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The first exchange overNathula

TURN TO pg 12FOR DETAILS

Sangram’sconversionto Congress

comesthrough

TURN TO pg 5FOR DETAILS

An

artist’s

impression

of Dilip K. Roy,

the suspected ISI operative

arrested by Sikkim Police on 2

August, last saturday.

GANGTOK: Sikkim and the troops deployed here were luckythat Dilip Kr. Roy was nabbed the day he arrived in Sikkim. Atip-off led to the arrest of this Bangladeshi national who hasalready made 5 spying missions to India for the Pak secretservice, ISI. Seeking to ferret out information on troop de-ployment and movement, Roy could have proved more dan-gerous down the line had he managed to set up a network ofinformers in the region. A retired Bangladeshi soldier, Royspeaks fluent Hindi and his Hindu background helps him re-main unnoticed. His luck ran out in Gangtok on 2 August, lastSaturday.

2; NOW! 06-12 August, 2003

42

GANGTOK 06-12 AUGUST, 2003

ED-SPACE

NOW!SIKKIM MATTERS

One of the many things thatmakes the life of a highschool teacher an endless

litany of complaint is not the baddeal that he gets from the govern-ment or his downward slide in thesociety’s pecking order where therespectability quotient of his pro-fession has long since been over-shot by new careers such as thoseof the councillor and the commis-sioner, it is the decreasing atten-tion span of his pupils.

The remote wielding genera-tion of reluctant scholars knowprecisely what they would ratherdo with their time. And, it is thissure-shot cockiness that is makingclassrooms an ordeal both to theimparter of knowledge and the al-leged learner. In the past, when thepresent generation of teacherswere themselves students, therewas no escaping the classroom.After all, there was nowhere elsethat you could learn and there waslittle else that you could do withyour time. Now the situation is notso bleak. There is an informationoverload and the deck is stackedheavily against the orthodoxteacher, who, as the Time magazinesays, is about to be extinct anyway.

Learning online is one of themany options at the disposal of astudent. This not only has themerit of being eminently flexibleas far as the course selection isconcerned, but also allows one todo things at his own pace. Add tothat the glamour and novelty ofdoing things digitally and you be-gin to realise that it is only a mat-ter of time before we begin to wit-ness an exodus from the class-room to the cubicle.

But in the meantime, when allthat has not happened, we can af-ford to meditate on the state ofaffairs that are so irksome to thosepedantically inclined. The fore-most is the fact that the pupil to-day is so very disinclined towards

reading. Yes, the television hasrobbed most of our young onesof this simple pleasure and it doesso with that cynical satisfaction ofnot even letting them know aboutit. The telly today has morphedinto baby sitter, best friend andbastardised many a household. Inthe US, as a recent report sug-gests, the situation is worse. Thereare many who think that HomerSimpson head of a dysfunctionalfamily of animated idiots is themost famous American. Roll overMike Tyson there is just so muchthat a flesh and blood ‘baddest’man on earth can do that HomerSimpson can do even better.

Back to the bickering.The worst thing that TV does

is that it kills creativity. Let’s takethe example of Kusum. Now, ifaunty was reading Kusum insteadof watching it there is a constanteffort that she has to put in to im-agine things like the colour of herhair or the nature that the intriguetakes on from the previous page.And she can do all this notwith-standing the power cut, the cablewars and CAS. But the telly putspaid to all that and reduces auntyto a one-dimensional entity thatcan just soak in the soap.

In the classroom the hangoverof the remote is reflected in theeagerness of the pupils to switchchannels in the mind and virtuallyshut out the teacher. The otherproblem with the digital technol-ogy of today is that too much stockis put in the presentation of thingsrather than the content.

It was Oscar Wilde who oncesaid that style is more importantthan sincerity. This is coming truetoday, as the PageMaker, the CorelDraw, Avid and Maya have madeeven the worst content capable of

being cosmetically overhauled bya casual command or a click. Thenew technology does not createcontent, that has to come from anintelligence that is not artificial.And that still needs old-fashionedpre-digital attributes such as imagi-nation, clarity and vision. The re-sult of all this is that, today, whilethe very best make use of both theworlds and create a happy marriageof sorts, the lesser among us areleft with the crutches of an assortedcollection of software but little orno originality to provide that seedcrystal of creativity that these couldembellish. After all computers canaid in art but the fire has to bestoked by humans who at least insome of our classrooms are any-thing but inspired.

So where can we head fromhere? Is there any hope that ourpupils will get back to the book -that agency of enlightenment bothintellectual and spiritual?

While there does seem to besome winds of resurgence in read-ing with the larger storm being cre-ated by the Harry Porter series, thefundamentals still seem weak.Harry Porter after all is mere en-tertainment. Its appeal is that of thefantastic. Of course, later day crit-ics may dissect the tomes for what-ever they are worth and extract thelast drop of the polemic juice, butour lads read it because (a) there isso much hype about it (b) it’s fash-ionable (c) they do not read it, theyjust buy it, glance at the cover andgo to play pool. Or, they wouldrather wait till the movie is made.

So, till such time when the ne-cessity of reading is realized be-yond the plane of a past-time, wewill for a long time reap a harvestof scholars who will bear the bur-den of books on the back and notin the mind. In a recent movie TheMatrix the boundary between thereal reality [if there is such a

T.V. OR NOT T.V.PRAVEEN MOKTAN

V I EWPO INTMerger As An Item Number?

The “merger” that has been in the offing for so long has fi-nally materialised. Sikkim Sangram Parishad and its Presi-dent, Nar Bahadur Bhandari, are finally acceptable to theCong [I] high-command. With this development, Cong [I]makes it back to the State Assembly on the wings of an alli-ance. Mr. Bhandari gets the boost that he required urgentlyto infuse some vigour into his supporters in a buildup to hisfifth bid at power from the outside in the Assembly electionsslated for end-2004. Although the decision comes too closeto the Cong [I]’s Sikkim in-charge, Salman Khursheed’s visitto the State, the state unit has managed to salvage somepride. It had remained insistent that the merger could not begiven the nod until they were consulted. Mr. Khursheed washere, he consulted and made the announcement within daysof his return. All he extracted from his party-men in Sikkimwas an “unofficial” statement that they had no objections tothe merger. As for Mr. Bhandari, although he lost face in therun-up to the merger, he has still salvaged some pride in thefact that the merger did eventually happen. Both sides nowseem comfortable in each other’s company.

Now, to get down to the actual business of what the mergerhas in store for the Sikkimese people. The electorate hadrefused SSP the mandate to rule. It did, however, entrust itwith the responsibility to play the watchdog - the Opposition.Mr. Bhandari could not keep his flock together and was even-tually reduced to becoming the lone MLA not sitting on thetreasury bench. The Congress, which did not even win thetrust to play the watchdog will now play the role officially tillthe present Assembly lasts. Be that as it may, the new com-position of the Opposition will have to show a much betterface than it has done thus far. After all, apart from supportingwhat were seen as anti-ruling party organisations and theirdemands, what has the Opposition really done in Sikkim ex-cept scripting lengthy memorandums? The time when themerger negotiations were at their peak was also the timewhen Sikkim was going through its most trying phase. Twoself-professed “apolitical and non-communal” organisations- GAC and SIBLAC - had managed to cleave the Sikkimesesociety and Geyzing had developed as a flash-point. Thematter was eventually resolved, but kept the State on tenter-hooks for quite some time. Although fringe players had afield day issuing press releases, levelling allegations andcounter-allegations, the established institutions of the Op-position remained silent. Neither Cong [I], nor SSP madeany comments or observations on the development. Themonsoon Assembly session passed off without any ques-tions being posed by the Opposition bench. Either the Oppo-sition in the State was too occupied with the process of theiridentity switch, or did not consider the developments seriousenough. Both reasons are unjustified.

The SSP-Cong merger may have got the blessing of thebosses in Delhi; to win the endorsement of the people, how-ever, they will have to perform much better, be more diligent.Should they fail, the merger will play out like a Hindi movieitem-number - something that excites interest, is catchy andentertaining, but has no contribution to the grander narra-tive. The days when the Sikkimese people could be swayedby plain rhetoric are over. In the last elections they gave theruling party a clear majority and the Opposition enoughstrength [seven] to be a formidable voice. Their politicianslet them down. The SSP-Cong combine will have to do morethan just join forces if they want to be seen as contenders.Just weaning away leaders from the ruling front is no showof support or strength. At the end of the day, they need toconvince the Sikkimese people that they can be a good Op-position. Then, and only then, can they even suggest thatthey should be given a shot at power. Not only do theSikkimese deserve a good Opposition, but the two playersalso owe it to the people. It will be interesting to watch howthe merger plays out - like a promising twist to a grippingstory or an entertaining but inconsequential item-song...

What do HIV and AIDS standfor? HIV stands for Human Im-munization Syndrome. AIDS isAmmonia Deficiency some-thing…How do you get it? When youngpeople have a lot of sex.Is there a cure? There arevaccines, medicines to cure it.Drugs are tax-free.How do you prevent HIV/AIDS?Politicians should be tested forAIDS. Then they can ask peopleto abstain and we’ll be AIDS-free.

This is what emerged fromdelegates, mostly MPs,MLAs, and zilla parishad

presidents at the ParliamentaryForum on HIV/AIDS. Amongother enlightened views to emergefrom our honourable leaders –“it’s a disease that spreads throughpeople who mingle with ladies;

“A” FOR AIDS

it’s growing because our filmsshow 80 per cent nudity; you canget it by sharing food – but don’tworry, vaccines can cure it.” Ac-cording to one MLA, “HIV is notpopular, AIDS is popular” amongthe people of his state.

And these are the people whowill be spreading “awareness”about the disease countrywide?It’s not even amusing.

Political leaders have alwayshad lots to say about this sober-ing disease. The more knowledge-able ones alternate between a

mindlessly optimistic denial of theground realities and an equallymindless concern for sexual mo-rality. Naturally, none of this madethe slightest difference toPavannama, an AIDS-infectedsingle mother of two in ruralAndhra Pradesh, who was beatenand then thrown out of her homeby her family. She suffered alone,beaten up until her last momentsand then taken to be funeral whenshe was probably still alive. Herisolation from her community, thehealthcare system, local adminis-tration and the non-governmentalorganizations serving her area wascomplete. This in spite of AndhraPradesh HIV/AIDS programmereceiving Rs. 20 crore every year.

Such cases are happeningeverywhere in urban and rural

DEEPFOCUS

RANJIT SINGH

turn to pg 8

turn to pg 8

Everyone’s got complaints and the best thing about a democracy is thatthese complaints can be voiced. “Action Mail,” is a platform where thepublic mails us their grievances and we get them the replies from theconcerned authorities. If you too have a problem that needs redressal,just mail your complaint to us at NOW! Gairi Gaon, Tadong, Gangtok,East Sikkim or email us at sikkimnow@ rediffmail.com.

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GANGTOK: Dilip Kumar Roy,40, has led an interesting life. AHindu in Bangladesh, he joinedthe Bangladesh army in 1974, re-tired as Havaldar Major in 1991and instead of leading a simple re-tired life, got recruited into the In-ter Services Intelligence [the Pa-kistan secret service] in 2002. Hisjourney as a spy, which started inDhaka last year when FarooqKhan, the military attache at thePakistan Embassy in Dhaka in-ducted him, ended in a Sikkim Po-lice lockup on 2 August, Saturday,when his inquisitive nature trig-gered the suspicion of some peo-ple he met, who tipped off thecops leading to his arrest.

The first ISI operative to bearrested in Sikkim, Roy had notprogressed very high in the gameand was being used by the ISI toconfirm troop movement and de-ployment details which they hadalready received.

“The diary recovered fromRoy had details of Indian army de-ployment in the region. He admit-ted during interrogation that onehis primary briefs was to confirmthe information that ISI had gath-ered,” DIG [Range] SD Negi tolda Press briefing here on Saturday.

Apart from confirming troopdeployment in the region, Roywas also commissioned by thePak intelligence agency to get de-tails on movement and trainingprogrammes of army units.

When asked how informationon troop movement would helpthe ISI, Mr. Negi explained that

such information was used whenplanning terrorist attacks in theregion. The NJP railway stationbomb-blast a couple of yearsback, it is learnt, was timed to“hit” as many soldiers as possi-ble. Even the bomb, sources in theintelligence agencies reveal, wasplaced at a spot where the “mili-tary bogey” would stop and wheremost soldiers rested.

Among the “incriminating”evidence recovered from Roywere also a number of addressesand phone numbers. Since he wasalso expected to develop contacts,Roy, it appears, made it a point totake down contact numbers ofeveryone he met - even casualacquaintances made on a bus jour-ney. The fact that he was seriouslyworking towards developingmoles in the Indian army areborne out by his offer to sponsorthe marriage of girl he had met inSiliguri if she married an Indianarmy personnel.

“Roy was in the process ofcultivating contacts and sources inGangtok and other places in theregion. Armed with a friendly dis-position, Roy could quickly gainpeople’s confidence and befriendthem,” the DIG [Range] added.

Officials who have interro-gated Roy admit that although hewas a minor link in the spy chain,another year and he would havedeveloped into a major player.“This man continuously fooledpeople into believing something

he was not and managed to extracta lot of information from gulliblepeople. Some more time and hewould have become very damag-ing for national security,” Mr.Negi told NOW!

It is obvious that even thoughRoy is a minor player, no is tak-ing the ISI threat lightly in Sik-kim. While Sikkim Police’s inten-sified checks at the Rangpo arestill subtle, the sandbagged secu-rity in army installations here area more overt reminder of how noone is taking security lightly inSikkim any more.

Information available thus farsuggests that between March toJuly, Roy had already visited In-dia five times on a Bangladeshipassport. Sources also reveal thathe has distant relatives in Kolkatafrom where he would head forSiliguri and make forays intoDarjeeling, Kalimpong, Binaguriand Gangtok. It is learnt that al-though Roy has visited Gangtoktwice [once in June and then againon the day of his arrest], he neverstayed over in Sikkim, headingback the same day both times.

Although Roy always enteredIndia legally, he would immedi-ately start posing as an Indian na-tional once he had cleared theimmigration check-post atKolkata. Being a Hindu and flu-ent in Hindi also helped Roy avoidsuspicion. From posing as an ex-Indian army personnel to an NGOworker, Roy is reported to have

Recruited in Dhaka; Operative inSiliguri; Arrested in Gangtok

used many covers to ferret out in-formation during his stay here.

Roy’s arrest and his subse-quent interrogation have also re-vealed more details on how ISIrecruits spies for the “human in-telligence” network it is buildingin the Siliguri corridor. Under in-terrogation, Roy is reported tohave squealed the name of aBangladesh National Party activ-ist who also runs an NGO inBangladesh, as the person whointroduced him to Farooq Khan,the ISI operative in the Pakistanembassy in Dhaka. Farooq is also

a NOW REPORT

THE JOURNEYOF AN ISI SPY

suspected to be the main “link-man” between extremist organi-sation in the northeast and ISIbosses in Pakistan.

Roy, who is being jointly in-terrogated by several agencies atpresent, might not make any grandrevelations about ISI activities inthe region, but could provide cru-cial leads on its style of operatingand areas of interest in the region.He has been booked under Sec-tions 3 and 9 of the Official Se-crets Act, 1922, read with Section120b of the IPC and is currentlyunder police custody.

A timely tip-off led

to the arrest of a

suspected ISI agent in

Gangtok. A Bangladeshi

national, Dilip Kumar

Roy had already visited

India five times in as

many months and was

collecting defence

related secrets for the

Pak secret service

4; NOW! 06-12 August, 2003

NATHULA: “Come here, do notbe afraid, we are all brothers,” saidChief Minister Pawan Chamling,extending his hand in a friendlygesture to a Chinese soldier acrossthe barbed wire that marks theIndo-China border at Nathula.After a warm handshake, Mr.Chamling proceeded to take offhis wristwatch [always a populargift with Chinese] and gifted it tothe People’s Liberation Army sol-dier. The soldier accepted thewatch and gifted the CM [a non-smoker] a pack of cigarettes in re-turn. With this, in a way, trade re-turned to Nathula after a gap ofalmost forty years.

On his first official visit toNathula, Mr. Chamling was seenin very high spirits. And, he hadreason to be happy. Nathula isvery unlike a border outpost.There are no Wagah-like histri-

onics of aggression on displayhere. In fact, the only hostile mo-tif at the Indo-Chinese border isthe barbed wire there. In factwhen the press membersreached the spot ahead of theCM’s entourage, there wereno Chinese personnel on dutyon the other side.

Later, two rather shy,

young Chinese soldiersmade their way to thefence and posed for pho-tographs with the hordesof VIPs, officials and jour-nalists who had descended onNathula on 1 August.

All this took place under thewatchful eyes of the Indian armypersonnel, who were seen con-versing with the Chinese soldiersin fluent Chinese. Judging by thefriendly atmosphere that existshere, it’s almost hard to believe

HINDI-CHINI BHAI-BHAI AGAIN

by TINA RAI

that the two countries have actu-ally fought a war against eachother in the past.

The first exchange over Nathula

a NOW pic

Nathula, 1 August: Chief MinisterPawan Chamling extends a hand offriendship across the border fence toa Chinese soldier.

4

FOCUSFOCUS

NATHULA: Chief MinisterPawan Chamling believes thatfrom its place as an irritant in Sino-Indian relations, Sikkim, with theresumption of trade over Nathula,could develop into the medium ofimproving relations between thetwo Asian giants. “Trade overNathula can foster a better under-standing between the two coun-tries. Improved economic ties willfurther strengthen our traditionalties,” Mr. Chamling said.

He was talking to media per-sons at the border check-post hereon 1 August, last Friday. Mr.Chamling was here on a spot as-sessment visit necessitated by theSino-India joint-declaration agree-ing to return trade to Nathula aftera 41 year hiatus.

The Chief Minister was ac-companied by a power-packedteam comprising of the membersof the high-level committee[headed by the Chief Secretary,SW Tenzing] constituted to workout the modalities of the trade andits infrastructural requirements, hiscabinet colleagues, MLAs,Panchayats, senior party members,government officials and repre-sentatives from the Border RoadsOrganization and the Army.

Mr. Chamling was at Nathulato look into the logistic andinfrastructural requirements of theState to handle the demands of in-ternational trade and conduct asurvey of the area for a masterplan on the same. This MasterPlan will then be submitted to theCentre for clearance.

While expressing his gratitudeto the Centre for agreeing to reo-

pen Nathula for trade, Mr.Chamling said that it was nowimperative that the process of set-ting up the infrastructure was“comprehensive and thorough.”

“We will make a suggestion tothe Centre to ensure that infrastruc-ture development in Sikkim iscomprehensive and takes all sec-tors into consideration. Both thecountries have constituted high-level committees in this regard tostudy the requirements for tradingto resume. We will also look intoother areas that might benefit fromthe opening of Nathula and not justtrade. We need a holistic approachhere,” he said.

A heavy downpour notwith-standing, Mr. Chamling and hisentourage stopped over at all cru-cial junctions on the JN Roadfrom Gangtok to Nathula and dis-cussed such issues as setting upof warehouses along the stretch,need for improved communica-tion links and possible environ-mental concerns of increased traf-fic along the route. Later, the CMrevealed that it was decided thatwarehouses be set up at

Sherathang and Kupup.Accepting that the existing

road network was incapable ofhandling increased traffic, Mr.Chamling said that an alternativehighway from Siliguri to Gangtokwas needed to facilitate easymovement of traffic. The Centre,he said, will be approached witha proposal for an alternative high-way. The State is also pressing foran alternative road to Nathulawhich would by-pass the Capital.

While speaking on the ben-efits of Nathula, Mr. Chamlingsaid that the pass breaks down thegeographical barriers which limitthe volume of trade between thetwo countries. “The distance be-tween Lhasa and Kathmandu issome 2,100 kms. Gangtok isbarely 500 kms from Lhasa andthe port of Kolkata another 600kms away. Nathula is the best op-tion available for trade betweenthe two countries,” he said. Mr.Chamling is convinced thatNathula will help India bridge itstrade deficit vis-a-vis China.

Sources reveal that the Chi-nese are taking the Nathula option

seriously and that road wideningworks have already begun on theTibet side. Sikkim, too, appearscommitted to preparing Nathulaas early as possible. Shortly afterhis Nathula visit, the CM alsomade a trip to Siliguri on 3 Au-gust, Sunday, to take stock of Sik-kim Government property thereand see whether these assets couldbe worked into commercial hold-ings involved in the trade.

Benefits for Sikkim, the CMsaid, would accrue from the serv-ices it can offer to facilitate tradethrough its borders. “My govern-ment’s focus is now on capacitybuilding and human resourcemanagement to empower theSikkimese to tap opportunitiesthat international trade throughSikkim offers them,” he said.

It is in this regard that Sikkimwill soon be getting the nation’sfirst WTO centre. Mr. Chamlingrevealed that the United Nation’sConference for Trade and Devel-opment (UNCTAD) will soon setup a “World Trade Office Centreof Excellence” to help prepare thestate in meeting the challenges of

globalisation.“We are gearing up to meet the

challenges of trading with China.We need the Centre’s full supportin this regard and are ready to ex-tend all cooperation from ourside,” Mr. Chamling said.

On being asked to comment onthe environmental concerns thatsuch trade throws up, the CM saidthat environmental safeguardswould be the “top priority” of hisgovernment and that all precautionsto protect the “fragile biodiversity”of the area will be taken.

Earlier, upon his arrival toNathula, Mr. Chamling was re-ceived by members of the TravelAgents Association of Sikkim andpanchayat and party membersfrom 20-Pathing, led by areaMLA, Sonam Dorjee. Mr.Chamling also took the opportu-nity to meet and interact with thelocal people.

The CM also held a closed-door meeting with the GOC 17Mountain Div, Maj. Gen. DeepakAnand. The two discussed secu-rity concerns and how adequate ar-rangements could be put into place.

CM MAKES SPOT-ASSESMENT OF NATHULAChamling for“comprehensiveand thorough”infrastructurefor trade overNathulaby SARIKAH ATREYA

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GANGTOK: Former Chief Min-ister and Opposition SikkimSangram Parishad president, NarBahadur Bhandari and fifteenother politicians booked for

breaching Section 144 and riot-ing in the tumultuous week of1997 which saw protests againstthe extension of central employ-ment exchange act to Sikkim havebeen acquitted by the Chief Judi-cial Magistrate [West].

Informed sources reveal that

the judgement order gives Mr.Bhandari and co. the “benefit ofthe doubt” in the charges framedagainst them in the role theyplayed in leading the sometimesviolent protest marches againstthe Act back in 1997.

Apart from Mr. Bhandari,other Opposition leaders bookedin the case were Congress lead-ers Thukchuk Lachungpa, KNUpreti, PD Namgyal, Sikkim EktaManch president and formerPower Secretary, LP Tewari and

former Deputy Chief Minister PTLucksom and the two SSP MLAswho now sit in the ruling bench,Sonam Dorjee and JK Bhandari.

The protests, which werethreatening to run out of control,ended with a lathi-charge nearPaljor Stadium. After the voicesof dissent simmered down underthe lathi blows of Sikkim Policeand RAF, the State Governmenttoo withdrew the extension of theAct and booked the oppositionleaders.

a NOW REPORT

The repair specialistsFrom the CAG Report

GANGTOK: How long wouldyou leave your vehicle with themechanic when you put it in for acomplete overhaul? A month,maybe two at the most. If you aresomeone who will start missingyour drive within a month of two,then make sure that it does not endup at the Jalipool workshop of theTransport Department. The Comp-troller Auditor General’s Report forSikkim for year ended 31 March,2002, reveals that not only has theDepartment “not considered it nec-essary to fix any norms of the timerequired by the workshop to under-take various types of repairs,” it isalso unlikely to complain even if avehicle remains at the workshop formore than three years.

“Abnormal” delays in repairworks at the Jalipool workshop, theCAG Report claims has resulted ina revenue loss of almost a crore.

Since the Department doesnot consider it necessary to stipu-late deadlines, auditors adoptedthe standards fixed by the Asso-ciation of State Road TransportUndertakings [which stipulates amaximum of 22 days for majorengine repairs of heavy vehicles]to evaluate the efficiency [!] of theworkshop. They checked thebooks there from April 199 toSeptember 2001.

Their findings are embarrassing.During the check-period, 135

daisical attitude and its fallouts.The CAG Report now ob-

serves that such “abnormal hold-up” at the workshop “in excess ofindustry norms” adversely affectedthe fleet deployment and resultedin an estimated revenue loss of Rs.99.63 lakhs to the State exchequer.

In its defence, the Departmentargued that the delays occurred dueto “non-availability” of skilledmanpower and “overage” of vehi-cles. It also pointed out that stipu-lated 22-day deadline is for engineand gearbox overhauling while theworkshop at Jalipool also under-took complete renovation of bodyand repainting jobs too. “Even af-ter considering departmental reply,the detention of 42 vehicles formore than 200 days was incompre-hensible,” the Report records.

buses and trucks underwent ma-jor engine repairs at the work-shop. Of these, 126 vehicles [93per cent] exceeded the 22-daylimit set by ASRTU by periodsranging from 4 days to a phenom-enal 1230 days. A more detailedbreak-up reveals that 41 buses and43 trucks took between 4-200days more than mandated, 9 busesoverstayed their welcome at theworkshop by 400-600 days andtwo buses were being repaired formore than three years!

The casual approach of theDepartment is even more con-founding when seen in light of thefact that this is not the first timethe issue is being raised. The CAGReport for 1994-95 and an In-spection Report in October 1999had already pointed out this lacka-

a NOW REPORT

The Transport

Department

workshop at Jalipool

loves vehicles. It

sometimes keeps

them for more than

3 years for repairs...

LINED AND FORGOTTEN: Vehicles at the Transport Deptt workshop at Jalipool

a NOW! pic

6; NOW! 06-12 August, 2003

6

POWER PLAYPOWER PLAY

SIBLAC invokes guardian deities to sustain BL unity

The gathering at Kabi-Longtsok for the SIBLAC-spon-

sored Sol Kha[above]. [right] A Lepcha Bongthing

from Dzongu invokes the guardian deities and spir-

its of the ancestors to bless the Bhutia-Lepcha

tryst of blood brotherhood.

Kabi-Longtsok prayersa curtain-raiser toSIBLAC’s Delhi yatra

a NOW! pic

KABI-LONGTSOK: “Vestedinterests have been trying to di-vide the Bhutias and Lepchas andby invoking the guardian deitiesand the ancestors through thisprayer, we hope to re-establish thebonds of blood-brotherhood thatthe two communities swore cen-turies ago,” said Tenzin C’wang,spokesperson for SIBLAC whichorganised a Sol-kha at Kabi-Longstok on 3 August, Sunday.

The prayers at Kabi, con-ducted jointly by Bongthings andmonks, invoked the guardian dei-ties of Sikkim and the ancestors,in a bid to buttress the BL unity,which SIBLAC fears is fragment-ing under the influence of thosewho view it as a threat.

Mr. C’wang insisted that eventhough Lepcha organisations hadwithdrawn support fromSIBLAC, the apex committeecontinued to enjoy the support ofa sizeable number of Lepchas inSikkim who are unhappy with

SANGRAM’S CONVERSION TO CONGRESS COMES THROUGHHigh-command compensates Arunachal withSikkim, Sangramis to now wear Cong colours

their organisation’s continued si-lence on issues concerning theethnic minority group of Sikkim.

Owing to the road conditions,the prayer meet at Kabi drewfewer people than expected, butthe invocations went off well inthe bright weather that heldthroughout. Among those presentfor the prayer were SIBLAC of-fice-bearers including its conven-ors Tseten Tashi Bhutia and NimaLepcha, SPCC [I] President,Namkha Gyaltsen and formerAmbassador, Karma Topden.

Talking to NOW!, Mr.C’wang added that the prayerswere a “curtain-raiser” to the de-parture of SIBLAC members toDelhi [scheduled for later thismonth] where they plan to hold aseries of sit-ins and dharnas in abid to spread awareness about andwin support for their demands.

The latest list of SIBLAC’s 4-point resolution includes a demandfor commensurate increase in seatsreserved for BLs [up from 12 to17] should the State Government’s

demand for increasing the Assem-bly strength to 40 get accepted. Ithas also demanded that the reser-vation formula of the Assemblyseats be followed even at thepanchayat level and also replicatedin reservations for higher studiesand employment opportunities. Inits fourth demand, SIBLAC callsfor such a delimitation that ensuresthat BL voters are in majority inBL constituencies.

The prayer meet endedwith SIBLAC membersundertaking an oath to“continue” withtheir strugglefor BL “sur-vival”.

a NOW REPORT

GANGTOK: A fax-messagescrolled into the Sikkim PradeshCongress Committee late on Satur-day night announcing the Congresshigh-command’s “in-principle”clearance of the SSP-Congressmerger which has been pending forsome two years now. After monthsof vacillating over the issue, the Con-gress high-command finally decided

on it within a week of SalmanKhursheed’s [Special Invitee CWCand party in-charge for Meghalaya,Tripura and Sikkim] Sikkim visit.

The announcement took eve-ryone by surprise in light of Mr.Khursheed’s comments in Sikkimwhere he suggested that themerger would not be decided in

a NOW REPORT“haste”. In fact, in conversationwith NOW!, Mr. Khursheed evenhinted that a lot more thoughtneeded to be applied to the pro-posal since Mr. Bhandari camewith a “lot of excess baggage”.“Mrs. Gandhi’s popularity is on ahigh at present, we would notwant to do anything that points

fingers at her,” he said.All these considerations now

appear a thing of the past. A for-mal announcement on the mergeris expected on 7 August, by whichtime the SSP President accompa-nied by his supporters will reachDelhi. The merger, an SSP leaderconfirmed is “unconditional”.

BHARAT BASNETQUITS SDFGANGTOK: Former Congress-man, Bharat Basnet, who had ear-lier quit Cong [I] to join the rulingparty has now also quit from SDF.In a resignation letter dated 1 Au-gust, copies of which were circu-lated among the Press, Mr. Basnethas quoted the State Government’sfailure to “give justice” to victimsof post-poll violence on 1999, its“tacit support” for GAC and whathe calls the “5 Cs formula” of theruling party [Chamling, corruption,casteism, communalism and capi-talism] as the reasons promptinghis decision.

Sikkim Football Association

[Affiliated to AIFF]

NOTICE TO MEMBERS

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the mem-bers of Sikkim Football Association hasbeen convened for 4:30 PM on Saturday,the 16th of August 2003 at Hotel Gochala,below Power Office, Gangtok. Hence, allthe members are requested to kindly makeit convenient to attend the meeting.

[B. K. Roka]General Secretary

06-12 August, 2003; NOW! 7

Ecotourism lessons from Sikkim

15

DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT

GANGTOK: Tsanchingla Imlong can hardlywait to go home in Mokokchung, Nagaland.The young tour operator is eager to put intopractise the training she received here duringher two-week stay. She is confident that thetraining would give the much-needed impe-tus to the nascent tourism industry in her State.

“I have learnt so much. Nagaland issimilar to Sikkim in so many ways. I learnta great deal. I hope to use my experiencehere to contribute to the development ofmy State, through tourism, which I hopewill in turn contribute to the developmentof my own community,” she told NOW!

She is not alone.Thirty enthusiasts like her from

Nagaland share the same feeling. Theywere part of the two-week Rural TourismGuides Training programme conducted bythe Ecotourism & Conservation Society ofSikkim (ECOSS), which was held from 19July to 2 August and sponsored by the Gov-ernment of Nagaland.

This was the second such training pro-gramme conducted by ECOSS for trainees

from Nagaland. The first training pro-gramme on adventure tourism was heldhere in June, earlier this year.

Tsangchingla and her team-mates gotfirst-hand experience of village tourismmanagement through the exhaustive train-ing programme, which included field trips,and dwelt upon subjects like role of ruralguides, village home-stays, arrival and de-parture briefing techniques, customer serv-ice interpretation, marketing, medical andfirst aid, hygiene and sanitation, garbageand trash management etc.

“This training programme was aimedat improving the basic skills of the guides,and train them in responsible rural eco-tour-ism practices, which they can implementin their State,” Renzino Lepcha, executivesecretary, ECOSS and the main facilitatorof the training programme said.

Mr. Lepcha is of the opinion that suchtraining programmes will immensely con-tribute to the development of ecotourism ofthe entire region and will also help in mar-keting Sikkim as an ecotourism destination,with the focus on village home stays.

The first field trip took the Naga guidesto Pasatanga in Assam Lingzey. Lodged inNepalese households, this was their firstexperience in village home-stays.

Next, they headed to Dzongu for a one-on-one with the Lepchas of the region. Thefirst stop was at Namprikdang, where the par-ticipants visited the traditional Lepcha House.

Tingvong village in Upper Dzonguplayed host to the visiting Naga delegation,kicking off the Tingvong village home-stayproject. The villagers put up a colourfulcultural show for the visitors, show-casingtheir traditional songs and dances. Afriendly football match was also held be-tween the Naga visitors and the hosts.

“It has been an eye-opener for me inmany ways. There are so many things aboutvillage home-stays, which we can replicatein our own villages in Nagaland. It is allabout involving the local community insuch income-generating schemes whichwill supplement their traditional sources ofincome and preserve their culture, traditionand the environment at the same time,” feltTsangchingla.

The rest of their itinerary consisted ofvisits to the Martam Resort and Kewzing,where the trainees were again exposed tovillage home stays. In Kewzing, they weretreated to traditional Sikkimese Bhutia hos-pitality and culture. The last leg of their train-ing took them to Legship for river raftingand then to Namchi, where the valedictoryfunction was held on 1 August, last Friday.

“At the end of the day, its all about sus-tainable development. Sikkim is leading theway in ecotourism and sustainable develop-ment efforts of the country. We hope to followin the same steps,” summed up Tsanchingla.

Naga tour operators

learn the tricks of the

ecotourism trade from

Sikkim experts

by SARIKAH ATREYA

Naga tour operators take tips on ecotourism from Dzongu Ecotourism Develop-ment Committee member, Sherab Lepcha, en route to Tingvong.

a NOW! pic

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GANGTOK: Although not yetopened for tourism, the an-nouncement that Nathula will beopened for trade has still got thosein the travel industry in a euphoricmood, confident that tourism willreceive a boost with the openingof Nathula for trade.

And, when the Chief Minis-ter made his first official visit toNathula since the announcement,TAAS members were present infull force to welcome him there.The TAAS delegation, led by itspresident, Paljor Lachungpa, fe-licitated the CM at Nathula andexpressed their “heartfelt grati-tude” to the State government forsuccessfully advocating the needto reopen Nathula for trade.

“TAAS has been supportingthe issue and now, our long-cher-ished dream has been realised.The entire sector is overjoyed,”Mr. Lachungpa said.

TAAS also took the opportu-nity to submit a 10-point memo-randum to the CM during hisNathula visit.

“While we are happy with theprospects of increased tourism-related activities after traderesumes from Nathula, we alsohave fears. We have highlightedthem in our memorandum. We arehopeful that our fears and con-cerns will be received positively

by the State government,” Mr.Lachungpa said.

Elaborating TAAS’ concerns,Mr. Lachungpa said, “We havefound that we are gradually beingswamped by irresponsible and un-authorised travel agents, tour op-erators and hoteliers from outsidethe State. They have no social orenvironmental concerns for thestate. They come here, make quickmoney, add to the garbage, setwrong examples and leave. Wehave therefore asked the State gov-ernment to disallow outside travelagents and tour operators fromconducting package tours in Sik-kim without a tie-up with a recog-nised local partner. This will en-sure that visitors to the State do not

blame us when things go wrong.”TAAS has also requested the

State government to open theGangtok-Nathula-Gnathang-Phademchen-Rongli-Rhenokroute so that people along thisroute get an additional source ofincome.

It has also pleaded for a sin-gle window-system for issuingpermits for high altitude treks andhas also suggested that “minorpeaks” which do not fall under thesacred category be opened formountaineering expeditions. Thememorandum also advocates theneed for opening Tourist Informa-tion centres in Mumbai,Bangalore and Chennai to tap po-tential markets there.

TAAS upbeat about Nathula, concerned overmushrooming of “unauthorised” operators

a NOW REPORT

8; NOW! 06-12 August, 2003

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India, in spite of the President,Prime Minister and sundry politi-cal leaders regularly signing allsorts of high-minded and more orless utopian declarations. NewHIV infections are increasinglyconcentrated among the illiterateand the poor, especially amongyoung, poor and illiterate women.Such lives have little value amongthe Indian political leadership be-tween elections.

India is home to the regions’largest epidemic. About 4 millionIndians now have HIV and3,00,000 more become infectedeach year. Yet our representativesare still stung with warped con-cepts about its spread and preva-lence. In the absence of wide-spread access to quality informa-tion about HIV transmission andprevention, and with the contri-bution of social prejudices andsilence from political leaders, mis-information flourishes and playshavoc with the lives of those har-bouring the disease. That’s whythe Parliamentary Convention onHIV/AIDS was made to be suchan important event – a model forother nations in the region.

This convention was appar-ently the first of its kind, gettingtogether more than a thousandpolitical leaders from across thecountry. But social workers andactivists will regard it with mixedfeelings. The director of the jointUnited Nations programme ofHIV/AIDS considers politicalleadership a “vital tool” in turn-ing back the epidemic. But if theconvention throws up any indica-tor, it is that our political classneeds to be “vitally schooled” onthis subject.

A gender-sensitive and humanrights-based approach that in-cludes anti-discrimination laws toprotect people living with HIV/AIDS is imperative for India sinceonly such a measure would ensureawareness at the highest levels ofdecision-making.

Contd from pg 2

A for AIDS

phrase] and virtual reality is onlydistinguished by the colour tingeimparted to the images of incidentsthat take place in the latter sphere.

Sitting sometimes in a class, Isometimes suspect that our pupilstoo are in some matrix of their owncompletely shut out from the imme-diate environment of books andknowledge and the teacher. Only inthis case there is no cinematic con-venience to distinguish the plane thatthe particular learner is in. For this,the teacher will still have to ask ques-tions. And perhaps the long hard onethat he may hazard is the query thathe may put to his self. After all themajority of us too are being sweptaway by the crosscurrents of thatcultural flood that has held us as ea-ger hostages to the mistress of themodern mind - the TV.

Contd from pg 2

T.V. ORNOT T.V.

GANGTOK: Tendong Lho RumFaat, one of the oldest festival ofthe Lepchas falls on 8 August, Fri-day. The Sikkim Lepcha Youth As-sociation, in collaboration with thedepartment of Cultural Affairs andEastern Zonal Cultural Centre,Kolkata is planning a celebration atCommunity Hall, Gangtok, to markthe occasion. The celebratory func-tions will begin from 6 am with aprayers. Apart from other culturalevents, a Lepcha audio cassette andmagazine are to be released on theday. Several social and culturalawards will also be given away.

State-wide celebrations willactually start even earlier. On 7August, Thursday, Bongthingswill conduct prayers at Mt.Tendong from 2 am onwards.Tendong has deep religious sig-nificance for the Lepchas. Lepchafolklore describes the time when

the Himalayas were in infancy andthe rivers Teesta and Rangit, wereyet to start their respective jour-neys downward from theirsources, Naho and Nahor lakes.

In the wake of a heavy earth-quake which damaged the lakes,the legend goes that Parilbu [KingSerpant] and Tutfo guided the twonew rivers to their confluence atPozok [now Peshok).

Unfortunately, the riversflooded Mayel Lyang [Sikkim].The Lepchas residing near Mt.Tendong, to save their livesclimbed up to its peak and prayedto It-Bu-Rum [the almighty God].It is believed that a Kohomfo [aPartridge] appeared and offeredprayers with Mongcheebeb[brewed millet] and another earth-quake shook the earth, creatingseveral high mountains around thenorthern zone of Mayel Lyangwhich forced the flood waters to

flow southwards, thus saving theLepchas from the great deluge.

Since that time, the Lepchashave observed the “Tendong LhoRum Faat” or worship of Mt.Tendong.

Till a few years back the fes-tival was celebrated privately athomes, but now, not only is it aState holiday, but the celebrationscontinue to grow larger in scale.This year, Lepcha representativesare expected from all the districtsof Sikkim, as well as fromDarjeeling, Kalimpong, Nepaland Bhutan.

To the Lepchas, this festival isa matter of pride because they areamong the few ancient people whohave records of the great Deluge.

a NOW REPORT Tendong-Lho-Rum-Faat- the ancient festival

Lepcha youth promise grand celebrations

06-12 August, 2003; NOW! 9

WHO CARES???

I care and you should caretoo… A major mobile serv-ice provider is having a roll

in Sikkim by charging more than50 per cent as service and admin-istrative charges on every recharge.

It surprises me how peoplehere are so indifferent to this day-light robbery, specially since a ma-jority of the people of Sikkim havebeen to metropolitan cities wherethe mobile service providerscharge approximately 10 per centof every recharge as their admin-istrative/ service charges. Hutch,Airtel, Spice and many of the serv-ice providers in Delhi do not de-duct more than 10 per cent asservice charge.

I wonder why the mobileservcie provider we are straddledwith charging more than 50% onevery recharge voucher where thecustomers end up paying Rs. 300

17

ACTION-MAILACTION-MAIL

fresh everyday

ofSLICELIFE

PRESENTS

If a man hasn’t

discovered somthing

that he will die

for, he isn’t

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Martin Luther King Jr.

Students suffer through teacher transfers

MIDDLE-CAMP, Singtam: Theclass X students of Middle CampSecondary School are an unhappylot. They also know the exact datewhen their woes began - 5 July,2003 when two science teachersfrom the school were transferredout. A month down the line, theystill await replacements.

Everytime the students had tosit through a Chemistry class with-out a teacher they were remindedof how inconsiderate those issu-ing such orders can be. “How canthey transfer a teacher in the mid-dle of an academic session,” ques-tioned one student while talking toNOW! They might not be awareof the Education Department’s ex-pressed policy decision not totransfer teachers mid-session, butare bright enough to see thatmarching orders after a session hasstarted are unfair on the students.

The Assistant Director, Edu-cation Department, KT

Wangchuk, points out that thetransfers in question were orderedon the request of the concernedteachers themselves.

Additional Secretary DT Bhu-tia reiterated that transfers areconducted only during the wintervacations between December toearly February. He, however, ad-mitted that at times, mid-sessiontransfers were also forced by ad-ministrative reasons or on re-quests from teachers who requesttransfers on “health grounds.”

While these explanationsmight hold while clearing files,they are lost on students at Mid-dle-Camp who have lost morethan a month of classes. Chemis-try classes resumed for them on 3August, but that is hardly any con-solation since the subject is beingtaught by the Biology teacher [!]

When NOW! visited theschool, the students poured outmore grievances.

“We had no text books forMaths, Social Science and Sci-ence till the first week of June. We

were already lagging behind andnow they have taken away theteacher,” they complained.

“It is a wrong policy of thedepartment of relieving teachersin the mid session because of thisour children are suffering,” ex-claimed one angry parent.

Their irritation with the De-partment should not last muchlonger since the Assistant Direc-tor assured that they were in theprocess of arranging a replace-ment posting. It is, however, learntthat only one more science teacherwill be provided for the Middle-Camp school since a SecondarySchool gets only two scienceteachers as per rules. How theygot three earlier, even the Depart-ment does not seem to know.

The woes for the students are,however, not completely over. Re-ports suggest that a faculty mem-ber at the school is unhappy thatwhile two teachers were trans-ferred out when they requested, hisapplication for a transfer has notbeen cleared thus far.

Middle-Camp Secondary School

a NOW REPORT

for a recharge of just Rs. 143 oftalk time.

And, it is not as if the serv-ices are anything to write homeabout. The messaging servicefrom one service provider to an-other, for example, takes a day andat times maybe more to getthrough.

Staying connected, which is anecessity, has become a luxurywith mobile phones frequently in“network search” mode. It’s timethe company explained this policywhich seems to be reserved exclu-sively for this region.

-a disgruntled customerThe only official of the privatemobile service provider NOW!could get in touch with claimedhe was not in a position to com-ment on the company’s poli-cies. The mobile number pro-vided for the other official rou-tinely returned one message:“The number you have dialedis currently not in service...”

Academics is supposed to bethe main activity of Sikkim

Manipal University. But behindthe scenes, there are many darkcorners. This University is hidinga host of fraudulent activities de-signed to fool the Government ofSikkim, the Medical Council ofIndia and the public.

During the MCI inspections,plane-loads of faculty from theManipal medical colleges inManipal and Mangalore are trans-ported overnight to Sikkim so thatadequate faculty can be shown tothe unsuspecting inspectors. This“mobile” faculty has been broughtfor the last six inspections. TheSMU records are falsified, staffattendance records are created.

Even more alarming is thefalsification of patient records toshow MCI high occupancy in theCentral Referral Hospital teach-ing hospital. The staff nurses areforced to create false figures foreach ward for the whole year.Fake patients are made to oc-cupy some of the beds during theMCI inspections. The averagedaily inpatient is 35-40, but thecounterfeit records show them atabout 200.

SMU has taken Rs. 30 croresfrom the Sikkim government andhas put up such a shabby build-ing, which is incomplete in partsand requires extensive repair andmaintenance. Not only that, SMUhas failed to install thesuperspeciality equipment forcancer and heart patients as prom-ised in the agreement. On theother hand, the Manipal hospitalsin Bangalore and Pokhara arestate-of-the-art institutions. SMUis reportedly trying to squeezemore money out of the govern-ment for the hospital.

Now the latest Manipal trickis to reserve 33 per cent seats for

Fraud and irregularities at

Sikkim Manipal UniversityNRI and foreign students to makeeven more money.

This, in light of the fact thatthe central government seats forSikkimese students have been re-duced. These lost seats have notbeen made up at SMU and evenif this is done, the Sikkimese stu-dents will have to pay muchhigher fees than at other govern-ment medical colleges in India.It is high-time the governmentand people of Sikkim wake up tothe devious strategies of theManipal group.

All of the statements in thisletter can be verified from SMUand other records. If the MCIfinds out about the inspectiontomfoolery played by Manipal,the college will be derecognizedand the future of the students isin great danger.

A concerned Parent

In a reply to the accusationsmade on Manipal Medical Col-

lege and hospital, the Dean, RPSingh said:

“I do not want to comment onany of the allegations made. Allthe MCI inspections have takenplace before my tenure, whichstarted on July 3 2003.

Tampering with the recordsfrom the MRD section is not easyand the staff there are highly quali-fied. No falsification of documentsand records is possible.

As far as the question of plane-loads of faculty being brought induring the MCI inspections is con-

cerned, the MCI inspections arenot lenient. They know their joband do not leave any loopholes. Itis not easy to fool them.

During my tenure, I have invitedonly one Dr. BA Kumar, an Ortho-paedic Surgeon, who is consideredthe best in the country. He performedsurgeries and treated patients. Hebrought his expertise and did a spe-cialised job. Apart from him, there

has been no faculty transfer. All theseare false accusations.

STNM and Manipal are work-ing hand in hand, our objectivesare the same. Eleven consultantsfrom STNM are attending ses-sions at Manipal and the doctorsfrom Manipal hold regular clin-ics at STNM. We are working forthe same purpose.”

As to told to NOW!

Sikkim Manipal University responds

No falsification of records at SMU

Everyone’s got complaints and the best thing about a democracy is thatthese complaints can be voiced. “Action Mail,” is a platform where thepublic mails us their grievances and we get them the replies from the con-cerned authorities. If you too have a problem that needs redressal, just mailyour complaint to us at NOW! Gairi Gaon, Tadong, Gangtok, East Sikkimor email us at sikkimnow@ rediffmail.com.

10; NOW! 06-12 August, 2003

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TASHI NAMGYAL ACADEMYGANGTOK, SIKKIM

ADMISSION NOTICE1. Entrance Test for Admission in Lower Kindergarten for the academic session - 2004 will be

conducted on SUNDAY - 2 NOVEMBER 2003 at 9:00 AM

2. Prospectus / Application forms would be available in the school office from 15th September 2003on payment.

3. For LKG age should be +4 (plus four) years but below 5 years as on 1st January 2004 andstudent should not have studied in UKG in 2003 session.

4. The last date for submission of application form would be 31 November 2003 by 3 PM along withthe following documents.

(a) Date of Birth Certificate in original and in duplicate copy obtained from the Office of the ChiefRegistrar of Births and Deaths Department.

(b) Latest passport and stamp size photographs.

(c) Registration fee of Rs. 2000/- (Rupees Two Thousand) only (non-refundable) to be depos-ited in the State Bank of India, Zero Point Branch, Gangtok. Pay in slip can be obtained from theschool office after due verification of application form.

(d) Attested copy of (parent’s) SSC or certificate of identification from DC’s office.

5. PLEASE NOTE THAT NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH OF THE STUDENT ONCE ENTERED INTHE APPLICATION FORM SHALL NOT BE CHANGED.

6. Mere registration is no guarantee of admission. It only entitles a student to take the entrancetest. The school does not let parents to check / compare the scripts, however, it would ensurethat the test is fairly and efficiently conducted.

7. Test will be conducted in basic skills of English and Number Works and Viva-Voce.

PRINCIPAL

Cardamom growers in Sik-kim get a shot in the armwith the new Central

Government scheme which allo-cates Rs. 17 crores for export-ori-ented development of spices in theNorth-Eastern states.

The programme will considerthe potential of improving pro-duction and productivity of anumber of spices grown in thisregion. The Spices Board alsoproposes to take up cultivation of

large cardamom in these states. The Board, it is learnt, will sup-

port the State governments andNGOs for multiplication of plant-ing materials and maintenance dur-ing gestation period subject to amaximum of Rs.17,500 per hectare.

Large cardamom which isgrown in Sikkim requires specialtype of curing chambers to dry andSpices Board proposes to construct15 community curing houses witha capacity of 1,000 kg each at atotal outlay of Rs. 75 lakhs.

The Board has also proposed

to bring 3,835 ha under organicpepper cultivation in the region ata cost of Rs. 4 crores. Herbal spicessuch as rosemary, thyme, parsley,oregano, basil etc. are also pro-posed to be brought under culti-vation in 100 ha during the currentplan at an outlay of Rs. 30 lakhs.

The Board proposes to give25 per cent of the cost for settingup of vermi-compost units subjectto a maximum of Rs. 1,250 perunit. About 5,000 units at a costof Rs. 62 lakhs will be set up dur-ing the Plan period, it is learnt.

a NOW REPORT

Centre allocates Rs. 17 crores for spices in northeast

GANGTOK: The North EasternDevelopment Finance CorporationLtd., (NEDfi) is all set to start busi-ness in the State. It held its firstBusiness Meet, inaugurated by theChief Secretary SW Tenzing hereon 5 August, Tuesday.

The Meet, held to interact withthe State’s entrepreneurs and “thor-oughly” understand Sikkim’s re-quirements in the finance and in-vestment sectors, saw a good at-tendance by members of the busi-ness community, the Travel AgentsAssociation of Sikkim, the SikkimHotel and Restaurant Association,young entrepreneurs and govern-ment officials.

Speaking on the occasion,NEDfi GM, Dr. Deka said that thereopening of Nathula for trade hasprovided the State with the much-needed fillip for industrial develop-ment. While outlining NEDfi’s vari-ous schemes and projects aimed at“catalysing economic developmentof the North East,” Dr. Deka said

that the thrust areas identified by theCorporation for Sikkim includedecotourism, handicrafts andhandlooms, aromatic and medicinalplants plantation and processing,food processing and biotechnology,among others.

NEDfi has also commissionedPrice-Water Coopers, Kolkata, toprepare a “Pre-Investment Feasibil-ity Study on Industrial Potential forSikkim” which equips the Corpo-ration with information on devel-opment potential of the State. “Wecome to Sikkim prepared and withan open mind. We hope to contrib-ute to the economic developmentof the State,” Dr. Deka said.

While emphasising on impor-tant role NEDfi can play in Sik-kim, the Guest of Honour, Chair-man SIDICO, PD Rai, said thatthere was a need to look into allcore issues of human resourcedevelopment of the State.

“NEDfi could supplementsome of the projects and schemesinitiated by other financial andbanking institutions in the State.The financial institutions and agen-

cies here have always been con-strained by inadequate financial re-sources. With the coming of NEDfi,this gap can be bridged,” he said.

The Chief Secretary, in his ad-dress said that Sikkim was a “hap-pening State” and the need of thehour was entrepreneurship building.

“NEDfi has a critical role toplay in Sikkim. We have the landand the labour and NEDfi can pro-vide the capital. The present gapsin the infrastructure will be filledfurther aiding the economicgrowth of the State,” he said. TheCS, however, warned that Sikkimshould be “wary” of “fly-by-nightoperators” who target the immensesubsidies the State enjoys after itjoined the North Eastern Council.

NEDfi was recently awardedthe ISO 9000 certificate, makingit the first agency of its kind in theNorth-East to receive one. It plansto focus on small and medium en-terprises in Sikkim. It has ap-pointed Ugen Tashi [a local withbanking experience, havingworked with IDBI] as the NodalOfficer for Sikkim.

a NOW REPORT

NEDfi hopes to catalyse economicdevelopment in Sikkim

06-12 August, 2003; NOW! 11

19

SPORTSSPORTS

GANGTOK: The IndependenceDay Volley Ball Tournament be-gan at Burtuk Junior High Schoolon August 4. Five teams are par-ticipating in the girl’s categorywhile seven teams are participat-ing in the Junior Boy’s section.The tournament has been organ-ized by ST Bhutia, Head Master,Burtuk Junior High School.

The opening match of thetournament was between TNAand PNGSSS. Another twomatches were held on the sameday between Tathangchen Sec-ondary School and Modern Sec-ondary School while the lastmatch of the day was between jun-ior boys in which Burtuk JuniorHigh School took on TathangchenSecondary School.

The tournament is being heldafter a gap of three years. ST Bhu-tia who held the last tournamentat Penlong in 1999, has now de-cided to hold the tournament on amore regular basis.

Although it is difficult to getsponsors, Mr. Bhutia expressedgratitude towards Hari Stores,MG Marg, for sponsoring the tro-phies for the tournament. Thetournament will also be giving themost promising team trophy, thebest player trophy and other indi-vidual trophies to the players. Thetrophies for the junior boys is be-ing sponsored by the school itself.According to Mr. Bhutia, The

tournament offers a platform forboth boys and girls to show theirtalent. It is also an opportunity forsports officials of the state tosearch for young talent who couldthen be further groomed.

At the time of going to thepress, PNGSS beat TNA, in thesecond match Tathangchen beatModern School girls, in anothermatch Burtuk School boys beatTathangchen School boys.

a NOW! pic

PAKYONG: St. Xavier’s School,Pakyong, recently celebrated itsGolden Jubilee. But anotherschool from Pakyong had reasonto celebrate too, on the same oc-casion.

In the Golden Jubilee Memo-rial Football Match held by St.Xavier’s to commemorate the cel-ebrations, little heard Pachey Pri-mary School did a “Lagaan” on

more established schools.In the opening Sub-Junior

Football match, Pachey schoolbeat St. Xavier’s 5-0 to go on tothe next round. In the secondround the school beat TNA 1-0 toget to the semi finals. Here it metSt. George School, Pedong. Agoalless 90 minutes saw the gamegoing into overtime. Boys fromPachey school, led by their cap-tain, Tempo Gyatso Bhutia tookthe game to a penalty shoot out.Here they beat their rivals 4-2.

The unfancied boys fromPachey School were now in thefinals. Here they met St. Xavier’sagain.

The 30 July finals saw a repeatof the first match. Pachey Schoolwon by a resounding 5-0 marginto lift the cup. Coach PW Lepchacould not have been happier. Thehard work that he and his boys hadput in preparation, showed in theresults. The victory was somethingthe Pachey School boys will re-member for a long time.

a NOW REPORT

Pachey PrimarySchool does aLagaan

WHEN UNDERDOGS COME UP TOPS

by NIGEL CASHMORE

Volleyball tourney for playersto smash into limelight

GANGTOK: Sikkim Cricket As-sociation has announced plans tohold trials for selection of playersfor the 2003-04 season. Interestedcricketers who are residing in Sik-kim, are invited to attend theabove trials for selection in theirrespective districts. In case ofplayers from outside Sikkim, theyare eligible to attend the trials pro-vided they have participated in adomestic tournament of the State.The SCA has called on players toreport with their own kits and inproper dress. Players are to beartheir own expenses for the trials.

The trials for the Under-15,Under-17 and Under-19 catego-ries will be held in the districts onAugust 23 and 24.Contact Persons:North- Sonam Palden Bhutia, Phone:

234819/ 9434117250.

East- Lakpa Chettri, 224527/

9832046621

South- Bikash Pradhan/ Pavitra

Sharma, 257075/ 276499/ 257089

West- Karma Thendup Bhutia,

250593/ 9434179387

Gear up cricketers,its trial time

SIKKIM FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONIndependence Day Football Tournament for

CHOGYAL SIR TASHI NAMGYAL MEMORIAL CUP 2003

FIXTUREPre-Quarter

Dzongri Club

v/s (7.8.03, 3PM)

Ghoom Jorebangla Sp. Club

Munal Club, NEPAL

v/s (8.8.03, 3PM)

NorthernersA BQuarter Final

Sikkim Police XI

v/s (9.8.03, 3PM)

WINNER OF ‘A’

Himalshree (Kalimpong)

v/s (10.8.03, 3PM)

UKFC (Kurseong)C DSKM United Sp. Club.

v/s (11.8.03, 3PM)

DSPSA, Durgapur

Thimpu XI

v/s (10.8.03, 3PM)

WINNER OF ‘B’E FWINNER OF ‘C’

v/s (12.8.03, 3PM)

WINNER OF ‘D’

WINNER OF ‘E’

v/s (13.8.03, 3PM)

WINNER OF ‘F’G HWINNER OF ‘G’

v/s (15.8.03, 1:45PM)

WINNER OF ‘H’I

Semi Final

Final

N.B.: 1. All the matches will be played at Tashi Namgyal Acad-

emy Ground, Gangtok.

2. Games will be played as per the rules of the AIFF.

3. SFA Reserves the right to re-schedule the fixture (if

needed).

MATCH COMMISSIONERS: 7.8.03 Mr. Karma Wangchuk

8.8.03 Mr. Lalit Rai

9.8.03 Mr. C. C. Bhutia

10.8.03 Mr. P. C. Mundra (1st Match)

Mr. Kunzang N. (2nd Match)

11.8.03 Mr. Arjun Roka

12.8.03 Mr. Dhondup Lepcha

13.8.03 Mr. Rinchen Bhutia

15.8.03 Mr. Karma P. Bhutia

MENLA ETHENPA

Hony. Secretary

GANGTOK: The 15 August cel-ebrations this year will see manysports-persons from the state getrich cash awards for their per-formance in the field.

Cash awards for 20 in foot-ball, 14 for Tae-Kwon-do, 10 inBoxing, 5 in Table Tennis and oneeach for Archery and Swimmingwill be handed out by the Depart-ment of Sports and Youth Affairs.

Although cash incentives forgood performance have long beenthe policy, over the years a back-log of payments to deserving can-didates had built up. All such cashincentives which are due will becleared in one sweep this year.Along with it a new structure forcash incentives will be put into

place to further encourage andmotivate sports-persons in theirpursuit of excellence. And thehandouts are generous.

A sum of Rs. 1 crore for anOlympic Gold. And for those whothink that is far-fetched, it is stillwithin reach for archer TarunDeep Rai, our contender for goldin the next Olympics, who hasqualified in both the team and in-dividual events for Athens.

A prize in other internationalgames will fetch cash-awardsworth Rs. 5-15 lakhs. Medals wonin national games organised by theIndian Olympic Association get asmuch as Rs. 2-5 lakhs for indi-vidual events and Rs. 20,000-50,000 for team events whilemedallists in the North East SportsFestivals will get awards rangingfrom Rs. 5000 to 10,000. Even

state level competitions have cashincentives worth Rs. 5,000.

The cash awards will be givenonly to permanent residents ofSikkim, who represent the Statein the notified competitions. A cer-tificate to this effect issued by theSDM/DM of the concerned areamust be produced while makingthe claim. Claims for cash awardsshould be made within 1 year ofwinning a medal.

a NOW REPORT

INCENTIVES BACKLOG TO BE CLEARED ON I-DAY

Deptt. of Sports & Youth Affairs getsserious about awarding achievers; newpolicy offers Rs. 1 crore for Olympic gold

GEYZING: The Sikkim Under-19 Football Tournament 2003 gotunderway at Kyongsa Ground,here on 4 August, Monday. Thetournament which was earlierslated to start on 2 August hasbeen organised by the SikkimFootball Association and Depart-ment of Sports and Youth Affairs.

The inaugural match wasplayed between KhecheopalriLake Club and Sinolchu Club.The first three matches will beplayed at Kyongsa Ground whilethe rest of the matches will beshared between Kyongsa and theBhaichung Stadium in Namchi.

Under-19 soccertourney getsunderway

12; NOW! 06-12 August, 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: sikkimnow@rediffmail.com

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Sikkim’s Phoolmaya Tamang createshistory atop peak in Leh

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August 28th, Community Hall, Gangtok

Phoolmaya Tamang fromSikkim created historyalong with three other

women, when she became part ofthe first all-women group to scalethe virgin Argan Kangri Peak inLadakh. The nine member all-woman team was led by RitaGombu Marwah.

Four team members, includ-ing Phoolmaya, scaled the peakafter a three week long expedition,hitting the summit on 20 July at7.45 am. The climb was the In-dian Mountaineering Founda-tion’s (IMF) official commemora-tion of the golden jubilee of SirEdmund Hillary and SherpaTenzing Norgay’s conquest of Mt.Everest. Though at 6,789 metresArgan Khangri does not countamong the highest peaks, it has itsshare of perils.

On the selection of the even-tual summiteers, senior team

The Mountain chooses the Climbers

member Yana Banerjee-Bey said,“The mountain chooses the climb-ers. In this case, we decided thatfour of us should go to the sum-mit - those four who settled in bestwith the conditions”.

Phoolmaya, is an instructor atSonam Gyatso MountaineeringInstitute, and was one of the rep-resentatives of Sikkim at the

golden jubilee celebrations of theascent of Mt. Everest. The firstmountain she climbed was LakeKhangtse in North Sikkim, afterwhich there was no looking back.Up in the mountains she says shebecomes a completely differentperson. “Up there all that mattersis the will to reach the top”.

Phoolmaya, who recentlywent up to 7467 metres along the8849 Mt. Everest, said, “Almosteverything went according toplan. It was a bit difficult instretches because sometimes theascent was as steep as 75 degrees.But the team did everything in acoordinated way and that’s whyit worked.” After a lull in moun-taineering activity in Sikkim, thereseems to be a sudden deluge ofachievements by Sikkimeseclimbers. Phoolmaya’s colleagueat SGMI, Nadre Sherpasummitted Everest for the secondtime recently and is slated to bepart of an Indian expedition to K2in Pakistan next year.

A file foto of Phoolmaya Tamang atthe Everest base camp

a NOW REPORT