Darjeeling: Cable TV channels blocked, GJM bandh enters seventh day

PTI, KalimNews and agencies, Darjeeling, August 09 2013: In a bid to curb tension in the troubled hill district, authorities blocked airing of news by three local cable TV operators even as the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha-sponsored "indefinite bandh" entered the seventh day. 

The authorities ordered three local cable TV channels to stop airing news on the ground that the broadcast allegedly in favour of the GJM had created tension, official sources said. 

An order issued in the night of Thursday signed by the executive magistrate in a ruled paper stated that the broadcasting of the Darjeeling combined Cable network is shutdown as it could not produce valid and required documents of registration, permission, list of channels broadcasted, list of consumers, documents related to authenticity of equipments and entertainment tax in original.

In an another order issued to the Milky Way cable Vision, the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Darjeeling Sadar has stated that it failed to exhibit the required valid documents on demand during the visit to its office. The order also states that the broadcasting is stopped until it presents the requisite documents in original to the DM. 

Kalimpong Press Club in a release has demanded that the right to information should not be stopped by anybody whether it is administration or political party. Neither the media in covering the news and information nor the broadcasting of informative programmes and news through cable and other media be stopped, it stated. The matter should be solved amicably and the broadcasting is continued at the earliest, it added. 

डी के वाइबा, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ 9 अगष्ट। दार्जीलिङमा बिहिबार राती अचानक दार्जीलिङ जिल्ला कार्यलयका अधिकारीले  क्याबल प्रशारणमा रोक लगाएपछि यसको चारैतिर निन्दा भईरहेको छ। 
यस सम्बन्धमा आज उक्त घटनालाई केन्द्र गर्दै प्रशासनले कुनै पनि अवस्थामा जनतालाई सूचनाको अधिकारबाट बञ्चित राख्न नहुने कालेबुङ प्रेस क्ल्बले बताएको छ। 
कालेबुङ प्रेस क्लबका सचिव ए के राईले क्याबल बन्द गर्नुको कारण जे नै भए पनि जनतालाई सूचनाको अधिकारबाट बञ्चित राख्नु न्यायोचित होईन भने। 
"क्याबलको लाईसेन्स रिन्यु भएको छैन या कागज पत्र देखाउन सकेन भनेर क्याबल प्रशारणमा रोक लगाउँन अघि जनतालाई सूचनाको अधिकारबाट बञ्चित नराख्ने प्रावधान सुनिश्चित गर्नुपर्छ" राईले भने। एका एक क्याबल प्रशारणमा रोक लगाए पछि सम्पूर्ण जनताको सूचना पाउँनुपर्ने अधिकारबाट बञ्चित रहेको बताउँदै यस्तो कार्य प्रशासनले गर्नु ठिक नरहेको तिनले अझ बताएका छन। 
यस सम्बन्धमा प्रशासनले जनतालाई सूचनाको उपभोग गर्ने प्रावधान यथाशिघ्र दिनुपर्ने कालेबुङ प्रेस क्ल्बले माग गरेको छ। 

PTI: The Darjeeling district authorities today ordered three local cable TV operators to stop airing news alleging they were favour of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and creating tension in the hills, prompting the Morcha president Bimal Gurung to term it as Taliban-style" gag. 

Official sources here said that the content of the news, heavily slanted towards the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, was creating tension in the hills. 

Reacting to the order, Bimal Gurung said it was "Taliban-style" and violated people's democratic rights. "We will not be surprised if next mobile telephone services are stopped. We will continue our agitation and will not enter into a dialogue with the West Bengal government," Gurung said near Singmari. 

Gurung said that he was not going to Delhi at the moment and that efforts were being made to fix a meeting with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. 

Meanwhile, the condition of GJM supporter Purba Sherpa (32), a physically challenged person, who attempted self immolation yesterday, remained critical at the Darjeeling Sadar Hospital here. 

As the new Darjeeling district magistrate Punit Yadav is scheduled to take charge from today, no relaxation was given to the ongoing indefinite bandh on its seventh day on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Fitr today. 

Severe shortage of food stuff under the public distribution system was reported across the hill town and nearby areas as a result of the bandh, sources said. 

The bandh also affected vehicular traffic which was reported thin on the national highway 31 A, the sources said. 

Opposition parties in the hills like the CPRM, Gorkhaland Task Force and Gorkha Nirman Mukti were planning to join the stir, sources indicated. 

However, another promiment opposition force All India Gorkha League, whose president Madan Tamang was brutally killed by alleged GJM activists some years ago, has decided to organise separate agitation for a separate state.