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ON pg 4

editorial: 2-DIGIT DILEMMA

Imagine being packed off toMalaysia with promises ofemployment only to find outthat you are travelling on atourist visa. You have nomoney for the return fare.What do you do? ManySikkimese youth who fell forthe smooth-talking RKSubba were faced with asimilar predicament...

TURN TO pg 3 FOR DETAILS

extras

NOW!

2; NOW! 10-16 September, 2003GANGTOK 10- 16 SEPTEMBER, 2003

NOW!SIKKIM MATTERS

ED-SPACE

Dear readers,Change is always welcome and if that change adds colour,even more so. With this issue we opt for the literal interpreta-tion and as you must have already noticed NOW! is now incolour. The good news continues with the announcement thatwe are adding colour without any increase in our cover price.Packaged along with these two is more – 4 more pages. Apartfrom going colour at the same cover price, NOW! will hence-forth be 24 pages on a regular basis and sometimes evenmore when the issue features a “NOW! Special”. This, rathermiraculous economic balancing has been made possible dueto the coming together of various factors. Increased reader-ship loyalty coupled with improved advertiser faith convincedus that some value-addition was the order of the day. Wecould finally take the leap when some strategic content-shar-ing arrangements brought the cost-factor down to a level wecould afford. We are convinced that the latest face-lift will godown well with our readers and advertisers and hope that thesupport they have shown towards this publication will groweven more over the coming weeks.With that I leave you to enjoy the new-look NOW!

-publisher

AGARWAL NOT MALU

I am very much dissatisfied andequally astonished to read the

title of my father as Champalall“Malu” as appeared in your es-teem magazine NOW extras (Vol02 No. 09) at page No. 04, underthe glimpses of Mangan Bazar(old) under the bannerChampalall Agarwal but unfortu-nately the title of my father hasbeen found written as Malu in-stead of Agarwal in the latest is-sue of NOW. Hence, I would liketo advice and suggest the humbleReporter through NOW to au-thenticate the information’s be-fore it is sent for publication inorder to safeguard the sentimentof the readers.RS Agarwal and all Agarwalbrothers, Mangan, North Sikkim

WHAT NEXT FOR PEPSI

I was shocked to read of howPepsi has been playing with

words to convince Sikkim that allits soft drinks come from Dranghu[“Sales ke liye Pepsi Besharamhai, NOW! vol. 2. no. 11]. Whatsurprises me even more is that themisleading advertisements con-tinue to be broadcast. I evenchecked out the Pepsi mobiles andbigger plastic bottles and foundout that they were indeed notmanufactured in Bhutan. WhileNOW! did well by revealing theunethical practice, I am surprised

that no one seems to be acting onit. Isn’t there some authoritywhich can stop Pepsi from con-tinually announcing somethingthat is wrong? Shouldn’t thehealth authorities of consumeraffairs be taking Pepsi to task?The issue here is not whetherPepsi has pesticide or not, but thatit is lying to the local consumers.I hope some action is taken.S. Rai, Tadong, Gangtok

GANGTOK IS NOT

THE CAPITAL OF

SWITZERLAND

Shoving the concept of MGMarg “Mall” forcefully down

the dumb throats of Gangtokiansis very unfortunate becauseGangtok is not the capital ofSwitzerland.

It may look glamorous for therich and affluent, but is problem-atic for the poor masses and adeath nail for the taxi owners.Allowing vehicles to park is anecessity, while turning MG Marginto a Mall is a luxury, as aneconomist would say, because atthis time of exploding traffic, wecannot think of going to the mar-ket without having a place to parkour vehicle. At the same time, itis not absolutely essential to have

a “Mall” for a free walk.For the shopkeepers also it will

be a down fall of their sales un-less they are ready to be satisfiedby watching the playful games ofthe children. A resident of Tadongor Chanbari would definitely beready to buy his daily require-ments at his own locality ratherthan spending more and taking theextra labour of buying at MG“Mall” and boarding at old WestPoint School Taxi Stand or wher-ever it may be.

Turning MG Marg into a Mallmakes it a nice tourist spot, thereis no denying that, yet, for thepeople of Gangtok, it will be acurse and not a boon. Gangtok isalready packed with vehicles andthe numbers are still increasing.Once the present MG Marg reallyturns into a Mall, where will allthese cars be parked when theirwork is over? Dumping them intoone big car-park is certainly notthe answer because the commut-ers have to have space to take outtheir cars when their work is over.

What is the good of this mas-terpiece of a plan, if it does notbenefit the general majority?

In short, the idea of beautify-ing the main market place by driv-ing away the vehicles is like try-ing to beautify your face by cut-ting away your nose.Lakpa Tashi Bhutia, RanipoolBazar

Just beyond Rang-Rang, thereis a flattish patch along theNorth Sikkim Highway with

a cardamom plant with trees in thebackdrop which might have onebelieve that it is an abandonedplantation. The place is in factseeped in history.

“Akarthang,” at Rang-Rang,just 9 kms short of Mangan is wellknown to the people of NorthSikkim. Few are however versedin its past. Records reveal that be-fore Rinzing Namgyal establishedMangan bazaar in 1903,Akarthang was a bustling market-place serving not only Rang-Rang,but also Mangan and the surround-ing areas. Akarthang, in a way, notonly straddles history, but also ge-ography in the sense that it wasfrom here that the construction ofthe North Sikkim Highway began.Earlier the road from Gangtokended at Rang-Rang.

Rama Shankar Agarwal ofMangan reveals that his father,Champalall Agarwal [knownpopularly as “Ek Aana Babu” by

2-Digit DilemmaThe on-line version of the ever-popular single-digit lottery,thinly veiled as a double digit draw has become so hugelypopular in the State that almost every second day, one hearsof someone who has squandered his month’s earning on itshalf-hourly draws or another who poured good money afterbad hiking his stakes in the game until a loan was all spent.While some of the stories might be true and others workedfrom imagination, there is no denying that the lottery is a smartbuy as far as the incorrigible lottery buyer is concerned. Thereare many protesting the new lottery as a social ill, but thetemptation of betting on the reduced odds offered by the newschemes does not seem to wane.

First, let’s look at the legality of the new game. Single-digitlottery is banned in the country, but given the exact interpre-tations of official diktats required by law, the new scheme[which has actually been tried many times in the past] passesthe muster and becomes legal. Barely so, one may add. Whensimilar “social” concerns were raised in the past in connec-tion to another 2-digit lottery, the officials had stopped its sales.Not because it was illegal, but because they had caught on toa technicality and banned the lottery till those managing thecounters produced authenticated draw results. The organisersinstalled fax machines and were back in business. With thedebut of on-line double-digits the authorities cannot disruptsales on technicalities any more. The authentic, certified re-sults are just a refresh button click away.

The double-digits might be a borderline case of legality,but are still on the right side of the law till the courts tell usotherwise. Sikkim cannot ban its sales given the reciprocalarrangement lottery-operating states share. That still does nottake away from the fact that this scheme is unethical. Butthen, even that is a comparative notion. Lotteries, no matterhow much they increase the odds of winning, depend on theirappeal to the gambling instincts of its buyers for success.What might be gambling for someone, might just be recre-ation for another. But surely, if the lottery is becoming increas-ingly addictive and blatantly easing through a loophole, thensomething needs to be done. Anonymous letters and privatecondemnations are not the options a society takes when it istries to rid itself of a vice. The people have to put a face totheir complaints and stop expecting someone else to take upthe cudgels for them. It is at times like these that Sikkim missesnot having a civil society or an NGO culture working on socialissues. It is from platforms like these that such concerns asthe ills of the latest lottery are voiced and heard. In their ab-sence, there are only shouts in the dark which are seldomcoherent and rarely heard.

Before Mangan, There

Was AkarthangGlimpses of Mangan – III

� LETTERS

by DEEPAK SHARMA

Manganites] opened a shop atAkarthang in 1900 and latershifted to Mangan when it wasestablished in 1903.

When NOW! visited the arearecently, it discovered thatAkarthang, which looks more likea disheveled jungle now, still re-tains some signs of its past. Thesupporting structures of the oldbridge can still be spied upon be-hind overgrown weeds and creep-ers. Although no signs remain ofthe settlement there, it must havebeen a busy spot given the factthat it straddled the convergingroads from so many directions.

The bridge here, which connectedit to Mangan was operational tillsometime in 1960 when it wasabandoned and a new bridge con-structed at Rang-Rang.

Although Akarthang mighthave seen only a few years as atrading post, it is important vis avis Mangan’s prosperity. After all,it was only after operating atAkarthang that businessmen wholater flocked to Mangan saw thepotential that the North Sikkimmarket held. In this, the centenaryyear of Mangan, it is importantthat we also remember the placesthat preceded Mangan’s rise.

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GANGTOK: The state-unit of theBJP is back in news. This timeagain for a change in its partyhierarchy in Sikkim. DeepakLepcha, the new vice-president ofthe state-unit, while talking toNOW! revealed that a fax-messagefrom Pyarelal Khandelwal, Vice-President, BJP, informed him of thenew list of office-bearers forSikkim. As per this list, the Stategets a new party president in HRPradhan, with Mr. Lepcha and P.Wangchuk as his vice-presidents.CB Chettri has been appointed thenew general secretary, while Mrs.Shanti Chettri is the new secretaryalong with Pema WangdupNamapa. Sanjay Agarwal has beenappointed the treasurer. HRPradhan replaces KC Pradhan, theformer President.

S T O P

HR PRADHANIS NEW BJPSTATE-UNIT

PREZGANGTOK: Tulsi Bahadur Chettri of Dentam had a dream. He wantedto go abroad to make a living for himself and his family. So, when anagent, RK Subba, offered him the opportunity to work in Malaysia, hegrabbed the offer. The commission asked was steep. Rs. 15,000 to bepaid upfront in Sikkim before leaving, followed by Rs. 70,000 in Delhi.

Somehow, Tulsi Bahadur managed to raise the money, assured inthe hope that since he would soon be earning “foreign currency,” he’dpay back before the interest mounted.

Along with other youth from Damthang, Namchi, Ravangla andother such places, Tulsi Bahadur was first flown to Bangkok by theagents. From there, they were spirited into Malaysia by boat.

In a span of four months [between 2000 and 2001], Subba hadmanaged to send three batches to Malaysia from Sikkim alone.

What none of the employment seekers knew was that they were takento Malaysia on tourist visas. They were caught when their visas ran out.None of them had a work permit. These boys were lucky. Malaysianpolice released them during an amnesty period. According to DIG [range]SD Negi, “The Malaysia government often frees people during amnestyperiods and those who have money to buy tickets are permitted to leave.”

Today, these boys are back in their villages.But many Sikkimese youth are still languishing in Malaysian jails.

Police learnt of this when some of them managed to flee and narratedtheir ordeal to their families, who immediately lodged a complaint withthe police. The parents of these boys have even alleged that they werebeing “tortured” in Malaysian jails.

According to investigators, a case was registered on 28 Septemberlast year, on the written complaint of Prakash Gurung of Namchi. The

NOOSE TIGHTENS ON SIKKIM’SBODY-SHOPPERS

a NOW REPORT

complaint accused RK Subba, a resident of Timberbong, Soreong, wasrunning an “illegal business” of sending educated, unemployed Sikkimeseyouths to Malaysia with promises of employment using fraudulent meansand inducing them to pay a sum of Rs 85,000 per person to make ar-rangements for visa, transport and employment in Malaysia.

Investigations have revealed that these boys were confined in hotelrooms at Delhi for several months and then “smuggled” into Malaysia.

Subba, it seems, came in contact with a registered agency, PhoenixRecruiting Agency, specializing in overseas employment. Through thisagency, he was employed as a security guard in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, wherehe worked for a few years. After that stint he came and settled back inNamchi. It was from here that he started smooth-talking and enticing youthfrom Namchi and surrounding areas like Dentam and Ravangla.

Although PI SP Bhutia had orders for Subba’s arrest on 1 February,it could not be effected since Subba had already received anticipatorybail from the High Court almost a month earlier.

Those investigating the case reveal that the chargesheet againstSubba is now watertight and ready for submission in the Court.

Given the rather nightmarish experience of those who were temptedby Subba’s offer, officials at the Crime Branch have appealed to thepeople to remain on the lookout against similar “con-artists.”

While sharing information on Subba’s wily ways, the PI also pro-vided details on another case he is handling which follows more orless the same modus operandi.

This time, the tip-off came from Gangtok when, on 12 October, lastyear, Mrs. Chandrakala Rai, a resident of Zoom, West Sikkim, filed acomplaint against one BB Chamling of Yakland Tours & Travels.

Mrs. Rai alleged that her son, Jai Prakash Rai, had paid a sum of Rs.1.3 lakhs to BB Chamling who had promised a good job for him in Malay-

P R E S S

a NOW REPORT

turn to pg 15

4; NOW! 10-16 September, 2003

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GANGTOK: Chintan is Sanskritfor “deliberation.” It exemplifiesthe human capacity to think andthe Chief Minister hoped that the24,647 sq. ft. banquet hall adjacentto the Legislative Assembly, chris-tened “Chintan Bhawan”, will of-fer the space for some “positivethinking” on Sikkim’s future.

Speaking at the inaugurationceremony of the Bhawan, whichhe presided over as the ChiefGuest, here on 8 September, Mon-day, Mr. Chamling said: “Positivethinking purifies your world,sharpens your arguments in de-bate, forces you to deliberate andoffers options and alternatives.”

Although the building hastaken rather long to complete, ithas shaped up rather beautifully.The interiors are tastefully ap-pointed, the acoustics appearsound and the space lavish. TheChief Minister, however, ap-peared unhappy with the furnish-ing and said so in his speech.

Taking off from this point, hereminded the gathering of his cabi-net colleagues and senior officialsthat the funds released for the Stateshould be judiciously utilised.

“Your responsibility should lie

with the people. You are answer-able to them,” he said while add-ing, “There should be transpar-ency in all departments, the janatais watching us.”

“Head for the villages and helpcreate a vibrant rural economy.That should be what public ser-vants strive for - making our ru-ral base strong by assuring suc-cessful implementation ofPanchyati Raj,” he added.

Efforts towards this end were,however, being seriously jeopar-dized by those trying to fomentcommunal tension in Sikkim, Mr.Chamling said.

“Some claim to talk of Bhutia

concerns, others promote them-selves as the champions of theNepali community. Have any ofthese people ever visited those poorBhutias who still live under leak-ing roofs? Have the so-called cham-pions of the Nepali community evervisited the poor SikkimeseNepalese for whom Dasai brings nojoy, just tensions of added ex-penses?” he questioned.

Quoting Francis Bacon, the CMstressed that the only way forwardwas through “knowledge”.

“Knowledge is power and wemust help bring an intellectualdevelopment in the state so thatwe create leaders who can take the

THE BUILDING

The Buildings & Housing Department has been keeping a busy sched-ule. Within weeks of getting its pet-project, the Samman Bhawan

inaugurated, it had the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling do the honoursfor anothermega-project – Chintan Bhawan, the State’s lavish banquethall, on 8 September, Monday.

Minister for Buildings & Housing, Tseten Tashi Lepcha, while pre-senting hiswelcome address credited the Chief Minister with not onlyhaving made the project possible, but also giving it an apt name. TheMinister also applauded the engineers and architects involved with theproject for the magnificence of the completed structure.

GD Mimani, Chief Engi-neer-cum-Secretary [Build-ings & Housing Department]presented the technical re-port of the bhawan.

This four-storied, RCCframed structure has beenbuilt in traditional style withtwo main entrances, oneleading to the banquet halland the other to the con-ference hall. The groundfloor has provisions for akitchen, toilets and a ban-quet hall with a seating capacity of 200. The first floor has a lounge anda meeting hall with a capacity of 25-30. The second floor houses a con-ference hall which can seat 275 people and also houses the executiverooms. The third floor houses the central control room and three cabinsfor interpreters. The total floor area of this building is 24,647 sq ft.

The architecture and landscaping has been done by Devika Sharma,Senior Architect, Buildings & Housing, while the electrical work was com-pleted by Pem Dorji and Sushil Agarwal. The interior decoration was en-trusted to Rainbow Sales Pvt. Ltd. from Siliguri and the audio and publicaddress systems put in place by Dinesh Enterprises of Kolkata. A specialfire detection system has been installed by Yuksom Traders, Gangtok.

The total expenditure on the project, from the civil works to the inte-riors stands at Rs. 7.63 crores.

Sikkim gets 24,647 sq. ft. for positive thinkingCHAMLING INAUGURATES CHINTAN BHAWANby TINA RAI

state ahead,” he said.With elections barely a year

away, some politically loadedstatements were also expected.Taking a swing at those who seerecent political developments as“serious threats” to his bid to re-turn to power, Mr. Chamling said:“We are trying to bring politicalreforms in the state, but if powerfalls into the wrong hands then itcan lead to disaster. Some peoplehere are saying that SDF will notreturn to power. As for me, I donot go about my work with oneeye on the elections. My priority

is not to form the government, butsee how I can best serve thepeople. Some people are trying tomislead the people without real-izing that I belong to the peopleand that it is with their supportthat I remain in power and willreturn next year too.”

By the end of the day, the ChiefMinister had offered some insightsinto the “chintans” that occupy himat present. There were some subtleand some rather direct hints at hisdetractors and some indication ofthe issues he plans to base his nextcampaign on.

The Chief Minister, flanked by the Speaker, Kalawati Subba, and Buildings and Hous-ing Minister, Tseten Lepcha at the inauguration ceremony of Chintan Bhawan.

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GANGTOK: The youngest member of the North East Council, Sikkim,played host to the 6th Conference of Ministers of Rural Development of theNorth Eastern States held here on 5 September, last Friday. Interestingly, atthis meet, the rural development ministers of the eight northeastern statesresolved not to pass any new resolutions since a number of the past resolu-tions made at earlier conferences were still awaiting central clearance.

In his inaugural speech, the minister for Rural Development fromMizoram, who is also the Chairman of the North-Eastern States RuralDevelopment Ministers’ Committee, Dr. R. Lalthangliana said that themain objective of this Conference was to hear action taken so far bythe Central government on the resolutions and on the reports and rec-ommendations of the Committee taken during prior Conferences.

“Since a number of resolutions have already been adopted duringprevious Conferences, which need the endorsement of the Central gov-ernment and the Ministry of Rural Development, no new or fresh resolu-tions will be taken up but we will instead review the performances of theRural Development Department in all of the eight NE States and theaction taken by the Central government during this Conference,” he said.

Dr. Lalthangliana said that the Committee was set up by the UnionMinistry of Rural Development to examine matters relating to the reso-lutions passed in the Ministerial Conferences and to look into the prob-lems and to make suggestions and recommendations on the modifica-tion of the guidelines for improvement in the implementation of vari-

ous schemes of the Ministry.Minister for Rural Development, Girish Chandra Rai, in his wel-

come speech, said that several issues relating to the special problemsof the North Eastern States have been discussed in previous Confer-ences and have received “positive and favourable” response from theCentral government.

Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling, in his address, highlighted thevarious schemes and projects initiated by the State government on ru-ral development and said that the sector has been given “topmost”priority by his government, with 70 percent of the plan fund divertedtowards rural development.

He hoped that the out come of this Conference will go a long wayin helping the State government in redefining its “thrust and priorities”for rural development in the right direction and also generate recom-mendations that will help in bringing about improvement in the dis-persal of services to the rural poor.

Mr. Chamling also distributed cheques to the Panchayats during theoccasion, as part of the State’s decentralisation efforts. The state gov-ernment had earlier decided that the Gram Panchayats would preparetheir annual plan for Rs. 50 lakhs instead of Rs. 10 lakhs. Similarly,the annual plan size for Zilla Panchayats has been enhanced from Rs.50 lakhs to Rs. 5 crores from this year.

The Union Minister for Rural Development, Kashi Ram Rana wasthe chief guest on the occasion [read accompanying report]. The Con-ference was attended by rural development ministers from ArunachalPradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripuraand the host State, Sikkim. Senior officials from the Union Ministry ofRural Development and from the state governments were also presentfor the one-day conference.

6th Conference of Ministers of Rural Developmentof North Eastern States held in Sikkim

a NOW REPORT

Cong warning

to “so-called

felicitation

committee”a NOW REPORT

GANGTOK: The SikkimPradesh Congress Committee [I],in an emergency meeting con-vened here on 8 September, Mon-day, “unanimously condemned,”what it perceives as an “outra-geous act” being committed by a“so called Felicitation Commit-tee,” which the party alleges israising money to felicitate theChief Minister for his decision toinclude the left-out communitiesin the OBC list.

A Press release issued by theparty spokesperson, KN Upreti,informs that “a few governmentemployees” have approached se-nior Congress members “com-plaining” that they were being“pressurised” to “contribute”amounts ranging from Rs. 100 toRs. 5,000 for the said felicitationceremony.

Apart from condemning the in-cident, the emergency meeting ofthe party chaired by its workingpresident, Namkha Gyaltsen, also“warned” those involved “to re-strain from such illegal and unlaw-ful collection, specially from themembers/ employees of the NBCcommunity,” the release adds.

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GANGTOK: Of the Rs. 929.56crores set aside by the rural de-velopment ministry at the Centrefor the north-eastern states, theeight north-eastern states haveutilised only Rs. 201.25 crores,barely 21 per cent of the outlay.

Little wonder then that theUnion Minister for Rural Devel-opment, Kashi Ram Rana, whilespeaking at the 6th North EasternConference on Rural Develop-ment, decided to stress more onthe need for improved utilisationof central funds by the NEC statesthan wax eloquent on initiativesfrom his department.

“The central government laysspecial emphasis and care on thedevelopment of this region.While the region has 8 per centof the total geographical area and4 percent of the population, theCentre allocates 10 percent of thebudgetary support to the regionunder various ministries. TheMinistry of Rural Development

follows the same principle,”he said.

However, while the allo-cations are handsome, theutilisation aspect still needssome improvement. During2002-03, for example, theMinistry allocated Rs.881.09 crores to the NE re-gion under various schemes[except the Pradhan MantriGramin Sadak Yojana]. Ofthis, the states took only Rs.787.65 crores, the UnionMinister revealed.

“In the current year, wehave allocated Rs. 929.56crores, but this time too, tillAugust, the region has takenonly Rs. 201. 25 crores, whichis only 21.65 percent of thetotal Central allocation to theNE region,” he said.

Mr. Rana said that although theMinistry is trying to improve the

flow of resources from the Cen-tre to the region, the States are not

being able to fully exploit thenew dispensation due to vari-ous problems peculiar to theregion.

“There is absolutely nopaucity of funds for the NEregion and the Centre is readyto provide more, if needed.But we have to find out a so-lution to the partial or non-utilisation of funds. We willdiscuss and remove the bottle-necks during this meet,” hesaid, while adding that theStates should make a sincereeffort to exploit the funds al-located and take the schemesto the grassroots level.

One serious problem facedby the region that was high-lighted during the Conferencewas the inability of the Statesto mobilize matching State-

shares against the Central re-leases.

UNION MINISTER UNHAPPY WITH NE’S UTILISATIONOF RURAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDS

by SARIKAH ATREYA“There has been a persistent

demand by the NE States tochange the funding pattern underthe Centrally SponsoredSchemes to 90:10 from the ex-isting 75:25. My Ministry hasbeen advocating and supportingthis change. I met the DeputyChairman, Planning Commissionrecently to discuss this issue andam hopeful of a favourable deci-sion,” he said.

The Union Minister main-tained that the Centre was awareof the problems faced by the re-gion and had identified most ofthem, but needed some the statesto get more proactive.

Mr. Rana also requested all theeight NEC states to complete theBPL census for 2002 for the 10th

Plan. He said that the Ministry hasconstituted Vigilance and Moni-toring Committees at the State andDistrict levels, which will moni-tor the implementation ofprogrammes and introduce greatertransparency.

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IPR

6

pic courtesy: IPR


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CHUNGTHANG: For LendupLepcha, panchayat president[Chungthang], the reason thatChungthang Secondary Schoolhas a nil pass percentage issimple. It’s the “surrounding”.And you can’t fault him on this.A visit to the school exposes avery sorry state of affairs. It looksmore like a haunted house than aschool. Although the school wasestablished in the eighties, no re-pair work has been carried outthere for the last twenty years orso. There is not a single windowand many doors are missing. The

FOOT & MOUTHGLOOM OVERMANGAN CATTLEa NOW REPORT

MANGAN: Immediate action bythe Animal Husbandry Depart-ment has contained the spread ofFoot & Mouth Disease [FMD]among the cattle in the north dis-trict headquarters.

Informed sources reveal thatthe FMD, which had almostbrought the cattle industry of En-gland to its heels a few years back,was first detected in a pig here on26 August, last month. The dis-ease which manifests with symp-toms like high fever, excess sali-vation of mouth, wounds in themouth, nose and lower parts of thelegs, can prove fatal if not curedin its early stages.

The animal in which the dis-ease was first detected has beensaved, inform sources in the Ani-mal Husbandry Department. Theyfurther reveal that the dozen or soanimals who have been detectedwith the disease are also under-going treatment at present andappear out of danger.

As an immediate containmenteffort, the Department launchedthe Ring Vaccination Programmein the area on 27 August, a dayafter the first case was detected.This disease, which inflicts onlythe cloven-footed animals, has ahigh mortality rate but the offi-cials are confident that they havecontained its spread in northSikkim. They, however, add thatthe animals take 21 days to de-velop immunity to the disease af-ter it has been vaccinated. Duringthis period, it is important thatthey are kept in clean stables andclosely monitored so that help isreached to them the moment thesymptoms start developing.

LACHUNG FINDSNO HUMOUR INTELECOM JOKEa NOW REPORT

LACHUNG: More than 40 lodgesand hotels. Touted as the next biglocation on the tourist itinerary,Lachung, the base camp toYumthang, has absolutely no tele-communication to speak of. The resi-dents here are furious and complainat length to anyone willing to listen.

Apparently, BSNL has collectedup to Rs.15,000 from many house-holds here and cables were laidsome two years back. Even a satel-lite dish was reportedly installed,but the dial-tone never soundedhere. The locals inform that al-though there was some telecomequipment still left here, the em-ployees have all left Lachung!

The money has been taken, thefacility not provided. But BSNLhas been kind enough to leavecables strewn across the place. Anugly sight that makes the residentseven more angry.

MANGAN: Even as there is pal-pable excitement in Mangan aspreparations for its centenary cel-ebrations slated for Novemberthis year get underway, the Man-ganites are equally perplexed overhow the town plans to host sucha mega event given the deplorablecondition of its civic amenities.There are several areas of Manganwhich require immediate repairsand the townspeople are hopingthat this aspect of the preparationalso gets looked into.

Take the road leading to thelower bazaar, also known as OldBazaar, for example. This stretch,which also connects the districthospital, has remained blocked for

vehicular traffic ever since land-slides damaged it some nine yearsback. Ironically, it is the LowerBazaar which is registered as thebazaar of Mangan and the spotwhere the town was born in 1903.The locals wonder how the celebra-tions can be brought to the place ofgenesis if vehicles cannot reach it.

The scenario with the “NewMarket” [Middle Bazaar and Up-per Highway Bazaar] maybe notas bleak, but is still an irritant withthe Manganites. Although the busi-ness hub has shifted to this area, itis still to be declared Bazaar Areaby the concerned authorities. This,despite the fact that the concerneddepartment is collecting toll tax,parking fee etc from this area. Thefact that the area lacks a properparking area is another concern.

Centenary round the corner, facilities still distant

Manganites pray for improvedcivic infrastructure before 100year bash

from DEEPAK SHARMA

With barely two months leftbefore the Mangan Centenary Cel-ebrations get underway, the Man-ganites are hoping that the townalso gets a complete face-lift be-fore the celebrations, which are

bound to attract many visitors, getsunderway. “Much as we are proudon turning hundred, we are alsoconcerned that the poor conditionof local amenities might embarrassus,” says a senior local.

The Lower Bazaar, where Mangan was born is today accessibleonly to pedestrians. It has been that way for many years now.

The forgottenschoolof Chungthang

cement on the wall comes off ontouch and it is a wonder that it isstill standing.

“Education is very poor here.In fact this is one of he most ig-nored aspects of Chungtang,” thepanchayat president contended.Maintaining that the school’strack-record is not the fault of the

teachers, Mr. Lepcha clarified thatpoor infrastructure and frequenttransfers of the staff were to blame.

“We have no primary teachersand there is shortage of seniorteachers too. At the end of the daythe ones who are suffering are ourchildren,” he added.

Is anyone listening?

by TINA RAI

a NOW! pic

Ramshackle is an understatement when uttered in regard to the infra-structure at the Chungthang Secondary School.

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It was way back in the late seventies,”he recalls.

That was the time when the idea ofsomething vaguely resembling the sym-bolic Statue of Unity [as we see it today]started germinating in ThukchukLachungpa’s mind.

“It was a time wrought with feelings ofcommunalism. Leaders came, politicianspromised and governments never reallybothered.” And he felt that somethingsymbolic was desperately needed for thepeople to look up to, something thatwould bring back the feeling of commu-nal amity among the people.

And so began the search to give tothe people a concretised piece of theirhistory, a chapter that would help in in-stilling a feeling of oneness amongst theSikkimese people.

“Everywhere in the world, history isconcretised. Important events aremade into statues and are there to re-fresh the past for the future genera-tions. Yet, here we were, people of aland historically rich and culturally sodiverse and nothing to bookmark itspast,” Mr. Lachungpa now recollects.

Once he took charge as the ForestMinister in 1984, Mr. Lachungpa im-mediately approached his then ChiefMinister, Nar Bahadur Bhandari, andFinance Secretary, KC Pradhan, toconvince the State to bankroll theproject. The concept was approved,but the real work was yet to begin.

Although Mr. Lachungpa was con-vinced that the statue would have tobe the one that celebrated the swear-ing of blood-brotherhood betweenKhye-Bumsa and Thekong Tek, he wasstill groping for the right visual.

What should the protagonists of themost important chapter of Sikkim’s his-tory look like?

After several months spent photo-graphing elder ly people al l overSikkim, all possible shots of them indifferent postures, stacks of canvassesand paper painted and sketched, aperfect theme still eluded the artist inMr. Lachungpa.

He also invited people from differ-ent walks of life to discuss his concept

Something for UnityWhat germinated in Thukchuk Lachungpa’s mind as an idea to “concretise”

history, finds a handsome representation today in the Statue of Unity above

MG Marg in Gangtok. The process from the genesis of the concept to its

final installation took a full decade to realise and the ten years stretched Mr.

Lachungpa’s creativity to the fullest as KARCHOONG DIYALI finds out...

and asked for suggestions and opinions,but none could come up with anythingfruitful.

Finally, after gruelling sessions ofthinking and re-thinking, Khye-Bhumsaand Thekong Tek along with NyokongNyal were put down in paper as final sub-jects.

Another problem arose once the sub-jects were done.

WHY A PANG LHABSOL SPECIAL

While Sikkim shares most of its festivals withpeople and communities of other parts of thecountry, Pang Lhabsol remains one festival

that is completely Sikkimese in its genesis and practice.It would not be incorrect to claim that the festival under-lines the very ethos of Sikkim. The Day celebrates andreiterates the oath of blood-brotherhood sworn betweenthe Lepcha and Bhutia chiefs Thekong-Tek and Khey-Bumsa. An oath so indelible, that the two communitiesof Bhutias and Lepchas are to this day uttered in thesame breath as “BL”. Given the melting-pot of culturesthat Sikkim has become over the years, it is not surpris-ing that the day, which has its roots in the institutional-ization of the unity between Bhutias and Lepchas, has

over the years re-invented itself as the festival of Unity. Itssignificance and observance have extended to include allcommunities which have made Sikkim their home and isnow celebrated across the State as the Day for SikkimeseUnity.As is unavoidable in the march towards modernity and de-velopment, the real story behind Pang Lhabsol and its ob-servance have become increasingly hazy for the presentgeneration. This is where this “NOW! Special” fits in. Whileworking on the contents of this supplement, we decided togo with a blend of the traditional and the contemporary.So, while you will find essays on why and how Pang Lhabsolis observed in Sikkim, you will also find write-ups on whatthe day has come to mean nowadays. While there is no

denying that history and rituals have their significance, we areequally convinced that modern interpretations are equally im-portant in shaping the collective ethos of Sikkim.While we have worked diligently towards making this Specialas comprehensive as possible, there will undoubtedly be as-pects that have failed to find place in this edition. This, weassure, is not for want of interest. The limitations of time andspace, along with the budgets for such endeavours have tiedour hands. Even this Special would not have been possiblewithout the support of advertisers who booked space on itspages and subsidized the cost of production. We are gratefulto all of them and are convinced that their gesture will go downwell with our readers. We also hope that the contents of thisSpecial are not only informative, but also trigger off somedeeper soul-searching among our readers as every retellingof history should.

-ed

A clay replica of the Statue of Unity will be the trophy that cultural troupes representing

schools and organisations will compete for this Pang Lhabsol at Gangtok (left) and a

cultural float from last year.

“A statue of a single subject can beplaced in any position. He could be sit-ting, standing, walking or riding a horse.But placing three people together is com-plicated. We cannot have individualposes thrown together. All three had tobe interacting otherwise it would lookbland,” remarks Mr. Lachungpa.

Three personalities with immenselydifferent characteristics now needed to

be placed together in such a manner thatsymbolised “unity”.

It was back to the drawing board for Mr.Lachungpa and a repeat of the endless ses-sions of searching, looking, sketching, imag-ining and thinking. A workable pose stilleluded.

Then, one day an old man walked into Mr.Lachungpa’s office accompanied by his wifewho had her hand on his shoulder.

Snap!That was it. Mr. Lachungpa was convinced.Then, he woke up to realise that it was a

dream. Perhaps even provident ial . Mr.Lachungpa is convinced it was.

He got up and immediately started sketch-ing the scene. And that’s how the Statue ofUnity got its final shape.

Khye-Bhumsa, the Bhut ia chief ,symbolising might. Thekong Tek, the spiritualmaster with divine powers evoking compas-sion. And Nyokong-Nyal, Thekong-Tek’s con-sort symbolising love, support and affection.Khye Bhumsa, the mighty, kneeling down toreceive Thekong Tek’s blessings, acknowl-edging his wisdom and Nyokong-Nyal stand-ing witness to the whole act, symbolising sup-port and her right hand raised slightly abovethe waist symbolising development.

“We made sure that more than special at-tention was given to the eyes. None of themshould be seen looking down at the other.Even the smallest details had to be done pre-cisely, otherwise the whole action between thethree would be flawed,” he adds excitedly.

After about nine years, the final draft of theStatue of Unity illustration left for Calcutta fromwhere it came back after about a year. And in1996 it was installed.

Ever since its installation, Pang Lhabsol forthe masses has been observed at the Statueof Unity. Traditional rituals are still a signifi-cant part of the proceedings and are also ob-served at monasteries around the State. Thefocus at the Statue of Unity, however, remainsthe celebration of unity and all the communi-ties of the State come together here.

“Unity is the need of the hour and I am con-fident that this festival will definitely bringabout peace and harmony among all thepeople of Sikkim. It’s definitely a nice feelingto see all the students from various back-grounds come together and make this festi-val a success,” said Mr. Lachungpa, who isalso the president of the Pang Lhabsol Cel-ebration Committee for Statues of Unity.

He is hopeful. Hopeful for an effectivelypositive result down the ages. A result of 12long years of perseverance, hard work anddedication. Something from ‘yesterday’ to beproud of, for ‘today’ to learn from, and for ‘to-morrow’ to believe and practice. Somethingfor Unity.

Thukchuk Lachungpa whose obsessionwith the statue of unity lasted a fulldecade from inception to installation.He is also the president of the PangLhabsol Organising Committee forStatue of Unity. a NOW! pic

8


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Wednesday, 10 Septemberthis year marks PangLhabsol, the festival dance

performed in worship of the spirit ofKhangchendzonga. Dzo-nga, theeponymous personification of Mt.Khangchendzonga, revered as theguardian deity of Sikkim, is propitiatedon this day along with other deities.

Dzonga belongs to the cult of the“dharmapalas” or Guardians of theFaith. There are two types ofdharmapalas, the ‘zhi ba’ or mild dei-ties and the ‘khro bo’ or angry deities.Dzonga belongs to the latter cult, asdoes Mahakala, the commander-in-chief of all the Guardians of the Faith,who is also propitiated on PangLhabsol. A third deity, the Tibetanmountain god, Nyenchen Thangla, isalso invoked, but not represented in thedance.

Religious dances or ‘chaams’ beinga quintessential part of the cult of thedharmapalas, a brief description of the‘bag-chaam’ or masked dances held atTsuklakhang in honour of the triad ofdeities - Dzonga, Mahakala andNyenchen Thangla - will hopefullythrow more light on the various nu-ances of the Pang Lhabsol celebra-tions.

The bag-chaam takes place on thefifteenth day of the seventh month ofthe lunar calendar. Earlier, monks fromPemayangtse would arrive at Gangtoka week in advance to perform the nec-essary rites in the Kangyur Lhakhangof Tsuklakhang. Bon monks would alsoarrive to take part in the rites.

Two life-size figures representingDzonga and Mahakala would then beerected against the main pillars of theKangyur Lhakhang. These weredressed in rich brocade costumes withtwo huge masks representing the facesof the deities. Interestingly, these wereof the mild or zhi ba type, whereas themasks that were worn by the monkspersonifying the two dharmapalas inthe course of the chaam were of thekhro ba type. Torma and other offer-ings to the deities were placed on thealtar and traditional invocations madeby the monks while temple music wasplayed.

Two distinct types of music accom-pany the ceremonies held in honour ofdharmapalas.

While soft harmonious music isplayed for zhi ba deities, the khro badeities apparently prefer loud music,produced mainly by instruments madeof human skull and bones. Little won-der then that instruments such as the‘rkang gling’ (thigh bone trumpet) foundprominence during the Pang Lhabsolcelebrations.

Around 10 a.m. on the day of thedance, the royal family and higher offi-

cials would pay homage to theguardian deities in the KangyurLhakhang after which the publicwould throng in and proffer rice,fruits, grains et al to the deities. Thedance commenced about an hourlater, in the open courtyard in frontof the main entrance toTsuklakhang. Directly opposite themain entrance and open towardsthe Lhakhang was a long pavilionor Yabring from where the monk or-chestra from Enchey Gompa wouldaccompany the chaams. The royaltent was pitched on one side of thepavilion while the other side wascommandeered by the general pub-lic.

The chaam unfolded withPemayangtse monks, dressed in

their normal priestly garb, carry-ing trumpets, cymbals and drumsperforming a slow ‘rol chaam’ orcymbal dance in the open spacebefore taking their seats in thelong pavilion.

The rol chaam was followed bya Sword or Warrior dance per-formed by either thirteen, fifteenor seventeen ‘Pangtoed’ warriors.Clad in full ceremonial battle re-galia, helmets festooned with silkflags, brocade ‘kho’ and ‘ghotsi’ orjackets criss crossed with silksashes, brocade boots, and car-rying swords, shields and dag-gers, the Pangtoed warriors rep-resented the retinue of the moun-tain god and cut the most strikingfigure in their flamboyant cos-tumes.

The Pangtoed dance is uniqueto Sikkim and it was the thirdChogyal, Chador Namgyal, whochoreographed the dance, whichis said to have appeared to himin a vision.

The Pangtoed dance assumesextra significance when one con-siders that it is the only one per-formed by laymen, all other dancesbeing performed by monks.

Traditionally, the Pangtoeddancers were drawn from thenoble families of Gangtok andthey spent the week prior to theappointed day rehearsing atTsuklakhang, during which periodthey observed sexual abstinence.Apart from the religious signifi-

This is how things used to be…This is how things used to be…This is how things used to be…This is how things used to be…This is how things used to be…Pang Lhabsol has seen many

transformations over the

years. While the debate

whether the recent

interpretations dilute its

essence can stretch on for

many years to come, there is

no denying the fact that the

suspension of the traditional

dances performed at

Tsuklakhang have been a huge

loss, hopefully not

permanent. While the dances

can be visited only in

memories now,

TENZIN C. TASHI offers the

second-best option, she

takes us through the

performance step-by-step…

17

continued on pg 11


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cance - that of driving away evil forces thatcould be lingering at the place of the dance- the Warrior dance was also a kind of com-bat exercise for the youth of the Sikkimeseelite. Not only it did it require them to beproficient in the use of their weapons, theyhad to also simultaneously sing war-songsin praise of the War Deity even as theydanced dexterously.

The first Pangtoed dancer who steppedinto the open from the Lhakhang was the‘champon’, the head dancer or the danceleader, the most experienced one of themall. He shouted the war-cry, “kyi hu hu” [rep-resenting the spiritual victory of the forcesof good over evil] thrice and performedthree kinds of dance movements - the ‘grikhor,’ representing the unsheathing of thesword, the ‘gri rdar’ or sharpening of thesword and the ‘gri phyar’ or lifting of thesword. This was followed by two moremovements called ‘khrag mtsho rba blabs’[billowing waves of the blood sea] and ‘khromo’i lnga bskor’. The champon having fin-ished his dance, the other Pangtoed war-riors would one by one emerge from theLhakhang, all of them also shouting thricethe war cry. Bringing up the rear was the‘chamjug’, the second head dancer whoalso performed the three dance movementsof gri’khor, gri rdar and gri’phyar. Then, allthe Pangtoed dancers, moving in a circlein the open courtyard, performed the fol-lowing dances: ‘lnga bskor’, ‘bdun bskor’‘,gri thod kha sbyor’ and ‘rdo rje’gro.’

This last step, the rdo rje’gro was theVajra Pada or the Thunderbolt Step, a kindof magic step that crushed all powers of evil.It is said that Guru PadmaSambhava per-formed this Thunderbolt Step at Samyemonastery in Tibet in the eighth century A.D.

A dance movement called ‘khro mo’igdong bsig’ was performed after the VajraPada. The Warrior Dance lasted till noonafter which the Pangtoed warriors wouldretire into the Lhakhang.

After a brief interval, the twodharmapalas would make their dramaticentry. First, accompanied by the Pangtoedwarriors, the monk dancer representingDzonga would make an appearance, cladin rich brocade and silk robes with an apronappliquéd with a fiercely grimacing face,and carrying in his left hand a jewel andbrandishing a short lance with the bannerof victory in his right. The red mask depictedDzonga as a fiery War Deity with an angry,contorted countenance with four long teethvisibly protruding out of an open mouth. Thedancer sported a helmet with a small hu-man skull in front, with a circular bannerissuing from the centre and four big trian-gular flags at the sides, ostensibly repre-senting the chief peak and the four minorpeaks of Khangchendzonga. A hush de-scended on the watching crowd as all eyeswere riveted on the awesome figure of theWar Deity who turned one and half circlesin a slow dance step before ending hisdance in front of the open hall where themonk orchestra was seated.

Meanwhile, three richly decoratedhorses, each with their own attendants,would be conducted near the circle wherethe dance was performed and as Dzongadanced, his mount, a bay horse, would beled at his side. Mahakala’s horse was ablack one and Thangla’s cream-coloured.

The dance over, the monk representingDzonga would then sit down on a seat cov-ered with a tiger skin in the Yabring or pa-vilion. Then the dancer representingMahakala stepped out of the Lhakhang.Invoked by the monks to command Dzonga

to guard the Faith and the State and to bringpeace, prosperity and security to the peopleof Sikkim, the dancer representingMahakala was attired similar to Dzonga inbrocade and silk with an apron but his maskwas black and he carried an imitation of ahuman heart in his left hand and a spearwith a flag in his right. This dancer too de-scribed one and a half circles in a slowdance step, his mount also being led along-side him and he too took his seat in the lowhall close to Dzonga.

Mahakala is generally referred to asYabdu in most of the accounts of PangLhabsol. However sources at the EncheyGompa, as also those who used to orga-nize the Pang Lhabsol celebrations atTsuklakhang, point out that this is incorrect.Mahakala is the supreme commander-in-chief of all the dharmapalas and overlordof all the spirits such as Devas, Yamas,Rakshas, Nagas, Gandharvas, Daityas andDanavas whereas Yabdu is merely theguardian deity of southern Sikkim. Appar-ently the confusion arises since bothGompo or Mahakala and Yabdu are blackcountenanced deities and similar in appear-ance.

Yabdu’s seat is in Kali Jhora. Apparentlywhen Lhatsun Chenpo summoned all theguardian deities of Sikkim, Yabdu was latefor the tryst and hence he was banishedoutside. Even in the ‘neysol’ or prayers priorto the dance, the torma meant for Yabdu iskept on the floor and is strung with entrails.

Coming back to the narrative of the se-quence of chaams, both the dharmapalasbeing thus seated, the Pangtoed dancersproceeded to pay homage to their divineleaders at the end of which sequence thedancer representing Dzonga rose from hisseat and performed, among the armed war-riors, two dances called ‘ja’klong ye shes’

and the ‘ngang’gros.’ He was then ceremo-nially led back inside the Lhakhang. Then,the dancer representing Mahakala carriedout a dance called ‘zur gsum’ after whichhe also retired into the Lhakhang.

The two chief dancers having thus en-tered the Lhakhang, the Pangtoed warriorsagain performed two ceremonial dancescalled ‘bya ba’ and ‘phyi bskor’. Then, sing-ing war-songs and accompanied by theking’s bodyguard and attendants bearingbanners and leading the three mounts ofthe triad of deities, they encircled theTsuklakhang thrice. Thereupon they re-turned to the open courtyard and staged asword dance, the initial part of which wasknown as ‘dgu bskor,’ again.

The last phase of the sword dance, the‘nor bu dga’khyil’ signaled the end of thechaam at around four o’clock.

Pang Lhabsol was traditionally held atTsuklakhang, the Royal Chapel in Gang-tok where it was a very solemn occasion.Since its discontinuation at Tsuklakhang,Pang Lhabsol celebrations in Sikkim havemanaged to acquire several extraneoustrappings that did not exist earlier. In Gang-tok it is celebrated at the Statue of Unityfollowed by colourful tableaus on the mainthoroughfare, while Ravangla has estab-lished itself as the epicenter of the PangLhabsol celebrations. While purists breathea silent prayer that the celebrations con-tinue to thrive, they simultaneously baulkat the thought of the famed Pangtoed war-riors being billed as one of the attractionsof the day that include, among others, aBoogie Woogie contest and a volleyballcompetition.

Meanwhile, grass has overrun the circlein the Tsuklakhang courtyard where thedances once held centre-stage and thepavilion hall echoes only with the plaintivestrains of disuse and neglect.

19

This is how things used to be…This is how things used to be…This is how things used to be…This is how things used to be…This is how things used to be…COME TOGETHERCOME TOGETHER

- continued from pg 9

wishes all it’s readers a very happy

NOW!NOW!

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TRADE WINGS INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENTKALIMPONG: Subash Deepak,editor, Wichar, was given warmfelicitation and honour by PressClub of Kalimpong and Pravah,a Kalimpong-based Nepaliweekly, at function held here atthe Sub-Division Library on 6September, 2003. Mr. Deepak wasfelicitated for his “long and out-standing”

contribution towards Nepaliliterature and journalism.

Popular folk-poet, Moti PrasadSharma, gave the introduction andread out the citation while KWMalommu, president, Press Clubof Kalimpong, who also chairedthe proceedings honoured

Mr. Deepak by offering ashawl and felicitation.

While speaking at the function,Mr. Deepak said that he has dedi-cated his life to the developmentof Nepali literature and journal-ism and emphasized that journal-ism could develop genuinely inthe region if there was better co-ordination and understanding be-tween writers and journalistsworking here. Mr. Deepak wasrecently awarded the BhanuPuraskar for his contribution toNepali literature.

Kalimpong journoshonour Deepaka NOW REPORT

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Ravangla shines despite showerRAVANGLA: A monsoon drizzlenotwithstanding, Ravangla worea festive coat as the three-dayPang-Lhabsol celebration got un-derway here on Monday. This 3-day affair, the biggest forRavangla, started in the earlyeighties after the performance ofPangtoed Chaam, an essential partof the Pang Lhabsol celebrations,was discontinued at theTsuklakhang in Gangtok.

Over the years, the celebra-tions grew in size and started in-corporating several other ele-ments of gaiety until it took itspresent shape, where apart fromthe Pangtoed Chaam, performedby lay people on Pang Lhabsol,the preceding days offer a treat ofactivities. From Boogie-Woogiedance competitions, to ruralsports such as sack race and tug-of-war, the festivities now draw ahandsome crowd from surround-ing areas and also the devout fromthe capital city who miss thefamed Pangtoed Chaam.

This year, the celebrations be-gan with a marathon race from theMani Lakhang, constructed spe-cially to serve as the venue for thePang Lhabsol celebrations, tra-versing the town and then endingat the Mani Lakhang. A volleyballmatch later in the day and thebrand new amphitheater con-

by SARIKAH ATREYA

structed at the Mani Lakhangpacked in the crowd. Culturalprogrammes, which are a regularfeature of the Pang Lhabsol cel-ebrations followed later until thecrowd departed with promises ofreturning for the events slated forTuesday and Wednesday.

Ravangla offers a good exampleof what Pang Lhabsol, a festivalunique to Sikkim, seeks to promote- unity. The event, managed by theRavangla Pang Lhabsol Celebra-tion Committee sees members fromall communities join hands in mak-ing the festivities grand. They alsofind energetic support from theirMLA and Health Minister, DDBhutia, who has patronised the cel-ebrations for many years now andwas also present for the inaugura-tion this Monday.

While the mela-like buildup tothe celebrations here draws largecrowds through the first two days,it is the performance of the PangToed dance that is the biggestdraw. Late into Monday night, laypeople selected for the Chaam thisyear could be seen practising theirsteps at the Mani Lakhang.

Wednesday will begin with theoffering of ritual prayers, whichwill be presided this year byGyaltsab Rinpoche, followed bythe famed Pangtoed Chaam whichwill then lead into more contem-porary forms of celebration.

A file foto of the crowd that Pang Lhabsol celebrations at Ravangla draw.

To live remains

an art which

everyone must

learn and no

one can teach

Havelock Ellis

The Kuste Shegu (49th Day) of Late Tsewang Thupden Bhutia (16) falls on, FridaySeptember 12th 2003. All friends, well wishers and relatives are requested to join usfor the Prayer Ceremony at our residence at 5th mile, near Saraswati Mandir, Tadong,Gangtok on the above date. We also take this opportunity to thank all those whostood by us during the time of bereavement and regret our inability to thank themindividually. K.D.Bhutia (father) M&G,Chumsang Kachopa (mother) SBS

Kutse Shegu

21


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The Statesman

CHUNGTHANG: Chungthangis situated at the confluence of thetwo rivers - Lachen Chu andLachung Chu. Legend has it thatGuru Padmasambhava visitedChungthang on his way to GuruDongmar, sometime in the 8th cen-tury. In a way, he was the first tour-ist to have visited the place, whichSikkim Tourism is trying hard topromote. It was in relation with thisendeavour that a one-day orienta-tion programme was held for taxidrivers here on 5 September, lastFriday. A total of 85 drivers, in-cluding some from Lachung, at-tended the programme.

Calling the taxi drivers “good-will ambassadors,” Principal Sec-retary, Karma Gyatso said that“good behavior” from taxi driv-ers was crucial in getting repeatvisitors to the State, which in turnwould create more employmentavenues for the locals.

Nima Ethenpa, Project Director,elaborated the point further whenshe said: “To ensure that the tour-ists leave the state satisfied andmotivated not only to visit Sikkimagain but also to convince theirfriends and relatives to visit Sikkim,it was essential to see to it that allthe service-providers, especially thetaxi drivers, provide services whichare of the highest standard.”

The theme of better servicetowards tourists translating tomore opportunities for the locals

was reiterated by Power Ministerand area MLA, HisheyLachungpa, who was also thechief guest at the programme.

“They [tourists] are like hensthat lay golden eggs. If they aresatisfied, it means they will returnand each time they do so, theycontribute to the local economy,”the Minister said. He also askedthe drivers to use polite languagewhile speaking to the tourists andurged them not to “speak harshlyand scare them away”.

PK Dong, Executive Director,STDC, handed out useful tips andsuggested that taxi-drivers mouldtheir behaviour and approach ac-cording to the age of the clients.While a younger tourists mightenjoy loud music, it might actu-ally be just noise for the olderguests, he said.

While the orientation campwas welcome, it does not neces-sarily imply that the driver hereare ignorant of their role as ser-vice-providers. This they madeclear when instead of demandingfixation of higher fares, they re-quested for cemented dustbinsand toilets at Yumthang. Theyexplained that the absence of toi-lets here inconvenienced the tour-ists and because there were nodustbins at Yumthang, Sikkim’sprettiest valley was getting litteredmore and more with every touristseason. As the alongside pic ofgarbage at Yumthang shows, thisspot could use a garbage bin.

On the work-front, the driversshared their problems stemmingfrom the practice of issuing permitsfor Yumthang and Tsomgo from thesame office. Since both were popu-lar destinations, there was always along line for permits at these officesand caused inordinate and avoid-able delays which also inconve-nienced the tourists, they said.

The department also presenteda slide show of all the importanttourist spots of Sikkim. A quizcontest was conducted for theparticipants along with a demon-stration on emergency first aid byDr. PM Karki.

National security concernswere also voiced at the meet whenthe Panchayat President, LendupLepcha, requested the TravelAgents Association of Sikkim toassign proper identity cards to allguides coming to Chungthang “sothat we are assured that no spiesor agents arrive here”.

All in all, the meet offered agood opportunity for the policy-makers to interact with tourismworkers on the field.

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GANGTOK: The Sikkim TableTennis Association will host the2nd Open Invitational Table Ten-nis Championship scheduled to be-gin here on 11 September, Thurs-day, at Tashi Namgyal Academy.

While speaking to NOW!,Chief Referee [STTA], VikrantPrasad, informed that 5 teamsfrom Kalimpong, Darjeeling,Kurseong, Siliguri and the Stateteam will be participating in this

tourney, which, for the first timefor TT in Sikkim, offers hand-some cash prizes of Rs. 8,000 andRs. 6,000 for the men’s andwomen’s team championships.

Interestingly, the 4-day tourneywill see clashes only in the singlescategory. The 1st Open Invita-tional Table Tennis Tournamentwas held at the Paljor StadiumGymnasium Hall in 2001 and was

INVITATIONAL TT BEGINS THURSDAYby NIGEL CASHMORE

SPORTSSPORTS

won by the home team.Although the number of

teams participating in tourneymight appear limited, Mr. Prasadassures a “good show.” Thequality, he informs, will be en-hanced by the presence of “na-tional-ranked” players like ArjitRoy ad Pinky Mondol fromSiliguri who will be clashingagainst Sikkim’s best.

Asked to pick the favourites,Mr. Prasad said the Siliguri teamappeared strongest on paper. He,however, added that local play-ers like Nikita Pradhan, NirjalaDahal, Tashi Topgay Lepcha andBijay Subba stood a good chanceof turning the tables on the higherrated team since they have beenpracticing hard and have beenimproving on their skills.

WILL SIKKIM HELPKARMA DOMA GET BACK

ON HER FEET?Last week we had carried thetragic tale of Karma Doma, amomo seller, who lies in STNMhospital, with her right leg ampu-tated, deserted by her husband,forced to take her son out ofschool and in dire need of mon-etary help. Although the article hasmanaged to raise some money,more needs to be done. We re-quest our readers to send moneyby cash or cheque towards theKarma Doma fund. The contribu-tions can be sent to NOW! GairiGaon, Tadong. PH. 270949.Money can also be collected byus from address given by you.

The total funds raised till 30September, 2003, will be addedto with a substantial contributionfrom NOW! and the names ofthose who contributed towardsthis initiative to rehabilate Karmawill be carried in the NOW! is-sue dated 1 October, 2003.

23

sia. Upon landing in Malaysia, theson had to make an emergency callback home. He was stranded with-out a job in a foreign land.

Responding immediately tothe distress call, Sadar Thana of-ficials confiscated the trading li-cense of Yakland Tours & Trav-els, registered in the name of theaccused persons wife. After abouteleven days in police custody, BBChamling was released on bail.This period was enough for thecrime branch to follow up onsome leads.

Although this case is still un-der investigation, cops here areconvinced that there are still manymore horror stories hidden in thevaults of these body-shoppers.

Contd from pg 3Noose tightens...

GANGTOK: The first GeneralBody Meeting of the All SikkimUnlimited Class 1-A GovernmentContractors was organized by theContractors Welfare Associationhere at Community Hall on 6 Sep-tember, last Saturday. The meetinghad RB Subba, Minister Roads andBridges as the Chief Guest.

Submitting a memorandum forthe Chief Minister, the president ofthe association, SK Kartam, saidthat the basic aim of holding themeeting was to ensure equal oppor-tunities for all contractors and tosolve the problems that contractorsin the state face. The other demandsraised by him were for an increasein the enlistment renewal period to5 years, tenders for I-A contractorsto be decreased to Rs. 75 lakhs, Rs.50 lakhs for the Class 1-B contrac-tors and less than Rs. 40 lakhs forclass 2-A contractors. The Associa-tion is also to have a Vigilance andIB cell for proper surveillance.

RK Mundra, a senior contrac-

Contractors for equal opportunitiesa NOW REPORT

tor said that the poorer contractorsshould be helped and for this, thecost of the tender forms should bereduced. Sales Tax and the tax onmaterials should also be cut and bigcontracts should not be given topeople from outside the state.

Dikila Bhutia, a lady contractorasked for women contractors to begiven the same opportunities astheir male counterparts, as theywere equally capable. DB Chettri,the treasurer of the associationraised the issue of delay in mobili-zation of files and bills, which, ac-cording to him, took more time inSikkim than in any other State. RBSubba, Minister Roads & Bridges,promised to look into the matter ofinefficient functioning by the offic-ers. Asking the contractors to beunited he said, “All contractorsshould work unitedly and in a posi-tive way to improve their image inthe public domain.”

He concluded the meeting byasking the contractors to work withdignity and not sell their work.


SPORTSSPORTS

Published by Lt. Col. (retd) P. Dorjee and printed at Darpan Publications Pvt. Ltd, Siliguri. Editor: Pema Wangchuk. Now! Near Ayurvedic Clinic, Gairi Gaon, Tadong. East Sikkim. ph: 03592 270949 email: [email protected]

GANGTOK: Seven Boys ofNamchi Sports Hostel have beenspotted and selected by All IndiaFootball Federation as probablesfor the India Under-16 team onthe basis of their performance atthe East Zone Under-16 NationalFootball Championship held atJamshedpur in July 2003. Theseboys have been called for selec-tion trial and coaching campscheduled to begin in Kolkata on10 September, 2003. The sevenprobables from Sikkim are ArbinSubba [goalkeeper], IbrahimLepcha [defender], Som TsheringLepcha [defender], SanjuPradhan [midfielder], DawaLepcha [midfielder], KarmaLendup Lepcha [forward] andMichael Lepcha [forward].

All the seven boys have beentrained at Namchi Sports Hostelunder a scheme started by the De-partment of Sports & Youth Af-

fairs in 1999 to scout and nurturetalented footballers from remoteand rural areas of Sikkim in theUnder-14 category.

The scheme, entitled “SearchFor More Bhaichungs,” Depart-ment officials explain was in pur-suance of the Chief Minister PawanChamling’s commitment to createmore opportunities to talentedsports-persons from rural areas.

To its credit, the scheme hasalready produced fourinternationals - Sanju Pradhan,Sagar Rai, Dawa Lepcha andKarma Lendup Lepcha who rep-resented India at the South AsianUnder-14 Football Festival held inKathmandu in December last year.

Four boys of Namchi SportsHostel, Tashi Bhutia [2000],Sanju Pradhan [2000], NirmalChettri [2001-2002] and SanjayChettri [2002] have also beenawarded with National TalentScholarship for their performancein the Subroto Mukerjee Cup.

The scheme started by the De-partment in April, 1999, screened

some 6,000 boys in the 12 to 14age-group at different nooks andcorners of the State and aims toimprove the performance of vari-ous state teams at the nationalscene in the near future.

For starters, the Departmenthopes to improve on its perfor-mance at the Sub-Junior SubrotoMukerjee Football Tournamentwhere the Namchi Sports Hostelteam was ranked second last year.Preparations are also afoot to fielda team in Subroto Cup Under-17tournament scheduled for No-vember-December later this year.

Committed to make an impactat the national level, the Depart-ment has placed the Under-17team under the charge of HanguNorden Lepcha and the Under-14is presently training under the tu-telage of Soloman Lepcha. “Weare now focusing on result-ori-ented preparations. We have beengood participants long enough,now we shall groom worthy vic-tors,” the Secretary, Sports &Youth Affairs, VB Pathak said.

SIKKIM SOCCER COMES OF AGESIKKIM SENDS 7 PROBABLESFOR INDIA UNDER-16 TEAM

a NOW REPORT

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24

Secretary, Sports & Youth Affairs V.B. Pathak congratulates theboys selected by the AIFF. pic courtesy: IPR

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editorial: 2-DIGIT DILEMMA 1 SOUTH-EAST ASIA...

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