GREATER COOCH BEHAR

'Greater' leader Bangshi Badan Barman may come out from jail

Following state government's intension to release political prisoners the inmates of Greater Cooch Behar movement in Cooch Behar that are behind the bars are expecting a free life again. Now, there are forty-three 'Greater' activists who were extended with political prisoner status. Those under-trial persons are suffering in the correctional home. Among the undertrial prisoners there is Mr Bangshi Badan Barman too, who was the chief of  'Greater Cooch Behar' movement. He had to surrender following the violence that claimed five lives on 20 September 2005 during a massive movement.  

On Friday, Mr Barman expressed his pleasure to the members of his closer circle. He thanked state chief minister Ms Mamata Banerjee for her initiative to release the political prisoners and said 'at last I am going to come out from the jail'.

A wind of happiness is also blowing over the residences of the 'Greater' activists. At Putimari area near Prantik Bazar in Dinhata Mr Barman's aged mother, Mrs Jayamati Barman turned happy when she learnt of the probability of release of his son. Expressing her joy she said she wants her son to come back to look after the family. At the same time she said that she want him to work for the cause of the country too. Mr Barman's elder brother Mr Madhusudan Barman is also happy to learn that his brother may come home again.

The lawyer of the 'Greater' undertrials, Mr Shibendra Nath Ray said at last the justice turned victorious. The persons are suffering for a few years inside the correctional home. Now, they are going to breath under the open sky, he said. 

 

GCPA's hunger strike steps on fifth day

The Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA) supporters that are on an indefinite fast are continuing their agitation in Cooch Behar. Their agitation stepped on in fifth day of Friday.

The activists of the GCPA were on fast at Raas Mela Maidan and adjacent roads in Cooch Behar town since Monday demanding formation of a separate state, proper implementation of the merger agreement by which Cooch Behar was included in India and formation of a caretaker cabinet of ministers for Cooch Behar.

On Wednesday the district administration shifted them at a place adjacent to the historic Cooch Behar Palace complex. As the strikers were staying on the streets in the town the district administration came under pressure from different quarters and so they had to shift the agitators to restore normalcy in the town.  

District magistrate of Cooch Behar, Ms Smaraki Mahapatra said they are keeping a constant watch on the situation. During dialogues the agitators told the authorities that they would talk with their central leadership over lifting of the hunger strike. A medical team is kept ready to extend medical care to the ailing strikers. Four persons were shifted to the hospital on Thursday and Friday. Police are also deployed there to maintain peace. The agitators co-operated with the administration during shifting of them from the streets of the town, the DM added.

A GCPA leader however said that they would continue their hunger strike till fulfilment of their demands. 

GREATER COOCH BEHAR MOVEMENT

GCPA's hunger strike steps on third day

The indefinite hunger strike of The Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA) stepped into its third day on Wednesday. The activists of the GCPA are on fast at Raas Mela Maidan and adjacent roads in Cooch Behar town since Monday demanding formation of a separate state, proper implementation of the merger agreement by which Cooch Behar was included in India and formation of a caretaker cabinet of ministers for Cooch Behar.

Normal life in the town is being disturbed to some extent due to the agitation as they installed tents for the hunger strikers blocking a few roads including Bangchatra Road and Silver Jubilee Avenue in the town. Citizens have to use alternate roads to reach their destinations. Functioning of educational institutions are also being disturbed as a number of schools sent back their students on Wednesday probably to avert disturbance.

Police said they are keeping strict watch on the situation as many citizens are feeling disturbed following occupancy of streets by the agitators. A senior police official said they are ready to meet any situation. Riot control vans and water cannons are also kept ready to maintain peace.

District Magistrate of Cooch Behar Ms Smaraki Mahapatra said dialogues are being continuing with the agitators urging them to lift their stir. A process is also going on to clear the streets of the town. More than one hundred hunger strikers have been hospitalised, as they turned sick. "We are trying our best to get an way out from the present situation", she said.       

A GCPA leader said a similar agitation is going on in New Delhi too. She said they would continue their agitation till fulfilment of their demands.  She claimed that they initiated their indefinite hunger strike by obtaining proper permission from the administrative authorities. 

COOCH BEHAR AIRPORT

Air service starts from Tuesday

After long years the Cooch Behar-Kolkata air service is going to be restored from the first week of August. On Tuesday, an aircraft of North East Shuttles took off from Cooch Behar Airport at about 12-49 p.m. and left for Kolkata en route Saidpur of Bangladesh initiating regular flights. The aircraft came from Dimapur of Assam and landed at Cooch Behar Airport amid cheers of curious visitors and guests at about 12-06 p.m.

Seven eminent persons from Cooch Behar including two MLAs, three government officials and two members of business community boarded the plane that left for Kolkata. They are the first passengers in the resumed air service.

Official sources said the fare for Cooch Behar-Kolkata flight would be around Rs 5,000 and from the first week of August the air service would be regular. 

THAKUR PANCHANAN BARMA UNIVERSITY

Fresh stir plan to get a university

Manishi Panchanan Barma Viswavidyalaya Prastuti Committee is going to organise a series of fresh movements to get the long awaited university named after the legendary social reformer of North Bengal, Thakur Panchanan Barma. On Sunday the committee organised a convention at the birthplace of Thakur Panchanan Barma at Khalisamari village in Mathabhanga sub-division of Cooch Behar district.

Secretary of the committee Mr Girindra Nath Barman said they would spread their movement in all areas of North Bengal. In Sunday's convention they decided to organise sit-in movements at Mathabhanga and in Cooch Behar, a convention at Jalpaiguri and roadblock at different areas of Cooch Behar district. At the last phase of their movement they would start a fast-unto-death stir to get their demand fulfilled. During their movements they would convey their demand to the state chief minister too to draw her attention to the long awaited demand, Mr Barman said.

Mr Barman, who is also a vice-president of the Cooch Behar district unit of the Trinamul Congress, said, they already collected 336-bigha land for setting up of the university. If necessary they would acquire an additional 200-bigha land as enthusiastic locals came up to donate the required volume of land for the university named after Thakur Panchanan Barma, he said.

At the convention that was held at Khalisamari there were eminent persons like Mr Dipak Ray of North Bengal University, the principal of Sitalkuchi College Mr Afjal Hossain, educationist Mr Banikanta Bhattacharya and others. The speakers spoke of the necessity of a new university named after Thakur Panchanan Barma at Khalisamari in the interest of higher studies for the students of the region. 

VIRGIN MOTHER GETS JUSTICE

Court orders man to give maintenance to a newborn

After a long legal battle Ms Afruza Khatun has been able to get her child the maintenance allowance from its 'father'. On Monday, the Judicial Magistrate of Cooch Behar Third Court Md Mahiullah ordered the 'father', Mr Janab Ali to pay a maintenance allowance of Rs 1,200 per month to the child of the unmarried woman.

The lawyer of Ms Afruza Khatun, Mr Shibendra Nath Ray said Ms Afruza of Ghoramara Sajerpar under Cooch Behar Kotowali police station gave birth of her child on 9 March 2009 at MJN Hospital in Cooch Behar. She had a love affair with a local man Mr Janab Ali. But, the man denied admitting the fatherhood of the newborn on 16 March 2009 when she went to his residence with locals. Earlier too, she lodged a complaint to the police during her pregnancy (Kotowali PS case No. 75/2008) when the man drove her out as she claimed the man to admit paternity for the would-be child.

As she felt it hard to maintain the child she lodged a case (Misc. case No. 229/2009 u/s 125(1) (b) CrPC) at the court of the CJM in Cooch Behar on 29 December 2009 claiming maintenance allowance and recognition of paternity for the child. It is interesting that the woman never claimed that the man should marry her or she entered marital relation with him. She only demanded paternity right for the child she gave birth and the maintenance, Mr Ray said. 

DEVI SIDDHESWARI

Idol of Devi Siddheswari untraced

Police are yet to recover the stolen austodhatu-made deity of Devi Siddheswari. Meanwhile, two guards of the Siddheswari temple were suspended and a probe has been started. Armed miscreants have stolen the idol from the Siddheswari temple on early hours of Sunday.

Police sources reportedly got a clue about the theft but they denied disclosing it in the interest of proper inquiry. Senior administrative, police and Debottar Trust Board officials reviewed the matter on Monday. Necessity of beefing up of security measures at the age-old temples in Cooch Behar under the DTB was discussed in the meeting, sources said.

Cooch Behar Heritage Society (CBHS) demanded immediate arrangement of adequate security to save the old temples of the erstwhile Cooch Behar State from the thieves and miscreants. A spokesman of the CBHS said the austodhatu made deity of Lord Madan Mohan was stolen from the historic Madan Mohan temple in Cooch Behar town in 1994 and that was never recovered. He recalled that thefts have been committed at different temples in the past but the authorities failed to get any breakthrough. The Dash-Mahavidya idol of Gosanimari, Madan Mohan idol of Dangar-Aai temple and the deity of Lord Balaram from the temple at Bhuchungmari were stolen. Recently, the thieves committed crime at Madan Mohan temple at Mathabhanga too. CBHS blamed the indifference of the government to save the temples from the criminals.

North East Development Society (NEDA) and Concern for Cooch Behar (CfC) too demanded strict security measures in the temples in Cooch Behar district. They also demanded proper inquiry to recover the stolen idol of Devi Siddheswari. 

THIEVES IN A TEMPLE

Uproar over theft at Siddheswari temple

A gang of armed miscreants robbed off the ancient idol of Goddess Siddheswari from the historic temple situated at Siddheswari village at early hours of Sunday. The temple stands at a distance of about 2.5-kilometre from Baneswar Shiva temple. Hearing the news a large number of locals and devotees from far and near areas have rushed to the temple since Sunday morning. Many of them broke down to tears, as there is a popular belief that Devi Siddhewari is an awakened Goddess. An inquiry started to recover the stolen idol and arrest the miscreants. Meanwhile, two NVF jawans who were on duty to guard the temple have been suspended.

The priest of the temple, Mr Dhireswar Debsarma told reporters that a few armed miscreants broke open the temple by threatening the guards and looted the 15.5-centemetre idol made of Austodhatu (eight-metal) and the Kharga (the weapon used for sacrifice of animals devoted to the Goddess). The incident took place at about 2 a.m. When the guards informed him he rushed to the temple at early morning and then reported the matter to the police.

On being informed a large contingent of police led by DSP (Head Quarters) Mr Mahadeb Chatterjee arrived at the spot. He promised the aggrieved locals and devotees that armed men are to be deployed from now on to guard the temple. The members of the gang of miscreants might be caught very soon, he assured.

Cooch Behar Sadar SDO Ms Rumela Dey too visited the temple. Police sources said a probe has been started into the incident and the two NVF jawans engaged in the temple to guard it have been suspended due to negligence in their duty.

The Siddheswari temple was established during the regime of Maharaja Harendra Narayan. Considering its style of uniqueness, structure and architecture such a temple is nowhere in Cooch Behar district. It is one of the ancient temples that are under the Debottar Trust Board, the guardian body of all temples and religious places of erstwhile Cooch Behar State. 

EDUCATION

Trinamul Education Cell's university demand

The Cooch Behar district unit of the Trinamul Congress Education Cell has submitted a memorandum to the state higher education minister Mr Bratya Basu in support of their 19-point charter of demands. Establishment of a university at Cooch Behar is the demand that is on the top of other demands mentioned in the memorandum.

President of the Cooch Behar district unit of the TCEC, Mr Niranjan Dutta said on Wednesday that a new university will not only be beneficial to the aspirant candidates of Cooch Behar district but also of its adjacent areas in Jalpaiguri district like Alipurduar, Kamakhyaguri, Kumargram, Falakata and some other areas in lower Assam.

The members of the delegation that recently went to Kolkata to submit the memorandum to the higher education minister consists of Mr Niranjan Dutta, Mr Alok Bhattacharjee, Mr Azimuddin Mian, Mr Harilal Ghosh and Mr Bibek Barman.

In the memorandum they also demanded arrangements for admission for all the higher secondary examination passed students in under-graduate level. Increasing of seats in honours subjects by 30 percent and steps to develop infrastructures and academic facilities in colleges are also demanded. The TCEC leaders also demanded dismantling of politically biased governing bodies of different colleges under North Bengal University.

Mr Dutta said they appealed to the minister to appoint examiners (honours) and head examiners strictly on the basis of seniority and introduction of Sanskrit at the post-graduate level in the NBU.

The TCEC leader hopes that the higher education minister would consider their 19-point demands and do the needful in the greater interest of improvement of education in Cooch Behar as well as in North Bengal. 

CHHITMAHAL (ENCLAVE) DWELLERS DEMAND

Enclave dwellers want to meet Didi

The hunger strike sponsored by the Bharat Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Co-ordination Committee (BBEECC) drew an end with a threat to start the agitation afresh very soon.

The assistant secretary of the BBEECC, Mr Diptiman Sengupta said they lifted the hunger strike following assurance from the administration that their demands would be considered. But, if that assurance proves futile they would not hesitate to start a fresh movement, he warned.

The BBEECC sponsored hunger strike began at a Bangladeshi enclave named Mashaldanga that is situated along Dinhata-Salmara road near Nazirhat in Dinhata sub-division. The strike commenced at 12.01 a.m. on Sunday but it was lifted at the afternoon following assurance from senior officials like the DSP (Crime) and the local BDO.

Mr Sengupta said the DSP (Crime) Mr Rana Mukherjee arrived at the area where the hunger strike was going on. He assured the enclave dwellers that they would take initiative over release of the five enclave residents who were arrested as infiltrators. He also assured about the proposed meeting of the enclave dwellers with the chief minister, Mr Sengupta said, who is now under medical care at a private nursing home in Dinhata.  

On behalf of the hunger strikers it was made known to the officials that they would start a fresh movement if their demands were not fulfilled by 15 July, Mr Sengupta said. At the same time they demanded that their next place of hunger strike (if necessary) would be at a place at Dinhata town and the administration would have to allow them to do so.

According to BBEECC sources the five enclave residents who were arrested as infiltrators to Indian territory are : Akkas Ali Mandal, Abul Sheikh, Jobbar Sheikh, Amir Hossain and Hassem Sheikh. 

ENCLAVE DWELLERS' STIR

Hunger strike of enclave dwellers starts

In support of their three-point charter of demands sixteen persons including seven women started a 48-hour hunger strike since the zero-hour of Sunday. They selected this day for their movement as the Tinbigha corridor was handed over to Bangladesh on this day in 1992. The Bharat Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Co-ordination Committee is the organiser of the programme.

The hunger strike is going on at a Bangladeshi enclave named Mashaldanga. It is situated along Dinhata-Salmara road near Nazirhat in Dinhata sub-division. A large contingent of police personnel is keeping watch on the situation but they are standing on Indian soil, as Mashaldanga is a Bangladeshi enclave.

The three demands raised by the BBEECC are : a meeting of enclave dwellers with the chief minister over enclave exchange issue, release of enclave dwellers who are suffering in jails under 14-Foreigners Act and immediate measures to solve the enclave problems by exchange of enclaves of India and Bangladesh. 

Earlier, the BBEECC had submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate of Cooch Behar on Monday and conveyed her their decision over the proposed hunger strike.

Assistant secretary of BBEECC Mr Diptiman Sengupta said the handover of Tinbigha corridor was occurred twenty years ago on this day but the Nehru-Noon agreement (1958) and the Indira-Mujib agreement (1974) are yet to be implemented. It is known to all that the plight of enclave residents of India and Bangladesh may be ironed out by exchange of enclaves of the two neighbouring countries but that was not done till now. Now they have left with no alternative but organising a massive movement, he said.

Mr Sengupta said when they submitted the memorandum to the Cooch Behar DM she assured them that talks were going on over the enclave exchange issue between the state government and the Centre. But, the suffering people of enclaves cannot wait for an indefinite period, as they have no humane facilities like other citizens and so they started the hunger strike to draw attention of the authorities of both the countries, he said. PIX : SUMON MANDAL