police! september 03-09, 2003; now! south-east asia …

September 03-09, 2003; NOW! 1

1

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SALES KE LIYEPEPSI BESHARAM

Gyam Tsona, Sikkim’s highestlake, and the only “loud lake”[in that its waves were actuallyloud enough to be heardkilometers away], is also re-corded to have played host tohighest number of migratorybirds in the past. In the last fouryears, however, man hasplayed spoilsport again. Bull-dozers have been plied into

action and this “Ocean”lake’s feeder spring hasbeen dammed and diverted.The lake has since shrunkto a sliver of its original sizeand if something is not

done soon, Sikkim couldsoon have another oxymoronon its map – a dry lake. USHALACHUNGPA, Senior Re-

search Officer, Wildlife, profilesthe lake, its high days andeventual decline...

TURN TO pg 4

FOR DETAILSThe Pepsi ad-blitzkriegin Sikkim will have usbelieve that entire rangeis produced from theclean “mountain springwater” of Bhutan. What ifyou were told that theadvertisements offeredonly one-third of the truth?What if you were told thatonly one range camefrom Bhutan and the restwas sourced fromAssam and WestBengal? Won’t you agreethat the cola giant gets“besharam” when itcomes to sales.TURN TO pg 3 FOR

DETAILS

editorial: POLICE!

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2; NOW! September 03-09, 2003

42

ED-SPACEGANGTOK 03-09 SEPTEMBER, 2003

NOW!SIKKIM MATTERS

SOCCER WOES IN MANGAN

Mangan Football Committee finds itsdifficult to play its real role of pro-

moting soccer here. It suffers a lot to finalizeand organize the games and sports, so we,the committee members, would like to askthe Sports & Youth Affairs Department of-ficials if there is any budget or financial helpearmarked for the North district to promotefootball or not. In other districts, we see alot of progress in promotion of games andsports, but only the north district has beenlagging behind in this field even though thereare many young talented players here whoneed to be promoted.

Since MFC members, led by PemzangTenzing, are doing their best to promotesporting events with donations contributedby the public and the committee members,why is it difficult for the Sports & YouthAffairs Department to organize these eventsregularly.

So, MFC members and sports-loverswould like to request the Department, itsMinister and officials to solve the problemsof the youth, sports lovers and talented per-sons of the North district as soon as possi-ble.MFC Committee, Mangan North District

Charles Bronson, the Pennsylvania coal miner whobecame an international

film star and archetypal Americantough guy, died of pneumonia lastSaturday at a Los Angeles hospi-tal, aged 81.

Bronson was best known inthese parts through the Death Wishseries and the hugely popular spa-ghetti westerns he starred in rangingfrom Magnificent Seven to Chato’sLand. Many old-timers still remem-ber Bronson for his roles in The DirtyDozen and The Great Escape.

There was a time when restau-rants in the region put up onlyCharles Bronson posters and teen-agers mimicked his grimace and hair-style. There are still some aroundwho continue to sport the Bronsonlocks. The huge popularity of “cow-boy” hats is another hill trend at-tributed to this action star. Althoughhe has not had a release since thelate eighties, Bronson is still in de-mand at the local VCD stores whichcontinue to bring in Bronson starrerson demand.

Bronson’s appeal, agree movieexperts lay in his “tremendous face- cast from stone - that kind of grimstony determination.”

Bronson, it is universally ac-cepted, had that physical presenceand looked like he had lived life -that he was a survivor - and con-vinced movie-goers that he was aman capable of violence.

Although hugely popular inEurope and Asia, his acceptance inthe United States was delayed andmuted with critics sour to the vio-lence that stalked the scripts of hisfilms. This changed with the releaseof a French-made thriller calledRider on the Rain in 1969 convincedmany naysayers that Bronson hada great deal of artistic skill. Six yearslater, he greatly impressed critics

with his portrayal of an itinerantprizefighter in Hard Times.

Bronson will, however, alwaysbe best known for his roles in whatwere some of Hollywood’s mostviolent films of the 1970s. Nonewas more so than the 1974 movieDeath Wish, in which Bronsonportrayed an architect turned vigi-lante who hunts muggers in NewYork after his wife is killed and hisdaughter raped by thugs.

Critics denounced the film as avehicle for legitimising violent behav-iour. The movie nevertheless becamea hit and made Bronson, then in hisearly 50s, a star in America.

Bronson did not care much forcritics. In fact, he even fed storiesof his tough-guy persona to jour-nalists. He told interviewers thathe had been in fistfights and hadbeen arrested on charges of assaultand battery, and he liked to sug-gest to journalists that his hobbywas knife-throwing.

But reporters who checked outhis stories found no police record,no assault and battery, no predis-position toward violence. In fact,they learned that Bronson’s hobbywas painting and that he was aquiet, personable, gentle man.

There was no question, how-ever, that Bronson had known hardtimes. He was born on 3 Novem-ber, 1921, in the Scooptown sec-

tion of Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, acoal-mining town in USA. His realname was Charles Buchinsky, andhe was the 11th of 15 children bornto Lithuanian immigrants.

He knew little about his father,who died when Bronson was ten.But he knew abject povertythroughout his early years. Hisfamily was so poor, that when hewas six he was sent to school in afrock, a hand-me-down from anolder sister.

By the time he was 16 he wasworking in the coal mines, earningabout $1 for each ton of coal heclawed out of the earth. In 1943,he was drafted into the army. Yearslater, after he established himselfas an actor, his press releaseswould say he had been a tail gun-ner during the Second World War.

After the war, Bronson heldvarious jobs, until, in 1949 he wentto California and took lessons atthe Pasadena Playhouse. In 1951,he had a minor role in You’re in theNavy Now, which starred GaryCooper. Bronson later explainedthat he got the part because he wasthe only one among the audition-ing actors who could belch on cue.

He changed his name to Bronsonin the 1950s because he thought thatthe anti-communist crusade thenbeing conducted by US SenatorJoseph McCarthy made it unwisefor someone in the public eye to havea Russian-sounding name.

By the 1970s, he had a loyalfollowing, and even many criticsagreed that although the scriptswere usually bad, Bronson couldbe counted on to turn in a goodperformance.

And then, of course, DeathWish happened and Bronson be-came a star in his fifties. The dayof the laconic action star ends withBronson.

The Man Who Had Lived Life Passes On

CHARLES BRONSON;

1921-2003

FUNDS RELEASED TO DISTRICT

SPORTS ASSOCIATION, NOT

UNREGISTERED GROUPS, SAYS

DEPTT.

While speaking to NOW!, Director, Sports& Youth Affairs, HT Basi, replied to thepoints raised in the letter by clarifying thatfunds are sent to all districts annually tohold and organize sporting events. The De-partment cannot, however, release funds tocommittees which are not recognized or reg-istered with it. Funds are sent to the con-cerned District Sports Associations, Mr.Basi revealed while pointing out that in thecase of Mangan, MFC members should ap-proach the North District Sports Associa-tion for aid. The proper person who wouldbe able to help them is the North DistrictCollector, who chairs the Association, headded.

NO DIAL-TONES IN PELLING

This letter is for the GM, Telecom, BSNL,Sikkim.Sir, Pelling is a fast-growing tourism place

in West Sikkim where already 50 hotels arein full run in season and many more comingup and many other private establishmentshave come up and are coming up. Almost all

have subscribed phone lines. Some even haveinternet facilities. But, sir, we regret to statethat the phones do not work in times ofneed. The only thing that makes us sick isthis problem. Calling up from far distanceson these 58 lines is out of question. Instead,others standing by us become tired of seeingus trying repeatedly.

Telecommunication is very importantmeans for many in Pelling, especially thebig hotels. God knows, how we have beenhandling the situation. We thought that thenew mobile connections would solve thisproblem. But our hopes were shattered.There is a hide and seek situation with sig-nal in some parts of Pelling, other parts- nil.Thousands of tourists arriving to Pellingstarted bringing along their mobiles whenwe informed them that Pelling was now cov-ered by the service. They are betrayed bythose big BSNL signs on the poles all alongthe highway.

Internet is a service which everybodyneeds these days. Rather, there are many,especially foreign tourists, who cannot livewithout internet. It is a matter of great pitywith those innocent foreign guests whomadly wander about for better internet serv-ice for hours and finally come back to hotel

disappointed.Our representative approached you, the

other day, when BSNL Mobile station wasinaugurated in Geyzing. Somebody fromyour side said Pelling falls under third phase.Sir we can’t wait that long. We do not knowwhen our turn comes, when third phase willbecome second and second the first. Pellingis already in serious need of good, function-ing phone lines, Pelling now needs theinternet with sure services and Pelling, aboveall, needs a BSNL Tower for mobile signals.Please upgrade the station. Also please makearrangements to lay all the cables under-ground as the present cables look very un-tidy.

We seriously expect your early actionand cooperation for better communicationservices in Pelling.Pelling Tourism Development Association

Everyone’s got complaints and the best thing about

a democracy is that these complaints can be voiced.

“Action Mail,” is a platform where the public mails

us their grievances and we get them the replies from

the concerned authorities. If you too have a problem

that needs redressal, just mail your complaint to us at

NOW! Gairi Gaon, Tadong, Gangtok, East Sikkim or

email us at [email protected].

POLICE!Policing is a tricky issue. Too little and there is anarchy on the streetsand too much and the fundamental rights of the people start gettingtrampled upon. It is perhaps because a foot soldier cannot work outthe right balance that officers are trained by experts for two yearson the finer points of policing. The policy makers have been workingat ways to take the exclamation mark that normally conjoins itself to“Police!” in public conversation. That is a tough task. The force hasafter all been the arm extended for centuries by the colonial rulersand then by the democratic masters to keep an unruly janata in check.The feeling of invincibility that such power can inflict is not easy toabandon and the day-to-day grind of policing after all falls on the beatof constables who take an inflated sense of power as granted.Let’s take Gangtok’s case. From the numerous complaints voicedby the taxi-drivers against traffic police personnel and home guards,there must definitely be some [which are enough for a public outcry]which are not exaggerated. Frankly speaking, if the cops on trafficdetail are over-stepping their authority, they are not displayinguncommon traits. Grant too much power to any individual and itdoes not take long before it goes to the head. Ever wondered whyreports of police brutality and human rights violations come onlyfrom troubled areas? The answer is simple. It is because the policeare granted more powers there. Even in Sikkim, the only instancesof human rights violations by local cops were recorded at a timewhen the police was being excessively used as the enforcer.But that is not the situation anymore and yet we are exposed to anugly side of the force almost everyday. Why?The answer perhaps lies in the fact that the cops have taken it uponthemselves to police every aspect of public activity. For example, itwould be only logical for cops to check vehicle documents andlicenses to curb thefts and dangerous driving. The nitty-gritty’s ofwhether all taxes have been paid or whether a vehicle isenvironmentally “non-polluting” should be left to motor vehicleinspectors. The local force is short-staffed and expecting them toimplement too many rules at too many places stretches their patienceand professionalism. Cops are forced to take the help of homeguards and this force is less trained in policing than the careerpoliceman/ woman. Their reactions to a situation are thus moreemotional than proper. Ask any local and they will have a nastyanecdote of a run-in with home guards to share. This is a force thatis underpaid and overworked and not even trained properly for thejob. What too many rules also lead to is an increased public interactionwith police personnel. No one is comfortable around khaki and thecops too are instinctively aggressive. Increased interactionautomatically leads to increased attrition and flare-ups like the oneseen between cops and drivers in Gangtok recently.That, perhaps is where the problem lies for Sikkim. Too much policing.Policing to an extent that it starts intruding on a person’s privacy. Noone wants anarchy, but there does not seem to be too much publicsupport for a police state either. Someone has to strike the right balance.


53

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GANGTOK: The marketing mandarins atPepsi seem to have mastered the art of half-truths. They announce from every adver-tisement spot that Drangchu Beverages uses“mountain spring water” [which is correct]and would have Sikkim believe that everyPepsi consignment for the State comes fromthe neighbouring country, which, unfortu-nately, is not entirely true. In Sikkim, thecola giant seems to have opted for an “infor-mation” campaign that borders on lying.

At the national level, this cola playerhad to take out a quarter-page advertisementin a Delhi-based daily apologizing for itsselective quoting of the Health Minister’sstatement on her Department’s findings onpesticide content in colas. In Sikkim, hugebanners assure that the Pepsi products inSikkim are “free from pesticides”.

A banner at Hospital-point here claimsthat “Pepsi bottle products available in Sik-kim are free from pesticide residue.” Thisabsence of pesticides in Pepsi products inSikkim because the products are “bottled”in Bhutan and manufactured from “moun-tain spring water” and not “ground water,”the Drangchu Beverage advertisement wouldhave us believe.

Similar advertisements in local papers goeven further in “helping” the locals [“con-

SALES KE LIYE PEPSI BESHARAM HAI!IS PEPSI LYING?fused” by the “media coverage” of the pesti-cola episode] accept the Pepsi range as safe.The print-ads are less careful in their word-ing. “…with utmost confidence, we reiteratethat there is no cause for concern. Pepsi,Mirinda and 7UP are safest amongst prod-ucts of daily consumption including regulardrinking water, milk, tea, fruit, vegetable etc.”

“So don’t worry! Drink Pepsi! Yourhealth is our concern,” the advertisementexhorts. How true are these claims?

NOW! finds out.First up, whoever suggested the ad-cam-

paign was playing along with the trend setat the national level. A huge Pepsi ad printedon 22 August had a news clipping on top. Itread: “…all these [soft drinks] are wellwithin the safety limits…’ Smt. SushmaSwaraj, Hon’ble Minister of Health & Fam-ily Welfare [Lok Sabha, 21 Aug, 2003].” Nosooner had the advertisement come out thatthe Minister was fuming. She claimed shehad been quoted out of context and that theselective quote was misleading. The rest ofthe advertisement read: “Refresh your faith.Now, refresh your thirst.” An apology fromPepsi was published five days later.

Now, let’s look at the fine-print that re-

mains ignored in the Pepsi ad-campaign inSikkim.

Very few people know that only the250 ml “glass” bottles of Pepsi productsavailable in Sikkim come from DrangchuBeverages, Bhutan. The “mobile” Pepsi bot-tles and 1.5 litre bigger bottles of the entirePepsi range come from bottling units inCharaktala [West Bengal] and Rani Patgaon[Guwahati, Assam]. Neither of these twoplaces can stake claim to having access to“mountain spring water” that makes theDrangchu products so safe. Both these bot-tling units are obviously in “industrial” ar-eas of WB and Assam and can hardly beexpected to pass the muster on purity, atleast not until they are specifically testedfor pesticide content [since the present con-troversy centers around this contamination].

While the 250 ml “glass bottles” fromDrangchu have been cleared [by governmentcertified Vimta Laboratory of Hyderabad]as having harmful elements below the detec-tion level, we have not been offered any suchclarification on the rest of the Pepsi range.While such clarifications cannot be demandedin normal times and the choice left to theconsumers, it is highly unethical of Pepsi to

piggy-back its entire range on the shouldersof Drangchu Beverages which manufacturesonly one line of the Pepsi range.

A careful reading of the banner at Hos-pital Point reveals that purity is claimed for“Pepsi bottle products”. While this mightget Pepsi barely on the right side of legality[in so much as the glass bottle Pepsi is freeof pesticides], it is still a blatant example ofunethical publicity since it does not tell con-sumers [who rarely check out manufactur-ing details on labels] that the Pepsi sold inplastic bottles are not manufactured frommountain spring water.

The print-ads don’t even have the fig-leaf of “bottle products”. They make sweep-ing comments and clear the entire Pepsi rangeof pesticide contamination. Technicallyspeaking, Drangchu Beverages, which hasissued the advertisement cannot make claimsfor any other bottling plant and misleadsconsumers into believing that all Pepsi soft-drinks “are bottled in Bhutan at DrangchuBeverages and supplied to Sikkim.” WhileDrangchu can be “utmostly confident” thatits products are safe, it cannot express thesame confidence in products coming fromWest Bengal or Assam.

Coming back to the sweeping commentsthat the print-ad makes. It is unfair to makeblanket statements on the impurity of otherproducts of “daily consumption” while de-

turn to pg11


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Before the NECmeet, one on ruraldevelopment in thenortheasta NOW REPORT

GANGTOK: Prior to the crucialNorth Eastern Council Conferenceto be held here on 11 September,Sikkim will play host to the NorthEast Rural Development Confer-ence on 5 September, Friday.

The Conference, the first of itskind to be held in Sikkim since itformally joined the North EasternCouncil, will be attended by theRural Development ministers fromall the eight States in the NEC, alongwith their secretaries and commis-sioners from the department.

Union minister for Rural De-velopment, Kanshi Ram Rana isexpected to attend the Conference,which will review and discuss vari-ous rural development programmesof the NEC states and also chalkout future policies for the region.

Earlier, the chief ministers ofthe all the northeastern states wereto attend the Conference but sincethe NEC meet is being held herethe following week, the CMs de-cided to skip the RDD meet.

The Conference will be held atthe Banquet Hall of the SikkimLegislative Assembly, which willalso host the NEC meet.

THE DRYING OF SIKKIM’S “OCEAN”by USHA LACHUNGPA

Gyamtso is Tibetan for“ocean”. Mi-Do is “Fire-

Stone” or flintstone.Check out the Kongra La tip

on the map of Sikkim and you willsee under it a spot called Mirdoand a lake called Gyam Tsona orGayum Chhona. In the cold desertof Sikkim this lake, along with TsoLhamo and Gurudongmar Tso, isone of the only three, big water-bodies that together withKhangchung Tso of Teesta Khangse[Glacier] form the source of RiverTeesta. Flintstones found in thearea are used to adorn tops ofchortens.

When I first visited the lake 15years ago in 1988, the first thoughtwas one of immense homesickness.It was the sight of this enormouslake with wave after wave lashingthe shores leaving foam on itsedges. Twenty years of sleepingto the sounds of the sea in Bom-bay came wafting back way uphere on the roof of the world!

We were conducting a water-bird census for the Asian Water-fowl Count as part of an interna-tional effort to count migratorybirds. On 19 July, 1988 this lakehad over 200 ducks; mostlyPintails [140], Common andTufted Pochards, Wigeons andCommon Teals. Many of the birdswere so far out ‘at sea’ that it was

impossible to count, let alone iden-tify, them. We had to return withan approximate count and sent itto the Bombay Natural HistorySociety [BNHS], which was coor-dinating the national census. Wealso counted ducks at Tso Lhamoand Gurudongmar and over the nextfew years covered almost all thelakes in Sikkim. Gyam Tsona heldthe record for the maximum visita-tions by these internationally pro-tected feathered bipeds. GyamTsona, Sikkim’s only lake withnoisy waves, had put us on theWaterbird Map of the World.

During the course of fieldworkon alpine grasslands in this area,we were the few fortunate ones tostay with the shepherds and yak-herders called Dokpas. Today,

there are not many elderly graziersleft on the Tso Lhamo plateau. Theoldest of them, Dongkung Nyimainformed us that earlier when theborders were not sealed, there wasa trade route via Mirdo [GyamTsona’s feeder stream] through theKongra La to Tibet. Since no vehi-cles plied at this height at the time,the traders returned from theplains laden with goods, literally.The loads were either carried onperson or on donkeys and mulesby those who could afford it. Therapid changes in altitude mademany of them sick. The animalsalso suffered. By the time theyreached Gyam Tsona some of thepoorer ones used to get the‘shakes’ and die of exposure. Therewas no time and seldom any lamasfor the deceased to be given thetime-honored sky burials [whereafter the ceremonies were per-formed, Himalayan Vultures cameto dispose off the bodies]. So, thebodies were laid to rest into thelake and the people hurried on. Thedead animals were also similarlydealt with. The lake was largeenough for such disposal.

Today, this area on the interna-tional border is restricted and inac-cessible to the casual visitor. This isperhaps the main reason why therare wildlife in this pocket is stillprotected and safe. The IndianArmy stationed in the area deservescommendation for this unantici-pated outcome of their presence.They, along with the peaceful

Dokpas who are bound by religionto respect life, are the only humansnot feared by the local wildlife. Wildanimals wander close to the campsand in winters move together withthe yak and sheep!

Earlier, countless waterbirdsused to fill the lake in summers.Some, probably Bar-headed Geese,even laid eggs around the lake.Water from Gyam Tsona wouldflow out through a small valley viaKampe to add to the Teesta nearDongkung. During periods ofheavy snowfall, the snow wouldmelt in summer to form a smallfreshwater pond beside the Tso.While most of the avian migrantswere shy and used the lake, RuddyShelduck were bolder and wouldalso visit the small freshwater pond.

However, sometime in 1999,the small feeder spring comingdown from Mirdo to Gyam Tsonawas blocked using bulldozers andwater diverted to the pond via aman-made channel lined with metalsheets. A couple of years later, themetal sheeting was removed but thediversion remained.

Without the Mirdo spring, itsonly lifeline, Gyam Tsona, begandrying up.

First to go was the outlet tothe Teesta; the entire valley is nowdry.

This year we saw vehicletracks on the bed of the lake; fiercewinds that powered waves just afew years ago now raise sand from

Gyam Tsona [upper water body] as seen nowadays - a shadow of it’s original size whichstretched across the entire bowl seen in the above pic as grassland.

MORE ON pg10


Will Sikkim help Karma Doma get back on her feet?

5

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Just until a few months ago,Karma Doma, a momo-seller,was leading what she thought

was a normal life. Times were hardbut she had a family. Her husband,Kesang Sherab, made a living sell-ing meat at Lall Bazaar and doingodd jobs around town while shesupplemented the kitty at homewith her income. In this way theysupported their two children.

Today, we meet her at WardNo. 7 of STNM hospital. Her rightleg has been amputated. Her hus-band has disappeared. Her son hadto quit school to earn money. Shesits helplessly on her wheel chairand recounts how her misery be-gan.

It had been about five yearssince she had started experiencingacute pains in her joints. Despitethe pain, she continued making andselling momos at Lall Bazaar.When the pain became unbearable,she had to be admitted at the Cen-tral Referral Hospital, Tadong. Al-though the treatment seemed to beworking at first, when the painsreturned, her right toe was ampu-

tated. Karma does not rememberthe reasons offered too well, butmaintains that her condition wors-ened after the “operation”.

The doctor attending to her at

CRH advised her to go for furthertreatment to Siliguri and even of-fered to pay for the hospitalcharges there since her complica-tions stemmed from his “opera-

tion”. In Siliguri, she was told thatthe amputation was a mistake andnow her leg had to be amputated.

“This news came as a shock tome, I was completely taken aback.My whole world came crashingdown. I thought about my kids.Life was already hard, now I knewit was going to be even more diffi-cult,” she recalls.

Karma went back to the CRH,the doctor who had earlier been sopolite and offered to pay all thehospital expenses had vanished.

“If I just get one chance to meetthat doctor I swear I will stranglehim,” she says angrily.

Fate, it seems, had plans tobring more misery for her. Karma’sleg was amputated at STNM andsoon came the second blow, herhusband left her.

“He just disappeared withouta word, the coward,” she tells ustearfully. Her son, Passang, quitschool and started taking care ofher. He took to selling momos tosupport the family. But soon thismeager earning came to an end. Thepolice refused to allow him to sellmomos as he did not have a tradelicense. Today, they appear to beat the end of the road. They have

no money and apparently, no hope.The STNM Hospital has prom-ised to give her a wheel chair, anartificial limb and a crutch. Al-though the Tibetan Welfare Asso-ciation has come forward withsome monetary help, Karma willundoubtedly need more help tomake a life for herself again. Sik-kim could help out.

a NOW! pic

by Tina Rai

KARMA DOMA and

her family are in

dire need of help.Anyone willing to make a

contribution can make

donations in cash or cheque

to NOW! [Gairi Gaon, Tadong.

Ph: 270949].

The total funds raised till 30

September, 2003, will be

added to with a substantial

contribution from NOW! and

the names of those who

contributed towards this

initiative to rehabilitate

Karma will be carried in the

NOW! issue dated 1 October,

2003.

FOCUS


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GAC wants BLsto share seatswith LTsa NOW REPORT

GANGTOK: A press release is-sued by the Gorkha Apex Com-mittee informs that a 23-memberdelegation of GAC members, ledby its chairman GM Rai, called onthe Chief Minister PawanChamling at his official residenceMintokgang on 29 August, lastFriday.

This delegation, the release fur-ther informs updated the CM aboutthe factors that led to the creationof the body and its goals.

Significantly, the body reiter-ated that the 12 Assembly seatsreserved for the Bhutia-Lepchacommunities in Sikkim was un-democratic since it was not pro-portional to the BL compositionof the local population. They havedemanded these seats to be re-served on the basis of populationand that the BL seats should nowbe converted to ST seats to alsoaccommodate the Limboo andTamang communities.

AIDSAWARENESS

FOR SAP

a NOW REPORT

PANGTHANG: Members of theSikkim Armed Police of Pangthangparticipated at a four-day AIDSawareness camp from August 26to 29. This camp was organizedby the Sikkim State Aids ControlSociety. Dr. DS Kerongi, the re-source person present at the campenumerated the factors that causedAIDS and the precautions that oneshould take to guard against con-tracting this life taking disease. AKSundas, Deputy Commandant,who was the chief guest on thisoccasion thanked the organizers forenlightening them on such a burn-ing issue. The jawans, he said, arethe most vulnerable section andthis training would definitely help.

GANGTOK: The recent an-nouncement made by the ChiefMinister, Pawan Chamling that all“left-out” Nepali communities willbe issued OBC certificates by Oc-tober has triggered a wave of jubi-lation even among senior membersof his own party from these com-munities.

Senior SDF members, led byLok Sabha MP, Bhim Dahal, andincluding party General Secretary,SK Pradhan, Publicity Secretary,Manita Pradhan and executivemember, DS Pant, called a Press

RUMTEK: SIBLAC supportersfrom across the State gathered hereat Ranitaar on Sunday for a meet-ing convened by the Sajong-Rumtek SIBLAC block committee.SIBLAC spokesperson, TenzinC’wang, while talking to NOW!said that everyone was surprisedby the more than 2,000 peoplewho turned up from all parts ofthe State for the meeting.

The main purpose behind themeeting, inform SIBLAC mem-bers, was to make the people aware

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of SIBLAC’s demands. This, Mr.C’wang said was necessitated inlight of the disinformation cam-paign launched by those opposedto SIBLAC ideology in Sikkim.

Significant among the resolu-tions passed at the meet were onescondemning the Lok Sabha MP,Bhim Dahal’s allegation thatSIBLAC was a “communal” or-ganization. “Since Mr. Dahal wonon BL votes also, he should notmake such statements on our de-mands without understandingthem,” Mr. C’wang said.

The meeting also condemnedthe postering campaign seen in the

State recently with the aim to ma-lign SIBLAC’s image.

SIBLAC has also invited lead-ers it sees as involved in a“disinformation campaign” againstthe organization, to a public de-bate on whether the “constitutionalsafeguards of Sikkim’s BLs are be-ing threatened or not.”

In another development, theHigh Court, last Monday, disposedthe SIBLAC writ petition on thecommunal poster campaign in thestate. The judgement order issued bythe division bench of Chief justiceRK Patra and Justice N. SurjyamaniSingh mentioned that the grievance

of the petitioners could be lookedinto and examined if the matter wasbrought to the notice of the concernedsuperintendent of police as providedunder sub section 3 of section 154 ofCr. PC.

SIBLAC felt that appropriateaction was not taken by the policeand the state government on the is-sue and the same was brought be-fore the notice of the court. Theirgrievance was that although an FIRwas filed before the officer-in-charge, Sadar Police station on 9August making a case under section153 A IPC, the officer in charge hadnot taken cognizance of the said act.

SIBLAC CHALLENGES LEADER TO PUBLIC DEBATEIn the writ of mandamus filed

by SIBLAC in the high court theyhad pleaded that the culprits bebooked under section 153 A (i)which denotes promoting enmitybetween different groups ongrounds of religion, race, place ofbirth, residence, language and do-ing acts prejudicial to maintenanceof harmony.

The state government counsel,J. B. Pradhan had argued that thepetition was based on false reports,rumours and hearsay thereby stat-ing that it could not be not be madea basis for invoking an extraordi-nary writ.

a NOW REPORT

Conference here on 29 August toexpress their “happiness and grate-fulness” towards the CM for tak-ing “such a historical decision.”

“With the CM’s in-principledecision on the issue has left thosewho accuse SDF of being casteistand communal with nothing to say.We are extremely happy with thisbold step taken by Mr. Chamlingat a stage when even the centralgovernment has rejected the pro-posal,” Mr. Dahal said.

The SDF Publicity Secretary,Mrs. Pradhan, added, “Earlier,when only the NBCs were left outfrom the reservation list, it led tothe feeling that the Nepali society

had been fragmented. Now, thisfeeling will no longer be there. Theinclusion of the NBC in the OBClist will strengthen the Nepali com-munity as a whole.”

The executive members nowintend to call on the CM and felici-tate him.

Mr. Dahal was however, cat-egorical, when he said that theGovernment should ensure thatonly those below the poverty line

enjoy the benefits ensured underthe OBC tag.

“There are a section of afflu-ent NBCs in the State. Once theNBCs become OBCs, we have toensure that the real economic ben-efit reaches those really deservingsections below the poverty line,”he clarified. Mrs. Pradhan addedthat among the new OBCs, thosewith less than Rs. 11,000 incomeper annum will be entitled for thepoverty-alleviation schemes.

SDF NBCs welcome OBC taga NOW REPORT

The Kuste Shegu (49th Day) of Late Tsewang Thupden Bhutia(16) falls on, Friday September 12th 2003. All friends, wellwishers and relatives are requested to join us for the PrayerCeremony at our residence at 5th mile, near Saraswati Mandir,Tadong, Gangtok on the above date.

We also take this opportunity to thank all those who stoodby us during the time of bereavement and regret our inabilityto thank them individually.

K.D.Bhutia (father) M&G,Chumsang Kachopa (mother) SBS

Kutse Shegu


15

DATELINE NORTH SIKKIM

NORTHSIKKIM

Quizthe NOW!

Send your entries before 25 August to SITARAM THAKUR, Mangan.

One lucky winner wins gift hamper worth Rs. 100 from

AIR VIEW CABLE Mangan Bazaar

North Sikkim

1. Which of the following is richest in Iron?

A. Rice B. Apple C. Pulses D. Orange

2. Which of the following banks recently went global?

A. State Bank B. Bank of Baroda C. IDBI D. Canara Bank

3. Which of the following currencies has the highest

value?

A. Franc B. Euro C. US Dollar D. Pound Sterling

4. Which of the following is used as a memory device

in computers?

A. Rectifier B. Flip-Flop 3. Comparator D. Attenuator

5. In which place was electricity first supplied in In-

dia?

A. Kolkata B. Darjeeling C. Mumbai D. Chennai

Name:Address:

1 2 3 4 5

MANGAN: Shastra, a soon to bereleased Nepali film, has a specialmeaning for the people of Manganfor more reasons than one. Notonly was a major portion of thefilm shot here recently, but the ac-tor Raj Kumar Lingdem, also hap-pens to be a former student ofMangan Senior Secondary School.He studied here till 1989, afterwhich he left for Kathmandu.

The crew which shot here ex-tensively in the month of Augusthopes to complete the film soon.

Speaking to NOW!, the direc-tor, Kishore Subba, said, “The filmis a family drama and has a verygood script and music. The actionsequences are also quite well done,since there is also an element ofrevenge in the story.”

For Lingdem, it is a homecom-ing of sorts. Now based inKathmandu, he recalls fondly theyears he spent at the school here.

“I can never forget the years I

spent at the school and am happyto be back here meeting all my oldfriends again. The love and affec-tion that I received at school inMangan will always stay with me,”he tells us.

According to some classmates,Lingdem nurtured a dream to be infilms even back then. He was quitetalented and could sing and playvarious instruments. He was a regu-lar at every cultural function inMangan, the locals recollect.

“I cannot believe how nice andhelpful the people of Mangan havebeen. They gave us all the co-op-eration we needed. The beauty of

‘lets join hands

for unity’

Pang LhabsolPang Lhabsolat the Statue of Unity

celebrate this

amidst colorful tableaus and richcultural presentations, inter-school and open

competitions.

Organised by:Pang Lhabsol Organising Committee, Gangtok.

MANGAN: The Duchi Commit-tee of Ringhem Rikzing CholingGompa organized the DechenSingdrup Wang on August 25-27at Mangan. This makes theRinghem Gompa the first monas-tery in north Sikkim to conductsuch prayers.

The ceremony is unique toMahayana Buddhism and ac-knowledges the basic tenets of thefaith. The Wang was preceded bya 3-day meditation camp under-taken by the devout who hadflocked from Lingthem, Tholung,Rinchenpong, Singhik-Sentam,Hee-Gyathang and Mangan.

The wang was conducted byBen Khempo, Khemchen DichenDorjee who also guided the devo-tees through the meditation ses-

sion. Through prayers and medi-tation, the people sought purifica-tion and blessings of DechenSingdup Wang.

A meeting was also organizedon 27 August at Ringhem to planthe Pang Lhabsol celebrations. At-tended by government officials andmembers of the Ringhem GompaCommittee, the meeting passed aresolution to celebrate the festivalin a grand manner.

Mangan gets filmiNEPALI FLICK COMPLETES SHOOTING INMANGAN, STUDENT RETURNS AS HERO

the locale has added that extra ele-ment to the film,” adds PrabeenPandak, the female lead of Shastra.

As a mark of appreciation, theteam promised to hold the premiereof the film at Mangan and then re-lease it at other places.

“We hope the film will be likedby the people. Although it is asmall budget film, we have notspared any effort,” adds Lingdem.

While the box-office fate of theflick will be decided only after it isreleased, Lingdem and his colleaguesare assured a hit at least in Manganwhere they seem have appropriateda massive fan following.

CORRIGENDUM: In the lastissue of NOW!, the article ti-tled “Glimpses of Mangan,”while listing the first sevenshops to be set up inMangan, mistakenly referredto “Champalal Agarwal” asChampalal “Malu”.The error is regretted.

Ringhem holds special

Wang ceremony

by DEEPAK SHARMA

Let’s Join Our Hands ToStrengthen Our Unity,” willbe the theme for the Pang

Lhabsol celebrations to held on 10September, next Wednesday atGangtok.

“Unity, will be the main focusfor the celebrations because it is theneed for the hour,” said ThukchukLachungpa, president, Pang LhabsolCelebration Committee.

The committee, which hasmembers from all communities,met here at BL House on 2 Sep-tember, Tuesday to finalize de-tails of the day’s celebrations.

This year’s celebrations arepromised as the biggest ever.The stage, as usual will be setopposite the Tourist Information

Office. Tableau, processionsand cultural programmes willform the bulk of the celebrations.Various inter-school competi-tions for big trophies and hand-some cash awards will also formpart of the celebrations.

As is the norm, the Gover-nor will preside over the festivi-

ties as the Chief Guest withthe Chief Minister, who isalso the chief patron of thePang Lhabsol CelebrationCommittee, present as theguest of honour.

Pang Lhabsol, a festivalunique to Sikkim and onewhich marks the historicswearing of blood brother-hood between the Lepchasand the Bhutias, has overthe years metamorphosed

into incorporating elements ofcommunal harmony between allcommunities of the State. Asthe Secretary, organizing com-mittee, and former Chief Secre-tary, PK Pradhan, put it: “Thecelebrations will promote thedictum united we stand, di-vided we fall.”

Biggest ever Pang Lhabsol planneda NOW REPORT

from OUR CORRESPONDENT


DESPATCHESDESPATCHES

GANGTOK: In what is being seenas an example of the success of theban on cattle grazing in forests, asenior forester, Range Officer,Tashi Tshering Bhutia, chancedupon a large adult leopard feedingon a freshly killed Barking Deerdoe on 29 July between DamthangBazar and the State BiodiversityPark at around 6:30 AM.

Senior Research Officer [Wild-Life], Usha Lachungpa, believesthat the incident once again reiter-ates the fact that “wild predatorsnormally prefer wild prey”.

“It is only when wildlife popu-lation is low or loses its habitat tobiotic interferences that animalslike leopards turn to domestic live-stock as an easy alternative sourceof food [and in some places wolvesturn to child-lifting]. The presentincident also proves the success ofthe ban on cattle grazing in forests,giving back wildlife its habitat, se-curing its food web and keepingthe leopard away from villages andtheir livestock,” she says in a Press SADAM: On 27 August, last

Wednesday, enthusiastic NSSvolunteers, students of SadamSenior Secondary School,missed one day of school and putin hard labour instead to repairthe road from the school toSukrabaray Bazaar. These stu-dents were helped by the prin-cipal and staff of the school,panchayat members, residentsof Sukrabaray and the staffmembers of PWD, Namchi.Stones for the road repair workwere provided by Sadam-basedNGO, Social Work and Re-search Centre.

from AMITAVA BANERJEE

DARJEELING: Even as astrono-mers the world over struggle withtheories on what drew Mars soclose to earth and resulted in analignment so unique that it won’trepeat for another 60,000 years,the chairman of the DarjeelingGorkha Hill Council, SuhashGhising, claimed he knew the realreason as he offered the answershere on 31 August, Sunday.

Speaking at the Town Hall hereon a meet called specially to sharehis explanation on the astronomi-cal phenomena, Mr. Ghising ex-plained that Mars radiates a softyellow ray on the earth. It haddrawn so close to reclaim theserays, Mr. Ghising discoursed.

“On the 27 August, Mars camedown and is circling the earth tak-ing back the rays. It has startedwith regions of America and in thenext 22 days will complete thewhole process,” he said while add-ing that this process of Mars “re-calling” its rays would result in a

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lot of unrest and turmoil on earth.For an audience still trying to

grasp what Mr. Ghising was ex-pounding on, he offered them morefood for thought. He told thepacked audience of invitees that hehad not “withdrawn” his demandfor Gorkhaland but had just“dropped” it. “Drop,” accordingto Mr. Ghising is like the pausebutton on a tape recorder – tem-

Mars on a reclaiming missionto earth, says Ghising

release issued recently.She further informs that when

sighted, the leopard had justemerged from the 10th Mile forestand was surprised by the humanson the road. It abandoned its killand bounded up to vanish into theforest above.

The Range Officer whosighted the leopard and who hasalso served earlier as the Asst.Wildlife Warden of the ForestDepartment, reveals that thefreshly killed doe was heavilypregnant which was perhaps whyit had fallen easy prey to the leop-ard. The predator had gone for thejugular as was evident from theholes in the throat, and havingbrought down its hapless prey,opened up the chest cavity withsurgical precision and cleanly eatenaway the heart.

Square pugmarks around thearea proved the leopard to be amale [females have more rectangu-lar pugs]. Since it was not possi-ble to leave the carcass besides thebusy road, Mr. Bhutia photo-graphed the doe after which heburied it in the nearby jungle.

porary. “As soon as I release thebutton, things will start happen-ing,” he said.

Although Mr. Ghising’s overtattempts at subtlety when referringto the current political situation inthe hills were entertaining, it is un-clear whether the audience returnedany wiser either on the Mars effector the Gorkhaland issue.

Leopardsighted with killat Damthang

PA B O N G B U S T Y : T h emonth of September startedin this remote vil lage withthe start of a 6-month voca-tional training camp for lo-ca l unemployed you th onM o n d a y. T h e v o c a t i o n a ltraining camp, sponsored byNehru Yuva Kendra and or-g a n i z e d b y t h e J a n - J y o t iClub, Pabong, has ImmanuelRai as the instructor for the20 unemployed local youthwho have enrol led for theclasses.

a NOW REPORT

“WILD SIGHTING AS SIGN OFSUCCESSFUL CONSERVATION”

No school to repairroad to school

VOCATIONAL

TRAINING AT

PABONG

from OUR CORRESPONDENT

a NOW REPORT

RAFFLE DRAW RESULTThis is to inform that Pal Karmae Sangha Dhuche,

RUmtek have drawn the raffle on 1st September 2003

at Rumtek Monastery.

THE RAFFLE PRIZES ARE

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2nd Prize Ticket No. 010293

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4th Prize Ticket No. 005951

Please collect your prizes from Rumtek Monas-

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Contact Telephone No: 252254

for further information.

- committee -

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for AD space

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NAMCHI: There are some thingswhich are so obvious that we don’tdiscuss them enough. Yet, these areissues that need to be addressedconstantly so that we never losefocus of them. These are issues likeliteracy and scientific temper, life-style education, gender issues,women empowerment, sanitation,disaster management, child rights,environment and sustainable devel-

JORETHANG: Samaj KalyanKendra, a newly-formed NGO here,is taking its anti-drug addiction cam-paign seriously. Powered by the slo-gan, “For an addiction-free society,”Kendra members are incorporating anew aspect to their campaign – theyhave been approaching identifieddrug peddlers of Jorethang andnearby areas with their anti-drugsmessage, hoping to convert them.And to everyone’s surprise, theyseem to be succeeding.

It is perhaps the Kendra’s pref-erence of education over black-list-

opment, current socio-economicissues, historical and cultural her-itage, health awareness and familywelfare. The youth and public ofRateypani included in an aware-ness programme tackling just thesetopics in the last week of August[23-27 August] by the Nehru YuvaKendra.

The awareness camp, inau-gurated at Nawa Prabhat Sangh[Ramaram] by Mangal SinghBishwakarma, was conducted

Jorethang anti-drugs campaign goes for the jugularing and other intimidatory tacticsor perhaps the sheer public sup-port that the campaign has gar-nered, but whatever the real rea-sons, many notorious “suppliers”are reported to have given writtenundertaking to Kendra workerspromising to give up their role inthe substance abuse supply chain.

The campaign was launched inthis south district subdivision on20 August at a meeting of local civilsociety members, who, on the ini-tiative of PI TB Rai, met atPanchsheel Bhavan here to discusssubstance abuse which has had adelibitating impact on the localyouth. Associations ranging from

the Marwari Yuva Manch to South& West Taxi Drivers Association,to Nava Gajaram Sangh to KarmaSudhar Sangh to Purba MaziSudhar Samiti to Bihari Sangh tothe Truck Drivers Association toPragati Samaj Byapari Samaj par-ticipated in the meeting and agreedto launch the campaign.

The battle against addictionin Sikkim has focused only on ad-dicts for too long. Few have real-ized the need to choke the sup-ply route to make such initiativeseffective. Jorethang did and ishoping that the commitmentmade by drug “suppliers” holdsgood. What has further energized

the Kendra volunteers has beenthe response from local addicts.Already, in the less than twoweeks since the campaign waslaunched, some 30 local youthshave come forward, admitted thatthey were addicts and promisednot only to kick the habit, butalso volunteered to join the ini-tiative against substance abuse.

Chairperson of the SamajKalyan Kendra, Mrs. SharinaMalitda Gurung, while talking toNOW! revealed that the cam-paign at Jorethang was launched

on the initiative and guidance ofthe local police and admitted thateveryone involved was commit-ted to the cause of riddingJorethang of the scourge of dugabuse.

“We will not stop this cam-paign till we achieve our goal of anaddiction-free Jorethang. I call onevery member of the civil societyto join the campaign,” she saidwhile adding that such initiatives,if replicated is all other placeswould eventually rid Sikkim itselfof addiction.

from SUREN MOHRA

under the presidentship ofManjit Thatal of the BikmatTanzi gram panchayat. Thepar t i c ipan t s compr i sed o fpeople from about twenty vil-lages of the Rateypani con-stituency.

NYK has also launched vari-ous campaigns in the south districtagainst drug abuse, child marriage,alcoholism and AIDS and is ac-tively involved in holding volun-tary blood donations camps.

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NYK’s youth initiative down south

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at: GAUTAM ( MAFATLAL)Near Star Cinema Hall, Naya Bazaar

Why a quiz?” many askedwhen NOW! firstfloated the idea of a

state-level quiz competitionhosted by a quiz master of nationalrepute. “Precisely because such aquestion gets posed,” was our an-swer. We realized that the youngerminds here were not getting testedenough and given the tremendousresponse to the various contestsin NOW!’s pages, it was evidentthat everyone here was thirstingfor some mindgames. Also, quiz-zing is not just about answeringquestions, it is also about expand-ing your knowledge, interactingand making intelligent guesses. Af-ter some hiccups, the event did takeplace and the entire team whichmade it possible is satisfied withthe event and the response. Sincethe focus last Thursday was onquizzing and not so much on pro-tocol, a vote of thanks never gotformally delivered. But gratitudemust be expressed wherever dueand Mindgames would never havebeen possible without the help itreceived from those associated withthe event.

First, our thanks to ParnabMukherjee for not only volunteer-ing to bring real quizzing to Sik-

kim, but also taking a substantialcut in his remunerations for host-ing Mindgames here. For bearingwith typical Gngtokianidiosyncracies more than amplifiedin the NOW! office and making theday so memorable for everyone.

The co-hosts, Midas TouchInc., deserve special mention forgetting involved in an event thathad little chance of even breakingeven and yet extending all its re-sources on making sure thatMindgames was not found lackingin any department.

Despite all our commitment atholding the event, it would nothave been possible without themore than generous help from Sec-retary, Sports & Youth Affairs andIPR, VB Pathak, who took onlyabut 15 minutes to get convincedon the merits of the event and of-fered, both monetary andinfrastructural help. Only weknow how impossible it wouldhave been for us to holdMindgames had he not offeredhelp from the Departments heheads. The PA system and LCDprojector provided for and mannedby IPR personnel helped profes-sional the event.

Thanks are also due to all the

the dry bed. During a recent visitwe actually walked on the sandybed and found some old bovid andcanid bones. We discussed thatsince freshwater was any way be-ing sourced from the spring usingpumps, water tanks on trucks, andmore water was being trucked upfrom the Teesta itself, there wasreally no need to divert the flowaway from the lake any more.

The old lake has now shrunkfrom around 75 to a few hectares.White rings around its old edgesstand mute witness to the dyinglake reminding us of foaming banksof just a few years ago.

Was this a brackish water lake?Not if it was fed by freshwa-

ter Mirdo springs.The officials of the Geological

Survey of India and Mines and Ge-ology Department of the Govern-ment of Sikkim have been ap-

private enterprises which helpedout as sponsors. Triptis, Alpha-bets, SITCO, STG, Hotel Zamden,Golden Nest and New Castle, haveconvinced us that philanthropystill survives in Gangtok. WhileSTG sponsored the first prize forthe inter-school round [a free 3-month computer course] and of-fered a 25 per cent discount or allparticipants in all its courses,Paljor Lachungpa of Blue SkyTours and Travels needed no lob-bying to offer a handsome firstprize for the Open category – free3-night stay at his lavish Le CoxyResort in Lachung. Alphabets of-fered books for all participatingteams and SITCO sponsored Hi-Funda watches for all. The refresh-ments provided by New Castlehelped us through the day-longevent and the hospitality atZamden and Golden Nest madeGangtok comfortable for the visit-ing teams.

Thanks are also due to the par-ticipants and teachers of all schoolswhich participated in Mindgames.

The NOW! team once againthanks all those who helped makeMindgames possible and prom-ises a much bigger event nextyear…

proached for suggestions. Studieson these aspects, water quality, sandcores, could go on and on, but rightnow they do not seem as urgent asreviving this dying heritage lake ofSikkim, which no longer feeds theTeesta with its water of life.

The solution seems as simpleas removing the physical obstruc-tion that is damming the originalchannel. All that needs to be doneis to put the water back into itsnatural channel. It took four yearsfor the lake to dry up due to man’saction. If set right now, it wouldtake perhaps as long to fill up, giventhe small size of the Mirdo spring.The freshwater pond was seasonaland will always remain so, some-times with water, sometimes with-out. At least, it will still remain anatural feature of the area.

The writer is the SeniorResearch Officer [Wildlife] with

the Department of Forests andEnvironment, Govt. of Sikkim.

a NOW REPORT

GANGTOK: The Sikkim FootballAssociation is on a talent search.Towards this end, an under-14 foot-ball tournament is slated to beginfrom September 5 in Gangtok. Thetournament, which will play out atthe Old Guards Ground is beingconducted for the fourth time sinceits inception. Although only sixteams had confirmed their entriesat the time of going to print, moreteams are expected to join in.

According to SFA officials,players who impress the talentscouts at the tourney will be sent tocoaching camps for further training,in preparation of other tournamentsand specially the National Gamesto be held in Guwahati next year.

The fixture for the tournamentis yet to be released.

VOTE OF THANKS

THE DRYING OF SIKKIM’S “OCEAN”FROM pg4

Sikkim Football Association will conduct the 6th SFA Sec-ond Division Football Tournament 2003 at Old GuardsGround, Gangtok in the third week of September 2003.The entry forms will be available from SFA office, nearGandhi Statue, M.G.Marg.,Gangtok on payment of Rs.1000/- . The last date of re-ceipt of forms complete in all respects will be 9 Septem-ber 2003.

(L.P.Pandey)Hony. Secretary

SIKKIM FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

6TH SFA SECOND DIVISION FOOTBALL

TOURNAMENT 2003

U-14 soccer tourneyto identify talent

LOSTOne AISSE 1999 certificate

in original belonging toRenu Basnett of 6th Mile,Tadong. The document wasfound missing on her wayfrom Tadong to Deorali on

21.07.03.

Finder will be suitablyrewarded.

Contact: Ph: 231396


19

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WHAT do you think does more damage to the human body?Pesticides? Insecticides? Or Malignant microbes? What about some chalkpowder or a tiny lump of flour? What about recycled drugs well pasttheir expiry date? Well, you only have to try them if you’re curiousenough – they are all available in the market and quite openly at that.

After bottled water, un-bottled water, fuzzed fizz and the Indianpolitician it is now the pharmaceutical industry to be put under the scan-ner for drugged complacency. One in every four strips of tablets boughtover the counter could be spurious, sub-standard, coun-terfeit or fake – in other words, not what you think it is– according to industry estimates. And if you thoughtcoked cola was dangerous, these tablets, because oftheir inadequate – or non-existent – potency, erode theimmunity of those who consume them.

According to a World Health Organization (WHO)survey, 35 per cent of the world’s spurious drugs areproduced in India, which has a thriving Rs. 4,000-crore fake drugs market. This amounts to 20 per cent of the total domes-tic pharmacy business.

Well, somebody sure is manufacturing a lot of money. Even if one is toput the business side of the scandal aside, spurious drugs have harmed – andcontinue to harm – millions of Indians. Apart from the sale of a plethora of‘tonics’, ‘syrups’ and ‘herbal medicines’, fake drugs are sold by the truck-loads over the counter after licenses are obtained from drug controllers.

The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, has provisions to regulate themanufacture, distribution and safety of products. But the governmentadmits the Act has failed to prevent sub-standard and fake medicinesfrom hitting the market. The state drug controllers, it seems, operatelicensing rackets with manufacturers. Transparency International (In-

GANGTOK: Sikkim Motors,along with the New India Assur-ance, has come up with a uniqueoffer for drivers of its Mahindrarange of vehicles. The scheme,unveiled at a one-day pro-gramme held here at the PrivateTaxi Stand on 29 August, offersfree accident insurance cover ofup to Rs. 1 lakhs for drivers ofMahindra vehicles. It also hasother compensation covers foraccident related injuries, it islearnt.

Kolkata-based Zenith Institute of Printing Technology [ZIPT] offers courses

to develop skilled technical person-nel in the printing industry. Estab-lished by a society formed by in-tellectuals from different fields ofeducation in West Bengal, the In-stitute’s mission is to create skilledand qualified manpower for themodern-day highly technically de-veloped printing, publishing andallied industries.

ZIPT, not only provides bril-liant careers for meritorious stu-dents but also provides a solid basefor the mediocre and financiallybackward students. For this pur-pose, scholarship facilities areavailable for the students. Specialconcessions are also provided forstudents coming from the minor-ity sections, with financial con-straints as well as the physicallydisadvantaged.

ZIPT offers one-year certifi-cate and 3-year diploma courses.Eligibility for certificate courses is10 pass or school leaving or equiva-lent and for diploma courses, 10+2or pre degree or equivalent.

Eminent scholars, professorsand professionals from the print-ing industry teach at the institute.

The Institute has the capacityto accommodate students in bothday and evening courses.

Students from outside can beprovided with accommodationwithin convenient budgets.

fending the purity of their ownrange. The advertisements claimsthat Pepsi is safest among suchproducts as “regular drinking wa-ter, milk, tea, fruit, vegetables etc.”Much as this is unlikely to be true,it reeks of a denigrating attitude to-wards local produce. What tests,one might ask, has Pepsi under-taken to substantiate its claim?

Here again they are transpos-ing samples collected in the pollu-tion of the cities to Sikkim. Whilethe packaged milk or vegetables ofthe metros might have high con-tamination levels, there is still nofinding suggesting the same for Sik-kim’s produce. Also, it is not clearwhether the advertisement isspeaking only of pesticide con-tamination or has much granderstatements to make by claiming itscolas safer than what we normallyassociate to be not only safe, butalso healthy products.

The points raised above do notsuggest that Pepsi is contami-nated. These are arguments raisedto question the ethics followed byit in launching its publicity cam-paign in Sikkim. All its advertise-ments, be they roadside banner,print-ads or posters at hotels mis-lead people into believing that allPepsi bottled products arebrought in Drangchu Beverages.This is untrue. What makes thedeception even more dangerous isthe fact that the 250ml bottles isno longer as popular even in Sik-kim. The plastic bottles of themobile and family sizes are pre-ferred and neither comes fromDrangchu Beverages, the bottlingunit which uses pesticide-freemountain spring water.

Contd from pg 3

Is Pepsi

lying?dia) maintains that bribes worth Rs. 7,500 crore are exchanged to getlicenses. The result is that anyone can set up a pharmaceutical unitanywhere. Antibiotics, steroids, anti-malarial and anti-hormone drugshead the fake medicine list with chalk powder and flour used regularly asingredients. The recycling of expired drugs is also a flourishing racket.

CII – under the banner of which pharmaceutical organizations anddrug associations have rallied – believes government regulators – for every100 manufacturing units, there is only one inspector – are hand in glove

with the con artists. An independent probe by a coa-lition of 10 drug majors, had resulted in the arrest of51 people in two years and seizure of Rs. 12 croreworth of spurious drugs – an effort that was worthmore than what the drug inspectors have achieved inthe past 30-40 years.

A committee headed by the director-general ofCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research RAMashelkar has produced an interim report to suggest

ways to plug loopholes in the drug law. The committee has recom-mended that the punishment for sale and manufacture of spurious drugswhich cause grievous harm or death be raised from life imprisonment todeath and a fine of Rs. 1 lakh or three times the value of the drugs seized,whichever is higher. The punishment for dealing in spurious drugs whichdo not cause death should be enhanced from five years imprisonment toa minimum seven years up to life, the committee recommends. But, asdealing in spurious drugs does not constitute a criminal offence as ofnow, the demand for death penalty for culprits sounds theatrical andwith a mere 3 per cent conviction rate, is anyone scared? Let the manu-facture of spurious medicines be first made a criminal offence. The cru-sading enthusiasm can come later.

DEEPFOCUS

RANJIT SINGH

What’s The Frequency? - II

Zipt forsuccessa NOW REPORT

FREE ACCIDENT INSURANCEFOR MAHINDRA

DRIVERSRepresenting Sikkim Motorsat the Private Taxi Stand counterwas its Sales Representative, RaviGurung, along with a New IndiaInsurance official, PR Gurung.

The Sikkim Motors repre-sentative told NOW! that thescheme was unique to Sikkimand that the registration campof last Friday was organised tocheck the response. “If the re-sponse is good, we will take

a NOW REPORT

this free insurance cover toother districts as well,” he said.Going by the response seen byNOW!, the other districts bet-ter start preparing to host Sik-kim Motors representatives.Within a hour, some 40 drivershad filled the forms for regis-tration!


Published by Lt. Col. (retd) P. Dorjee and printed at Choice International, Daragaon. Editor: Pema Wangchuk. Now! Near Ayurvedic Clinic, Gairi Gaon, Tadong. East Sikkim. ph: 03592 270949 email: [email protected]

SPORTSSPORTS

20

The right direction can takeyour career a long way

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r rFOR DIPLOMA IN

TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT (DTHM)

AUGUST 2003 SESSIONThe Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical & Technological Sci-

ences offers a world-class Diploma in Travel & Hospitality Management

(DTHM), in association with Trade Wings Institute of Management (TIM),

one of India’s premier travel schools.

WHO CAN APPLY: This high-end course is open to those aspiring to

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So if you would like your career to go that extra mile hurry up

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Above “THE SEASONS HOTEL” , NamNang Road,Deorali, Gangtok-737102 Phone: 280979,280898, email:[email protected]

TRADE WINGS INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

GANGTOK: Sikkim Cricket As-sociation is getting serious aboutits commitment to promote cricketin Sikkim. In a meeting with repre-sentatives of various cricket clubsof the State, held on 31 August,SCA officials discussed such ini-tiatives and also deliberated on pro-posals on reviving clubs and club-culture in Sikkim. While most sug-gestions are still at the proposalstage, there are some that have al-ready been committed to. SCA, forexample, has agreed to hold coach-

ing camps for U-15 and U-17 play-ers at Jorethang soon.

The meeting, chaired by theSCA General Secretary, AswinOberoi, follows the Board of CricketControl in India [BCCI]’s decisionto launch the New Areas Develop-ment Programme in Sikkim and thenortheast. Coaching programmes forplayers from different age-groups,training of coaches and funds forinfrastructural requirements likegymnasium equipment, form part ofthis initiative. A BCCI member,Chitrak Mitra, was recently in Sik-kim to pursue the implementationof the programme in Sikkim.

While speaking to NOW!, SCAJoint-Secretary Tika Subba said thatthe idea behind holding the 31 Au-gust meeting was to encourageyoung talent, revive clubs, organizetournaments and open a channel ofcommunication between SCA andclubs at the grassroots level.

He further revealed that SCAwas committed to supporting“junior-level” tournaments, bothfinancially and with infrastructuralsupport, organized by local clubs.

He also informed that SCA waseven considering tennis-ball crickettourneys to popularize the sport in“all corners” of the State. Effortsare also on the Polly Umringar Tour-nament matches for under-15s atJorethang and the Vijay Merchant/Cooch Behar Trophy matches forunder-19s at Geyzing by 2004-05.Half-length concrete pitches forpractice at Rangpo and Jorethangare under construction and similarpitches are also proposed forGeyzing and Mangan, it is learnt.

Although cricket does not needmuch more popularizing as a spec-tator sport in Sikkim, such initia-tives should go a long way in at-tracting the State’s ample sportingskills to this sport.

First it was the FIFA delay inclearing his 10-week loan toMalaysian club Perak FA

and then it a Malaysian bug. Thedual attack could not, however,keep the Tinkitam Express downfor long. In a match against Ma-lacca FC on Saturday, Baichungscored his first goal for Perak inhis second outing for the team.Discharged from hospital only aday earlier, Baichung seemed rar-ing to go and spurred his newteam’s victory run when he foundthe opposition net in the seventhminute itself. Perak won 2-1.

More than his brilliant perform-ance on field on Saturday, it wasthe grit displayed by Baichung ear-lier last Wednesday when he playedthrough full 90 minutes of Perak’sprevious clash with Malacca. Al-though Baichung, who was vomit-

MISSED IT?NOW! Mind Games LIVE!

can watch it AGAIN

this SATURDAY at

5 PM on Nayuma

Cable TV.

THOSE WHO MISSED THE

5’ o’Clock

CUT

OUT

MALAYSIAN BUG CANNOTKEEP BAICHUNG DOWN

Perak manager impressedwith Sikkimese grit

a NOW REPORT

ing and coming down with fever anddiarrhoea before the kick-off, didnot score in the match, he earnedhigh praise for his commitment.

Perak’s manager, Jamal Nazir,had this to say about his starstriker: “Imagine playing 90 min-utes of good football ill and then,after going though medication,wanting to know if he could be partof the team for the next match. Itsums up commitment and showsthat Bhutia is a player of rare qual-ity. A fighter and always wantingto participate and not be left out.His assurance for wanting to playis enough for the team’ success.”

At the match, Baichung playedout the new “dual role” of “pro-vider and scorer” carved for himby Brazilian coach Tony Netto to

the hilt. Despite a running high fe-ver, Baichung launched bold for-ays into the Malacca defence andterrorized them enough to collapsefive times as his team-mates scored.

Perak assistant coach, Mohd.Zakaria Mohd. in a post-matchbriefing said: “He [Baichung] said hewanted to be in the starting line-up.See his enthusiasm… we decided tofield him and he showed courage anddiscipline and also lifted the crowdand got his team-mates going.”

Baichung is on a 10-week loanto Perak FA to bolster its chances oflifting the ongoing Malaysia Cup. Hispresence seems to have helped sincethe team now finds itself on top inGroup D and through to the quar-terfinals stage. Perak incidentally isalso the richest Malaysian club.

Cricket to the grassrootsby NIGEL CASHMORE

police! september 03-09, 2003; now! south-east asia …

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