The Gorkha Bodybuilder Amit Chhetri the Champion of Champions for Federation Cup 2013 during ‘MR India-13th Federation Cup’ in Jalandhar, March 11, 2013 .Body Builder Amit Chhetri of Uttarakhand clinched the coveted title ‘Champion of Champions’ for Federation Cup 2013’. Chhetri was adjudged the best not only in his weight category from 95-100 Kgms but also over all the best in other 9 weight categories ranging in between 55 Kgs to above 100 Kgs.
Pictures of Gorkha Bodybuilder Amit Chhetri
(All pictures credits Amit Chhetri's facebook Page)
Guwahati: A fire at the 60,000 barrels-per-day Numaligarh oil refinery in Assam caused the shutdown of most of the BPCL-run facility early on Friday, but the fire was brought quickly under control, the chairman of Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) told Reuters."There is only one crude unit at the refinery which, along with other downstream units have been shut but the gasoline unit which is separate from the main plant is still functioning," BPCL chairman RK Singh said. He said the company was assessing the damage to the plant but that it had enough inventory to meet local demand.
DARJEELING: Monsoon has claimed its first victim in Darjeeling on Thursday afternoon. Twenty-two-year-old Shubawana Chhetri of Himali Gaon near Singamari, 4 km from the town, died after a wall adjacent to her house crashed on her following a landslip on Thursday afternoon. According to Monalisa Chhetri, mother of the deceased, the accident took place at around 12.30 in the afternoon. "Both of us were clearing out the rain water that had accumulated in front of our house. I was cleaning the toilet area while my daughter was taking care of the garden when I heard a huge thud. I rushed out and to my horror found the retaining wall near our house had collapsed on my daughter," said the mother. "I managed to remove the debris with the help of the neighbours," she said with tears in her eyes.
Her neighbours said that incessant rainfall since Wednesday night had damaged the wall which did not have proper cementing and supporting pillar. Doctors at the Darjeeling district sadar hospital declared Shubhawana brought dead. "She (Shubhawana) died on her way to the hospital. So we declared her brought dead," said a senior doctor who was on duty when the body was brought to the hospital. Around the same time, another girl of the Rose Bank area near Rajbari also sustained injuries in a similar incident. Landslide damaged a wall, which fell on that was erected to bar a temple fell on school going Sheetal Thapa (17) who was on her way to school. Thapa was reportedly on her way to school when the wall of a nearby temple came crashing on her. Doctors attending to her said she was out of danger and was later released after thorough check up and treatment.
Though there is no Met department in the Hills, records of the agriculture department pointed to 76.4 mm rainfall in last 24 hours in Darjeeling. "One person died and another was injured on Thursday," said Gopal Rai, an officer of the civil defense However, the administration is on the alert and is keeping a close watch. "We are on the alert and on vigil. But so far the amount of rainfall is unlikely to cause major damage," said a senior official of the district administration.
Kolkata: Multiple National Award winner Rituparno Ghosh passed away in his Kolkata residence Thursday morning. The filmmaker suffered a massive cardiac arrest. He was 49. Ghosh was suffering from pancreatitis, his colleague Gautam Ghosh said. Shocked colleagues and friends gathered at the home of the much awarded filmmaker as news of the death spread. Ghosh made 19 films and won 12 National Awards. He began his film career with 'Hirer Angti' (The diamond ring) in 1994. He made ‘Unishe April’ in the same year that went on to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. Ghosh is credited for helming critically acclaimed and National award-winning films like ‘Dahan’, ‘Utsab’, ‘Dosor’, ‘The Last Lear’,’Shob Charitro Kalponik’ and ‘Abohoman’.
The very talented filmmaker had teamed up with Aishwarya Rai for ‘Chokher Bali’ and ‘Raincoat’. ‘Chokher Bali’ that also starred Prosenjit and Raima Sen won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali while ‘Raincoat’ featuring Ajay Devgn won National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. In September last year, Ghosh had expressed his take on India’s official entry to the Oscars. He lamented how regional cinema, including his own, was ignored for such honours. Ghosh was adjudged the `big director of decade` by the public in the `Big Bangla Movie Awards 2010`. Thanking the audience for the award at a programme, Ghosh said he was touched to hear that the choice was unanimous. Rituparno lived his life on his terms and was frank about his sexual orientation.
He had won the Special Jury award at the National Film Awards for ‘Chitrangada’, a film based on the story of Chitrangada from the Mahabharat, who struggles with his sexual identity. While accepting the award, he said, "This award has been given to non-conventional sexuality. People in India had started accepting it at their individual level but this award to the subject is from the government's side. So it is a signal that they are accepting it." The two biggest artistic and cultural influences on him came from Rabindranath Tagore, who has been an abiding influence on all Bengalis and whose transitions from the male into the female voice have never struck a discordant note, and Satyajit Ray."If somebody had influenced me to become a filmmaker, it was Ray.
He set a masculine prototype for film directors. People were proud of his height and his English. People (like me) who wear danglers and kajol to parties (were regarded) as an insult to Ray," Ghosh said in an interview. Talking exclusively to Zee Media, veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal said, “Rituparno followed the legacy initiated by stalwarts like Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen. He had a high sense of aesthetic and had a great ability of tell stories and handle actors. There is hardly any flaw in his kind of filmmaking. His passing away is a huge loss to the film industry.” Rituparno was working on 'Satyanweshi', a film on Byomkesh Bakshi. May his soul rest in peace.
Darjeeling: Two days after the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha withdrew a general strike in West Bengal's Darjeeling over the arrest of a Gorkhaland Territorial Administration member, its leaders began an indefinite hunger strike in the hills from Monday. They demand non-interference of the state government in the functioning of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and end to police "atrocities" on GTA members and common people. The other two demands were withdrawal of cases against GJM activists during the agitation phase and field visit by fact-verification committee looking into the findings of the Justice Shyamal Sen committee.
The Justice Sen committee had recommended inclusion of only five of the 396 mouzas from the Dooars and Terai in GTA. Later a fact-verification committee was formed to look into the recommendation. Seven GTA members were among the GJM leaders on fast before the district magistrate's office in Darjeeling, while three members each are on a strike in front of the offices of Kurseong and Kalimpong SDOs. On May 24, the GJM called an indefinite general strike in the hills from May 26 to protest against the arrest of GTA member Chandra Yonzone in connection with torching of a Trinamool Congress leader's house in Kalimpong.
However, the general strike was withdrawn the next day on various grounds like tourist season, university exams. Yonzone, who is in judicial custody now, does not figure among the demands set by the Morcha. Party's general secretary Roshan Giri said the case "comes under the demand that police atrocities must end." Meanwhile, anti-GJM organisation Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League described the hunger strike as an eyewash to save the party's face after a "reckless announcement" of the general strike.
यो कविताको उद्देश्य कुनै साथि-भाइ तथा मान्यजन व्यक्ति हरुलाई होच्याउनु होइन । विदेश मा सहनु पर्ने पिड़ा हरुलाई लुकाई आफ्नो तथा परिवार को भरण पोषण को निमित्त खटिएका हरुको दुख यहाँ देखाउने प्रयाश गरिएको हो । व्यक्तिगत प्रहार गर्न खोजेको होइन ।
''विदेश मा''
दुबईको माटो तातो न तातो, साथी-भाई बसेका , आकाश छूने बिल्डिंग निर्माण, काम गर्दा खसेका | चर्को छ घाम पसीना बग्छ, कामदार को सलल॰ , कमाउने धन निष्ठुरी मन, गाउँ-घर झलल , ल है गाउँ-घर झलल...................................
कति ति बस्छन दासी-दास भै , कति चै द्वारेपाल , कति चै बस्छन बुच्चट बनी, निकाल्दै बाक्लो खाल | कति ति बसे सह्यार-सुसार , कति चै स्वाश्नी झै , कमाउनै पर्ने त्यो पापी धन , साथी-भाई विबश भै | ल है साथी-भाई विबश भै ..........................
कति ति बस्छन ब्यापरे बनि, कति चै हेल्पर झै , कति ति बस्छन रुगौटे बनि , कति चै भान्से भै , सहनु पर्ने लात र हात , झुकाई आफ्नो शिर , बाध्य मा परि बसेका हुन्छन लुकाई आफ्नो पीर , तै पनि भन्छन परदेशी हरु पर्दैन सहनु पीर ल है पर्दैन सहनु पीर................................
सेबन्त पोख्रेल परदेशी प्रतिनिधी दिल्ली क्षेत्र - सपरिवार माशिक पत्रिका गुवाहाटी, असम, भारत आण्विक विज्ञान प्रयोगशाला राष्ट्रीय प्रतिरक्षा विज्ञान संस्थान जे , एन , यू परिसर अरुणा असफ , अलि मार्ग नयाँ दिल्ली, भारत -११००६७ 09958268981(M) e mail : pardeshipokhrel24@gmail.com e mail: s.pokhrelmsl@gmail.com धन्यवाद सेबन्त पोख्रेल परदेशी , नयाँ दिल्ली ।
Darjeeling : The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) yesterday called an indefinite shutdown in north Bengal's Darjeeling hills from Sunday to protest the arrest of an elected member of the hill development body for alleged involvement in arson and violence. The GJM gave the call Friday evening after a local court rejected the bail application of Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) member and party leader Chandray Yonzon, who was taken into custody in connection with the ransacking and torching of the house of Trinamool Congress leader K.N. Subba at Gorubathan under Kalimpong sub-division of Darjeeling district. "He (Yonzon) is an elected member of the GTA. Before arresting any legislator, the permission of the assembly speaker has to be taken.
Then why did the administration and police not see permission from the presiding officer of the GTA Sabha?" asked GJM general secretary Roshan Giri. "We are compelled to call an indefinite shutdown in the three hill subdivisions OF Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseyong from 6 a.m. on Sunday," Giri said. The trouble erupted in the hills after Subba, vice president of the Trinamool unit in the hills, tried to return to his Gorubathan home from the plains where he was staying for the past four years. A former Gorkha National Liberation Front activist, he had to leave his home following violence and intimidation by alleged GJM members. Police said when he tried to return home May 22, GJM called a shutdown and put up road blockades against his entry into the hills.
Five women members of the GJM frontal organsiation Gorkhaland Personnel were arrested for violence and intimidation Thursday. A peace meeting was held Thursday evening, but Subba's residence was ransacked and then torched the same midnight allegedly by GJM activists. On Friday morning, seven more GJM workers, including Yonzon were arrested by the police. Though the five women GLP members were released, the bail plea of the seven others were rejected by a Kalimpong court, following which GJM called the shutdown. Giri requested tourists to leave the hills by Saturday. Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (North Bengal) Sashikanta Pujari said reinforcements have been sent to the hills.
JORHAT/GUWAHATI: After a brief lull, poachers again struck at Kaziranga National Park, about 250km here, killing two rhinos and chopping off their horns. While a gang of poachers killed one rhino at the Dhanbari area under the Agoratoli forest range of the park on Thursday evening, another rhino carcass was recovered from the Kanchanjuri area under the Bagori forest range on Friday. The adult male rhino whose carcass was recovered from Kanchanjuri was also a victim of poaching as its horn was missing. Park officials said according to the autopsy report, a .303 rifle was used to gun down the rhino at Kanchanguri. At Dhanbari, the poachers killed an adult rhino on Thursday evening.
Though an operation was launched soon after a gunshot was heard in the area, the poachers managed to escape. It started raining in the area soon after, slowing down the operation. "Our staff found the carcass this morning after a night-long operation in the Agoratoli forest range. We also opened fire but no one was killed or injured in the attack. While the rhino at Kanchanjuri was killed with a .303 rifle, the weapon used at Dhanbari is yet to be ascertained," said Kaziranga divisional forest officer S K Seal Sharma. Park officials said that a manhunt for the poachers was still on. No one has been nabbed yet in connection with the rhino killings. Officials said that poachers might have holed up in villages adjoining the park and intelligence gathering has been stepped up.
Darjeeling : Darjeeling Police arrested one Mohammad Azad from Khaprail for his alleged links with Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) operatives based in Delhi. On Thursday the Commanding Officer of the Civil Government Traffic Department based at the Sukna 33 Corps Head Quarters lodged an FIR at the Kurseong Police Station naming Azad for allegedly transferring documents and photographs of army installations to agents in Delhi. 39 year old Azad had been working as a cleaner in the Civil Government Traffic Department since 1999. At around 4 pm on Thursday Azad was trying to flee towards the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station from his residence in Khaprail in the Kurseong sub division, when the police intercepted his vehicle and arrested him. “We have found pictures of important army installations in his Cell phone. Azad has been booked under Sections 3 and 9 of Official Secrets Act 1923. Azad will be produced at the Kurseong Court on Friday. We have also informed our Delhi counterparts.” stated Kunal Agarwal, Superintendent of Police, Darjeeling. Based on the FIR a new case has been initiated.
Links are yet to be established between Thursday’s case and the earlier case involving ISI agents based in Nepal. Interestingly this incident comes on the heels of a similar incident in which 5 persons were arrested in connection with supplying important documents pertaining to army and air force installations along with troop movements to ISI agents based in Nepal. Incidentally the arrest of one Bidyut Kumar Sinha (43) an Upper Division Clerk with the Army Supply Corp in the South Western Command, Jaipur, Rajasthan on May 14 triggered the arrest of members of the alleged ISI ring operational in North Bengal. Sinha spilled out the name of one Maghan Bahadur Singh (54), a former army driver who was then arrested from Sukna further leading to the arrests of Mesha Sauria (54) of Panighatta Tea Estate under the Mirik Police Station; Dhan Kumar Pradhan (42) of Panighatta Bazar and Gopal Khati @ Biswakarma (39) of Lal Pool Naxalbari and Mani Kumar Biswakarma (53)- an Upper Division Clerk with the Army in Sukna. The documents would be carried in person from Bhadrapur Airport near the Indo-Nepal border to Kathmandu where they would be handed over to ISI agents based in Nepal. For each document the Indian agents used to receive Rs. 25000/- along with air fare.
Aizwal: An explosion ripped through a temple inside the premises of the 26th battalion Assam Rifles in Aizwal early Thursday morning. The explosion shattered 26 window panes and some window frames, the police said. Police suspected that the explosive used was gelatin and the bundle of gelatin sticks must have been thrown from the main road as the compound housing the temple was encircled by the road. The explosion came on the day when the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) is organising a rally called 'Milem Biak Duhloh Kawngzawh' or Anti-Idol Worshipping Rally'.
भारत राष्ट्र को आसाम राज्य अंतर्गत बोडो /मेचे / कछाड़ी जनजाति बहुल (बोडो टेरिटरीयल एरिया डिस्ट्रिक बि॰टी॰ए॰डी॰) क्षेत्रमा पर्ने कोक्रझार, चिरांग, बाकसा, र उदालगुडी जिल्लामा बोडो उग्रवादी संगठन नेसनल डेमोक्रेटिक फन्ट अफ बोडोलेण्ड (एन॰डी॰एफ॰बि) ले कैयौं साल पहिला देखि बसोबास गरिआएका सर्वसाधारण गोर्खा परिवारहरुलाई फेरि पनि धनदाबी गरेर त्राहि-त्राहि पारेको छन, प्रत्येक गोर्खा बसोबास गर्ने गाउँ बाट १ लाख देखी लिएर रु ५ -१० लाख सम्म तीर्ने माँग पत्र आएको छ , यदि एस्तो नगरेको बापत मा (बोडो टेरिटरीयल एरिया डिस्ट्रिक बि॰टी॰ए॰डी॰) छोड़ेर आफ्नो स्थान बा देश जाने हुकुम चलाएका छन । बोडो उग्रवादी संगठनले छुट्टै बोडो राज्यको माँगमा उग्रवादी क्रियाकलापहरु बर्षौंदेखि चलाई आई रहेको होर समय समयमा यहाँ बसोबास गर्ने गोर्खा परिवारहरुलाई आर्थिक रुपमा निशाना बनाउँदै धन उगाही गरेको प्रष्ठनै छ, क्रान्तिकारी कार्यकलाप चलाउँने नाममा स्थानीय गोर्खाहरुलाई धन प्रदान गर्ने आह्वान गरियेको छ र पैसा निर्धारित मिति भित्र नबुझाएमा कुनै खालेपनि सजाय भोग्न तयार रहने धम्की ले दियेको छ ।
यस्ताखाले धम्कीले गोर्खाहरु साह्रै सुरक्षाहीनतामा भोगेको कुरा प्रष्ट भईसकोको छ। उल्लेख्य छ कि 2003 सन मा बोडो टेरिटरीयल एरिया डिस्ट्रिक बि॰टी॰ए॰डी॰ले कोकराझार, चिराङ, बाक्सा र ओदालगढी यी चार जिल्ला नयाँरुपलेगठन गरेपछि यी इलाकामा रहने तमाम गोर्खापरिवार हरुपनि संगसंगै बिटीएडीमा क्षेत्र मा अन्तर्भुक्त भयेका हुन् । आउँदा दिनहरुमा सरकारलेसुरक्षा सन्दर्भमा केही ठोस कदम नलिये पक्कैपनि केही दुर्घटनामा पर्ने अनुमान जनताले लाई सकेका छन। स्मरण रहोस केहीबर्ष अघि दावी गरियेको पैसा जिम्मा नलाएको निहुँमा (एन॰डी॰एफ॰बि) लेआसामको भीमाजुलामा ९ जना गोर्खा सहित जम्मा तेह्रजनाको निर्मम हत्या गरेको हो। त्यो भन्दा पहिला पनि अनगिनत पटक गोर्खा हरु लुटिएका र धन दाबिको केस मा मारिएका हून | गोर्खाली बीर भनी विश्व भरिनै चिनीने जातको एस्तो हालात हुनु अत्यन्तै दुर्भाग्य र चिन्ताको बिषय हो |
भीमाजुली घटना सन्दर्भमा सक्रिय रहेको अल असम गोर्खा छात्र संगठन, (आग्सु) ले यसपालाको घटनामाथि के कस्तो प्रतिक्रिया दिने छ त्यसमाथि पनि जनताको दृष्टि रहेको छ । अखिल भारतीय गोर्खा लीग, गोर्खा दुख निवारक सम्मेलन, भारतीय गोर्खा परिसंघ, गोर्खालेण्ड क्षेत्रीय प्रशासन, गोर्खालेण्ड टास्क फोर्स अनि छिमेकी राज्य पश्चिम बंगाल र शिक्किम का गोर्खा नेता हरुबाट पनि बि॰टी॰ए॰डी॰ का गोर्खा जनसाधारण ले भोग्नू परेको यो अथाह संकट भारत सरकार समक्ष केही हदसम्म दृष्ठीगोचर गराएर आफ्नो जात लाई परिआएको बेला केही मदत गर्छन भन्ने पूर्ण आशा मा बि॰टी॰ए॰डी॰ का गोर्खाली जनसाधारण रहेका छन |
Sikkim Police arrested son of Urban Development and Housing Department (UDHD) Secretary Topjor Bhutia and former Power Secretary and other three were arrested on the charge murder of a student of Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT) Mazitar, Rangpo, East Sikkim
Gangtok: Sikkim police have arrested all the seven accused, including son of a senior IAS officer, on charges of killing Rakshit Singh Meena, a third year engineering student, after a fight outside a pub-cum-night club at Gangtok on Sunday. They were produced before the court on Monday and taken on a five-day judicial remand for further investigation into the incident. All the seven arrested youths have been booked under IPC Section 302, 201 and 34 with capital Sadar police station in Gangtok. Those arrested in the high profile incident are Gurmey Wangchuk (35), son of urban development department secretary Topzor Dorjee Bhutia, Sonam Namgyal (31), son of ex-power secretary Pema Namgyal, Bidhan Pradhan (31), Phurba Tamang (29), Karna Hung Subba (25) and Roden Wangdi Sherpa (31) of Darjeeling Talking to HT over phone, Sikkim police superintendent (East) Manoj Tiwari said Meena, a student at Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT), Majhitar, was in Gangtok to celebrate the birthday of a friend Arindam Parmar.
The incident took place between 1 and 1.30am post Saturday midnight when a brutal attack, allegedly led by Gyurmey Wangchuk and involving six others outside Café Live & Loud on Tibet Road, left him dead. Rakshit was the only son of Bihar cadre IPS officer and Purnia range DIG Bachchu Singh Meena, a native of Dausa district in Rajasthan. Parmar is the main eyewitness in the case, along with four other friends. All the accused were identified on the basis of mobile phone video shot by Parmar and corroboration of the incident by the bouncers on duty. Wangchuk who was the first to be arrested, confessed knocking down Rakshit. His other firends were later arrested from different places on Sunday. On the fateful night, Rakshit and his friends had checked in at a local hotel at Arithang area here before leaving for the nightclub. Inside the club, the accused persons alleged, that the engineering students had teased their female friends and attacked them. Rakshit was waiting for his friends outside the pub, where around seven men started beating him and chased his other friends from the spot.
They later returned and picked up Rakshit in an unconscious state and rushed to the hotel at Arithang. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the central referral hospital (Tadong) in the wee hours of Sunday. Tiwari said, after performing the postmortem, Rakshit's body was handed over to his parents, who left for Bagdogra airport by road from Gangtok. Rakshit's body was taken to Delhi by air and from there to Dausa in Rajasthan. DIG Meena and his wife reached Gangtok on Sunday afternoon. The wife of the IPS officer fainted as soon as she heard the news of her son's death.
Gangtok : A Bihar police officer’s son, studying engineering in Sikkim, died last night after he was allegedly beaten up outside a Gangtok pub, a follow-up to a brawl inside it. Police have arrested five Gangtok youths, one of whom, Gurmey Wangchuk, is the son of a senior Sikkim state official. “The six engineering students had gone to celebrate the birthday party of one of their friends. While dancing on the floor they had a fight over a woman who was in the pub. Later, the engineering students were beaten up by the youths outside the pub.” The alleged second round of assault happened around 1.30am outside Live and Loud. The boy who died has been identified as Rakshit Singh Meena, a 22-year-old third year civil engineering student Manipal. His father, B.S. Meena, is the deputy inspector-general of Purnea, Bihar.
Darjeeling : Two agents and two linkmen of Pakistani spy agency ISI were arrested on Sunday at Kurseong in Darjeeling district. "Two ISI agents identified as Maghan Bahadur Singh, a resident of Chotta Adalpur, and Mesho Sauria, a resident of Panighatta Tea Estate, were arrested on the charge of spying for ISI this afternoon," SP Kunal Agarwal told journalists at Kurseong police station. Two other ISI linkmen Gopal Khati of Naxalbari and Dhan Bahadur Pradhan of Panighatta Bazar were also arrested, Agarwal said. He said Maghan Bahadur Singh was first arrested following the revelation of his name by an upper division clerk of Army in Jaipur. The three others were held after Maghan told the police that they worked with him.
DARJEELING: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the hill council in Darjeeling, today handed over Sister Nivedita's house there to the West Bengal government for being made into a centre of excellence by the Ramakrishna Mission. The house was handed over at a function attended by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a three-day visit to Darjeeling since May 14, and the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha President Bimal Gurung. "The Ramakrishna Mission will take care of maintenance of the building," Banerjee said announcing Rs one crore from the state government for its renovation.
Banerjee said that the historic building would be made a heritage institution and would be used for the purpose of women's empowerment. Officials said that it would also be a centre for study of different languages, computer education and for training aspirants for IAS and IPS. Roy Villa in Darjeeling is the house where Sister Nivedita died on 13 October, 1911.
Darjeeling: In a stark message to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha which is agitating for a separate state out of Darjeeling, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said in the presence of Bimal Gurung, GJM chief, that the hills were an indivisible part of West Bengal and that she wanted peace to reign in the region. "Darjeeling is the heart of Mother Bengal," she said at a programme where Gurung was present. "I want Darjeeling to remain in peace, failing which, tourism a major revenue earner for the hills will suffer. Let there be development in Darjeeling which is part of Bengal," she said announcing a slew of development projects including infrastructure development. She said that development of Darjeeling should be the main focus and there should not be politics around it, while urging the people living in Darjeeling to remain alert against those trying to create provocation to disrupt peace. "Conspiracies to strain our relation will not work. I want to build a bridge a between the hills and the plains and for that we will work together," she said asserting that she had a cordial relationship with the people of Darjeeling and the GJM. Banerjee arrived in Darjeeling yesterday on a three-day visit.
She held a meeting earlier in the day with the GTA officials and attended a government function to announce development schemes for the region. Banerjee's meeting with the GJM leadership was considered crucial especially after the relation between the two had nosedived earlier this year. GJM had accused Banerjee of infringing on the rights of the GTA, a newly formed hill development body, and announced the renewal of its demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland to be carved out of parts of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts of north Bengal. The relation between the state and the GJM had hit an all-time low following the chief minister's assertion that Bengal would not be divided at a public function on January 29. Gurung yesterday attributed the January 29 development to a 'miscommunication'. "There was some communication gap which has been sorted out now. Our meeting (yesterday with the chief minister) was cordial and positive," he said. Mamata noted that power problem was causing a lot of hardship in Kurseong, Kalimpong and Darjeeling and said that towards tackling the problem, her government had sanctioned Rs 103 crore for augmenting power generation. She said that a sum of Rs 2,000 crore was being spent for power generation in the hills. A part of the package is the construction of power sub stations at Kurseong and Kalimpong, she says.
She said that with Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong facing acute water shortage, a Rs 155-crore water development project was being taken up by her government. She announced setting up of three Industrial Training Institutes at Siliguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong. The chief minister said that her government and the GTA would take up with the Centre establishment of a central university in Darjeeling. She inaugurated a fair price medicine shop in Darjeeling. Stressing the neeed for development of tourism in a big way, she said the vacant land in the tea gardens in Darjeeling hill areas would be used for tourism development so that tourists can stay there which would generate income for for the local people. The chief minister also laid the foundation for a fire service station, polytechnic college at Mirik, a polytechnic college at Kalimpong, ITI for Kalimpong, Mongpu and Gorubathan. The foundation stone was also laid for a new government college at Pedong. She said that traffic in Darjeeling town is congested and the state government will help improve the traffic system, if there was a proposal in this regard from the GTA.
SILIGURI: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is in Darjeeling once again, trying to woo the state's northernmost constituencies ahead of the Panchayat polls that are now imminent. She held a meeting with leaders of the rather disgruntled Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) on Tuesday evening, and reeled off the usual set of promises at a public meeting on Wednesday. "Darjeeling is the heart of West Bengal and its development carries the very highest priority" she announced. If her audience was a bit surprised that the heart was located so high up north, she chose to drive home the point that she really cared by stating that the state will sanction 100 crore for a water treatment project in Darjeeling. She said that the state will also facilitate development of hydropower projects in Rammam, Rangit and Teesta and also the 344 crore water project for Kalimpong.
The state coffers are empty, but that did not prove to be a constraint for Mamata who told the gathering that the state will persuade the Centre for a smooth flow of central funds to the Gorkha Territorial Administration. Political observers think Mamata is now seriously trying to go into damage control mode before the crucial May 24 tripartite meeting in the hills to resolve existing problems. The GJM has demanded immediate handing over of critical departments from state control to the GTA. Some 35 such have already been effected, but 24 still need to be transferred. The GJM has also demanded extra financial support from the state. Politically, some remarks made by Mamata during her January 2013 visit to Darjeeling had rubbed GJM the wrong way and the morcha had immediately launched into an agitational overdrive. The morcha has always wanted absolute power in the foothills of Darjeeling and that is a grouse too.
Regimental Insignia: A pair of crossed Khukris (a Gorkha dagger) with the Roman numeral XI in-between.
Motto: New Motto - Yatraham Vijayastatra (I - The Metaphor for Victory). ............Old Motto - Nisswarth Kartavya (Selfless Duty).
War Cry:At the time of inception, the battle cry adopted by the Regiment was Ayo Gorkhali (The Gorkhas Are Here) followed by 'Charge'. However, upon the raising of the 2/11 Gorkha Rifles in 1963, the then Commanding Officer desired that the unit battle cry be Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali (Victory to Mahakali, The Gorkhas Are Here). This cry was first raised by the Adjutant on the raising day on the occasion of the first flag hoisting at the unit Quarter Guard. Goddess Durga is known in this Regiment as Mahakali and invoking her blessings on the battlefield has imbibed itself deep in the troops. Additionally, the battle cry apart from infusing daring courage in the men, also helps create psychological fear in the enemy.
4th Battalion ---> Disbanded after an internal Agitatiozn Mutiny
Theatre Honours: Kargil - 1999.
Battle Honours: Shingo River, Bogra and Batalik.
Honours & Awards: 1 Param Vir Chakra, 3 Ashok Chakras, 1 Padma Bushan, 6 Param Vishist Seva Medals, 2 Maha Vir Chakras, 8 Ati Vishist Seva Medals, 11 Vir Chakra, 4 Shaurya Chakras, 30 Sena Medals, 14 Vishist Seva Medals and 18 Mentioned-in-Despatches.
Comments: The history of the 11th Gorkha Rifles in fact dates back to the year 1918. Four battalions were raised in Mesopotamia and Palestine in May 1918 by pooling companies from other Gorkha Regiments and Garwhal Rifles. These battalions also saw action in the Third Afghan War. These battalions were later demobilised from the the Indian Army.
At the time of Independence when the division of the Indian Armed Forces was being done the question of the future employment of Gorkha troops also came up. At that time there were ten Gorkha Regiments in the Indian Army, each with two battalions. To settle the issue the Govt. of India, Nepal and Britain considered the matter and a Tripartite Agreement was signed on 09 November 1947. As per this agreement the 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 10th Gorkha Rifles were transferred to the British Army while the remaining six Gorkha Regiments were to continue service with the Indian Army. Troops of the 7th and 10th Gorkha Rifles hailed from Eastern Nepal and were mainly of Rai and Limbu ethnic groups.
Transfer of troops to the British Army was to be on a purely voluntary basis. A referendum was held in the presence of the representatives of the Indian and Nepalese Governments. Troops from the 7th and 10th Gorkha Rifles opted against the transfer to the British Army in large numbers. 2/7 GR - located at Santa Cruz, Mumbai - as a whole opted against transfer to the British Army. There was no Gorkha Regiment, left in the Indian Army with troops from Eastern Nepal. Keeping in mind the large numbers of non-optees and their fighting qualities it was decided to re-raise the 11th Gorkha Rifles. Official orders to raise the 11 Gorkha Rifles, it's Regimental Centre and two battalions, the Third and the Fourth at Palampur were issued in December 1947. Subsequently on 01 January 1948, the Regimental Centre and 3/11 GR (with strength from 2/7 GR) were raised at Palampur and Santa Cruz, Mumbai respectively. In 1948, as the number of non-optees increased the 4/11 GR and the 5/11 GR were also raised.
Major Harnarain Singh Chauhan was commissioned into the Rajput Regiment in 1937. In December 1947, Major HS Chauhan, accompanied by Captain SD Sawhney reached Palampur to take over the 'non-optees' of the 7 and 10 Gorkhas. He arrived with the broad vision of 'fathering' a Gorkha Regiment – the first Regiment in Independent India. To him goes the credit of smooth transition. To him also goes the credit of even meeting the cash requirements of the Regiment from his private resources until funds were built up. It was a matter of 'izzat' for him. To him goes the credit of the present Regimental Flag and Cap Badge, and above all, laying the foundation of a great Regiment. Later the 1/11 GR and 2/11 GR were raised on 01 September 1960 and 11 January 1963 respectively. The 107 Inf Btn (TA) affiliated to the Regiment was raised on 01 October 1960. The 6/11 GR and the 7/11 GR were raised after the 1962 Chinese invasion.
Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey, 1/11 GR, is the first and only recipient of the Param Vir Chakra (Posthumous) for the Regiment, in the 1999 Kargil conflict. He is the Indian Army's first Lieutenant to be awarded the Param Vir Chakra. 2nd Lieutenant Puneet Nath Datt, 1/11 GR, was the second recipient of the Ashoka Chakra for the Regiment in 1997. The first recipient of the Ashoka Chakra is not known. The third recipient of the Ashoka Chakra was Paratrooper Sanjog Chhetri of 9 Para, who was originally from 5/11 GR before he volunteered to join 9 Para. Though the award obviously goes to the tally of 9 Para, a Coffee Table book recently published by 11 Gorkha Rifles also counts it in its tally. Battalions of the 11 Gorkha Rifles have participated in practically all operations undertaken by the Indian Army since Independence, i.e. 1947-48 Indo-Pak War, Hyderabad (1948), 1965 Indo-Pak War, Chola (1967) and the 1971 Indo-Pak War. The 1/11 GR and the 2/11 GR have operated with distinction in anti-militant operations in Assam and Jammu & Kashmir and won unit citations with the COAS' Scroll of Appreciation.
Darjeeling: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday held a meeting with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung and assured all support of the state government for all-out development of Darjeeling Hills. "We want development of Darjeeling," she told reporters at the end of her meeting with Gurung. "I am happy to come to Darjeeling. We have cordial relations with GJM. It is a relation of love and good wishes," she said. The Chief Minister, who arrived here from Siliguri on a three-day visit said, her government was planning a package for tourism development covering Darjeeling, Terai and the Dooars region. Proposed tourist spots like Jorebungalow, Rohini and Takdah were being identified for development as potential tourism destination.
Banerjee said, her government was also mooting an idea to set up a film city at Siliguri, which would open an opportunity for shooting films in Darjeeling. "Road development is a priority area and some roads are National Highways," she said. Ahead of her meeting with Gorkaland Territorial Administration (GTA) tomorrow, Banerjee told newsmen on reaching Bagdogra airport that her government and GJM will have to maintain friendly ties as it was necessary for the development of Darjeeling Hills.
Darjeeling: Ahead of her meeting with the GTA, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said her government and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha will have to maintain friendly ties as it was necessary for the development of Darjeeling Hills. "We (Bengal govt and GJM) have to maintain friendly ties as we will have to work together for the development of the hills," Banerjee said on reaching Bagdogra airport here this afternoon on way to Darjeeling on a three-day visit. When asked further on the ties with GJM which had deteriorated earlier this year, she said, "We will hold discussions ... The people will see it for themselves." "The GTA office bearers are here to receive me ... So you can understand the relation," Banerjee said, adding that she had visited North Bengal 20 times since assuming chief ministership two years ago out of which she had visited Darjeeling 13 times, including her current visit. Banerjee is scheduled to meet GJM leaders and hold talks with the Gorkha Territorial Administration during her stay in the hills, official sources said.
She will also attend several government functions to announce development schemes for the region, the sources said. Asked about her reaction to the Calcutta High Court order on panchayat polls, she expressed her happiness over it. "The government had wanted to hold the panchayat polls in winter to avoid the summer heat. But we are happy that the problem has been resolved, and we will now have to work to complete the election process by July 15," she said. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court today rejected the State Election Commission order for 800 companies of central forces to overlook the panchayat poll, and directed that the election be held in three phases and the process be completed by July 15. The court also directed that the poll date be notified by the state government in consultation with the State Election Commission.
The Pak Army launched an aggressive counter attack on Sando Top and Zulu Top -- the peaks in Drass sector recovered by Indian troops after a fierce fight on Sunday. The Indian Army lost seven soldiers and 51, including a young Captain, were injured in the 13-hour-long battle. Most received bullet and splinter injuries. Pakistan too is reported to have suffered high casualties though the exact number was not known. Here too, the heroes of the Tiger Hill victory -- the 16 Grenadiers -- repulsed the determined Pakistani attack.
Led by Lt Colonel Nar Bahadur Thapa, the Grenadiers, including Major Kaizad Bhaya, Major Ajit Singh, Captain Vishal Thapa, Captain Vipul Singh Rajput and Captain Uday Burarkar, fought bravely to defend the two peaks. ``These are the two most strategic heights along the Line of Control (LoC) and whoever controls them also controls the entire Drass sector. The Indian Army, occupying it at present, can keep tabs on the movement of the enemy soldiers. Pakistan will havethe same advantage if they control these two peaks,'' said a senior officer at Drass Brigade Headquarters.
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Priced at Rs 6,590
(5) Spice Smart Flo Pace 2 Mi-502 -The dual-SIM smartphone is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and has 512MB of RAM. It sports a 5-inch WVGA (480x800 pixels) capacitive touch screen and features a 5-megapixel rear camera with dual LED Flash and a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera. The Smart Flo Pace 2 Mi-502 runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and comes pre-loaded with apps such as Hoopz, Nimbuzz and WhatsApp. The phone offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity but lacks 3G. It comes with 512MB of internal storage that is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. The phone has a 2100mAh battery that as per the company's claim, delivers a talk-time of more than 5 hours and standby time of up to 280 hours.
key specifications
5-inch WVGA display
Dual SIM 2G+2G
1GHz quad-core processor
512MB RAM
512MB internal storage, expandable upto 32GB via microSD
DARJEELING : China, usually a supplier of cheap goods, has given an unexpected shot in the arm to Darjeeling tea with large orders for the premium beverage that is a hit with the youth in cities like Beijing and Shanghai and is doing well as a corporate gift item. Chinese buyers have purchased 20,000 kg of Darjeeling tea, and there is a growing demand for it in the country, cheering planters in the Himalayan region as Europe, its traditional export market, is reluctant to pay high prices due to the financial crisis in the region. "China is offering $15-$40 per kg (Rs 810 to 2,160) depending on the quality. At times, they are offering better prices than the Europeans," SS Bagaria, chairman, Darjeeling Tea Association told ET. "The tea boutiques that have come up in Beijing and Shanghai are selling Darjeeling teas. Chinese importers may even buy more new season teas at a better price," he says. Bagaria owns three tea estates in Darjeeling - Phuguri, Millikthong and Orange Valley - that produce premium Darjeeling teas. The younger generation in China is leaning towards black tea in the ready-to-drink (RTD) format. "In the last two years, there has been an interest among the Chinese young crowd for black tea.
Darjeeling tea is used for corporate gifting and on special occasions," said Sujoy Sengupta, tea taster and blender of Chamong Tee, the largest Darjeeling tea producer. Chamong Tee's chairman Ashok Lohia said: "We are in talks with some Chinese buyers for exporting our teas. Last year, we had sent 250 tonnes and the buyers gave us a reasonably good price." In China, tea is considered among the seven necessities, along with wood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar. The growing demand for Indian tea in China is heartening news also because exports to Britain, the biggest European market for the beverage, have dwindled from 22 million kg a year to 16 million kg over the past five years.
Kenyan tea is gaining at the expense of the "thick" India black tea in Britain, whose annual consumption of the beverage is about 100 million kg, of which nearly 60 million kg is imported from Africa. MGVK Bhanu, chairman, Tea Board said: "Black tea market in China is growing and there is demand for both Assam and Darjeeling teas. Darjeeling tea is being consumed by upper middle class people while CTC is consumed by the middle class people. China, which produces green tea, may turn out to be a major market for Indian black tea. From our side we are taking the initiative to ensure that Indian teas exported to China conform to the Chinese standard." China produces 1475 million kg of green tea annually.
The growing acceptance of Indian tea in China appears to be part of a new global trend among younger consumers to try out different varieties of the beverage. Just as black tea is gaining ground in China, more Indians are also turning to green tea. The market share of green tea globally has risen to 31 per cent from 17 per cent over the past decade. Nonetheless, the departure from tradition is more significant in China than perhaps anywhere else, simply because tea is more deeply entrenched in the culture of the land where it originated.
KOLKATA : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will embark on a three-day visit to Darjeeling Hills beginning May 14 during which she will meet the GJM leaders as well as hold talks with the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA). "The chief minister will leave for Darjeeling May 14. She will have a meeting with the GTA officials and attend several government functions to announce development schemes for the region. She will also meet GJM leaders before returning May 17," said North Bengal Development Minister Gautam Deb. Banerjee's meeting the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leadership is crucial especially after the relation between the two nosedived earlier in the year.
The GJM had earlier in the year accused Banerjee of infringing on the rights of the newly formed hill development body, and announced the renewal of its demand for the separate state Gorkhaland to be carved out of parts of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts of northern West Bengal. Following a clash with the rival Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) activists, the GJM had May 5 called for an indefinite strike in the region but later withdrew it. "We are looking forward towards Banerjee's visit and will meet jher to put forth our demands," said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri. Earlier this month the GJM had demanded Rs.575 crore from the central and state governments for creating infrastructure for the GTA.
A tripartite agreement was signed between the GJM and the state and central governments July 18, 2012, for setting up a new autonomous, elected GTA. It sought more powers than its predecessor, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, which was formed in the late 1980s. The GJM swept its maiden territorial elections in July 2012.
Darjeeling: A decision on allotment of additional funds to the Gorkha Territorial Administration in the Darjeeling hills is expected to be taken up at a review meeting here on May 24. "A joint secretary of the Union home ministry is expected to represent the Centre and the state will be represented by Home Secretary Basudeb Banerjee," Gorkha Janmukti Morcha General Secretary Roshan Giri said today. The review meeting is important as the Morcha has demanded Rs 575 crore from both the state government and the Centre as one-time grant for administrative infrastructure of the GTA, the hill council which runs the administration in the hills. The demand for the funds for infrastructure was earlier placed at a meeting between a Morcha delegation and Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra in Kolkata on April 30.
Mitra had then suggested that the matter could be taken up at the review meeting as the Centre, too, had to share the cost of setting up infrastructure like buildings and quarters. "Apart from the grant of Rs 575 crore, we are also looking towards getting some concrete assurances on increasing the financial grant of the GTA from Rs 200 crore per annum to Rs 400 crore for the next three years," Giri said. The Morcha will also demand that the fact verification committee, which was formed to look into the recommendations made by Justice (retired) Shyamal Sen High Powered Committee, be asked to make a field visit to the Dooars and Terai. Justice Sen had recommended the inclusion of only five of the 397 mouzas demanded by the GJM in the GTA. Giri said the Morcha would also demand that all Gorkha communities, except Schedule Castes, be granted Schedule Tribe status. The Morcha also hoped it would get a positive feedback on amending the Constitution to implement a three-tier panchayat system in the hills. The state had earlier said it had written to the Centre to start the process for the constitutional amendment.
KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will address a mass gathering of Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) in Darjeeling on 15 May.Kalimpong MLA and member of GJMM, Mr Harka Bahadur Chettri, met Miss Banerjee at Writers’ Buildings on 7 may. Gorkha leaders and the state government had parted ways following a similar meeting in January. The demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland had been taken up by the Gorkha leaders at the meeting and the chief minister had ruled it out. Mr Chettri said: “We want to forget everything that happened in the last meeting. Whatever problems and misunderstandings we have had in the past have been resolved now.” GJMM will work hand-in-hand with the state government to undertake development of the Hills, he added.
The MLA said the Centre has given only Rs 65 crore of the Rs 200 crore to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). “We will take up the issue jointly with the state government and raise our demands to the Centre,” he said, adding out of the Rs 65 crore that has been provided by the Centre for development of the Hills, roads have been repaired and parking zones have been set up. Mr Chettri said the chief minister has sought GTA and GJMM’s help in conducting a survey to identify 25 locations that can be developed as tourist destinations. The state government has already constructed three tourist lodges in Dalgaon, Bijonbari and Rinbik. “Development cannot happen unless we maintain a good rapport with the state government,” said Mr Chettri. Miss Banerjee, along with state chief secretary Mr Sanjay Mitra and home secretary Mr Basudeb Banerjee, will leave for Darjeeling on 14 May.
Shimla: At least 42 passengers were killed when an overloaded private bus plunged into Beas river on Kullu-Mandi National Highway late on Wednesday. So far forty -two bodies have been recovered and 15 injured persons rescued and rushed to hospital, while some bodies are feared to have been swept away in the river, Deputy Commissioner, Kullu, Sharab Negi, said. The ill-fated bus, with more than 60 passengers on board, was on its way to Ani from Kullu when it skidded and fell into the river near Jhiri, 20-km from Kullu. The bus driver jumped off the vehicle before it plunged into the river, Negi said. Search parties were deployed to trace the missing. Deputy Commissioners and SPs of Kullu and Mandi districts supervised the rescue operations. Two reporters of Divya Himachal were also travelling in the bus and one of them received injuries while the other was missing, Negi said.
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