SIKKIM OBSERVER Jan 5-11, 2013

Act promptly on govt decisions, Rai tells officials

Lok Sabha MP PD Rai  (left)

Gangtok, Jan 4: State Lok Sabha MP PD Rai has stressed the need for government departments to act speedily on decisions taken by the government on various schemes meant for the people.

While congratulating the people for their support on the State being awarded Best State status among smaller states, Rai said this was possible because of the support the government received from the grassroots.

Speaking at the District Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee (DLV&MC) Meeting of East District was held here yesterday, Rai expressed his dismay and dissatisfaction over the response of some departments in implementing their activities.

Rai said departments should take up follow-up actions immediately on the decisions taken by the government on welfare schemes. He pointed out that eighty five houses have not yet been provided with electricity connection in Deorali Gangatey hamlet at Pandem, East Sikkim. This was a case of “injustice” to the people, Rai said.

The MP also highlighted the need to make the system more efficient in handling works related to Unique Identification (Aadhar) cards.

I did not support Sikkim-Darjeeling merger demand: Kazi

Gangtok, Jan 4: Gangtok, Jan 4: Jigme N Kazi, journalist and author, has denied supporting the demand for Sikkim-Darjeeling merger as reported in two local dailies.

Reacting to newsitems on the subject appearing in Hamro Prajashakti and its sister publication Himalayan Mirror on Jan 5, 2013, Kazi in a press statement said the content of the report gives the impression that he was supporting the merger demand. This is “false and misleading,” and “people should not rely on them,” he said.

“I had merely stated that some of those in Sikkim opposing the demand were not sincere in safeguarding Sikkim’s distinct identity and special status within the Union,” the release said.

When asked to give his comments on the issue by reporters of the two dailies, Kazi had said that he had no comments to make and that he neither supported nor opposed the demand.

In an article in Talk Sikkim recently, Kazi had stated, “The demand for ‘Gorkhaland’ and ‘Greater Sikkim’ may become a reality one day but the end result will frustrate the hopes and aspirations of hill people some day,” as due to influx from the plains Sikkim will eventually go the Nepal way, where plainspeople are playing a greater role in shaping the former kingdom’s political agenda.

            OBITUARY

   Lharipa Ganden Lama (1932-2013)

Death Of An Institution

Born on 10th January 1932 in Phodong, North Sikkim, Lharipa Ganden Lama is not only a foremost traditional artist but also an indisputable authority on traditional Sikkimese arts and crafts.

At the age of twelve Ganden Lama started his career as an artist in traditional arts. He underwent apprenticeship with one of the most renowned artists of that period,  Lharipa Rinzing Lama and over the years gained considerable experience and expertise in the art of thanka painting in which he excelled.    

    In1955, Lharipa Ganden was appointed as a traditional art instructor in Enchey School, Gangtok. In 1956, he represented Sikkim at the international handicraft exhibitions held in Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. He also represented Sikkim at the world craft conference at New Delhi in 1960. Nine years later, Lharipa Ganden Lama became a member of the world craft council, Washington, USA.

With the establishment of the government institute of cottage industries at Gangtok, Lharipa Ganden Lama was transferred from Enchey School to the institute in 1957. The small cottage industries has grown up to become one of the most renowned repositories of the traditional arts and crafts of Sikkim. Lharipa nurtured the institute like a baby for nearly four decades.

The credit for the institute’s development goes entirely to Lharipa Ganden Lama, whose technical knowledge and exemplary devotion still goes unmatched. He was later promoted as master artist and continued to serve the institute till his retirement on 30th December, 1992. Till his demise Lharipa Ganden Lama maintained his link with the institute, which constantly sought his advice on all matters relating to the traditional art and craft of Sikkim.

In 1986, Lharipa Ganden Lama was conferred the national award for master craftsman by the president of India. In 1987, the State Government awarded him with a certificate for meritorious service followed by the State Award on 15th August, 1999 in recognition of his outstanding contributions in the field of traditional arts and crafts of Sikkim. In 1997, he received the Krishna Smrity Award from the Sikkim Sahitya Parishad.  (Courtesy: Department of Information & Public Relations, Govt of Sikkim)

Editorial

HIMALAYAN FRONTIER

This Fire Cannot Be Put Out

Several rounds of talks held since 1981 have failed to resolve the disputed claims. During his last visit to India, in 2010, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao dashed any hopes of early border settlement, stating that it would take a very long time to settle the boundary issue—a situation that in many ways works to Beijing’s advantage. An unsettled border provides China the strategic leverage to keep India uncertain about its intentions, and nervous about its capabilities, while exposing India’s vulnerabilities and weaknesses, and encouraging New Delhi’s “good behavior” on issues of vital concern.

Besides, as the ongoing unrest and growing incidents of self-immolations by Buddhist monks in Tibet show, Beijing has not yet succeeded in pacifying and Sinicizing Tibet, as it has Inner Mongolia. The net result is that the 2,520-mile Sino-Indian frontier, one of the longest inter-state boundaries in the world, remains China’s only undefined land border. It is also becoming heavily militarized, as tensions rise over China’s aggressive patrolling on the line of actual control (LAC) and its military drills, using live ammunition, for a potential air and land campaign to capture high-altitude mountain passes in Tibet.

India cannot afford to ignore the restive southern region of the Himalayan frontier. While Nepal continuously fails to come to terms with its political reality where marginalized ethnic groups are demanding greater share in the political system, Bhutan is looking into its border talks with Beijing with a new perspective taking into account China’s dominance in world affairs and particularly its growing economic and military might. New Delhi’s neglect of the former Kingdom of Sikkim ever since its annexation in 1975 will surely lead to an unstable political situation in Sikkim where the people are thoroughly disillusioned with the kind of ‘democracy and development’ that came with the controversial ‘merger’. The demand for Sikkim-Darjeeling merger will add fuel to the fire and a day will come when this fire cannot be doused by pumping in more money to buy the silence of a disillusioned people.

India, beware of another Himalayan blunder

By Karma  Lhendup  Kaleon

This  has  reference  to  the  newsitem – Centre cannot decide on Sikkim-Darj merger issue: NASBO – which appeared  in  December 28, 2012  issue  of  the  Sikkim  Now.  The  issue  of merger  is  said  to  have  been  opined  by  some Congress  leaders  in  response  to  the  Gorkhali  demand  for  greater  Gorkhaland.  NASBO (National Sikkimese Bhutia Organization) has  raised  a  serious issue  which  Indo-Nepal  reciprocal  rulers have  never  thought  of. 

What  NASBO  wanted  to  say  was  that  no  nation  can  wipe  out  the  existence  of  a  people  and  their  State.  The people called Bhutia-Lepchas  once  constituted  a  nation  called  Denjong.  The  Survival  Sikkimese (a non-political organization ) welcomed  the  idea  of  the  merger  of   Darjeeling  with  Sikkim  provided  it  is  intended  for  unification  of  Denjong  in  its  entirety  which  we  doubt  very  much.   If  they  plan to  convert  Denjong  into  a  communal  state  called  Gorkhaland  or  Greater  Nepal,  India  will  be  committing   another  Himalayan  blunder. 

   We still abide  by  the  Treaty  of   1973.   The  Bhutia-Lepcha  people  may  have  been  down  for  the  time  being but  they  are  far  from  being wiped out.  We  do  not  understand  the  grammar   and  philosophy  of  Indo-Nepal  reciprocal  tie, which  is established  by  the  treaties  of  1947  and  that  of  1950.  Ever  since  the  Gorkhaland  movement  was  launched  the  gradual  disintegration  of  the  State  of  Nepal  is  being  witnessed.  The  protagonists  of   the  Madeshiland  and  Limbuland  are  as  strident as  that  of   Gorkhaland  in  their  pursuit.

   We  are  worried  about what  is  being  cooked   by  tantalizing  the  Gorkhas  with  the  latest  idea of  greater  Gorkhaland   by  merging  Darjeeling  with  Sikkim.   All  these  are  happening  against  the  backdrop  of  a  failing  Nepal.  The   consequence  of  the  Indo-Nepal  reciprocal  politics  was  anticipated  when Radio  Nepal  played  the  song – Farka hai  farka  Nepali… - every morning  at  6 a.m.  in  the  late  fifties.   The  song did  not  blunt  the  lure  of  Sections 6 & 7  of  the  Treaty  of  1950.  How  sad  that the so-called  parvasi  or  Bharatiya  Nepali   have  become  a  threat  to   its  own  sovereignty. How  sad  it  is  that  Nepal  has  not  been  able  to  draft  a  constitution   because  of  the  reciprocal  tangle  with  India. We are keeping quiet perforce.

     A seminar on Sikkim-Darjeeling merger in Gangtok in June 2010

 The actual history of Denjong remains untold.  Taking  advantage  of  our  silence, our  Nepali  brethrens  have  planted  a  factoid  that  Sikkim  is  part  of  Nepal.  A  map  was  published  from  Germany in  the  eighties  showing  Sikkim  to  be  part  of Nepal. We  came  to  know  about  it  when  the Government  of  India raised  objection  to  it.   

   After  independence  of  India in  1947  a delegation  of  Nepali  leaders  of  Gorkha  League  from  Darjeeling  and  Praja  Sammelan  from  Sikkim  went  to   Kathmandu  to  urge  their  king  for annexation  of  Sikkim  and  Darjeeling as  they  were  colonized  by  them.  They  still  nurtured  the  ambition  of  conquering  foreign  territories  by  colonization  in  contravention  of  the UN  Resolution  of  1960  on  decolonization  and  taking  advantage  of  the  Indo-Nepal  reciprocal  tie.  Every  Nepali,  irrespective  of  class  and  creed,  believed  in  the  factoid. 

    I  met  a  research  scholar  of  Tribhuwan  University  of  Nepal in  2010  in  a  conference in  Kolkata  who  carried  the  same  factoid.  This  person  was  stunned  in  disbelief  when  I  told  him  that  Sikkim  is  part  of  India. This  is  the  class  of  intelligentsia   which  guided  the  Gorkhas.  This  is  how  the  Sikkim- Darjeeling region  of  Denjong  remains  a  conquered  territory  in  the  eyes  of  the  Indo-Nepal  reciprocal  rulers.

A train  of  events  presided  by  them  ever  since they spoke  about  that.  What  does  the  petition  in the  Supreme  Court  of  India  say about the outright  abolition  of  the  Article  371F  and  the entailing  safeguards for  ethnic  Sikkimese  called  Bhutia-Lepchas ?  What does  the  Sikkim  Panchayat  Act  1993  mean?  Are  they   not  the  measures  aimed  at  obliteration  of  the  existence  of  the  ethnic  Sikkimese  people ?

Do we  have  to  agitate?  If  we  agitate  the  issue  the  first  casualty  would  be  the  innocent   Nepali  people  living  in  other  parts  of  India. They will face pogrom  as  we  did  in  1973.  We do  not  want  this  to  happen.  The Sikkim issue is very inflammable  which  can easily  catch  fire.  Do  the  Gorkhas  know  that the  northern  half  of  Denjong  still  remains  as  a protectorate  of  China  as  agreed  upon  between  Great  Britain  and  China  by  a  Treaty  signed  in  1890?  China has  not  annexed  it.  There  is  a ‘ku-tshab’ (representative)  of  Denjong  stationed  in  Fari  town (in Chumbi Valley). A  reporter  of  a leading  national  publication of  India  pointed  this  out in  detail   in  the  eighties  highlighting  the  need  to  annex  it. 

 Shigatsi  used  to  be  the  capital  of   the kings  of  the  Namgyal  dynasty   till  1642.   The  territorial  extent  of  Denjong  touches  almost  Shigatsi  in  the  north,  Ha-Paro  and  Menlung  Khabji  in  the  east,  Gya  Titalia in  the  south  and  Timar  Chhoten  in  the  west.