1NOW!Sept 04-10, 2002

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TURN TO pg 9 FOR DETAILS

TNA IS EXCELLENT!NEW DELHI: In a sombrefunction held here at theVigyan Bhavan on August29, Principal, Tashi NamgyalAcademy, Dr. SK Srivastavreceived the First VigyanPuraskar for Excellence inComputer Literacy from thePresident, Dr. APJ Kalam onbehalf of his school. Inattendance were five compu-ter whiz-kids from the schooland the computer teacher,Debasis Das. The prestigiousaward has been instituted bythe Ministry of InformationTechnology. Apart from theglamour of Presidentialfunction, the students werealso treated to an hour-longsession with the scientistPresident. An experiencethat will remain with them fora long time, they disclose.Congrats...

EVICTION

SC DIRECTIVE CLEARSENCROACHMENTS IN

NORTH SIKKIMTHE TIME HAS COME FOR ENCROACHERS OF FOREST LAND TO START MAKING PLANS

TO SHIFT. AS THE SUPREME COURT SET DEADLINE OF SEPTEMBER 30 DRAWS NEARER,

THE FOREST DEPARTMENT GETS WORKING ON CLEARING ALL FOREST LAND OF

ENCROACHMENTS. THE FIRST MOVE WAS TARGETTED AT A SMALL SETTLEMENT NEAR

DICKHU. THINGS ARE BOUND TO HEAT UP ONCE THE INITIATIVE COMES CLOSER TO

AREAS OF “BIGGER” INFLUENCE LIKE MANGAN AND FURTHER NORTH.

TURN TO pg 5 FOR DETAILS

LIMBU,TAMANGIS NOT

BL=

CHAMLING

ASSURES

BL

RIGHTS

WILL NOT

BE

DILUTEDTURN TO pg 2 FOR DETAILS

ALL’SWELL,THATENDSWELL

PLAYWIN APOLOGISES FORDELAY IN PAYMENT;

FORMERLY DISGRUNTLEDWINNER NOW FEELS ISSUE

WAS BLOWN OUT OFPROPORTION

DARJEELING’S

DRUG

PROBLEM

DARJEELING’S

DRUG

PROBLEM

TURN TO pg 10 FOR DETAILS

THE

LAST

TIBETAN

MASTIFF

IS

GONETURN TO pg 12 FOR DETAILS

2 NOW! Sept 04-10, 2002

LIMBU, TAMANG IS NOT=BLGANGTOK: Tribal issues have al-ways been touchy in Sikkim. Spe-cially so if they happen to concernBhutia-Lepchas. The latest topic ofdiscussion is the proposed inclusionof the Limbu and Tamang commu-nities in the Scheduled Tribes list.Even though this has been a con-sistent election promise made by allpolitical parties in the State, nowthat the wheels have finally turned,apprehensions have been voiced.

A fear that is being raised is thatthe inclusion would dilute the po-litical expression of the State’sBhutia-Lepchas.

When contacted for his com-ments, the Chief Minister, PawanChamling, said: “It is important forall concerned to understand that theLimbu and Tamang communitiesare being included in the ScheduledTribes list, not being clubbed asBhutias or Lepchas.”

Stating that he was just deliv-ering on a pre-poll promise madeto the people, the Chief Minister

RepentantDahal remainsan SDF man

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Fresh Roses - Gerberas from Bangalore available at Sikkim Flora, SNOD Complex, Deorali

GANGTOK: The Nehru YuvaKendra, Gangtok, will conduct awalk-in-interview on September 5,2002 at NYK Office, UpperDeorali, Gangtok, from 10-00 amonwards to fill up the vacancies ofNRC, Volunteers, under the Schemeof Ministry of Youth Affairs &Sports, Govt. of India.

The minimum academic quali-fication of the candidates should bematriculation, he/she should beabove 18 yrs of age and less than27 yrs as on 01-7-2002. He/sheshould be permanent resident ofEast Sikkim and must have experi-

added that the 12 reserved seats inthe State Assembly were for BLs“not tribals”.

“Look at the Representation ofPeople (Amendment) Act, 1980. Itis explicit in stating that the 12 seatsare reserved for Sikkimese ofBhutia-Lepcha origin. It does notsay tribals. Limbus and Tamangswill be notified as STs once the Par-liament clears the proposal,” heexplained.

As things stand, the proposal forinclusion of the two communitiesin the ST list was first cleared bythe ST/SC Commission, thenpassed by the State Cabinet, theCentral Cabinet and now lies forfinal discussion in the Parliament.

Dismissing aspersions that the

move would dilute the powers of theBLs, Mr. Chamling reiterated thatfor Limbus and Tamangs to en-croach upon BL rights, they wouldhave to be clubbed either underBhutias or Lepchas which wouldrequire an amendment of the Rep-resentation of People Act, 1950which defines Bhutias as a combi-nation of such communities“Chumbipa, Dopthapa, Dukpa,Kagetey, Sherpa, Tibetan, Tromopaand Yolmo.”

His obvious hint being at thefielding of Sherpa candidates in thelast Assembly elections from a con-stituency reserved for BLs. “That(the Sherpa candidature) was pos-sible because Sherpas are consid-ered Bhutias as per the Act. This

will not be the case as far as Lim-bus and Tamangs are concerned,”he said.

“One of my important respon-sibilities is to protect Sikkim’s BLs.Look at my track-record over theeight years that I have been inpower - have the political rights ofany community been infringedupon? The people should know mynature by now and trust me,” he saidwhile reiterating yet again that therewas no way that BL status wouldget diluted with the new develop-ment.

He went on to state that apartfrom protecting the political rightsof the BLs, his government was alsocommitted to look into their gen-eral well-being. “Other benefits

CHAMLING ASSURES BL RIGHTSWILL NOT BE DILUTED

GANGTOK: The lone Lok Sabhamember from Sikkim, Bhim Dahalhas apologised to his SDF chief,Pawan Chamling, in a letter whichalso categorically stated that he re-mains the SDF MP, despite his ex-pulsion from his party post.

In a letter dated August 10,2002 to the SDF supremo, Mr.

GANGTOK: The Ninth Session ofthe Sixth Assembly commenced onAugust 29. The meeting of theHouse was preceded by the unveil-ing of a statue of BR Ambedkar byChief Minister Pawan Chamling inthe Assembly lawns. Prior to the ini-tiation of the day’s business themembers observed two minutes si-lence in reverence to the departedsoul of late Krishan Kant, theformer Vice-president of India. Thespeaker of the House then wel-comed the Library Committee of thePunjab Legislature who were on avisit to the State.

The Chief Minister presented

by PEMA WANGCHUK

accruing to BLs by virtue of theirbeing tribals such as reservations inemployment opportunities,panchayats and others are all Statesubjects. We will discuss the issuein detail with all communities con-cerned before we decide on whatdecisions to take on these issues,”he assured.

It is learnt that representativesof such organisations as SIBLAChave already met with the ChiefMinister and discussed the issue.

“People should understand thatLimbus and Tamangs are not thesame as Bhutia and Lepcha and wehave no intentions of having it so,”the Chief Minister added in his part-ing comment.

THE ASSEMBLYASSEMBLES

the First Supplementary Demandsfor Grants 2002-2003, which wastaken into consideration and passedunanimously by the House. TheAppropriation Bill No 10 of 2002which authorizes the payment andappropriation of further amountsfrom the consolidated fund of thestate of Sikkim for the Services ofthe Financial Year 2002-2003 wasnext on the agenda and passedunanimously.

The Minister Health and Fam-ily Welfare, DD Bhutia then movedthe resolution to make necessaryprovisions in the Transplantation ofHuman Organs Act 1994 by insert-ing a new Section 3 (A) and suit-ably amending Section 6 to facili-tate the removal of human organs

under the said Act.The Monsoon Session also saw

arrangements made for a separateseating arrangement for the threeSangrami MLAs who on July 22had resigned from the Bhandari-ledSikkim Sangram Parishad. Thethree – JK Bhandari, MLA fromLoosing-Pacheykhani, SonamDorjee (Pathing) and NarendraKumar Pradhan (Gangtok) were al-lotted separate seats by the Speaker,Kalawati Subba following their re-quests. Not yet inducted into theruling party, the three are presently“unattached” in the Assembly. Withtheir desertion, SSP President NarBahadur Bhandari is the lone mem-ber in the opposition bench.

a NOW REPORTDahal has citied “hypertension” forhis earlier retort against the SDFparty and the leadership of Mr.Chamling and has apologized forhis earlier “misdemeanors.”

Mr. Dahal has claimed that thesituation was worsened by bad ad-vice from those who “envied” him.

The party bosses are yet to re-spond to his letter of apology andare letting things be at their presentstatus.

a NOW REPORT

ence in social work with spirit ofvoluntarism.

The Selected Volunteers will bedeployed till 31-3-2003 and shallreceive monthly-consolidatedHonorarium of Rs. 1,000/- (onethousand) only including TA.

The objectives of the NRCScheme are to involve young peo-ple in Nation Building activities andenrich their experiences. Eligiblecandidates are called for walk-in-interview with an application andbio-data and attested xerox copiesof all certificates alongwith origi-nals for verificationon September 5,2002 at Nehru Yuva Kendra Office,Upper Deorali, Gangtok East Sik-kim at 10-00 a.m.

a NOW REPORT

INTERVIEW FORVOLUNTEERS

GANGTOK: The second annualgeneral meeting of the Ecotourismand Conservation Society of Sikkim(ECOSS) was here held last week.

According to a press release, areport of ECOSS activities and up-date was presented by the Execu-tive Secretary. The statement of ac-counts for the year 2001-2002 andSARCE accounts statement wasalso presented which was passed bythe members.

a NOW REPORT

ECOSS

MEETS

AGAIN

GANGTOK: The new Passengers’ Ticket Booking Counter (above) atthe new multi-storied Taxi Stand near Bansilal Petrol Pump here inGangtok was inaugurated on September 3 by the UD&HD Minister,Thinley Tshering Bhutia. The Counter has four different sub-counters,each manned by the Mainline Taxi Drivers Association, the United TaxiDrivers Association, the Sikkim Bus Workers Association and the GangtokLocal Taxi Drivers Association. The New Stand began functioning earlythis year, and was constructed by the UD&HD at a cost of Rs. 248 lakhs.The Taxi Stand has toilet and canteen facilities. However, there are stillno power or drinking water connections in the terminal.

3NOW!Sept 04-10, 2002

HARDLINE by PANKAJ THAPA

GANGTOK: Sikkim is amongthe most isolated areas in the re-gion and its rich biodiversity andunique culture has to be pre-served and protected. The Direc-tor of the American Center inKolkata, Rex Moser said thishere on September 2 while on athree-day visit to Sikkim to get“familiar with the issues con-cerning the region-from social,economic to health and environ-ment and also to meet peopleand NGOs associated and in-volved with these issues.”

Sikkim falls in the EasternIndia US Consulate District.

Calling his first trip to Sik-kim as a “fact-finding mission,”Mr. Moser appreciated the manyefforts taken up by the State gov-ernment towards environmentalprotection and for becoming thefirst State in the country to banthe use of plastic bags. “We areaware that the Chief Minister,Pawan Chamling has special in-terest in environmental conser-vation and has been promotingit in a big way. We are explor-ing different avenues where theUS Consulate can extend assist-ance and since environment isone area in which the State isfocussed, this is one area we maybe interested in,” he said.

“We will be identifyingNGOs and other organizationsinvolved in the areas of health,education and environment andwould be providing them withgrants to take up relatedprojects,” Mr. Moser said.

The American Center offi-

cials also interacted with education-ists, different NGOs, representa-tives from different sectors in an in-formal gathering and discussedvarous social and environmental is-sues relating to the State and theregion as a whole. The meeting alsodeliberated upon EnvironmentalHeroes: Success Stories of Peopleat Work for the Environment, a bookpublished by the US Consulate inIndia and shared similar successstories of the State. Mr. Moser alsohad extensive interaction with acad-emicians at the Government Col-lege and the Law College.

Mr. Moser later told the Pressthat the US Embassy had alreadysanctioned a grant of U$ 28,000 tothe Namgyal Institute of Tibetologyhere in Sikkim. The amount will beused for installing dehumidifiers atthe Institute that houses a rare col-

lection of antique Buddhist arte-facts and scriptures. Interestingly,the Institute is yet to obtain theForeign Currency Regulatory Actclearance certificate, to avail thegrant available to it. The “chequeis ready” with the American Cen-tre, and could lapse soon if notclaimed in time, it is learnt.

Prior to his Sikkim visit, Mr.Moser had a stop-over inDarjeeling during the first leg ofhis trip and met representativesfrom different NGOs and will besoon commissioning a survey onsolid waste management forDarjeeling. He also warned thatGangtok “should not” head theDarjeeling way in regard to totallack of sanitation and environ-mental degradation. Mr. Moserwill visit Kalimpong during thelast leg of his trip, it is learnt.

a NOW REPORT

Director, American Center, Rex Moser, speaks to the Press in Sikkim

AMERICAN DESIGNS

FOR SIKKIM

AMERICAN CENTER WANTS TO HELP OUT WITH

SIKKIM’S ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS

DEVELOPMENT

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ATTENTION ALL IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY! NOW!

is bringing out a travel booklet , the NOW! Travelmate, which will be a special

guide and tourist companion covering all aspects of Tourism in Sikkim. Wholly

conceptualised, designed and written in-house by the NOW! Marketing and Crea-

tive Department, it is slated for an early October release. While we at NOW!

are making superlative efforts to classify and update all pertinent information,

we request all those who would like to be featured in the Travelmate to call in or

e-mail us at the earliest. The NOW! Marketing team has already started on their

rounds of East District and will shortly be visiting Ravangla, Pelling and

Mangan in their quest for a comprehensive tourist friendly booklet, the likes of

which have not been seen in Sikkim so far. The Travelmate has a cover price of

Rs.10 and a proposed print run of 10,000 copies. All Government Departments

/Hotels/ Travel Agents/News-agents who are interested in purchasing Travelmate

may kindly contact the NOW! Marketing & Creative Department and avail dis-

counts for bulk orders. Contact person (s): Marketing Manager/ Marketing

Executive, Phone: 70949, E-mail: sikkimnow@rediffmail.com

GANGTOK: The Urban Develop-ment and Housing Department hasundertaken a training programmeunder the Swarna Jayanti SahariRojgar Yojna (SJSRY) for the ur-ban poor, especially the womenfolk. This scheme is funded by theCenter under the Poverty Allevia-tion Programme.

Under this scheme UD&HD im-parts training to the poor people inthe urban areas. The trainees aregranted a monthly stipend and cer-tificates are awarded to them at theend of the training. The main objec-tive of the scheme is to make the train-ees self-reliant and help them to makea decent living for themselves.

Training in machine knitting,beautician courses, cutting and tai-

loring, carpet making and paper bagmaking are being given to the ben-eficiaries. Forward linkage is alsoprovided to them. The Departmenthas set up a marketing outlet at LalBazar where the beneficiaries cansell their products. The Departmentpurchases their product with 50 percent advance payment in order toencourage them further. TwoBeauty Parlours have been openedat Chandmari and Sichey for thebenefit of the trainees. These peo-ple are being encouraged to formcooperative societies and are alsobeing encouraged to form credit so-cieties.

A valedictory function was con-ducted 2 months ago and 45 ben-eficiaries have been covered so farunder the scheme. Trainings arebeing given to the interested peo-ple in Sang, Ranipool and Gangtok.

Alleviating poverty,the UD&HD way

a NOW REPORT

rajdhaniIN

JANAMASTHAMI

IN GANGTOK

JANAMASTHAMI

IN GANGTOK

CONTACT NOW! NEAR AYURVEDIC CLINIC, TADONG, EAST SIKKIM

ph: 70949 email: sikkimnow@rediffmail.com

4 NOW! Sept 04-10, 2002

GIVE BACK TO THE EARTH MORE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE TAKEN FROM ITSTATE POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD, GOVERNMENT OF SIKKIM

Come and join us discover Indiaafter 55 years of Independence

Tours Name & No. of Days Departure date Last Booking Date Tour Rate

7 days Tour: Kolkata-Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar 7th & 16th Dec. 2nd & 9th Oct. Rs. 4,700/- p.p.

8 days Tour: Delhi-Agra-Brindavan-Mathura-Jaipur 8th & 15th Dec. 2nd & 8th Oct. Rs. 5,000/- p.p.

16 days Tour: Delhi-Agra-Mathura-Brindavan-Jaipur

Mumbai-Goa-Kolkata 14th & 29th Dec. 5th & 20th Oct Rs. 12,000/- p.p.

17 days Tour: Kolkata-Mumbai-Goa-Mysore-

Hyderabad-Secunderabad-Bangalore 13th & 29th Dec. 5th & 20th Oct. Rs. 12,500/- p.p.

21 days Tour: Kolkata-Mumbai-Goa-Hyderabad-Mysore-Bangalore

-Chennai-Coimbatore-Ooty-Trivandrum-Kanyakumari 2nd Jan, 2003` 22nd Oct Rs. 14,500/- p.p.

27 days Tour: Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Mathura-Brindavan-Goa-Mumbai

-Mysore-Hyderabad-Bangalore-Puttapatty-Ooty-Kolkata-Coimbatore

-Chennai-Pondicherry-Rameswaran-Kanyakumari 29th Dec. 20th Oct Rs. 17,700/- p.p.

Rate includes train tickets, sightseeing, entry fees, hotel, insurance, tour escort, but does not include food,

portarage. Please ask for brochure and details from Booking Agents: EAST: Secretariat - 81828, Nirman Bhavan -

28734; District Office - 22512, Forest - 24194, Krishi Bhavan - 31154, Power - 27580, STNM - 81828, Penlong - 37040,

Ranipol - 51207, Pakyong - 57814, Rongpo - 40766, Singtam - 33752, Rumtek - 52203. WEST: Gayzing - 50378,

Sombare - 54335, Soreng - 53279, Uttarey - 55258, Yuksam - 41216, Hee-Bermiok - 44214; SOUTH: Namchi - 63711,

Jorethang - 76047, Ravangla - RTDC; NORTH: Mangan - 34320, Kabi - 27886, Phensang - 37528, Dzongu - 28116;

DARJEELING GHC: Darjeeling-52741/55672, Kalimpong - (Premdan) - 57143 p.p., Siliguri - 530160/ 98320-62835.

FOR INFORMATION: (1) State Bank of India avails personal loans for Salaried/ Govt. employees.

2) We travel under National Insurance care.

NOTE: We conduct Bangkok-Pataya-Singapore-Hongkong and various tours on demand.

TashilaTashilaTashilaTashilaTashila(DURING WINTER AND LOSSONG HOLIDAYS)

Post Box 70, Gangtok - 737 101, Phone: 29842/22978; mobile: 98320-35753

Through

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RECAP SIKKIM

NAMCHI: Under the District Can-cer Control Programme South,Namchi Hospital extensive IEC (In-formation, Education, Communica-tion) camps were held in the ruralareas of South District. The firstIEC camp was held in Temi-TarkuPHC, followed by Ratepani PHSCin the month of July 2002. The mostrecent camp was held in Wok PHSCon August 19, 2002. Panchayatmembers, local gentry, schoolteachers and students participatedin the programme.

For all the IEC camps the re-source persons were Dr. R Dorjee

CMO (South), Dr. SM PradhanConsultant Surgeon, Dr. RebeccaLama Specialist Gynaecology andMr. L.D. Subba D.H.E.O. (South).The Medical Officer incharge of therespective areas, organized thecamps with support from CMO(South).

The focus of these IEC campswas to generate awareness regard-ing early signs and symptoms ofcancer and prevention of cancerthrough lifestyle changes. Medicalcheck ups were also conducted si-multaneously.

Earlier, on August 16, 2002 aCervical Cancer Screening Campwas held at Namchi Hospital, or-ganized by District Cancer Control

committee in collaboration withIndian Statistical Institute, Calcuttaand Pathology Unit STNM Hospi-tal. 49 women in the high risk groupwere examined for Cervical Can-cer and HPV (Human PapillomaVirus). During this camp trainingwas imparted to all Medical Offic-ers of South District on the tech-nique of Pap Smear examination forearly detection of cervical cancer.

Further training for specialistand Medical Officers will be takenup by and at Chittaranjan NationalCancer Institute, Calcutta, follow-ing which palliative treatment ofcancer at Namchi Hospital will bestarted, it is learnt.

a NOW REPORT

CANCER AWARENESS GOES RURAL10 YR OLD DROWNSRANIPOOL: In a tragic incidenta 10-year-old girl was washed awayto her death by the waters ofRanipool Khola here on September01. According to the girl’s father,Bhim Bdr Subba, his daughter, RitaSubba, was swept away in theRanipool Khola where she had gonefor a swim at around 1 pm on Sun-day. Her body was later recoveredand sent to the Central ReferralHospital, Tadong where she was de-clared dead.

SCHOOLBOY

COMMITS

MURDERPAKYONG: Personal enmityclaimed the life of one person here.According to reports, one U RajRai, of 5/11 GR army who had comeon leave here at Pobak Busty wasmurdered on August 30, Friday andthe body thrown at PangpangKhola. The body was later recov-ered by the West Bengal police atSemana Khola on September 1.Sarod Pal, a student of class IX ofPobak Busty School has been ar-rested for the murder and taken intocustody.

SINGTAM DEATHSINGTAM: The dead body of onePratap Jain was found lying beneatha culvert of the road on the morn-ing of August 28. Pratap Jain, whowas an electrician cum welder forKolkata construction company en-gaged in constructing a bridge atKokaley Busty under GREPC, hadbeen missing since the previousevening. The body was forwardedto the Singtam Hospital for postmortem where it was revealed thatthe deceased had sustained headinjuries.

MELLI: We don’t hear of drugbusts any more, but that does notmean that drug abuse is on thewane. Sikkim continues to grap-ple with the problem of drugabuse among its young and thelatest incident reiterating thatdrug abuse is still rampant camewhen officials at the Mellicheckpost seized eleven bottles ofPhensedyl from the possession ofone Navin Pradhan. The bottles,100 ml in size, were found whilechecking a jeep – SK04/1130 –arriving from Siliguri and head-ing for Jorethang on August 27.Navin Pradhan has been detainedfor interrogation.

PHENSEDYL

HAULa NOW REPORT

rajdhaniIN

GANGTOK: The State govern-ment has accorded top priority tothe health sector and the Depart-ment of Health & Family Welfarehas implemented a number of pro-grammes in the State for the pro-motion of better health for themasses, informs an official Pressrelease.

In this regard, the Health De-partment has extended and imple-mented a number of NationalHealth Programmes to provide bet-ter health care services to the peo-ple. The emphasis is on preventiveaspects. The goal is to achieve“Health for All” by 2015.

The various ongoing Nationalprogrammes in the State at presentare - Control of Blindness, LeprosyProgramme, Malaria EradicationProgramme, Cancer Control Pro-gramme, Tuberculosis Control Pro-gramme, Mental Health Pro-gramme, Reproductive and ChildHealth Programme, Dental HealthProgramme and School Health Pro-gramme.

The Department has also beenconducting various doorstep campssuch as eye camps, reconstructivesurgery camps, no scalpel vasec-tomy camps, cancer detectioncamps, it is learnt.

Training of the health person-

nel, Panchayats and women organi-zation members and teachers arebeing conducted to sensitise thepeople on health.

The State government has alsopassed a number of directives and en-acted a number of Bills related to thehealth of the people like the SikkimProhibition of Smoking and NonSmoker’s Health Protection Act 1997,prohibiting smoking in all publicplaces; the Sikkim Clinical Establish-ments (Licensing & Registration) act1995, imposed a ban on the sale ofGutka and other tobacco products inthe State, introduced free administra-tion of Hepatitis B vaccine to 0-1 yearchildren from 2001, introduced thenew WHO strategy on combating Tu-berculosis called ‘Directly ObservedTreatment Short’ (DOTS) from 2001,and introduced the Pre-Natal Diagnos-tic Act 1994, amongst others.

The Department is also render-ing Primary Health Care Servicesat the doorsteps and the State Ill-ness Fund provides referral servicesto BPL persons in institutes withinthe State and outside, free investi-gation and ICCU admissions to sen-ior bonafide citizens above 65 yearsand has also constituted a StateCommission on Population to im-plement the National PopulationPolicy 2000. Free medicines anddiet are also provided in all hospi-tals and Primary Health Centres inthe State.

HEALTH FOR ALLa NOW REPORT

BEEN THERE,

DONE THAT

5NOW!Sept 04-10, 2002

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DIKCHU: For the residents of thesleepy hamlet of Labarbottey nearDikchu in North Sikkim under theLachen-Mangshila Constituency,the morning of August 30 broughtin some bad news.

The families living in some 40-odd shanties on Forest Depart-ment’s nursery land in the area hadno choice but to vacate the housesthey had been living in for manyyears and move out of the area.

A team from the Forest Depart-ment, along with the officials of theDistrict administration, North, and asizeable contingent of police person-nel descended upon the settlementand carried out the first eviction driveof its kind in North Sikkim.

The eviction drive inLabarbottey, where about 40 fami-lies had “illegally” occupied aboutfive acres of forest land was carriedout “smoothly and without any re-sistance or any untoward incident,”according to Officer-in-Charge,Mangan Police Station, PI OngmuBhutia.

The eviction team was led bythe DFO (Territorial), accompaniedby Forest officials, the DC, North.The Department had sought Policeprotection and a team consisting ofthe SDPO, North, the OC and about15 female constables had also ac-companied the eviction team.

According to official sources,the Department had identified theencroachment way back in 1996and had been sending summons tothe settlers to evict ever since. Mostof the encroachers are reportedlyGREF labourers who had occupiedthe said area. Most of them are Ne-pal nationals it is learnt and just sixfamilies are locals. Sources revealthat the Police were instructed notto use force, but to assist the evic-tion process.

When the eviction team reachedthe area, the settlers were givenabout 45 minutes to gather their be-longings and move out before thedemolition of the houses was car-ried out. Eyewitness accounts con-tend that the occupants hardly re-sisted and within one hour, they hadmoved out with their belongings.However, two local Lepcha fami-lies settled in the area had con-

structed pucca Ikra houses. Sourcesreveal that they were workers in theforest nursery. Interestingly, theyhad proper RDD drinking water andelectricity connections as well, withone of the Lepcha families evenhaving built a proper toilet. Thesefamilies claimed they had “properpapers” to ascertain their owner-ship. The Department is reported tohave given them time till Septem-ber 15 “to verify the paper and vali-date their claims.”

Interestingly, soon after theywere evicted, the former GREF la-bourers, had built kuccha housesalong the roadside and had settledin no time! The GREF labourerswere the first ones to illegally oc-cupy the land and build housesthere, which was soon followed bythe locals, it is reported.

This tract of land, also calledBijanbari by the locals, is locatedin a picturesque locality, betweenthe Dikchu and Teesta rivers. Thearea is extremely suitable for tour-ism-related purposes, feel the localsof the area.

This eviction drive was carriedout according to the directives of theSupreme Court, dated November23, 2001 in I. A. No. 703 in WritPetition (Civil) No. 202 of 1995,which makes it mandatory for Stategovernments to evict encroachersfrom “all” forest lands illegally oc-cupied by settlers.

The SC directives lays downguidelines for eviction of encroach-ers from forest land stating that allencroachments which are not eligi-ble for regularization as per guide-lines issued by the Ministry of En-vironment and Forests, Governmentof India vide No. 13.1/90-FP dated18.08.1990 should be summarilyevicted in a time bound manner andin any case not later than Septem-ber 30, 2002.

It further states that a “cell”should be constituted in the PCCFoffice headed by a CCF level officerto plan and monitor eviction of en-croachments on forest lands on acontinuous basis. Further, it ordersthat at the State level, a monitoringcommittee be constituted under thechairmanship of the Chief Secre-tary. The committee while monitor-ing forest encroachments should“fix responsibility of the field for-mulations including the revenue of-

ficials for their failures to prevent /evict encroachments on the forestlands”.

Following the Supreme Courtorder, the State Government createda number of committees to plan,monitor eviction of encroachmentfrom reserve forests, national parks,etc. At the State level, the commit-tee is headed by the CS, with theDGP, Secretary, Land Revenue,Secretary, UD&HD as membersand the Principal CCF-cum-Secre-tary, Forest Department, as theMember Secretary. An encroach-ment eviction cell has been formedin the Forest Department and acommittee formed with the CCF incharge of territorial sector as theChairman, with Additional CCF,Territorial, as Member Secretaryand Additional CCF, Wildlife asmember.

At the Forest Circle level, thecommittee consists of the Conser-vator of Forests, Territorial, as theChairman, the DC and SP of the re-spective districts as members andConservator of Forests, Wildlife asMember Secretary.

According to official sources,the State government has alreadysubmitted the list of recorded for-est land which has been encroachedupon in the State to the High Courtof Sikkim as well as to the Ministryof Environment and Forests as perthe directives of the Supreme Court.

The problem of encroachmentof forest lands is assuming seriousproportions in the country. The SCdirective notes: “These encroach-ments have been attracting the at-tention of the Centre and State gov-ernments have been requested fromtime to time to take prompt actionagainst the encroachers under speci-fied Acts and Rules.” Such en-croachments are generally carriedout under the patronage of power-ful lobbies and cause great harm toforest conservation. These en-croachments are also seriouslythreatening the continuity of thewildlife corridors between the vari-ous national parks and sanctuaries.For some reason timely action is notbeing taken by the frontline staff forthe eviction of the encroachers. Ap-proximately, 12. 50 lakh hectares offorest land in the country is underencroachment.

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GANGTOK AUG 28-03 SEPT, 2002

SIKKIM MATTERS

DEEPFOCUS

by RANJIT SINGH

ED-SPACE

LETTERS�

Readers are invited to share their views, opinions and reactions to news-items carried in NOW! Theletters may be edited for language and content and the name of the writer withheld on request. Personalattacks will not be carried, but letters raising pertinent issues will be shared with readers. Please mail allfeedback to NOW, Gairi Gaon, Tadong, Gangtok East Sikkim. email: sikkimnow@rediffmail.com

CHOR MACHAYE SHOR

This is something that has beenbothering me for a long time. I

saw it on local TV and then readabout it in your paper. Our formerCM, Mr. Bhandari was levelling al-legations on the present govern-ment. While I am not claiming thatthe present administration is abso-lutely clean, what I wish to under-stand is whether Mr. Bhandari hasthe moral authority to level allega-tions of corruption on any one. Af-ter all, he is the one who has beenchargesheeted by CBI under thePrevention of Corruption Act. Won-der why none of the journalists atwhat appeared to be a Press con-ference did not ask him to commenton the CBI case. Having ruled Sik-kim for 14 years as the leader of aregional party, does he have theright to now turn around and statethat Sikkim needs a national party?How does he justify the trust peo-ple showed in him when theyelected him to power earlier andthen again into the Opposition now?In fact, in the last Assembly polls,people voted against national par-

ties which failed to bag even oneseat. Is Mr. Bhandari implying thatthe people of Sikkim do not knowwhat is good for them?Rajesh K., Gangtok

FEATURE KPG

I really liked your ‘KalimpongState of Mind’ article by Praveen

Moktan. I have been working inGangtok for the last 10 years but myhometown is in Kalimpong. I stillremember how as children and thenyoung adults we celebrated I-Dayin Kalimpong. Moktan’s articlemade me feel very nostalgic as Ihaven’t been able to go home forIndependence Day for the last fewyears due to other priorities. Is itpossible to have regular news onKalimpong? I know a lot of peoplewho will be interested in this.K. Rai, Sichey

DEEP FOCUS INTO SIKKIM

I am a regular reader of Deep Focus and I like the approach the

writer takes on relevant issues. ButI think if the discerning eye was toturn to some issues concerning Sik-kim it will be even more interest-ing. I am sure there is no lack ofsubjects here which requiresindepth analysis. We get enough ofnews and views on national issues.If Sikkim really matters, as youclaim please concentrate on localnews.K. Sonam, PS Road

TOO RELIGIOUS

Pang Lhabsol, Jhakris, evenRaksha Bandhan by the RSS!

Why don’t you take out a festivalfolder and sell it to tourists insteadof wasting newsprint. What I wantfrom you is hard news and that’swhat you should give me.The eliminator

JHAKRIS WELCOME

Your article on the Jhakris atTsomgo made interesting read-

ing. It was very descriptive andvisual. There are many of us, espe-cially the new generation who arenot famaliar with various aspects of

our culture. I hope your paper con-tinues to give coverage of suchevents. We have to all work togetherto preserve our dying cultureswamped as it is by outside ele-ments. Please make this kind ofwrite up a regular feature.T. Bhutia, Chanmari

SHAME, GANGTOK!

The incident of violence concerning Mohun Gurung of

Arithang was very disturbing toread. I cannot believe that peopleactually locked themselves in in-stead of coming out to help. It’s ashame on Gangtok. People shouldrealize that as a community we haveto help each other. Otherwise whatkind of world are we creating forour children?Neelam Pradhan, Siyari

EXERCISING IN BRIEF

This is in reference to item No.1in your Bazaar Buzz column

Vol.1 No.13. Your reporter has mis-takenly mentioned that we men ex-ercise in the gym in our underwear.This is creating a lot of misunder-standing at home. My wife nowrefuses to let me go to the gym say-ing I know why you want to go there,just to excercise in your underwearin front of other women. My life has

When we have all but forgotten about him, hemakes known his exist-

ence-yet again. Jungle BoyVeerapan is alive and well and kick-ing. And he is back in business,which means the government andsecurity forces are not doing theirs.

It has been a long climb frombeing just another sandalwoodsmuggler and elephant-poacher ofthe eighties to a political wellwisher in this new millennium. Po-litical well wisher because his listof demands in return for the releaseof his latest prisoner sounds like thewish list of a political party: imme-diate settlement of the Cauverywater dispute, which has been acontentious issue between the statesof Karnataka and Tamil Nadu eversince one can remember; two – in-clusion of Tamil as second languageof Karnataka, and three – erectinga statue of Thiruvallur at Bangalore.

Veerapan has surfaced after twoyears when he last hogged theheadlines for the kidnapping offamous Kannada actor RajKumar. Two years is probablywhat it takes to nurse his famousmoustache back into combatmode. His latest mischiefhas aggravated tensionsbetween the two south-ern states of Tamil Naduand Karnataka with eachblaming the other for theabduction of formerKarnataka minister andJanata Dal leader HNagappa by the forestfugitive on August 25.Nagappa’s securityguards have also beeninducted. It is prob-ably better for themthis way or theywould have had to an-swer for the ‘lapse ofNagappa’s security’ orfor their being in the vi-cinity of Nagappa at all.

To a white man, theexploits of Jungle Boymay stir up fantasticalvisions of deep impen-etrable forests inhab-

Bungle In The Jungle

ited by a Robin Hood with his vaga-bond brigade. To a native, PhoolanDevi comes to mind immediately.Veerapan may live in a patch ofgreen but our special task force andgovernment officials seem perpetu-ally to be going through a leanpatch, at least as far as Jungle Boyis concerned. Each time he surfaces,he manages to ruffle up inter statepolitics with even central ministersshifting uncomfortably in theirchairs. There are allegations andcounter-allegations between minis-ters through which Veerapan disap-pears into the forest like the Phan-tom. Along with the customary in-efficiency of the police, his elusive-ness is due to the secret links with

political elements who obviouslyfind the bandit king useful for vari-ous reasons, including ‘persuading’the scattered villagers to vote forthem and terrorizing opponents.

The amount of money spent bythe government on Veerapan-re-lated operations has jumped fromRs. 4.41 crore in 2000-01 to nearlyRs. 16 crore during 2001-02. Theten-year hunt for him is believed tohave cost the Tamil Nadu govern-ment more than Rs. 70 crore. Jun-gle Boy probably needs a separatebudget allocation.

On the other hand, Veerapan’sstyle of functioning may just helpor rather force Indian politicians toexpedite the resolving of long stand-ing issues. After all he is known tocarry out his threats and with himthreatening to behead Nagappa thetwo governments of Tamil Naduand Karnataka might just manageto wriggle out a settlement on theCauvery waters dispute, a dis-pute over which the

two stateshave beenlocking hornssince inde-p e n d e n c e .Now, thatwould be an

a c h i e v e -ment.

H i so t h e r

demandfor the inclu-

sion of Tamil as second languagein Karnataka may just be an attemptat whipping up Tamil nationalistsentiments in the hope of fitting intosome post-retirement political rolePhoolan Devi style. Nothing wrongwith that either. As they say – if youcan’t beat them you join them.Veerapan’s latest demands suggesthe is just waiting for the invitation,

which if we know our politicsand politicians, will comesooner or later. The only in-teresting bit will be to seewho sends the card first.

become hell. Please acknowledgeyour mistake immediately.R. Agarwal, MG Marg.

SUPERMARKET, INDEED

This is in reference to your storysupermarkets for 4 small towns

of Sikkim. Shopping complexes! Isthat what is required in our smalltowns? I think people have beenmanaging quite well buying andselling all these years. If we arethinking of creating infrastructurefor the future the money could havebeen spent on better roads, bettersanitation, better schools and bet-ter healthcare. Does developmentonly mean creating consumeristedifices? It is just another opportu-nity to make money for all con-cerned in the name of development.T. Pradhan, Arithang

LOOKING FORWARD

TO NOW

Congratulations to the entireNOW! team on an excellent

paper. I really look forward toWednesday mornings. I impatientlywait at the office for the newspaperboy and get very angry if he is late.The rest of the day is spent enjoy-ing every bit of the paper. Keep upthe good work.S. Tamang, PWD

A WORLD BEYOND MODELSIt is not really possible for a person to understand what shapes an-other’s culture unless he or she spends years in an active dialoguewith that culture. If this statement were true, then one would expectdevelopment projects - which by definition aim to change the envi-ronment or behaviour of people - to be based on a deep under-standing not only of obvious cultural differences, but of the underly-ing values and perceptions which shape a culture. That would betoo utopian to expect. Unfortunately, more and more developmentprojects are conceived, planned and even executed by people whoseschedule is so tight that they have to rely on a technique whichallows them to turn projects at a rapid rate. They opt for the bottle-neck approach. Developmental analysts look for the bottleneck whichis blocking their version of development from reaching the people.They then juxtapose. Lets take the oldest failure (this might be highlycontentious) of free India - its system of a quota for every ill. Ana-lysts, when India got Independence, racked their brains why theadivasis were not assimilating into the mainstream faster. Lack ofeducation and opportunities was the obvious answer. So a quickfiresolution was worked out - reservation. And sure enough many tribalsstarted getting into premier institutes and then started landing creamjobs. Exulted with the results, the planners forgot part-b of their plan- improving infrastructure in tribal areas. Education in the remoteregions remained dismal and the reservation kept getting extended.The fact that 55 years on the reservation still exists is proof that themagic formula failed.What appears scary at this juncture, specially for Sikkim, is that thesame development formula continues to be applied. People withlittle understanding of the uniqueness of each problem continue todish out immediate remedies. Most times, those in positions of re-sponsibility analyse the obvious and formulate solutions at the samesimplistic level. Take Sikkim’s hydel potential for example. Every-one knows that mountain streams are torrents of potential hydelpower. Anyone will tell you that Sikkim needs to generate revenue.So a simple solution is offered - generate electricity. One wondershow much thought has gone into for whom this power is being gen-erated and at what cost. Now that some mega projects are alreadyunderway, what should be borne in mind is that the pace of imple-mentation of a project should not be dictated so much by the needsof the implementing agency as the ability of the people to absorb thechanges and to remain masters of their own community. The samewould apply to tourism, the other thrust area. Entering into an enter-prise without a clear plan and target in mind can clutter the mind andscuttle the project. Neither of which Sikkim can afford. Sikkim istoday poised at a stage where each decision will have far-reachingimplications (all decisions do, but the present times are peculiar intheir import on the future). While one can understand the pressureson the government since people in Sikkim take caution to be inac-tion, one would still advise mature dialogue before any venture. WhileSikkim has it relatively good thus far, the bureaucracy has failed todeliver thus far, and because it continues to advise and enforce, onewould suggest a rethink before rushing into things. All that Sikkimhas done since 1975 is implement central schemes with gusto. Whilethis might speak volumes of our administration’s ability to carry outorders, it does not reflect much innovation. As much as we need theworkhorses, Sikkim also needs imaginative and concerned thinkers.The new world order is such that it demands creativity, that’s whatwe need to promote and nurture.

7NOW!Sept 04-10, 2002 ESSAY

My old ‘gang’ consisted of a motleygroup of kids - tall and stubby, reedthin and chubby, of different ages

and both sexes but with one predominantcommon trait - we were all perpetually hun-gry. I could never figure out why we kids wereso fond of eating, but I guess I can safely at-tribute our then persistent need to eat to whatthe eye saw rather than what the stomachmessaged. And boy, did the little tummiesspeak! Like Oliver Twists in a row, they ex-claimed, “MORE!”

We grew up in the Gangtok of the 1980’swhen the only things that weren’t scarce werelove and affection. While love and affectionwere great, we found out to our dismay thatthey could not buy things to eat. Sure, we hadmy grandmother’s cucumbers and the neigh-bours’ carrot patch and plum trees to raid andraid them we did. Apaches could not haveplanned their plunder better. We had a teamto reconnoitre even!

The fridges at my house and my cousinbrother’s house were also covertly forayed intoand made lighter by a tin of condensed milk ora jar of peanut butter. The breadbox was alsonot safe. We would sneak away into our play-house and greedily stuff our faces. Sometimesthe mischief was discovered, and staunchlydenied, even as telltale signs of crumbs aroundlying mouths gave us away; other times wewould be so miserably queasy that we would

Science is the systematized knowledge of the materialworld. Since time immemorial man has been propelledby his urge to discover and invent. This urge has led

him to unearth the secrets of matter, the biological world andspace. Today science has placed tremendous power in man’shand through sophisticated means of transport, telecommu-nications and medicines; he is even winning over time andspace. The world can now be confined within a room throughthe Internet. On the other hand he is trying to utilize properlythis scientific power for the good of humanity, be it throughadministrative control of scientific means or, the use of atomicpower. The modern world is facing the growing threat of ac-cidents, environmental pollution and horrible diseases. Whatis much more alarming is the manufacture and deploymentof destructive scientific weapons by countries which use warand destruction as a means of finding peace. Despite the talksof international understanding, disarmament and peace, themanufacture and storing of the missiles, bombs, tanks etc, isgoing on. On this path of uncontrolled science, man has ac-quired so much of destructive power that he could extinguishthe entire human race and it’s civilization more than threehundred times over.

Man has been born to love and cherish life. He is theperfect manifestation of God and embodiment of compas-sion and to live in peace and harmony, he is losing directionand is not fulfilling his natural requirement because this onesided advancement in the material world doesn’t nourish himmorally and spiritually. The progress of human values, whichis the most essential part of life for the existence of human-ity, has been obstructed. Man has become unconscious andignorant to the extent that he has forgotten the way of truelove and peace. The ancient path is the path of right-eousness, which reveals that man’s existence is con-nected with the consciousness that keeps him alive,and to know this is to go back to the Source.

Because he has lost direction, man becomesinvolved in inhuman activities which give rise tounrest and destruction. This is why the great saints,sages and prophets of all times spread the stimu-lating message of ‘Manav Dharma’ man’s inher-ent and original religion to re-establish his hu-man identity and to reconnect him with his trueself, which is the Truth and source of Bliss.

For the creation of a world far from the threatof unrest, evil and destruction, the coordination ofscience and religion is of the utmost significance.Einstein believed in and looked for something beyondthe material experience. Swami Vivekananda and ShriAurobindo have given a very appealing interpretation ofthe principles of true religion in the world.

Science is the study of matter, which is nothing but con-gealed energy. Religion or spirituality studies pure energy inthe form of pure consciousness. A regular scientist discoversspirit of the matter while a ‘spiritual scientist’ discovers thematter of the spirit. Scientists admit that energy can be nei-ther created nor destroyed. Spiritual people tell us that thesoul is immortal and impenetrable – it is the pure conscious-

The present times are seen as a constant battle between science and religion. Both have

made tremendous contributions to mankind and it is time, suggests SAGAR MOKTAN of Namchi

that the two cohese. What the world needs is not so much religion as spirituality, he offers...

Science &Sprituality

ness within our body that keeps us alive. Adi Shankaracharyasaid “Brahm Satyam jagan mithya” (God is real and the worldis unreal). Einstein said God is the absolute truth and thematerial world, the relative truth. Science tells us that thewhole universe is the result of the gross synthesis of atoms,which are capsules of energy but only the ‘spiritual scien-tists’ know and can provide the ‘technique’ for realizing thatenergy within our hearts. The coordination of religion andscience may occur only when a true master provides us withthe inner technique.

Due to its outer symbols, rituals and blind faith religionhas been the cause of communalism and superstition, butreal religion and science, as has been found in the 20th

century are not opposed to each other; rather, they com-pliment each other. As religion says, “The sun god trav-els on seven horses, but science unfolds the mysteryof the seven different rays of light deflected whenpassed through a glass prism.”

True religion is one and the same for all. It is farbeyond creeds, sects or communities. JawaharlalNehru rightly observed that the world needs less reli-gion but more spirituality. The materialization of sci-

ence and technology can be kept under control by spir-ituality. The grossness, vulgarity and corruptive influence

of the modern age can be refined only by true spiritualknowledge. Man in this present age is struggling to have

everything to satisfy his bodily demands and desires yet he isspiritually ailing. The only cure for this disease of material-ism is the realization of human consciousness (real religion),which alone can elevate human nature and save humanityfrom destruction.

Everyone has an opinion. All of us have a take on things. We all have something that’s worth sharing. NOW!offers you the platform to do the sharing. “Visitors Gallery” is space on the opinion/essays page reserved fororiginal essays by NOW! readers. Use it as you please. The essays may however, be edited for length and

content. Send all entries to NOW!, Gairi Gaon, Tadong, Gangtok. Or email: sikkimnow@rediffmail.com

ECONOMICS LESSONS FROMTHE CHANAWALLAH

TENZIN CHUKIE on things that craving for chana can make a

child do. Along the way, it passes on many important tips on

economic-strategies...

VISITORSGALLERY

be forced to confess our misdeeds.Despite all these misadventures, all of us

had this great yearning for ‘channa’ and, moreoften than not, not a pai to our name. We werealso sternly warned not to eat ‘channa’ as itwas unhygienic. But to add to our woes, this‘channawallah’ would come everyday and setup his stall bang opposite my house. Just thesight of the long ‘moora’ and his wares, the‘baras’ of steaming hot ‘aloo chewra’ and theplastic bags containing the other stuff-thesame basic channa pounded, fried, boiled,whatever- was enough to get us salivating,even though we had never been a part of anyof Pavlov’s conditioning experiments.

Then the high drama would be enacted-first we would beg our parents for a rupee ortwo for in those days you could get a lot ofchanna for even 25 paise. Sometimes we weresuccessful, other times we would clusterhopefully around the channawallah and askfor just a little channa. Sometimes we wouldbe humoured, other times we would grab ahandful and run like the wind, knowing thechannawallah would not risk abandoning hisstand and leaving it at the mercy of more hun-

gry terrors like us. Heck, I’m feeling sheep-ish just thinking about our fixation withchanna!

We were so desperate for our daily doseof channa that we did not mind earning ourchanna money. So we did gardening errandsfor my late grandmother. While my otherchildhood friends- who must remain anony-mous lest they lose their new found adult re-spectability- would diligently weed the bedsor water the plants, my task was to drag thebig rake around the lawn and clear it of thefallen leaves and litter. The thought of channakept us going strong till the work was doneto satisfaction. Then we would line up in arow and gleefully stretch out grubby handsfor our money, a rupee or two rupees each.We hardly finished mumbling thanks beforewe would be little tornados making for thechannawallah.

But the weeds did not sprout soon enough(read every day) nor the trees shed enoughleaves so we were back to square one- nomoney but the wretched channawallah withhis tantalizing wares wrecking our peace ofmind, not to mention starting almost physi-

cal pangs of longing in our stomachs.So we plotted and planned ways to get

hold of some money. We had this brainwaveof commandeering the access gate to myhouse and demanding entry fee from unsus-pecting visitors. We did get lucky but thensomeone snitched to my mother and need-less to add, this clandestine (the gate was outof sight of the main house) racket was busted.

Then we formed this lil’ band called ‘TheRingavalley Group’ whose only music was acacophony of sounds supposedly coming frommake believe instruments that we ‘wielded’with great gusto and whose entire repertoireof songs consisted of an inane four line songcomposed by yours truly, the lines of whichthe original ‘band members’ still rememberby the way! This was a little more successfulin that we were encouraged to ‘perform’ andentertain the guests but this too ended whenmy mother found out we were thrusting out aDonation Box behind her back!

Finally, I had a brilliant brainwave. I fig-ured out that while we needed the channa,the channawallah needed paper. Sure, we hadno money but we had plenty of old maga-zines heaped in the attic. Whereas we werenot given free access to money, the maga-zines, when I asked for them with a facewreathed in all the innocence I could muster,even as I prayed, ‘Please say yes’ were given

- turn to pg 10

8 NOW! Sept 04-10, 2002EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

AUCTION NOTICEMountaineering equipmentand miscellaneous articlesworth Rs. 1,81,390 (RupeesOne Lakh Eightyone Thou-sand Three Hundred andNinety) only will be disposedoff by public auction on27.09.2002 at 11:00 AM inthe office of Principal SonamGyatso Mountaineering Insti-tute, Below Vajra Cinema,Balwakhani, Gangtok, Sik-kim (tele: 22044).The successful bidder willhave to remove the stock onthe same day of auction aftermaking payment in full. Theundersigned reserves theright to declare the auctionnull and void if felt necessary.

PrincipalSonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute

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KATHMANDU, Sept 2 - TheElection Commission has come infor sharp criticism from prominenthuman right activists and lawyersfor its failure to give a verdict onthe election symbol case concern-ing the division in the Nepali Con-gress party.

The Election Commission (EC)should not remain as the prisonerof indecisiveness as it has given riseto suspicion that ‘it is acting as amedium to uproot democracy’,Krishna Pahadi, president of theHuman Rights and Peace Society

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Nepal’s Human RightsActivitists flay EC

said last Sunday in the capital.Addressing a programme on

‘role and responsibility of profes-sionals in free and fair election’ heldin the capital, Pahadi said that EChas left enough space to doubt itsintent and motives. Besides, the EChas proved that it is not an efficientbody.

Speaking on the occasion, ad-vocate Shankar Kumar Shresthasuggested that the Bar Associationshould form a networking and coun-selling desk to ensure that the freepolls should not be a casualty.

Talking about the role of ECwhile conduction the elections, ad-vocate Harihar Dahal said, if the ECcannot give its decision on a row ofa party in more than two months,how can we expect that it wouldhold election in free and fair man-ner?

However, chairperson of theprogramme, advocate Biswo KantaMainali, said that none of us shouldbe pessimistic. “We must hope thatfree and fair election will be held,”Mainali said.

KOL News Service

KATHMANDU, Sept 3: TheRoyal Nepal Army bomb disposalsquad defused the bomb that wasfound in front of the MelamchiDrinking Water Project Office inNew Baneshwor on Tuesday morn-ing. The object was wrapped in redcolored cloth in front of the office.

An army person who was in-volved in defusing the suspectedobject denied whether it was abomb but eyewitnesses said it waspacked with brick and iron pieces.

The army had cordoned the areafor three hours while the bomb dis-posal team was at work.

The capital city has been rockedby a series of explosions in the pastweek. The Maoists have stepped uptheir terror campaign after the emer-gency came to an end on August 28.

nepalnews

Security personnel defuse bomb

From Turkey to Egypt and Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, nocountries in the Islamic world

are paragons of internal democracy.They limit debate and punish dis-sent. Yet George Bush’s crusadeagainst Iraq has produced a disturb-ing paradox. The Islamic world un-derstands that, at least in foreignaffairs, politics is about speakingyour mind in public. Words utteredin the open can be a powerful in-gredient in the mix of pressures thatdecision-makers have to weigh. Bycontrast, it is in Europe, with itsdemocratic traditions, where thistruism is being discarded.

Gerhard Schröder is the only

BUSH AGAINST THE WORLDEUROPE SHOULD SPEAK ITS MINDleader who has publicly denouncedUS plans for an attack on Iraq. Oth-ers hide their doubts and speakopaquely. The Islamic world’s near-unanimity in warning against suchan attack is all the more remarkablein that many of the loudest oppo-nents are major recipients of Ameri-can aid or loans from the Interna-tional Monetary Fund (which oftenamount to the same thing). Whenallies defy Washington, regardlessof indebtedness, their boldness isimpressive. The presidents of Pa-kistan and Egypt made their oppo-

sition clear last week. Turkey hasalso told the United States it is un-happy about Mr Bush’s war plans.Rich Gulf states, such as Qatar andSaudi Arabia, have said the same.Kuwait and Iran, the two countrieswith most reason to fear SaddamHussein since they have been in-vaded by him in the past, are alsoopposed.

The contrast with 1991, whenGeorge Bush senior put together amilitary coalition against Iraq, isstriking. At that time, the US war

aim of reversing Iraq’s invasion ofKuwait was clear. It was aimed atdefending a state’s national sover-eignty. Arab states were not enthu-siastic about an outside non-Arabpower using force in their regionand there were doubts as to how farthe US had gone in trying to find anegotiated solution before embark-ing on the path of war. But therewas a firm Arab consensus on theneed to reverse the Iraqi invasion.This time Mr Bush junior’s aim of“regime change” in Iraq stands thenational sovereignty issue on itshead, and creates a precedent forfurther interventions by the UnitedStates against other governmentsaround the world. Mr Bush junioralso differs from his father on hisapproach to Israel. While GeorgeBush senior took a firm line withIsrael, pressing it to join the Ma-drid Conference for regional peacein the Middle East, the currentpresident is limp. Lampooned incartoons in which he warns the Is-raeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon,“Withdraw, or I will do nothing”,Mr Bush has adopted a more one-sided position on Israel and the Pal-estinians than any US president be-fore him.

Why should Islamic leadershelp a man whose priorities in theMiddle East are so far from theirconcerns? Colin Powell said yester-day that US policy was that weap-ons inspectors should return andthat the world has to be presentedwith the information necessary fora serious debate. Donald Rumsfeld,by contrast, says that the UnitedStates will go to war against Iraqalone, if necessary. Other countries,he adds, will see sense after theevent. This is as arrogant as it ismisguided. Few leaders, Arabs in-cluded, have any liking for SaddamHussein. If he died tomorrow, theregion would not mourn. That doesnot mean they welcome foreignmilitary intervention to remove him.Ignoring their objections risks turn-ing George Bush’s war into a dan-gerous “clash of civilisations”.Which is yet another reason whyEuropean governments that havedoubts about Mr Bush’s policyshould join their Islamic colleaguesin unfettered public dissent.

The Guardian

9NOW!Sept 04-10, 2002

SIKKIM STATE CO-OPERATIVE SUPPLY ANDMARKETING FEDERATION LTD.

(A GOVT. OF SIKKIM UNDERTAKING)THONDUPLING BUILDING, MG MARG, GANGTOK

RE-TENDER NOTICESealed tenders are invited for the supply of uniform materials forClass IV grade employees of the Govt. of Sikkim. The firms shallsubmit the following documents alongwith the tenders.

A) EARNEST MONEYThe tender should be accompanied by a T.D.R. of Rs. 20,000/

- (Rupees twenty thousand) only drwan in favour of Dy. Manager(Fin.) SIMFED, Gangtok which is refundable.

B) SAMPLESThe samples of each item should be serially marked with per-

centage composition of texture alongwith trade name.

C) REGISTRATIONPhotocopies of the trade licence to deal with the items alongwith

income tax and sales tax clearance certificates and Dealershipcertificate of relevant companies should be enclosed alongwithsamples. Firms should submit the dealership certificate from thecompany without which the sample submitted will not be accepted.

Tender form can be obtained from SIMFED office during officehours by paying Rs. 1,000/- only (non-refundable) being the costof the form. The last date of receipt of the form is on 27.09.2002.

The opening of the sealed samples is on 28.09.2002 at 11a.m. in the presence of the Selection Committee and the firms, theSelection Committee shall approve the samples on the basis ofquality and rate.

MANAGING DIRECTORSIMFED

This is to inform all devotees and well wishersthat His Holiness the XVIIth Gyalwa Karmapa,Urgyen Drodul Thinley Dorjee is visitingCalcutta on the invitation of the MahabodhiSociety, Calcutta from the 16th to the 18th ofSeptember, 2002.His itinerary is as follows:

16 / 9 / 2002 : Arrival at Calcutta from Delhi17 / 9 / 02 : Attend 138th Birth Anniversary

Celebration of AnagarikaDharmapala

18 / 9 / 02 : Inauguration of Karma GonMonastery Teaching andEmpowement

19 / 9 / 02 : Depart for Delhi.

Please contact the Rumtek–TsurphuAdministration, Tashi Khar, MG Marg, GangtokOffice for further enquiries.Telephone: 26591 ande-mail – tsurphu@sify.com

AdminRumtek-Tsurphu Labrang

KARMAPA TOVISIT

CALCUTTA

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ALL’S WELL, THATENDS WELL

GANGTOK: The unseemly imbro-glio involving Playwin Gaming So-lutions and Tsering Topden, winnerof the Karnataka Lucky-3 lotterycame to an end on September 3 witha joint Press conference called byManoj Shah, Manager (Claims),Playwin, and Tsering Topden, theGangtokian who had won Rs. 9,000on the Lucky-3 game and had lateralleged malpractice by Playwinwhen his claim was delayed. ThePress meet was also attended byPlaywin retailers from the capital.

The two disclosed that whenMr. Topden had approached theLucky-3 office to collect his money,there were no Claim Forms avail-able anywhere in Gangtok. Mr.Topden had, however, approacheda local English weekly with thestory which eventually came out asa “Lottery Scam”.

Mr. Shah strongly refuted alle-gations of scam saying, “The wholeissue was about the forms not reach-ing Gangtok in time for which weapologise sincerely. The contentionthat we are cheating is all wrong.”

Apparently, the matter has beensorted out now and Mr. Topden hashanded over his claim to Playwinwhich will process the payment.

Mr. Shah also answered various

a NOW REPORT

queries from media-persons someof whom were not entirely con-vinced with the answers, with oneeditor staging a dramatic walk-outcalling the incident “an insult tosociety”.

According to Mr. Topden, thewhole thing has been blown out ofproportion. “I was very upset ini-tially when I didn’t get the moneyimmediately, but the whole thingwent out of hand,” he said.

On the issue of terminals whichearlier sold only Sikkim’s onlinelotteries, but did not sell theKarnataka lottery, Mr. Shah clari-fied that the terminals belonged toPlaywin and that there was no ex-clusive agreement with Sikkim Lot-teries on this count.

The need for more transparencywas stressed by all present for themeeting and Mr. Shah promisedmore press briefings by senior man-agers to clear any lingering doubts.

Some Playwin agents also com-plained that the agreement signedbetween them and Playwin had notreached them yet - Mr. Shah saidhe would look into the matter.

The gathered Playwin officialsand agents also vehemently deniedallegations that in an effort to cover-up the story, they had lifted all cop-ies of the local weekly which hadfirst broken the news of Mr.Topden’s grievances.

PLAYWINAPOLOGISESFOR DELAY IN

PAYMENT;FORMERLY

DISGRUNTLEDWINNER NOWFEELS ISSUEWAS BLOWN

OUT OFPROPORTION

GANGTOK: A state level meet-ing on Reproductive & Child HealthNeed Assessment was held at theConference Hall of Health Depart-ment, Tashiling on August 28. Themeet was organized by the Volun-tary Health Association of Sikkim(VHAS); mother NGO under Re-productive & Child Health of Min-istry of Health & Family Welfare,government of India.

The welcome address was de-livered by Dr. BB Rai, ExecutiveDirector of VHAS during which healso expressed his gratitude at thedepartmental cooperation renderedat various levels during the last oneyear.

Dr. Bela Cintury, Consultant of

VHAS, Retired Additional Direc-tor presented an insight of the RCHprogramme and activities under-taken in the past one year. Her pres-entation included figures concern-ing the sex ratios among various agegroups. While the correspondingratios in the age group 0-6 years forboth sexes was almost equal, thatin the 10-19 age group had a verylow female ratio, which she saidwas a matter of great concern.

The chairman of the Meet, Dr.TR Gyatso, Secretary Departmentof Health & Family Welfare, gov-ernment of Sikkim, congratulatedthe VHAS for their selfless anddedicated efforts in the field ofHealth & Development speciallypraising their work in Labdangwhere VHAS has taken up a ModelVillage Project supported by

SIDICO and HUDCO.He also addressed other issues

of health like tuberculosis, personalhygiene, alcoholism, diarrhea, mal-nutrition etc. Dr. Uma Pradhan,Additional Director (Family Wel-fare) was also present and interactedwith the Field NGOs.

Among others present were Dr.DK Subba, Director Health Serv-ices, DR. RK Chettri, AdditionalDirector, health officials from thedistricts, medical officers of PHCsfrom different places and the offi-cials from the Health Department.A total of 10 Field NGOs also par-ticipated in the meet. As an outcomethe health authorities have assuredmore cooperation and technicalsupport to the Field NGOs regard-ing Need Assessment and pro-gramme implementation.

a NOW REPORT

HEALTH BODY RAISES CONCERNOVER SEX-RATIO IMBALANCE

XfactorThe exclusive supplement for the Youth

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10 NOW! Sept 04-10, 2002

to me. How much trouble could oldmagazines be? So to cut a longstory short, we had our first lessonin Economics from thechannawallah at the young age of5-6 years. We learnt how the bar-ter system functioned for I suppliedhim with magazines and my ganggot as to eat all the channa theywanted!

In a funny incident, many yearslater, when I cajoled my then steadyand now husband into eatingchanna in Naya Bazaar, thechannawallah took one look at meand asked, “ Tina (that’s my nick-name), have you got any magazinestoday?” I wanted the ground toswallow me whole, you know howimportant it is to maintain appear-ances when you are dating, but thatinitial embarrassment was soonforgotten in the happiness of meet-ing my old, old friend and Econom-ics teacher.

You know what, I still eatchanna sometimes, never mindhow many germs they contain. Ifigure as long as I can’t see them,they can’t affect me! And no, Idon’t carry any magazines with me!

DARJEELING,September 2, 2002:

The teachers and trainees ofRamakrishna Junior BTCollege have a more impor-

tant task at hand, i.e. playing de-tectives. Situated at Jakir HussainRoad the College has a dilapidatedbuilding in the campus which wasabandoned after having been dam-aged by an earthquake. This build-ing has become the favourite hauntof the addicts.

“First it was the hardcore addictstaking intravenous shots that we hadto chase away. Finally when we man-aged to get rid of them, we made anew stunning discovery,” said atrainee of the college. The baton ofthe drug legacy has been handed overto school students by the seniors.

Having had enough of this nui-sance the teachers and trainees ofthe College raided the dilapidatedruins on August 27 evening. On thefirst floor they found 6 boys hud-dled together inhaling somethingfrom plastic packets. Close scrutinyrevealed that the boys in schooluniform were inhaling dendrite.The floor was littered with emptydendrite tubes and plastic packets,used by their predecessors.

The boys having being caughtred handed admitted that studentsfrom most of the schools used thisbuilding for dendrite chasing andhad different timings. They usually

kept two or three sentinels pretend-ing to play football in the adjoin-ing ground, while the rest chaseddendrite. The group caught, con-sisted of two class 7 students ofTurnbull School, two class 5 boysof Municipal Boys School, twoClass 8 students of Central Schooland two school dropouts. The prin-cipals of these schools were calledand along with the school captainsinterrogated these boys.

Three grocery shops of the areawere identified by these boys fromwhere they used to buy the stuff.One of the students was even madeto go and buy dendrite, and theshopkeeper not smelling anythingfishy readily supplied the kid witha tube. The police were informedand conducting raids at theseshops, huge quantities of dendritetubes were confiscated. The shopssell liquor also, though they haveno license.

Police arrested 18 year old Ra-man Kar Gupta, 45 year oldChittaranjan Gupta and 22 year oldRajesh Gupta the proprietors ofthese three grocery shops. Theshops were closed down. The Col-lege authorities sent letters to theDarjeeling SP, IC- Sadar Thana, DIof Schools, Councillor, MunicipalWard Councillor and local socialorganizations informing them ofyesterday’s incident.

Incidentally drug has becomea major problem in the hills withthe number of drug related crimesincreasing day by day. Frustrated

Photograph of a chemist shop is Darjeeling displaying an anti drug board issued by the SP, Darjeeling.Photograph by Amitava

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unemployed youth usually turn todrugs. Both street drugs and me-dicinal drugs have become com-mon. Among the medicinal drugsfavourites are cough syrups withephedrine hydrochloride and co-deine phosphate. Other than this,pain killers and anti spasmodicanalgesics in large doses usuallyprovides the high

Recently many drug pusherswere picked up from Kalimpongand Rongpo selling SpasmoProxyvon Tablets, an anti spas-modic analgesic. The Darjeelingpolice feels that the major drug sup-ply route in Siliguri is not beingdestroyed, therefore drug abuse isassuming alarming proportions inthe hills. The drug sellers are alsobecoming smart as they carry lessthan 5 gms on their person, 5 gmsbeing the minimum quantity re-quired for starting a case under theNarcotics Act.

The price of Brown Sugarpurias (packets) has also beenslashed for better promotion. Aseller usually makes 20 to 30 puriasout of a gram of Brown Sugarwhich he buys at Rs. 250/- pergram. This purias are sold at Rs.20 to Rs. 30 per puria which waspreviously Rs. 80/- per puria. Thedrug dealers also have drug usersfor pushing the drugs whom theygive drugs as incentive, rather thanpay in cash.

As the police keep a tightervigil, the drug user grows more andmore innovative, experimenting tofind out new methods to give himthe trip. Shoe Polish sniffing andeating pain balms smeared onbread are the latest findings of thisever inquisitive mind.

DARJEELING’S DRUG PROBLEM

MUCH MORE THAN JUSTCHASING DENDRITE

Everything from dendrite to Brown Sugar is

abused in Darj. The situation has turned worse,

now that the peddlers are adopting new

methods to convert more addicts

Contd from pg 7

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T’NITES ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONAn Association of Ex-Students of Sir Tashi Namgyal Senior Sec-ondary School, Gangtok, will honour the following ex-teachers onthe occasion of Teacher’s Day at 9:30 A.M. on 7th Sept. 2002 atthe auditorium of Sir TNSS School, Gangtok.

1) Mr. MC Mathur2) Mr. Samdup Tsering Bhutia3) Mr. BB Gautam

Shri Tseten Dorjee Lepcha, Hon’ble Minister who is also the ChiefPatron of T’nites Alumni Association has kindly consented to bethe Chief Guest on the occasion.All the ex-students as well as the ex-teachers of Sir TNSS School,Gangtok are requested to kindly make it convenient to attend thefunction.

(MENLA ETHENPA)General Secretary

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EMPLOYMENT

OPPORTUNITYHigh Altitude Spices -manufacturers of high qualityPickles, Squashes &Preserves in Sikkim requirespersonnel in its Gangtokoffice.1. Sales Representativeswho are dynamic with a goal– oriented approach.Attractive incentives based onsales performances.2. Office Assistant cumAccountant who will beresponsible for maintaining anoffice and books of accounts.Knowledge of computerapplications essential. Salarycommensurate with capability.

Send by post complete bio-data with contact address &phone no. toHigh Altitude Spices, BorongHouse, Above TelephoneExchange, Gangtok.Suitable candidates will becalled for interview.

GANGTOK: A new fast-foodjoint “Lets Eat,” which openedhere in the capital in the thirdweek of August is already a hitwith locals and tourists who havejust started trickling in.

Located right at the heart ofMG Marg, near Yama Building,this bright and cheerful place sellseverything that you may want fora quick bite and more. From cof-fee and soup to pizzas, burgers,roast chicken, spring rolls and siz-zlers, they have it all.

The shop also has a bakerysection with an assortment ofbreads and patties which are quitepopular with office goers and stu-dents wanting a quick snack.

Although a whole lot of non-vegetarian dishes are offered onthe menu, the focus at Let’s Eat ison veggies and this should spe-cially appeal to tourists.

The proprietors have alsopulled out a minor miracle in themanner in which they have usedspace at this joint. The limitedfloor-space has been well utilisedand one does not feel cramped.“It’s comfy,” as one of the visitorsput it. Also, even though it has anopen facade, the place is sparklingclean and enough aromas float towork up an appetite.

So, what’s the main USP ofthe place? According to partnersRakesh Mohora and AshokGurung: “We serve very fresh foodat very affordable price.”

So, there you have it. All I cansay is “Lets Eat.”

“Care to join mefor a snack”

AN APPEAL TO THE PUBLICUDISHA Sanghatan, an N.G.O (Non Governmental Organi-zation) would like to appeal to all the public to generouslydonate used clothes and other household items to this or-ganization so that the organization can distribute these ma-terials to those really needy souls who indeed need our careand help. Let us join our hands to reach out to them whoneed our help.Those of you who have a heart and mind to help others cansend contributions to The Co-ordinator, “Operation Help”Udisha Sanghatan Development Area, Hotel Glenz Build-ing, Gangtok. Phone # 24164 / 29248.Or you can call our members at the following areas:1. Church Road, Gangtok. Phone: 28100.2. Sichey, Gangtok. Phone: 84174.3. Deorali, Gangtok, Phone: 810914. Tadong, Gangtok. Phone: 312785. 5th Mile, Tadong Phone: 31587 / 705556. Rangpo, Sikkim. Phone: 40847.

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12 NOW! Sept 04-10, 2002

Published by Lt. Col. (retd) P. Dorjee and printed at Baba Offset, Tadong. Editor: Pema Wangchuk. Now! Near Ayurvedic Clinic, Gairi Gaon, Tadong. East Sikkim. ph: 03592 70949 email: sikkimnow@rediffmail.com

PREPARING

FOR THE

GOLD CUPa NOW REPORTNAMCHI: A meeting was held onSeptember 2, in Namchi to elect adistrict-level committee to beheaded by the District Collector(South), K. Srinivasulu, as theChairman, and Deputy Director,Sports and Youth Affairs, KarmaYougyal as Member Secretary, andall district officers as members forsuccessful conduction of the Gov-ernor’s Gold Cup, which will beheld in Namchi’s Bhaichung Sta-dium this year, from the September20 onwards.

President, Sikkim Football As-sociation, Tempo Bhutia, was alsopresent for the meeting which wasalso attended by SDF Chief Whip,KN Rai. The Secretary, SFA, MenlaEthenpa, informed the meting that“leading national teams” had al-ready confirmed their participationin the tourney.

GANGTOK: On August 26, at 10.30am CD Bhutia from Ravangla parkedhis Armada in the parking yard infront of Education Department hereat Tshiling Secretariat. He had comefor official work. He finished his workat around 4 pm and went to his hotel.It was only when he was checking inthat he discovered that his briefcasewas missing from the vehicle. Thesuitcase contained his clothes, someimportant documents and some cash.By 6 pm he had lodged a complaintat the Sadar Thana. The Police wereco-operative and swung into action

GANGTOK: The Sikkim Demo-cratic Front is organizing a seriesof public meetings across the Statethis month, in a run-up to the ensu-ing Panchayat polls.

According to a Press statementissued by the publicity wing of theSDF party, the first meeting will beheld at Pakyong Bazar on Septem-ber 8, followed by Gyalshing on the10, Soreng Bazar on the 12, RongliBazar on the 18, Mangan Bazar onthe 20, Ravangla Bazar on the 24and Namchi Bazar on the 25. Onthe September 22, the party willhold the meeting at the RangpoMining Ground, which will be alsoobserved as “Gareeb UtthanDiwas.”

The party president, PawanChamling, will address these meet-ings, the press release added.

immediately.Sleuths tried to trace down the

parking lot attendant but he was nowhere to be found. All they cameup with was that the attendent hadbeen employed by a person fromKazi Road to raise the parking feeat the Tashiling parking lot. Theemployer was in Delhi so the copscould not even find out the name ofthe parking lot attendent.

The search continued neverthe-less and the lad was finally located.It was then that the boy told the copsthat there was a particular vehicle -a white van - which, whenever itwas parked in the complex, wouldresult in some complaint or the

other. Most times, people wouldreport something missing.

Now the search was on for thevan and its driver. It was finallytraced down to Tibet Road.

A search and some deligent in-terrogation revealed that the driverhad indeed stolen the briefcase andhad even spent some of the money- among other things, he had pur-chased a mobile phone with the lootand had given some money to hiswife. Informed sources reveal thatthe wife, when she learnt that herhusband had been picked up forquestioning, gave the money forsafekeeping to her mother.

Later, the mother-daughter duo

went to the house of the owner ofthe van the accused drove and tookthe keys under the pretext that oneof the passengers had dropped hismobile in the van and had askedthen to retrieve it.

The cops were still on the look-out for the rest of the loot and whentold by the owner of the van of thesuspisious activities of the mother-daughter combine, decided to checkthe van thoroughly. There, stashedbetween the lining and the door,they discovered cash stashed away.As far as the cops were concerned,the case had been cracked, most ofthe stolen money recovered and theculprit behind bars.

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The last thoroughbred Tibetan mastiff (the rest

have all been crossbred and their gene-pools

diluted by mongrel that now populate the northern

reaches of Sikkim), the collective pet of Thangu

Monastery, has gone “missing”. Sources reveal that

the Mastiff has disappeared from its normal haunt

of the monastery. The loss is great and now nothing

can be done about it. NOW! reproduces below an

article written by USHA GANGULY LACHUNGPA nearly

a year back on how the proud breed has been

hounded off Sikkim. The article also speaks of how

Sikkim could bring back this strong companion of

the Dokpas back to Sikkim...

THE LAST TIBETAN MASTIFFIS NO MORELAST OF THE ‘DOKHYI’ or ‘PHYU-KHI’,

THE TIBETAN MASTIFF (SHEEP-DOG)

Over a gradual period of twodecades or so, Sikkim haslost the Tibetan Mastiff, a

magnificent pure breed of dog be-longing to the nomadic ‘Dokpas’ orTibetan graziers in trans-HimalayanSikkim. This harsh fact was pointedout by the Lachen Pipon, AnungLachenpa, during the recent Na-tional Biodiversity Strategy andAction Plan (NBSAP) exercise. Adecade of surveys in North Sikkimshows that the population of thisunique domestic animal has beenreduced to one very old male atThangu Monastery, gifted by aDokpa Chingya of Lashar. All otherdogs are now completelymongrelised. Lonely army person-nel diluted the breed with mongrelsbrought up as pet pups from loweraltitudes to the cold desert aroundChho Lhamo, Gyam Tsona,Gurudongmar and Muguthang inLhonak valley. On finishing theirstint in this difficult region, usuallyover a year or two, they left leaving

the dogs behind. These fed off thekitchen and mess wastes and havemultiplied over the years. They arenow completerly feral, roaming inpacks on the plateau at ChhoLhamo, Lhonak and Lashar, hang-ing around army camps and the vil-lage of Thangu, preying upon wild-life and have even been seen swim-ming in the glacial lakes afterRuddy Shelduck chicks. Of late theyhave taken to preying upon domes-tic livestock of the Dokpas. Earlythis year we found a femaleHimalayan Marmot torn to shredson the banks of the Chho Lhamo.Near the carcass along with someintestines, were four of its fetusesstill linked together. About 500metres away were four feral dogs.

In order to save or revive thebreed of the Tibetan Mastiff, it isperhaps possible to purchase pedi-gree stock from remote areas inBhutan. The Dokpas are confidentof training this master herder andexcellent guard dog in the lost artof herding yak, sheep and goats onthe Tibetan plateau. But would it

be possible to see some day thismagnificent dog accompanied by aslingshot bearing Dokpa expertlyherding yak and sheep on Sikkim’sTibetan plateau, its deep resound-ing ‘wooof’ warding off intruders?

Interestingly, good breeds of thelittle lap-dog, the Lhasa Apso arealso increasingly difficult to comeby, especially pure white males.When I went to purchase a pup fromGnathang village in East Sikkimyears ago, all that was left was theblack and white runt of the litter,the rest being booked for as muchas two cases of rum, even before

they were born! Some months ago,a dog salesman from West Bengal,offered a pedigree Tibetan mastiffpup for a tidy Rs. 35,000/-!! So withthe times a-changing, perhaps someenterprising Sikkimese could lookfor alternative livelihoods as profes-sional breeders of this valuable do-mestic biodiversity of Sikkim. Wecould look forward to some profes-sional high altitude kennels, dog-training programmes, kennel clubs,specialized veterinarians... entirelyunexplored territory in Sikkim.

- USHA LACHUNGPA, Sr.Research Officer (WL)

Time Out LADIES ONLY NITE ON 5TH SEPT.CHECK DETAILS ON PG 3

Dr. KALZANG DIKI

Diplomacy

and

the Art

of

Being

Sikkimese

The Thangu Monastery Tibetan Mastiff while it was still alive