Kanojia in Siliguri. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, July 2: The intelligence wing of Bengal police has found enough proof to suggest that the KLO is trying to regroup in three districts of north Bengal, state inspector-general of police (law and order) Raj Kanojia said today.

“From inputs received from the intelligence wing, we have come to know that a fresh batch of KLO militants is trying to reorganise in Jalpaiguri, Malda and parts of Dinajpur districts,” Kanojia told reporters at Siliguri Circuit House.

The officer added that a number of other insurgent groups existed in north Bengal. “There are so many issues here. KLO and border-related issues are among them. I have discussed the issues with local police officials. We are getting information about Maoist activities as well and are alert about it,” he said.

The inspector-general arrived here on Monday and during his stay, reviewed law and order and force deployment in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts. He left for Calcutta this afternoon.

Kanojia did not comment on the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha or the possibility of force deployment if the party re-imposes its indefinite shutdown in the Darjeeling hills after July 5.

The hills are currently enjoying a bandh breather.

“I do not want to comment on these issues as everything has been stated by the state home secretary yesterday,” said the inspector-general.

However, Kanojia added: “Keeping in mind the current situation in the hills, besides keeping armed police, we also have the Straco Force, which was formed about a year ago. This force has been trained here in north Bengal and another batch is currently being trained in Panagarh.”

The Straco Force comprises men selected from police forces posted all over the state. The army trained them through its Junior Leaders’ Training Establishment that was set up in 2005.

If the Morcha bandh resumes, the administration’s main concern will be to keep open NH31A — the lifeline of Sikkim — which was affected during the earlier phases of the agitation.

Siliguri, June 29: Shyamal Hajra, who is wanted in several cases of timber smuggling across north Bengal as well as Kerala, surrendered to officials of the Baikunthapur forest division today.

“We have been looking for Hajra for the last four-five years. Finally, he has surrendered,” said Sailesh Anand, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of the division.

Hajra, a resident of Dakuapara near Jalpaiguri town, gave himself up at the Belakoba range office of the forest division, about 30km from here.

“The 35-year-old was one of the 10-member gang that operates a racket mainly from the Dooars to Siliguri and its surrounding areas. The others members live in Siliguri, Shibmandir, Sevoke and different places in the area,” Anand said.

Hajra, who was a driver in the gang, and the other members used to collect timber from the Dooars and store them in Siliguri, Sevoke and its surrounding areas, before dispatching the consignments to Bihar.

The DFO, however, did not reveal the names of the other members of the gang for the sake of investigation.

Anand said: “After operating in the Dooars for years, Hajra had run away to Kerala and lived there for the past couple of years. During his stay there, he was again involved in illegal activities in Idukki and Kovalam and was wanted by police there. The smuggler was forced to return to north Bengal after pressure mounted on him.”

According to the DFO, Hajra had thought that because of his long absence from the region, foresters here might have forgotten about him.

“But we always keep tabs on his whereabouts and movements and are in constant touch with villagers from where he hailed.”

But after returning from south India, when the smuggler realised that situation remained the same and he was still wanted by the foresters for the crimes, he decided to surrender, Anand said.

“Hajra contacted N.N. Sengupta, the range officer of Belakoba, and Sanjoy Dutta, the beat officer of Gourikund, in the last two days and surrendered today,” the DFO added.

SILIGURI, June 18: The tourism industry in north Bengal and Sikkim region is paying a heavy price for the current political turmoil in the Darjeeling hills. The loss is estimated at Rs 1.04 core a day. Of this, Sikkim's share of loss is about Rs 50 lakh a day, although the mountain state has got nothing to do with the ongoing political turmoil.

It is the blockade on West Bengal side of the National Highway, which has brought the northeastern state to a standstill. Activists of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha, which is spearheading the renewed bout for separate statehood in Darjeeling, have blocked the Sikkim lifeline since 16 June evening, when the indefinite shutdown in the hills resumed.

According to the Sikkim tourism secretary, Mr SBS Bhadauria, the 300 odd hotels/tourism properties in the mountain state can accommodate about 12,000 guests a day and even at a 20 per cent occupancy in the current lean season, Sikkim was expecting an inflow of 2400 tourists a day.

“In the month of May, we recorded 75,500 tourist inflow into Sikkim, comprising both the domestic and international tourists. We had just started harvesting the benefit of the recently announced incentive to the Central government employees for visiting the northeastern states when the turmoil in Darjeeling spoiled everything,” Mr Bhadauria said.

Like Sikkim, tourism in the Darjeeling hills and the Dooars region too has been badly affected by the GJMM stir where the daily loss is estimated at about Rs 54 lakhs. As per industry sources, there are about 450 hotels/tourism properties in these areas, which can collectively provide accommodation to about 13,500 people.

The average expenditure of a tourist visiting the region is calculated at Rs 2000 a day.  “Being a lean season, we would have barley witnessed 15 to 20 per cent tourist occupancy now, which is not happening due to the political turmoil. But we are preparing for the Puja season that commences in October and hope to recover the loss,” said Mr Palden Lama, general secretary of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hotel Owners’ Association, which is affiliated to the agitating GJMM.

But unlike Mr Lama, others associated with the tourism industry in the region are not very confident. “The impact of a turmoil on tourism is often long-drawn and a trouble now would have definite impact in the next season,” said Mr Raj Basu, working president of the Eastern Himalaya Travel and Tour Operators’ Association.

“The problem is Sikkim, Darjeeling and the Dooars fall in the same tourism circuit and the majority of the tourists come here on package tours comprising of the three destinations. Hence, unrest in any one of the three places, especially in Darjeeling, is bound to affect tourism in the whole circuit,” he added.

Siliguri, June 11: A special train to Calcutta for tourists leaving the hills left half empty last night, allegedly because of the railway’s failure to communicate its schedule properly and also because many did not want to end their vacation in a hurry.

The senior area manager of the Northeast Frontier Railway here said the decision to run the special train was conveyed to him after 1pm yesterday. “By 2.30pm, we were making announcements at New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri Junction that a special train would leave at 10pm,” S. Sarvariya said.

Told that most tourists did not know about the train, the official said he had intimated the decision to the civil administration. “I had also informed the electronic media and FM stations so that the message could be flashed immediately.”

“The New Jalpaiguri-Sealdah train had 15 coaches — including AC, sleeper and general — that could accommodate 1,100 passengers. About 550 availed of the train, which is OK. The passengers were mainly those who had waitlisted tickets on various trains leaving for Sealdah yesterday,” Sarvariya added.

Because of the low turnout last evening the railways did not run a special today. Four coaches were added to Kanchankanya Express tonight.

Gopal Lama, the deputy secretary (north Bengal) of the department of tourism, said many tourists “stayed back in Siliguri because they had just started their vacation and had confirmed return tickets”.

“Some of them approached us for advice on where they could go for a safe holiday.”

Lama said his office had directed them to tourist spots in the Dooars and Cooch Behar and helped them get accommodation.

Jayanta Sarkar from Delhi and his family was among those who stayed put. “We have decided to go to the Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary,” said the senior executive of a multinational who had to come down from the hills.

Sarkar asked the tourism office whether it was safe to go to the forest, around 100km from Siliguri, and was advised to go through the plains, where the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha bandh has had little effect.

The rhino is the big draw in the sanctuary.

Manish Mehrotra of Calcutta left for Cooch Behar town, about 200km away, with his family this afternoon.

The town, the seat of the princely state of Koch Bihar during the Raj, is dotted with remnants of royal heritage.

A group from Bhatinda in Punjab made the most of the Morcha break in the bandh and headed to Sikkim.

“Our return ticket is for June 18,” said Sandeep Kumar, who was with his wife, two other couples and six children. “So we decided to take a chance,” Sandeep added.

Sikkim tourism joint secretary Siphora Grace Targail said: “They travel at their own risk. But once in Sikkim, they do not have to worry because the situation is normal.” [The Telegraph]

SILIGURI/KOLKATA: At the peak of the Gorkhaland movement, Siliguri and the rest of north Bengal plains watched from a safe distance the gory battle in the Hills. Two decades later, with the Gorkhaland demand revived, these plains may no longer be bystanders.

For Gorkha Janamukti Morcha's Bimal Gurung, the indefinite strike call is not just another showdown between GJM and the Left Front government. It is an opportunity to flex muscles in the plains, mobilize supporters as well as arm-twist the government.

The inclusion of Siliguri in the proposed Gorkhaland has only made the situation more tense, making Bengalis living in Siliguri insecure and even ready to fight back.

Insecurity-induced violence is almost imminent. Groups such as Jana Jagran Manch and Jana Chetana Manch have emerged in the plains to oppose GJM and have started targeting Nepali-speaking people.

At least 16 people were injured on Sunday at Bagdogra and Naxalbari. A backlash from Bimal Gurung and his henchmen is only a matter of time. So far none from GJM have spoken against Bengalis and there has been no attack on Bengalis in the Hills. Gorkha Janamukti Morcha has instead tried to go out of its way to appear friendly to Bengalis, bringing in some Bengali-speaking people for a rally near Siliguri on May 7.

The flashpoint for the present turmoil was the administration's (read CPM) refusal to give permission to GJM to hold a rally at Naxalbari. The CPI-ML (Liberation) and Left Front partner Forward Bloc both feel the administration was wrong in denying permission.

"It is a democratic party recognised by Election Commission. They should have been allowed to hold the rally. The way things are going it will take a turn for the worse," said Smritish Bhattacharya, Forward Bloc district secretary. The Naxalite parties too want the dialogue to continue.

"Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee might have rejected Gorkhaland demand but the scope for dialogue still remains. We are all for a peaceful settlement of the issue. This could be in the form of another state or more autonomy," said Abhijit Majumdar, CPI-ML (Liberation) state committee member. [The Times of India]

To ward off hostilities we are considering bringing in 10 companies of CRPF to Siliguri. The state police authorities are discussing the issue with the Union home ministry for a green signal,” Mr Tamta said. Adding further, the IGP said that in case the Centre concedes, the CRPF personnel would assist the state police in tackling the law and order situation in sensitive parts of the Siliguri sub-division.  It may here be mentioned that a CRPF base is already in place near the north Bengal Medical College in Siliguri, but the paramilitary jawans cannot be deployed for maintaining local law and order situation without the Centre's approval.

Meanwhile, the prohibitory orders under Section 144 promulgated at Bagdogra and Naxalbari in Siliguri sub-division following the widespread violence last evening, continues to be in place even though there was no report of any fresh violence today.  Following a negotiation with the agitators at Naxalbari, the local administration shifted nine GJMM fasters to the Kurseong sub-divisional hospital this afternoon, although the remaining five are continuing with their hunger strike launched on 2 June demanding permission for a public rally at Naxalbari.

Of the total 17 fasters there, two had deserted the venue during the violence last evening, while one faster was shifted to the NBMCH on 6 June, the Naxalbari BDO, Mr Hemant Sewa said.  The GJMM activists, however, are continuing the fast at Bagdogra, Pradhannagar and Salugara turning down the administration's request for medical treatment. [The Statesman]

“Their demands are out of touch with reality. Their movement is undemocratic and unjustified. Their moves are all about fascist muscle- flexing now. The Morcha is toeing the line of the Ulfa in Assam,” Bhattacharya said at Writers’ Buildings this afternoon.

“There could be external backing to its movement. One cannot rule out the possibility,” said the Siliguri MLA.

Bhattacharya said the indefinite bandh was “very unfortunate”.

“The government will do everything possible to help the tourists reach home safely,” he added.

He said: “They (the Morcha leaders) want to conduct meetings and rallies in Naxalbari and other places that are not even part of their movement. They just want to export their brand of disruptive politics from the hills to other parts of north Bengal.”

The minister said the Morcha needed to understand that its demand for a separate state was utopian and would never be realised.

“They have been told time and again by the chief minister himself that a separate state is out of the question. They need to settle down and agree to discuss and negotiate,” Bhattacharya said.

“That way, we might grant them regional autonomy and consider certain other demands too,” he added. [The Telegraph]

Bagdogra, June 8: A Gorkha Janmukti Morcha roadblock and the subsequent clashes between supporters of the hill party and residents of the area ruined a perfect market day in Bagdogra and Bihar More, a few hours before Jamai Shashthi.

“I had never seen such a thing in my life,” Amit Ghosh, a resident of Bihar More, said. “Bagdogra is a laid-back town where people of all communities live together in close contact and this is what we have always taken pride in. It is unfortunate that we are fighting among ourselves.”

Sunday is the weekly haat day in Bagdogra, but the turnout in the markets had been low from the morning as most people anticipated trouble because of the roadblock by the Morcha. The few stalls that had opened at the haat wound up by midday.

Kamakhya Ghosh, a local trader said, he was expecting brisk business before Jamai Shashthi. “But all hopes of good business were dashed because of the roadblock and the clashes,” he added.

The final straw for shopkeepers was the stone-throwing between the agitators and police. Within minutes, all the shutters went down.

Although the Morcha supporters did not obstruct police and army vehicles and ambulances, a large number of airport-bound cars were stuck in the two-hour roadblock. Thankfully, there were no reports of someone missing a flight.

Madanlal Agarwal was on his way to the airport to catch a flight to Mumbai where his ailing wife Hansa Devi Agarwal is to be treated. “We don’t know what to do. It is chaos all around,” said Agarwal, while his car waited near Bihar More.

“It is a question of my wife’s life,” he pleaded.

Much to the relief of Agarwal, the roadblock was lifted at 1.40pm.

In Siliguri, Bengal hill affairs minister Asok Bhattacharya said the Morcha was “100 per cent responsible” for today’s clashes and that the endless rallies, hunger strikes and protests by the hill party “were testing the patience of residents, be it at Bagdogra or Naxalbari”.

“The Morcha leaders are continuously using various tactics to create pressure on the government. We strongly condemn such moves when talks are possible. In the name of democracy, they are creating tension everywhere. We urge them to lift the hunger strikes and work for the development of the hills,” Bhattacharya said.

Morcha supporters are on strike at various locations in the plains of north Bengal demanding permission to hold a public meeting in Naxalbari.

Referring to today’s incidents at Bihar More, the minister said the apolitical Jana Chetana, which clashed with the Morcha, represented the residents of the area. “The organisation is in no way connected to the CPM or any political party. A similar group has come up in Naxalbari because people are getting fed up with the string of Morcha agitation.”

Bhattacharya added that home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti, who was here today, would “submit a report to the chief minister on his return to Calcutta tomorrow”.  [The Telegraph]

“We are open for dialogue with the GJMM leadership only on development issues, not about the rally demand,” he said.  Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, North Bengal, Mr Kundanlal Tamta said that the police might seek additional force from the state to tackle the situation arising out of the indefinite fast programme of the hill-based outfit. Mr Meena said that as far as the Naxalbari rally issue was concerned, it was for the state administration to decide.

“As for the district administration, it is ready to discuss any issue related to development in the hills. Development is a more vital issue for us,” he said.  He further said that so far no decision on the rally demand had been taken at the state administration level. Speaking on the issue, the IGP, north Bengal said that the police might demand additional force from the state government to tackle the Gorkha Jan Mukti Mocha's ongoing fast and agitation at several places like Naxalbari, Bagdogra and Salugara.

“The police would try to avoid any confrontation with the GJMM agitators, but we must be prepared for any contingency that might accrue from the continuing agitation,” Mr Tamta said. Commenting upon the proposed GJMM rally at Naxalbari Mr Tamta said that it was difficult for the administration to accept the GJMM rally demand at Naxalbari.  “The situation may turn for the worse any time with the Gorkhaland demand being raised from the fasting sites.  We are apprehensive that if permission is given to GJMM to hold the rally at Naxalbari the situation may head for an ethnic conflagration,” the IGP, north Bengal said. [The Statesman]

June 6: Normal life in north Bengal was affected for the second day running today in response to the 12-hour bandh called by the Trinamul Congress to protest against fuel price hike. The Left Front had called a bandh yesterday over the same issue.

For the first time in 32 years, an Opposition-sponsored bandh was successful in Toofanganj, a CPM stronghold in Cooch Behar. All shops and establishments were closed, and vehicles were off the roads.

Several government offices were, however, open today in north Bengal, leading to trouble in Islampur when Trinamul supporters ransacked the premises of the water resources department after the staff had turned up for work.

According to police, the bandh supporters forced their way into the office and asked the employees to leave. They then broke computers and furniture and dispersed when the police arrived a little later. Five persons were arrested. Other Trinamul workers then started an agitation at the police station, demanding the release of the arrested persons.

The agitation continued late into the evening, as reports came in from several places during the day that scuffles had broken out between shopkeepers, who wanted to raise shutters, and Trinamul supporters.

In North Dinajpur, 15 Trinamul members were arrested by the GRP when they squatted on the railway tracks at Dalkhola station under Northeast Frontier Railway’s Katihar division. Train services were not affected.

The subdivisional officer in Cooch Behar’s Mathabhanga, Aninda Kar, was prevented from entering his office by the Trinamul members. The police arrived and wielded lathis to remove the agitators.

In Alipurduar, the divisional railway manager and other employees were stopped from attending office till 11am. Tea gardens in the Dooars were not affected by the bandh.

Shops, banks and schools were closed as majority of people enjoyed a second day of forced holiday in Siliguri. Transport was off the roads till a little before 6pm. [The Telegraph]

Mr Sharma received a special trophy from Mr Ramen Kanti Bose president of JSP. “It is a dream come true. I had always dreamt of conquering the highest peak. It was my childhood fascination with mountains, especially Mt. Everest, that helped me reach the summit,” said Mr Sharma. The 41-year-old climber said he would train aspiring climbers in north Bengal and Sikkim and promote and popularise mountaineering in the region. [The Telegraph]

Siliguri, June 4: After a relatively mild summer, north Bengal is all set to welcome the first monsoon rain “any time now” and it will be a heavy one, says the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

In the daily monsoon forecast yesterday, the IMD warned of isolated heavy to very heavy rain in sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, along with the Northeast, Kerala, coastal Karnataka and Lakshadweep.

“Because of fractured cloud formation, heavy precipitation has not been possible so far. We expect depression to become bigger in the next few days and the region will get the first monsoon showers,” said Subir Sarkar, the in-charge of the weather station of North Bengal University.

G.N. Raha, a meteorologist at the Regional Met Office in Jalpaiguri, said his department was waiting for rains to make the official announcement of the monsoon arrival. “The conditions are favourable and it should rain any time now,” he added.

In the District Level Ensemble Weather Forecast issued by the IMD today, it will rain 12.1mm on June 5, 22.2mm on June 6 and 9.7mm on June 7 in Darjeeling district.

In Jalpaiguri district, according to the forecast, it will rain 10.3mm on June 5, 32.5mm on June 6 and 14mm on June 7.

The monsoon is on time and is expected to be normal or above normal, say weather experts. “The official time for the onset of monsoon in sub-Himalayan West Bengal is around June 5,” Sarkar said. “For the past seven years, monsoon has been hitting north Bengal around May-end or June-first. This time too, the monsoon showers seem to be fairly on time.”

The rains are coming after a relatively cool summer. “Because of a series of depressions over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, the pre-monsoon showers were quite heavy and the mean maximum and minimum of temperature were about one-three degrees Celsius below normal, making the summer less hotter,” Sarkar said. Barring a few days, the summer was largely pleasant for people in Siliguri and surrounding areas. Sunny days were accompanied by evening rain more often than not, making temperature bearable.

The tea industry is also keeping a close watch on the monsoon. “We lost 25-30 per cent crop to drought in March and April,” said P.K. Bhattacharya, secretary of the Dooars Branch of Indian Tea Association.“With the pre-monsoon showers in May, the production figures have started catching up. A good monsoon will help us not only recoup the initial losses, but also have a better production,” he added. [The Telegraph]

Among the existing seventeen tour packages three earned high popularity with the tourists, NBSTC officials claimed. The first two are : (1) Cooch Behar -Jaldapara -Rocky Island -Lava -Lolegaon -Rickysum -Kalimpong -Cooch Behar (2 nights 3 days) (2) Cooch Behar -Jhalong -Bindu -Jaldapara -Cooch Behar (one-day).  The third favourite is called ‘Ramgua’ originates from Kolkata. It journeys through Kolkata -Chilapata -Rasikbil -Rajabhatkhawa -Boxa -Jainti -Jaldapara -Gorumara -Lataguri -Chapramari -Jhalong -Bindu -Chalsa -Samsing -Rocky Island -Suntalekhola -Gorubathan -Leechkhola -Lava -Lolegaon -Rickysom -Delo -Kalimpong -New Jalpaiguri (7 nights 8 days).

The double-decker service along Cooch Behar -Rasikbil -Rajabhatkhawa -Jainti -Baneswar -Cooch Behar is the lowest-cost tour package and is also popular amongst local visitors. By spending a sum of Rs 125 only one can enjoy a daylong tour on any scheduled holiday.  The tourists can arrange their own tour packages and reschedule them if they want. A group of fifteen to twenty tourists can avail any of any package of their choice, NBSTC officials said. To add another bookmark to its package-tour programmes the NBSTC is now planning a new tour package along Cooch Behar -Guwahati -Shillong -Cherapunji. A survey was completed recently to examine the proposed route's viability. The package might be launched after the pujas.

Meanwhile, talks have been initiated between Assam State Transport Corporation and State Tourism department to extend NBSTC's tourism drive to attract tourists from Assam and Meghalaya. It was observed that visitors from Assam and other northeast states come to Cooch Behar to visit Madhupurdham. [The Statesman]

Besides the trophy, the prize comprises Rs 10,000 and a certificate.

The award was instituted by the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) on May 29, 2003 for promoting adventure sports in north Bengal and commemorating 50 years of the conquest of the Mt Everest by Tenzing and Edmund Hillary.

Two organisations — North Bengal Explorers’ Club and Anubhav — bagged Appreciation Trophies, which would be presented from this year, for their contribution in the fields of adventure sports and social activities.

Every year, the SJDA seeks applications from different adventure sports organisations through advertisements in the media for the award. Once the authorities received the applications, along with the documents of the achievements and activities of the organisations in a year, a committee would decide on the winner.

“This award will encourage more people to participate in the fields of adventure sports and social activities,” Bengal urban development minister and the chairman of SJDA, Asok Bhattacharya, said after presenting the Tenzing Norgay trophy to the members of the Hnaf. This is the third time that the Hnaf has bagged the award.

“Last year, we scaled the 20,570ft high Mount Korcha and organised a rock climbing course at the 9,000ft high Tumling. A six-member team, led by Animesh Bose, our founder coordinator, is now trying to find an alternative route to the 20,172ft Mount Koktang in north Sikkim. Bose was one of the member of a team which had scaled the peak 25 years ago,” said Ashok Nandi, a member of the Hnaf.

Nandi said the Hnaf was planning an expedition to a peak, which is at least 23,000ft high, this year. The minister promised all kinds of help when Nandi sought his cooperation for the trek. Rabindranath Mitra, a friend of Tenzing Norgay, also attended the function held at Mallaguri. [The Telegraph]

“The overall results of our region have not been good mainly because of the large number of first generation students, especially in the Dooars and tea plantation areas,” he explained. Mr Dutta, however, noted that there could have been some other reasons for the poor show of the schools in north Bengal, which have to be identified by the council. He assured that they would soon launch an enquiry into the reasons for the poor pass percentage this year and try to improve the performance of the schools in the region. [The Statesman]

In all, 20 HIV positive families are taking part in the workshop, 10 of whom have come from the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. The training has been organised by the Siliguri branch of the West Bengal Voluntary Health Association with the support of Mennonite Central Committee, an NGO.

“The kitchen garden project will not only provide a steady supply of wholesome and fresh vegetables to the families throughout the year but will also help them generate a surplus that can be sold in the markets. It is a very good scheme,” said Gopal Lama, deputy director of tourism, north Bengal, while inaugurating the workshop.

“This training will give the participants valuable knowledge on how to fully utilise their plots, with special focus on organic cultivation. It will be useful for those who cannot continue in their jobs anymore because of health problems. HIV positive persons must come to terms with reality and live in the present,” he told the participants.

But not all 140 HIV positive families enrolled with the WBVHA took part in the workshop. “Most of them do not have plots where they can grow vegetables,” said Tarun Maity, project coordinator of the branch. “For them, we will make available some of the surplus produce at subsidised rates.”

Five of the 20 families, mainly from the plains, have already benefited from the scheme and are taking part in the workshop to share their experiences. They have been given financial aid to buy saplings and manure by the WBVHA, and have been maintaining such gardens for the past one year.

“I have grown several types of vegetables like spinach, brinjal, gourd, beans and even potatoes on my four-cottah plot and have been able to meet the needs of my four-member family,” said Malati (named changed) of Matigara. Besides herself and her husband, even her four-year-old child is infected with the virus. [The Telegraph]

Mridul Hazarika, director of the TRA, said the association was carrying out research on the diversification of the produce.

Talking over phone from Jorhat in Assam, Hazarika said the attempt was to attract the younger generation to the brew and ultimately, increase consumption.

“Unlike other kinds of tea, to which flavours are added, we are planning to develop tealeaves containing flavours of spearmint, peppermint, ginger and pepper,” said a researcher.

The TRA, as a part of its diversification plans, has so far succeeded in making tea-based items like biscuits, tablets and even wine.

“The research on mixing tea with other products that are preferred and largely consumed by the new generation will continue,” said Hazarika. “We need to be innovative to create products that are compatible with its taste.”

Although he refused to be more specific, sources said potato chips and other snacks could be the next products the TRA would bring out.

In another development, the TRA researchers in north Bengal have started working on improving the quality of the beverage produced in the region. The project is being funded by the National Tea Research Foundation. [The Telegraph]

 Tethys                                                                     Sangeeta G. June 14, 08

(Light reflected on bed side lamp shade)

The colours of violence burnt into their eyes, baying for the blood of innocents, the stink of their own unconsciouness in their nostrils, when the mobs came down on my parents' car on 12th June in North Bengal, whom were they doing the greatest injustice? Not to the life they were threatening to trample. Not to the warm blood of innocent travellers they were thristing to see in the mud.  They were doing the greatest injustice to death. They always do. War, murder, bloodshed, violence. Anything that gives life's greatest adventure, its dark and quiet consort, a dreadfully scarred face, has to partake in injustice. 

After everyone of the group returned to safety, my father recounted, "I do not know who was more scared. Us, of death, or them, of life".  They had slimy, beastly fear written all over the sickly white of their eyes. Even before they raised the first iron rod and dagger against the group on that terrible day, they had lost. To life, to death. And to every shred of thing they never understood, in between.   

In a span of five months –from October to February – North Bengal has so far witnessed three bomb blasts. Of these, two went off at separate railway stations, while one explosion took place in a market place along the Assam – Bengal border. The toll stands at eight dead, besides a long list of injured.

If these are any indications, and there is every reason to fear so, a tumultuous time is set to disturb peace in the region again.

It’s not the first occasion that militants threatened peace here. Due to its proximity with Assam – the state fighting insurgency for the past 25 years – North Bengal has always been prone to militants’ attacks. The vulnerability is increased as the region shares three international boundaries with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

The latter of the three is the breeding ground for militants active in the North –east.

The Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), a local militant outfit spearheading the agitation for a separate homeland for the Rajbanshis of North Bengal and four lower Assam districts, had unleashed a massive spate of violence here in the past. Until 2003, when Bhutan carried out Operation Flush Out against Indian militants camping on its soil, the KLO used to occupy the imagination of the state police.

After Operation Flush Out became an overwhelming success, followed by large-scale surrender of KLO rebels, the state police retracted from the offensive.

The feeling that the “KLO backbone had been reduced to dust” soon overcast the intelligence of the state police and it apparently moved its attention away from the outfit. While doing so, the state police missed out on the vital point that despite its backbone having been smashed, the KLO could hardly die this way. Leave aside the ideological motivation behind the outfit, the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) – a strategic partner of the KLO – would never let it die, for its own cause.

To put it in the proper perspective, Ulfa needs a dependable alliance in this part of West Bengal to provide its cadres with all the logistical support it needs, while accessing the camps in the neighbouring countries using the North Bengal corridor. And for this job, none could be more suitable than the KLO, which itself is waging a “proxy war” against the state.

Taking advantage of the lackadaisical attitude of the police, the KLO has once again rejuvenated itself. Intelligence reports suggest, trained in Chittagong camps, a new-armed group of the KLO crossed over to North Bengal in the middle of last year.

Apropos of the Intelligence input, a renewed spate of violence has struck North Bengal again. Worst this time, the militants seem to be following a “minimal risk, maximum achievement “ strategy and instead of confronting he security personnel directly, are targeting public zones. The blasts at Belakoba and Kamakhyaguri railway stations and at Barovisha market are only a testimony to that.

It is astonishing that even after repeated attacks on ordinary citizens, the state government, or more particularly, the state police, prefer sitting idle on the matter. The fact that militants are carrying out blasts one after another in North Bengal indicates that the guardians of law are either taking the resurgence of militants too lightly, or are missing out in strategy to tackle the situation.

The need of the hour is that the police, without any further delay, should chalk out a comprehensive strategy to foil the militant resurgence in the region.

While the intelligence machinery of the police here must undergo a massive revamp by inducing officers with proven track records, coordination with Intelligence wings of various Central security agencies would be of help.

An operational understanding and exchange of Intelligence inputs with the Assam police is called for. This is not merely because Assam shares its boundaries with North Bengal or it is an old patient afflicted by the malady of insurgency, but also because the KLO has proven links with several rebel groups active in the Northeast, including Ulfa.

On the operational aspect, instead playing it defensive, the police must go on the offensive, as it’s the only option to battle a “proxy war”, if not winning it. For this, the strength of the police force in North Bengal requires to be raised immediately to a sufficient level, without any compromise. At the same time, the police here need an aggressive and efficient political leadership to carry forward its march against militancy in the region.

And as soon as an offensive against the armed rebels is resorted to, if at all, unlike the post Operation Flush Out period, it will have to be sustained. At least until the time a better option is worked out, or the cancer of insurgency is treated at its roots.

(The author is on the staff of The Statesman, Siliguri, India / This article was originally published in The Statesman in February 2007)

The ride from Bagdogra to Sukhna was familiar. Nothing much had changed; there was still that languid air when all people do in afternoons is either sleep or huddle in groups watching cars go. Small houses with potted plants decorating the small entrances is no anomaly. Time seemed to move lazily there encouraging me to live in the 'now'. It seems like a nice life and even poverty seems poetic.

The four day stay in the Dooars was a whirlwind of activities-hopping from one forest rest house to the other, gorging on delicious Bengali cuisine and of course soaking in the tranquility of North Bengal.

The first stop was at Sukhna, the transit point linking Darjeeling with the Dooars and one of my favourite forest rest houses in West Bengal. A scrumptious lunch comprising 'papda' was awaiting us. The buzz of the crickets was reassuring, flooding me with memories of the endless afternoons I'd spent in my childhood at the place.  

The halt for the night was at Hollong, another old haunt. Located inside the Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary,  the Hollong rest house has always remained an absolute favourite. The kitchen in this rest house once boasted of a chef straight from the King of Coochbehar's palace. It is also one of the most picturesque with a stream running right in front of it. Many a night has been spent waiting to spot animals coming to the clearing next to the stream. Not to forget the numerous elephant rides I'd taken in early dawn hoping to catch  glimpse of some animals. Unfortunately, for these same reasons, it's also a huge favourite with the tourists. Fortunately, the inflow is not so high as to disturb the ecology of the place.

North Bengal is full of places with quaint, outlandish names like Khuniya, Gairkata, Hashimara etc. It was one of these places called Rajabhatkhawa that was next on our map. Rajabhatkhawa (literally Kings eat Rice) was supposedly the place where the King of Bhutan and King of Coochbehar signed a treaty followed by a banquet of course. Hence the name! A trip to the 23rd milestone watchtower from this place was its highlight. Now this watchtower is in the middle of the forest and it's not unusual to spot a herd of bisons grazing nonchalantly or even an elephant drinking water at one of the water holes in the early morning. The elusive tiger is well....elusive! It's quite a trick to spot one and since it was almost noon by the time we reached the place, we satisfied ourselves simply by drinking in the greenery of the place.  The green colour is most unusual there. It's like seeing the world with a double green filter! We saw hundreds of butterflies congregating at the various damp patches of earth flitting away the minute we reached a few inches from them. Watching the forest from a watchtower, one couldn't help feeling that god is the greatest artist of them all. Hearing the symphony of birds, I wondered if there was a sound more soothing than that. A sound which heralds life and makes you want to weep with joy!

Despite the seemingly lazy time, my four day holiday was edging to its end. We had been travelling from one place to the other and most of the time was spent on the road. The roads were surprisingly not pot holed at this time of the year. For those unfamiliar with the topography of the Dooars, it would be no exxageration, if I wrote that the the worst Delhi roads were like polished steel compared to those in North Bengal. Nonetheless, most stretches were so beautiful so as to make you forget all else. Trees, some in full bloom, lined both sides of the road. We passed through villages where the huts were hidden by clusters of supari trees. Children gamboled in the local pond, splashing about like children will. It makes one smile to think that life is still uncomplicated for some.

After spending a night at Chapramari, another of those weird sounding places, we had to say our goodbye to the place. The ride back to Bagdogra was difficult. It was like leaving behind someone you love. But can you leave your loved one permanently?