Stones thrown on CM's motorcade, IGP Sachdeva’s suspension demanded

Police lathicharge Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) supporters in Gangtok on Monday. (pix: Himalaya Darpan)

Gangtok, Feb 12: Supporters of newly-formed Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) threw stones at Chief Minister Pawan Chamling's motorcade here on Monday leading  to a police lathi charge at the party headquarter and arrest of nine office bearers of the party, including its working president.

Bottles and stones were hurled at Chamling's convoy when it was passing the SKM head office at Daragaon area, the police said.

The policemen later began lathi charge in the SKM head office and several SKM workers were injured in the fracas, the sources said, PTI reported.

SKM Working President Bharati Sharma alleged that IGP (Law & Order) Akshay Sachdeva began the lathi charge 'without provocation'.

While six persons were arrested soon after the incident, Sharma and two others were arrested later.

Alleging that she was manhandled by the IGP and no women police were present, woman leader Kala Rai said, she would move the Women's Commission, Human Rights Commission and Union Home Ministry against the IGP.

The party also demanded a judicial inquiry into the lathi charge, a rare occurrence in Sikkim, and immediate suspension of the IGP.

The SKM was formed on February 4 by dissident SDF leaders led by rebel ruling party legislator PS Tamang. (also see page 6)

Red sandalwood trade to China through Indo-Nepal border

Siliguri, Feb 12: Recent seizure of huge volume of Red sandalwood from Siliguri adjoining Indo-Nepal border area has once again proved that the porous international border is a favoured route for international smugglers for their passage to China via Tibet.

Though medicinal usage of the endangered flora is considered as one the major purpose of the international grey trade chain, few other possible usages, not so 'healthy,' are now under the scanner of security and revenue agencies.

As the latest episode of the seizure, West Bengal Forest Department officials have confiscated a truck load of sandalwood on Tuesday from Teesta bridge – around 50 km from Siliguri.

"High frequency of seizures proves definite presence of the high value grey trade through this route," said Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials. "To stop it, the buying chain must be understand and broken first," said officials in Sasastra Seema Bal (SSB), the agency that guards Indo-Nepal border.

According to Nepal security agencies, around 1900 metric ton of raw red sandalwood have been seized during the last 3 years in both sides of the border.

As estimated, purchased for Rs 400 per kg in India, it sells for Rs 1500-Rs 3000 in Khasa (Tibet). After illegal felling mainly in Andhra Pradesh in south India, consignments get routed to Nepal through porous border along UP, Bihar or West Bengal. From there, these get into China mainly through Tatopani on Arniko Highway in North Nepal, the largest Sino-Nepal trade point.

Editorial

HOPE IN SIKKIM

A Rebel Is Born

Rebel Sikkimese leader Prem Singh Tamang (Golay), who last week floated his own political party – Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) – to take on his mentor Chief Minister and ruling Sikkim Democratic Front chief Pawan Chamling, is presently the centre of attraction of all parties, including the Centre. Ever since he was voted to the Assembly for the fourth consecutive term in 2009 Chamling has not been at ease. Now that more than 10,000 people openly identified themselves with Golay during the launch of his party in his native village of Singling in West Sikkim Chamling will find it increasingly difficult to rule the State without being openly challenged on all fronts.

Golay has proved himself to be quite a successful rebel. When Chamling did not give him his home constituency of Chakung in West Sikkim to contest the Assembly polls Golay revolted and the Chief Minister was forced to retract. When most of his former colleagues failed to get party tickets for the 2009 Assembly polls Golay was given a ticket from Burtuk constituency in East Sikkim. It is said that he was sent to this constituency to lose but he won! There is, therefore, something in Golay that Chamling has failed to put down. Perhaps it is because of this that many people are pinning their hopes on him. Surprisingly, with all his “anti-party activities” Golay is still in the ruling party. In Sikkim, rebels get to dethrone the rulers and take their place.

Opp condemns Sikkim Police crackdown on SKM supporters

“Police lathicharge was an attack on democracy”

Gangtok, Feb 12: Police crackdown on leaders and supporters of the newly-formed Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) at its party office here on Monday has been strongly condemned by the Opposition.

The Congress party in the State termed the attack “ruthless and brutal” and said it reflected the “oppressive” rule of the present regime. The BJP said the police mercilessly beat up party workers at their party office. BJP chief Padam Chettri has threatened to take up the matter with the Union Home Minister and the State Governor.

While the Sikkim Liberation Party (SLP) said the incident was not only “deplorable” but “conmenable,” the Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad (SHRP) said the lathi-charge was an attack on democracy. The Parishad has demanded judicial probe into the incident.

The SLP chief DN Nepal said the “barbaric police action” is a clear indication that constitutional provisions were violated by Sikkim Police.

The National Sikkimese Bhutia Organisation (NASBO) said Sikkim Police’s image has been “completely tarnished” and Febrruary 11 will “remain as black day in the history of Sikkim Police.”

The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front, however, defended the police action stating that attack on Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s convoy by SKM supporters was an act of violence.

Police crackdown on SKM supporters followed pelting of stones and water bottles on the Chief Minister’s vehicle on Monday morning along the national highway.

Police arrested thirteen party workers, including the party’s Working President Bharati Sharma. Some party workers who were injured in the incident were hospitalised.

Breather for old settlers in Sikkim, SC stays recovery of income tax dues

New Delhi, Feb 12: The Supreme Court yesterday stayed the recovery of income tax dues from “old settlers of Indian origin” in Sikkim and sought the Union government’s response to a petition that challenged the collection of the central tax from them.

Last year, around 400 families in Sikkim refused to file income tax returns and demanded exemption that applies to those who have Sikkim Subject Certificates, The Telegraph reported.

The Chogyal had issued the Sikkim Subject Certificates (SSC) to people living in the state during 1961 under the Sikkim Subject Regulation Act of 1961. The 400 families, also known as “old settlers”, came to the State before 1975, when Sikkim merged with India, but they do not possess the certificates. The Centre had exempted SSC holders from paying income tax in 2008 after an amendment in the Finance Act by the Parliament based on the State’s request.

That year, Association of Old Settlers Of Sikkim filed a petition with a Rajya Sabha Committee saying it was discriminatory and violated Article 14 (equality before law) and 15 (prohibition against discrimination) of the Constitution.

Yesterday, senior counsel K.K. Venugopal and counsel Senthil Jagadeesan, who appeared for the Association of Old Settlers Of Sikkim, submitted that Clause 26 AAA of Section 10 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, was discriminatory and violated Articles 14 and 15 as 95 per cent of the State’s population that was exempted from paying tax “includes about 70 per cent people of Nepalese origin, and the entire exemption has come about to appease the electorate.” The remaining 5 per cent was to pay the taxes.

It was submitted that the demographic profile of Sikkim, according to the 2004 voters’ list, shows that Bhutia-Lepcha (STs) are about 20.64 per cent of the population, Nepalese constitute 69.71 per cent, Sherpas are 4.31 per cent and others make up 5.34 per cent (old settlers: 1.5 per cent and migrants: 3.84 per cent).

The petition said, discussions between Sikkim and the Union of India disclosed that SSC holders and those who became citizens in 1990-91 after the Sikkim Citizenship Amendment Order 1989 should be exempted for political reasons and to maintain ethnic peace in the state and SSC holders who had voted for the merger of Sikkim with India be rewarded by granting exemption.

“This is the reason for the differential classification whereby 95 per cent of the population in Sikkim is exempted from the Income Tax Act, 1961, while 5 per cent of the population including the old settlers of Indian origin are liable to be taxed,” a member of the association said.

Glacial lake outburst in Lachen valley ‘very high’

(left) The South Lhonak Glacier, which drains east from Lhonak Peak into Sikkim from the Nepal-Sikkim border, has developed a lake whose outburst probability is very high at 42% and peak discharge estimated at 586 m3/s.

Gangtok, Feb 12: A satellite-based study has indicated that a huge glacial lake has formed atop the Himalayas in Sikkim with a "very high" potential for it to burst and create devastation downstream.

Analysis of satellite data has revealed that the lake has formed at the snout of South Lhonak glacier that is about 7,000 meters high on the mountain Lachen, North Sikkim. The lake, bounded only by loose soil and debris, could cause havoc downstream if it ruptures, according to scientists at the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) in Hyderabad, ANI reported.

In a report published in the latest issue of the journal Current Science, NRSC researchers Babu Govindha Raj and co-workers say the glacial lake is about 630 meters wide and 20 meters deep.

It covers an area of 98.7 hectares and contains 19.7 billion liters of water. A sudden outburst "can create devastating floods downstream," they warn, adding that the probability of this happening "is very high". They, however, note this is only their preliminary assessment and more field studies are required to confirm the hazardous potential of this high altitude lake.

Data from the American Landsat, CORONA and Terra satellites besides imageries from India's own Resourcesat-1 satellite were used to estimate the size of the shrinking Lhonak glacier and the growth of the glacial lake at different times between 1962 and 2008.

Based on this study the scientists estimate that the Lhonak glacier had receded 1.9 km between 1962 and 2008. The glacial lake that was initially a small body of water in 1962 grew in size with accumulation of melt water. The NRSC scientists say that the lake is still attached to the snout of the glacier but is expanding in area due to the glacier retreat.

"The rate of growth of the lake indicates possible developments of the hazard situation," the report says.

As Himalayan glaciers are retreating fast, it is necessary to make an inventory of glacial lakes and set up an early warning system for lake outburst floods in vulnerable areas, they say.