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Exams to be deferred for GJM rally - Board selections spared

Morcha spares board selections
www.telegraphindia.com

Darjeeling, Nov. 10: The annual examinations in hill schools will be deferred by at least a week to facilitate students’ participation in the movement for Gorkhaland being spearheaded by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

The student agitation, which includes relay hunger strikes from tomorrow, is likely to continue till the third week of November when the tripartite talks on Gorkhaland are held in Delhi.

However, examinations of the primary section and selections for Classes X and XII board tests will be held according to schedule. With the annual exams being delayed, winter vacation in most schools is likely to start later this year.

The education institutes will be closed on November 13 to demand action against ABGL supporters who had allegedly pointed a pistol at a student rally brought out by the Morcha here on Saturday.

The decision to postpone the exam was taken at a meeting between the heads of almost 50 institutions and the Morcha leaders, including their chief Bimal Gurung, today.

“We had kept in mind the movement where students would be in the forefront,” said Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha.

The students’ wing of the Morcha has decided to start a relay hunger strike of college and school goers from tomorrow in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik. The details of the school students’ participation in the movement are being worked out.

Apart from the fast, a rally will be organised by the students in Kalimpong, Mirik and Kurseong on November 12, 13 and 17 respectively.

“Because of these events, the decision to postpone the exams for at least a week was taken,” said Giri.

Annual examinations in most schools in the hills start from November 17. However, institutions like St Joseph’s (North Point) have their exams in December.

Basant Kumar Rai, the principal of Ramakrishan Siksha Parisad, justified the involvement of the students in the movement. “Students in the hills have no future. There are neither medical or engineering colleges nor a university in the hills. That is why we need Gorkhaland.”

Keshav Raj Pokhrel, the general secretary of the Morcha student wing, today said the inspector-general of police (north Bengal), K.L. Tamta, would not be allowed to enter the hills to “protect Madan Tamang”.

In response to a Morcha call, all DGHC offices were shut today. Last week, around 7,000 of its contractual workers started a pen-down strike demanding permanent jobs.

“The indefinite shutdown has been called not only to stop tenders but also to support the contractual workers’ demand for regularisation of work,” said Giri.

Most Group A employees of the council — mostly deputy magistrates with additional charges as executive officers of the DGHC —worked from their chambers located in the district magistrate’s office.

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Exams may be deferred for rally count
Statesman News Service

DAREELING, Nov. 10: Internal exams in all schools of the three Hill sub-divisions would be deferred as students will be participating in programmes under the banner of Gorkha Jana Vidyarthi Morcha, GJMM’s student wing for the success of tripartite meeting on Gorkhaland.

The decision was taken at a meeting of heads of educational institutions from over the Hills with GJMM president Mr Bimal Gurung in Darjeeling today and binds all ICSE., CBSE. and West Bengal board schools. “We discussed and reviewed the situation and the only viable solution is probably to postpone the exams of class V to IX and standard XI in all schools. They will be needed to participate in rallies, attend public meetings and observe hunger strikes”, said Mr Basant Rai, principal of RKSP school speaking on behalf of all heads.

Standard X and XII students who will be appearing for their board exams are exempt from the programmes. “These students will be appearing for their send-up exams after which they will fill their registration forms for the board exams,” Mr Rai said.

For most Hill schools annual exams were scheduled to begin from third week of November which coincides with the timing of the tripartite meeting according to a presumption of the GJMM. “It is not confirmed but most likely will be held in the third week. We have not received any official intimation from the government,” said GJMM general secretary Mr Roshan Giri.

A series of programmes are scheduled for students to begin with a relay hunger-strike from tomorrow up to the tripartite meeting in the third week of November. “Participation of students is the need of the hour. Students are involved because the tripartite meeting is on Gorkhaland, the future of our younger generation. They will also prevent agents of Bengal like Madan Tamang from disrupting the movement”, said Mr Giri justifying the involvement of students in the movement.

Meanwhile, schools all over the Hills will remain closed on 13 November if the administration fails to take action against some alleged miscreants who pointed pistols at students from AIGL president Mr Madan Tamang’s residence on Saturday.

© 2008 The Gorkhaland Chronicle.