North East Democratic Front

SIKKIM OBSERVER  Feb 26, 2011

North East Democratic Front likely to be formed on March 18

Observer News Service

Aizawl, Feb 25: The North East Democratic Front (NEDF), a new platform floated by several major regional parties of the north east last week, is likely to be form in Guwahati on March 18, according to former Mizoram chief minister and President of Mizo National Front (MNF).

“Around 30 leaders of the regional parties from the north-eastern region formed the forum on Sunday last at the residence of former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma,” he said adding that the formation of the forum was mooted in a meeting between himself,  Sangma and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphu Rio.

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling also joined the three leaders in forming the forum along with other regional parties in all the States, Zoramthanga at a party meeting here.

He said that the NEDF was formed with objectives to unitedly put pressure on the Centre on common issues of the NE region.

He added that the official launch of the new forum would be held on March 18 in Guwahati.

The decision to form ‘North Eastern Democratic Front’ was taken at a meeting attended by NCP leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker P.A. Sangma, AGP leader and former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, NPF chief and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, SDF president and Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling.

The meeting, also attended by representatives of Trinamool Congress, Manipur People’s Party and  Mizo National Front, decided to contest elections, wherever possible, jointly and fight for issues concerning the North-East together, sources said.

The North-East states together have a strength of 25 MPs in the Lok Sabha, out of which 14 are from Assam.

BJP demands Assembly seat reservation for Limbus, Tamangs

By A Staff Reporter

Gangtok, Feb 25: The Assembly seat reservation issue has once again been revived with the State unit of the BJP demanding reservation of seats for the Limbu and Tamang communities who were declared tribals in 2002.

While briefing the media here last Friday, Sikkim unit BJP President Padam Chettri said if the 2011 census fails to find out the population of the Limbus and Tamangs in the State the two communities may not get seat reservation in the Assembly till 2026, when it would be almost too late.

According to Chettri, the 2011 census does not have any provision to collect data regard the population of the two tribal communities.

Chettri criticized the Chamling Government for its failure to provide Assembly seat reservation for the two communities.

 As per the population figure of the two communities worked out by the BJP the LTs, whose is about 15%, deserve at least five seats, Chettri said.

The Sikkim Limboo-Tamang Tribal Forum had earlier claimed that the population of the two communities was 17% and demanded 10 Assembly seats.

  The Sikkim Limbu Tamang Joint Action Committee had also demanded 8 seats for the two communities. (see edit on page2)

EDITORIAL

NEW EQUATION

‘Tribal Govt’ in Sikkim

The ideal government in the former kingdom of Sikkim would be a ‘Sikkimese Government’ formed by the three ethnic communities (Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese) and supported by the old business community. Earlier, this was not an impossible task to achieve but it now appears to be just a dream. One notable scribe last year at a seminar said, “I have accepted the death of my dream.” Most Sikkimese had given up their hope more than a decade back when the Chamling Government drifted along without any sense of purpose and direction. Things have remained much the same if not worse.

Today, the political leadership of Sikkim, dominated by the Nepalese, does not address the Assembly seat issue in real seriousness. If it at all raises the issue it is with a motive – to stabilize their vote-bank. The division of the Sikkimese Nepalese into various categories – caste, class and tribals – seems to have put an end to Sikkimese unity. The minority Bhutia-Lepchas, even if they wish, can no longer raise the issue of Sikkimese unity and identity when the majority ethnic Nepalese are divided and directionless.

Though no one dares to openly float this idea the next government is likely to be a ‘tribal government’ led by a tribal. The Bhutia-Lepchas, including the Sangha, have 13 seats and only a few more seats are needed to form the government. Even if the Limbu-Tamang tribals fail to obtain seat reservation in the near future their elected representatives can join the BLs to form the government. If Pawan Chamling was able to form an ‘OBC government’ in 1994 aided by the BLs it is not impossible to form a ‘tribal government’ in 2014 led by P S Tamang, the dissident ruling party leader and legislator. Already Tamang (Golay) has a sizable backing among all communities. The State’s upper-caste Nepalese (Newar, Bahun and Chettri), who had a greater say during the Bhandari Government (1979-1994), must make the right moves at the right time.

SIKKIM OBSERVER Vol 20 No 1, Jan 29, 2011

EDITORIAL

‘REPUBLIC’ IN TURMOIL

Groping In Darkness

Nepal’s Constituent Assembly was to frame a new Constitution for the country by May 2010. Framing of the new Constitution for the former Hindu Kingdom was the top priority of the Nepalese Parliament. Unfortunately, seven months have elapsed and there is still no visible sign that this objective would be achieved at a given time-frame. The three main parties – the Maoists, UML and Nepali Congress – are totally responsible for this sad state of affairs.

The recent withdrawal of Nepali Congress candidate, Ram Chandra Poudel, from the country’s prime ministerial election is a welcome move but in the first place he should not have been allowed to take part in the seven-month-long futile exercise that witnessed the unprecedented failure of the Parliament to elect the prime minister for the 16^th time. Even now there is no guarantee that a new man would be elected to head the government next week.

Nepalese leadership may agree on a ‘consensus government’ but the ground reality is that it is not too clear about who should lead it. The Maoists have the largest number of MPs in the Parliament and logically they should be allowed to head the government. It is for the Maoists to choose its own man for the top job. Nepalese leaders must realize that it would be very difficult to secure two-thirds majority for adoption of the new Constitution, particularly when small parties are playing a dominant role in shaping Nepal’s future. A practical approach needs to be made in the present political imbroglio to ensure that Nepal swiftly embraces the democratic process, which, hopefully, will lead to speedy economic development.

SIKKIM OBSERVER Vol 20 No 1, Jan 22, 2011

EDITORIAL

UNDER PRESSURE

Chamling Raises Gorkhaland Issue

Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s support for statehood demand by Gorkhas in neighbouring Darjeeling comes at a time when he himself is faced with a pressing political situation in the State. Sikkim Opposition’s tirade against Chamling for doing away with the special status that bonafide Sikkimese, who were earlier known as ‘Sikkim Subjects’, enjoyed under the Constitution (Art 371F) by deciding to issue ‘Pink Idenity Card’ to  bonafide Sikkimese and Residential Certificate to others who were settled in Sikkim before April 26, 1975,when Sikkim was merged with India, comes at a time when the Chief Minister is faced with a multi-crore corruption charges leveled by the Congress leadership in Sikkim.

Nepali/Gorkha leaders in India never fail to play the Nepali/Gorkhali card when they are in trouble. Perhaps Chamling is trying to do the same when he raised the statehood issue for Gorkhas in India in the Assembly this week. If the going gets tough Chamling may even pass a resolution on Gorkhaland in the Sikkim Assembly. He is capable of doing this and much more. Unfortunately for Chamling, it is not just a bunch of ‘frustrated’ politicians who are tired of the growing corruption and mis-governance in the State; the people are fed up and want change.

No one is going to believe that the proposed Patra Commission will nail the corrupt in the State. The State unit of the BJP, which has demanded CBI probe into corruption charges against Chamling, has rightly pointed out that the objective of the Commission is to shield the corrupt and not to expose them. Which government would form a commission of enquiry to probe into its misdeeds? The anti-Chamling campaign, which focuses on rampant corruption, restoration of freedom, democracy and rule of law in Sikkim, is gaining momentum even as the Opposition is united under the banner of ‘Sikkim Subject Bachao Committee.’