West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday declared Kalimpong in the Darjeeling hills as the 21st district of the state. So far, Kalimpong used to be a sub-division under the Darjeeling district. Mamata, who is on a three day tour to north Bengal made the announcement while addressing the locals at the Lepcha Board […]

Amitava Banerjee, HT, 31 July 2016, Darjeeling: At the time when Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has been labelling the creation of numerous development boards as “divide and rule policy” of the state government, the Biswakarma Youth Association (BYA) has rallied for the development boards saying development activities of these boards will result in the uplift of […]

Writes Swareena Gurung Darjeeling 13 Jul 2016 Jubilation erupted among the Kami, Damai and Sarki communities when chief minister Mamata Banerjee today announced their respective development boards at Chowrasta in Darjeeling. The chief minister made this announcement at a programme organised to celebrate the 202nd birth anniversary of illustrious Nepali poet, Bhanu Bhakta Acharya To […]

Sherpa head & deputy spar Writes Vivek Chhetri Darjeeling, July 3: The West Bengal Sherpa Cultural Board has been gripped by a tussle with the chairman and the vice-chairperson accusing each other of high-handedness and financial impropriety. The vice-chairperson, Nim Doma Sherpa, said she had been suspended by chairman Nima Wangdi Sherpa though he didn’t […]

Writes: Prashant Acharya Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was given a grand reception yesterday afternoon at the Bagdogra airport and in Rohini near Kurseong by hill communities that included the Khambu Rai, Lepcha Development Council members as also cadres of the Gorkha National Liberation Front. This was the first time that GNLF supporters were seen welcoming […]

Writes: Rajeev Ravidas The West Bengal Rai Development Board has started its operation with  30 general body members owing allegiance to the Kirati Khambu Rai Sanskritik Sansthan, although the objection raised by the Khambu Rights Movement was yet to be addressed. M.S. Rai, the chairman of the Rai board, said the first governing body meeting […]

Hill Tamang Youth Association Accuses Tamang Development board of Excluding Community Members. A day after accusation of corruption labelled by a senior Tamang Development board member Mr. Kamal Ghising against the Chairman Sanjay Ghising and Chief Advisor Neera Lopchan, yesterday Tamang Youth Association (TYA), Darjeeling sub-division committee has also accused the TD board of not […]

8 Nov 2015 : Demanding a development board, the Scheduled Caste community of the hills today organised a rally in Darjeeling and threatened to start an agitation that would include dharnas and indefinite hunger strikes. The Scheduled Caste community too wants a set-up on the lines of the Lepcha, Bhutia, Sherpa and Tamang communities which […]

Writes: Vivek Chhetri An association of Rai community members today said it would not accept a development board for them as such an arrangement would divide not only the hill population but also their own community. This is the first time that any community-based organisation in the hills has taken a stand against the state […]

Writes Vivek Chhetri Darjeeling, Sept. 20: Bimal Gurung today tried to outdo Mamata Banerjee in her game by announcing development boards for all hill communities, but his speech betrayed his worry about the apparent public acceptance the chief minister has garnered in some parts of the hills. “Enough is enough,” said the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha […]

Writes: NN Ojha Politics like human mind remains in a state of perpetual unrest. While human mind remains turbulent because of endless desires constantly beyond the capacity of human endeavors to fulfill, the turbulence of politics and politicians is primarily attributable to ever changing goals sought to be achieved and the means to be employed […]

Writes: Sangay Tamang You don’t need to go anywhere to ask who you are. Take a minute to look yourself and analyses how do you know about your “self” then define yourself. I am pretty sure enough that you can’t define your identity as a “self” in context of the space where you are living […]

Lifting their 109 day old agitation, the Lepcha Para teachers whose appointment is still under judicial adjudication yesterday claimed victory. Lepcha Para Teachers on protest The West Bengal government had appointed Lepcha language Para teachers on April 15, 2015. However Bengal government had done so without any consultation with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, GTA had […]

Kalimpong, 15 July 2014: Government of West Bengal has finally constituted Tamang Development and Cultural Board. Mamata Banerjee with representatives of Tamang Youth association In a government circular issued today the formation of the Board is declared. It is also published in the Kolkata Gazette on 16th July 2014. The government memo stated that ‘Tamang […]

After snubbing the representatives from the Tamang Youth faction which had declared allegiance to TMC before the elections, by not meeting them at all on Friday. It was the turn of the ILTA representatives to bear the burnt of Mamata’s ire. Lepchas with TMC candidate Bhaichung during LS election campaign Yesterday a high level delegation […]

The Limbus, who are demanding a development board for their community on the lines of the Lepcha Development Board, has announced their decision of boycotting the Lok Sabha election this time. Limbus community to  boycott the Lok Sabha election Speaking over phone from Kalimpong, Yakthung Shong Chumlung president ND Limbu confirmed the decision. He said, […]

T hese are reactions to the news that Tamang Youth Association has decided to support TMC for 2014 elections. TYA members seen with Gautam Dev and Mamata Banerjee in Mirik SANKALP LAMA I’d would like to first ask. On what basis does TYC claim to represent all the Tamang youths? Have they made any effort […]

It is Darjeeling hills- at the vortex of turmoil political dynamics. The latest major element in the political game here is formation of a series of development boards, tagged with almost every single ethnic community. No matter how far this can cool down the hills – burning with separate statehood movement, but it can definitely […]