Mamata to visit north Bengal to fuel tea stir

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 23: Trinamul Congress chief Miss Mamata Bannerjee plans visiting north Bengal to fuel the demand for reopening of the closed and abandoned tea gardens. The decision to organise a series of movement over the issue was adopted at the two-day meeting of the North Bengal Core Committee (NBCC) of the party held at Kolkata on yesterday and today. All the 13 members of the NBCC including its chairman Mr Gautam Deb, executive members Mr Rabindra Nath Ghosh and Mr Mridul Goswami and senior state level party leaders were present at the meeting.

 

NBCC sources said that in a bid to gear up the movement for reopening of the closed and abandoned tea gardens of Dooars the party supremo Miss Mamata Bannerjee will address at a conference of tea garden workers at Malbazar on 30 August. She will also address at such conferences to be held at Bharnabari Tea Estate and Kathalguri Tea Estate on 31 August. During the next phase of the movement Trinamul Congress will organise Bhukha-michhil (hunger march) of tea garden workers and blockade of Tea Board office at Kolkata. As they want participation of a massive number of workers in these programmes they will initiate an extensive campaign in all the tea garden areas in Dooars. Miss Bannerjee will also attend party workers' conferences at Malda, Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur on 15-16 September.

 

It may be recalled here that the Trinamul Congress chief had visited Shikarpur and Raipur tea estates on 17 June.

 

Cooch Behar District Trinamul Congress president Mr Rabindra Nath Ghosh said Miss Bannerjee would address at a gathering at Shitalkuchi on 1 September. The gathering will be held to stage protest against the "forcible cremation" of a girl that was allegedly occurred at Dakshin Nalgram village of Sitalkuchi in Mathabhanga sub-division on 22 June. It may be recalled that Ms Sonali Guha (MLA), a close confidant of the firebrand leader visited that village with other leaders of the party on 30 June. They had submitted a detailed report to Miss Bannerjee. It is believed that after reviewing that report she agreed to attend a protest rally at Sitalkuchi to demand high-level inquiry into the gruesome incident and arrest of all the seven accused that are stated to be CPI-M activists.

 

Meanwhile, a Trinamul Congress delegation led by the leader of the opposition in the Assembly Mr Partha Chatterjee submitted a memorandum to the Tea Board office at Kolkata today. Mr Mukul Roy (MP), Mr Shovandeb Chattopadhyay and the NBCC members attended the programme. NBCC sources said they demanded the Tea Board to take an initiative to draw an end to the stalemate that is prevailing in the closed and abandoned tea gardens in Dooars. Only a measure like reopening of the tea gardens can bring a permanent solution to the ongoing impasse, they opined. []

The Statesman

Special Article

The Enclave Problem~I
India, Bangladesh can and must solve this 300-year-old issue!
By BRENDAN WHYTE
There are 198 "enclaves" (chhit-mahals) between India and Bangladesh. Cooch Behar district has 106 enclaves in Bangladesh, and Bangladesh has 92 enclaves in India: 88 in Cooch Behar, 3 in Jalpaiguri, and 1 between Cooch Behar and Assam's Dhubri district. The enclaves vary from clusters of villages to individual fields. The smallest Indian enclave may be Panisala, only 0.1093 ha; the smallest Bangladeshi enclave is Upan Chowki Bhajni #24 at 0.2870 ha. The largest are India's Balapara Khagrabari at 25.95 sq. km, and Bangladesh's 18.68 sq. km Dahagram-Angarpota. The 198 enclaves also include 3 Indian and 21 Bangladeshi counter-enclaves (enclaves within enclaves).
India also possesses the world's only counter-counter-enclave: a 0.69 ha jute field inside a Bangladeshi enclave inside an Indian enclave inside Bangladesh! Enclave population-sizes are unknown. The last census to include enclaves was conducted in 1951, although the Pakistani enumeration was incomplete. The population today is probably under 100,000 in total, 60% living in Indian enclaves in Bangladesh, the rest in Bangladeshi enclaves in India. The enclaves are 300 years old, originating during the Mughal wars against Cooch Behar in the late 1600s. A treaty was concluded in 1711 in which the Mughals obtained three chaklas from Cooch Behar, but the Subahdar of Bengal rejected the treaty and forced Cooch Behar to cede further lands in 1713, reducing it to about its present borders. This second treaty is the origin of the enclaves: as in feudal Europe, the holdings of kings and their vassals were not contiguous wholes but rather a patchwork of land parcels, so the ceded chaklas included lands inside the unceded areas and vice versa.
The East India Company fixed the Bengal-Cooch Behar boundary about 1773, and by 1814 noted that the enclaves were safe havens for bandits. Yet the Company itself created more enclaves in 1817 when it adjudicated a territorial dispute between Cooch Behar and Bhutan, creating Cooch Behari enclaves in then-Bhutanese territory (now Alipurduar district of Jalpaiguri). These enclaves remained when the British annexed the Bhutanese lands in 1865.
The British quashed the bandit menace but proliferation of liquor, ganja and opium shops in the enclaves became an excise problem between Bengal and Cooch Behar. After discussions, the main boundary of Cooch Behar became the customs and excise boundary. All Cooch Behar enclaves in British India fell under British excise control, while all British enclaves in Cooch Behar fell under Cooch Behari excise control. This practical solution to the problem in hand left the sovereignty of the enclaves intact.
A full exchange of enclaves was suggested by the British in the early 1930s, to reduce the costs of the upcoming survey and demarcation of the Cooch Behar boundary but the idea was dropped in face of strong local objections, and all the enclaves were surveyed and demarcated with pillars by the late 1930s.
Partition and independence in 1947, and the subsequent accession of Cooch Behar to India in 1949, elevated the enclaves to the international level. Initially this was unproblematic, with India and Pakistan concluding agreements on cross-border trade and movement in the enclave areas. The 1951 census included the enclaves. But Pakistan's unilateral 1952 introduction of visa requirements, and immediate Indian reciprocation sealed the fate of the enclave dwellers. High-level politics subordinated the needs of enclave dwellers on both sides.
Full exchange was again agreed upon by the 1958 Nehru-Noon accord, and this was reiterated in a modified form in the 1974 Indira-Mujib agreement between India and Bangladesh (Bangladesh would keep its largest enclave, Dahagram-Angarpota, to guarantee access to which, India would lease it a short corridor). But a succession of mainly Indian legal challenges regarding the constitutionality of both accords prevented implementation until 1992, when the Tin Bigha corridor was finally opened. The exchange of the remaining enclaves, agreed in 1958 and 1974 and cleared of legal challenges by 1990 remains unimplemented, despite constant Bangladeshi calls for India to implement the agreements fully.
Meanwhile, since the 1950s the chhit mahalis, or enclave dwellers, have been effectively rendered stateless by the two governments abandoning responsibility for them.
India's fencing of its border with Bangladesh has added a physical dimension to the political isolation of its own enclaves. The chhit mahalis on both sides are unable to vote, to attend schools or markets, to be helped by NGOs working in either country, or to seek police help or medical attention. Each country claims its original citizens have been forced out of their enclaves by the population of the other country surrounding them, and so each country refuses to extend its governmental responsibilities to the supposed invaders.
Simultaneously each denies it can legally assist the populations of the other country's enclaves inside its own territory. Abandoned by both sides, the chhit mahalis struggle to survive without the ability to protect their rights, homes or lives. Bandits once more make use of the enclaves to escape the jurisdiction of the surrounding state.
The problem is one of India and Bangladesh's own making but it is not unique. Since 1996, when the Lithuanian enclave of Pogiry in Belarus (population: three) was exchanged for equivalent land, 259 enclaves have remained on the world map. Besides India-Bangladesh, there are 61 enclaves affecting 21 countries as owners or hosts. Most consist of a single farm, or a village and its surrounding farmland, inside a neighbouring country. Some approach the complexity of the Cooch Behar enclaves, such as 30 enclaves (including 8 counter-enclaves) belonging to Belgium and the Netherlands in the village of Baarle (population 8500).
The Belgian-Dutch enclaves originated in a feudal agreement c.1198, and emerged at the international level when Belgium declared independence from the Netherlands in 1830. The enclaves were an annoyance to customs, police and foreign ministry officials; but arrangements allowed goods to pass into and through the enclaves, paying tax only if they were destined for the other country or its enclaves. Nevertheless, smuggling brought prosperity to a village on the economic and political periphery of both countries. Today the village park boasts a statue honouring the smugglers. The economic union of Belgium and the Netherlands and the subsequent European Union have eliminated the profitabililty of smuggling without the need for policing or fences. Different town halls and churches exist side by side.
Several businesses and houses straddle the enclave boundaries, enjoying two postal addresses and two telephone connections. The policemen from each country share an office. The fire departments work together with special hose-coupling devices. Utilities, sewerage, road maintenance and rubbish collection are conducted by one country or the other for the population of both. Where a national law unduly inconveniences the enclaves, an exception is granted. Thus while Sunday shopping is illegal in the Netherlands, the shops in Baarle's Dutch enclaves may open on Sundays to compete with the Belgian shops, and the village has a thriving Sunday market, drawing crowds from both countries. Before the Euro was introduced, all shopkeepers and government offices accepted both national currencies. Overall the village has boomed as a border market, increasingly tourism-oriented, marketing its enclaves as a tourist attraction. Without the enclaves Baarle would be a small unimportant village. The enclaves have allowed it to surpass its neighbouring villages in size and prosperity.
Other enclaves are often placed inside the customs, postal or telephone jurisdiction of the surrounding country. Switzerland tolerates a casino in the Italian tax-haven enclave of Campione d'Italia, on condition that Swiss citizens have a daily betting limit. Germany's village of Büsingen, also inside Switzerland, is inside the Swiss customs and currency area, not that of the EU. Passage from the UAE into the Omani enclave of Madha and into the UAE's counter-enclave of Dahwa inside remain free of controls for locals and foreigners alike. On Cyprus, locals from two villages enclaved inside the British territory (and military base) of Dhekelia move about freely, and farm land under both British and Cypriot sovereignty.
(To be concluded)

*The author is a New Zealand political geographer based in Thailand. His PhD thesis at the University of Melbourne was on the Cooch behar enclaves.*

Controversy over Alipurduar women's college

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 22: Setting up of the proposed women's college in Alipurduar is suffering from a dispute over the land earmarked for it. Earlier it was decided that the college's building would be constructed on a six-acre land at Ward No. 2 in the town. But following a dispute between the Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishad and Alipurduar Municipality over possession of the land the construction work is yet to begin. It was learnt that Rs 35-lakh received from the Local Area Development funds of Alipurduar MP Mr Joachim Buxla and Alipurduar MLA Mr Nirmal Das for construction of the building is lying idle.

 

Launching of a separate college for women is a long-standing demand in Alipurduar. Eminent citizens and a number of organisations raised the demand on different occasions. Following the popular demand the local MP and the MLA too came forward and extended financial assistance to establish the college.

 

Alipurduar MLA Mr Nirmal Das said the problem is not scarcity of fund but of land. JZP had agreed to handover a six-acre land at Ward No.2 in the town but the authority of the civic body is creating problems to get it. Earlier, the proposed land was under possession of Satyanarayan Mill but after cancellation of the lease agreement that land was earmarked for the proposed women's college. The Alipurduar Municipality placed a board on the land claiming it as their own and this has created the controversy.

 

Mr Das who is also the secretary of the Alipurduar Women's College Organising Committee said they already conveyed the matter both to the state chief minister and the state higher education minister. They also intimated the matter to the Governor Mr Gopal Krishna Gandhi urging his intervention to dissolve the stalemate. Mr Das claimed that they received the required permission to run the proposed college in another educational institution in Alipurduar till completion of the new college building.

 

On the otherhand, Alipurduar Municipality sources denied the allegation rose against them. The civic body too want establishment of a women's college in the town. The problem over possession of the disputed land will be over after identification of its actual owner, an official said. Mr Das hoped that the impasse will be over very soon and then the construction of the building will begin. []

Panic over railway's eviction plan

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 20: The railway authority is going to reclaim its land in Alipurduar along Alipurduar-Bamanhat route. Northeast Frontier Railway's Alipurduar Division sources said they would start eviction drive shortly to complete construction of guard-walls on both side of the railway track in Alipurduar. Learning this plan a large number of people are suffering from fear of eviction.

 

It was learnt that people residing beside the railway track in Alipurduar town submitted a memorandum to the Alipurduar ADM Mr Sushanta Dutta and Divisional Railway Manager of Alipurduar division Mr Arjun Rakshit a few days ago. They appealed that they should not be evicted from their homesteads. Since guard-walls are being constructed on both sides of the railway track they should be left beyond that limit as they were there for years. They argued that they were peacefully co-operating with the railway authority by moving back to construct the guard-walls beside Alipurduar-Bamanhat railway route. Since the land beside the track beyond the guard-walls is to lie unused it should be left for the people as they used it for years.

 

Railway sources at Alipurduar clarified that they were not acquiring any new land for construction of the guard-walls. It will come up on its own land along both sides of the track.

 

The 76 kilometre long Alipurduar Junction-Bamanhat railway route was launched in 1900. Earlier it was a metre-gauge line but now conversion work is on to make it a broad-gauge one. Though the scheduled date of launching of the broad-gauge line was 31 March it was differed due to some problems. Work is on to launch it in August. NF Railway sources said that along the newly built track there will be 16 level crossings and no one of those will be left as unmanned.

 

Alipurduar MLA Mr Nirmal Das said the rail track gone through seven wards of Alipurduar Municipality. More than 700 families are residing there beside the railway track for years. The railway authority served notices to the locals asking them to vacate the encroached land. This may render about 3,500 persons homeless. It is not ethical to ask them to leave the land without offering any rehabilitation facility. "We will take up the matter with the higher authority", Mr Das assured. []

'Greater' faction demands caretaker government by 15 August

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 20: A faction of The Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA) led by Mr Jyotish Sarkar demanded formation of a caretaker government by 15 August of this year. In support of their demand they submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate of Cooch Behar on Wednesday. A spokesman of GCPA (JS) declared that they would organise a greater movement if the authorities fail to fulfil their demand.

 

It may be recalled that following difference on several issues the GCPA got divided about two years ago. After the violence that occurred on 20 September 2005 a number of leaders and activists were arrested. The followers of the think-tank of the organisation Mr Bangshi Badan Barman renamed their organisation as Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCDP). Later, they came under an umbrella organisation named Greater Kamta United Forum (GKUF) alongwith Kamtapur Progressive Party (KPP) and All Assam Koch Rajbongshi Students' Union (AAKRASU). On the otherhand the followers of Mr Jyotish Sarkar are still running their organisation under the old banner.

 

On Wednesday a large number of GCPA (JS) supporters gathered in Cooch Behar and submitted memorandums addressed to the President, the Prime Minister and the Union home minister through the district magistrate. A spokesman of GCPA (JS) said that they want a separate state following the agreement signed between the then Maharaja of Cooch Behar and the Union of India by which the erstwhile princely state of Cooch Behar was merged with India. The proposed new state should be constituted with those districts of north Bengal, Assam and Bihar that were once under Cooch Behar Kingdom, he demanded. Proper implementation of the merger agreement can solve all problems, he opined.

 

Coming down heavily on GCDP leadership and CPI-M the GCPA (JS) spokesman said the authorities concerned should form a caretaker government to run the proposed state government by 15 August otherwise they will launch a greater movement to get the proposed new state.

 

GCDP sources however denied making any comment about the demand and movement of the GCPA (JS). As their chief Mr Bangshi Badan Barman is staying behind the bars they are very careful to make any hasty comment or adopt any decision. CPI-M sources too denied commenting on the movement of GCPA (JS) terming them as a "secessionist force". []

 

PHOTO (GCPA-JS) : Procession demanding implementation of Cooch Behar's merger agreement. In front of the statue of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan on the bank of Sagardighi in Cooch Behar on Wednesday.

Undertrial dies in custody

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 19: An undertrial prisoner, Narayan Dey (70) died in jail custody in Cooch Behar last night. He was a resident of Sudhangshu Nagar in Ward No. 2. He was in jail custody since 4 June.

 

It was learnt that Narayan Dey's younger son Ujjwal Dey married Tumpa Dey about a year ago. On 3 June of this year Tumpa reportedly committed suicide by setting her ablaze with kerosene. Police had arrested her husband Ujjwal Dey, mother-in-law Jyotsna Dey and father-in-law Narayan Dey in connection with that incident. Since 4 June the arrested trio were in Cooch Behar District Correctional Home under jail custody.

 

As Narayan Dey was an acute asthmatic patient he was shifted to MJN Hospital from the CDCH for two times earlier. Last evening his condition was reportedly turned serious. He was reportedly found suffering from breathing trouble. The jail authority shifted him to MJN Hospital where he died at night.

 

According to Dey family sources, the elder son of the deceased, Mr Utpal Dey is getting ready to submit a complaint to the Human Rights Commission. They alleged that the police and the jail authority did little to extend proper medical care to the old man though he was an acute asthmatic patient. The family members were not informed in time about his illness and shifting to the hospital. They got the death news only at deep of the night, they alleged. They believe the Human Rights Commission may do the right to the bereaved family.

 

Additional superintendent of police, Mr James Kujur said the police and also the jail authority submitted a report informing the death of the undertrial to the Human Rights Commission according to norms. Post-mortem of the body was done today following all official procedure. Videography was also done during the post-mortem process in presence of all concerned. They will send a detailed report to the HRC, Mr Kujur said. []

 

Air service to resume from 15 August

  

COOCH BEHAR, July 19: Countdown begins. Now it is less than one month to resume the long awaited air service from Cooch Behar Airport. Cooch Behar Airport may start functioning again on and from 15 August. District magistrate of Cooch Behar Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha believes if all goes well the air service will resume on the Independence Day. Others too expect so.

 

On the otherhand, hearing for demolishing and downsizing of forty-two buildings and constructions situated around Cooch Behar Airport was completed in the first week of this month. Cooch Behar DM Mr Sinha told The Statesman today that after completion of the hearing the Airport Authority of India officials went back to Kolkata. They are yet to convey the district administration about the outcome of the hearing and so it is yet uncertain whether the identified constructions need to be downsized or not to resume the air service, Mr Sinha said. He however assured all co-operation to resume the air service through Cooch Behar Airport.

 

Welcoming the news, Cooch Behar District Left Front convenor Mr Chandi Pal hoped that this time the Airport Authority of India (AAI) might keep their promise. He said he had talks with the state chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee recently over the matter. The CM too assured of the resumption of the air service, Mr Pal claimed.

 

Secretary of Cooch Behar District Merchants Chamber of Commerce Mr Rajendra Kumar Baid said, "We came to know that the air service will be along Dum Dum – Cooch Behar – Guwahati route and vice versa". Authorities of Air Deccan and some other well-known airlines expressed their interest in conducting flights in this route, he said. But the district magistrate Mr Sinha said, "I heard about Air Deccan and a few names but I was not informed of about any particular airlines till now to be pressed into the service".

 

It may be recalled that a team of AAI officials had visited Cooch Behar during the first week of this month. They had inquired about available infrastructure and problems for resuming flights at Cooch Behar Airport. They also examined whether any problem may arise due to existence of railway track and level crossing adjacent to the airport. Possible problems after resuming of train service along the Alipurduar-Bamanhat railway route that being converted into broad-gauge was also examined. []

Section 144 promulgated to curb smuggling

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 18: The district magistrate of Cooch Behar, Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha has promulgated Section 144 CrPC along the entire International border in Cooch Behar district. The said order shall remain in force till 7 September. Any person violating the order shall be liable for prosecution under Section 188 IPC.

 

The district magistrate has promulgated the Section 144 CrPC with an aim to prevent breach of peace and large scale smuggling of essential commodities into Bangladesh by miscreants and antisocial elements.

 

Persons and agencies lawfully employed in connection with maintenance of law and order, prevention of smuggling and for gathering intelligence inputs are exempted from the purview of the order.

 

Under the order no person shall carry twenty-three scheduled commodities within a distance of one-kilometre from the Indo-Bangladesh border in eight police stations in the district, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. without prior written permission of the district magistrate or SDO or BDO concerned. These eight police stations are : Mathabhanga, Mekhliganj, Kuchlibari, Haldibari, Tufanganj, Dinhata, Sitai and Sitalkuchi.

 

Twenty-three commodities described in Schedule-A in the order, were restricted for carrying. These are : rice and paddy, wheat and wheat products, kerosene, sugar, mustard oil, coconut oil, fertilisers, textile goods, iron and steel, bidi leaves, tobacco, machine parts, baby food, cycle parts, salt, tea, dry batteries, petrol and diesel, raw jute, dal, cattle, cement and betel nuts.

 

Following the order, markets and shops of that zone will not be allowed to transact business in the night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. By the same order, a ban was also clamped on the grazing of cattle within 300 metres of the Indo-Bangladesh border during the night from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

 

In his order the district magistrate, Mr Sinha mentioned that the prohibitory order was promulgated following information that there was serious apprehension of breach of peace in the Indo-Bangladesh border areas of the district due to shortage of essential commodities caused by large scale smuggling into Bangladesh by miscreants and anti-social elements. []

 

7-yr RI for selling fake stamp paper

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 18: The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Cooch Behar, Mr Manojyoti Bandyopadhyay today sentenced a stamp-vendor to seven years rigorous imprisonment for selling counterfeit stamp paper in 1998.

 

When asked about the case, the Assistant Public Prosecutor Mr Dipen Kumar Chaudhury said a stamp-vendor named Md Sahjahan Mian had sold a stamp paper of denomination of Rs 500 to Mr Ashok Kumar Dam and Ms Mayarani Dam on 1 July 1998. Later during its use it was revealed that the stamp paper was a forged one. Considering the seriousness of the incident the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was entrusted to investigate into the matter. After conducting a thorough inquiry the CID had framed a chargesheet on which the trial started. Twenty-four witnesses were examined at the court during the trial.

 

Today, declaring the judgement, the CJM Mr Manojyoti Bandyopadhyay ordered seven years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 to the accused for selling fake stamp paper. In default of submitting the fined amount he will have to suffer an additional six months imprisonment. The judge also sentenced the accused to seven years RI and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 under another Section for selling the stamp paper knowing it as counterfeit. Both the punishments will go on concurrently, the APP Mr Dipen Kumar Chaudhury said. []

SUCI protests NBSTC's land deal plan

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 17: SUCI came down heavily on the proposed initiative to handover lands of North Bengal State Transport Corporation to Reliance group for opening up retail business hubs. Opposing the plan they submitted a memorandum to the managing director of the NBSTC at Cooch Behar today.

 

On behalf of Cooch Behar district SUCI Mr Nripen Karjee alleged that the NBSTC authority is trying to sell out about 3-acre land situated at Tinbatti Morh in Jalpaiguri to Reliance group. Selling out of the land of Baharampore depot is also on the pipeline. Reliance group is to set up their retail business hubs on these plots. As a result a large number of small traders of this region will be affected, he said.

 

Mr Karjee said the NBSTC authority is trying to handover all its viable routes too to private operators. If they had any good intention to revive the organisation they should have to launch new bus services along the profit oriented and long distance routes.

 

Submitting the memorandum containing a five-point charter of demands the SUCI demanded plying of buses in all long distance and local routes. They protested the privatisation move of NBSTC and demanded launching of the long awaited central workshop.

 

Mr Karjee alleged that during submission of the memorandum to the managing director some supporters of CITU tried to foil the programme. The MD however admitted their allegations, Mr Karjee claimed. []

 

Pradhan removed

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 17: The CPI-M pradhan of Baneswar Gram Panchayat, Ms Rina Ray has to step down at the requisitioned meeting of the GP by 9-7 votes today. The Cooch Behar-II BDO Ms ST Bhutia said election for appointment of new pradhan would be held after seven days according to norms. Till appointment of a new pradhan the upo-pradhan Mr Ajit Sarkar (CPI-M) will run the GP.

 

The Baneswar GP is a 16-member body. There are 7 members of CPI-M, 5 of Congress, 3 of Trinamul Congress and one of BJP. After the recent by-election Trinamul secured two seats and so the situation also changed. It is believed that the CPI-M may have to quit from the power of the GP due to new political situation. []

 

Students' rally in Alipurduar

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 17: Members of All India Progressive Students' Union (AIPSU) took out a large procession in Alipurduar of Jalpaiguri district today. Later they gathered in front of the sub-divisional officer's office. Led by Mr Asim Sarkar and Mr Pankaj Kar they submitted an eleven-point charter of demands to the SDO of Alipurduar. A large number of boys and girls from the closed and abandoned tea gardens also participated in today's programme.

 

The AIPSU organised the programme demanding Tea Board to shoulder the expenses of study of the students of closed tea gardens, setting up higher secondary schools in all blocks, setting up the long awaited women's college at Alipurduar, introduction of question papers in Hindi for Hindi speaking students, filling up all vacant posts of teachers and non-teaching staff in the schools and text book library facility in all schools for the poor students. They also demanded addition of Honours courses in the colleges.

 

Supporting the demands of the AIPSU, Alipurduar MLA Mr Nirmal Das said the Centre should consider Alipurduar as the site for the proposed Central University. He said he already drew attention of the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Union human resource development minister Mr Arjun Singh over the matter. A large number of students will be benefited if the proposed Central University come up in Dooars, he opined. At the same time he reiterated the demand of opening of an office of Tea Board in Alipurduar. []

 

Protest against eviction plan

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 17: People residing beside the railway track in Alipurduar submitted a memorandum to the Alipurduar ADM Mr Sushanta Dutta and Divisional Railway Manager of Alipurduar division Mr Arjun Rakshit today. They appealed that they should not be evicted from their places. Since guard-walls were constructed on both sides of the railway track they should be left as they were for years. They argued that they had peacefully co-operated with the railway authority by moving back to construct the guard-walls beside Alipurduar-Bamanhat railway route that was launched in 1900. Since the land beside the track is to lie unused it should be left for the people as they did for years. Alipurduar MLA Mr Nirmal Das assured them that he would take up their demand with proper authority. []

 

Trouble at employment exchange

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 17: Supporters of All India Youth League (AIYL) supporters allegedly ransacked the district employment office in Cooch Behar today. AIYL sources however claimed that they were not involved in the matter.

 

General secretary of Cooch Behar district unit of AIYL Mr Gopal Dey said that they had intimated the district employment exchange officer on 13 July that they will meet him on 17 July to submit a memorandum. Following that schedule the AIYL supporters went to the office this noon but the officer concerned was not present there. When the official-in-charge denied accepting the memorandum an altercation occurred between the AIYL supporters and the staff. Employment exchange office sources alleged that the agitated AIYL supporters ransacked the office but AIYL leaders denied the allegation.

 

Mr Dey said after failing to submit the memorandum containing a five-point charter of demands they organised a protest rally near the employment exchange office today. AIYL leaders including its district president Md Abdur Rauf addressed at the gathering. The speakers demanded proper government guideline should be followed for issuing calls to the unemployed and the authorities should take measures to stop the activity of the racket of middlemen in the employment exchanges. []  

 

Water demand : officials gheraoed

 

COOCH BEHAR, July 16: Agitated villagers gheraoed a team of public health engineering (PHE) personnel at Shikarpur in Tufanganj today. Later, after getting assurance of regular water supply the locals set the PHE men free.

 

It was learnt that a team of PHE personnel including a senior official Mr Nityahari Basak went to Shikarpur village under Tufanganj-I block today to examine the problems of water supply in that village. Seeing them the aggrieved villagers gheraoed the team members and started demonstrating against the poor state of water supply. They alleged that the water supply project was launched there about twenty years ago but it failed to supply pure drinking water to the villagers concerned. Soon after launching of the project they got muddy water for a few days and later it stopped functioning. Since then the project is lying as a defunct one, the villagers alleged.

 

PHE sources claimed that they had handed over the project to Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad about ten years ago. Today a team of PHE personnel went to the village following a request from the CZP to examine the problems when the villagers gheraoed them. On the otherhand, CZP sabhadhipati Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda said the project was never handed over to them and they never asked the PHE to send any team to examine the matter. He however said that the CZP is trying to improve the situation. Already an Rs 20-lakh plan was submitted to the higher authorities to make the project a viable one, he added.

 

A local BJP leader Mr Akshoy Das said they had to gherao the officials because the villagers were suffering for years without the promised pure drinking water. He warned that they would have to launch a massive movement if the authorities fail to supply water to the village any longer. []

PHOTO : Members of Bengal Hawkers' Association with empty dishes at the novel roadblock programme staged against eviction drive at Kachhari Morh. In Cooch Behar on Saturday.