HM REPORT

Kalimpong, Sep 11:

After a show of strength, taking into fold the Lepcha community the Mamata Bannerjee government has started an initial process to temporarily set up the office of Myang Lyang Lepcha Development Board (MLLDB) at the premises of the infamous Town Hall here.The office of the board will however be constructed permanently in a 20 decimal vacant government land currently available with the Tourism Department at Durpin few kilometres above Kalimpong town a member of the board told Himalayan Mirror requesting anonymity.The temporary office of the board,which is expected to carry out works on preservation of Lepcha Language and Culture,comes in straight after the

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a week ago attended a felicitation programme organized by the Kalimpong based Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association (ILTA).

The Board office will be headed by the nominated chairman and vice chairman of the board Lopsang Tamsang and Yusuf Simmik respectively. A team of board members Thursday visited the empty rooms above the office of the Information and Cultural department at Town hall. “Some time will take to fully settle the office after which work will start,” said a board member. An IAS officer Giden Namchu, nominated by the state government will act as the secretary of the board.

The development coming in at a time when hill political parties are agitating for a separate state has made the picture clear that state government is adamant to support the Lepchas. Many Lepchas from the hills had attended the felicitation programme in Kalimpong hat was addressed by the chief inister and told the gathering that they were the original nhabitants of the hills. The ormation of Lepcha board by he state government has not one down well with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha GJM) which believes that

Bannerjee is playing a divisive politics to curtail the Gorkhaland agitation. Bimal Gurung the GJM chief in the past has repeatedly appealed to the Lepchas not to change thier colours.