Proud to be a Sikkimese: Sikkim Travel, Culture & Local Heritage

4th day hunger strike at Rangpo (darjeeling area)  by Gorkha Janmukti Bidhyarthi Morcha pic: Sanjay Agarwal

Photo feature of GJMM dharna by Gorkha Janmukti Bidhyarthi Morcha at Rangpo- Darjeeling area pic by Sanjay Agarwal     The students on dharna   GJMM General Secreatry Roshan Giri came to Rangpo-Darjeeling area  to meet with students staged on dharna at middle of the road   Former CM NB Bhandari coming by foot from Rangpo, West Bengal during 04 hours dharna and bandh.   The affected vehicles on the other side of Sikkim-West Bengal border

4th Day of Gorkhaland Hunger Strike at Parliament Street, New Delhi    photo shared by  Bishal Rai Secretary, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, New Delhi and NCR Unit Participants are as follows : Ms. Pooja Gurung Ms. Palden Sherpa Ms. Kalpana Tamang Ms. Kavita Gurung Ms. Rita Lama Ms. Binita Sharma Ms. Roshni Biswa Ms. Soma Rai Ms. Saraswati Chettri Ms. Sheru Tamang Ms. Tanuja Rai Ms. Manju Rai Ms. Manu Tamang Ms. Asha Ghatani      

from Sikkim Express GANGTOK, July 14: A cell has been constituted by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in Kalimpong to facilitate the movement of people from Sikkim for urgent works during the bandh period. People from Sikkim having emergency or urgent works and need to reach Siliguri can contact GJM in-charge of NH 31 A, Sunil Pradhan who has been authorized by the party high command to make necessary arrangements for the people of Sikkim. Mr. Pradhan can be reached at 9933947288. The GJM has stressed that this facility for Sikkimese persons is only for emergencies and proper documents or travel tickets are a must. Speaking to SIKKIM EXPRESS, Mr. Pradhan asserted that the bandh has not been called to disturb Sikkim. We are fighting for our identity and the highway (NH 31A) is like our front y...

by Narendra Raaut Lok Sabha polls, 2009 and the Indian Gorkhas : The Lok Sabha polls, 2009 have become a memorable milestone for the Indian Gorkhas. The elections have taught the Gorkhas of India a vital lesson in one aspect or other. Different nature of Gorkhaland demand : Creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland is the prominent demand of the Gorkhas of India at present. This demand has been raised in different forms till date. This was used as the vote bank, this was used for killing own brethren, this demand was used in the political dramas in the past etc. This is not appropriate time to recall these facts but the topic is different here. The old demand was not for separate state but for separate administrative system : Though the age of the demand has attained 102 years, yet the intellectuals do not prefer to give more emphasize to the old facts. Most of the people use to say that the demand of Gorkhaland dates back to 1907. Actually it is not an established...

Statesman News Service SILIGURI, Jan. 23: The communication revolution is now making its presence felt in north Bengal. Along with the agitations in the Darjeeling Hills and Dooars in support of Gorkhaland, a movement for the demand is silently taking place on the Internet. Gorkhaland supporters based in different parts of India have created several community groups on social networking sites like Orkut, Ibibo, Myspace and Facebook to enlist support for Gorkhaland from non-resident Gorkhas all over the world and generate international opinion in favour of the demand.  The groups, with names like 'Gorkhaland', 'Jai Gorkhaland', 'Free Gorkhaland', 'Gorkhaland ~ Our Birthright', 'Gorkhaland Awareness Campaign', 'Gorkhaland ~ QA New Beginning', 'We Support Gorkhaland', 'Gorkhaland On The Way' and 'Gorkhaland ~ Final Countdown' have members in different parts of the world. As is clear from the dates of their sc...

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS GANGTOK, August 07: The alleged remarks on “Gorkhaland” movement made by a Sub Inspector with the Sikkim Police today led to the closure of the National Highway 31-A for more than four hours. Vehicle movement was stopped this evening by angry Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) along the NH 31A, thereby cutting off Sikkim from the rest of the country. GJM Kalimpong president Kalyan Dewan led his party workers to set up pickets at Rangpo and Melli, the two entry points to Sikkim and vehicles were barred from entering or leaving the State. The highway disruption by GJM was triggered by an alleged derogatory statement by a Sub Inspector of the Sikkim Police while shutting down a signature campaign by GJM members here a...

pic: Himalayan Darpan

Express News Service Kolkata, July 5 Period between July 7 and Aug 7 to be utilised for groundwork for tripartite talks The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) has decided not to impose bandhs and strikes in Darjeeling from July 7 to August 7. During this period, efforts will be intensified to prepare the ground for a tripartite meeting with the state and Central governments over the demand for a separate Gorkhaland. The decision was taken at a central committee meeting of the GJM on Saturday. GJM spokesman Roshan Giri said the Nepali community in Darjeeling holds prayer meetings in July and August. And in view of this, the central committee had unanimously decided not to organise any bandhs and strikes during the one-month period. The GJM’s boycott of government offices, however, will continue. Timber movement from forests will also not be allowed. There will be no work done at the DGHC office, too. Post offices, banks and Food Corporation of India godowns will be exempted from ...

Agencies Kolkata, July 4: Notwithstanding the West Bengal Government’s warning, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, on Friday said it would not allow vehicles in Darjeeling and adjoining areas of the proposed Gorkhaland to run without ‘GL’ number plates from July seven. “Introduction of GL number plates is part of GJM’s non-cooperation and non-violent movement to press for Gorkhaland,” GJM press secretary Benoy Tamang told PTI from Darjeeling.  He said this would also be mandatory for vehicles of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. “Let the state government and the Centre take whatever action they want. We will go ahead with our vow to introduce GL number plates,” he said.  On Transport minister Subhas Chakraborty’s statement on that this was illegal, Tamang said, “We will not bow down our head before Subhas Chakraborty. “The Khalistanis in Punjab and NSCN(IM) had introduced their own currency. This was illegal because they did want to stay within the Indian Constitution. We want to ...

July 3rd, 2008 - 8:12 pm ICT by IANS New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) The Supreme Court Thursday asked the central and the West Bengal governments to ensure free traffic on the sole road linking Sikkim to the country’s mainland during the stir for Gorkhaland, which may be resumed July 6. A bench of Justice Altmas Kabir and Justice G.S. Singhvi also sternly told various outfits spearheading the separate Gorkhaland stir not to disrupt the traffic on National Highway 31A linking Sikkim and Darjeeling. The bench’s directions came after a hearing of two lawsuits that seek restoration of vehicular traffic on National Highway 31, disrupted since June 14 due to the Gorkhaland agitation in West Bengal. Presently suspended, the stir is likely to resume July 6. The bench also castigated the governments for invariably forgetting their “constitutional obligations” during various agitations and often becoming tacit supporters or silent spectators of hardships caused to the masses during such stirs. As Ad...

GANGTOK, June 30: The president of Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC), Nar Bahadur Bhandari has said that the demand for the creation of Gorkhaland is a constitutional and democratic demand of the people of Darjeeling and its territorial neighbourhood. Mr Bhandari, who is also the former Chief Minister of Sikkim said that a separate State will also accelerate the process of growth and development, both economically, socially and politically and will fulfil the aspiration of the people of the region. “The democratic movement of the people need not be suppressed by force or other dubious means as that may cause more turmoil and chaos in the region. It must be borne in mind that the new states of Chattisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand have made remarkable growth only after the...

Gangtok: A report of Sify News titled “Sikkim political parties back Gorkhaland demand”, said to have been filed from Gangtok on Friday, June 27, 2008, appeared on the Google website on the same day. Quoting PTI based in Gangtok as the source, the report attributed a statement to Mr B. B. Gooroong, political advisor to the Sikkim chief minister, which Mr Gooroong emphatically refuted. The report said, “The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front - has openly supported the creation of a separate Gorkhaland state to fulfil what it says the aspiration of the Gorkha people”, adding, “The demand for creation of a Gorkhaland state is fully justified for the fulfilment of democratic aspirations of the Gorkha people living in the Darjeeling hills and adjoining areas in West Bengal, party leader and former chief minister B B Gurung told PTI here”. When contacted by Sikkim Reporter, Mr. Gooroong...

Wed, Jun 25 09:31 PM A Sikkim resident has moved the Supreme Court seeking direction to the Centre to ensure safe transportation of essential commodities to the state through National Highway 31A, the lone road that connects the state to the rest of the country, which is frequently blocked by 'Gorkahland' supporters. The apex court shall hear the application on Thursday. A vacation bench headed by Justice Altmus Kabir agreed to give urgent hearing to the application filed by a Sikkim resident alleging that frequent bandhs and strikes in the recent past have hit movement of vehicles on the highway. Senior Advocate P H Parekh, while mentioning the matter before the bench, contended that normal life in the State has been adversely affected because of the ongoing agitation over 'Gorkhaland' and there was an urgent need to ensure the safe movement of the essential commodities on the highway. "Sikkim is a land locked state surrounded by three foreign countries and Nat...

New Delhi: Following the ongoing Gorkhaland agitation, the Sikkim government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court for a direction to the Centre and the West Bengal government to ensure free movement of traffic on National Highway No. 31A to and from Sikkim. A vacation bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice G.S. Singhvi decided to hear the petition on Thursday on a mention made by counsel for the State A. Mariarputham about the filing of an application. The Bench, after hearing senior counsel P.H. Parekh, said it would take up another application filed by O.P. Bhandari seeking the same relief. The apex court had already issued notice on a writ petition from Mr. Bhandari for a direction to the parties concerned to take appropriate action during bandhs and strikes called by political parties and social organizations. The present applications are filed in the same writ petition. The applicants said on account of frequent bandhs called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in the last few da...

BY BARUN ROY [BEACON ONLINE EXCLUSIVE] Darjeeling : Gorkha Janmukti Morcha President declared the postponement of the indefinite strike which was supposed to start tomorrow morning at 6am . Speaking at Chowrasta, Bimal Gurung said that the talks that had taken place between the GJM delegation led by Roshan Giri and the Union Home Minister were promising. However, the GJM President refused to divulge the details of the talk. http://beacononline.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/gorkha-janmukti-morcha-forced-to-postpone-indefinite-strike-until-5th-of-july/

GANGTOK/RANGPO, June 20: Sikkim remained cut off from the rest of the country for the fifth consecutive day today due to the ongoing blockade on National Highway 31-A called by the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) to press for its demand for a separate Gorkhaland demand. Except for ambulances, press, vehicles carrying students, and vehicles carrying LPG cylinders, no other vehicles are permitted to ply from Rangpo, West Bengal side. The State may not be affected by the shortage of LPG as more than 15 trucks carrying LPG cylinders entered in two days from Rangpo Checkpost. Yesterday, an SNT tanker was not allowed to pass as the Morcha picketers slept on the Highway. Meanwhile, a huge rally was organized today at Rangpo, West Bengal side where more than 500 youth and Nari Morcha members shouted slogans for the fulfillment ...

India today is conducting a poll on the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland comprising Darjeeling Hills, Siliguri and the Doors. It's an issue close to our heart! Please vote 'yes' and spread the word around. Here is the link (you may have to copy-paste): http://indiatoday.digitaltoday .in/ The poll is on the left had side of the page as u scroll down warm regards

There are different interpretations of the definition of Gorkha and Nepali. Actually, they are two sides of the same coin. This problem only arose because the Indians used to see us as if we were like the people living across the river Mechi. As far as I am concerned, there should not be any geographical limitations of language and literature. It is not that the English language is meant for the English people in England only and the Nepali language for Nepalispali of Nepal only. Language and literature are two things that become more prosperous and richer as they expand their spheres. Considering that the term Nepali reflects the citizens of Nepal, we have developed the concept of calling ourselves Gorkhas to differentiate ourselves from them. ABGL has worked in this field for a long time at its own level.  Our identity is better safeguarded and segregated in India by calling us the Gorkhas. That is why Mr Subash Ghisingh might have called Gorkha. As for the la...

Darjeeling, December 09: The GNLF has turned itself to start an agitation for Gorkhaland state if there are more delays in granting Sixth Schedule status to the Darjeeling hills.The GNLF put pressure the Centre and the West Bengal government for fast execution of the Sixth Schedule bill in parliament. The bill was shelved after BJP members demanded that ...