So Near and Yet So

AP SUBBA SWORN IN AS SIKKIM HIGH05 COURT October, 2004; JUDGE NOW! 1 dicial Magistrate] to be ap- a NOW REPORT THE PROCESS OF pointed a High Court Judge. GANGTOK, 04 Oct: Ananda His “warrant of appointment” EMOTIONAL Prakash Subba, 56, was sworn in was signed by the President to office as a judge of the Sikkim on 28 September, last month. INTEGRATION HAS High Court by the Governor, V. The significance of Mr. Rama Rao, today at the Raj Subba’s appointment as the Bhawan. Mr. Subba is the first first Sikkimese to become a TRULY BEGUN: person from the Sikkim Judicial High Court judge was palpa- Service [a service he joined in ble at the well attended swearing- CHAMLING 1976 as the Civil Judge-cum-Ju- turn to pg 4 MANAVJI’S Tuesday, 05 Oct, 2004 Vol. 3 No. 165 Gangtok Rs. 3 SBICAR LOAN LEDGERS SHOW the most convenient option Sanction & Disbursement Rs. 78.77 in 1 day Lowest interest rate at 9% CRORES; BANKS No prepayment charges No processing charge Loan up to 90% ONLY Rs. 8.54 Free accidental death insurance of the borrower CRORES Repayment up to 84 months DETAILS ON contact PT Bhutia 94343 57921 pg 5 or Chettri 94340 12824 SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR ANAND OBEROI SILIGURI/ MIRIK, 04 Oct: KARMAPA ARRIVES IN MIRIK It wouldn’t be too off the mark People from as far as Ne- to call it a homecoming of sorts pal, Bhutan along with people with emotions running high from the surrounding hill towns among the more than 3,000- and Sikkim were at the airport strong gathering which de- to welcome the Karmapa and scended on Bagdogra Airport emotions ran high as he today to catch a glimpse of the emerged from the Indian Air- 17th Karmapa Orgyen Trinley lines flight which landed here Dorje touch down in his first at 2 pm, 04 October. visit so close home. There were An official delegation from monks, there were lay people, Sikkim led by the Speaker, DN there were government offi- Takarpa, and comprising of cials, there were foreigners and senior officials of the Ecclesi- they were all believers in the astical Department received the crowd at the terminus and there Karmapa on behalf of the State were many wet eyes. turn to pg 7 The Karmapa emerges from the Bagdogra Air Terminus on 04 October Framing of issues concerning On behalf of Mohanlal Madhawjee Jewellers, election petitions begins Kolkata, we would like to The hearings concerning by the petitioners. take this opportunity to a NOW REPORT the election petitions which Incidentally, the Advocate GANGTOK, 04 Oct: The Ad- began a few months ago have General who is a constitutional invite you to an vocate General of Sikkim, SP so far been argued by the Ad- appointee with qualifications exhibition of gold and Wangdi, has decided to with- vocate General on behalf of equal to those of a judge of a draw from the counsel of the the respondents; his recent de- High Court, is expected to rep- diamond jewellery in respondents in the case concern- cision to withdraw has been af- resent the State Government your town. ing the election petitions filed fected due to a consideration and not individual candidates. Mohanlal Venue: by the State Pradesh Congress of ethics, propriety as well as A senior counsel of eminence Madhawjee Hotel Tibet Lobby Committee in the High Court. due to some objections raised turn to pg 5 Jewellers Date: 4th, 5th & 6th October 2; NOW!; 05 October, 2004 ED-SPACE ...to ashes NOW! the story of a crematorium FIRST WITH THE NEWS and its cremator Sikkim Has Arrived imilar is the plight of the mator in the premises of the on a small mountain stream Twenty-nine years after Sikkim merged with the Indian Darjeeling Crematorium crematorium which is 3 kms [which dries up during sum- Union, there is finally a High Court Judge from the State. Sand the cremator - both away from town. Sundas stays mers and winter seasons], thus Congratulations are due to AP Subba for becoming the are in rough seas. at the other end of town. causing problems in the con- first Sikkimese to make it to the portals of the High Court. The crematorium with a rich This causes great difficulties duction of the last rites. His elevation to the post is yet another example of the past where greats like to the public also and in case of “There is no maintenance at fact that Sikkim has arrived, at least as far as recogni- Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, deaths, Sundas has to be first all and Municipality people tion by the Centre and the mainstream goes. For many Sister Nivedita and Pundit Rahul traced before the last rites are visit once in a year to spray decades Sikkim had only one recognisable name be- Sankirtayan were cremated is in complete. Other than Sundas bleaching powder. For every- yond Rangpo - that of Danny Denzongpa. Then, utterly bad shape now. there is no other person, whether thing else we are dependent on Baichung happened. And now the State has moved be- Worse than the cremato- voluntary or official at the cre- social organisations. But for yond the domains of sports and entertainment. An am- rium is the condition of 45 year matorium. Even the death reg- how long can I go around beg- bassador to Mongolia some years back, a Padam old Puran Sundas, the crema- istration office at the cremato- ging for aid for the cremato- Vibhushan for the first Chief Minister, an award for being tor. After having single rium does not have any staff. rium from the organisations?” the Best Performing State in Education at the India To- handedly performed this back questions Sundas. day State of the States Conclave, these are all signs that breaking task for the past 21 Puran Sundas who had the rest of the country is no longer ignorant to Sikkim’s years, Sundas has still not man- DARJEELING started this service following existence. aged to get himself enlisted in the footsteps of his uncle The onus is now on the Sikkimese to benefit from the employees’ rolls of the MAIL Naresh Sarki, [Sarki did it this recognition. The State has to now produce more Darjeeling Municipality. BIRENDRA SHANDILYA purely as a social work] is to- achievers who will make it at the national level. Thus far, “I have to still rely on what day a frustrated man. everyone from Sikkim who has “made it” has done so on the public hands out to me af- One has to enter the name of the “I burnt my life away in personal drive and charisma with very little contribution ter the cremation,” says Sundas. deceased into the register on each and every funeral pyre I from the society they come from or from local institu- tions. Such singular achievers will always be there and On days when there is a ones own, attach the necessary lit and what did I get in ex- although the State cannot expect to start mass-produc- dead body or two to be cre- documents which are later col- change. At least if they can’t ing success stories it has to now start providing the right mated Sundas makes around lected by the Municipal offi- give me a job let them give a breeding ground so that those with the capability and Rs. 150, on some days he does cials. The death certificate is job to my son,” says Sundas. skills to excel do not miss the mark just because the not make a single penny. then to be collected from the He finds a lot of disparities in opportunities escaped them. There is of course always “I have been knocking on Municipality at a later date. The this as in the Kurseong and the debate over what should come first - the initiative every door of the Municipality whole process leaves the crema- Kalimpong Municipality cre- towards self-reliance and pride among the people or the so that I get at least the post of torium open to abuse where one mators have been given ap- infrastructural backing by the State. Instead of wasting a sweeper but so far except for can dispose of any dead body pointments by the Municipal- time over this chicken and egg situation, it would be best empty assurances nothing has without the authorities having ity, alleged Sundas. if the people stepped up first and started laying greater happened. I am now growing the least idea about it. The Municipality does not stress on celebrating excellence rather than mediocrity old and the future of my family “Not only do I not get a sal- have much to say about this. which is too easily accepted at present. That will happen looks as bleak as mine,” la- ary, the infrastructure of the cre- BM Subba, who took office of only when the people start looking beyond quotas, con- mented Sundas. matorium has also broken the vice-chairman of the nections and favours. This is not to suggest that we peel Not only this, though down miserably with none of Darjeeling Municipality after Article 371F away, rather we should start allowing those purely voluntary in nature, at the officials bothered about it,” the recent Municipal elections who really require protection benefit from the special sta- present, Sundas has to face ex- said Sundas. says, “So far I have no knowl- tus while the better placed among the Sikkimese strike tremely odd working condi- The water lines for the cre- edge regarding this.

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