Candlelight vigil denounces racial discrimination of NE people

GANGTOK, 07 Feb: A candlelight vigil protesting the racial discrimination faced by people from the North East was organized in Gangtok this evening. The vigil was also an expression of solidarity on the demise of a student from Arunachal Pradesh, Nido Taniam in the national capital after being severely beaten. The vigil was organized by the Healthy Self Foundation. 

Candlelight rally held at Yuksom

GANGTOK, 19 Sept: An ‘Akhanda Jyoti’ or ‘Maundharan Yatra’ was organized by NGO, ‘Success Trip Yuksam’ at Yuksom, West Sikkim on Wednesday.
A candlelight rally was taken out in memory of the victims of the 2011 earthquake in Upper Rimbi and Timrong in West Sikkim and the flash flood at Uttarakhand. The rally started from Kopchay and ended at Yuksom BAC. The rally was participated in by government officials, NGOs, students and staff from different schools of Yuksom.

North remembers quake victims with candlelight rally

MANGAN, 18 Sept: The Disaster Risk Reduction Day was observed here at Mangan, North Sikkim this evening with a special programme organized by the District Collectorate, District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).  A candlelight rally was taken out today in the memory of the victims of the 18 September 2011 earthquake.
Government officials, business community members, students and senior citizens participated in the rally which began from community hall Mangan up to Lower Mangan bazaar. Also present were DC North, CP Dhakal, ADC, RK Yadav, SD Mangan, PW Lepcha, SP North, RN Yadav and other district officials.

REMEMBER THE 2011 TEMBLOR

Gangtokians commemorated the second anniversary of the devastating 2011 earthquake today and remembered lives lost two years back to the temblor. To mark the day, Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority organized various awareness activities and demonstrations along with exhibition of relief equipment at MG Marg. In the evening, Sikkim’s first choir, prepared by Organisation of Musicians and Artistes of Sikkim [OMAS], performed in front of the Tourism office which was followed by performances by local artists. The gathering also participated in a candlelight vigil and paid homage to the departed souls.

PANIC ’N REMEMBRANCE

Many more than expected people poured into MG Marg, Gangtok, on Tuesday evening as the appointed time arrived for the candlelight remembrance of the 2011 Earthquake drew close today. Apart from individuals and organisation who turned up for the vigil, also at the venue were residents scared out of their homes by the 4.1 temblor which coursed through the State at 5:56 pm, minutes before 6:10 p.m. when the 6.9 strong earthquake had hit Sikkim with devastating effect this day last year.

GANGTOK REMEMBERS 2011: Helping Hands Sikkim organised a candlelight memorial and prayers here at MG Marg today in remembrance of the lives lost in the 18 September 2011 earthquake. A large number of people turned up in front of the Tourism office for the candlelight vigil and prayers which began at 6:10 PM, the exact time when the quake had struck last year. Prayers were offered by leaders of all religions while Speaker KT Gyalsten, HRDD Minister NK Pradhan, Gangtok Mayor Dorjee Namgyal and Deputy Mayor Shakti Singh also joined the service. An audio CD titled ‘Lets pray campaign’ by artists from Sikkim, Darjeeling and Kalimpong was also launched on the day.

Candle rally in Singtam

RANGPO, 26 Sept: A candle rally was organised at Singtam in the memory of those killed in the 18 September earthquake. The rally, organised by Spark, a Singtam-based NGO. The rally started from the police station complex, moved towards the main bazaar, through Lal Bazaar, Gos-khan Danda, National Highway 31A and concluded at the police station where a peace prayer was led by the Sai Samiti of Singtam. [from SANJAY AGARWAL]

Namchi prays for Japan

NAMCHI, 17 March: Youth of the Namchi bazaar area organised a candlelight vigil yesterday at Central Park here to convey condolences for the catastrophe in Japan and pray for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami there. The initiative was joined by shopkeepers, hoteliers and people from the surrounding areas. The gathering also observed a minute’s silence to pray for the lives lost over the past week in Japan. Ondgen Bhutia, one of the organisers, said that there was a need for the whole world to come forward help restore Japan.

Sikkim Prays for Japan

GANGTOK, 16 March: It was more touching moment for Tatsuki Shirai to join the candlelight vigil ‘Sikkim prays for Japan’ initiated by the Press Club of Sikkim to express solidarity towards tsunami victims in Japan last evening at Titanic Park.
Tatasuki is from Japan and presently enrolled at the Sikkim Government College under the Sikkim University.
Members from different organizations and local gentry of the capital joined the vigil.

Offended followers march out in support of the Karmapa

Gangtok comes on record for the Karmapa. An impromptu candlelight vigil at Gangok's MG Marg on 30 Jan 2011, Sunday evening

Even the young stepped out in Gangtok to join the vigil expressing solidarity with the Karmapa in Gangtok on Sunday evening.   

Monks march in a candlelight vigil in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, on 29 Jan 2011

GANGTOK/ BODHGAYA, 30 Jan:  Caught off guard by the viciousness with which national media has torn into the raids on the Gyuto Monastery by the Himachal Pradesh police since Thursday, supporters and followers of the Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorjee, have now begun coming together in expressing their protest against the poorly informed media hysteria hounding their religious leaders. While hundred of devotees are reported to have gathered outside Gyuto Monastery to maintain a vigil there to record their feeling of offence over the manner in which the authorities and the media are handling the issue and to express their support for the Karmapa, in Gangtok this evening, an impromptu candlelight vigil was held at the Titanic Park in support of the Karmapa. A candlelight rally was also taken out at Bodh Gaya by monks and laity yesterday and repeated this evening as well.

A common thread running through all these people’s expressions has been the shock over the insensitivity with the issue is being reported by the mainstream media, with the devout reaffirming their faith in the Karmapa and condemning suggestions that he was a Chinese ‘plant’.

The Gangtok vigil had no organisers and was born on social media outlets like facebook and twitter and then spread through smses. At around 6 p.m. a sizeable gathering of equally offended people had gathered at MG Marg and soon a portrait of the Karmapa was brought and then followed computer print-outs announcing – “We strongly condemn ridiculous accusations against H.H, Karmapa”, “Karmapa is innocent”, “Karmapa is not a spy”.

Given the medium over which the gathering was born, most of those at the vigil in Gangtok were young people, but energised by the unanimous support they received and finding some comfort in coming together in numbers and proclaiming a common cause, the gathering at MG Marg today resolved to meet at Titanic Park every evening to sit in a vigil and record emotional support for the Karmapa.

At Bodh Gaya, thousands of monks from different monasteries from across the country took out a candlelight rally at around 8pm yesterday to counter the allegations levelled against the XVIIth Karmapa by the national media.

“We strongly object the allegations made against our Dharma-Guru, whatever the amount, it is not black money; It is the hard-earned money of the followers donated to a religious leader,” said a senior monk from Ladakh who was leading the rally.  

He added that 99 per cent of the world believes that He is the Karmapa and countered that the remaining non-believers were now collaborating to tarnish his image. “We are very hurt by the kind of things being said against the Karmapa without any evidence and how facts are being misrepresented to colour the minds of people. We will not suffer this without protest,” he said. 

His obvious reference was on allegations that the Karmapa was a Chinese agent. “How can one think like this when the Karmapa has been under Indian security all this while?” he questioned.  Anyone who has visited the Karmapa at Sidhbari has noticed the layers of security [with Indian paramilitary personnel] one has to go through and how details of every visitor are taken down.

The monk from Ladakh demanded that people who are “feeding” the media speculation should now be investigated.

The Bodh Gaya rally started from the Mahabodhi Mahavihara and ended at the Kagyu monastery with all the monks chanting “Karmapa Khenno” holding candles in their hands.

The rally was joined by the pilgrims, worshippers and monks from different states like Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim etc. including pilgrims from other countries.

As mentioned, a vigil is also being maintained outside the Gyuto Monastery at Sidhbari by the devout and the morning prayers there are receiving record gatherings.

Meanwhile, while speaking to journalists in Karnataka, the Dalai Lama vouched for the Karmapa’s innocence on all charges.