Tibetans observe 53rd Tibetan National Uprising Day with peace rally and hunger strike

GANGTOK, 11 Mar: On the occasion of the 53rd Tibetan National Uprising Day, members of the Tibetan community in the capital came together for a rally and token hunger strike on Saturday.
More than 300 people including monks carrying banners and placards joined the rally which started from Sera Monastery in Chandmari and travelled through the route of White Hall, Zero Point, Hospital Dara and Paljor Stadium Road finally concluding at the Fish Pond there.
Likewise, 49 persons sat on the hunger strike at the Fish Pond to extend their support to three Tibetans who are also on hunger strike at New York and also to condemn the recent incidents in Tibet. The hunger strike began at 8 AM and continued till 6 in the evening amidst chanting of prayers.
Tibetan Youth Club general secretary, Sonam Gyaltsen informed that this hunger strike is mainly in support of the three Tibetans, Shingsa Rinpoche, Dorji Gyalpo and Yeshi Tenzing, who are on a hunger strike since 22 February, the first day of the Tibetan Losar, at New York. He further informed that it is also to denounce what is happening in Tibet at present.

ASDASG indefinite hunger strike on to its second week

VICE PRESIDENT, C TAMANG ADMITTED TO STNM 
GANGTOK, 05 Feb: All Sikkim Departmental Adhoc Staff Group [ASDASG] president Sonam Sherpa and vice president C Tamang are now into the second week of the indefinite hunger strike, which they started on the evening of 29 January. Meanwhile, the vice president C Tamang was taken to the STNM Hospital today as his health condition deteriorated since he was already on medication before he went on the hunger strike.
It has now been 10 days since the two, along with other members of ASDASG, teaching and non teaching staff of the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan [SSA] and HRDD have been sitting on a dharna here at the District Administrative Centre [DAC] premises situated at Sichey.
“We went and met the Lok Sabha MP, PD Rai regarding this issue, who in turn gave us his assurance that he would look into this matter as we are the children of the State”, informed the ASDASG president Sonam Sherpa, while speaking to the media today. The MP also advised them to break their indefinite hunger strike and the dharna, which they declined stating that they want a written assurance and not just verbal assurances, Mr Sherpa added.
“We want the State government to take some action and address the problems being faced by adhoc teachers [teaching and non-teaching] of SSA and HRDD, but till now no official from the state government or the HRD Department has come and spoken to us”, the president stated.
“We will first meet with the Chief Minister, regarding our cause and then if there is no outcome from the meeting we will proceed to meet the Governor and also send a copy of the memorandum to the President of India”, he further said and added that ASDASG has also approached the national media to do a coverage on their plight.
Raising questions about the manner in which the department works, since many adhoc teachers and non-teaching staff working under SSA and the HRDD were earlier regularized by the department, the group wants to know why the department is now following NCTE rules with regard to their appointment. “We also have many incriminating documents, which can be used by us against the department, but that would add a political colour to our cause, which we do not want”, the ASDASG president further stated.
Mentioning that the government in its manifesto and even the Chief Minister had stated that all adhoc teachers and non teaching staff would get regularised, Mr Sherpa asked what had become of that promise now.
According to a Notification [6921, dated 25/04/2011] taken out by the government during its 100 days programme, it is clearly mentioned that all adhoc teachers and non-teaching staff would be regularised, he questioned.
Meanwhile, another female ASDASG member has replaced the vice president C Tamang even as he continues his hunger strike at the hospital.

SHRPP team meets ASDASG members on strike

GANGTOK, 03 Feb: A Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad Party team led by the party president, Dr AD Subba met the members of All Sikkim Departmental Adhoc Staffs Group [ASDASG] sitting on an indefinite dharna at the District Administration Centre premises at Sichey today. The team interacted and enquired about the health of the SAA employees.
A SHRPP press release issued by its general secretary, Tara Shrestha states that the demand of these SAA employees is genuine and the service of these employees, who have already received a lot of exposure in their fields, should be extended.
The release alleges that SAA is a central government project but it has been controlled by the Chief Minister and HRDD Minister and the recruitment of the SAA employees is dominated by them. The release further demands that the state government resolve the issue immediately by regularizing these employees.

ASDASG leaders begin indefinite hunger strike

GANGTOK, 30 Jan: The president, Sonam Sherpa and the vice president, C Tamang of the All Sikkim Departmental Adhoc Staff Group [ASDASG], who have been sitting on a dharna here at the District Administrative Centre [DAC] premises since 27 January, began an indefinite hunger strike on the evening of 29 January.
The hunger strike comes after no intervention was initiated either by the state government or officials from the Human Resource Development Department [HRDD] into the demand of the protesting group that their services under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan be extended. Meanwhile the other members of ASDASG, teaching and non-teaching staff of the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan [SSA] and HRDD are continuing with their dharna.
“We want the State government to take some action and address the problems being faced by adhoc teachers [teaching and non-teaching] of SSA and HRDD, but till now no official from the state government or the HRD Department has come and spoken to us,” said the ASDASG president. “We have already submitted our memorandum of grievances and demands to the Minister HRDD and the Secretary HRDD, but no one has got back to us,” he added.
“We are just seeking social justice, we are neither a political party nor are we political leaders. This is not the voice of a single person, but the voice of all the adhoc teaching and non-teaching persons from all over the state,” reiterated ASDASG member, Sachin Pradhan.
Tashi Dorjee, another ASDASG member, added that their protest is for all adhoc [teaching and non teaching] staffs and includes all persons under the supervision of SSA and the HRDD. “We want the media to lay firm stress on this fact and not misguide the general public as we are fighting for social justice and this includes all of us,” he added.
“We appeal to all our adhoc friends that their presence in person means a lot and adds to our efforts to bear fruitful results, let us all come together and make this movement a great success,” added Divyani Subedi and Nisha Rai [ASDASG members] sitting in the dharna.
Meanwhile, the members of ASDASG have not yet been able to get an appointment with the Chief Minister as the CM is in Namchi, South Sikkim.

DM West issues Summons to pay up by 18 Nov

OR ELSE 5 MOBILE TOWERS TO BE SHUT DOWN
GANGTOK, 10 Nov: Following the move of a group of local youth in West Sikkim to sit in an indefinite hunger strike over not payment of their dues amounting to Rs.5 lakhs by a mobile tower company (earlier reported in NOW!) the DC West, S Pradhan has issued an ultimatum to the responsible company to pay up by 18 November or face shut down of its towers.

9 youth sit on indefinite hunger strike

LABOUR DEPTT TO LAUNCH ENQUIRY; DC WEST CALLS FOR MEETING
GANGTOK, 03 Nov: Following reports appearing in NOW! over local youths going on hunger strike over non payment of their dues amount to nearly Rs. 5 lakhs for the construction of the BTS mobile tower at Lungchok, West Sikkim, 9 youths today sat on the indefinite hunger strike at the site where the mobile tower has been constructed.

Youths decide on indefinite hunger strike

ALLEGED NON PAYMENT OF DUES FOR CONSTRUCTION OF BTS MOBILE TOWER
ANAND OBEROI
GANGTOK, 02 Nov: With unpaid bills of nearly Rs.5 lakhs pending for the past almost 2 years and after having made 36 trips to Siliguri in their attempts to collect their due amount from a private mobile tower company 8 local youth have now decided to sit on an indefinite hunger strike in protest against the attitude of the company.

YT ends his fast too, celebrates expulsion from SDF

IAC-SIKKIM DISTRIBUTES SWEETS TO CELEBRATE ANNA VICTORY
GANGTOK, 28 Aug: Yong Tshering Lepcha ended his hunger-strike this morning, following Anna Hazare who broke his fast in New Delhi.
Shortly after Anna Hazare broke his fast, Mr Lepcha also sipped fruit juice at his hospital bed here at STNM Hospital where he was admitted on Friday evening. Mr Lepcha, it may be recalled, had launched a parallel hunger strike in Gangtok starting on 20 August in support of Anna Hazare’s fast in New Delhi.

14 kgs lighter, YT powers on in support of Anna

SAGAR CHHETRIGANGTOK, 26 Aug: Yong Tshering Lepcha has lost 14 kilos of his body weight as he completes a week of fasting in support of Anna Hazare here at the Fish Pond area opposite Paljor Stadium.
Mr Lepcha started the hunger strike on 20 August weighing 84 kg and saw his body weight drop most drastically in the first three days when he did not even take water. By the third day he had lost 12 kilos. Since then, he has lost two more kilos and now weighs 70 kg.

YT begins Gangtok fast in support of Anna

GANGTOK, 21 Aug: Yong Tshering Lepcha began his hunger-strike here to extend support to one being undertaken by Anna Hazare in New Delhi on Saturday. Allowed space at the fish pond near Paljor Stadium, Mr. Lepcha intends to observe his fast without even water for the first three days and then begin taking only water. He plans to stay on hunger strike for as long as Anna observes it.

Farmer from Nimtar extends Sikkim’s support for Anna; Will sit on hunger strike here to support Jan Lokpal Bill movement

GANGTOK, 19 Aug: Yong Tshering Lepcha of Nimtar in East Sikkim has announced plans to sit on a hunger strike here from Saturday onwards in support the movement launched by Anna Hazare in support of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Mr. Lepcha plans to sit on hunger strike as long as Anna Hazare does in Delhi.
While speaking with media-persons today, Mr. Lepcha informed that he has still not received permission from the concerned authorities to begin his hunger strike and said that he expects to receive this permission by Saturday.

BJP claims success of on-day hunger strike in Kaluk

DISTRICT AUTHORITIES GIVEN ONE MONTH TO INVESTIGATE MISAPPROPRIATION ALLEGATIONS
GANGTOK, 27 May: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sikkim-unit has claimed that its one-day hunger strike at Kaluk in West Sikkim in protest against misappropriation of government fund in the execution of various schemes in the area on Thursday as a ‘huge success’ which received a positive and encouraging response from the people of the area”.
Following the hunger strike, the party submitted a memorandum to the District Collector [West] to “either black list the contractors of six incomplete projects or to immediately complete the incomplete works with its actual sanctioned cost today”.
The memorandum has also given an ultimatum of 30 days to the District authorities to do so failing which the BJP will launch an indefinite hunger strike and use ‘other democratic weapons”.