Sunday 22 July 2007

DAY 33



DAY 33




Its Day 33 of the indefinite hunger strike. It continues indefinitely.




(Father Stephen Lepcha, Head of Darjeeling and Sikkim Diocese with blessing Dawa and Tenzing at STNM Hospital.)
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2 comments:

Mary Zane said...

Yes, that’s all we can do. Count the days. As we helplessly watch the turn of events. Even as Dawa and Tenzing slowly wilt away in the emergency ward of the government hospital and the rest of the brave souls gamely carry on the relay hunger strike at BL House, the state government offers no hope to its youth. Unfortunately, day by day the government is speaking more for the project developers than for its own citizens.

The strategy seems to be to wear out the hunger strikers with varying public posturing. Or perhaps there is no strategy at all. Or else how do you explain this. At first two rounds of ‘talks’ are held in the absence of the chief minister who was abroad on a long trip. These namesake negotiations are pointless in the absence of decision making authority and both sides know it.

The chief minister, on his return chooses to stay away from the capital even as the whole state waits for his intervention. Any hope that it would be a positive one is washed away when the first comment to come out of the chief ministers office states that the protest is been led by ‘vested interests and political elements having ulterior motives to disturb the developmental activities of the state and peace and tranquillity for their own narrow self interest.’

After a few days, the CM apparently has a change of heart when he declares, “The sanctity of Dzongu must be preserved at all cost”. There is excitement and hope. People believe him. He has asked for a high level committee to address ACT’s concerns. He is our leader. He will protect Dzongu.

Yesterday, addressing a gathering of Lepchas brought to Gangtok from Dzongu by the party MLA and Panchayats, it was back to, ‘vested interests and political elements having ulterior motives to disturb the developmental activities of the state and peace and tranquillity for their own narrow self interest.’

Sadness all around.

They know just as we do………… that there is no politics involved with the hunger strike. Yes, opposition parties have expressed support for the cause, as they are wont to do but ACT has diligently kept itself away from all political parties, knowing perhaps, that this will be the first card that will be played against them.

Politics is not being played by ACT and we the people can see and understand that. But what can we do, except count the days…

July 22, 2007 8:28 pm
cow said...

What about the blueness of the sky,the life and the vitality of the rivers and streams,the birds and the bees, crickets and butterflies,orchids and primulas,fishes and pandas..Dont we know we arent the ony heir??
What happened to us?What went wrong?Why are we only concerned about money lining our pockets?No one can assess the impact of loosing what nature has given us!One day we will have to pay for it(litreally)meanwhile we should prepare ourselves to BUY everything plastic....its all available..
Dawa Tenzing and everyone else at BL house are our heroes!We salute you!!Your brave trustings and your brave choices give us a good sense of our tommorow and we are just as hopeful as you are that we can bust the dams before the dams bust us!
Uncles and aunts who think nature will not react..pls continue lining your pockets with all the money and glory that the hydro project is bringing you for it might comfort you when your kids and their kids spit on you!! Its gonna come full circle..your karma will track you down...but you will not be alone...HOPEFULLY you will still have the mountains..except it will be weeping for you!

July 22, 2007 10:01 pm

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