Separate policy push for mountain states Vivek Chhetri (Telegraph) Darjeeling: A civil society group seeking separate development policies for hill states renewed its demand on Friday at a meeting in Darjeeling attended by representatives from 12 hill states. The Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI), floated in 2011, draws members from different walks of life including bureaucracy, […]

Mr. Ganesh Bahadur Giri, commonly known as Mr. G.B. Giri or Guruji from Darjeeling was recently awarded with the IFBB (The International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness) Gold Medal for his outstanding life contributions in the promotion of  Bodybuilding and Fitness. The Medal was presented by the IFBB President Dr. Rafael Santonja as well as […]

Writes Upendra Bengal, once one of the leading lights of India – where thinkers, philosophers, scholars, reformers and revolutionaries of all hue and colour found acceptance and thrived. The land of Raja Rammohan Roy, Ramkrishna Parmahansa, Swamy Vivekananda, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, Amartya Sen; the land of which it was once said, […]

In a meeting held today which ended later in the evening, GJM has decided to observe indefinite strike across Darjeeling hills, Terai, and Dooars from Monday onwards. However, the strike will be limited only to the government establishments, including GTA. Schools and colleges have been kept completely outside of bandh purview, while banks have been […]

– Sumit Pande New Delhi: Amidst the escalating protests in Darjeeling and adjoining areas, Minister of State for Agriculture SS Ahluwalia has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh to examine the demand for a separate hill state Gorkhaland. Sources in the Home Ministry have told CNN-News18 that Ahluwalia, who won Lok Sabha elections from Darjeeling […]

The crisis in Darjeeling seemed to deepen with the all-party meeting called by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders on Tuesday afternoon ending a unanimous decision to fight for a separate state of Gorkhaland that was a direct challenge to chief minister Mamata Banerjee who has vowed not to allow a split of Bengal. The five […]

Write: Vivek Chhetri and Bireswar Banerjee Bimal Gurung yesterday said there would be repercussions if the administration indulged in excesses during the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s processions next week and asked tour operators to evacuate visitors from the hills in 30 minutes. The Morcha had announced processions with black flags from June 4 to 9 to […]

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today asked the residents of Mirik to switch off lights for two hours tomorrow evening when Mamata Banerjee will attend a government programme there. The Morcha also appealed to students and people to wear black badges during the chief minister’s tour of the hills as part of an intensified agitation against […]

-BIRESWAR BANERJEE Mirik, June 5: Mamata Banerjee today said Bengali would not be compulsory at schools in the Darjeeling hills and in certain areas of the Dooars and the Terai. The chief minister’s about-turn is perceived to be aimed at meeting the twin objectives of soothing the frayed nerves in the hills and retaining the […]

LANGUAGE ISSUE: Police Cases Filed Against Heads of Schools, Shahitya Academy Award Winners and GJM Leaders Writes: Vivek Chhetri Darjeeling police have started a suo motu case against Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders, literary figures and heads of educational institutions who had attended a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the government’s decision to make Bengali compulsory […]

LANGUAGE ISSUE: BJP Extends Support to GJM Agitation Against Making Bengali Language Mandatory All India General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party Shri. Kailash Vijayvargiya has spoken out against the Mamata governments proposal to make Bengali language compulsory in all the schools across Bengal. In turn he stated BJPs support to the ongoing agitation against […]

BREAKING: Darjeeling MP SS Alhuwalia Writes to PM Modi;  Seeks immediate intervention to end the “draconian emergency-like measures undertaken by the Mamata Banerjee government” Taking strong exception to the filing of FIRs against Sahita Academy Award winners and heads of reputed schools in the hills by the police, Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia has written to […]

Trinamul invokes Hindi to score a point – Ruling party counters Morcha decision to allow billboards only in Nepali and English Writes: Vivek Chettri Darjeeling, June 11: The Trinamul Congress has decided to counter the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s decision to allow billboards only in English and Nepali in the hills and ignore Hindi. “We have […]

A statement of solidarity from Gorkha Students, JNU to the protesting tea garden workers for their minimum wage All tea workers unions from Darjeeling, Dooars and Tarai under the broad banner of Joint Forum have decided to go for a 48 hour strike in Bengal against the exploitation of tea garden owners of Bengal, who […]

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Unprecedented Brutality – Turning Darjeeling to Syria, Not Switzerland One of our readers who belongs to the Gorkha Marwari community writes… “With the Video I saw today in regards to protest of the people and the lathi charge ordered by the SP, it clearly shows what the state government has planned […]

SHOCK and AWE: In Lathi-charge Police Sends a Message – ‘Behave or We Will Make You’ The Mamata Banerjee government is focusing for the time being on two components in Darjeeling: collate actionable intelligence on the Gorkha Janmutki Morcha and send a message that law-keepers will not hesitate to use force to nip any attempt […]

BJP demands peace committee to contain violence in Darjeeling KOLKATA: The BJP today criticised the West Bengal government for failing to contain violence in the Darjeeling hills and demanded that a peace committee be formed to restore peace. “The TMC administration has completely failed to contain violence in the hills. There was no shut down […]

HILLS TO PROTEST LINGUISTIC IMPERIALISM – Two Day Education Strike Called Writes: Vivek Chhetri Bimal Gurung yesterday called a two-day education strike in the hills this week and a series of marches during the chief minister’s impending visit to protest the state government’s move to make Bengali a compulsory subject at schools. The Gorkha Janmukti […]