Gurung community celebrates Lhochar

GANGTOK, 30 Dec: The Gurung community of the state celebrated Tamu Lhochar [the Gurung New Year] today. Here in Gangtok, it was celebrated with special prayers and offerings at the Urgen Pema Choling Tamu Gumpa situated at Burtuk near the Helipad. Former Chief Minister BB Gooroong and members of the Gurung community from South and West Districts were also present for the celebration.
“Today, we are celebrating our new year and so we are holding prayers here in the Gumpa to appease the gods and pray for the well being of the community”, said HB Gurung [president, All Sikkim Gurung [Tamu] Buddhist Association], while speaking to media persons today. Pujas are being held all over the State, but this being the main monastery of the community, the main celebration and prayers are being held here and Gurungs from all over have gathered here, he added.
The celebrations had started on 28 December at Gurung homes where the old Lungtar [prayer flags] were replaced by new ones, but the New Year is celebrated today, he said and added that till yesterday they were in the year of the Dragon but from today they were entering the year of the Snake and taking blessings from elders.
“As we also follow Buddhist rituals and since most of the people cannot perform the pujas at home, so we hold the prayers here in the Gumpa for the convenience of the people, so that everyone can come and take the blessings from the Rinpoche”, he stated.
This year the Gurung community is dedicating their new year to safe guarding of women folk and earlier before beginning of the puja, they observed a two-minute silence to pay respect to the Delhi rape victim who died yesterday.
A rally was also taken out which started from the Gumpa past Bojoghari, crossed Hospital Point then went down to Deorali and going through Indira Bye Pass ended back at the Gumpa. Later in the day a cultural programme was also performed by the children of the community.

First session of Gurung languages classes concludes

GANGTOK, 13 Mar: All Sikkim Gurung (Tamu) Buddhist Association headed by president, HB Gurung, with its new executive body elected on 26 December 2010 at Saramsa Garden, successfully conducted the seven-month Gurung language classes, informs a press release.
With language as its prime motto, the association had started Gurung language classes from 01 August 2011 at PNGS School which concluded on 08 March 2012.
According to the release, altogether 40 number of students had taken the classes and the final exam was held at Burtuk Jr. High School on 08 March 2012 in the presence of the executive body and the language teachers.
Also, the second session of the language classes started at PNGS School Gangtok from 01 March and registration is still going on for this session.
Further the release adds that the Annual General Meeting which was scheduled to be held on 18 March, as announced earlier has been postponed and the final date and venue will be declared later on so we request all the members of our community to kindly cooperate with us.

New office bearers for Akhil Sikkim Gurung Baudh Sangh youth wing

GANGTOK, 19 Feb: The new body of the youth wing of Akhil Sikkim Gurung [Tamu] Baudh Sangh was constituted during the ‘Yuwa Adhiveshan’ of the organization held at Bardang today, informs a press release. The new youth wing is headed by Saral Gurung as the president.
Likewise, the new committee has Poonam Gurung, Dipen Gurung and Nir Kumar Gurung as vice-presidents and Mohan Gurung and Anand Gurung as general secretaries.
On the occasion, prizes were also handed over to the winners of the recent lottery draw, which was chaired by the Social Welfare Board chairman, Ashok Gurung.  
According to the release, Sangh president, HB Gurung expressed his dissatisfaction over the fact that although the organization has lots of executive members only a few were working hard for the organization. Mentioning that some members had filed court cases against the Sangh he warned these members to withdraw the cases immediately.
Likewise, newly elected youth president, Saral Gurung presented the socio-economic data of the Gurung community in the state. He informed that out of 40,000 Gurungs, only 3055 are in government service and added that even in the education sector the Gurung population is backward.
In his presidential address, the Chairman mentioned that Gurungs are backward in terms of education, economically and socially but the community itself is responsible for the same and not the government, the release mentions. He added that in the present government every community in the state has been moving towards development and encouraged the community members to also move forward with a positive attitude.

Gurung association meets CM

GANGTOK, 12 July: The executive members of All Sikkim Gurung (Tamu) Buddhist Association headed by their president, HB Gurung, called on Chief Minister Pawan Chamling at his official residence, Mintokgang, yesterday, informs a press release.
At the meeting, the delegation submitted a memorandum requesting the government to fulfil the pending demands such as inclusion of the Gurung community in the scheduled tribe list, appointment of language teachers, text books officer, writer, representatives in Cultural Affairs & Heritage Department and Ecclesiastical Department and construction of Gurung (Tamu) monasteries, the release informs.
The delegation expressed “deep gratitude” to the Chief Minister for his “tireless efforts and generous support” for the all-round development of the Gurung community as a whole. The delegation especially thanked the Chief Minister for preserving and propagating the Gurung (Tamu) language, religion and cultural heritage, the release further mentions.