22 June, 2004; NOW! 1

C M Y K

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CONG CHOOSES YEAR’S LONGEST DAY FOR HUNGER STRIKE

RANJIT SINGH

GANGTOK, 21 June: The SikkimPradesh Congress Committee [I]staged a hunger strike in the capi-tal today. Most of the candidateswho had bagged a Cong [I] ticketin the recently concluded pollswere present at Titanic where thetoken protest was observed. Ahuge tent had been propped upalong with mattresses upon whichthe Congress leaders spent the dayalong with another 100-150 partysupporters.

Present at the Titanic along withthe Congress supporters was an

ambulance along with a significantnumber of policemen to ensure thatthe day passed smoothly.

Delay Namgyal, who had con-tested unsuccessfully from theRumtek constituency, said that thehunger strike was to oppose certainactions taken by the SDF Govern-ment particularly those targetedagainst Congress supporters.

“Many of our supporters whoare in the BPL category have beentaken out from the BPL list. Whatwe would like to know is how thegovernment knows which sectionof the population voted for the Con-gress,” said Mr. Namgyal. His con-tention is that the SDF’s knowledge

of whom to discriminate against onthe basis of support to a particularparty defeats the very concept of asecret ballot.

“It throws up a lot of ques-tions,” he said.

Kunga Nima, the Congress can-didate who contested the AssamLingzey constituency seat further ac-cused the government of biased trans-fer of officials and relegating somesenior officials to the rank of OSDs.

“This is just a token strike, butif our demands are not fulfilled wewill accelerate our movement ofprotest and spread our protest to thedistricts,” he said.

Party promises “severe measures” next

SPCC [I] President at the Titanicduring the token hunger strike onSummer Solstice, 21 June

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GANGTOK, 21 June: The ChiefMinister, Pawan Chamling in hismessage to Sikkimese people on theoccasion of Sampurna KrantiDiwas, observed by his SikkimDemocratic Front on 22 June everyyear, described it as a ‘political fes-tival’ to be celebrated by everySikkimese. The day marks the suc-cessful attempt of the then newlyformed SDF’s “sincerity and sacri-fice” to bring about certain changesin Sikkim’s political history, he said.It was on this day in 1993 that SDFtook out a huge rally in Gangtokagainst the then Bhandari-led gov-ernment in Sikkim.

Mr. Chamling, who is presentlyat New Delhi and will not be ableto attend the celebrations in Sikkim

CM DEFINES KRANTI DIWAS ASA POLITICAL CELEBRATION

this year, has maintained in his mes-sage that the SDF party has sur-passed various obstacles throughthe past decade and more for thewell-being of Sikkimese people. Itis this commitment which hadmade the party successful in win-

ning the hearts of the people, hesaid.

He further said that the day alsocommemorates the moment inwhich Sikkimese people had suc-cessfully revolted against the anti-

turn to pg 7

CM MEETS UNION TRANSPORTMINISTER; IS PRESENTED WITH 2

HIGH-TECH VEHICLESTURN TO pg 5

2; NOW!; 22 June, 2004

C M Y K

NOW!FIRST WITH THE NEWS

ED-SPACE

LATE LETTER,

MISSED INTV

Through your esteemed paper Iwould like to relate to the con-

cerned authorities of SSA WestSikkim that I had appeared for thepost of graduate teacher interviewrecently and in which I was selectedfor viva voice, which was sched-uled for 14 June 2004. As I nowlive in Gangtok, Ididn’t know that Iwas selected till Igot the calling let-ter on 15 June 2004. I have no othermeans to get the information of myselection unless I myself go to theDistrict Office, West, which I can-not keep doing, or by any kind ofinformation from the office.

So, here I am confused aboutwho is responsible for all this be-cause for an unemployed personlike me it is of great importance toget selected for viva and of greatdisappointment not knowing of it.

I would like to ask the concernedauthorities whether I am to blamefor the delayed delivery of the postal

service or the department? Being inthe century of electronic mailing,telephones, mobiles, newspapersetc, why the hell do they still rely onthe postal service, which everyoneknows how fast it is.

And the second question is, inevery Application Form we areasked to write our phone numbers.What purpose is it meant for, if they

are not to beused at all?

In contrary,the department

of S.S.A East have informed theircandidate through newspapers andtelevision (local news). Why theWest District couldn’t do the same?

Lastly, the letter from the con-cerned department was despatchedon 5 June 2004, which I receivedafter exactly 10 days on 15 June2004.

Within this short span how isone to be prepared for any interviewand also the time taken by the let-ter to reach me through postal serv-ice is amazing. If it takes this longfor a letter to reach from Gyalshing

to Gangtok, God save the peoplewho live in the North District or faroff places.Chimme Bhutia, Tashiding,West Sikkim

I AM NO 420

Through your esteemed newspa-per I would like to ask the lo-

cal cable network how long theyplan to abuse their monopoly?These days the channel is giving ad-vertisement saying that a surveyteam will be visiting all houses andalso booking under Section 420 ofthe IPC any one guilty of illegallytapping their cable line. I believethis also means if the cable line isbeing used in more than one televi-sion set in the same house. Thisextra burden will be too much forany household. The state govern-ment has to step in and monitorprice control. There has to be softerway of accommodating familieswith more than one television athome. Using the police to conductsurveys is too intrusive, I feel.Anusuya, Arithang

�LETTERS

Enough On GirlfriendCall it the pressure of finding a new topic to debate every week,or simply the penury of ideas to launch mass agitations on. Butplease, don’t pull it out as a matter for national debate. The pas-sion with which everyone is following the outcry from certain quar-ters over the Hindi flick “Girlfriend” just defies logic. From newschannels to Shiv Sainiks to Gay activists, everyone seems to beupset. That is giving too much importance to what remains a B-grade exploitation movie which is not even original. Ripped offfrom the equally “exploitative” Hollywood movie “Single WhiteFemale,” Girlfriend can be called cheap, puerile and even de-grading [not just to lesbians, but to all women], but it cannot bedebated about in the public domain. It is neither a documentary,nor even a movie which claims to be about lesbianism. Its con-tent can thus not be debated by intelligent minds since the movieremains at its core just a pervert producer’s latest formula todraw in the frontbenchers with what remains the highest-rankedfantasy among men - to see two women turn up the heat.

To move on to the uproar that the movie has generated. TheShiv Sainiks have displayed little social responsibility in the pastto be taken seriously this time. Their complaint against the movieis that it is a corrupting influence. But isn’t mass entertainmentaccepted generally as a corrupting influence? What the ShivSainiks will have us believe is that lesbianism does not exist inIndia and that movie promotes a “deviant” [their words] lifestyle.What can one say about such arguments but “rubbish.” The gayactivists are upset because the movie shows them in bad light -as psychopathic killers to be precise. How many straight peoplehave you seen launch a protest every time Gulshan Grover snarlson screen? There are those who argue that the circumstanceswhich lead to the psychopathic killer in the movie also becominga lesbian are misleading. But this is a Hindi movie you are talkingabout - an industry which does not even get the process of be-coming a soldier, doctor or a cop correct. It cannot be expectedto handle a topic as complex as gay issues properly. To handle itcompassionately would be expecting too much from the skin-flick brigade. Even the arty “Fire” got all muddled with lesbian-ism, a lowbrow potboiler never really had a chance. It is justifi-able to get offended, but to protest?? There are also those whobelieve the movie will prejudice the people against gays. Thesefears are unfounded. If Hindi movies could not make singing ingardens a prerequisite for wooing it is highly unlikely that peoplewill start running away the moment they see a gay person walkdown the street.

The current fixation with Girlfriend gives the movie more im-portance than it deserves. It is just a cheap exploitation flick andshould be regarded as such.

Recalling June 22, 1993, 11years ago, some founder mem-

bers of Sikkim Democratic Frontparty claimed that it was the day inwhich Sikkimese people “provedthat nothing could stop the people’swill.”

Speaking to NOW! a seniormember of SDF narrated the his-tory in detail.

According to him, the wholeepisode began on 18 June, 1993.Then the SDF, less than a year oldparty, had held a public meeting atTemi Tarku in South Sikkim. Thethen ruling Sikkim SangramParishad’s supporters had estab-lished a camp at Namchi. The suc-cess of the Temi-Tarku’s meetingled to the dissolution of SSP’s campat Namchi. In response, the SSPgovernment arrested six supportersof SDF and locked them up at Sadar

Thana, Gangtok.On 21 June, after seeking offi-

cial permission, the SDF took outa huge rally from its Deorali partyheadquarters to Zero Point. Whilereturning the rally tried to enter MGMarg, but the authorities stoppedthem at Metro Point. The people,gathered from all over Sikkim, thenstaged a dharna at Metro Pointcausing a traffic jam. The mob wasdisbursed after negotiations for theday.

Next day, on 22 June, SDF sup-porters took out another huge rallyheading towards Gangtok fromtheir Deorali party office, but thepolice and CRPF jawans preventedthem from moving beyond theDeorali party office. After some-time, at around noon, the mobforcefully tried to cross the policebarrier upon which the police fired

tear gas shells into the mob. Somemembers even claimed that policefired blanks into the air.

The agitated mob set many ve-hicles on fire. Many supporterswere beaten up by the police andCRPF jawans. They were chasedright up to Singtam. More than 300SDF supporters were arrested onthe occasion. Surprisingly, theywere kept at Pangthang SAP campinstead of the Sadar Thana.

The SDF members compare theoccasion with the 1973 andolanagainst the then monarchy demand-ing establishment of democracy inSikkim. They believe that 22 June1993 was a historic moment be-cause it was only for the secondtime since the 1973 agitation thatsuch a huge mass of Sikkim’s popu-lation had gathered in protestagainst any ruling administration.

Recalling The FirstKranti Diwas

The Chukhha hydro powercorporation limited(CHPCL), Bhutan’s highest

revenue earner, achieved a recordgeneration of power in 2003 and setother records but its expenditurealso increased.

The corporation generated1,956.74 million units of electric-ity, surpassing all previousrecords in its 17 years of exist-ence. In 1999, the corporation hadgenerated 1,943.74 million unitsof electricity.

According to CHPCL’s annualreport 2003, the good water inflowfrom the Wangchhu river even inthe dry seasons of October to De-

cember contributed to the increasedgeneration. The corporation alsobrought down losses the report said.

The corporation made use ofthe available water to a maximumof 101.7 percent, the highest so far,through “efficient running of themachines” and maintaining thewater in the dam at its highest “op-timum” level.

Less breakdown of plant equip-ment and increased coordinationbetween the CHPCL and the east-ern regional load dispatch centre inKolkota, through which CHPCLsupplied power to India, alsohelped. Generation losses from“outages” (breakdown of ma-chines) and system disturbances inthe eastern grid was also broughtdown to a record minimum of fourmillion units of electricity, downfrom 15 to 20 million units of elec-tricity in the past.

The revenue earned throughsale of electricity to India andwithin the country also climbedup the highest with Nu 2,368.12million from Nu 2,152.65 millionin 2002.

“The performance of the corpo-ration has been outstanding,” saidthe managing director of CHPCL,Yeshi Wangdi.

However, the corporation’s ex-penses rose reducing its profit. In2003 the total expense was Nu537.1 million up from Nu 509.35million in 2002. The increased ex-penditure, according to the report,arose chiefly because the corpora-tion had to pay about Nu 176 mil-lion to the Bhutan power corpora-tion as “wheeling charge” for useof the transmission lines for ex-porting power to India. The cor-poration also bought more powerfrom the Basochhu hydro power

corporation.The net profit was also affected

by the decrease in interest earningsfrom the corporation’s deposits ofabout Nu 1,551 million in theBhutanese banks which recently re-duced its interest rates on deposits toabout three percent. CHPCL’s netprofit totalled Nu 1,322.28 million, upby 10 percent from the previous year.

Despite the setbacks CHPCLcontributed Nu 1,871.47 million,as dividends and taxes, to the gov-ernment exchequer, Nu 248 mil-lion more than the previous year.Its financial health also improvedfrom 2002 with its debt equity ra-tio at 0.16.

Meanwhile CHPCL’s outstand-ing loan to the government of In-dia stood at Nu 350.2 million. Asof December 31, 2003, a total ofNu 1,424.25 million had been paid.

courtesy: Kuensel

Chhukha’spriority

The Chhukha hydro powercorporation limited will startreplacing its aging machinesand equipment with modernones to speed up efficiencyand reduce maintenance ex-penses, according to its man-aging director, Yeshi Wangdi.

Since the power plant’scommissioning in 1986, therewas no major replacementsand some of the equipmentand structures had becomeobsolete, said Yeshi Wangdi.

The replacement will startend of December and will beimplemented in a “phasedmanner” by the Bharat heavyelectrical limited of India.

CHPCL sets record, butexpenditure rises

22 June, 2004; NOW! 3

C M Y K

� RAJDHANI

The Nineteenth Birthday Celebrations of His Holiness

The XVII Gyalwa Karmapa Ogyen Drodul Trinley

Dorje falls on Saturday the 26th of June, 2004. The

following programme has been scheduled to

commemorate this happy occasion. We would like to

invite all patrons and well wishers to join us at the

Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre to celebrate this event

and together offer our prayers for his swift return to His

rightful seat at the Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim.

Programme:

06:30 Sang Offering & Prayers

09:30 Mandala offering to His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa

10:00 Birthday Tribute by Ven. Bokar Rinpoche and other

dignitaries

12:00 Lunch

01:00 Cultural Programme

03:00 Birthday Cake Celebration followed by Vote of Thanks

Rumtek Tsurphu Labrang

Dharma Chakra Centre

Rumtek

a NOW REPORT

GANGTOK, 21 June: Jesus CallsYouth Prayer Meeting was held to-day at Community Hall. The meet-ing was organized by Jesus CallsPrayer Centre, Development Areaand was open to all.

The main aim of the prayermeeting, which consisted of songs,dance, praise and worship, was toprovide moral education to youthand to guide them in the right waythrough the teaching of Jesus.

Rev. Viswa Ratna Rai fromKalimpong was the main speaker

at the meeting sharing the word ofGod for the Youth.

According to Bikash Cintury,Administrator, Gangtok Jesus CallsPrayer Centre, the main section ofthe meeting was mass prayer whichheals the people physically, men-tally and spiritually.

Gangtok Jesus Calls PrayerCentre has been working from De-velopment Area for the last twoyears. The main aim of the centreis to give counseling throughprayers to those who are not happywith their life and to guide them inthe right way.

GANGTOK YOUTH ANSWER JESUS’ CALL

Lungchok pariwar decideson a grand Bhanu JayantiGANGTOK, 21 June: HamroPariwar Lungchok, a local NGO ofLungchok Busty in West Sikkimdecided in the half-yearly meetingheld on 10 June to celebrate BhanuJayanti in a grand manner this year.

The meeting also decided to or-ganize debate, elocution and quizcompetitions among the school-goingchildren of Daramdin constituency.

Plantation of ornamental andflowering plants in and aroundLungchok village and awarenesscamps relating to health, animalhusbandry and agriculture are someof the other activities planned byHamro Pariwar.

a NOW REPORT

GANGTOK, 21 June: Fifteenthousand ‘Khabsey’ are to be madedaily as offerings at the MahaguruMahaguru Bhum Tsog being con-ducted at Guru Lakhang, Deoralifrom 21-27 June. The prayers arebeing conducted this year on the“advice” of the Dalai Lama.

The puja, which is held for uni-versal peace, was earlier organizedby Tse-Du-Kedu but from this yearit will be organized by the TibetanWelfare Office. This year LachungRimpoche along with 50 monks

will conduct the prayers.According to the rituals of

Bhum-Tsog, one lakh ‘Khabsey’have to be made and distributedduring the weeklong prayer. Everyday devotees will prepare aroundfifteen hundred ‘Khabseys’ and dis-tribute them to all individuals irre-spective of caste, creed and reli-gion. Tibetan Youth Club will carryout the distribution.

On Monday, more than 200devotees [pic right] participated invarious chores for the preparationof the Bhum-Tsog [one lakhprasad] for Universal Peace.

Before the prayers comesthe kneading

LADYASSAULTED AT

RANKARanka, 21 June: Lucky Gurung ofRanka Perbing has filed a casewith the police alleging that twolocals from Ranka Busty had as-saulted a lady, Man Kumari on 18June. When neighbors intervened,even they were challenged, thecomplaint adds. One RangayLepcha was also assaulted with aKhukuri before the perpetratorsabsconded from the spot. The ac-cused have not yet been appre-hended and all efforts are beingmade to apprehend them.

4; NOW!; 22 June, 2004

C M Y K

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DARJEELING, 21 June: For the firsttime in India, a philately exhibition wasinaugurated today in Darjeeling with“Women” as the theme.

“We chose Darjeeling to hold suchan exhibition as in Darjeeling womenhave always occupied a prime posi-tion,” said John Samuel, Post MasterGeneral, North Bengal and Sikkim.

Highlighting the sex-ratio sta-tistics in the different states of thecountry, Samuel said that accord-ing to the 2001 census, the femaleto male sex ratio of the country was927:1000; in Punjab it was the low-est at 793:1000 and the states wherethe sex ratio of women was lessthan 900 per 1000 men were Delhi,Punjab, Chandigarh, Gujarat andHimachal Pradesh.

“On the brighter sideDarjeeling town has 54,200 womenand 53,300 men,” added Samuel.

The two day exhibition andseminar on Women’s Empowermentorganized by the postal departmentis part of the unique “Naulo Disha[New Direction]” programme of thePostal Department for the socio-eco-

nomic and cultural upliftment of theDarjeeling Hills.

Dipak Dey, Philatelist of inter-national repute, spoke on the con-tribution of the fairer sex in the fieldof communication and particularlythe postal department.

Starting from Cleopatra, Deytalked about Queen Elizabeth I,who was the first person to nation-alize the postal system and QueenVictoria who first introduced postalstamps in 1840. Incidentally, thefirst postal stamp was introducedin India in 1854. To commemorate150 years of the first postal stampin the country, a number of theme-based Philately Exhibitions, includ-ing two large scale exhibitions inJalpaiguri and Sikkim, have beenplanned by the north Bengal circle.

Lighting the inaugural lamp andreleasing a special cover on LoretoCollege, Vasanta Kumari, the FirstLady of Sikkim said: “According toAristotle, women have been givenimmense power by nature but manmade laws have reduced them.”

Later, at the seminar on Wom-en’s Empowerment, NoreenDunne, eminent local educationist

questioned: “Though there is a lotof talk on Women Empowerment,do we include the female perspec-tive into our strategic planning?”

She stated that while importantpolicies and strategies were framedin the country the women’s perspec-tive should be given importance too.

Dr. Laxmi Devi Sundas, an-other speaker demanded that out ofthe 33% reservation in the Parlia-ment for women, Darjeeling shouldalso be reserved for women.

“Mayadevi Chettri was a RajyaSabha member for 11 years fromthe hills since 1952 and she did acommendable job,” said Sundas.

PHILATELY EXHIBITION ONWOMEN IN DARJEELING

MONKCOMMITSSUICIDE

a NOW REPORT

MANGAN, June 21: A 35-year-old local monk of Zimchang Bustyin North Sikkim committed suicideby hanging himself from a tree on19 June.

The family members of themonk were worried when theyfound his bedroom empty on themorning of 19 June. They launcheda search for him but could not findhim anywhere. The same evening,at around 3 pm his body was foundhanging on a tree with a rope in thePentok forest area.

The police team headed by PemDorjee, 2nd OC of Mangan Out Post,after verification sent the body for post-mortem to Mangan Hospital. The in-vestigation and postmortem reportsconfirmed that he had committed sui-cide. According to his family members,the deceased had been mentally dis-turbed for the whole of last year.

He is survived by his wife andthree children.

DEEPAK SHARMA

MANGAN, 21 June: The prob-lem of garbage disposal is becom-ing huge all over the state andMangan is no exception. Increas-ing amounts of garbage andwaste material coming from thebazaar area and the hospital sur-rounds the old SNT Colony aswell as Mangan District Hospi-

tal [pic above], creating a dirtyand unhygienic atmosphere.

The bazaar people usually throwgarbage below the SNT colony forlack of alternatives. No garbage dis-posal bin has been provided for thearea. Local health authorities arealso negligent about waste generatedat the hospital which is thrown out-side quite randomly.

The locals fear the spread of anepidemic if proper measures are nottaken soon.

MANGAN GRAPPLESWITH FILTH

KARAN SHAH

KALIMPONG, 21 June: TheNorth Bengal State Transporta-tion Corporation Employees Un-ion has threatened to hold aChakka Jam [vehicle strike]anytime on the NH 31A if theirdemands are not met in time.

The Intuc-affiliated unionstated that they were yet to receivefull payments of their Hill Compen-satory Allowances [HCA] and theirWinter Allowances [WA].

According to Kishore Dahal, theUnion’s secretary, they were gettingonly 10% of their basic salary as HCAat present despite the 15% grantedunder the ROPA ACT of 1998.

“Our winter allowances too arefar less,” said Mr. Dahal.

According to the secretary, theNBSTC in the hills originallystarted with the service of 12 busesin the 70’s but at present there wereonly 3 mini-buses, running on thetwo issued routes.

In the Memorandum submittedto the Managing Director of theNBSTC, Cooch Behar, the secretarystates, that the two mentioned allow-ances have not yet been paid to theemployees working at the Kalimpongand the Darjeeling Depot and alsothat the long outstanding demand ofthe 2 mini-buses for the NBSTCKalimpong depot should have to berealised at an early date.

Commenting on the presentstate of the Kalimpong Depot, Dahalsays that almost 30 permanent and4 temporary employees have to de-pend on the income of the 2 buses.

“Our depot building too hasbeen rented from the KalimpongMunicipality for the last 30 years.Hence we demand a change for theup gradation of the present condi-tions,” adds Dahal.

When contacted over phone theMD, NBSTC, Cooch Behar, G.Namchu said that all financialmatters were taken care of by theBoard of the NBSTC.

NBSTC Union threatensChakka Jam

22 June, 2004; NOW! 5

C M Y K

� NEWSSCAN

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On the advice of Private

Office of H.H. The Dalai

Lama, the Tibetan Welfare

Office and all the Tibetan

Community living in Sikkim

will offer MAHAGURU

BHUM-TSOG (TSOG-BUM) at

Guru Lhakhang, Deorali

from 21st June to 27th June,

2004. Generous donors are

requested to contact Guru

Lhakhang for donation.Tel: 280885.

(Mr. NGAWANG NORBU)Tibetan Welfare Office

Gangtok, Sikkim

SPACE INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SIIT)announces recommencement of its courses in computerapplications recognized by the department of InformationTechnology, Government of Sikkim. Candidates who alreadyregistered and undergoing courses can kindly contact us.

The new session will commence on July 8, 2004. Freshinterested candidates may contact the Institute office atPrashanti Niketan, Tibet Road, Gangtok for prospectus andfurther information.

Filled in application forms with supporting documents shouldreach the Institute office by the forenoon of July 5, 2004.

PROGRAMME DIRECTOR,SIIT, Sikkim

Ph. Nos. 204039, 281237. M.No. 94341-03787, 98320-70463

A N N O U N C E M E N T

SUICIDESPAKYONG: A case of suicide hasbeen reported from Pakyong. A 25year old man, living in a rented ac-commodation, committed suicide byhanging himself inside his room. Theinquest over the dead body was con-ducted and witnesses were examined.The dead body was forwarded toSingtam hospital of autopsy and caseis under investigation.SINGTAM: Another case of sui-cide has been reported, this timefrom Singtam. A 14-year-old girlreportedly committed suicide hereby jumping into the Teesta River.The girl, a resident of Balatur,Singtam, took her own life at around10:30 am on 20 June. The body hasnot yet been recovered though thepolice have begun a vigorous search

KARAN SHAH

KALIMPONG, 21 June: TheGovernor of West Bengal, Viren JShah felicitated 12 members of theBharat Scouts & Guides. Amongthem were Mrs. Rose Sitling andthree others from the Girls HighSchool. The others honoured be-long to Rockvale Academy, SUMIand Kumidini Homes. The felici-tation ceremony was held at the RajBhawan, Kolkata on 17 June.

Incidentally, Mrs. Sitling hasbeen an active participant of theGuides & Scouts movement. Fewseniors hailing from the BharatScouts & Guides of the district havebeen awarded and among themMrs. Sitling is believed to be thefirst recipient of such an award.

“I’ve been on the verge of retire-ment for the last few years but now I

along the banks of the river. Mes-sages have been sent to all con-cerned including Police stations andout posts of West Bengal. The po-lice are conducting enquiry to ascer-tain the cause of the incident.

DEAD BODY FOUNDGangtok: A case has been regis-tered here at the Sadar Thana hereon the death of an unknown per-son. A written complaint filed by awitness, states that on 18 June twopersons who regularly tend theircattle within Chorten complex hadreported that they had seen a deadbody. The inquest over the deadbody was conducted in the presenceof witnesses. The dead body wassent to STNM hospital for postmortem examination. A messagefor identification of the deceasedhas been flashed.

a NOW REPORT

GANGTOK, 21 June: Chief Min-ister, Pawan Chamling, todaymet TR Balu, Union Minister forTransport and National High-ways at New Delhi.

At the meeting the Chief Min-ister of Sikkim placed various pro-posals for the consideration of theUnion Minister. The wish-listmainly pertains to the roads andhighways connecting Sikkim.

CM meets Union TransportMinister; is presented with 2

high-tech vehiclesAmong the proposals placed

before the Union Minister is oneconcerning the construction of analternative National Highway fromMelli to Gangtok and one connect-ing Nathula to Siliguri.

The Chief Minister has alsoasked for central assistance in theconstruction of roads from Geyzingin West Sikkim to Gangtok viaNamchi in South Sikkim.

The Union Minister, in re-sponse, said that all proposals al-

ready sanctioned by the Ministrywould be released at the earliest andassured a positive decision regard-ing the new demands placed for thelocal link roads in the State.

The Minister announced thegrant of two vehicles equipped withlatest technologies to raise awarenessamong the general public regardingroad safety as well as safety for thepedestrian. The vehicles will reachGangtok soon and will be handedover to Sikkim Police, it is learnt.

feel that I have been injected with anew beginning, wherein I woulddream of only contributing more to-wards the humanitarian process,”expressed Mrs. Sitling. The 54-year-old geography teacher was awardedwith the Medal of Merit.

The Bharat Scouts and Guideswhich has strong belief in its threemottos: Faith in God, Service toCountry, and Offer Help at all Timeshas been injected with new confi-dence and with a will to do more.“This all wouldn’t have been possi-ble without the maintenance of dis-cipline,” confirms Mrs. Sitling.

This movement of selflessnesscommenced in this school in theearly twentieth century.

The other three scouts have beenthe recipients of the Rajya PuraskarAward. This award, presented at thestate level, demands high commit-

ment. “It’s a real surprise for me, butno doubt this is a tribute to the strictmaintenance of discipline we havehad over the years” says SrijanaKhawas (18), adding: “My parentsare real happy”.

Incidentally, all three haveopted for a good future in the Rail-ways.

Mrs. Pratibha Rai – GeneralSecretary of the Kalimpong DistrictAssociation (KDA) added that itwas quite an achievement but fur-ther states that other academic in-stitutions need to catch up with thismovement of Scouts and Guides.“The locals cubs, NGOs, and otherGovt Departments need to under-stand the efforts we put in at thevarious social activities and hencewe need to develop a relationshipbased on goodwill and understand-ing” she said.

WB GOVERNOR FELICITATESKPG SOCIAL WORKERS

The government is set to providerelief in personal income taxes

by increasing the tax slabs while re-taining the existing rates. The 8 percent return on small savings is alsolikely to continue.

A senior finance ministry sourcesaid: “At present, the income taxslabs are low. How long can you justkeep promising relief?”

The slabs were last raised mar-ginally from Rs 40,000 to Rs50,000 at the lowest income tax rateof 10 per cent in 1998-1999 byYashwant Sinha.

It was P Chidambaram as fi-nance minister, who in his dreamBudget of 1997-98, cut income taxrates from 15 per cent, 30 per centand 40 per cent to 10 per cent (forannual income of Rs 40,000 to Rs60,000), 20 per cent (Rs 60,000 toRs 150,000) and 30 per cent (incomeover Rs 150,000), respectively.

The finance ministry sources saidthe present tax rates were moderateand stable and did not require anychanges. They also said there wereno particular demands from any quar-ter to change the existing rates.

The need to increase the slabsis rooted in the logic that the high-est tax rate kicks in at a very lowmultiple of per capita income. Inother words, the 30 per cent rate isapplicable to annual income overRs 150,000 (5 x per capita incomeof Rs 29,250).

The options that could be con-sidered by the finance ministry in-clude increasing the threshold in-come of Rs 50,000 at which the

lowest 10 per cent rate is applica-ble. Simultaneously, the ministrycould also consider lifting the an-nual income bar from the presentRs 150,000 for levying income taxof 30 per cent.

The sources said no significantsavings were expected to accrue witha token cut in small savings rates.Moreover, with inflation ruling at over5 per cent now, the real rate of returnon small savings is less than 3 per cent.

INCOME TAX SLABS SET TO GO UP

6; NOW!; 22 June, 2004

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Anthyesti KriyaThe Anthyesthi Kriya of our beloved mother late LeelawatiAgarwal (Siliguri) who left her heavenly abode on 12 June,2004 falls on 24 June 2004. All relatives, friends and wellwishers are requested to join us in offering prayers for thedeparted soul at our residence at Rhenock, East Sikkim.We would also like to take this opportunity to thanks allthose who extended their help in our hour of bereavement.

Ramavatar Agarwal, Santosh Agarwal, Sunil Agarwal & Anup Agarwal (sons)

Phone: (03592) 253306, 253307, 253963

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THIMPU, 21 June: Air, water, bio-diversity- all gifts of nature - andwaste will be audited by the royalaudit authority (RAA) under a newhead called environmental auditing.

Under environmental auditing,the RAA will assess, monitor, andreport on issues like deforestation,reserve wild life sanctuaries, spe-cies extinction, habitat loss, air pol-lution and waste management.

It will assess the disclosure ofenvironmental assets and liabilitiesin compliance with the legislationand conventions both at the na-tional and international level.

According to the RAA, in Bhu-tan environmental auditing wasapplicable to air, water, waste, andbiodiversity.

RAA officials said that it willassess, monitor and report on catego-ries of air and air pollution, its causeand impact. The same will be also becarried out for waste categories, itsgenerators and the problems it causes.

A 62-year-old pilot was setMonday to make a historic trip

into space by becoming the firsthuman to fly a privately built shipbeyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Mike Melvill will commandSpaceShipOne, blasting the rocketmore than 100 kilometers above theEarth’s surface at more than threetimes the speed of sound, after de-taching itself from a transport air-craft that will take off at around7.00 p.m., IST in California’sMojave desert.

“I’m flattered to have been cho-sen for this,” said Melvill, a nativeof South Africa who flew the rocketto an altitude of 64 kilometers in atest flight on 13 May, breaking therecord for a privately built craft.

“I’m hoping this will be a rep-etition, a little higher, a little faster,”he said on Sunday.

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Describing London-based experts’ opinion that their tapes

are “original,” as a “big relief”,Tehelka Managing Editor TarunTejpal on Monday demanded acompensation for “three-and-a-halfyears of victimisation” by the pre-vious government.

“Of course, it is a big relief. Itis a shame that for last three-and-a-half years, we have been victimisedand we have lost everything. It onlyshows how a system resists everyinquiry against it,” Tejpal said.

Asserting that the portal and itsshareholders such as First Global havesuffered huge losses and were in debts,Tejpal, said “I have written to thePrime Minister seeking changes in theway Tehelka Commission went aboutits duty and demanded compensationfor their damages.

“The investigation procedure of

Tehelka tapes’ audio undoctored: ExpertNEW DELHI, 21 June: A London-based expert examining the ve-racity of the Tehelka tapes that alleged corruption in defence deals,on Monday said the cassettes had been “edited” but there was notechnical evidence to prove charges of “overdubbing”.

Appearing before the SN Phukan Commission of Inquiry here,Mathew James Cass said the tapes had been “edited” but he can-not say whether it was done “maliciously”.

He said he did not find any technical evidence to prove that therewas overdubbing in the casettes, as alleged by army officials andpolitical leaders shown in the tapes.

The expert said the audio was by and large consistent with thebackground.

NEPAL MAOISTSABDUCT CBI

REPRESENTATIVEKATHMANDU, 21 June: Mao-ists have abducted a Central Bu-reau of Investigation [CBI] rep-resentative of Jhapa district fromBhadrapur.

Maoists are reported to haveabducted Prem Adhikari, a resi-dent of Pirthvinagar in Jhapa onSunday who worked as a districtrepresentative for India’s intelli-gence agency CBI.

Maoists have charged Adhikarifor spying against their leaders andactivists who were detained in In-dia on different occasions.

A district-level Maoist leaderhas said that no action would betaken against Adhikari, as he wouldbe used for the party’s special ac-tivities.

Tehelka wants compensationfor ‘victimisation’

the Commission going into the ex-pose has been affected by the immo-ralities of the government”, he saidadding he wants a proper inquiry toget to the truth of the allegations ofcorruption in defence deals.

“I have also demanded compen-sation for being victimised for thelast three-and-a-half years. The Gov-

ernment can constitute a Commit-tee of eminent persons to assess ourdamages and decide accordinglyabout the compensation,” he added.

Kutse SheguThe 49th day Shegu of LateNaku Tshering Kalconper wholeft for heavenly abode on 18May falls on 30 June 2004. Allfriends, relatives and well-wishers are requested to joinus in offering prayers for thedeparted soul at our residence“Tathangchen”.We would also take this oppor-tunity to thank all those whostood by us during our hour ofgrief and regret our inability todo so individually.Mrs. L. Naku (wife), and family

Ph: 205465/9832093697

First private spaceshipset for historic flight

Rutan, the 61-year-old chief of acompany named Scaled Compos-ites LLC, with financing from bil-lionaire Paul Allen, a co-founder ofsoftware giant Microsoft. Allensaid more than $20 million were putinto the project.

“The flight is a milestone thatmay lead to a new space age,”Rutan said.

“There is an enormous hungerto fly in space and not just to dreamabout it.”

Rutan is also eyeing a $10-mil-lion prize to be awarded for the firstprivately funded space vehicle thatcan carry two passengers and a pi-lot to an altitude of 100 kilometerstwice in two weeks.

The Ansari X Prize has been of-fered by the X Prize Foundation, aUnited States-based group, in a bidto encourage widespread spacetravel. About 25 teams from sevencountries are said to be in contention.

The quality and quantity ofwater and its policies, conventionsand agreements besides scope ofbiological diversity, issues andthreats and conventions to its pro-tections will also be reported.

Environmental auditing is a newfield for Bhutanese auditors but asa member of the international or-ganisation of supreme audit institu-tions (INTOSAI) and Asia organi-sation of supreme audit institutions(ASOSAI), we are obliged to imple-ment the environmental standardsand activities,” said an auditor.

This week the RAA began a six-day in-house training to build envi-ronmental auditing capacity of na-tional auditors funded by DANIDA.

“Environmental audits can hap-pen at different levels, for examplein commerce, industry, municipali-ties, and governments, and on a lessformal level, in households andschools,” said auditor generalDasho Kunzang Wangdi during the

inaugural session of the training. “Itis an attempt to provide informa-tion on the environmental perform-ance of an organisation, and thusinclude environmental issues in thedecision making process.”

Having originated in the 1970sin the USA, environmental auditingwas a way of checking whether acompany was complying with envi-ronmental laws and regulations. Laterit became a valuable tool for assess-ing a company’s environmental man-agement systems, policy, and equip-ment. It also provided the companywith recommendations on how it canimprove its environmental manage-ment practices.

“In the race for progress Bhutanis losing the traditional common senseand best practice of minding mothernature. The situation is not made bet-ter by some of the technical assistancewhich give more priority on short termresults as against sustainability,” saidDasho Kunzang Wangdi.

Bhutan to have environmental auditing

22 June, 2004; NOW! 7

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The SPCC [I] President, NarBahadur Bhandari was also part ofthe hunger strike though he had totake time off to attend his CBI caseat the district courts.

Talking to NOW!, Mr. Bhandarisaid that it had been a remarkable day.“This is a unique form of protest inSikkim; we are thankful to our partysupporters of whom more than 150were present today,” he said.

He added that there would cer-tainly be “repercussions” to thistoken hunger strike.

“This was not just a hungerstrike but also total abstaining fromwater and toilet activities. Added tothat, today, 21 June, happens to bethe longest day of the year,” he said.

Mr. Bhandari also expressed hisgratitude to the police and the medi-

cal personnel who were presentduring the day. He also thanked theadministration for its support.

Jigme N. Kazi, party generalsecretary and spokesperson re-vealed that the party had made sev-eral representations to the Gover-nor protesting the victimisation ofCongress supporters. “This is justthe beginning; if there is no alle-viation in the situation there will bemore such protests. Today we areprotesting on the Titanic and I canassure you that our Titanic is notgoing to sink,” he said of their pro-test movement.

He further added that if the situ-ation still remained unchanged, theSPCC (I) would be left with no al-ternative but to resort to “severemeasures” within the framework ofdemocratic system.

Mr. Kazi also informed that a

three-member delegation compris-ing Anil Lachenpa, Balchand Sardaand Tseten Tashi Bhutia had left forNew Delhi a couple of days ago toconsult the Congress high com-mand on the matter of filing anelection petition in the courts con-cerning the SPCC [I]’s allegationsthat the EVMs were rigged. An-other petition to be discussed by theSPCC [I] delegation is the one con-cerning the three seats of southSikkim which had gone uncon-tested to the SDF.

Incidentally, any election peti-tion to be filed in the courts has tobe done within 45 days of the con-clusion of the polls. On this mat-ter, Mr. Bhandari assured that thepetitions were ready; it was just amatter of getting the high com-mand’s approval.

Contd on pg 1

Sikkim and anti-people regime ofthe time to struggle for their rightsunder the banner of the SDF party.Mr. Chamling also said that the daywould be remembered as the dayon which the Sikkimese peoplelearned how to live without fear.

Mr. Chamling, in his message,has warned that Kranti Diwasshould not pass off as a mere “po-litical formality.”

Explaining the real meaning ofKranti Diwas, he says that it is a fes-tival of unification to protest againstdictatorship and anti-democraticpractices. The day also identifies the

CONG PROMISES “SEVERE MEASURES” NEXT

In the fast pace of the modernworld it is necessary to be healthy

both physically and mentally. It isonly such individuals who arementally as well as physically fitwho can make meaningful contri-butions to their families as well asto society.

So now that you have been toldabout the advantages of possessinga healthy mind and body, the roleof a health centre and a traineralong with tips for warming upwhich is necessary before trainingwith weights we can now concen-trate on some of the weight exer-cises which build up prominentbody parts and muscles.

Weight training strengthens themuscles as well as the bones andjoints. It is not only body builderswho take up weight exercises butin fact those interested in keepingfit and in good shape also benefitfrom this type of exertion. It cangive you the perfect shape that youdesire provided that you follow theinstructions of your trainer.

We will begin with one of thebody’s strong and prominent parts– the shoulder.

It should be noted that the firstand foremost area of the body inwhich you need to develop somestrength is your shoulders. It is only

fitness.com

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dumbbell press, Arnold press, up-right rowing, side lateral raise, al-ternate front raise, front raise withbarbell, dumbbell front press, ca-ble side raise, cable upright row-ing, reverse overhead dumbbell lat-eral raise and many more others.ChestA strong chest is the most visiblesign of masculinity. For body build-ers it is important to have a welldeveloped and full chest. The chestarea of a person can be divided intotwo parts – the pectoral and the rib

cage.The pectoral itself can be di-

vided into three parts – the upperpectoral, the middle pectoral andthe lower pectoral. There are twoother divisions namely the outerpectoral and inner pectoral.

The other part of the chest, therib cage lies between the pectoraland the abs. Exercises for the ribcage are usually included withthose of the chest.

Exercises for the chestBench press, which includes bothnarrow and wide grips, inclineand decline press, flat dumb bellpress, flat dumb bell fly, flatdumb bell rotation, cable crossover, dumb pull over, barbell pullover, floor dips, one arm cablepulls and many others.

The above mentioned exercisesfor the chest are not to be done to-gether. Some of the exercises arebasic as for beginners, some arestandard and some are advancedexercises. Here again your trainerwill decide for you the chest exer-cises suitable according to yourbody shape.

Some common TipsWhile doing weight training makesure you have someone as partner

after developing your shoulders canyou continue with the rest of yourweight training properly. And alsofor the much hyped ‘V’ shape ofthe physique.

Shoulder muscle typesBasically the shoulder muscle con-sists of two types – the deltoids andtrapezius. Both the muscles requireextensive training to develop.DeltoidThe deltoid muscle is long, thin, andtriangular in shape. It begins fromyour shoulder ball and extends to theupper arm. Its main function is toenable movements of the arm andhands such as twisting, lifting etc.

The Deltoid muscle itself canbe divided into three sections - frontdeltoids, middle deltoid and backdeltoid.TrapeziusThis muscle is flat, thin and trian-gular in shape. The Trapezius be-gins from the neck, goes down theshoulder blades and extends up tothe upper back. This muscle ena-bles movement of the shoulders,movements of the neck and also ofthe head.

Exercises for the ShoulderShoulder exercises include –front press, behind neck press, side

to provide help and support. Thiswill help you with extra force andalso enable you to do more repeti-tions per exercise set.

Apart from keeping your bodyfit it is important to keep your men-tal health too. Always think posi-tive.

Always do your weight exer-cises in front of the mirror. This isvery important to maintain yourbalance while exercising.

While doing weight trainingnever put any extra load on yourmuscles. This could lead to muscleaches and swelling.

It will be your trainer who candecide for you which suits yourbody make the best. It is not neces-sary to do them all; just two of themany exercises will be enough.Muscles vary from person to per-son and one exercise which maysuit somebody may not be suitedto the shape of your muscle. Justdo as your trainer instructs and seethe progress you make.

For the better development ofyour body, it should be kept in mindthat while working out in a gym itis best to forget the outside worldalong with whatever worries andtensions you may have. And moreimportantly do only as much asyour trainer instructs you to.

public as the sole owner and it provesthat those who discriminate againstthe general public lose everything inthe end. He further claimed that thosepolitical parties and leaders who hadfaith in people, ultimately get to servethe people.

Finally, the Chief Ministerclaimed that SDF was carrying apeaceful and people-centric revo-lution and all the developmentalworks that the party was undertak-ing were a part of this revolution.He maintained that until and unlessevery Sikkimese became aware ofhis political, social and economicright, the “Kranti” would remain anongoing process.

Contd from pg 1

CM DEFINES KRANTI DIWAS ASA POLITICAL CELEBRATION NEW YORK: People who quit

smoking before the age of 35 caneventually live as long and healthylives as people who never smoked,a new study shows.

“If you quit by age 35, youavoid nearly all of the harm smok-ing has on lifespan and quality oflife,” study author Dr. Donald H.Taylor, Jr. claims.

However, it takes time to regainthat lost health, the report notes; onlypeople who had quit at least 15 yearsbefore the study began lived as manyyears in good health as never-smok-ers. Taylor also cautioned that peo-ple should not believe that it’s okayto smoke until you are 35. “Theproblem is that once you start (smok-ing), it is hard to quit,” he said.

In the report, Taylor and his co-au-thor Dr. Truls Ostbye, both at DukeUniversity in North Carolina, said thatmany people focus on how smokingcan kill, but less attention is paid to howsmoking can affect your quality of life,and cause you to live fewer years ingood health. To investigate, Taylor andOstbye reviewed interviews collectedfrom middle-aged and older people, inwhich they were asked about theirhealth and smoking status. The morethan 20,000 participants were then re-contacted over several years, to see iftheir health had changed.

Research has shown that theway people describe their healthpredicts their future health, soTaylor and Ostbye used partici-pants’ estimations of their health topredict how many more years theywould live, and live in good health.

The investigators found thatpeople who were smokers tended tolose more years of healthy life thannon-smokers. However, people whohad quit smoking at least 15 yearsbefore the first interview tended tolive as many years in good health aspeople who had never smoked.

Smokers, Quit Early to Regain Health

8; NOW!; 22 June, 2004

C M Y K

Published by Lt. Col. (retd) P. Dorjee and printed at Darpan Publications Pvt. Ltd, Siliguri. Editor: Pema Wangchuk. Executive Editor: Mita ZulcaNow! Near Ayurvedic Clinic, Gairi Gaon, Tadong. East Sikkim. ph: 03592 270949 email: sikkimnow@rediffmail.com

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BOY WRITESAPOLOGY IN BLOOD

FOR DOZING INCLASS

TOKYO: A Japanese teenager wasforced by his teacher to write anapology in blood after dozing in theclassroom, the school’s principalsaid on Monday.

The teacher later went to highschool principal Hiroaki Dan andconfessed what he had done.

The teacher had apologized tothe 17-year-old boy and his parents,Dan said, confirming a local me-dia report of the incident, whichhappened last Thursday.

He said the boy was taken tothe staff room of the school inFukuoka City, southern Japan, af-ter being caught asleep during alesson. The 40-year-old maleteacher handed the boy a box-cut-ter and paper and told him to writean apology in blood.

The teacher left the student,who then cut his finger and beganto write an apology using his ownblood. Other teachers in the staffroom did not notice what was hap-pening, Dan said.

“To ask a student to write intheir own blood is something I justcan’t imagine,” he said.

He said the boy was back inschool, and neither he nor his parentshad asked to switch teachers. Theteacher involved is expected to resumeclasses in a few days, Dan said.

The incident comes on the heelsof an attack in which an 11-year-old girl killed a classmate by slash-ing her throat with a box cutter, alsoin southern Japan.

LOS ANGELES: Ben Stiller andVince Vaughn buried Tom Hanksand Steven Spielberg under a bar-rage of red rubber balls. Stiller andVaughn’s “Dodgeball: A True Un-derdog Story” debuted as the week-end’s top movie with $30 million,whipping Hanks and Spielberg’s“The Terminal,” which opened atNo. 2 with $18.7 million, accord-ing to studio estimates Sunday

“With a Spielberg and Hanksmovie, we never thought we wouldbe this far ahead. That’s rarefiedair,” said Bruce Snyder, head ofdistribution for 20th Century Fox,which released “Dodgeball.”

The weekend’s other new widerelease, Jackie Chan and SteveCoogan’s “Around the World in 80Days,” came in at No. 9 with just $6.8

million for the weekend and $9.6million since opening Wednesday.

“Dodgeball” stars Vaughn as agym owner whose squad of geeksand losers tries to save their desti-tute health club in a dodgeballshowdown against rival bullyStiller’s team.

The movie’s lowbrow humor -including a coach forcing his play-ers to duck metal wrenches to honetheir dodging skills - proved astronger draw than the classy com-edy “The Terminal,” about an East-ern European stuck for months incustoms limbo at Kennedy airport.

“It’s really hard to beat a movielike Dodgeball. Everybody I talkedwith wanted to see it, even thoughthey thought it looked reallydumb,” said Paul Dergarabedian,

president of box-office tracker Ex-hibitor Relations.

“The Terminal” had the weak-est opening among Spielberg’s re-cent wide releases - Catch Me If YouCan, Minority Report, A.I. ArtificialIntelligence and Saving PrivateRyan. Those films all opened in the$30 million to $35 million range.

“Dodgeball” drew a youngmale audience, while “The Termi-nal” played mostly to older crowdsless likely to rush out on openingweekend. DreamWorks, which dis-tributed “The Terminal,” hopes thefilm has staying power.

“Smart, high-concept moviescan be a difficult sell, but they of-ten have a long theatrical life,”DreamWorks head of distributionJim Tharp said.

be very good. You may considera new agency business. Businesswill thrive.VIRGO You may take up new busi-ness activities. Those with sugarmills, textiles and chemical indus-tries will do well. Cement and ironand steel industries may face la-bour problems. Worries are indi-cated. You may get transferred.LIBRA This will be a smooth andeasygoing period. A financial crisisis indicated. You will have fewerproblems with your spouse andbusiness partner. Happiness willprevail. Expenses will be reduced.SCORPIO You will be happy. Stu-dents will enjoy easy success inmaths and physics. Those appear-ing for further studies will enjoyeasy success. You may find your-self making little progress in yourcareer. You may get married.SAGITTARIUS You may take a new

decision at home. You may have ababy. Business partnerships will dowell. Cash flow will be good. Loanswill be reduced. You may purchasea new vehicle. There may be achange in your financial status.CAPRICORN Financial position willbe very tight. There may be tensiondue to your spouse and businesspartners. There wil l be goodchanges at home. You will receivesupport from your younger brother.AQUARIUS Financial position willbe very tight. There may be tensiondue to your spouse and businesspartners. There wil l be goodchanges at home. You will receivesupport from your younger brother.PISCES Financial position will bevery tight. There may be tensiondue to your spouse and businesspartners. There wil l be goodchanges at home. You will receivesupport from your younger brother.

‘DODGEBALL’ BOMBARDS ‘TERMINAL’ IN DEBUT

LONDON: Princess Diana’s formerbutler said Sunday he believes theroyal family understands why hewrote a book - and is now mount-ing a one-man stage show - abouthis relationship with the princess.

Paul Burrell, a longtime royalservant whom Diana called “myrock,” was vilified in the press andcriticized by the princess’ friendsand family when he published hisbook, “A Royal Duty,” last year.

He has now taken his memoriesof Diana onstage in a show that ranSunday at London’s Theater RoyalDrury Lane and plays New York’sTown Hall Theater June 24 and 25.

DOCTOR JAILED FORBILLING FOR SEX

PORTLAND, Oregon: An Oregondoctor, who had sex with a patientand then charged the state about$5,000 for his “treatments,” has beenjailed for 60 days and stripped of hislicense, officials said on Friday.

Dr. Randall J. Smith, 50, toldthe woman that massaging her“trigger points” would ease her pel-vic pain. The treatments led tosexual intercourse and Smith billedthe Oregon Health Plan for the 45-minute sessions at the AdventistHealth Medical Group clinic inGresham, Oregon, near Portland.

Smith must also perform 200hours of community service andpay $1,105 in fines and is on pro-bation for 18 months as part of theplea agreement. He also turned inhis medical license.

Though he pleaded guilty tosubmitting false health care claims,a felony, Smith maintained the sexwith the 47-year-old woman wasconsensual.

YAHOO UNVEILS‘YISOU’ SEARCH

ENGINE FOR CHINASHANGHAI: Yahoo Inc. un-veiled a Web site dedicated toInternet searches for China onMonday, less than a week afterarchrival Google Inc made itsmaiden investment in the country’sbiggest search engine firm.

The new site called “Yisou,”which translates into “No. 1search” in English, would differfrom its Chinese-language portalin that it would focus solely onWeb searches, a spokesman forYahoo said.

“The introduction of Yisouwill help extend our reach into therapidly growing search market inChina,” David Lu, vice presidentof Yahoo North Asia, said in astatement.

“I think they understand why I hadto do this,” Burrell said of the royalsbefore performing Sunday. “I had toonce and for all justify my relation-ship with one of the world’s mostunique and inspirational people.

“A lot has been written aboutme in the last few years,” he added.“And it’s my chance now to actu-ally interact with the audience andsay this is me, this is who I am. AndI’m very proud of who I am.”

Burrell was tried in 2002 forstealing hundreds of items from theestate of Diana, who was killed ina Paris car crash in 1997. The casecollapsed when Queen Elizabeth II

told prosecutors that Burrell toldher he was holding some of Diana’sthings for safekeeping.

His book painted an intimatepicture of Diana’s private life. Itincluded extracts from testy lettersbetween Diana and her father-in-law, Prince Philip, and a letter fromthe princess’ brother that expressedfears for her mental state.

Diana’s sons, Prince Williamand Prince Harry, called the book“a cold and overt betrayal” thatwould have “mortified” Diana.

In the stage show, “In His OwnWords,” Burrell asks his audienceto “judge me on what I have to say.”

DIANA’S EX-BUTLER TELLS STORY IN SHOW