KAZI WARNED OF ‘NEW THINKING’ IN SIKKIM IF MERGER TERMS VIOLATED

The former Chief Minister, Kazi Lhendup Dorji Khangsarpa, said if the Centre does not honour the terms of the merger and fails to protect the distinct regional identity of Sikkim, new developments may take place in the strategically located mountain State of Sikkim, which merged with the Indian Union one and half decade back.

   Stating that the former Himalayan kingdom’s merger with India was conditional, the ageing Kazi, who is now 88, said in a Press statement that Sikkim had merged with the Indian Union in 1975 under the terms and conditions of the May 8 Agreement, 1973. Referring to the pre-merger period, the Kazi said Sikkim joined the Indian Union on the basis of the Agreement signed between the Chogyal of Sikkim, the Government of India and the leaders of political parties in Sikkim.

   The merger took place in 1975 when the Sikkimese people were convinced that the “rights and interests of the various sections of the people” in Sikkim would be fully protected by the Government of India, the Press release issued by the Kazi said. But if the spirit of the merger is not respected and if the “rights and interests” of the three ethnic communities (Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese) are not protected, as laid down in the Agreement, “new developments” may take place in Sikkim which the Centre cannot afford.

   The Kazi has appealed to the Centre as well as the State Government to give “top priority” to maintain communal harmony and preserve the “distinct regional identity of Sikkim” within the Union. This, he said, can only be done by providing “adequate safeguards” to the three ethnic groups in Sikkim.

   “I was the one who brought democracy to Sikkim and I want the people to enjoy the fruits of democracy”, the Kazi told reporters at his Kalimpong residence earlier this week. However, the “democratic aspirations” of the people have not been met and the “growth of democracy and democratic institutions” in Sikkim “suffered a setback”, the Press statement said. The Kazi is now fully convinced that the Centre is neglecting the State after absorbing it into the mainstream. Stating that the country cannot afford to have “hostile border states at this juncture”, Kazi said “every effort should be made to keep the unity of the Sikkimese people and to safeguard the sovereignty of the nation.” It may be mentioned that prior to the merger political rights of the Sikkimese were fully protected through reservation of seats in the Assembly for all the three ethnic communities.

   Unfortunately, four years after the, merger the Indian Parliament abolished the seats reserved for the Sikkimese Nepalese while reducing seats reserved for the minority Bhutia-Lepchas, who were declared ‘scheduled tribes’ in 1978. Today, the Centre is yet to fulfil the demand on restoration of Assembly seats of the Nepalese. The Chief Minister, Mr. N.B. Bhandari, has been pursuing the demand for restoration of seats for the Sikkimese Nepalese for over a decade. The move to reduce seats reserved for the tribals and to do away with one seat reserved for the Sangha, coupled with the Centre’s refusal to restore the lost seats of the Nepalese, is seen as an act of betrayal by the Centre and an attempt to gradually cause divisions amongst the people and to destroy the unique and distinct cultural identity of Sikkim.

   It is significant that the Kazi has come out with a strong statement defending the rights of the Sikkimese at a time when various parties are reportedly playing devious roles regarding restoration of Assembly seats for the Sikkimese, including Sikkimese Nepalese. While some people want reduction of seats reserved for the minority Bhutia-Lepcha tribals others are opposing demand for restoration of Assembly seats of the Sikkimese Nepalese. The seat issue, which is a major issue for Sikkim, is now pending before the constitution bench in the Supreme Court.

   Rampant corruption and communal politics are threatening to tear the unity of the Sikkimese people, the Kazi pointed out and added that Sikkim’s future was “dark”. “Despite knowing what is happening in Sikkim the Centre continues to ignore the plight of the Sikkimese people. I, as an architect of the merger and as the first Chief Minister of Sikkim, am fully convinced that what is happening in Sikkim needs to be looked into it carefully by the Government of India,” the release said.

   “If the Centre continues to ignore the real issues and problems faced by the people and if political parties and vested interests work against the long-term interest and unity of the Sikkimese people there is every likelihood of new thinking amongst the people regarding their future”, the Kazi warned.

(Ref: Sikkim Observer, January 26, 1991.)

NB: Sikkim Observer, a weekly English published from Gangtok from August 1986 by Jigme N. Kazi, has ceased publication since 2014 due to unfavourable situations in Sikkim).