NOW!Saturday, 15 July, 2006 Vol. 5 No. 150 Gangtok � Rs. 3

F i r s t W i t h T h e N e w s

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One killed inroad accidenta NOW REPORT

GANGTOK, 14 July: Ateenage girl was killed whenthe car she was traveling inmet with an accident yester-day at Ranipool.

A private maruti car, WB02D-8260, met with an acci-dent at Ghattey Dara on Na-tional Highway 31A near theagri-farm at Ranipool andfell down about 160 feet ataround 6:30 pm on 13 July.

The vehicle was on its wayfrom Siliguri to Tadong andwas being driven by SubhasGandhi, a resident of Tadong.His two daughters, Trishna andSoniya were traveling withhim. All three passengers wereimmediately evacuated to theCentral Referral Hospital,Tadong, where, it is informed,Soniya, 14 years of age, suc-cumbed to her injuries. Theother two have reportedly sus-tained minor injuries.

Tit-for-tata NOW REPORT

GANGTOK, 14 July: In arather peculiar incident re-ported from West Sikkim,two people were arrested byGeyzing police after eachfiled a complaint against theother on the same incident.

While the first complainant,one Jyoti Rai, wife of ZamgangBhutia, filed her complaint withthe Geying police at around 8pm on 13 July against oneBikash Tamang of Geyzing; thelatter filed his complaint around20 minutes later.

The complaint lodged by thelady alleges that she was as-saulted by Bikash in her houseon 13 July at around 7:30 pm.Bikash, in turn, has counter al-leged that he was assaulted by thelady at the same time with a knifeand injured on his left elbow.

Both have been arrestedand the case is under inves-tigation. Both cases havebeen registered under thesame sections of the IPC.

a NOW REPORT

GANGTOK, 14 July: Withthe trade over Nathula withthe Tibetan Autonomous Re-gion having resumed and thetraders here attempting to ex-plore new horizons in inter-national trade, it was perhapsinevitable that the dreaded redtape should throw a spannerin the works. It would neverhave been as easy as contem-plated – just open the borderand pass the goods.

A group of traders affili-ated to the Sikkim Cham-ber of Commerce foundthis out the hard way when,

Nathula: The ribbon is cut,but the red tape remains

Sikkim traders line up at Nathula [on the day of the inauguration of border trade 06 July]to enter Tibet Autonomous Region to explore trading possibilities.turn to pg2

a NOW REPORT

GANGTOK, 14 July: TheSombaria police station hasregistered an FIR accusinga panchayat of the areawith trespassing and crimi-nal intimidation.

The case was reportedly filedby one Rajendra Chettri on 13July against Devi Lall Bhujel,panchayat of Salangdang.

The complainant has al-leged that Devi Lall enteredhis house and used abusive

a NOW REPORT

MANGAN, July 14: In ashocking incident on 12 July,an 8 year old girl was rapedby a 17 year old boy near DatKhola in Dzongu.

The victim is a student ofClass I and a resident ofRangdal Toreng. The accused,Chung Chung Lepcha, is a resi-dent of Gor village in Dzongu.

The victim was discoveredlying on the ground near DatKhola by her elder sister, whowas returning home fromschool. The girl was possiblyraped on her way home fromschool. The father of the victim,

8-year-old rapedby teenagerat Dzongu

after informing the PheedangPolice, rushed his daughter to theMangan Hospital.

Soon after the FIR waslodged, police personnelfrom Mangan, led by PI KPNepal, conducted investiga-tions at the spot where thegirl was found lying, for pos-sible evidence.

At around 2 AM on themorning of 13 July, theMangan Police arrested theaccused after the victim iden-tified him as the culprit.

A case has been registeredunder section 376 of the IPC andthe accused is currently underpolice custody at Mangan.

Panchayat chargedwith trespassing

language against his familyand furthermore threatenedthem with dire consequences.The case has been registeredunder sections 448 whichdeals with house trespassingand 506 which deals withcriminal intimidation.

SP [West], BK Tamang, in-forms that the confrontation be-tween the two parties beganwhen the younger brother of thepanchayat, Kul Bahadur Bhujel,was allegedly caught red-

turn to pg3

a NOW REPORT

NAMCHI, July 14: TheSouth District police person-nel, actively helped out by thedistrciut administration, orga-nized a workshop on MentalHealth Awareness Programmetoday with a view to combataddiction, mental illness and

GovernorGavai

visits SouthSikkim

PURAN TAMANG

NAMCHI, July 14: TheGovernor of Sikkim, RSGavai, who was sworn in tooffice yesterday, visitedSouth Sikkim today.

Mr. Gavai, who is holdingadditional charge of Sikkimalong with his responsibili-ties in Bihar, was accompa-nied by his wife and con-ducted on the South Sikkimtour by DC [South] VishalChauhan, SP [South] Dr. MSTuli, and SDM Subash Rai.

The Governor visitedSamdruptse, where he spent

South cops mediate against addiction and suicidesdiscourage suicides. The Southdistrict recorded 35 suicides inthe last six months.

DIG [Range] AkshaySachdeva and Dr. CL Pradhan,Clinical Psychiatrist at STNMHospital Gangtok, conductedthe awareness programme asresource persons. The work-shop was also attended by SP

[South] Mandeep Singh Tuliand CMO [S] Dr. Bimal Rai.

It took the combined ef-forts of officials posted in thedistrict to ensure that theevent was well attended sothat its message reached outto the right audience. DDO[South] DT Bhutia, for ex-ample coordinated the partici-

pation of panchayats while theCMO saw to it that the medi-cal officers of the district werein attendance while Joint Di-rector [HRDD], AB Gurung,it is learnt arranged fromproper attendance of teachersand students. With the districtpolice kept busy with thewider parameters of the

awareness programme, theADC [South] YashodaBhandari and SDM [Namchi]looked into the organisationalrequirements and IPR coordi-nated on the media coverage.

At the end, this coordina-tion saw to it that theprogramme achieved what it

turn to pg4

NAVIN AGARWAL

GANGTOK, 14 July:Gangtok’s Bhanu Jayanti cel-ebrations were special thisyear. While the events of themorning at Bhanu Udayanhad Governor V Rama Raoin attendance, the afternoonsession at TNA auditoriumhad Governor RS Gavai aschief guest. Governor Raomade it for the morning func-tion before proceeding on amonth-long leave and Gov-ernor Gavai, who was sworn-

‘Pleasant Coincidence’ has GangtokBhanu Jayanti celebrations graced

by both Governorsin to hold additional chargeof Sikkim at 11:30 AM yes-terday, attended the secondround of celebrations.

Nepali Sahitya Parishadorganized the 192nd BhanuJayanti with great pomp andrevelry at the TNA Hall in thecapital on 13 July. The cel-ebrations kicked-off with thelighting of the traditionallamp by the Governor, RSGavai and Chief MinisterPawan Chamling.

The event saw enthusias-turn to pg2

The young were as energetic in their celebration of the 192nd Bhanu Jayanti observed across the State on Thursday. This trio at Singtam

reflects the fun which Bhanu Jayanti - with its colourful rallies, recitals and dances - is associated with by the young. Definitely a good way

to get them involved and then inform them of the debt of gratitude the Nepali people and the language owe the Adi Kavi.EVERYONE’S POET

turn to pg2

CORRIGENDUM

to the minutes under “Industries

(2)” of the meeting held in the

chamber of the Chief Minister on

July 11, 2006- read as follows-

“Notwithstanding the Army’s re-

quest for only three days visit of

tourists to Nathula the State Gov-

ernment should insist on main-

taining the status-quo of four days

visit to Nathula areas”.- DIO [IPR]

2; NOW!; 15 July, 2006 OPINION �

NOW!F i r s t W i t h T h e N e w s

The article by Dr.Sanjay M. Gajmerquestions the effect

of the Sikkim Anti-Rabiesand Animal HealthProgramme on indigenousdog breeds. It is clear that theesteemed doctor is not fullyinformed of the format orobjectives of the SARAHProgramme. This importantprogrammeis a collabo-ration be-tween theDepartmentof AnimalHusbandry, LF and VS of theState Government of Sikkimand the Australian-based vol-untary organization(VetCharity), and involvesmany veterinary staff fromDr. Gajmer’s own depart-ment. The programme hasseveral aims such as:* reduction in the incidence

of rabies-related deaths inthe Sikkimese dog popu-lation and other domesti-cated and wild animals

* provision of healthcareand sterilization proce-dures for the stray dogpopulation of Sikkim

* improved relationship be-tween human and dogpopulations by creating asmaller, healthier andanti-rabies vaccinatedstreet dog population

* implementation of mea-sures to address the plightof endangered species

* refinement of the small ani-mal surgical and medicalskills of local veterinarians

* Provision of numeroussecondary public healthand welfare benefits, in-cluding reduced incidenceof rabies in the humanpopulation in Sikkim.I would like to draw the

attention of Dr. Gajmer to thethird to the last of the aboveaims. The SARAHProgramme is committed toimproving the chances of sur-vival for all native Sikkimesespecies. Indeed, meetingshave already been held withstaff of the Department ofForests and ConservationGovernment of Sikkim andalso the Department of Epi-demiology, Murdoch Univer-sity, Western Australia, todiscuss how best this may beachieved, including the rein-troduction of the TibetanMastiff, a native dog breedwhich is feared to be effec-

S.A.R.A.H. CRITICISMILL-INFORMED

tively extinct in Sikkim.The street dogs which,

since the commencement ofthe programme in April2006, are now receiving vet-erinary care previously notavailable to these unfortunatecreatures, are cross bred dogs(mongrels) and do not repre-sent any canine breed uniqueto Sikkim or any other region.

The streetdog popula-tion will notand shouldnot be eradi-cated, but

will certainly be healthierand present much less of a ra-bies risk to the community.

The ABC-AR Programmehas been recommended byWHO and it is being carriedout in many developed anddeveloping countries. In In-dia, this programme is beingregulated by Animal WelfareBoard of India in conjunctionwith various NGOs, munici-pal corporations and stategovernment departments. Inthis connection, AWBI havedrafted guidelines which arebeing followed throughoutthe country.

This programme has beenconceived as a result of bru-tal and inhuman slaughteringof stray dogs which has com-pounded not only to increasein population but incidenceof rabies as well as other af-fliction rising considerably.

As Director of theProgramme, I would like toassure Dr. Gajmer that thestrategies of the programmeare in no way a visceral re-sponse to the major issues ofrabies control and animalhealthcare. In fact they are acarefully considered ap-proach to achieving its manyaims, including those of con-cern to Dr. Gajmer.

The steering committee ofthe SARAH Programmewould welcome further con-structive input from the es-teemed doctor.

Dr. Ian Douglas BVM&S,MRCVS, MACVSc,

Director Sikkim, Anti-Rabies and Animal Health

Programme

�REACTIONRESPONSE&

on 13 July, after havingreached the trade mart atSherathang, they found totheir dismay that the goods– a truckload of rice, flourand spices – would notmake it to the other side be-cause the consignment wasnot accompanied by the pa-perwork as required .

To make it to the other sidewith goods of trade, one needsan import-export code num-ber, which they did not have.In fact, not many people herein Sikkim have such a codenumber. The traders werestopped by the Customs offi-cials when the former couldnot furnish the code number.

The Sikkim Chamber ofCommerce president, SKSarda, says “We do not yetknow the new rules regulat-ing international trade;slowly we will get to knowthem and comply with them”.

According to him, they havebeen informed that an import-export code number is requiredfor any trader in any part of thecountry wanting to engage ininternational trade. The only ex-ception, he says, is where ex-

We speak the samelanguage as ourcousins from

across the Mechi river andyet, at times, we differ so radi-cally that we become incom-prehensible to each other.

Consider the simple fruitlemon. While it is ‘nimbu’ tous, it is ‘kagatay’ to them andour apple, ‘aifal,’ is ‘seau’ intheir speech. Beyond ourhills ‘khidki’ is ‘jhyal’ andwhile we are okay with‘dailo’ they use ‘dhoka’.

These alternatives, how-ever, don’t really pose a pre-dicament because the mean-ings have not been altered inthe manner as happens withsome other usages. ‘Bhuja,’which is ‘chana-chur’ in ourarea, takes on a completelydifferent meaning when itmoves byond Mechi. There,“Bhuja khanuhawas,” wouldmean, “Have some cookedrice.” Then there is this strangemetamorphosis they havebrought about which trans-formed the ‘churote’ into acigarette. Fortunately, we didnot follow suit and kept che-root, as it ought to mean, a ci-

THEIR WORDS/HAMRO VOCABULARY

by Dr. SONAM B. WANGYAL

WORD FOR WORD? MAWORD FOR WORD? MAWORD FOR WORD? MAWORD FOR WORD? MAWORD FOR WORD? MAYBE NOYBE NOYBE NOYBE NOYBE NOTTTTTgar. Incidentally, the word isnot Nepali and comes to us andto the rest of the world fromthe Tamil shuruttu [Malayamvariation, churuttu] meaning -a roll of tobacco.

Here again, ‘churote’ as acigarette is not too far awayfrom the original term sinceboth ‘churote’ and cigaretteare tobacco products and endup in fire and smoke. How-ever, what we have next isamazing and this involves usonly. Of the many morphs wehave engineered into our lexi-con, this is an awkwardly oddone. ‘Bhutro’ is a commonword in our Hills and is oftenused to express disgust or con-tempt and because of the fre-quency of use, we are famil-iar with expressions like‘bhutro khanu’, ‘bhutrokogarcha’, ‘bhutro khelcha’ etc.But they are better left behindin our hills and best not ut-tered in the land ofPashupathinath unless you arein the mood to confront someextreme awkwardness, for, inmost parts of Nepal, the wordunfortunately translates as themale genitals.

One of the most confusingalternatives we come across inour interactions with our coun-terparts from across the borderis in the use of the word‘martole’. When somebodyasks for a ‘martole’ we will nor-mally pass him the hammer, butin Nepal, you will invariably befetched a screwdriver, which,if we wanted it, we would have

asked for a ‘pechkas.’When our kids read the

English alphabets they do notsay ‘yum’ and ‘yun’ for Mand N, neither do the privi-leged kids study in ‘boarding’but rather in English mediumschools. We don’t call ourkids ‘bacha’ or ‘bachi’ but‘chhora’ and ‘chhori’ andwhile ours write on a ‘khata,’

theirs do so on a ‘kaapi’.They have their ‘pustakalya’,‘ausadhalya’ and ‘pathshala’and we have our ‘laibari’,‘dabai-dokan’ and ‘eskool.’

Differences don’t end hereand there are too many to belisted, but just to give a smalltaste of how divergent our‘common’ vocabulary is, asmall list is being included.

We go to the ‘gaddi’ to buyour rakshi, while they sit orride on it; we drive a ‘gaari’and they a ‘motor’; our chauf-feur is a driver and theirs is a‘guruji’; we eat ‘baigun’ and‘rumbhera’ but they prefer‘bhanta’ and ‘golbhera’; wego to money ‘saatnu,’ theywant to ‘bhajaunu’; our oppo-site numbers measure theirlands in ‘ropani’ and we do itin yards and meters; we havealways climbed ‘sidis/ siris,’but they so on a ‘bharyang’;we keep warm with a ‘shirug’and not with ‘dolai’ and wenormally pay a ‘jyela’ for a jobdone but our co-speakers doleout ‘waytan’ or ‘majdoori’.

In the world of entertainmentours are the ‘khas keta’ and ‘khasketi’ and occasionally ‘hero’ and‘heroin-nee’ unlike their‘abhineta’ and ‘abhinetri’ or‘nayak’ and ‘nayika’. Neverthe-less, the final truth of the matteris, despite a large inventory ofdifferences, we still speak the“same” language and I am‘ekdammaie’, ‘pura’, ‘ek saumaek sau” or as they would say‘sampoorna’, ‘dharo dharo’,‘atyanta’ sure of it.

Contd from pg1

Nathula: The ribbon is cut...

Resolute Mumbai,

Inadequate DelhiAn Indian Express editorial on the Centre’s response tothe acts of terror unleashed on Mumbai and J&K high-lighted how the pressure of coalition politics is mak-

ing the world’s largest democracy a “nation of wimps.”“So nice of the govt to admit there’s a security threat.Now will it do something about it?” the editorial asked.This is the question that every citizen of the countryneeds to ask since it is they who are put in harms way

even as their leaders are sheltered behind larger secu-rity cordons. When a prime minister delivers a nationaladdress like the one broadcast after the serial blasts inMumbai and the attack on tourists in J&K, the people

deserve concrete assurances that the conspirators willbe brought to book. The people, with their sense ofsecurity shattered, deserve at least pride in the knowl-edge that they belong to a nation that does not forgetits martyrs.

What did the prime minister’s address give us in-stead?

The address began with an admission that the peopleMumbai and Srinagar have “once again endured the

trauma of terrorism.” The admission made, the peopledeserve know why they had to suffer so “once again.”What has been done since the last calling card was de-livered by terrorists to ensure that India and Indiansare not targeted again? When, after 200 people have

been killed, the prime minister says “we will win thiswar against terror,” the nation needs to be told how.The nation, ever since the less than perfect POTA wasrepealed, does not even have a specific anti-terror law.We have never had an anti-terror national policy [at

least not one that the people were aware of]; there doesnot appear to be one in the making still. The bombs onMumbai trains detonated during peak rush hour, a timewhen these lifelines ferry the densest commuting popu-

lation in the world. These were not explosions to grabattention for a cause, these were direct assaults aimedat compromising India’s ability to remain India. Thepeople have displayed amply that it will take much morethan this to break their backs, now, will the politicians

in Delhi please show that they have one – a back thatwill straighten for once. Delhi cannot keep offering itspeople and security forces as soft-targets for acts of ter-ror just because it has too many compromises to make

and wants to continue looking good.

emptions are granted, and as faras he knows, there is no ex-emption. However, he says itis still to be ascertainedwhether the rule is applicableto Sikkim. Mr. Sarda furtherinforms that such a code num-ber can only be procured fromthe Director General of For-eign Trade in Kolkata.

Another regulation whichthe traders are not, at present,clear about is the foreign ex-change policy which limits thetransaction of the trader. Atpresent, each trader is beingallowed to engage in just $500worth of trade, which Mr.Sarda, points out is just notenough for good business. Inthis respect the State Bank ofIndia, Gangtok is guiding thetraders and is communicatingwith the Reserve Bank of Indiato see if the limit can be raised.A reply from RBI is awaited.

Besides, a trader is alsorequired to procure an entry/exit form under Sikkim VATrules from the Income Tax andSales Tax Department to en-gage in the trade. Mr. Sardafurther says that edible itemsimported from TAR have tobe sent to CFSL, Kolkata, be-fore they can be sold here.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY“The victory means complete control over the sense-

organs.”

-compiled and shared by BRAHMA KUMARIS

TO CONTACT NOW!

DIAL

2 7 1 1 6 7sikkimnow@sify.com

sikkimnow@rediffmail.com

tic participation of studentsrepresenting schools fromacross the district. Passagesfrom the epic poem,Ramayana, as translated byAdi Kavi Bhanu Bhakta wererecited by different schoolstudents with consummateeloquence and folk dancesstaged to handsome applausefrom the audience.

The welcome address wasdelivered by the Parishad’spresident, Kuber ChandraDahal wherein he dwelt onthe contribution of the AdiKavi on Nepali literature,culture and society.

Speaking to the gathering,Governor Gavai mentionedthe “pleasant coincidence”that he assumed office on aday that also happened to bethe birth anniversary of theNepali First Poet. He in-formed that he had travelledto Nepal often since he is also

a member of the InternationalLumbini Development Coun-cil and has had the opportu-nity to read Bhanu Bhakta’sworks translated into Hindi.His exposure to the AdiKavi’s works, he said, hadincreased his respect forNepali literature and inspiredawe for what Bhanu Bhaktamanaged to achieve.

He said that he had him-self ‘volunteered’ to attend theBhanu Jayanti celebrationsand lauded Bhanu Bhakta a“Sahitya Samrat” who hasmade immense contributionsto the Nepali society.

On this auspicious occa-sion, he expressed hope that“kavi shrestha” will be re-membered for a long, longtime in Sikkim.

This year’s Bhanu BhaktaPurashkar has gone to UdayChandra Vashist for his con-tribution to Nepali languageand literature. The 21st re-cipient of the award was pre-

45 minutes praying to the 135feet tall statue of GuruPadmasambhava and admir-ing the site.

On behalf of theSamdruptse ManagementCommittee, the DC [S] VishalChauhan who is also thepresident of SMC, presenteda thanka to the Governor.

Mr. Gavai also visitedAssangthang GPU and metthe panchayats there. Duringhis interactions with thepanchayats, the Governorappeared pleased with theprogress of work there. Hequeried after the variousgovernment schemes andtheir implementation.

He also visited the Temitea estate.

Governor Gavai visits...

Contd from pg1

sented with a cash prize ofRs. 21,000, a certificate offelicitation, a memento andshawl by the Chief Minister.

The awardee, in his turn,stressed on the need of loveand harmony in present timesand quoted slokas in Sanskritfrom Bhagwad Gita and otherworks to prove his point.

The programme also sawthe formal launching of theNepali edition of HindustanSamachar by the Chief Min-ister who also released booksby Pravin Rai, Mira Subbaand Rabin Tamang.

This was followed by thedebate session wherein se-nior students honed theirskills arguing powerfully onthe different facets of the res-ervation policy still in prac-tice in our country in the eraof globalization.

The Chief Minister in hisspeech asked people to focusmore consistently on the de-velopment of Nepali lan-

guage and literature. He saidthat Nepali works deserved towin the coveted Nobel Prizeand appealed of the writersto work assiduously towardsthis goal.

He also assured the NepaliSahitya Parishad that his gov-ernment would look into therenovation of BhanuBhakta’s idol in the capitaland up gradation of theParishad Bhawan. Inciden-tally, it is also the silver jubi-lee year of the organizer,Nepali Sahitya Parishad.

Earlier in the day, a hugerally to mark the birth anni-versary of the Acharya wasalso taken out from BhanuUdyan to TNA. The rally wasattended in massive numbersby people from all walks oflife. Also present for the grandcelebrations were ministers,Speaker, Deputy Speaker,MLA’s, officials of variousgovernment departments,teachers, students and others.

Contd from pg1

Bhanu Jayanti celebrations graced by both Governors...

Pic: Joseph Lepcha

a NOW REPORT

GANGTOK, July 14: Ecotourism and Conservation Soci-ety of Sikkim [ECOSS] organized an interactive seminar-cum-workshop on Ecotourism Initiatives in the SikkimHimalayas under the UNESCO supported project “Strength-ening of Sikkim Himalayan Homestay” 2006.

The objective of this interaction cum workshop was to bringthe ecotourism initiatives from rural areas into the limelight andprovide a platform for interaction with key government agencies.

The seminar was structured for community-based organiza-tions to make presentations about their ecotourism initiatives.

ECOSS brings together ecotourism stakeholders and policy makersCommunity based organizations which participated in

this meet included representatives from Soreng,Khecheopalri, Melli Aching, Yuksam, Nambu Rimbick,Yuksam, Hee Bermiok, Aritar, Pastanga, Kewzing, Omchuand Mangan. Travel Agents Association of Sikkim and otherkey stakeholders were also invited to this interaction.

The workshop consisted of participants representing Gov-ernment Departments and Non Government Organization.Officials from the Department of Tourism, Sikkim TourismDevelopment Corporation, Department of Forest Environmentand Wildlife Management, SIDICO, NEDFi and NABARD

turn to pg4

Bihar Governor RS Gavai was sworn in on Thursday to hold additional charge of Sikkim while Governor V Rama Rao is away on a month long

leave. The oath of office was administered by Acting Chief Justice NS Singh at Raj Bhawan yesterday at a function attended by the Chief

Minister, his Cabinet colleagues, MLAs and senior government officials. Governor Gavai [left] seen above with the Chief Minister after the

swearing in ceremony.

A border marker along the frontier with Nepal in West Sikkim. The lannguage takes someinteresting twists in how it is deployed on either side.

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CARE [Concern for Complete Life], in collaboration with Gurukul

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Kutse SheguKutse SheguKutse SheguKutse SheguKutse SheguThe 49th Day Kutse Shegu of Late SonamDoma w/o. Lamden Bhutia, who passedaway on 16.06.2006 falls on 2nd August2006. All relatives, friends & well wishers arerequested to join us for offering prayers forthe departed soul at our residence at HotelNewchekhil Khang, Kabi, North Sikkim.We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all thosewho extended their help in our time of bereavement.

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handed while attempting to steala goat belonging to the com-plainant. This was on 08 July ataround 1 AM in the morning.

On being caught, KulBahadur was handed over tothe panchayat who happenedto be his own elder brother.The elder brother, as allegedby the complainant, insteadof taking action against hiserring brother, barged intoRajendra Chettri’s house andthreatened his parents. Thecomplainant, it is learnt, wasaway at Okhray at the time.

The SP West further in-formed that the panchayat wasarrested and released on bail.The case is under investigation.

Contd from pg1

Panchayatcharged...

a NOW REPORT

GANGTOK, 14 July: TheState-unit of the BharatiyaJanta Party today informedthat the Party has received acommunication from UnionMinister of Information &Broadcasting, PRDasmunshi, that he was pur-suing the opening of theDoordarshan Kendra atGangtok. The Minister’s as-surance comes in response toa letter by the State BJP re-questing for the same.

The party has alleged thatthe SDF Government was notkeen on a functional DDKendra at Gangtok since itwould threaten the presentmonopoly of the local cableTV providers which airs only“limited” news, that too ofthe ruling party, and ignoresorganizations opposed to theruling party. The BJP pressrelease has also accused thecable TV provider of using itsmonopoly to raise usuriousfees from subscribers.

The release goes on to addthat it was “unfortunate” thatthe plans to open Gangtok

Doordarshan, scheduled as farback as in 2004 when NDAwas in power at the Centre,was shelved due to changesin the Union Cabinet and laterdue to a change in the Gov-ernment at the Centre.

Now, the release alleges,the SDF Government is nolonger pursuing the matterand had it still been a BJP-led government at the Cen-tre, Gangtok Doordarshanwould have started function-ing a long time back.

The party has expressedhope that with the new UnionMinister of Information &Broadcasting, the function-ing of the Doordarshan herewill see the light of day assoon as possible so that thepeople of Sikkim can enjoywide coverage of Sikkimwith all kinds of news, likeAll India Radio does.

I&B Ministrypursuing opening of

DD Gangtok: BJPANAND OBEROI

SINGTAM, 14 July: Singtamcreated history for itself byhosting what could arguably bethe biggest Bhanu Jayanti cel-ebrations in the State on Thurs-day. Representatives of sixconstituencies packed thevenue at Golitar here, wherethe 192nd Bhanu Jayanti cel-ebrations were held.

The mammoth gatheringbattled the Singtam heat withcamaraderie, dancing andsinging, as all participated inthe glorious rally which startedfrom the Bhanu Bhakta turn-ing, moved through town andback after which theprogramme at Golitar began.

The rally had so many as-sociations from the six con-stituencies that if all thenames were to be listed, therewould be no space left in thispaper for anything else.

So heightened was the

sense of excitement atSingtam bazaar that no one intown was seen left out fromthe celebrations. Local orga-nizations busied themselvesdistributing juice at variouscorners and locals volun-teered assistance to out-of-towners left disoriented by thesea of humanity that swarmedinto this town yesterday.

If there was the NaumatiBaja that attracted attention atone corner, the ‘Panchkanyas’leading the ‘Shova Yatra’were commanding attentionat the other end.

Minister, Roads &Bridges and Labour, DTLepcha, was present as thechief guest for the functionwhich had Agriculture Min-ister Somnath Poudyal as thepresident of the organizingcommittee along with theMLAs from Rakdong-Tintek,Central Pendam, Ratey-Pani,Khamdong, Sang-Martamand Temi-Tarku. The minis-ters and MLAs joined themammoth rally along sideRaj Narayan Pradhan a re-nowned writer fromDarjeeling who was the guestof honour for the day.

Addressing the gatheringat Golitar, Mr. Poudyal said,“This is a historical event forus as this is the biggestBhanu Jayanti ever organizedin the state. People from sixconstituencies participatingin one venue and under oneplatform is truly a significantachievement.”

The celebrations at

Singtam showcased the strongbond of unity enjoyed by thepeople of Sikkim, he added.

“You saw all sections ofpeople today, from Bhutias,Lepchas, Nepalis, Marwaris,Biharis to Muslims andChristians celebrate together.This shows that the people ofSikkim are one. No matter towhich caste or creed theybelong, they share total com-munal harmony and with thiscelebration, we have rein-forced that bond,” he said.

The chief guest and theguest of honour also ad-dressed the gathering. Asmuch as the day was aboutcelebrating, it was also aboutremembering and respectingand the programme at Golitarstarted with a one minute si-lence observed in thememory of Sikkim’s martyr,Captain Sashi Bhusan Singhwho died fighting terrorists inJ&K earlier this year.

Awards were also given tothe best performing artistsfrom the various constituen-cies participating today incategories for Ramayan Path-Patan, cultural dance troupe,participation in the rally, po-etry competition and for thestudents from schools fromthe participating constituen-cies who had fared excep-tionally in the Nepali subjectin the board exams.

Many programmes by theparticipants, cultural dances,poetry recitation and com-edies made the programmeeven more colourful through

the day long programme.Felicitations were also of-

fered to senior citizens ofSingtam who have contrib-uted to Sikkim. In this con-nection, DB Subba was fe-licitated for his special con-tribution to education in thestate, Mary Lepcha for herservices in the health sector,and Padam Singh Gurung, aretired Army official.

The celebrations culmi-

Singtam hosts lavish BhanuJayanti celebrations

“BHANU JAYANTI HAS CEMENTED SIKKIM’S COMMUNAL HARMONY”

nated with a gala performanceby popular singer Karna Dasfrom Kathmandu. Also onstage yesterday were local art-ists and students from EastPoint School, Singtam.

The Bhanu Jayanti cel-ebrations at Singtam werehuge and now the organizersare promising that the Inde-pendence Day celebrationsnext month will be anotherextravagant affair.

4; NOW!; 15 July, 2006 � FINALONE

ARIES: You encounter frustra-tions now that throw a wetblanket on your enthusiasm.You feel blocked and hemmedin. Your creative and originalplans meet with oppositionfrom conservative people, es-tablished rules, and societalnorms.TAURUS: Agreements, con-tracts, and joining your effortswith others will work out verymuch to your advantage now.A friend or person in authoritymay offer help or present anopportunity which will benefityou now or in the future.GEMINI: Your artistic sensitiv-ity, intuition, and imaginationare stimulated. A fleeting im-pression or intuition is apt tobe correct.CANCER: This astrological in-fluence occurs twice in a life-time, at age 25 - 31 and againat age 54 - 59. During this timeperiod, changes occur in yourlife that provide you greaterfreedom and self-expression.LEO: A maturing of your idealsand spiritual values occursnow. This maturing process isso gradual and natural that youwill hardly notice it, but it is sig-nificant. You become less ego-centered and more sensitive tothe needs of others. Conse-quently, you behave in a moremature manner.VIRGO: Giving and receivingappreciation, love, and happi-ness come into your life now.You are moved to express youraffections more openly thanusual. You also want to be sur-rounded with beauty and har-

monious people, and yourartistic efforts flourish.LIBRA:You are motivated towork at resolving any ongoingproblems you may be dealingwith, but you're apt to be ratherirritable and edgy now also. Youcan't seem to ignore problemsor just let them pass. Family re-lations are rather tense.SCORPIO: This is an excellenttime to make decisions aboutyour financial affairs, as yourjudgment is sound and reliable,though a bit conservative. In-vesting in beautiful thingswhich are likely to increase invalue over time (such asjewelry or fine art) is favored.You are not interested in fleet-ing excitement or frivolity now.SCORPIO: You are optimistic,hopeful, and forward-lookingat this time. You can see con-nections and possibilities youmay have overlooked before.Now is a time for communicat-ing your enthusiasm, sharingyour plans and dreams.CAPRICORN: Blowups in thedomestic sphere are likely, asyou aren't feeling very patient orconciliatory. Passionate feelingsof all kinds are aroused.AQUARIUS: Agreements, con-tracts, and joining your effortswith others will work out verymuch to your advantage now.A friend or person in authoritymay offer help or present anopportunity which will benefityou now or in the future.PISCES: Your imagination runswild during this time period! Youare attracted to any kind offantasy, mysticism, orimaginative work. Of course, theextent to which this affects youand the precise ways itmanifests depends largely onyour own personal tastes andinclinations in these matters.

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DEEPAK SHARMA

MANGAN, July 14: The192nd birth anniversary ofAdhikavi Bhanu BhaktaAcharya was celebrated in agrand manner here at theCommunity Hall on Thursday.

The programme, orga-nized by the Mangan BhanuJayanti Celebration Com-mittee, was attended byformer Chairperson NTLepcha as the chief guest.Also in attendance were DC[N] TN Kazi, Senior SP STBhutia, DDO NamrataThapa, SDM BK Lama,Deputy Director HRDD,Principals of Mangan SeniorSecondary School and NSA,

Bhanu Jayanti attracts participationfrom all levels at Mangan

officials from various de-partments, teachers and stu-dents of the local schoolsand the general public.

The celebrations saw theparticipation of six schools -Mangan Senior SecondarySchool, North Sikkim Acad-emy, Play & Learn, St.Joseph’s School, RinghimSchool and Little Flower,along with Pakshyak NangsalClub and Tingchim Club.

The programme startedwith the chief guest, Mr.Lepcha lighting the ceremo-nial lamp and DDO (N) de-livering the welcome speech.

Principal MSSS, DropadaSharma, in turn, provided anaccount of the Adi Kavi’s life

and works.A Ramayan Path was ren-

dered by students from the par-ticipating schools, followed byvarious cultural programmesby the school children and theclub members.

What made the celebra-tions more exciting was theparticipation of even the lo-cal gentry and officials fromMangan and Pedong in thePoetry competition whichsaw NSA bagging the firstposition while the second andthe third position both werebagged by MSSS.

In the cultural perfor-mances, NSA again baggedthe first position, MSSS thesecond and the third position

prizes went to Play & Learnand St. Joseph’s School. Allthe participants were pre-sented with tokens and cer-tificates by the Chief Guest.

Mr. Lepcha, in his address,appreciated the enthusiasmand energy with which theschools, officers, clubs andthe local people organized theBhanu Jayanti celebrationsand observed that this was apositive contribution towardsthe active preservation of theNepali language.

He said that along withthe memory of the Adikavi,even local traditions, culturesand literatures were keptalive with such spectacularannual celebrations.

aimed for - reaching the im-portant message on need forheightened awareness on theseissues to the target audience.

Mr. Sachdeva urged theschool authorities and teachersto monitor the activities of stu-dents under the care to detectwarning signs early and providechildren with regular counsel-ing to keep them informed.

He asked the panchayats,NGO representatives and theconcerned departments spon-sor substance abusers to reha-bilitation centers and assuredthat in this regard, even if thePolice Department could notprovide funds, it would extendfull cooperation in other forms.

Dr. Pradhan, in turn, high-lighted that almost all mentalillnesses had a cure and timely

Contd from pg1medical assistance could helpsave many lives since mostsuicides resulted from un-treated mental illnesses.

Nearly 95% suicides wereattempted by those who had notsought medical aid despite suf-fering prolonged mental illness,he said, while adding that of theremaining 5%, a majority weretriggered by addiction. He saidcounseling and alternate medi-cation were the best solutionsin such circumstances.

The workshop also includedan interactive session, during

which the participants put upvarious queries and apprehen-sions which were addressed bythe resource persons. In turn, theresource persons also threw somequestions back at the audience totest how aware they had becomeafter the programme.

The workshop saw an at-tendance of around 400 par-ticipants, comprising ofpanchayats, students, teach-ers, taxi drivers, business-men, PHC staffs and the po-lice personnel from all overthe South District.

South cops mediate against addiction...

Temi fraudaccusedescapes

a NOW REPORT

GANGTOK, 14 July: Harka Bahadur Subba, arrested byTemi police on charges of duping a woman of around Rs.20,000, has given the cops the slip.

According to information received, Harka, reported tobe a resident of Nepal and presently residing at Dalep Busty,gave the head constable of Temi police station the slip whilebeing escorted to the latrine. A sharp look out is on and allpolice stations have been alerted, it is learnt.

Harka was booked under section 420 IPC after a woman,Ganga Subba of Manpari bustee filed a complaint againsthim stating that Harka had taken 4 tolas of gold from herwith the promise that he would invest the amount in a busi-ness venture with her. The gold was mortgaged by him witha businessman in Singtam for rs. 20,000 – an amount, whichinstead of investing in a business as promised, Harka spenton himself.

also attended the meeting.Commissioner cum Secre-

tary Tourism Alok Srivastavspoke on the role of his depart-ment in the promotion ofecotourism in Sikkim, whileML Arrawatia, AdditionalPCCF Forest Department,highlighted the issues and con-cerns of ecotourism aroundforest areas and informed par-ticipants about the Forest De-partment regulations.

With the focus of the gov-ernment on ecotourism,ECOSS expressed hope thatsuch meets would trigger theright paradigms of tourismdevelopment in pristine areasof Sikkim and institutionswould play a more vital rolein facilitating such processes.

Contd from pg1

ECOSS bringstogether....