17 March, 2004; NOW! 1

C M Y K

PROPAGANDA”

Air-ConditionedGrocery Shop

Spectrum Color Lab Building, Near Amar/Chaman Garage, Sevoke Road, Siliguri

ph: 2640799, 2640599

for Provisional Goods, Dry

Fruits & All Hotel

Requirements (for kitchen)WHOLE-SALESRETAIL-SALES

at the most reasonable prices

RajdeepRajdeep

Wednesday, 17 March, 2004 Vol. 2 No. 42 Gangtok � Rs. 3

INSIDE

introducing

StateBank

VishwaYatra

VishwaYatraForeign

Travel Card

No more foreign cash orTravellers Cheques. Justcarry this magic card toaccess ATMs and shopanywhere in the world

Contact SBI, Gangtok. ph: 202224

THE CAMPAIGN WILL COME,FOR NOW HERE’STHE DIATRIBE

Association of “original”Lepchas formed

DETAILS ON pg 4

NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR HOTEL MANAGEMENTAND CATERING TECHNOLOGY, PUSA COMPLEX, NEW DELHI -110012

[UNDER MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND CULTURE, DEPTT. OF TOURISM, GOVT. OF INDIA]AND

INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITYANNOUNCES JEE - 2004

FOR ADMISSION TO THE FIRST YEAR OF 3-YEAR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (B.SC.)PROGRAMME IN HOSPITALITY AND HOTEL ADMINISTRATION

Last date for sale of Information Brochure and Application Form foradmission to the above course has been extended upto April 6, 2004

IMPORTANT DATES

Sale of Prospectus at Institute of Hotel Up to 5th April 2004Management, Near Ayurvedic Hospital,Tadong, Gangtok, Sikkim 737102Last Date for receipt of completed 7th April 2004Application FormDate of JEE Written Test 18th April 2004 [2:30-5:30pm]Centralized Counselling for allotment of Inst. 7th June to 16th June 2004Commencement of academic session 19th July 2004

for details access www.nchmct.org or contact Institute of HotelManagement, Tadong, Gangtok, Sikkim. Ph: 270735, 270557

GANGTOK, 16 March: TheCongress [I] will hold its firstpublic meeting, since the an-nouncement of the polls, at Kabi-Tingda on 17 March. The cam-paign trail will probably heat upafter that, but as an appetisercomes the acerbic tongue of theformer chief minister and SikkimPradesh Congress Committeepresident, Nar BahadurBhandari.

Speaking at a press conferencehere today at the Congress Bhavan,Mr. Bhandari lashed out against theruling Sikkim Democratic Frontand protested against, what he seesas the “deteriorating” law and or-der situation.

Contending that with the impo-sition of Section 144 in South andWest Sikkim, half of Sikkim wasalready under this rule, he addedthat this could in turn be seen asreflective of the prevalence of vio-lence in the State. Pointing out thatif the government was “serious”about normalising the situation, itshould start making “preventivearrest” of “known criminals” in thestate. He has also suggested theimplementation of President’s rulein Sikkim in lieu of the “deterio-rating” ground situation. Mr.

a NOW REPORT

Contd on pg 5NOT AN EASY MAN TO PLEASE: Mr.

Bhandari at a press conference on 16 March

DARJEELING, 16 March: Silence was finally broken today with ARDewan, DGHC Empowered Councillor in-charge of Primary Educationwaiving off allegations of irregularities concerning mid-day meals, non-receipt of free uniforms and text books in primary school as a mere “po-litically motivated negative propaganda.”

“All the allegations were made from a political platform and we havenot received any specific complaints as yet,” said Dewan.

Incidentally the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League [ABGL] and also thePeoples Democratic Front [PDF] have embarked on a massive campaignagainst what they call the DGHC’s inaction to provide facilities that pri-mary students in the Hills are entitled to.

Posters have come up all over the Darjeeling Hills on these lines.Dewan stated that it was the job of headmasters of schools to ensure

that the students were being provided with the mid-day meals.“Since there is no provision for appointing a cook, the rice is being

distributed. And, because we have been getting the utilization certificateswe assume that things are in order,” he stated.

Incidentally ABGL had alleged that there were certain headmastersinvolved in this racket and that there were also cases of headmasters sign-ing blank vouchers.

Dewan added that during various functions in schools and also during

DGHC COUNCILLOR DISMISSESALLEGATIONS OF DISCREPANCIES

IN PRIMARY EDUCATION

“POLITICAL

AMITAVA BANERJEE

turn to pg 7

DARJEELING TEA WARMS UPTO HAZARD ANALYSIS

DETAILS ON pg 4

2; NOW!; 17 March, 2004

C M Y K

NOW!FIRST WITH THE NEWS

ED-SPACE

Artist, filmmaker, keenphotographer, columnist with

international magazines...It’s hard to pin Twang Yang

down. Born to a Chinese fatherand Tibetan mother,

he grew up in Kalimpong andworked in Sikkim.

NOW! serializes Twan Yang’sautobiography, Houseboy in India...

Tough To Stay ApoliticalPolitics has this nasty habit of infiltrating everything. When evenarguments in a family dispute get branded as “playing politics,”it is little wonder that self-professed Apolitical organisations getlured by the prospect of getting their hands dirty in some politi-cal play. Although not official yet, the upcoming polls in Sikkimwill see the political side of two apolitical outfits - GAC andSIBLAC. Before they can protest, here is a clarification - the twoorganisations might not field candidates under their banners,but their respective leaders will, in all probability, stake claim toan Assembly berth. Since politics in Sikkim remains so inter-twined with the leaders, the inference that the organisations them-selves are getting involved would not be wholly incorrect. Whatremains to be seen is which colours the two leaders wear on thecampaign trail. That should reveal the hand that was being con-cealed all the while.Neither leader can be actually faulted for aspiring for a ticketsince both were essentially politicians much ahead of becomingthe public faces of apolitical organisations at the opposite endsof a public debate. After all, it is a politician’s Karma to contestelections and try and stay in power. There can be no part-timeplayers in this field and Sikkim voters are quite unforgiving -they don’t suffer comeback bids too graciously. The two leadershave obviously decided to seize the day since they both haveemotive issues at hand and it is not often that leaders are solucky. What hankers though is that their bid to electioneeringwas on the shoulders of what both consistently maintained wereapolitical groups. Given the public perception of political partiesin sheer blacks and whites, the easiest way to make inroadsinto their confidence is through an apolitical organisation, whichwith its rhetoric of social issues and justice lowers the people’sdefences and strikes a bond. GAC and SIBLAC have both de-ployed a similar strategy to familiarise the people with their ide-ology and are now looking to capitalise on it. While one canappreciate the brilliant subtlety of the move, one wonders whetherit was entirely ethical.

TINDERBOX RHENOCK

Through the column of yournewspaper I would like to draw

the kind attention of governmentauthority and Panchayats towardsthe negligence in the safeguard ofRhenock Bazaar.

In the month of November 2003,a complaint letter was sent to SP Eastregarding the illegal sale of petroleumproducts [LPG and petrol] in themain market care-lessly but there wasno response fromhim. Nothing has been done tillnow to check this illegal activ-ity. Rhenock bazaar is notequipped with any infrastructure tofight fires and people do not have anyfaith in the fire department, which ismiles away from our bazaar, but stillgovernment is doing nothing to checkthis activity which is posing a greatdanger to our bazaar.Tashi Choden for the People

DEVELOPMENT AREA

ROADS

We hereby draw attention towards the construction of

sewerage system at the Develop-ment Area approach road toTNHSSS. The construction wasstarted in September 2003 and isstill going on and the residents ofthe area are suffering immenselydue to non-completion of work.Even crossing the road leaves onefilthy. The construction work is

-6-

Another three hundred yards, brought us to thehouse, made of bamboo and matting, with athatched roof. It was not so

very small, for it contained threerooms. The biggest was the livingroom, and then there was a kitchenand a bedroom for Rai Baje and hiswife. Outside there were some outhousesand a stable. We three boys went outside.First they showed me the stable, in whichthere were two cows and three calves anda bullock. Near the door a goat was tied toa post and a few kids were running aboutfree in the compound. There were hens run-ning around and also many ducks walkingin a funny way. Near the door a dog laysleeping. Then, after seeing all the ani-mals, the boys took me to see the fruittrees and the vegetables. There were alsomany pumpkins and melons growingagainst the walls and on the roof so that itlooked like a house on a feast day decoratedwith Chinese lanterns. I was much interestedin seeing all these things, but now thedusk had deepened and Rai Baje’s sis-ter-in-law came to the door and calledout to us: “Boys, you had better comeinside now, the food is ready.”

I did not need to hear this twice:For I was tired and hungry and afterall this exercise. We three boyswashed our hands and feet and seatedourselves in a circle. First of all wegot rice and curry without any meat,for this Nepali caste does not eat any other meat thangoat flesh, and that too only once a year. But fish isallowed. Then we got a kind of bread made of Indian

corn, in very thick slices.In the curry there were all kinds of spices, and very

soon my stomach ceased crying that it was empty butwas singing: “I am full and content.”Then, after we had finished our foodand our water, we got a cup of teawithout milk and with some salt in-stead of sugar.

The custom of this family was thatall men ate first even if they were smallboys. Only then did, the women take

their food. After we had finished we stillsat a short time talking. After this RaiBaje’s wife put sheets on the floor for us

boys to sleep on. I do not remember that Idreamt anything that night, but I am sure that

I must have been very happy in my sleep.I awoke very early in the morning. Aftermorning tea was finished, Rai Baje said,“Now, son, it is time to go.” He had a

big bamboo tube, filled with milk, which hehad to sell in Kalimpong.

I got up with a little sadness in my heart, for Iknew that I had to go back to my un-kind mother and all the troubles athome, but there was no help for it,and I was a very young boy, and hadslept very nicely, and eaten very well,and seen many new things, and re-ceived much kindness, I did not thinktoo much of the troubles at the end ofthe road. I thanked Rai Baje’s wifeand said good-bye to the others, andoff I went.

I look back many times to thathappy house. Perhaps Rai Baje’s family were poor inmoney, but they were rich in kindness.

to be continued

A Break From the Drudgery

being done carelessly and thereappears to be no urgency in thespeed with which it is being car-ried out. Concerned higher-upshave not visited the site even once.

This road is situated in an ur-ban area near Gangtok town andbeing a busy throughfare, now thatschools have reopened, it is ag-grieving everyone.

Moreover, the residents of thearea feel neglected bythe PHE department.Their negligence iscausing immenseproblems to the resi-dents of the locality.

The matter has not been taken by thedepartment seriously, the matter is notmistake by the Government but bythe department.A concerned resident

PARKING WOES AT SYARI

We the residents of Syari 1stClass Government Quarters

are facing great difficulties in park-ing vehicles in the compound atnight. In case of any emergency atnight it is impossible to take out thevehicles due to heavy parking in thecompound. Besides, there is no po-lice patrolling in the area. Pleasepublish this in your next issue forthe information of Sikkim Policefor taking immediate action.SN Lepcha & others, On behalfof Syari 1-Class GovernmentQuarters

Democracy does not only allow a person theliberty of holding an opinion, but also express-ing it publicly. If you feel strongly about some-thing that has been reported in NOW! or havean opinion on some recent development,then share it with a wider audience. Whilethe LETTERS section will carry responsesto articles and news carried in NOW!, AC-

ACTIONMAIL

TION MAIL is about complaints and griev-ances. Wherever possible, NOW! shall alsosearch out a response to the Action Mail. Ifnot, then at least a complaint would have beenfiled in the public domain.

write to: NOW!, Gairi Gaong, Tadong,East Sikkim.

or email: sikkimnow@rediffmail.com

NOW! BIASED

In response to the Article in yourdaily date 15/03/04 about me, I

beg to differ in the validity of thecontents of the article in its totality.

Whereas I wish to draw yourattention to the fact that the con-stituency level politics that youhave opined about in your articlecan’t be determined from the com-forts of your Revolving Chairs, Edi-tor’s Desk and Laptops. Such anarticle therefore clearly portraysyour biased thoughts, immaturemind and your ill intentions. Whilein the same article you’ve also men-tioned about my seemingly adven-ture seeking visit to Soreng. In myview no person with a sane mindwill ever dare or for that matterbelieve (Quote) “When he singlehandedly tried to take on theCongress.”(Unquote) From yourreport of the incident I also under-stand that the Congress on the dayof the incident had 50 vehiclesfilled with youth. Your narration ofthe story stands in close proximityto a thriller from Bollywood or aJames Bond series.

While I appreciate your visiblyAggressive Journalism and the De-signer Story, seeking a quick mar-ket accessibility in mind, at a timewhen the public has gone MediaSavvy. I wish to seek your atten-tion to the fact that you have doneso at the expense of my personalintegrity and above all the PoliticalEthics of my Party, which believesin allowing level playing field to allpolitical parties or for that matterany politician. Hence I demand thepublication of this letter in full andan unconditional apology from you,in your forthcoming issue.Bhoj Raj Rai, Jorethang

WHY MANIPAL

Although not from Sikkim, Ihave been following the re-

ports carried in your daily about theproblems at Manipal hospital inGangtok. I had also read in somenational dailies about the problemsat the Sikkim Manipal Institute ofTechnology in the recent past.

�LETTERSBoth the developments appear to berelated with the management. I alsoknow Manipal is a reputed chainof educational institutes with col-leges even in Nepal and South EastAsia. They cannot run such a largeenterprise with a weak managementso one can understand when they arestrict. But at the same time, the stu-dents and the nurses cannot be allwrong either. Is what is happening inSikkim unique to Manipal institutesin Sikkim or is this management-em-ployee-student squabble seen in allManipal institutes? The answer shouldbe interesting to find out.R. Chettri, Darjeeling[recvd. on email]

CONGRATS

I have been an avid reader ofNOW! since it was launched as

a weekly. When the first daily hitthe stands, I was disappointed. Itappeared too thin. Although I stillmiss the bulk of the weekly, I amalso enjoying the daily dose ofnews and realise that a lot does hap-pen in our State.Tashi, Gangtok

17 March, 2004; NOW! 3

C M Y K

� NEWSSCAN

A LIFESTYLE STORE

Hotel Central31A NH Wayph: 222553, 222573, 222105

The latest offerings

from Internal

Affairs -

Exclusive Wall

Frames, Flowers

and Decorative

Items come with a

wide variety that

lends an exquisite

expression and a

sense of

magnificence to

Stylish Homes.

N O T I C E

All vehicle owners are

requested to register their

vehicles in the office of the

Registering Authority, Motor

Vehicles Division, Transport

Department, within 7 days of

the date of purchase.

Plying of vehicles with the TC

mark, beyond the stipulated

time is an offence under the

Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 and

Central Motor Vehicle Rules,

1989.Sd/-Secretary to the Government of SikkimTransport Department

ANOTHER DRUG HAULAT JORETHANG

JORETHANG, 16 March: Justfive days after police seized 1,400tablets of Spasmo-Proxyvon and110 bottles of Phensedyl from a“juice shop” here, they caught awoman bringing in 570 capsules ofSpasmo-Proxyvon on a Siliguri-Jorethang bus yesterday, 15 March.

Acting on a telephonic tip-off,P.I. Chundi Chopel of JorethangThana stopped the Jorethang-bound bus, a little short of the townon the Melli-Jorethang highway, ataround 4.30 in the afternoon. The570 capsules of SP were found in abag carried by one Noorja Khatoon,a 27 year old woman and a motherof five who lives in Jorethang.Noorja later claimed that she hadbeen using the medicine for herchronic “back-pain” problem. Thecops are however not buying thiscontention.

P.I. Chopel was also responsi-ble for the surprise raid on the shopof one Uttam Gupta at Jorethangon 10 March, earlier this month.1,400 capsules of SP and 110 bot-tles of Phensedyl were discoveredunder his bed in his residence onthe first floor of the building wherehe also runs a juice shop.

Although the problem of drugaddiction permeates every part ofthe state, Jorethang seems to suffer

more. Since most of thedrugs are brought fromacross the border fromSiliguri, Jorethang,with its large floatingpopulation being a bordertown has proven specially suscep-tible to this problem.

In fact, just a few months ago,a huge anti-drug abuse rally washeld in the area. Hundreds of stu-dents, educators and locals had par-ticipated in the rally, which also sawsome peddlers promising not to sellthese drugs to the youth any more.

Apart from the medical and so-cial repercussions of drug abuse,the main problem seems to be theeasy availability of these drugs.Although users and pushers rou-tinely get arrested, they are out onthe streets after barely a night in thelock-up.

Spasmo-Proxyvon, a painkillerand Phensedyl, a cough mixture,are prescription drugs and are soldopenly. Although marked as Sched-ule-H drugs which bars their saleexcept on a doctor’s prescription,they do not come under the purviewof the Narcotics Drug and Psycho-tropic Substances [NDPS] Act likeanother prescription drug of abuse,Nitrosun-10. What this means isthat any person arrested for posses-sion of SP or Phensedyl, even inhuge quantities which automati-cally suggest that he/ she is dealingin it, will have to be set free after aday. This oversight of law is whatthe peddlers have been exploitingfor long.

“Unless possession of thesedrugs are put under NDPS, there isnot much we can do,” says SP West,MS Tuli.

Take the case of Uttam Guptawho was arrested in the last drug-bust at Jorethang just the other daywith such a huge cache of SpasmoProxyvon and Phensedyl. He isnow out on bail and the only in-convenience he suffers at presentis having to report to the Thana eve-ryday.

It is perhaps time that the ad-ministration enacts a special law forthe state, which makes such crimi-nal activities unbailable. Too manylives have already been lost. It istime for urgent action now.

MOTHER OF 5 CAUGHT WITH570 TABLETS OF SPASMO

a NOW REPORT

NOW! can be contacted at 953592 270949 or emailed at sikkimnow@ rediffmail.com

4; NOW!; 17 March, 2004

C M Y K

POWERPLAY �

MOBILE!MOBILE!!MOBILE!!!Easy Instalment Scheme for Salaried individuals

Mobile Phone at Reasonable Prices

No parking problems even after 5 PM

Motorola A760 - Rs. 19,200 [video recording. camera. mp3]

Samsung C100 - Rs. 7,300

Motorola E365 - Rs. 11,250 [camera]

Nokia 2100 - Rs. 5,000

Motorola C200 - Rs. 3,150

Nokia 1100 - Rs. 4,900

Samsung N500 - Rs. 4,800

�

�

�

contact: 201006

TENZING ENTERPRISES Shopping Complex,

Room No. 41, Development Area, Gangtok

NamchibusinesscommunitybacksChamlinga NOW REPORT

NAMCHI, 15 March: A meetingof the business community ofNamchi was held here on Monday15 March. The chief guest at themeeting was Bachan Prasad, a lo-cal businessman. More than 100members of the local business com-munity attended the meeting inwhich it was decided to extend to-tal support to the Sikkim Demo-cratic Front and specifically to theChief Minister Pawan Chamlingwho is also the area MLA.

Speaking at the meeting,Passang Sherpa, Chairman, TemiTea Board said, “We will ensurethat the Chief Minister wins uncon-tested from here this time.”

It was also requested that activemembership card of the SDF partybe given to all the members. All thespeakers emphasized on the devel-opment of Namchi and said that thepeople of Namchi “will never for-get the rapid development that hastaken place here because of theChief Minister.”

GANGTOK, 17 March: “Con-cerned Lepchas,” in a meeting heldhere on 16 March decided that theproper pursuance of “various issuesrelated to the Lepchas of the State,’required a new organisation. Thosepresent for the meeting then de-cided to form the “Mayel AahitMutanchi Tarzum,” [Sikkim Origi-nal Lepcha Association].

The convenor of this new As-sociation, Pemdup Lepcha, in apress release issued here today, ex-plained that the new Association“will work for the proper and totalfulfilment of the Lepcha demands,

especially the reservation of sixseats solely for Lepchas in the StateAssembly and protection of the ex-isting seats reserved for the BLs,without which the primary demandwill be meaningless.”

The release also maintains thatthe new Association will be “totallynon-profit, non-political and non-partisan” and will work towards“attainment of communal harmonyand spread the message of good-will amongst all communities in theState and the country.”

The primary aims and objec-tives of the Association also recordsits commitment to securing “ad-equate” reservation for Lepchayouth in matters of employment

and educational opportunities. Itwill also be pressing for Most Back-ward Tribe status for the Lepchasand has pledged to ensure that theorganisation will be “managed bya collective membership ofIndigeneous Lepchas of Sikkim andnot misused for personal gains.

In its struggle to get its demandsmet, the Association, the releaseinforms, will also be seeking sup-port, guidance and advice fromwell-wishers from other communi-ties to ensure that the “main de-mands of the Aborigines of theState are timely fulfilled.”

The Monday meeting also sawthe constitution of an eight-mem-ber ad-hoc executive committee.

Association of “original” Lepchas formeda NOW REPORT

NOW! can be contactedat 953592 270949

or emailed atsikkimnow@rediffmail.com

DARJEELING, 16 March: Thecease-work and relay hunger strikeby the employees of the BSNL,Darjeeling will be lifted from to-morrow. Incidentally the cease-work has been going on since 8March in demand for the postingof an Accounts Officer with “draw-ing and disbursing” powers inDarjeeling - a post that has been ly-ing vacant for the past one and ahalf years.

The decision to call off the pro-test was taken today after a meet-ing between the General Manager[Telecom], Siliguri, A Banerjee,Deputy General Manager, S. Saha,Deputy General Manager [Fi-nance], S Prasad and members ofthe National Federation of TelecomEmployees [NFTE] from both the

district and the Darjeeling unit.Although the cease-work has

been called off, the demands are notyet fulfiled. The employees had to re-main contended with assurances ofthe posting of a Senior Accounts Of-ficer with cash handling powers andpower to settle bill discrepancies.

“The Accounts Officer will bearriving from Kolkata on Friday. Ifhis arrival is delayed due to any rea-son there will be a posting of a tem-porary officer with similar powers,till the permanent officer joins,” in-formed Thilen Lama, Secretary,NFTE, Darjeeling Chapter.

He however added that the agi-tation was not being “called off,”it was just being “withdrawn for thetime being.”

“We will continue with the de-mand for the drawing and disburs-ing powers for the AO in the nearfuture,” he added.

a NOW REPORT

from OUR CORESPONDENT

DARJEELING, 16 March: Withthe Indian consumers becomingmore and more conscious, strictquality control has emerged asthe “in” thing, specially in thefood sector.

One of the most sought afterinternational certifications, whichnot only ensures quality for the con-sumer, but also ensures a premiumprice for the seller, is the HazardAnalysis and Critical Control Point[HACCP] certification. Today, anawareness workshop regarding thiscertification for Tea was held at theDarjeeling Planters Association[DPA], organized jointly by theDPA, Tea Board, India, and Con-federation of Indian Industry [CII].

The workshop mainly addressedthe need for such a certification and

the way to go about obtaining thecertification. Incidentally CII pro-vides the logistic and consultationfor the HACCP in India.

Dr. Indrani Ghosh of the CII,present as one of the resource-per-sons, broadly touched on the salientpoints of the programme, including“minimal residual limit” an impor-tant prerequisite which was to becarefully monitored and ensured.The minimal residual limit being theamount of chemicals found in tea,the specifications of which varyingfrom country to country.

“For this, the grower has tohave updated knowledge of thelaws and norms of a buyer coun-try,” she added.

PK Sen, Senior Advisor of CIIstated that 70 to 80 per cent pre-requisites of the certification werealready being “unknowingly fol-lowed.”

“The prerequisites earmark thecritical areas of the manufacture,transportation and even storage,thus involving the growers, blend-ers, transporters and the warehouseto ensure that quality, health andhygiene is retained throughout thechain,” he added.

Among the Darjeeling tea gar-dens, the Goodricke, Jayshree,Bagaria and Tea Promoters Ltd.have already acquired the certifi-cation.

The certification process takesaround 12 to 18 months to com-plete, in which the CII provides theknow-how and logisitics. The costof the process along with consulta-tion is roughly Rs. 2 lakhs but theTea Board is providing a subsidyof Rs. 75,000 to all certified gar-dens. This offer, is on till 2006.

“With buyers stressing on thecertification, very soon it will be-

come a statutory requirement,”prophesied Sen.

Already, countries like Aus-tralia and New Zealand have madeit mandatory and Sri Lanka is fol-lowing suit. In India, this certifica-tion is offered by a number of or-ganizations including the Bureau ofIndian Standards and Det NorskeVeriatas.

Similar workshops have alreadybeen held in Kolkata, Dibrugarh,Jorehat, Tezpur and Binaguri.

“Tomorrow, we will be visitingAmbiok Tea Estate since they areinterested in getting certified,” saidSen. The certification is stringentlymonitored with an audit every sixmonths to ensure that the specifi-cations are met. Any negative prac-tice after the certification can resultin the cancellation of the same. In-cidentally the Indian Railways hasalready been certified.

DARJEELING TEA WARMS UPTO HAZARD ANALYSIS

CEASE-WORK ENDSON ASSURANCEDuty first, demands

afterwardsGANGTOK, 16 March: Therewas a meeting at Central ReferralHospital between the managementand the staff today. The only issueon the agenda was the squabble thaterupted between the nurses and the

a NOW REPORT

management over the suspension offour nurses for alleged “negli-gence” in the case of Pinki Singh.Incidentally, Pinki’s right leg mys-teriously “burnt” when she hadbeen admitted into the CRH forTubectomy.

Speaking to NOW!, the nursessaid that though the managementhad revoked the suspension order,not all their grievances have beenaddressed yet.

The Dean, RP Singh, told thiscorrespondent that he could notcomment on the management’s re-

MANIPALUPDATE

turn to pg 7

17 March, 2004; NOW! 5

C M Y K

� NEWSSCAN

First Time in Sikkim!AMAZING! UNFORGETTABLE! UNBELIEVABLE!

Bring Rs. 64,650/-* Margin Money only

AUTHORISED MAHINDRA DEALER

6th MILE, TADONG, GANGTOK. Ph: 270601, 270602

Lhendup - 9434137192, Ravi - 9434203528, Vikash - 9434126860, Ajay - 9832079060SIKKIM MOTORS

and rest on easy instalment with

RUSH TO:* Conditions apply

* Finance at the sole discretion of MMFSL only

Mahindra

XXFestaraFestaraFestaraFestaraFestara

Ma 2WD

Plus First EMI + Insurance + Service Charge & Take Away

FREE! GIFT HAMPER OF...*20” COLOUR TV + 165 LTR. FRIDGE

+ VCD PLAYER + SEAT COVER + WHEEL COVER+ FOG LIGHTS + STEERING COVER + WRIST WATCH

HURRY! OFFER VALID FROM 20TH TO 31ST MARCH ONLY!

Bhandari is obviously not verypleased with the administration.

It might be mentioned here thatalthough Section 144 was imposedin west district following the clashbetween Congress and SDF sup-porters at Tharpu on 6 March, theDC South has since clarified thatthe Section has not been imposedin South Sikkim as yet. In fact, sen-ior police officials of the districtshave stated that the “situation inSouth Sikkim does not demandimposition of the Act as yet.”

Mr. Bhandari, however willhear none of it and shrugs the clari-fication with, “But everyone insouth thought that Section 144 hadbeen imposed.”

He continues: “This also indi-cates that the pre-poll situation inthe state is not peaceful.”,

Mr. Bhandari has now de-manded that the central governmentdeploy paramilitary forces immedi-ately to Sikkim to maintain peace.“This is the only guarantee for freeand fair elections here,” he feels.

Continuing with his barbs at theruling Front, Mr. Bhandari alleged

that Congress supporters in westand south Sikkim were being tar-geted in the cover of darkness al-most every night.

Getting into the specifics of hisallegations against ruling party lead-ers, Mr. Bhandari alleged that manyministers and chairpersons of the rul-ing party had still not surrenderedtheir official vehicles in open viola-tion of the Election code of conduct.

Allegations of violating themodel code of conduct continued atthe Press conference as Mr.Bhandari accused the chief minis-ter Pawan Chamling of using gov-ernment funds for the publication ofa Nepali compilation of his speechestitled, “Mero Sapna Ko Sikkim.” AnEnglish daily published fromSiliguri had earlier carried a reporton how the IPR department was dis-tributing this book and suggestedthat this was in violation of the codeof conduct. Mr. Bhandari repeatedthe allegations today.

Reacting to the allegation, of-ficials at the Information & PublicRelations Department pointed outthat the book was not published bythem in the first place.

“It is published by a Tadong-

based publisher, Print-Trade. Wehold the copyright because we hadprinted the original in English inOctober 2002. IPR has signed anagreement with Print-Trade whereinit has allowed them to translate thebook and publish it at their own ex-pense. IPR did purchase 3,000 cop-ies from them in August 2003 andfinished distributing them amongpanchayats and other governmentrepresentatives within a month. Asfor how these books are still in cir-culation, that only the publishers cantell, it is their book. As far as IPR isconcerned, we printed the Englishversion and bought copies of theNepali translation almost a yearahead of the imposition of the codeof conduct,” explained a senior IPRofficial.

Mr. Bhandari is however con-vinced that there is foul-play afootand suggested that the ElectionCommission should not alwayswait for written complaints andshould also take suo moto actionsometimes.

To a query as to what was sto-len when the SPCC party office wasbroken into a couple of weeks ago,Mr. Bhandari said that he believes

the burglary attempt was promptedwith the intention to steal the par-ty’s list of candidates and draftmanifesto. Both documents werehowever in Mr. Bhandari’s posses-sion and not in the office.

On the report that no Congressleader showed up at the Jorethangall-party meeting called by the southdistrict administration a couple ofdays back, Mr. Bhandari said that theparty had received invitation inform-

Contd from pg 1

The campaign will come, fornow here’s the diatribe

ing them about the meeting.At the end of the day, Mr.

Bhandari did not really say any-thing new at the press conference.Perhaps even he was warming uphis arguments against the rulingparty in preparation for the publicmeeting scheduled for Kabi-Tingdathe next day which should lead to awhole road-show soon enough nowthat elections are less than twomonths away.

6; NOW!; 17 March, 2004

C M Y K

NEWSSCAN �

Bhim Bhadur Biswakarma, alias Tashi has been missing

from 3 March, from Upper Tatangchen Area. Tashi,

who originally hails from Rhenock, is 12 years old

and had been residing with Tsewang Chupay

Bhutia who is a friend of his father.

On the morning of 3 March he had gone to

drop Tsewang’s son to school but he did not

return.

He was last seen wearing blue jeans, black turtle

neck and blue shoes. Any one who has seen this

boy or has any information regarding his

whereabouts may please contact NOW! At 270949.

LOST

Kutse SheguThe 49th Day Shegu of Late Chum DorjeeWangmo Barfongpa (Dorjee Guruma tothose connected with Paljor Namgyal GirlsSchool) who passed away on 4th Febru-ary 2004 falls on 23rd March 2004. We thefamily members take the opportunity to ex-press through this columnour sincere grati-tude to all the relatives, friends and well-wishers each of who in his or her own wayhelped and stood by us during our be-reavement. We beg forgiveness for notbeing able to thank each of them individu-ally. All are requested to attend the Shegu and join us in offeringprayers for the departed soul at Gyatseling, Khenzong HouseCompund, Kazi Road, Gangtok.

Rosiela [Daughter], Tej Gurung [Son-in-Law] and familyPhones: 222816/ 280878

GANGTOK, 16 March: A day-longworkshop on the Socio-EconomicEmpowerment of Women in Sikkimwas held here today at the Confer-ence Hall, Police Headquarters.

The workshop, organized bythe Department of Social Welfareand local NGO SPACE, in collabo-ration with the National Commis-sion for Women, came as a follow-up programme to the one held on 5March where recommendationsfrom the State were short-listed forthe formulation of the NationalPolicy for Women.

GD Rai, Chairperson, SocialWelfare Department AdvisoryBoard officiated as the chief guestfor the day while Manita Pradhan,

chairperson, Sikkim State Commis-sion for Women was the Guest ofHonour. Also present on the daiswere Rinzing Ongmu, member,Sikkim Women’s Council and Dr.Henmit Lepcha, President, Volun-tary Health Association of Sikkim.

Addressing the gathering, Mrs.Rai said that the issue of women’sempowerment was now consideredvery important but it was necessaryto reach the welfare schemes towomen at the grassroots level tomake it successful.

Ms. Pradhan spoke on the objec-tives of the State Commission forWomen and said that the need wasto start a serious dialogue on how tomake women self-sufficient and in-dependent. Saying that such work-shops must be held in all the four dis-tricts, she said that women’s aware-

ness levels have gone up and the stategovernment was also doing a lot toimprove the lot of women here.

Introducing the day’s pro-gramme, Namrata Thapa, DeputySecretary, Social Welfare Depart-ment, said that the workshop wasdirected at the poorest of the poorand on ways to make them under-stand the benefit of variousschemes that are available forwomen. Saying that participationwas needed from men for the eco-nomic upliftment of women, shesaid, “The development of a stateor country is also dependant on theempowerment of women.”

She also detailed local and cen-tral schemes that are available for thebenefit of women in the department.

The afternoon session sawgroup-wise presentation of per-

spectives and views, followed bycritiques and comments from theaudience and participants.

The meeting was the second

a NOW REPORT

consultative meeting for the formu-lation of the State Policy for Women.NOW! will detail these recommen-dation in the following issues.

Followup workshop on socioeconomic empowerment of women held

W A N T E D

Computer Engi-neer, SoftwareProgrammerKnowledge in VisualBasic and Oracle amust. Please send indetail resume withpassport size photo-graphs and quote ex-pected salary toNOW!, Gairi Gaon,Tadong, East Sikkim.Tharo Line,Lal Market Road.

Ph: 221004, Mobile: 9832062684

SALES & SERVICES

amolaRC E L L U L A RC E L L U L A R

MOBILE PHONES

ATTENTIONJOURNALISTSThe Election Commission ofIndia will be issuing AuthorityLetters to the Media Personsfor the elections to the StateLegislative Assembly and LokSabha. The media personsbased in Sikkim are requestedto apply for the Authority Let-ter [AL] with the Department ofInformation and Public Relations[DIPR], Government of Sikkim sothat the same may be forwardedto the Chief Electoral Officer,Gangtok for the issue of thesame.

While applying for AL, fullpostal address, two passportsize photographs, whether Al isrequired for polling, counting orboth may be indicated clearly.

The request for AL shouldreach the DIPR latest by the 22ndof March 2004, which will be scru-tinized and forwarded to the Of-fice of Chief Electoral Officer.

ThanksWe are extremely grateful to our dear neighbours,nearest relatives, dear friends, well-wishers andsympathizers who joined us almost everyday dur-ing our bereavement followed by 13th day“Shudhain Karma” of late Srimati Sarda Chettri whopassed away on 28.02.2004.

We are further grateful to them for having ren-dered necessary services in whatsoever capacityindividually or collectively during the entire periodof 13 days.

We express our deepest gratitude to one andall for having joined us at our residence, Daragaon,Tadong, to pray for the peace of the departed soulon 13th Day Anthesti Kriya, on 11 March 2004.

DP Chettri (Husband), Bhupendra Chettri (Son),Durga Uprety (Daughter-in-law), Nitu Chettri (Daughter)

and Yash Shrestha (Son-in-law)

At the inauguration: Chairperson, Social Welfare Department AdvisoryBoard, Mrs. GD Rai [third from right] with the Sikkim State Commis-

sion for Women chairperson Manita Pradhan to her right

PAKYONG, 15 March: A quiz-cum-art competition was organizedby Nagbeli Pragati Sangh [NPS], alocal NGO here on 14 March, onthe eve of World Consumer RightsDay. The competition was an inter-house one for the students ofNamcheybong Secondary School.

The competition was hostedwith the idea to prepare the studentsto face the challenges that are instore for them in the 21st century andto encourage co-curricular activities.

The guest invitees were JiwanKumar Limboo, coordinator, NehruYuva Kendra, Gangtok, RatnaGurung, Public Analyst, Food Test-ing Laboratory, Health Department,and Kumar Rai, Field officer ofRastriya Gramin Vikash Nidhi.

Addressing the students, Mr.Limboo highlighted the role NehruYuva Kendra is initiating the devel-opment of human resources

through different youth pro-grammes based on mental andhealth exercises. He also threw lighton the importance of generalknowledge in preparing the stu-dents for different competitions inthe state and at the national level.

Mr. Gurung updated the stu-dents on the role played by the FoodTesting Laboratory in protectingand promoting the health of thegeneral public. He stressed on theneed to avoid consumption of arti-ficially coloured food and snacks,which fall in the list of adulteration.

Similarly, Mr. Rai, laid empha-sis on the role RGVN is playing inthe upliftment of rural Sikkim.

UC Chettri, president of NPS inhis speech requested the Departmentof Education to give more priority tothe development of general knowl-edge among students so that the levelof competition among the rural andthe urban youth becomes par.

LP Adhikari, Head Master,Namcheybong Secondary School,

gace a brief background on con-sumer rights and asked the studentsto be conscious of their rights andliberties. They were advised to ob-tain valid receipts after every pur-chase. He also spoke on the exist-ence of District ConsumerRedressal Forum under the Depart-ment of Food and Civil Suppliesand Consumer Affairs, Govern-ment of Sikkim, and the role it hasbeen playing in safeguarding con-sumer rights.

This was the first quiz-cum-artcompetition organized by an NGOat this school. The Sangh familyobserved that the students werebecoming more conscious andmore competitions of this kindwere needed to make them awareof the importance of general aware-ness in today’s world so that theycould compete with students fromthe rest of the country.

Grooming consumer awarenessat the school level

a NOW REPORT

17 March, 2004; NOW! 7

C M Y K

� NEWSSCAN

WINNER GETS FREEDINNER FOR TWO AT

Solve the crossword correctly. Rush it to Oberois (MG Marg) or NOW!, on or before Sunday and alucky draw of all correct entries will decide who wins FREE DINNER FOR TWO at LITTLE ITALY,DEORALI.Snacks coupons to be collected from NOW! office

italylittle

SNOD Complex, Deorali,Gangtok.Ph: 281980

LITTLECROSSWORD - 001

THE

PositivePSummer Collection

STYLEHotel Golden Pagoda

MG Marg, Gangtok

Across1. Act as a servant(5)3. Auctions (5)6. Traded (4)7. Coiffure (6)9. Strange and mys-terious (5)10. Speech defect (4)11. Falsehood (3)13. Cease (4)15. Pacific country(5)18. Weights (6)19. Charts (4)20. Foot-wear (5)

21. Unit of capacity (5)

Down1. Former county in SEEngland (6)2. Sovereign (5)3. Having no seams (8)4. Songbirds (5)5. Retail store (4)8. Powerless (8)12. Bother (6)14. Latin-Americandance (5)16. Intended (5)17. Canines (4)

NAMCHI, 16 March: IntegratedHealth Awareness Camp was heldhere today at the Jawaharlal NehruMemorial Institution for the Visu-ally Impaired.

Organized and funded by theSingithang Gram Panchayat Unit,in collaboration with Drishti, a lo-cal NGO, the camp focussed on‘Mother and Child Welfare’ issues.

The Chief Guest at the camp wasBM Rai, Upadhyaksya, South whospoke on the importance of goodhealth for both mother and child.The Guest of Honour was Headmas-ter, Lower Boomtar Primary School.

The welcome speech was deliv-ered by Raju Pakhrin, PanchayatMember. Also present were DDO andSDPO South and Panchayat membersof Singithang Gram Panchayat Unit.

The camp conducted free healthcheck-ups of the general public in-cluding 200 students from LowerBoomtar Primary School. Medicinewas also distributed free for allthose who needed them.

Bhaskar Rai, President, Dhristi,informed that camps would also beheld at other areas of the SingithangGram Panchayat.

school inspection, students wereroutinely asked whether they weregetting their mid-day meals and freeuniforms regularly or not.

On the non-receipt of text books,Dewan revealed that first primaryschool textbooks in Nepali wereprinted in Darjeeling in 2001.“Though the State Government hadapproved the printing of the textbooks, till date they have not given usthe assured Rs. 50 lakhs for the print-ing. Hence we have not been able togo in for the reprints,” he explained.

The councillor, however, assuredthat the DGHC would pressurize thePashim Banga Prathamik SikshaParishad, to ensure that text books weremade available to the students. The De-partmental Secretary, Primary Educa-tion, DGHC will be leaving for Kolkatatomorrow to pursue the matter, headded. Regarding the free school uni-forms, Dewan explained that the StateGovernment were providing skirts onlyfor girls belonging to the scheduledcaste and tribe category.

“That too it is distributed by theDistrict School Board which is againan autonomous body,” added Dewan.The Councillor then harped on theachievements of the department.

“In my five-year tenure, 23 pri-mary schools have been recognized.In addition we have 630 Sishu SikshaKendras now,” stated the councillor.Incidentally there are 774 primaryschools in the DGHC area, with morethan a lakh enrolled students. Underthe Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, resourcecenters have been opened in Sonada,Poolbazar, Mongpu and work is go-ing on to set up one in Mirik. In thenear future, such centers will also becoming up in Darjeeling, Kurseong,Runglee Rungliot and Algarah.

sponse on the grievances since thedemands were placed before theVice-Chacellor, not him. He didhowever confirm the revoking ofthe suspension orders.

The VC, in turn said: “The de-mands and grievances of the nursesshall be looked into, but first theyhave to rejoin work and dischargetheir services in a professional andsincere manner.” He also reiteratedthe fact that the CRH had done alot of good work for the local peo-ple and will continue to do so.

Contd from pg 4

Duty first, demandsafterwards

COUNCILLOR ...Contd from pg 1

a NOW REPORT

Integratedhealth

awarenesscamp atNamchiRANIPOOL, 16 March: The Shri

Kanchi Kamakoti Seva Samiti,Nandok, Ranipool has organized athree-day Puja to celebrate the firstanniversary of the Sri KanchiKamakoti Shiva Panchayatan Tem-ple and Meditation Centre here.The Puja began today and will con-tinue till 18 March.

The prayers began at 9 am thismorning and continued till 8 pmat night. This puja is open for eve-ryone.

The prayers to be conductedover the 3-days are the Paath ofRudri Paath, Sri Subbhatha Paath,Sapstshi Paath, Bishnu Paath,Shiva Shrashnam, GaneshSharasnsm, Devi Sharasnsm, SuryaSharasnsm and Hawan.

Jagadguru Sri Sri JayendraSaraswati Swamiji and Sri SriSankara Vijyendra Swamiji,Sankaracharyas of Shri KanchiKamakoti Peetam, Kanchipuram,from South India are here expresslyto conduct the Puja.

The Maha Kumba Ashishekan

SAGES FROM SOUTH TO CONDUCTPRAYERS AT RANIPOOL TEMPLE

initiation ceremony of the SriKanchi Kamakoti ShivaPanchayatan Temple and Medita-tion Centre was held here atNandok, Ranipool, East Sikkim lastyear on March 10.

The temple is the first of its kindin the entire northeastern region andis unique in the whole country withShiva and Vishnu being worshippedunder one roof, along with Ganesh,Shakti and Surya.

Pandit Bal Krishna Sharma,Head Priest, told NOW! that theprayers are being conducted for thepeace of mind of the people. Ac-

cording to him peace of the mindis the key for peace throughout theworld. He also added that this wasa good time for locals to take theblessings of the two sages fromSouth India.

The main objective of ShriKanchi Kamakoti Seva Samiti is tohelp the poor through the distribu-tion of food and clothes and alsoproviding shelter to the homeless.The Samiti also plans to openschools and hospitals for the poorin the State. The Samiti preachesSanatan Dharma and the protectionof the Hindu heritage.

a NOW REPORT

Congress leadersescape chopper

crashSILVASSA, 16 March: CongressPresident Sonia Gandhi’s politi-cal secretary Ahmed Patel andAICC general secretary in-charge of Gujarat affairs,Prithviraj Chavan, received mi-nor injuries when the helicopterthey were travelling in made anemergency landing at Khanvelvillage in the union territory ofDadra and Nagar Haveli at thesouthern tip of Gujarat this af-ternoon.

The white chopper, which wasfollowing Gandhi’s helicopter, hada bad landing and bounced off theground at least three times even asGandhi, who had landed 5 minutesearlier, was accepting greetingsfrom people. Such was the impactof the crash that its tail broke off.

Both leaders, accompanied byanother Congress leader Shailja,were approaching the venue of thefirst stop-over of Sonia Gandhi’selection campaign. The chopperforce landed at Khanvel, about 22kms from the main town ofSilvassa, at around 2.30 pm.

The chief of police of DNHMohammed Ali said “there is noth-ing serious, everyone is safe.”While Patel and Shailja got offfrom one side of the helicopter,Chavan fell flat on his face as hetried to disembark from a see-saw-ing helicopter.

a NOW REPORT

a Govt. of India enterprise

Office of the General Manager Telecom

Gangtok : Sikkim

Bharat SancharNigam Ltd.

NOTICE

All BSNL subscribers arehereby informed that all tel-ephone numbers in Gangtokbeginning 222, 223, 224 and225 are being changed in aphased manner to now begin20, ie is the second numberof these phones will hence-forth be “0.”

NO INDIAN LINK TOMADRID: GOVT

NEW DELHI, 16 March: India is playing down the arrest of two ofits citizens in Madrid on Sunday in connection with last week’s bomb-ings in Spain. Officials here stressed the duo - identified as VinayKohli and Suresh Kumar - were only being investigated for sale ofphone cards to the perpetrators and not the bombings themselves.“We are in touch with the interior ministry in Madrid and they havetold us the two are not suspected of being involved in the attacks,” anexternal affairs ministry official said. ‘‘The authorities hope they willprovide information that leads to the bombers’ arrest. We were toldthis is also the case with the three Moroccans arrested,” they added.

NOW! can be contacted at 953592 270949 oremailed at sikkimnow@ rediffmail.com

8; NOW!; 17 March, 2004

C M Y K

Published by Lt. Col. (retd) P. Dorjee and printed at Darpan Publications Pvt. Ltd, Siliguri. Editor: Pema Wangchuk. Executive Editor: Mita ZulcaNow! Near Ayurvedic Clinic, Gairi Gaon, Tadong. East Sikkim. ph: 03592 270949 email: sikkimnow@rediffmail.com

THEFINALONE �

today in

History ODDLYENOUGH

17th March

ADMISSION ANNOUNCEMENT

AIEE & AFMCFor 2004 Entrance Exam [Starting 1st April, 2004]BY A GROUP OF EXPERTS FROM SACHDEVA INST.

REGULAR COURSE FOR 2005 AIEE, PMT,

AIIMS, AFMC, CET, DCE ETC.

RIMC COACHING IS ALSO GOING ONContact: Mrs. Dey, Career’s Counselling Institute, Tibet

Road, Gangtok. ph: 226510, 94341-53355C.C.I. IS THE ONLY INST. TO CONDUCT ENTRANCE COACHING

NEW YORK: Prince was crownedas musical royalty on Monday ashe joined the late George Harrisonamong eight inductees into theRock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Also honored at the 19th annualinduction were Texas boogie-woogie blues group ZZ Top, singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, Eng-lish rock-jazz fusion band Traffic,rocker Bob Seger, R&B vocal groupThe Dells and Jann Wenner, co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine.

Prince kicked off the star-stud-ded festivities with a rousing per-formance of “Let’s Go Crazy,”“Sign ‘O’ The Times,” and “Kiss,”that brought the formally dressedaudience in the ballroom of theWaldorf-Astoria Hotel to its feet.

He was introduced by AliciaKeys and OutKast.

“There are many kings. KingHenry the 8th, King Solomon, KingTut, King James, King Kong,” saidGrammy Award-winner Keys. “Butthere is only one Prince.”

“When I first started out in thismusic industry, I was most con-cerned with freedom,” said Prince,whose 1984 “Purple Rain” sold 17million copies. “I wish you all thebest on this fascinating journey. It

Prince performs as he is inducted into the 19th Annual Rock & Roll Hall ofFame, 15 March, 2004 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Princewas among seven artists honored for their contribution to rock and roll.

THIEF INCARCERATED IN

USED CLOTHING BINBERLIN: A local trying to stealclothes donated to charity wascaught here by police after he fellinto the man-sized collection binand got trapped [see pic].

Arriving at the container, theofficers saw two arms. The lefthand held a cigarette and a voicedemanded, “Give me alight!”police said in a statement.

Police prevented the trapped43-year-old from smoking, calledthe fire brigade to free him and lethim go after charging him with at-tempted robbery.

PRINCE IS NOW OFFICIALLY A ROCK ROYALTY

ain’t over.”Harrison, who died of cancer in

2001 and was already enshrined asa member of the Beatles, becamethe third of the Fab Four to be in-ducted as a solo artist, followingJohn Lennon and Paul McCartney.

He was represented by Tom Pettyand Jeff Lynne, bandmates of his inthe Traveling Wilburys, a super-grouphe helped form late in his career alongwith Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison.

“He was a man who lived everyminute of his life,” said Petty. “Hehad a very keen sense of humor,sense of spirit. Years before LiveAid, he invented the idea of rockand roll giving back to the people.”

Harrison’s look-alike son,Dhani, joined Petty and Lynne forthe Wilburys song, “Handle WithCare,” and Harrison’s “While MyGuitar Gently Weeps,” in whichPrince joined in.

1968: Violent demonstrationsagainst the Vietnam Warerupt outside the Americanembassy in London. Over300 arrests were made and90 policemen injured.1963: Mount Agung on Balierupts, killing 1,184 people1992: White voters in refer-endum overwhelmingly sup-port reforms towards endingapartheid in South Africa.2003: President Bush deliv-ered an ultimatum to SaddamHussein to leave Iraq within48 hours or face attack

Tsewang At Sa-Ngor GumbaHis eminence Bod Tulku [Drikung Rinpoche] has kindly

consented to bestow Tsewang [Long Life Empower-

ment] to the general public devotees on the 20th of

March, 2004 [Saturday] at 11:30 AM at Rongyek Sa-

Ngor Gumpa. Alldharma friends and devotees are cor-

dially invited to receive the blessings of the Kawang

on the above day”

NOW! can be contactedat 953592 270949

or emailed atsikkimnow@rediffmail.com

Britney Spears has decided toredo a controversial suicide-

bid video clip that accompanies hernew single.

Spears came under attack bymedia watchdogs after it was re-vealed that the video for“Everytime” showed Spears in asuicide attempt in the bath.

A statement by Spears has beenreleased, which read: “Britney Spearswas uncomfortable with these treat-ments due to the potential for a fic-tional accidental occurrence to bemisinterpreted as a suicide.”

“Ms. Spears revised the treat-ment to ensure the video forEverytime will not have a scene init that could in any way be perceivedas a reference to a suicide. She doesnot endorse suicide as a solution toany individual and fully recognisesthat people who go to this length

Britney reworks video

need assistance and advice andshould contact their local suicideprevention organisation,” it added.

The pop princess reportedlytook three days off this week fromher Onyx Hotel Tour now criss-crossing the country to shoot thevideo. She’s expected to resume hertrek tonight in Denver.

Yash Chopra’slatest has an

Indo-Paktheme

One of the most anticipatedmovies of 2004 undoubtedly

is Yash Chopra’s next starringShahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta, RaniMukherjee and Manoj Bajpai.Apart from the multi starcast,which also includes AmitabhBachchan and Hema Malini inguest appearances, the USP of thefilm will be Yash Chopra, who re-turns to the direction front after ahiatus of more than six long yearssince his last film Dil To Pagal Hai.

And contrary to what therumor-mills have to say, YashChopra has not revealed the title ofhis film as yet though it’s shootingschedule is going on in full swing.

Chopra chooses the currentfavorite India-Pakistan theme as thebase of his movie. However thisone seems to be a genuine effort tocement the Indo-Pak relations fur-ther, which have been on an up-swing in the recent times. Themovie talks about the trauma ofpartition. In true Yashraj tradition,it’s an emotional love story.

Recently the opening sequenceof the film was shot at Asia’s biggestwetland, the convergence of Ravi andthe Beas, near the Ishar DhamNanaksar Gurdwara at Amritsar. YashChopra along with his nearly 100-member team, picturized the sceneon Shahrukh Khan and RaniMukherjee. The scene illustrated aPakistani girl who comes to Indiaafter the recommencement of theSamjhauta Express to immerse theashes of her forefathers. Preity playsthe Pakistani girl.

Of what little the director wasready to divulge on the project,Shahrukh rescues Preity from anaccident and subsequently be-friends and takes her around a tripto Punjab. But eventually, Preityhas to return with her fiancée,Manoj Bajpai, to Pakistan. Doesthat sound somewhat like DilwaleDulhaniya Le Jayenge?

a Govt. of India enterprise

Office of the General Manager Telecom

Gangtok : Sikkim

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.

NOTICE

All BSNL subscribers are hereby informed that alltelephone numbers in Gangtok beginning 222, 223,224 and 225 are being changed in a phased man-ner to now begin 20, ie is the second number ofthese phones will henceforth be “0.”