31 May, 2004; NOW! 1 SBICAR LOAN Monday, 31 May, 2004 Vol. 3 No. 59 Gangtok Rs. 3 the most convenient option Sanction & Disbursement in 1 day Lowest interest rate at 9% No prepayment charges No processing charge Loan up to 90% Free accidental death insurance of the borrower Repayment up to 84 months contact PT Bhutia 98320 35786 or Chettri 94340 12824 Fernandes demands 2-week probe into coffin scam THREE NEPAL NATIONALS ARRESTED ON NEW DELHI, 30 May: NDA con- venor and JD[U] leader George Fernandes today demanded a speedy MURDER RAP IN NORTH SIKKIM and time-bound enquiry into the 24 May for post mortem. Dr. ST DEEPAK SHARMA coffin scam in which there were al- Sharma from Gangtok was called legations of corruption against him MANGAN, 30 May: A murder over to conduct the post mortem. and the previous NDA government. shocked the otherwise sleepy ham- The post mortem report con- “I would like to be the first to let of Shamdong in Dzongu last firmed the murder theory. Accord- demand an immediate and speedy week. Dhan Bahadur Subba, who ing to the report the victim had been enquiry into the ‘specific’ matter of was a cowherd, was reported to attacked by a sharp weapon on the the purchase of reuseable caskets by have been missing since 21 May. back of his neck. the Army headquarters. The enquiry He was working for CT Kazi, a Later PI T. Norbu learnt from should not take too much time, say landlord of Mangan. It was only on the victim’s brother that a few two weeks, since the material is eas- ily available with the Army head- 23 May that an FIR was lodged by workers residing close to the cow- quarters and it will not be a cumber- Sher Bahadur Subba with the po- shed where Dhan Bdr. Subba some task to establish whether I or lice concerning his missing brother. worked were missing since 21 May anyone else has made illegal money Acting on the missing person itself. Suspecting foul play, the po- out of this stalled procurement,” complaint filed by the brother, DSP lice launched a hunt for them with Fernandes said in a letter to Prime [N] Suren Pradhan along with only a description of their physical Minister Manmohan Singh. Mangan Second OC, Pem Dorjee features to go with. Referring to a media report that began investigations into the case Finally, on 26 May, at around 6 senior government and Army offi- and only when after an extensive PM in the evening, and after 3 days Main accused in the Shamdong murder case, Hari Darjee [extreme left] with cials were queueing up before Con- search did not reveal any leads did of intense search the police caught co-accused Santabir Darjee and Ram Bdr. Subba in custody at Mangan gress president Sonia Gandhi and they begin to suspect murder. up with the three suspects at Nepal nationals- confessed to hav- planned with the victim being in- advising her on matters of national The suspicion of the police of Pakshyap a kilometre away from ing murdered Dhan Bdr. Subba. Ac- vited over for dinner by the mur- security “to get promotions and murder was further supported by the Mangan. They were caught while cording to their statement the killer, derers that evening. It was while plum posts,” Fernandes said the discovery of the missing person’s buying cheura at a shop. Hari Darjee, attacked the victim Dhan Bdr. Subba was enjoying his new government should take imme- dead body which was found lying On interrogation at the Mangan with a bamphok and killed him. chicken that he was attacked by diate action against such officers, trapped under a bush on a rocky police station the three - Hari The motive for murder seems Hari Darjee from behind. who were allegedly leaking official cliff. The body of the deceased was Darjee, Ram Br. Subba and to be of a personal nature. It has The three murder suspects are secrets to the MP (Sonia Gandhi). brought to the Mangan hospital on Santabir Darjee – all of whom are also been learnt that the murder was in police custody at present. on pg 5 A unique An Act, or just an act intiative begins a NOW REPORT n 01 May this year, the Par- UNDERSTANDING THE GROUND REALTIES IN at Baghey Khola liament passed the anti-to- Obacco legislation banning SIKKIM ON WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY smoking in public places along with a host of other provisions. With the However, the state government rettes are being sold to all irrespec- to take enforcement of the anti to- coming into effect of the Cigarettes is quick to take credit for ‘spear- tive of the law prohibiting sale to bacco law very seriously indeed. and other Tobacco Products Act, heading’ the anti tobacco policy minors and very few restaurants take As far as the general public go, 2003, smoking has been reduced to implementation. The State Anti the risk of offending the customer they seem to have heard of it but an unsocial activity. Smokers are to Tobacco legislation was enacted six with strict no-smoking rules. are equally certain that they need be considered pariahs, with special years back in 1998. Under this Act, “Why should we as the public not bother following it as “nothing areas to be demarcated for them in smoking is banned in public places take seriously the government’s oc- will be done”. restaurants. You can no longer send like offices, hotels and public trans- casional exhortations on the harm- turn to pg 7 your kid to the friendly neighbour- port. Sale of tobacco products to ful effects of smoking, when they hood Pan Dukan to pick up that pack those below 18 is also banned. are not serious about it them- No / Less Donation of ten and you can definitely not The new national level Act selves,” ask students of Sikkim Admission for 2004-2005 in A.I.C.T.E., M.C.I., D.C.I. Regd Colleges Courses light up whenever and wherever the came into effect only last month, Government College. mood strikes you. but the chasm between passing a Director, Health, SC Pradhan, M.B.B.S, B.D.S, B.E, B. TECH All Management Course The new law came into effect a law and enforcing it grows more when queried how his department All Diploma Courses month back and yet there seems to with each passing day. plans to enforce the new rules, said, HOTEL MANAGEMENT be no sign of the Health Department In 1998, apart from some initial “The department has actively issued B.P.T, NURSING, PHARMA, B.C.S, M.C.A - All P/G OR U/G COURSES getting activated on that account. enthusiasm, the Anti-smoking legis- advertisements on the cable and also Assists in SRM College Apart from a mild advertisement on lation has not been enforced with any published it in the Gazette.” In the States of TN, KA, MH, PY, GJ & MP the local cable channel, the depart- degree of seriousness in the state. Gazette? We are talking about Sri Maruti Education Consultancy (Reg) ment has done little else to spread Smokers continue to smoke with im- passing the message down the line 20, Rishi Aurobinda Rd., Dehind Mahalaxmi Pan Ghar, Siliguri. Mob.: 98320 54375, 98320 awareness about this new law. punity, whenever, wherever. Ciga- that this time the government plans 95530. For Darjeeling Kalimpong & Sikkim. Bishal C.: 94341 64625 (M), 03592 232770 (R) CMYK 2; NOW!; 31 May, 2004 ED-SPACE NOW! FIRST WITH THE NEWS Why Banning Sale of Cigarettes to Minors Makes Sense The legislation banning sale of cigarettes to minors is more than QUIZZING KALIMPONG just an effort at protecting the young from the harmful effects of nicotine. What happens often in the Hills, where children are in- f you knew that the flag of like a little empty attic, and you never stop marvelling how an or- troduced to cigarettes very early in life since everyone around them, France is an optical illusion or have to stock it with such furniture dinary mortal will recall in a jiffy from their parents, to teachers to elder siblings, seems to be smok- Ithat Tiger, Sand, Whale and as you choose. A fool takes in all that ‘arenophiles’ are those who ing, is that they too take that first puff rather early in life. The whole Basking are different types of the lumber of every sort that he love collecting sand as a hobby or excitement of the act sees them repeat it and even before they sharks then you understandably are comes across, so that the knowl- that the heart of a blue whale beats are out of their teens, they are addicted. Yes, cigarettes are not a a quiz buff. edge which might be useful to him only nine times a minute as opposed habit, they are an addiction. Because the substance is still not Quiz, which the Random House gets crowded out, or at best is jum- to the humming bird’s which clocks banned, the adults can indulge in it legally, but it is wrong to make College Webster defines rather harm- bled up with a lot of other things, twelve hundred times a minute. cigarettes accessible to younger consumers because most times lessly as “ radio or television pro- so that he has a difficulty in laying It is thus no surprise that Quiz- they get snared into the habit unknowingly and get hooked for life.