Sikkim Misfires in Santosh Trophy

Calcutta,July24: Bhaichung Bhutia dropped in at the Sikkim dressing room at least an hour before the start of the match. Before that he personally got the Northeast side a sponsor for their kits.


He discussed strategy with senior players like Nirmal Chetri, cheered every move from his corner seat in the Mohun Bagan VIP gallery although he would have perhaps liked to stay away from the club premises. He was doing all this for his state. But Bhutia could have only done so much.

Ultimately, the India captain left the Bagan ground dejected as Chhattisgarh pipped Sikkim 1-0 in a Cluster VI Santosh Trophy match to severely dent the Northeast team’s chances of making it to the pre-quarter final round.
Chhattisgarh need only to draw their next match to make it to the last 16 but Bhaichung will be sincerely hoping that Haryana can beat them by at least a 1-0 margin as that would keep Sikkim in the competition.
“We didn’t have four of our regular players, including captain Sanju Pradhan who has high fever. They are young boys and it’s a learning experience for them. “Nirmal’s red card was unfortunate. I also feel that the refereeing was a factor. The standard of supervision is a concern,” the India captain said before leaving the Bagan premises where he stayed away from the club dressing room. Pradhan has been admitted to a city nursing home with viral fever.
Thus, with Pradhan absent and stand-in captain Nirmal Chetri getting his marching orders in the very first minute, things became really difficult for Sikkim. But the blame for returning home empty-handed is theirs alone.
In the 29th minute, when Sikkim striker Bijendra Rai was brought down inside the penalty box, referee Deepak Dey promptly awarded the penalty. But Engphohang Subba’s feeble drive was saved by Chhattisgarh goalkeeper Partha Dey.

A minute later, Chhattisgarh went on a quick counter attack with Subir Maji setting up speedy winger Wasim Raja with a beautiful through. Raja’s powerful right-footer beat an onrushing Surjay Kumar Pariyar to go in.

Teams

Chhattisgarh: Partha Dey, Shrikant Naidu, S. Senthil Kumar, Prabhat Tiwary (Jugal Kishore, 86’), Prabal Chakraborty, Reuben Zosangpuia (Ganesh Hansda, 64’), Subir Maji, Wasim Raja, Kulwant Singh, Guman Shreshtha (M. Siddique, 46’), Harshavardhan Shende

Sikkim: Surjay Kumar Pariyar, Nirmal Chetri, Don Tsering Lepcha, Engphohang Subba, Nim Tsering Lepcha, Bijendra Rai, Bir Bahadur Pradhan, Karma Lendup Lepcha, Rupesh Diyali (Laxman Limboo, 68’), Ongo Tsering Lepcha, Sonam Zangpo Bhutia

Referee: Deepak Dey

ASESUA protest against ‘service extension’ again

GANGTOK, July 23: The All Sikkim Educated Self-employed & Unemployed Association (ASESUA) today staged a protest rally in Gangtok shouting slogans against the ‘service extension’ practice of the State government.


The rally saw a handsome turnout as ASESUA members and individuals from various walks of life participated in the rally demanding an immediate stop on the service extension given by the State government to retiring government employees. The rally started from Deorali and ended at Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal Memorial Park near Whitehall under a security cover provided by the Sikkim police.

“The rally has been taken out to raise the voice of the increasing numbers of educated unemployed youth of Sikkim and protest against the practice of the State government to give service extension to retiring government employees”, said ASESUA general secretary Navin Kiran Pradhan to reporters after the rally ended.

“Unemployment is rising every year in Sikkim but the State government is silent on this issue. As per our estimates there are 40,000 unemployed youth in Sikkim and yet the government keeps on extending the service of retiring government employees, most of whom are senior bureaucrats. The service extension practice is blocking the employment prospects of our youth and it should be scrapped by the government in the interests of the youth”, said Pradhan.

The ASESUA general secretary claimed that around 150 government employees have so far received ‘service extension’. “Service extension has become a fashion with almost one retiring employee getting service extension every week. We had filed RTI questions but the State government has failed to give satisfactory response”, he said. He also slammed the retiring bureaucrats for lobbying to get service extension and thereby ‘hogging the post and blocking the way for unemployed youth of Sikkim’.

While admitting that unemployment issue in Sikkim will not be fully addressed by putting an end on the ‘service extension’ practice, Pradhan said that it does not mean that the unemployed youth should ignore whatever employment opportunities are there.

The unemployment problem won’t be solved but at least, some percentage of the unemployed educated youth will get employment in the vacant posts after the employees retire, said Pradhan. We should not let go of any opportunities or employment sources irrespective of the volume, he said.

The ASESUA had been for the past four months voicing its protests against the service extension given to select bureaucrats by the State government. It had also launched a Gandhian type of protest titled ‘Farewell Abhiyan’.

Under this mission, the ASESUA members had been visiting the offices of those employees whose services had been extended. The ASESUA members used to offer a khada (traditional silk scarf) and a red rose to these employees as a symbolic message to them to retire gracefully.

However, the employees somehow used to be out of office on that particular day forcing the ASESUA to leave the token at the office.

After the rally ended, the ASESUA general secretary warned the State government that if the service extension practice continues then the organization will be restoring to other forms of protest activities like hunger strike and blocking the streets.

Next time, we will not be seeking permission from the authorities to do our protests, said Pradhan.

The other demand of the youth body was ‘free and fair recruitment processes by the State government in job vacancies.

“We also want the State government to strictly monitor the private sector in Sikkim and ensure good wages for our youth employed in such private companies. One of the main reasons that the Sikkimese youth lay queue for government employment is that the private sector pays low salaries. We also want the government to ensure that these private companies employ our capable youth in higher posts instead of menial jobs being offered to them presently”, he said.

Pradhan asserted that the State government should monitor the wage packages and facilities of the private companies so unemployment youth are motivated to join the private sector in Sikkim easing the burden on government sector.

Sikkimese girl sold for Rs. 50,000 at Haryana

Father lodges complaint, Singtam police arrest accused lady from Temi

Gangtok,July 23: Within 24 hours of teenager Saraswati Biswakarma being brought back to her home after being rescued in from New Delhi from her exploiters, other case highlighting the tragic story of a minor girl from Lower Bardang, West Pandam being ‘sold’ in Haryana has come to light.


A complaint was lodged by the victim’s father, Chandra Bahadur Bhujel at Singtam police station today claming that his 15 years old daughter, Durgi had been allegedly sold off by one Anita Biswakarma to a person at Jarjar, Haryana.

The accused lady is from Temi, South Sikkim.

According to the victim’s father, Biswarkarma had taken Durgi to work in New Delhi on January 8 earlier this year promising a monthly salary of Rs. 5000. An advance sum of Rs. 2000 had also been handed over to the family by the lady.

Bhujel has alleged in his complaint that Biswakarma had handed over Durgi to her husband Rajendra Jaat at Delhi who then allegedly sold the minor girl to one person at Jharjar in Haryana for Rs. 50,000.

Somehow the minor girl managed to call a villager at Bardand informing about her plight.The father then lodged a complaint with the Singtam police.At the moment, the whereabouts of Durgi and what conditions she is in is unknown.

Following the complaint, Singtam police arrested Biswakarma and have started its investigations.

A case under section 5(c) of Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act 1956 has been registered against the accused lady.Meanwhile, according to reports, the accused lady had also allegedly tried to sell 18 year old Rimseema Lohar from Pamfok, Namthang constituency in South Sikkim earlier this month.
Biswakarma had taken the girl to New Delhi on the same pretext of employment with Rs. 5000 monthly salary.

It is informed that Biswakarma had taken the girl directly to Jharjar and tried to sell her for Rs. 50,000.However, Rimseema managed to alert her family members back in Pamfok about Biswakarma’s intentions.

The family members rushed to Haryana and with the help of Jharjar police, I was able to return back home safely, said Rimseema.

Sikkim Girl

Bethi : Celebration of Sikkim Culture Tradition

Gangtok: “Bethi”, an important cultural tradition of Nepali community, is observed during paddy planting in the month of “ASAR (July)” by old-timers. This was something like Jharlangi system, the tradition of the landlords giving some cereals to land tillers in lieu of working in the field.


This was said by Mr. C. B. Karki, Minister for Rural Management & Development in a programme organized at Mengli bazaar of South Sikkim to observe Bethi. He said though it is a tradition, it should not be limited in concept. Instead, it should be seen as the way of livelihood.

Now-a-days cultivation is very important for our livelihood and it should be accepted as a source of income, Mr. Karki said. He emphasized that Bethi can be converted and developed as a tourism feature to attract domestic and foreign tourists.

Mr. Mahesh Sharma, Yangyang block development officer, also addressed the meeting. He said paddy planting is not only our cultural tradition but a means of our livelihood. To conserve this tradition we should observe this event every year. This culture will involve and with the support of farmers.

Mr. Parasmani Dangal, president of Press club of Sikkim, also addressed the programme. He emphasized on the importance of cultivation. Bishnu Neopaney, a farmer, said the state government is facilitating farmers in various ways. He maintained that the facilities provided by the government should be utilized in proper way to enhance our production.

On the occasion, a group of farmers who recently completed the training organized by RMDD did paddy planting by singing Behti and Asharey with Naumati baja.

Sikkim Rail link construction begins

GANGTOK, July 23: The 44-km long Sevoke to Rangpo Rail link construction work has just begun.


This is the first phase work and will include soil cutting, tunnel construction and bridge and station building in different places.

While speaking with media persons today, general manger of India Railway Construction Company (IRCON) AK Gupta said they are yet to get clearance from the West Bengal Forest Department even as the first phase work has started. With this anomaly, the general manager wasn’t sure that the work may complete within its stipulated time frame of 2015. “We are waiting clearance certificate of Mahananda Wild Life Sanctuary, which falls under West Bengal Government. Around five kilometre stretch falls within this sanctuary,” he said.

Besides, technical hitches had disabled IRCON to start the work full-fledged since the completion of final survey in December 2009.

Talking about difficulties faced while carrying out construction works, Gupta explained that working in hills as compared to the planes were challenging as they need to construct a number of tunnels along rough topographies. “There will be around 32 tunnels along the 44-km long rail link, for which Indian Railways has already given permission,” the general manger said

DRUKPA TSESHI

Local tribal people, most of whom live a nomadic life in the remote high altitude areas of North Sikkim join the Buddhists of the world to celebrate Drukpa Tseshi, an important date in the Buddhist calendar and observed on July 15. As seen in the picture taken by freelance journalist Khagendra Mani Pradhan, the tribal people, the Lachengpas and Dokpas assemble in their best traditional attire at a local monastery built of stones at Lhashar Valley in North Sikkim at an altitude of 16,000 ft to celebrate Drukpa Tseshi and pray to their guardian deities residing in the surrounding seven snow-capped peaks.


On this day, the tribal people participate in the annual Yak race. The yaks, as a mark of honour, are given the finest decoration with a saddle of Tibetan carpets and silk scarves around their necks. Drukpa Tseshi marks the event when Lord Buddha first turned the ‘Wheel of Dharma’ and His first preaching of the four Noble Truths to His first five disciples at a deer park in Sarnath. Prayers and lighting of butter lamps are held in all the monasteries of Sikkim by the Buddhists.