NEWS WEEK..Sikkim..Darjeeling.. West Bengal.. Nepal

 This weekGorkha Jana Mukhti Morcha called bandhs affected the tourists who visited Sikkim and Darjeeling during this Summer Holidays.Demand for a seperate Gorkhaland state is in its second phase.The earlier demand phase led by Mr. Subhas Ghising culminated into Hill Council then his stand on Tribal Status- to include it in the Sixth Schedule,made things worse for him.The dissatisfied people under the leadership of Mr.Bimal Gurung mustered full support of the hill masses and started the movement in full swing.Here we should note that the guiding principles were not Violence ,it is non-violence and Gandhian way of protest- has been prescribed for this second phase..putting the deadline for a seperate state by 2010.The Indian Idol contest brought the emotional integration-garnering support for this movement.

The left led West Bengal Government is in no mood to give recognition to this movement,which was clear in its invitation for the all party meeting called by the govt. to discuss the events recently.The Amar Bangali and Jagaran manch called strike against the GJMM movement for seperate state ..and leading to violence in Siliguri.. where Force has been called to control the violence.Mr.Gurung is confident and the support for a seperate state is 100% in the hills. In the hills people started storing the Food ration for the upcoming stikes/bandhs.

Trinamool Leader Ms.Mamata Banerjee says if all the affected ..or parties in this event are invited then she will take part in the all party meeting,other wise it is useless to call the meeting.

Sikkim Chief Minister Mr.Pawan Kumar Chamling sought the help of Prime Minister Mr.Manmohan Singh for his intervention in this so that the landlocked state Sikkim  does not get affected by these bandhs, as the sole National Highway runs through Darjeeling Hills.

In another major event Nepals last King Gyanendra  gave his departing informal speech to the Media saying his family is not involved in the Royal Massacre,he will not leave the country and he is not having any property in any foreign country as the romours were spread about him.

Arushis Murder Mystery is slowly unfolding as CBI arrested  the Compounder-Krishna after  Narcotic tests .

Gorkhaland Demand

Ghising goes to Kolkata; to meet Buddhadeb
Special Correspondent: THE HINDU

GJM supporters to go to Kolkata and gherao him

Basu: Ghising finds himself in a difficult situation

KOLKATA: Subhas Ghising, administrator of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), who had decided against returning to Darjeeling and stayed on in Siliguri since his arrival there from New Delhi four days ago in view of blocks set up on the roads leading to the hill town by activists of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), came here on Friday.

He is to meet Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, on Saturday.

The bandh called by the GJM leadership in the hills — demanding the immediate removal of Mr. Ghising from the post and the scrapping of the move to grant Sixth Schedule status to the region — entered its third day on Friday.

The GJM is also demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland to be carved out of the Darjeeling hills and certain areas contiguous to it.

“Mr. Ghising, who could not return to Darjeeling as he had hoped, has now fled to Kolkata,” GJM president Bimal Gurung told The Hindu over telephone from Darjeeling. “Our supporters will now go to Kolkata and gherao him at the place he has put up.”

On the developments in the hills, veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu said: “Mr. Ghising finds himself in a difficult situation with many of his supporters [who are now with the GJM] having turned against him”.
CM reviewing situation

Mr. Bhattacharjee was monitoring the situation in Darjeeling and holding talks with the Centre to press for the speedy passage in Parliament of the two amendment Bills aimed at granting Sixth Schedule status to the region, Mr. Basu said.
‘Bandh will continue’

“The bandh in the Darjeeling hills will continue till our demands are met”, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said. Thirty-three GJM activists were on hunger strike since February 17 in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong and the condition of some of them was serious, he added.

The GJM leadership announced that Municipal Affairs Minister Ashok Bhattacharya too would be prevented from entering the hills. This follows Mr. Bhattacharya’s comments here on Thursday, describing the GJM’s supporters as “outsiders” who were trying to foment trouble in Siliguri.

There could be no further talks here with the State government on the demands, Mr. Giri said, referring to Mr. Bhattacharya’s appeal for a dialogue with the GJM. “If the State government is keen on discussions, it will have to send its officials to Darjeeling to sit for talks with us,” he added.

andamansikkim: vehicles from sikkim (SK numbered) allowed to ply between Siliguri and Sikkim in the NH 31A..Schools and essential services are functioning normally in the hills.