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MINISTER BOOKED FOR ASSAULTING B.O.

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SUBEDI CLAIMS HE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ASSAULT TURN TO pg 3 FOR DETAILS

WHYTHE

WAS

AMENDED

REPRESENTATION OF

PEOPLEACT

ANDHOWThe first of a 2-part series on theevents that led to the amendmentof the Representation of PeopleAct, 1950, which gave the Sik-kim Legislative Assembly itspresent arrangement of seats...

TURN TO pg 7 FOR DETAILS

The allegation that HemLall Bhandari, the SSPVice-President, was fur-thering the cause of hispolitical bosses wasgiven some credibility onMay 17, last Saturday,when Mr. Justice NSSingh dismissed Mr.Bhandari’s much publi-cised PIL against theChief Justice with thewords that: “...this courtshould not allow its dueprocess of law to beabused by the presentwrit petitioner for his ex-traneous motivation orand for glare of public-ity.” The judgement re-corded that Mr. Bhanda-ri’s petition did not meetthe guidelines specifiedby the Supreme Court onwhat constitutes a PIL.

TURN TO pg 5FOR DETAILS

CK PRADHANLOYALISTSSTORM THE

GHISINGBASTION

TURN TO pg 8 FOR DETAILS

2; NOW! May 21-27, 2003

42

GANGTOK MAY 21-27, 2003

ED-SPACE

SIKKIM MATTERS

NOW!

A few years back a bookcalled The Bell Curve bytwo American professors

created a storm in the US. The de-bate that the book generated wasnot confined to the academia butspilled out in the open with both,the opponents and the sympathis-ers of the theory proposed in thebook, slugging it out in seminars,editorials, letters, book reviewsand other fora.

A few lauded the two profes-sors for being courageous and in-sightful while most vilified them -calling them racist and neo-con-servatives. India was not un-touched by the book and here toowe saw people on either side ofthe fence making their respectivepoints in letters to editors and com-mentaries in various magazines.

So what exactly was there inthat book that got people so im-passioned?

To begin with the book was writ-ten for the general reader and al-though much of the analysis thatwas presented in it was drawnfrom the esoteric theories of sta-tistics (hence the name) it im-mediately made sense to some andprovoked the majority.

In a nutshell, the book pro-posed that rather than the socioeco-nomic status, it was an individual’sIQ that was responsible for his suc-cess in the society. And because,as statistical inference of the datacollected by the two professorsshowed, blacks genetically werepredisposed to have lower IQs thanthe average whites, no amount ofremedial action in the form of af-firmative action programmes (theAmerican equivalent of the reser-vation policies in India) could suc-ceed in bringing about the generalupliftment of these people.

The book did not stop at thatbut also went on to state with con-siderable note of alarm that be-cause the genetically inferiorblacks were prone to reproducingmore prolifically than their morecognitively well-attributed whitecounterparts, a government policythat did not check such indiscrimi-nate breeding would bring abouta general decline in the quality ofthe cognitive capital of the USpopulation resulting in the univer-salisation of the social maladiesthat afflicted the blacks in thepresent day.

The book, as one critic wrote,had the tone of an attorney speak-ing to the jury. The jury in this casebeing the policy makers in Americawhose decisions the authors wantedto influence with the evidence that

they presented in the book.While it is not the intention of

this essay to either support or con-tradict the book, some thoughtsthat it raises are pertinent espe-cially in the present scenariowhere certain sections of the soci-ety are on some kind of a commu-nal high after the recent decisionsof the Centre to extend reserva-tions to the Limbu and Tamangcommunities. While the decisionitself may be given the benefit ofthe doubt for being an apoliticalone with just the welfare of thesetwo communities in mind, it is notwithout a tinge of irony that oneobserves the path of regressionthat the new status harks. It is alsoa cynical reflection of the timesthat we live in that an official pro-nouncement of backwardness is acause of great celebration and aclarion call for adopting preciselythe same type of ante-diluviumpractices that got them there orrather no where in the first place.

The collective sigh of relief thatthese communities breathed andthe apparent jealousy that itaroused in those not as fortuitousgives a fair idea of the level andthe nature of discourse prevalentamong the intellectuals of the day.

Reservations, like socialism,are a burden of conscience of ourfounding fathers. It was their wayof righting a historical wrong, anidealistic by-product of a westernstyle enlightenment that was com-pletely hijacked by the politicians.(Post independence politicians whohave so fractured their constituen-cies that they give an entirely newmeaning to the term reductionism.)The result of all this is a belief thatreservation, rather than hard work,is the open sesame to the cushy en-vironment of government jobswith its perks, incentives and se-curity. And, one cannot reallyblame the average “general” guyfor believing it to be so, for whenhe visits the bank or the post of-fice or any other government of-fice, the positions there are so in-undated with quota candidates thatin the long, dark, forbidding tun-nel of meritocracy, the only lightthat they see is that of the flicker-ing star called reservation.

The government therefore findsitself under the compulsion of dol-ing out to the other dissatisfied groupsthe B team of reservations the OBC.

So where does The Bell Curvefit in all this.

The lesson to be learned fromthe book is not so much from whatis in the book than from the type ofsocial environment that made thewriting of it necessary and relevantto some. In times as politically sen-sitive as the one that Sikkim is go-ing through at the moment, oneshould take some time out to reflectthat The Bell Curve, a book thattried to project an unscientific rac-ist theory was not the project ofsome rabble-rousing, hate-monger-ing fanatic. Here were two acad-emicians with sound liberal highereducational backgrounds indulgingin some statistical sophistry to makea racist point that had a far greaterpotency and appeal than any poli-tician’s speech. The bottom linebeing the fact that because the bookwas an intellectual endeavour andnot a pamphlet it could claim a levelof legitimacy that perhaps it wouldnot have got had similar notionsbeen aired in other forums.

But the deeper question thatstill begs an answer is why thebook got written.

It did, I guess, for the samereasons that made elderly whiteGerman ladies in a small towncheer approvingly when miscre-ants set fire to a hostel that housed

Turkish asylum seekers. Orthe reasons why Gujarat sawmiddle class individuals en-gage in the sort of carnage that

the state witnessed. The bottomline is that even the most altruisticpolicies in an imperfect systemlike ours or the US or anywhereelse in the world cannot pleaseanyone. But what fuels the firefurther, making people incapableof critical thinking and scapegoatsof “others” whom they blame formost of the ills they face, are theseprovocations that are generated byan intelligentsia with an agenda.

Also, what aggravates theproblem further and alienate peo-ples is the apparent “taking forgranted” of the provision of reser-vations by its beneficiaries.

My personal experience is thatthe struggle for an average personbenefited by reservation is much lessintense than what it is for those fromthe general category. And this be-gins right from the time when stu-dents go scouting for colleges. Forcolleges under the Delhi University,general candidates hop from oneunfamiliar college to another in theferocious summer heat standing inlong queues for courses whose ad-mission percentages are astronomi-cally high while those with quotasreserved for them fill out simplesheets which are processed under farless stringent conditions. This isironical given the fact that the stu-dent on quota often gets driven intothe campus on a LG’s (local guard-ian) Maruti while the “general” fel-low from some tea garden under-

� THE LIMITATIONS OF RESERVATION

V I E W P O I N T

Quotas Cannot Undo The DamageOf A Flawed System

turn to pg 8

Offering reservation is the solution worked out by our

founding fathers to right a historical wrong. This option,

however, cannot undo the damage of an incompetent

schooling and instead sows a mentality that is essen-

tially reservationist, writes PRAVEEN MOKTAN

Who Let Democracy Down?If one were to take the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny as the beginning ofIndian aspiration for self determination, then it took the nationninety years of struggle to achieve it. Compared to it, Sikkim’sdemocratic aspirations were realised much faster. Barely threeyears of struggle saw it get incorporated into the Indian demo-cratic institution. It is perhaps in disbelief of the ease with whichit came about that even though twenty-eight years have passedsince, we still hear whispers that the democracy sown in 1975is yet to get institutionalised. If this were true, then either thedemocratic institution itself is flawed or the Sikkimese havestill not realised what self-expression is all about. Twenty-eightyears is after all a long time to get used to something.

Neither of these contentions is entirely true. The Sikkimeseelectorate did after all elect five governments and displacetwo in the ballot when it got the chance. Politics is hotly de-bated in the villages and concerns, whether justified or un-founded, are voiced belligerently and often. The size of theruling and Opposition benches in its original composition aftereach election is also something that should excite political ob-servers. All the elections, save the aberration of 1989, havesent an evenly balanced Assembly to a five year term in Sik-kim. An absolute majority for one party has almost always beenbalanced by a sizeable Opposition. How this compositionchanged within a year of the verdict is for all to see. If anyonehas failed democracy, it has been the leaders. Sikkimese de-mocracy could have been even more vibrant had floor-cross-ing not started with the first democratically elected Assemblyin 1979. From then onwards, it became a trend which contin-ues to this day.

A contributing factor to this has been the involvement ofthe State Government in all spheres of activity - developmen-tal, social or day to day. Belonging to the Opposition cut [or atleast put the fear of getting cut off] constituencies off from thedevelopmental loop. Realignments were forced almost as soonas the last verdict of the polls was declared and facilitatedfurther by the general lack of ideology among the politicians.Politics in Sikkim came to mean being in power. While everypolitician should aspire to be in power, they should be heldaccountable for the means they adopt to this end. The recentUnion Cabinet decision to support a new legislation to coverdefections should help in this regard. As for Sikkim, a begin-ning can be made with the government reducing its role in thepublic domain. The leaders are in place to frame policies, notrun our lives. Decentralisation of power in the hands of thepanchayats should make governance more intimate and ac-countable. What will go a long way in completing the educa-tion on democracy would be a series of seminars and work-shops detailing what Article 371F stands for, what being a partof India has brought to Sikkim and what is expected in return.Since it is the Merger that brought democracy to Sikkim, theghost of ’75 which still lurks in many minds needs to be exor-cised. Such measures should also resolve the many contro-versies that are in the air at present. Such initiatives will alsoconfirm that democracy is truly institutionalised in Sikkim.

Red-Taping InformationRight to Information is now guaranteed by the Constitution.But hold on. Before you go marching into a government of-fice demanding a copy of certain notification or the files re-lating to a certain contract, you should know that there is stillno law in place to counter the bureaucratic red tape that in-formation is still tied in. For someone wanting to exercisehis/ her Right to Information, an application still has to bemade. To the right authorities. After this, a new file starts itsjourney up and down the departmental hierarchy. Notingsare made, signed and countersigned. Taking into accountthe number of holidays, earned and gazetted, that could fallbetween the filing of the application and the processing ofthe file, even the most committed exercisers of this Right toInformation could lose interest and move after another file tochase. Even if the much-travelled file does get approved,the information required, which also would be bundled in a“file,” could conveniently get misplaced or “lost”. Little won-der then, that the right to information is best exercised byway of greasing the right palms.

May 21-27, 2003; NOW! 3

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MINISTER BOOKED FOR “CAUSING SIMPLEINJURY, CRIMINAL TRESPASS”

ASSAULTED B.O.’S FAMILY WANTSJUSTICE; POLICE EFFECT TWO

ARRESTS; MINISTER MAINTAINS HEWAS NOT INVOLVED IN ASSAULT

GANGTOK: In an incident thatis sure to put the ruling Front inan embarrassing spot, a Ministerhas been accused of assaulting aBlock Officer in Geyzing on May14, last Wednesday.

In an FIR lodged with the Westdistrict police, Neelam Pradhan,wife of Neeraj Pradhan, a BOposted in Geyzing has alleged thatthe Transport Minister, SB Subedi,along with two others attacked herhusband at their home on Wednes-day evening.

While speaking to NOW!,Mrs. Pradhan alleged that Mr.Subedi called on them at around8:30 PM on Wednesday and im-mediately proceeded to “beat up”her husband along with two oth-ers who had accompanied him.Following the ruckus, Mr. Prad-han, who had sustained injuries tohis face, chest, head, neck and wasbruised all over was rushed to thehospital and later referred toSTNM hospital, Gangtok.

An emotional Mrs. Pradhanfurther stated that she too sus-tained minor injuries in the scuf-fle and that her 16-month-olddaughter, whom she was carrying

in her arms at the time, was still ina state of “acute shock”.

She minced no words to casti-gate her neighbours either. They,she says, remained locked insidetheir homes when the incident wasplayed out. Mr. Pradhan has sincebeen referred to Mitra NursingHome in Siliguri.

While speaking to NOW!, arelative of the BO, who is also agovernment servant, said that eventhey are at a loss as to what couldhave caused the assault. “We knowof no reason or prior enmity tohave prompted the attack. But nowthat it has happened, we want tosee justice delivered,” he said.

The West district police, in themeantime, arrested two of the ac-cused - Kuldeep Chettri and NayoBhutia, the duo alleged to have ac-companied Mr. Subedi to the Prad-han residence - on May 16. The twowere subsequently released on bail.

On being asked what action wasplanned against the Minister ac-cused in the incident, senior officialssaid that all three [the duo alreadyarrested and Mr. Subedi] have beenbooked under Section 323 [causingsimple injury], 448/ 34 [criminaltrespass] of the Indian Penal Code.All are bailable offences.

The case is still under investi-gation. The statement of the vic-tim, for example, is yet to be re-corded and examined. His refer-ral to Siliguri has only delayed theprocess although a Sikkim Policeofficial has also been despatchedto Siliguri to record his statement.

Although named in the FIRas one of the persons to haveassaulted the BO, Mr. Subedi,while regretting the incident,maintained that he did not as-sault the forest official. Whilespeaking to NOW!, he said: “Itwas an unfortunate incident, butI had no role in it. Yes, I hap-pened to be there when two boyswho had accompanied me lostcontrol and attacked NeerajPradhan. By the time the meleecould be stopped, he had sus-tained some injuries.”

The Minister furtherpointed out that the two boys ac-

cused in the FIR had alreadybeen arrested and subsequentlyreleased on bail.

“I did not try to influencethe police and will not interferewith the process of law whichwill reveal that I am not involvedin the attack,” he said.

Sources close to the Ministeralso suggested that the incidentgot blown out of proportion be-cause the Minister was presentwhen it happened, even thoughhe neither instigated nor involvedhimself in the scuffle. “Had aMinister not been present there,no one would have approachedthe Press and the matter wouldhave been compromised bynow,” they said.

The guilt factor aside, it issuprising that neither the victim’scolleagues from the service, norofficials at the Department arewilling to come on record withcomments on the incident.

a NOW REPORT

SIKKIM DOES WELL IN ICSE, ISC

GANGTOK: Sikkim students put ina commendable performance in thisyear’s ICSE and ISC examinations.Tashi Namgyal Academy posted acent per cent result on the ISC ex-ams while Namchi Public School andSt. Joseph’s Convent, Martam alsomatched the feat in the ICSE exams.

Overall, the results were in thehigh percentiles is evident fromthe summarised tally below:

Tashi Namgyal Academy: ISC(100%). ICSE (94.4%); St. Xavier’sSchool Pakyong: ISC (99%). ICSE(90%); Namchi Public School:ICSE: (100%); St. Joseph’s Con-vent, Martam: ICSE: (100%).

Individual performances werealso exemplary with TNA’sDaipayan Bhattacharjee aggregat-ing 93% in ISC and Padam PushkarPradhan notching up 93% in ICSE.

Results confirmed till going to

print show Reshmi Prasad with94% and Analan Dey Sarkar 86%in ISC and Sharwan KumarSharma with 93% in ICSE of St.Xavier’s, Pakyong doing Sikkimproud as did Eliza Namchu (91%ICSE) of SJS, Martam.

a NOW REPORT

The 49th day Kutse Shegu of LatePoprim Bhutia, r/o LingeythangBusty, Below Old Market, PakyongBazaar, East Sikkim who left forheavenly abode on 10 May 2003falls on Friday, 27 June 2003. Allrelatives, friends and well wishersare requested to join us in offeringprayers for the departed soul at ourresidence. we also thank all thosewho helped us during our hour of be-reavement and regret our inability todo so individually.

Mr. & Mrs. Prem Kr. Rai (son),Mr. & Mrs. C. B. Subba (son in

law), Sunita Pradhan (daughter)& all family members

Kutse Shegu

4; NOW! May 21-27, 2003

4

POWER PLAYPOWER PLAY

a NOW! pic

GANGTOK: The first meeting ofthe high-powered committee setup by the State Government inFebruary this year to examine “indepth” the issues arising with theinclusion of the Limbu andTamang communities in theScheduled Tribes list, met on May12 under the chairmanship of thpolitical advisor to the chief min-ister, BB Gooroong.

The Committee has recom-mended that the State Governmentrequest the Director General ofCensus, Government of India toconduct a special census of theLimbus and Tamangs of Sikkim toprovide reliable data of their popu-lation in the State. This, the Com-mittee feels, has been necessitateddue to that fact that the two com-munities in Sikkim are also rec-ognised by their sub-castes suchas Ghising, Goley, Bomzan etc.,in case of the Tamangs and asSubba, Tsong etc, in the case ofLimbus.

With this in mind, the Com-mittee also decided to request allLimbu and Tamang associations to

identify their sub-castes to includethem in the groups.

On the issue of seat reserva-tions for the two communities inthe State Assembly, the Commit-tee is of the view that all non-po-litical organisations should begiven an opportunity to voice theiropinions on the issue. It has beenrecommended that a notice circu-lated widely calling all non-politi-cal organisations and NGOs tosubmit their suggestions to theChairman of the committee on theseat reservation issue within onemonth from the date of publica-tion of the notice.

In view of the fact that the de-limitation of assembly constituen-cies will now be based on the 2001census, the committee has decidedto recommend readjustment andreview of the existing geographi-cal boundaries of the districts tofacilitate equal representation.

The Chairman of the commit-tee, along with two other memberswould also study the issues relat-ing to the possible dilution of thespecial provisions for Sikkim asprovided by Article 371F of theConstitution in relation to the seatreservation issue.

a NOW REPORT

High powered committeesuggests special censusfor Limbu-Tamang figures

GANGTOK: Chief MinisterPawan Chamling has said that theonly way of keeping away terror-ism and insurgency from the Statewas by providing the youth with theright incentives for employment.

Speaking at the 28th State Daycelebrations here at the CommunityHall on May 16, Mr. Chamling saidthat although the government can-not provide white-collared jobs forall, it could point them in the rightdirection towards self-employmentand self-reliance.

“The Chief Minister’s SelfEmployment Scheme is perhapsthe only one of its kind loanscheme in the country that pro-vides an alternative to the youthfor employment. We provide thefinancial and technical back-up tothe youth to take up various self-employment ventures because weknow that a disgruntled youthpopulation can have far-reachingconsequences,” he said.

Mr. Chamling said that hisgovernment has taken a policydecision to launch a new schemethat is aimed at making the State a“producer” State instead of a “con-sumer” State. Labeled “One Fam-ily, One Productive Scheme,” theState government plans to make itcompulsory for every household inthe State to take up at least oneproduction venture, be it agro-based, floriculture, fisheries or

service-sector based.“We will provide the financial

as well as the technical support forthis scheme,” he assured.

Efforts are also on to stop mi-gration of rural population to thetowns by way of formulating poli-cies that are village-centric, Mr.Chamling said.

“We want no shanty dwellingsto come up in the bigger towns ofthe State. If we provide all the op-portunities in the villages itself, wecan check the migration of ruralpopulation to the towns,” he said,while adding that the first policydecision that his government tookafter coming to power eight and ahalf years ago was to set aside 70per cent of the plan fund for thevillages and rural development.

“We cannot talk of the develop-ment of the entire country as a whole

without taking into consideration thedevelopment of the villages. If wedo that, we are hypocrites,” he said.

The Chief Minister announcedthat all the 176 Gram Panchayatsin the State would have at least onetourist spot and the Panchayatswould be given powers for deci-sion-making.

“All the welfare schemes inthe villages would be looked afterby the Panchayats and they wouldbe responsible for their properimplementation,” he said. TheState government would also makeafforestation programmes compul-sory in every construction activityin the State, he said.

In order to mitigate the problemof water shortage in some drought-prone areas of the State, the govern-ment will soon launch a rainwater-harvesting scheme in which a grant

of Rs. 35,000 will be provided toeach household taking up thescheme, Mr. Chamling announced.

He also revealed that the Cen-tre has already approved theproject for an alternative highwayconnecting the State that will by-pass the Kalimpomg sub-division.The new highway will start fromMelli in South Sikkim along theleft flank of the Teesta River andconnect the State at Mamring, nearRangpo in East Sikkim.

In his address, the Governor,V Rama Rao said that the newmantra of the State should be“peace, prosperity and progress.”

While coming down heavilyon the recent circulation of mali-cious pamphlets and newsletters

against the government, Mr. RamaRao said that such incidents areunfortunate and detrimental to thepeace and tranquility of the State.

The highlight of the State Daycelebrations was the release of a bookbased on the life and vision of theCM. Pawan Chamling: Daring to beDifferent, written by senior journal-ist and writer Yogendra Bali was re-leased by the Governor at the func-tion. Critical reviews of the book wereread out by noted Nepali writer andSahitya Akademi award winner, Dr.Lakhi Devi Sundas and Prof. NoreenDunne, head of the English depart-ment, St. Joseph’s College,Darjeeling. The CM also released abook titled “Sikkim’s Sons, Nation’sPride” published by the Departmentof Information and Public Relationsduring the occasion.

A cultural programme was putby the State Cultural programme aspart of the State Day celebrations.

Later in the evening, a 20-member troupe from the LalitNritya Chandam, Darjeeling putup a colourful performance.

In attendace at the celebrationwere former chief ministers,MLAs, senior officials and stu-dents. A large number of distin-guished scholars, writers, publish-ers and literary figures from theneighbouring Darjeeling Hills,Kolkata and Delhi were alsopresent on the occasion.

Employment incentives can keepinsurgency at bay: Chamling

Sikkim turns 28. CM recaps

development thus far,

reiterates commitment to

rural development; Gover-

nor’s all for “peace, pros-

perity and progress,”

thumbs down pamphlets...

a NOW REPORT

WHILE THE NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYED: [left to right] Deputy Speaker, Palden Lachungpa, Minister(Health), DD Bhutia, Governor, V Rama Rao, CM, Pawan Chamling, Mrs. Tika Maya Chamling, Speaker,Kalawati Subba, and Political Advisor to the CM, BB Gooroong.

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May 21-27, 2003; NOW! 5

5

FOCUSFOCUS

HIGH COURT NOT INTERESTED INPUBLICITY INTEREST LITIGATIONS

“... this court should not allow its due

process of law to be abused by the

present writ petitioner for his

extraneous motivation or and for

glare of publicity”

HIGH COURT DISMISSES HEM LALL’S

PIL “WITH COST”; SAYS HE DID

NOT COME WITH “CLEAN HANDS”

GANGTOK: “I am of the viewthat the writ petitioner could notmake out a prima facie case andapart from that, there is no suffi-cient materials on record for treat-ing the present writ petition as Pub-lic Interest Litigation (PIL) as thepresent Writ Petition virtuallyamounts to Publicity Interest Liti-gation and this court should not al-low its due process of law to beabused by the present writ peti-tioner for his extraneous motivationor and for glare of publicity,” saidJustice NS Singh while dismissingthe petition filed by Harvard-edu-cated Sikkim Sangram ParishadVice-President, Hem LallBhandari, accusing former ChiefJustice RS Dayal [he retired onMay 17, 2003] of enjoying hous-ing and conveyance allowancewhen it was not due and tamperingwith official records to show a gov-ernment vehicles as his private car.

The Court Order delivered onMay 17, 2003, recorded that Mr.Bhandari’s petition was “devoid ofmerit” and dismissed it with costof Rs. 10,000 which Mr. Bhandarihas been asked to pay within 15days. This money will go to theSikkim State Legal Services Au-thority fund.

Mr. Bhandari had alleged thatMr. Justice Dayal drew house rentallowance despite living in a“well-furnished official residence”and was provided conveyance al-lowance even though he used agovernment car. He also allegedthat “to cover up the illegaldrawal” of conveyance allowance,the record of registration of thevehicle in question was tampered

with and manipulated.Apart from pointing out that

both, the house rent allowance andthe conveyance allowance, weredecided and awarded by the StateGovernment because it could notprovide for either during the pe-riod in question, the petitions con-testing Mr. Bhandari’s claims hadalso alleged that his petition wasnot filed to “ventilate” public in-terest, but were instead a projec-tion of the “political party he rep-resents, the unscrupulous elementshe supports and to terrorize themembers of the subordinate judi-ciary so that it may deliver judge-ments according to his whims...”

Documents submitted as evi-dence also proved that there wasno tampering of records as al-leged and went on to show thatthe confusion arose because theearlier “official” car of the ChiefJustice was of the same make andcolour as the “private” car of Mr.

Justice Dayal.The respondents had also sug-

gested that Mr. Bhandari’s writpetition was just an attempt tobring disrepute to the High Courtwhich had only a week before thefiling of the said petition turneddown a Criminal Revisions peti-tion filed by Mr. Bhandari’s partyboss and seven others. The saidjudgement, passed by a divisionbench headed by Mr. Justice Dayalcleared the way for framing ofcharges against the SSP chief NarBahadur Bhandari and seven oth-ers. The respondents had furtherbolstered their claim that the peti-tion was solely for publicity bypointing out that news-reports,wrongly stating that the petitionwas filed on May 8, were flashedin a weekly which hit the standson May 9 morning. The petitionwas not filed till in the afternoonof the said day.

Mr. Bhandari’s lawyer, SK

Home Choudhury, while arguing insupport of the petition also pointedout that the Supreme Court Orderwas not binding upon the HighCourt because it was passed on“withdrawal” and not “on merit”.

Mr. Justice Singh, while dis-missing the case, also touchedupon this point and pointed outthat petitioners are not allowed towithdraw PILs and when the Courtallows such withdrawals, it does“by considerations of public inter-est and would also ensure that itdoes not result in abuse of theprocess of law”. “There are ump-teen ways in which the process canbe abused and the Courts must beaware of the same before permit-ting withdrawals of the petition.This is not to say that this was one

such case. According to me, theApex Court had considered thematter and the Writ Petition [C]No. 331 of 2002 was dismissed aswithdrawn after considering thenature of the case,” he said in hisjudgement.

Further, the judgement recordsthat Mr. Bhandari’s petition doesnot meet any of the 10 guidelinesprovided by the Supreme Court onwhich cases to be entertained asPublic Interest Litigations. Mr.Justice Singh gets sterner as hegoes on to record: “I am of the fur-ther opinion that the writ petitionerdid not approach the Court withclean hands and his approach be-fore this Court with the presentwrit petition is not for clean ob-jective and apart from that, therewas wide publication of the filingof the writ petition and such pub-lication even went to the extentthat the writ petition was allegedto have been filed by the writ peti-tioner on 8th May 2003, but in fact,the writ petition was filed on 9thMay 2003 afternoon, but the samenews sprang up from the earlymorning of 9th May 2003...”

“I made the above observationkeeping in view of the existingfacts and circumstances of the caseand such observations is based onthe materials available on recordbefore this Court in the presentcase,” the judgement reads.

With his PIL dismissed, Mr.Bhandari now stares at charges ofperjury filed by the Registrar Gen-eral of the High Court. The casecomes up for a hearing on admis-sibility next week.

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GANGTOK: Former Chief Min-ister Nar Bahadur Bhandari’smedical conditions may have de-layed the framing of chargesagainst him, but co-accused in thecase, his then RDD Secretary, PKPradhan and nine others werebooked for criminal misconductand criminal conspiracy on May17, last Saturday.

Mr. Pradhan and nine contrac-tors will now face trial for their al-leged involvement in the RDD

water supply scheme scam. TheSpecial Judge, of the District andSession Court, framed chargesagainst them under section 120 ofthe IPC and section 5(2) read withsection 5 (1) (d) of the Preventionof Corruption Act.

While Mr. Bhandari, the mainaccused did not appear in theCourt on medical grounds, (hiscounsel pleaded before the Judgethat his client has been advisedcomplete bed rest for at least twoweeks by his doctor), Mr. Pradhanand nine others were present in theCourt when the charges were

framed. After the charges wereread out by the Judge, the ten ac-cused pleaded “not guilty” and“claimed to be tried” by the Court.Four other co-accused also failedto keep their date with the Court.

On the plea of Mr. Bhandari’scounsel and taking into accountthe non-appearance of four otheraccused, the Court has set June 4as the date on which charges willbe framed against them.

The CBI counsel from NewDelhi, IK Vaid was present duringthe framing of charges.

Charges framed against Pradhanand nine others in 1984 RDD case;

Bhandari given time till June 4

a NOW REPORT

turn to pg 6

6; NOW! May 21-27, 2003

6

FROM-THE-SPOTFROM-THE-SPOT

It may be recalled here that thepath for framing of charges wascleared when the High Court, onMay 1, 2003, disposed the plea forCriminal Revisions filed by theduo and six others challenging theSpecial Judge’s November 15,2002, Order directing the framingof charges. The division bench ofthe High Court, comprising ofChief Justice R. Dayal and Mr.Justice SM Singh, upheld the trialcourt’s order after hearing argu-ments on the petition over threedays - April 28-30, 2003.

The CBI chargesheet, filed onSeptember 14, 1994, alleges thatthe two public servants [the thenCM and his RDD Secretary] en-tered into a criminal conspiracywith thirteen contractors in 1984to award works of eleven ruralwater supply schemes on “exorbi-tant” rates ignoring the recommen-dations of junior engineers, divi-sional engineer and chief engineer,“causing pecuniary loss” to theState exchequer.

This case relates to 12 ruralwater supply schemes awardedunder the Minimum Needs Pro-gramme by the Bhandari Govern-ment in 1983-84. The Cabinet de-cision which cleared the projecthad specifically mentioned thatworks of more than Rs. 1 lakh becarried out by issuing tenders.

The CBI chargesheet allegesthat Mr. Pradhan, “at the instance”of Mr. Bhandari, “negotiated” withcontractors who had not bid thelowest rate and issued work ordersto them even though his Senior Ac-counts Officer had pointed out thatdoing so would be against the fi-nancial rules. This, despite the factthat some contractors had bid 20per cent below the approved rate.

Contd from pg 5

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Professional experience.

The Anthyesthi Kriya of Late

Ganesh Suji, r/o Lingeythang

Busty, Pakyong , East Sikkim who

left for his heavenly abode on 18

May 2003 falls on 30 May 2003.

All relatives, friends and well

wishers are requested to join us in

offering prayers for the departed

soul at our residence. we also thank

all those who helped us during our

hour of bereavement and regret our

inability to do so individually.

Dinesh Suji (son), Uma Suji

(daughter), & all family members

Anthyesthi Kriya

GNATHANG: Everybody knowswhere it is, but nobody wants togo there. For the record -Gnathang, at an altitude of 12,500feet is located on the fringes of theIndo-China border in East Sikkim.

Forgotten by time, this is a vil-lage that is steeped in history and atone time, played a very important rolein the economics and the security ofthe region. Gnathang, was after allthe village which provided the basefor Tibetan Pioneer Mission of 1888-95. Later, it was an important halt forcaravans en route to Tibet during theIndo-Tibet trade days.

Now, this historic village isrelegated to just a tiny dot on themap, where development and theluxuries that come with moderni-sation remain a myth.

Reverting to history, not manypeople know that there is a Britishwar memorial here as well as acemetery of the British soldierswho died during the Tibetan Pio-neer Mission.

According to the Gazetteer ofSikhim, the British build a fort at“Gnatong”, which was “attackedby the Tibetans in force on May22, 1888. In 1886, after the stop-page of the Macaulay Mission, theTibetans advanced into Sikhimand built a fort at Lingtu whichthey persistently refused to evacu-ate. In March 1888, the SikhimExpeditionary Force was sentagainst Lingtu. In December1888, the Chinese Resident, HisExcellency Sheng Tai, arrived atGnatong and negotiations wereopened with a view to a settlementof the Sikhim-Tibetan dispute,which failed… On 22nd May, theyattacked Gnatong in force, wererepulsed with heavy loss and re-tired over the Jelap... The final

defeat of the Tibetans came on 24th

September, 1888.”Although HH Risley makes no

mention of the British casualtiesduring the Mission, the war me-morial is a sombre reminder of the

sacrifices made infighting the resil-

ient Tibetanforces in the

cold, harshand hos-tile terraino fGnathang.

Lo-

cated on a small hillock on the eastside of the village, the Memorial con-sists of two stone monuments and asmall cemetery nearby. Although thetwo stone monuments with epitaphsare fairly well-maintained, the tomb-stones are dilapidated.

Much later, during the Indo-Tibet trading days, caravansheaded for Lhasa, would halt herefor the night before proceedingfurther into the semi-arid colddesert beyond Jelep La and NathuLa. A huge wooden house, be-lieved to have been built in 1886and which stands to this day, al-beit in a dilapidated state, was theonly rest-house in the village.

Today, Gnathang has a mere267 households and a populationof just over 400. The localeconomy collapsed with the end

to the Tibet trade and the locals,comprising mostly of Sherpas,now earn their livelihood as GREFand Army labourers.

What is ironical is that the vil-lage, barely an hour from Serathang,en-route to Nathu-La and BabaMandir, the most sought after tour-ist destinations in the East District,finds no place on the tourist maps.

Topgay Bhutia, a Bhutia Lan-guage teacher at the school won-ders at the government apathy to-wards this historical village.

“There is no transport facilityfor the villagers. We have to hire ajeep for Rs. 900 every time weneed to come down to Gangtok orgo back. Although there a numberof jeeps in Gangtok with boardsthat say Gangtok to Gnathang, viaTsomgo, not a single of them evercomes till here,” he reveals.

The village has been withoutelectricity for the last one month.The transformer at the villagecaught fire last month and despiterepeated reminders to the substa-tion at Rongli, villagers are stillmaking do with kerosene lamps.

“Given the history Gnathangencapsulates, it will be a big hitwith tourists if promoted well. Asfor the permits, if one is allowedto go up to Nathu-La, why notGnathang?” questions Bhutia.

Is anybody listening?

GNATHANG

THE REPOSITORY OFHISTORY THAT TIME

FORGOT

SARIKAH

ATREYA on

what has

become of

Gnathang

and what

is possible

for it

SARIKAH

ATREYA on

what has

become of

Gnathang

and what

is possible

for it

SARIKAH

ATREYA on

what has

become of

Gnathang

and what

is possible

for it

May 21-27, 2003; NOW! 7

WHY THE REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLEACT WAS AMENDED AND HOW

15

FOCUSFOCUS

ISSUED IN PUBLIC INTEREST BY SIECB, DEPTT. OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE, GOVT OF SIKKIM

The amendment of the Rep-resentation of People Act,1950, which outlined the

reservation formula for the SikkimLegislative Assembly still in prac-tice today, was affected in 1980more to validate the 1979 electionsthan as an endorsement of thelogic behind its drafting. Compli-cations forced by the fact that as-sembly elections were announcedfor Sikkim after the LD Kazi gov-ernment was dissolved when therewas President’s Rule elsewhere inthe country. This compounded asituation where an Ordinance,which was protested against whenit was first tabled as a Bill duringthe Janata Party government, “had”to be passed as an Act by the parlia-ment in 1980 on the plea of the thenLaw Minister, P. Shiv Shankar, to“validate” the already held 1979assembly elections in Sikkim.

Records of the Parliamentarydebate of February 2, 1980, revealthat all MPs who commented onthe move to amend the said Actvoiced reservations about whatwas proposed. These objectionswere recorded and the passage ofthe Bill without any changes re-

quested by the Law Minister to“validate” the new Sikkim Assem-bly which had already been con-stituted in accordance with theprovisions of the Ordinance.

It might be recalled that the firstlegislative Assembly of Sikkimheaded by LD Kazi was elected in1974, a year before the Merger, onthe basis of the Representation ofthe Sikkim People’s Act, 1974promulgated by the Chogyal on Feb-ruary 5, 1974. This Act provided for15 seats for the BLs and 15 forSikkimese Nepalese. The balance 2seats of the 32-member House weredivided between the Sangha and the

Scheduled Caste candidates. Withthe term of the Kazi governmentdrawing to a close, Representationof People (amendment) Bill, 1979,was introduced in the Parliament onMay 18, 1979. The Bill, however,lapsed with the dissolution of theJanata Government at the Centrebefore it could be debated in detailand passed.

Three months later, on August13, the Kazi Government in Sik-kim, too, was dissolved. Freshelections were announced and itbecame necessary to make provi-sions for delimitation of Assem-bly constituencies and work out

the reservation structure afresh.With President’s rule at the

Centre and elections already an-nounced for Sikkim, the Bill whichhad already lapsed was promul-gated by the President as an Ordi-nance on September 1, 1979. Thus,Sikkim got its break-up for the 32-member Assembly - 12 seats for theBLs, one for Sangha and two forScheduled Caste candidates. Sev-enteen seats were placed in thegeneral category.

The elections over, the basis onwhich they were held still requiredto be validated by the Parliament.Thus, on February 2, 1980, the Con-

There is more to how seats are shared in the Sikkim Assembly than just Article

371F. And what better place to start than the Parliament itself.

PEMA WANGCHUK recaps the Parliamentary debate which enacted the amendment

of the Representation of People Act, 1950, in a 2-part series which seeks to pro-

vide the background and ground realities of the Act in question.

It is necessary to know the background in light of the present situation in Sikkim

where communities are getting fragmented over delimitation and seat arrange-

ment. Everyone has their own take on what constitutes a good looking legislative

assembly for Sikkim and it has become increasingly difficult to separate fact from

fiction in the debates raging over the issue. It is perhaps best if we go back to the

text that scripted it - the Parliamentary debates over the amendment in 1980...

gress Government in the Centremoved the Bill seeking to amend theRepresentation of People Act, 1950,exactly on the same lines as the onesanctioned by the Presidential Or-dinance of 1979. This was neces-sary, since any changes in it wouldhave nullified the 1979 elections.

The Bill was eventuallypassed as an Act, but not beforelengthy debates over what wasproposed and why it should beamended further were tabled. Par-liamentarians from Darjeeling,Manipur, Uttar Pradesh andMaharastra launched lengthy ar-guments over what they perceivedas improper in what was proposed.The then Law Minister also cameon record to admit that the Bill foramendment was for a very limitedpurpose: “to preserve the validityof elections that have alreadytaken place when the Ordinancewas in force, and I may straighta-way submit that if we do not enactthis Bill, the difficulty will be withreference to the elections that havealready taken place.”-Concluding part on the debate inthe Parliament, objections raisedand solutions offered, next week

8; NOW! May 21-27, 2003

16

DESPATCHESDESPATCHES

DARJEELING: The breakawayfaction of the Gorkha National Lib-eration Front, the Kalimpong-basedGNLF [C] infiltrated the green bas-tion of Darjeeling on May 19, Mon-day, with its first public meetinghere in the Ghising stronghold.

Amidst tight security the firstever GNLF(C) public meetingdrew a large crowd on its anti-GNLF and specially an anti-Subash Ghising platform as all thespeakers lashed out against theGNLF Supremo.

The GNLF (C) made a publicdeclaration that henceforth itwould commemorate the August22 as “Surrender Diwas.” On thisday, in 1988, Ghising dropped theissue of Gorkhaland and settled forthe DGHC.

“Ghising had taken the oath ofMahakal (guardian deity of theDarjeeling Hills) that he would getus Gorkhaland. He betrayed us andsigned the accord,” stated DKPradhan, erstwhile GNLF leaderand at present the GNLF(C)Darjeeling Convenor and also theDarjeeling MLA.

GNLF (C) was floated by dis-sident party leaders, CK Pradhanloyalists and some family mem-bers, including Sheela Pradhan,CK’s widow at Kalimpong onNovember 16, 2002.

Roshan Shankar, a Kalimpongconvenor of the GNLF(C) allegedthat CK Pradhan was murderedbecause he wanted to revive theGorkhaland issue.

“To fulfil CK Pradhan’s unful-filled dream we formed theGNLF(C),” stated Shankar.

Sheela Pradhan clad in wid-ow’s white, while addressing thegathering, alleged that the assas-sination bid on Subash Ghising atSaath Goomti, Kurseong on Feb-ruary 10, 2001 could be a dramastaged by Ghising himself.

“He used this to weed out allthose who wanted the revival ofGorkhaland like Chattrey Subba whois still rotting in jail. He also framedCK and when he got news that CKwas floating a new party, CK was shotin the back and murdered,” statedSheela. “The single star in our flagstands for our single-point issue -Gorkhaland,” said Sheela.

The speakers stated that de-mocracy had taken a back seat in

the Hills with dictatorship beingenforced.

“We don’t have to go to Iraqto see what Saddam’s rule waslike. We have a first hand experi-ence here in Darjeeling,” saidMaximus Kalikotey, the party’sKalimpong Convenor. Adding tothis Roshan Shankar said:“Ghising does not meet the publicincluding his very own Council-lors except when he is giving reli-gious sermons. He has even man-aged to divert all the funds for de-velopment in the construction oftemples and monasteries.” DKPradhan went a step further andsaid: “Living in the river, it is verydifficult to oppose the crocodile.The crocodile ate Rudra Pradhan,CK Pradhan and even PrakashThing.” Three councillors namedby DK Pradhan were murderedwithin a span of 4 years.

“Ghising is a liar. Once he hadtold me that under no conditioncould we achieve Gorkhaland, yethe now says that Gorkhaland is notfar away. He does not give a singledeputation nor a memorandum forGorkhaland,” alleged DK. Dub-bing “Ghising’s Gorkhaland” as aneyewash, he said: “22nd August

1988 (Accord Signing Day) was thecomplete surrender ofGorkhaland.” He also gave a callto all the opposition parties to uniteagainst Ghising’s GNLF and de-mand for Gorkhaland. “I will alwaysoppose the GNLF and I will be thelast man to go back to Ghising. Iprefer to die than submit to his one-man rule” added DK. DescribingGhising’s two major politicalachievements; DK stated that thefirst was the “Begging Bowl ofDGHC” and the second “Riggingduring DGHC Elections.”

Ajay Dahal, with his fieryspeech, dubbed GNLF as a “ter-rorist outfit” because it believedin the politics of “beheadings” and“breaking Limbs.

As anticipation of trouble wasvery high, security was very tightand police personnel were postedalong the entire route fromKalimpong to Darjeeling.

There were around 38 vehiclesfrom Kalimpong carrying leadersand GNLF(C) supporters fromKalimpong. The meeting started ataround 11:30 and continued till 3pm. Traffic came to a standstill andthe traffic on the Hill Cart roadwas diverted through INA Bypass.

GNLF (C) STORMS THE GHISING BASTION, BRANDSGNLF A “TERRORIST OUTFIT” IN DARJ

from AMITAVA BANERJEE

CK’S WIDOW ALLEGES GHISING HAD HER HUSBAND MURDERED

takes the same journey squeezedunder the armpits of a boorish Jat.

As far as state quotas are con-cerned I have seen it causing moreharm than good. An average Sik-kim student, due to some grandi-ose family or government dream,is packed off to a Maths honourscourse that is teeming with Biharibrains, which, although not raciallysuperior, have had the advantage ofa more scrupulous schooling. As aresult, he spends the rest of his col-lege years, which may be longerthan what is dictated by the sylla-bus, nursing a giant inferiority com-plex and understanding less maths.At one time, the situation had be-come so bad that for a few years StStephen’s had stopped giving ad-mission to students coming fromstate quotas of Sikkim partly dueto the dismal pass percentage oftheir predecessors and partly dueto their on-campus profligacy.

The lesson to be drawn from allthis is that no amount of reservationscan undo the damage that is doneby incompetent schooling and amentality that is essentially‘reservationist’. And unless some-thing drastic is done, the apparentinequalities in the system will be acatalyst for intellectuals with theiragendas to come up with somethingas dangerously provocative andpseudo-scientific as The Bell Curve.We also know what havoc iswreaked when a movement is hi-jacked by intelligent people whoseconsciences allow them to allow theends to justify the means.

Contd from pg 2

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May 21-27, 2003; NOW! 9

SIKKIM MANIPAL EMPLOYEES THREATEN TO GO ON STRIKE

17

RECAP SIKKIMRECAP SIKKIM

Sikkim joined the mainstream of the Indian

Union twenty eight years back as its twenty

second state. With generous assistance from

the Centre, the young state has been able to make

sufficient progress in all the spheres of developmental activities.

Being an infant State, there were no doubt, few constraints.

However, despite many constraints the present ruling Government

has been trying to keep up the tempo of progress in every sphere of

developmental activities and it has been the Government’s constant

endeavour to provide a better and a brighter future for the people of

Sikkim.

The Chief Minister, Mr. Pawan Chamling has said that being a

part of an independent and large country like India, we have our

responsibilities and duties. It would not be right on our part to

merely seek our rights and not perform our duties and shoulder

responsibilities. On this auspicious occasion the Chief Minister has

appealed to the people of Sikkim and transform the State into a

place where every citizen enjoys equality, democratic values and

justice. He said that the path is difficult and work is hard but the

State is determined to march on, hand in hand, with the rest of the

country and with collective contribution from each and every citizen

make Sikkim into a model state.

Issued by

Department Of Information & Public Relations

Government of Sikkim

Release Order No:

18/IPR/03-04

Date: 13.05.03

JORETHANG: Members of theSikkim Christian Council, SouthSikkim observed the 28th StateDay here at the Victory Schoolcampus on May 16, last Friday.

Representatives of the Councilfrom all the four districts and thePastors from the Jorethang congre-gation attended the meeting.

Stressing on the importance ofthe State Day, the President of theCouncil stressed: “Along withpreaching the gospel of Christ, weshould also preach love, unity andservice for our Nation.”

Rev. Samuel Lepcha spoke onthe necessity of preaching the faithbecause the situation of the worldwas deteriorating day by day.

To end the convention, the Pas-tors, along with the congregation,prayed for peace and prosperity inSikkim and prayed for long healthylife of the Governor and the ChiefMinister of the State as well.

A ChristianState Day

a NOW REPORT

5 perish in

North Sikkim

tipper

accidentMANGAN: Five persons, includ-ing two ladies, died when a GREFtipper fell 150 feet off the road atCharchrey Khola 3 kms from hereon May 16, last Friday.

All the deceased were GREFpersonnel working at Sangklang innorth Sikkim. While four of thevictims [Leela Tamang, 28, RatiMaya Chettri, 32, AjitBiswakarma, 22, and UmeshKumar Ram, 23] died on the spot,the driver, Dhan Kumar Tamangsuccumbed to his injuries atMangan hospital.

The mishap occured at around7:50 in the morning when the ve-hicle was headed for the worksiteat Sang Khola. One person sur-vived with minor injuries when hejumped out of the truck as it tum-bled down. The police is investi-gating the cause of the accident.

- IPR

a NOW REPORT

GANGTOK: The non-teachingstaff of the Manipal undertakings inSikkim - Sikkim Manipal Institute ofMedical Sciences, Central ReferralHospital and Sikkim Manipal Uni-versity - are all set to go on strike onJune 8 next month if their demandsare not granted by the set date.

In their letter, to the Vice-Chancellor, SMU, the staff repre-sentatives have stressed on thehigh cost of living in Sikkim anddemanded among others, a 25 per

cent raise in the basic salary, an18 per cent raise in DA, a 5 percent hike in Housing Rent Allow-ance and free medical treatment ofall employees. Also demanded isa free ambulance service, higherrisk allowance for doctors, nursesand other teaching staff, Dussheraand Diwali holidays as given bythe State Government.

Interestingly, the letter points

out that although DA should beraised each year, it has remainedfixed for Manipal staffers since2000. They have now also pleadedthat the present DA policy, whichis fixed, be done away with and a“flexible one as per the State Gov-ernment policy” be adopted. Alsodemanded is that DA be raised atleast twice a year.

Tuition fee reimbursement for the

education of their children and vaca-tions and half-days on Saturday [asenjoyed by the teaching staff] are otherdemands raised by the employees.

Employee representativeswhile speaking to NOW!, com-plained that the non-teachingManipal staff in Sikkim was thelowest paid among all the institu-tions run by the Manipal group inthe country. This despite the 14 per

cent increase in DA accorded tothem in April, last month.

The list of demands was firstraised on Labour Day, May 1,when about 150 employeesmarched to the VC’s office in a“placard rally” to voice their de-mands. They are unsure about thefate of their demands, but are com-mitted to go on strike should theybe turned down.

10; NOW! May 21-27, 2003

DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT

18

fresh everyday

ofSLICELIFE

PRESENTS

This week try out a bread from Baker’s Cafe and youwill realise how bread is more than just dough.

Enjoy the little things

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the big things.

Robert Brault

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GANGTOK: Pawan Chamling:Daring to be Different, a biogra-phy of the Chief Minister, was re-leased by the Governor, V RamaRao during the State Day Celebra-tions here at the Community Hallon May 16.

Written by senior journalistand writer Yogendra Bali, 73, whois the Chief of Bureau of the AsiaDefence News International, thebook chronicles the evolution ofMr. Chamling as a “leader of themasses”, his early struggles, his vi-sion and his ideals.

For Mr. Bali, it was the “sim-plicity and humility” of the manand his “extraordinary vision forSikkim” that convinced him totake up the project which tookabout two years to complete.

“Daring to be Different is anattempt to bring to the people thisaspect of Mr. Chamling - his cour-age to be different and to standapart. Being different is an iden-tity, it’s a faith and its courage.Courage to live your faith, yourdreams and your ideals. What Ihave written in the book is notstrictly a biography of Mr.Chamling. The positive changesthat have taken place and are stilltaking place in Sikkim under hisleadership and his successful ef-forts in making the State join thenational mainstream is the core ofthe book. This book is an introduc-tion to Sikkim and to Mr.Chamling. In the fifty years of mycareer in journalism, I have comeacross two types of politicians.Those that live a life of ideals,beliefs and principles and worktirelessly for the welfare of hispeople and those who do not. Mr.Chamling falls in the first cat-egory,” Mr. Bali said during aninformal chat with NOW!

Eminent Nepali writer fromDarjeeling and Sahitya Akademiaward winner, Dr. Lakhi DeviSundas and Prof. Noreen Dunne,head of English Department, St.Joseph’s College, Darjeeling pre-sented reviews of the book duringthe function.

CHAMLING’S“VISION”

CONVINCEDAUTHOR TO PEN

BIOGRAPHYa NOW REPORT

“I was fifteen when I first triedSpasmoproxyvon. My friendsgave it to me. I got a nice high.For the next ten years I lived fromone high to another. SometimesI took Morphine. A vial costs onlyRs. 70. It was easy to get. Butthere came a time when tabletsstopped giving me a high. Istarted injecting myself. One dayI was caught by the police withdrugs. I was in jail for tenmonths. Everything was over.”

This is the story of Karma, ayoung recovering addict,just out of prison and

searching for that one thing to holdon to. Something that will give himthe strength to go on from one dayto the other. Without the help of

Just ring 222979 and ask for a volunteer. Open 24 hours. Orwrite to – [email protected] . Confidentiality willbe strictly maintained.

drugs. Without the accusing eyesof family and friends.

This, he has found at HopeCentre, a counselling and day-carecentre for recovering addicts.Started a few months back by JesseTargain and friends, the centre, asits name suggests offers hope forpeople who were or are still suf-fering from substance abuse. Atotally voluntary and privatelyfunded venture, it operates from asmall flat at DPH road, Gangtok.

“Guys can come and spend theday here. They cook and eat here,share their problems, and are in-volved in the day to day activitiesof the centre. Most of us have gonethrough the pain of addiction so itbecomes easier to understand oth-

er’s pains,” says Jesse.Listening, sharing and coun-

selling are the three main objec-tives of Hope Centre. The nearlythirty volunteers, all recoveringaddicts themselves, offer warmth,friendship and help in moments ofcrisis.

“We help people trace possi-bilities beyond their problem.People are more important to usthan their problems. Through careand friendship we hold out hopeof a new beginning for many,”offers Raja, a full time volunteerat the centre.

Hope is what connects all theyoung men here. For Subhash,who started coming here fromFebruary, this is the only realitycheck that he’s going to have. Here

he is beyond pretence, beyondmake believe. Acceptance is thekey word.

“I come here everyday. Noone questions me or judges me.I get more support and under-standing here than from my fam-ily,” he says.

Subhash, like many otherslike him has been ‘hooked’ todrugs since he was only twelveyears old. “I tried to leave it manytimes but could not. I needed big-ger and bigger doses to get high.Even a whole strip of ‘Spasmo’did nothing for me. I started in-jecting then. But since I startedcoming here I have managed tostay clean. I feel if they can leaveit so can I,” he tells us.

The Hope Centre follows guide-lines given by Narcotics Anony-mous. An important part of the re-covery process for both the addictand his family are the regular fam-ily meetings organized by them.

“We meet every Saturday atDevelopment Area and every sec-ond Saturday there is a joint meet-ing in which the families and therecovering addicts meet togetherto share problems and offer coun-selling. This has helped me dealwith our problem with much moreunderstanding than before,” saysTrishna, a young girl married toone of the boys who comes hereregularly for support.

Hope Centre intends to spreadits activities further into the state.On anvil is a detoxification andrehabilitation centre at Namchi.

“Health department has as-sured us a building at Namchi byJuly. We’re looking for funds andwill be very happy for any dona-tion,” reveals Jesse Targain.

Never Alone, Never Again.There’s always time for a new be-ginning.

With the Sikkimese society still hesitant to admit that substance

abuse has become a major problem in the State, it is left to former

and recovering addicts to bring about some hope in the lives of

those who want to move forward without the crutch of drugs and

without the acusing eyes of those who don’t understand.

MITA ZULCA profiles Hope Centre, a group which listens, cares and

counsels those suffering from drug abuse...

Some names have been changed to

protect the identity of those

interviewed for the story

Volunteers at Hope Centre

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May 21-27, 2003; NOW! 11

19

Sealed percentage rate tenders are invited on behalf of Governor of Sikkim from the contractor of appropriatecategory enlisted in SPWD belonging to the concerned Gram Panchayat unit only for the construction of four roomschool building under N.A.B.A.R.D. as listed hereunder. The tender document can be obtained from the office of theDivisional Engineer (N/E), Gangtok, for the works in North & East District, Office of the Assistant Engineer (South)Namchi for the works in South District and office of the Assistant Engineer (West). Gyalshing for the works in WestDistrict, during office hours on 27th & 28th May 2003.

The intending tenderers / contractors should apply for the tender documents to the respective Divisional Engineer& Assistant Engineers accompanied by the copies of valid Sales Tax & Income Tax Clearance certificates, attestedcopy of the validated / updated Contractor Enlistment certificate and the B.R. (non-refundable) in original towards thecost of the tender documents duly deposited in the SBS under head 0202-01-101(111) - Other Receipt Education.

The sealed tenders for North and East Distrcits, South District and West District should reach the office of theDivisional Engineer (N/E), Gangtok the Assistant Engineer (South) Namchi, and the Assistant Engineer (West),Gyalshing, respectively on 29th May 2003 upto 1 PM. The respective sealed tenders shall be opened on the sameday at 2.00 PM in the presence of tenderers / representatives, if any.

GOVERNMENT OF SIKKIM

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

ENGINEERING WING, GANGTOK

Sl. Name Of Work District Work Value put Earnest Money Earnest Money Completion Cost of Tender

No. to tender (in Rs.) (2.5%) (1%) Time form

1. Const. of 4/R/S/B North 9,99,186/- 24,980/- 9,992/- 9 Months 1000.00

at Salimpakyat

P.S i/c toilet

2. Const. of 4/R/S/B North 10,44,491/- 26,112/- 10,445/- 9 Months 1000.00

at Pegong P.S.

i/c toilet

3. Const. of 4/R/S/B East 10,82,163/- 27,054/- 10,822/- 9 Months 1000.00

at Lingdong P.S

i/c toilet


at Rey Mindu

JHS


at Linkey Sanskrit

Pathsala i/c toilet


at North Regu

JHS i/c toilet


at Phadamchey

JHS i/c toilet

8. Const. of 4/R/S/B South 9,90,115/- 24,753/- 9,901/- 9 Months 1000.00

at Ramabong

P.S. i/c toilet

9. Const. of 4/R/S/B West 10,39,030/- 25,976/- 10,390/- 9 Months 1000.00

at Sapung PS

i/c/ toilet

10. Const. of 4/R/S/B West 10,15,500/- 25,387/- 10,155/- 9 Months 1000.00

at Jawbari P.S.

i/c/ toilet

The tender documents should be placed in a sealed cover and should be accompanied by the following docu-ments/ certificates failing which the tender(s) shall be REJECTED straight away.

1. TDR @ 2.50% in favour of Accounts Officer, Education Department, Gangtok deposited in State Bank of Sikkimtowards the Earnest Money and @1.00% in the case of those having the fixed deposit with the Education Depart-ment duly accompanied with an attested copy of the F.D.R.2. Attested copy of the validated / updated Contractor Enlistment Certificate.The tenderer should sign on eash page of the tender documents. The rate quoted should be both in figures and

words and should be inclusive of Sales Tax and all other Taxes. Incomplete tender shall be summarily rejected.In case of any discrepancy in rate(s) printed in the schedule of rate and quantities issued with the tender form then

the rate(s) as per the approved standard schedule of rates will be taken as correct.In the event of the contractor failing to commence the work within 10 (ten) days from the date of issue of work order

his / her Earnest Money deposited will be forfeited and the contract will be rescinded.The Schemes are time boundand should be completed with the stipulated time.

The Department reserves the right to accept or reject any or all the tenders without assigning any reason(s) thereof.

Divisional Engineer (N/E)Education Department

Gangtok.Release Order No: 15 / IPR / 03-04 Date: 14.05.03

Sikkim is a land of many ethnicgroups. Each ethnic group has

its own language, culture, traditionand festivals. The Kirat Rais areone such ethnic group, making upfor about one third of the totalpopulation of Sikkim.

Although there are numeroussub-castes among the Rai commu-nity, Sakewa is one festival whichis celebrated with great enthusi-asm by all Rais. Sakewa is cel-ebrated as a big harvest festivalwhere worshipping of crops isdone (Bali Puja). It is also knownas Bhumi Puja or Chandi Puja orland worshipping ceremony. It isgenerally celebrated twice a yearviz. in December (Udowli) and inMay (Ubowli). Ubowli is morepopular among the Rai people.

Kirat Rais are basically Natureworshippers. It is believed that theyare descendents of Puruhang (LordShiva) and Sumnima (GoddessParvati) of the Himalaya Kailash.It is customary that some ritualsmust be performed before theSakewa. The Nakchung (villagepriest), Maheng Kulu (assistant toNakchung) and the villagers pro-ceed to the sacred place, which isgenerally located in the hilltop. Thealter consists of a Shiva Linga withTrishuls on either side. Nakchungand his assistant carry grains, gin-ger and rice wine and wabuk(cindo-dried gourd) while the devo-tees carry the grains and other prod-ucts of their land. Nakchung chantsprayers and sprinkles water , wine,grain and ginger. The Nakchung re-quests Mother Nature to protect thevillage from disease and droughtand for good rain and harvest. Thenthey proceed to the open space infront of the house where theNakchung fixes a bamboo pole onthe ground. Then he enters thehouse, goes to the three hearth-stones, which is located at the cen-tre of the house. (The hearthstonesrepresent the ancestral deities of theRais). The Nakchung performsAkta Swang Swengma (WaterSpout Ceremony) and the Khutkingand Khutma (Fire Place Worship-ping Ceremony). He offers cleanrice wine, water, ginger andchicken at the hearthstones. Thehen sacrifice is called Mang hulu.Finally the villagers enter thehouse, dance around the fireplace,wine and proceed to the next house.

It is difficult for us to say whenthe Sakewa celebrations started. Itmost probably started when manlearned about agriculture andfarming.

Therefore, it was appropriatethat once or twice a year he shouldthank Mother Nature and offergrains and sacrifices for good rainand harvest.

(The writer is the Treasurer,Central Committee, Akhil Kirat

Rai Sangh)

SAKEWATHE FESTIVAL OF

KIRAT RAISby Dr. Shiva Kumar Rai

12; NOW! May 21-27, 2003

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

SPORTSSPORTS

20

THE MAN WHO WON’T STOP RUNNING!

ASSAM LINGZEY: The month-long cricket tournament organisedby the Assam Lingzey CricketAssociation (ALCA) concludedhere at the Assam Lingzey Sr. Sec.School ground on May 16.

The finals of the 3rd ALCAChallenge Club 2003, was playedbetween the defending championsALCA and Bahai School, Saramsawhich the former won by 59 runs.

Electing to bat first, the ALCAaccumulated 166 runs for 8 off theallotted 25 overs. Bahai Schoolwas bundled out for 107 runs.

Brij Kishore Gupta of ALCAreceived the Man of the Match tro-

Drangchu BeveragesANNOUNCES

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FROM 15TH MAY TO 14TH JULY ‘03’Check the inside of the crown

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For Details Contact Your Local Distributors / Depot

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A p p l i c a b l e f o r 3 0 0 M L P E P S I , M I R I N D A a n d 7 U P o n l yT h e s e p r o d u c t s a r e a v a i l a b l e w i t h o u t t h i s s c h e m e o f f e r a l s o

Twenty five trophies andmedals, forty certificatesand more than Rs. 50,000

in prize money. Sher Bahadur Chettrihas won these for doing somethingthat he loves the most - running.

We wait for him in his smallroadside house, somewhere alongthe 4th mile, en route to Tsomgo.The trophies are perched deli-cately on a high shelf made of thinbamboo slats. Certificates andphotographs lie on a side table.One could be forgiven for expect-ing a more fancy backdrop forshowcasing such achievements.

“He’s here,” calls out hismother and we look out of thedoor. In the distance we see a manrunning at a slow trot towards us.“He runs everywhere, he’s alwaysrunning,” she adds.

The film “Forrest Gump”comes to mind. For Forrest, thewhole secret of life is hidden in onesimple word, “Run.” Forrest neverstopped running in his life, runningwas his entire life. He ran to escapefrom his classmate’s attack, he ranto give his Jenny flowers, he ran tosave lives in Vietnam, finally camehis legendary RUN. After his Jennyleft him one morning, he startedrunning, first thought just run outof his village, then why not the stateof Alabama, and then why notacross the country?

Sher Bahadur had neverplanned to be a runner. It was agift that manifested itself quite latein life. He was then studying inStandard IX in West Point SSS.

“I had gone to Paljor Stadiumto watch the ongoing open compe-tition organised by the army. I sud-

denly felt the urge to run, I wantedto keep running,” he recollects.

That evening, he ran all theway back home. Four years later,he took part in the open marathonheld at Darjeeling. He stoodfourth. That was the last time thatSher Bahadur would come any-thing but first. In any marathon.For the next few years, he was theundisputed king of long distancerace. Winning trophies in 5000mtrs, 10,000 mtrs and cross-coun-try. Representing the State inNorth East and National games, healways came back with medals.

An interesting encounter in1999 confirmed his status as a run-ner par excellence. The SikkimRhododendron Ultra Marathonwas scheduled to be flagged offfrom Yumthang. Runners hadcome from Europe to take part inthe 300 km long race. SherBahadur was desperate to run, butwas not allowed to take part. Heran anyway. Faster than anyoneelse. As usual he came first.

“When I run I don’t have acare in the world. I don’t think ofanything. I only feel the groundbeneath my feet and the sky over-head,” he says, surprised that any-one could ask him about how hefeels about anything. LikeForrest, he never questions. Keeprunning and never ask what youwill get. That is his key approachto life. That is also the reason henever questions why in spite ofbeing the state’s long distancechampion and representative atall National Games, the only jobhe has is to wash the dirty clothesof the constables of the India Re-

serve Battalion.“I wanted to join as a Regular.

My father was in the army and Ialways had the desire to wear auniform,” he reminisces. Althoughin Sikkim since 1963, he has noth-ing to show for it. Applying for ajob at the IRBn, he was taken inthe follower category.

“In my 24 years in the police,I have not met a more sincere andhardworking person or anyonewho loves to run so much. Alwayswilling to run errands, once he ranall the way to Singtam just to de-liver a letter,” recalls ChungchungBhutia, Head Constable BQ/MH.

Sher Bahadur’s links with thePolice go back to 1998.

“I used to run, everywhere,everytime. Mr. SD Negi, thepresent DIG (Range) used to seeme run. He asked me why I didn’thave a job. Later, he called me tohis office and got me a job withthe Home Guards,” he tells us.

To this day, Sher Bahadur’s

dream of a regular job remainsunrealised. Even as he trains forthe 2005 National Games, underthe Sports Authority of Indiacoach, Ombir Singh, it doesn’toccur to him to ask for more. Whatdoes he want in the future?

“I just want to run.”“Life is like a box of chocolates.

You never know what you will get,”

Forrest kept these, his mother’swords, tightly at heart. Therefore,everyday of his life, he was open-ing the box. He was lucky that healways got his favourites. Perhaps aday will come when Sher Bahadur’sbox of chocolates will give him whathe has always wanted. A regular job.Is that asking for too much for ourState champion?

Sher Bahadur Chettri has one passion in life- to run.

He has even run in competitions he was not allowed

to officially participate in. MITA ZULCA profiles the

man from 4th Mile who just won’t stop running...

Sher Bahadur at home with his trophies

phy while the Man of the Tourna-ment trophy went to KarchanLachungpa of Bahai School. Simi-larly, Anand of Bahai School wasadjudged the best batsman and thetrophy for the best catch of the fi-nal went to Rajesh Rai of ALCA.

The tournament saw the partici-pation of 18 teams and each matchdrew a large crowd. The final waswitnessed by nearly a thousandspectators, including a large numberof students and teachers of both theALSS and Bahai School, local citi-zens, ex-students, and LocalPanchayats, informs a Press releaseissued by the Krida Sansthan.

Assam Lingzey cricketers retain trophy

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EUROPE May 21-27, 2003; Meals NOW! TOUR...

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