LAST & FINAL CALL TO PRESERVE

‘SIKKIM FOR SIKKIMESE’ WITHIN THE UNION

   As the Sikkimese society further disintegrates into tiny pieces, leaving us with an unknown, insecure and unchartered future we must realise that the time has come for all of us who are deeply concerned about our future in the land of our origin to take a serious look at what is happening and where we are heading.

   Even as the decades-long demand on restoration of our political rights through Assembly seat reservation is yet to be fulfilled our identity as ‘Sikkimese’ is under constant attack and undergoing severe test even as our so-called leaders are scrambling for power using the Assembly seat issue and Scheduled Tribes status for Nepali-Gorkha community in Sikkim.

   Significantly, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling recently rightly reminded us that the ‘Sikkimese Nepalese’ have a ‘distinct identity’ in Sikkim and urged everyone to maintain unity and harmony and not be led astray by communal elements.  Unfortunately, because of petty politics the Chief Minister’s call had few takers.

   The time has come for all of us to look beyond politics and set aside our personal and political differences and come together to preserve ‘Sikkim for Sikkimese’ for all times  to come within the Indian Union and within the Constitution of India.

   Sikkim and the Sikkimese people are at the crossroad. We cannot change the past but we can and must shape the future of our choice.  Let all bonafide Sikkimese possessing genuine Sikkim Subject Certificate be declared Scheduled Tribes in Sikkim and let Assembly seat reservation be based on ethnicity and not on ST basis. There must be a give-and-take attitude on parity/proportional representation demand in the Assembly from all sides once our identity issue is amicably resolved.

   On a personal level I reiterate my appeal to all Sikkimese – Lepchas, Bhutias, Nepalese and members of the old business community – to come together and preserve ‘Sikkim for Sikkim’ within the Union. I am willing to end my 12-year-old self-imposed exile in my own homeland and join a movement to save Sikkim and Sikkimese for our future generation if there are those who share the same sentiments and come out openly on the issue. 

    However, if there are no takers to our call let us reconcile ourselves to the present reality and accept a Sikkim without the Sikkimese and move on without fear or bitterness.

Jigme N.Kazi

Gangtok, September 2, 2016