन्चमा एकमुष्ट शक्ति जुटाउँने यो पहिलो र प्रभावकारी पहल हुन सक्छ ।

जनताको नजरमा आपस्तमा सहमती बनिनै नसक्ने बाध्यता कुनै पनि राजनैतिक दलहरुसँग छैन यदि कुनै कारण छ भने किन नेताहरूले आफू गठबन्धनमा रहेको दावी गरिरहेको छ ? आखिर गठबन्धनको चलखेल कुन र कस्तो शक्तिको नियन्त्रणमा छ ? अन्य विषय र कुराहरू खोतलेर मुल मुद्दाबाट जनताको ध्यान हटाउँने षड्यन्त्र भइरहेको हो त ? के यो सुनोयोजित षड्यन्त्र त होइन ? चुनाव अघि गरिएका बयान अनि आजको वास्तविकतामा आकाश पातलको फरक छ । पछिल्लो समयको गतिविधिले यहि इशारा गरिरहेछ कि यो जनताको आँखामा धुलो झोक्ने प्रयत्न होइन तर हाक्काहाक्की जनतालाई अन्धो बनाईने खेल हो ।

पहाड कुनै पार्टीको नीजि सम्पत्ति होइन । यो लोकतान्त्रिक भारत हो यहाँ कुनै पनि दलहरुले आफ्नो सामर्थ्य अनुसार प्रभुत्व विस्तार गर्न सक्छ । कुनै नयाँ दलहरुको संगठन विस्तारमाथी आपत्ति जताएर असुरक्षा बोधको परिचय दिनु भन्दा जनताको भरोसामा उतिर्ण हुने युक्ती खोज्नु पर्छ । राजनीति आफ्नो दमखम, सामर्थ्य र योग्यताले गरिने हो न कि अरुको कमजोरीमा आफ्नो शक्ति खोज्नु पर्ने ।

पहाडका कुनै पनि राजनैतिक दलहरुले आफ्नो पछिल्लो गल्तिहरुलाई सुधारेर अघि बड्नु पर्नेछ । एकातिर केन्द्र अर्कोतिर राज्य दुई जन्डा कुट्निकार, दुई महाशक्तिहरु, दुवैले पहाडलाई मोहोराको रुपमा प्रयोग गर्न चहाने, दुवै पहाडमा जतिसक्दो दमननितीद्वारा शान्ति कायम राख्न चहानेहरु हुन र यस्ता विपरीत महाशक्तिसँग भिड्न आफूसँग रणनीति नभए पहाड र गोर्खाहरुले न्याय पाउँन असम्भव छ ।

मुस्किल यसकारण मात्र होइन कि गठबन्धनभित्र नेतृत्व दिन सक्ने सशक्तता शून्य प्रायः छ जुन कुरा पछिल्लो समयमा पहाडले भोगिसकेको हो तर आज मुस्किलको एउटा कारण पहाडको क्षेत्रीय प्रशासन मुद्दासँग सम्मिलित नहुनु पनि हो । पहाडको शक्ति क्षेत्रीय सत्तामा निहित हुन्छ र अहिले सबैभन्दा वृहत शक्तिको स्रोत नै मुलधारदेखि अलग हुनाले मुल मुद्दाको निम्ती सम्पुर्ण गोर्खे शक्ति एकत्रित हुन सकेको छैन । राज्यसँग मिलेर पहाडको विकास हुन सक्छ तर जातिको उद्दार हुन सक्दैन ।

बंगाल सरकारकै शरणमा बसेर मुद्दासँग छौँ भनेर यदि कसैले भन्छ भने त्यो वाहियात लाग्न सक्छ । यहाँको वर्तमान सत्ता जतिसक्दो कुनै पनि अन्य व्यवस्था अथवा केन्द्रको सुधार प्रक्रिया पहाड नभित्रीउन भन्ने पक्षमा छन् । यदि कुनै अन्य दल हुनु हो भने पनि त्यो दलको स्तर यहाँबाट माथी उठ्ने अपेक्षा बेकार जान्थ्यो । मुद्दाको अवस्था सुध्रिनु नसक्नुको मुख्य कारण दलहरुको यहि स्वार्थपरक सत्तामुखी सोच हो ।

[Writes: बबिता मादेन, This article was originally published on her Facebook page]

The post Exposing Hypocrisy: बंगाल सरकारकै शरणमा बसेर मुद्दासँग छौँ भनेर यदि कसैले भन्छ भने त्यो वाहियात लाग्न सक्छ ।  appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

The migrant workers who had been stuck in Dubai through the Corona outbreak and spread were having a difficult time there amidst the infection scare and lockdown. Most of those returning were forced to quit work and had barely managed to survive for months now in distant foreign lands after the outbreak, and were waiting for an opportunity to return back to their homes.

Finally, when they were able to come back, those from Bengal, Orissa and the Northeast boarded an Indigo flight and flew back to Kolkata on the 24th June. The ones from Orissa and Northeast further flew down to their respective places from Kolkata. But, as for the ones from Bengal, they were allegedly forced to go for quarantine in hotels close to the airport on a paid basis. In fact, it was made clear to them during the registration itself that they would need to quarantine themselves mandatorily in hotels on a paid basis if they chose to travel back and they were also provided with a list of hotels they could choose from by Indigo during registration. The provision to stay at state-run quarantine centres or home quarantine was not given to them.

Among those travelling back, many were already in a very challenging financial situation as they had not been able to work for months now. In fact, for some, even their travel tickets were bought using funds collected around by well-wishers so that they could travel home. Those few also included people from the Darjeeling region. Even after pleading and requesting for hours for allowing quarantine in the government centre, home quarantine, or provision of subsidy in quarantine, those arriving have alleged that no one cared to pay any heed to their request and they were forced to go for paid quarantine at some selective hotels.

In the same manner, a flight had also brought in stranded people in Malaysia to Kolkata. Even they were suggested to book a room from the list of the hotels suggested at the time of registration. On arrival, those who had made bookings were sent to their respective hotels and the remaining people were kept aside and they have alleged they were pressured into going for hotel quarantine too. However, some of these passengers have informed us that they cited the fact that there was no such regulation made by the central or state government that mandated paid quarantine. Finally, after being stuck for over 6 hours, they were allowed to go for home quarantine.

The scenario poses a few important questions that we need to think about:
The stranded people were informed during registration itself that they must undergo paid quarantine in a hotel before going home if they wanted to travel back. Does this mean that those who cannot afford to stay at a hotel for an entire week don’t have the right to return home?

Is there any valid circular passed by the WB Govt or the Central Govt that makes paid quarantine mandatory?

What was the basis on which the travellers from Malaysia were allowed home quarantine, but those from Dubai were forced to undergo paid quarantine?

Since it is the WB Govt that made the paid quarantine mandatory for everyone who travelled from Dubai, wasn’t it their job to provide assistance or alternatives to those who couldn’t afford it? There were people who actually were left in a helpless situation in this case.

We hope the Government of West Bengal will kindly ensure that for those who cannot afford 7-days of Hotel Quarantine, arrangements should be made for them to be quarantined in Government facility.

Else, those who have suffered for months will continue to suffer even after arriving in India.

The post Beleaguered Returnees From Middle East Allege Harassment by Hotel Touts at Kolkata Airport appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

The recent days have induced a lot of changes in our approach towards the lockdown, social distancing and thereby the corona crisis. Although the people look to be more eased up and casual than anytime before, the numbers and statistics of the late, speak loud and clear about an inevitably major crisis that we are staring right into. The story is no different for us in North Bengal, or to be more correct, it is even worse than what could be imagined.

Just a week-long of data shows that the COVID19 has been spreading like wildfire in the North Bengal region posing many serious questions about the handling and controlling of the virus. The data shows that the number of confirmed cases between 29^th May and 7^th June in North Bengal has increased by as much as 357%, from 152 confirmed cased to 544 confirmed cases. Similarly, the number of active cases in the North Bengal region has also seen a steep rise of 252% in the same period of time, where the number of active cases increased from 123 to 310.

It is important here to note that the rise in Corona cases in North Bengal has been significantly high for all the districts under it, including Darjeeling and Kalimpong, where the number of confirmed cases has increased in Darjeeling by 593% between 29^th May and 7^th June, while the number of active cases has increased by 957%. As for Kalimpong, the number of confirmed cases has increased by 257% and the number of active cases has increased by around 1100% within the same time.

 The graphs below could be used to understand the scenario in a more comprehensive manner:

The above graph shows the change in the total number of confirmed Corona cases across different districts in North Bengal between 29^th May and 7^th June. The blue columns in the graph indicate the number of confirmed cases on 29^th May while the red columns indicate the number of confirmed cases on 7^th June. The graph clearly shows that the number of confirmed cases have gone up for all the districts within the period by a considerable amount the worst hit by the increase was Cooch Behar. Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri do are also very significant in terms of percentage of growth. North Dinajpur is indicated to have the highest number of confirmed cases of all the districts as of yet.

The above graph again indicates the change in the number of active Corona cases across different districts in North Bengal between May 29^th and June 7^th. What is interesting to note here is that even though in the first graph we could see that North Dinajpur is attributed to the highest number of confirmed cases among all the districts, it is the only district that has seen a fall in the number of active cases through the week. In fact, as of 7^th June, the number of active cases in the district is lower than that of Cooch Behar and Darjeeling, just a little over that of Jalpaiguri. For all other Districts, there is a sharp increase in the number of active cases, the worst hit of all being Cooch Behar, which also has the highest number of corona cases at present.

The above two pie charts compare the distribution of Total Confirmed Corona cases across the different districts of North Bengal between 29^th May and June 7^th. As the pie charts show, North Dinajpur attributed to over 75% of the confirmed corona cases as on 29^th May, while the other district in total contributed to the remaining cases. Just in a week on 7^th June, we see that the situation changes drastically, with the contribution of North Dinajpur contracting down while that of the other districts inflating significantly.

The above two pie charts, similarly, compare the district wise composition of active corona cases in North Bengal between May 29^th and June 7^th. As the first pie chart suggests, as on May 29^th North Dinajpur had 86% of all the active corona cases in North Bengal, while the other districts had little to none active cases. Just a week later on 7^th June, Coochbehar is indicated to have the highest percentage of all the active corona cases in North Bengal consisting of 39% of the total active cases while North Dinajpur is indicated to have only 16% of the total cases.

In some cases, the number may seem to look small, but our concern is beyond the number of confirmed cases. As Corona, by its nature, spreads in a dynamic manner, the rate of increase becomes a major concern to think about. And as we can note, for all the districts in North Bengal have witnessed a rapid spike in the number of confirmed cases, which suggests that the virus should go on to multiply at a higher rate in the coming days, even for Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

The above table compares the change in the total confirmed cases of COVID19 across the country, the state with North Bengal. What comes as a major concern here is that in the past one week, the percentage increase in the total confirmed cases in North Bengal is more than twice higher than the percentage increase of the total confirmed cases in West Bengal or in India. The same can be noticed for the case of total active cases, which is shown by the table as below:

The above table shows that even in case of total active cases, the percentage growth in the number of cases is North Bengal is almost twice higher than that in West Bengal or in the entire country altogether in the past one week.

The sudden spike in the increase of the number of cases in North Bengal comes as a grave worry for all of us, as well as places a very serious concern having the lockdown eased out and people developing a very casual approach towards it. People have accepted Corona as the truth of the day and have already prepared to live with it. As such, the chances of the virus spreading in an even faster rate should be the closest truth we are walking towards.

But what should be the reason behind the abrupt rise in the number of cases in North Bengal? The delayed process of bringing in the migrants who had be stuck outside? One thing that we need to notice is that most of the recent cases confirmed in and around our region has been of migrants who came back from outside. Should the State Government’s reluctance to bring in the migrants at the earliest should be the reason? Or should it be the decision to send the migrants to home quarantine instead of institutional quarantine? Even those coming from the red zones were sent for home quarantine if they didn’t show any symptom. Could it be considered to be one of the major set backs in decision making?

Keeping the causes apart, the most important question we face today is if we are prepared to face the worst if it comes. Considering the rate at which Corona has grown in the past week, ugly possibilities couldn’t be ruled out. Do we have enough infrastructures to help us through the crisis if the situation goes out of hand?

Nonetheless, we hope all of us develop enough sanity to keep ourselves home and safe and thereby help in controlling the rising number of cases. Let us follow the protocols of social distancing and hygiene even if we are forced to step out for necessary works.

The post Beware North Bengal – Data shows Exponential Growth in COVID19 cases appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Vanlal Manghai Juwali, who hailed from Mizoram, was returning home on the train that was coming from Mumbai and going to Nagaland, they said.

Juwali was standing by the door of the compartment and fell from the running train as she dozed off, said Bhaskar Pradhan, inspector in-charge of GRP at Malda Town.

The incident took place around 1 am between Bhagbanpur rail gate and Sripur rail gate soon after the train left the Malda Town station in Katihar division of the Northeast Frontier Railway, he said.

Her co-passengers stopped the train immediately by pulling the chain, Pradhan said.

Railway police soon reached the spot and found Juwali”s body with grave injury marks, he said, adding that doctors declared her dead when taken to the Samsi Railway Hospital.

The body was then sent to the Malda Medical College and Hospital for postmortem.

Juwali boarded the train in Pune where she worked at a private company, said Samsi”s station manager Bimalendu Roy.

She was returning home to Mizoram after being stuck in Pune for over two months due to the lockdown, he said.

Her family has been informed, he added.

The post Mizoram Woman Dies after falling from ‘Shramik Special’ Train in West Bengal’s Malda appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Based on West Bengal Govt, Health Bulletin released every day, these are the number of tests conducted all over West Bengal since May 26^th, 2020. These data have been taken from WB COVID Health Bulletin released daily

We have earlier reported that close to 12000 samples were yet to be tested, and as of May26^th, 2020. You can read our full report on that here

As we had pointed out earlier, these were the number of swabs collected till May 26^th, and the number of pending tests against each district on May 26^th has been shown below. These are internal Government of West Bengal figures.

Now our questions are –

How did NBMCH manage to clear the massive backlog?

What kind of RT-PCR machine are they using to do the tests? As most RT-PCR machines can conduct a maximum of around 1200-1500 tests in 24 hours. Maximum tests done at NBMCH since May 26^th shows the highest number of tests conducted in a day was 1615 only. So what sorcery did they use to achieve this unique feat of clearing out 12000 plus backlog of cases, without conducting extra tests?

Till now they only have 1 RT-PCR machine.

Although the Officer on Special Duty for Covid-19 in North Bengal, Dr Susanta Kumar Roy has claimed, “We had imposed restrictions on the number (50) of swab samples to be sent by districts, and that helped us reduce the backlog. The backlog until yesterday has now been cleared, and most of the results are negative.”

May be NBMCH did manage to clear the backlog, but how, is the real question?

Did they throw away collected swabs citing one reason or other? For those who’s samples were thrown away, will they be call back for additional tests? Because everyone whose test swabs were discarded for any reason, could be potentially carrying the disease and they pose health risk to many others. We are praying to god, that is not the case.

If we are to believe our insiders, they inform us that around 4000-5000 tests are still pending.

We request NBMCH officials to come clean on the issue.

The post NBMCH Backlog of Pending Tests Cleared – How? appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.