NO CHANGE OF MIND

“No regrets, no hard feelings”

In days and weeks to come you may be told by some people – genuinely or mischievously - that I would be joining politics and contesting the next Assembly elections  (slated for early 2019 but may take place in 2018) from the prestigious Gangtok constituency, which has equal number of voters from all four communities – Bhutia-Lepchas, Nepalese and byaparies (business community).

This is far from the truth. I have been out of politics and political affairs of Sikkim since 2004. I made an effort to form a credible team and make a comeback in 2008 but this was unsuccessful. Since then this part of my life has been a closed chapter. I intend to keep it that way. The details of what took place are recorded in great detail in my last book, “The Lone Warrior: Exiled in My Homeland” (now unofficially banned in Sikkim) for posterity to take note of.

My political thoughts, recorded in my three books (“Inside Sikkim: Against the Tide” – published in 1993,  “Sikkim For Sikkim: Distinct Identity Within the Union” – published in 2009, and “The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland” – published in 2014), in my numerous newspapers, including Sikkim Observer, and other writings focus on preservation of Sikkim’s ‘Distinct Identity within the Union’ and restoration of the political rights of the Sikkimese people as assured by New Delhi during the ‘merger’ era in 1973-75 and reflected in Article 371F of the Indian Constitution. These are two major issues raised by the Sikkimese people through their social and political organisations in the past four decades.

But despite this New Delhi has failed to meet the hopes and aspirations of the Sikkimese people. So far we have demanded preservation of our ‘distinct identity’ within the Union and within the framework of the Constitution of India. We have never demanded Independence. And yet New Delhi has gone about eroding the credibility of our political leadership and diluting our ‘distinct identity’ and political rights, leading to their eventual death.

Let me again warn New Delhi of what Hindustan Times wrote in April 1974: “Security depends on people, not territory.”

Is it because of New Delhi’s mischievous activities in Sikkim that a people like me have given up on Sikkim and the Sikkimese people? No. I have opted out because I truly believe that our majority Sikkimese Nepalese and their political leadership have made a U-turn along the way and are now not interested in preserving their political rights and distinct identity. They have every right to pursue their own political future and objectives and we must genuinely respect it.

My dream has been that the three ethnic communities (Bhutias, Lepchas, Nepalese), the old business community and others live side by side unitedly and harmoniously with their distinct identity intact and within the bounds of India.

So, with a heavy heart I have come to accept the reality and the death of my dream and called it a day. No regrets, no hard feelings. Its over.