My Struggle – VII

PRESS AND POLITICS

    As early as the beginning of 1998 I had adopted a strong view on the continued and blatant violation of assurances given to the Sikkimese people during the merger and even issued an ultimatum to the Centre and the State Government on the seat issue. The deadline for this ultimatum was April 26, 2000, when Sikkim would complete 25 years as a full-fledged State of the Union of India. I felt the need to take a fresh look on the issue with a view to doing something concrete and radical or even initiate something new and different that would lay the foundation for future initiatives on the seat issue.

    My book was unofficially banned in Sikkim, so I presented to only two persons when it was published in 2014 - former Chief Minister, Nar Bahadur Bhandari (seen above) and former Gangtok MLA and Mayor, Balchand Sarda. 

   More than six years passed by since the OSU (Organization of Sikkimese Unity)  came out in the open on the Assembly seat issue in 1994. In fact, almost ten years had elapsed since I thought of doing something serious on the seat issue. After the 1989 electoral ‘defeat’ of the Opposition in the Assembly polls I felt strongly about getting the OSU started but somehow my main focus was on the Press and my paper. The Sikkim Observer was then perhaps the only English weekly that took journalism seriously in Sikkim. Had there been a few more credible papers in the State I would have given charge of the paper to someone and focused on the OSU.

With former Sikkim CM (1994-2019, Pawan Chamling, in 2017.

   But this wasn’t the case and my priority was to give the paper a firm foundation. I feel that I have been more than successful in this venture though due to circumstances beyond my control the publication of the Observer was irregular at times. However, the very survival of the printing press and the paper – despite trying circumstances for such a long period of time – is something to boast about. I take great pride in the fact that through my publications I have been able to set new standards in print journalism while also making immense contribution to Sikkimese society in general. In the final analysis, success must be measured by our commitment and contribution to the people and to humane and democratic values.

    The importance of regularly bringing out the Observer to inform the people on major events and issues of the day and about the way things were and in the process becoming a catalyst for change in social and political circles was felt deeply all through my career.  This objective has been achieved to a large extent and I intend to devote some time to do an exclusive book on the way we lived and functioned in the Observer.

With former Gangtok MLA and Mayor

   Creating public awareness through the media on vital issues, including social and political matters, is one thing but direct social and political involvement is another matter. Most social and political organizations come and go and pay only lip services to basic issues that concern the long-term interests of the people. My main objective in my profession and as a political activist has been to first create public awareness on the seat issue and then support anyone or any organization, including political parties, which would pursue the seat issue seriously and take it to its logical conclusion.

With former Minister, RC Poudyal.

   I was even prepared to come out in the open and get actively involved in politics on the seat issue till the demand was fulfilled. I had this feeling that others were not really interested on things that became my passion and that only the OSU would be able to do the job. But I could not do it alone. I needed at least two fairly credible, acceptable and known figures from the Lepcha and Nepalese communities and perhaps someone from the old business community who were free and willing to help me lead the movement.

   Since I could not devote full time on the job from 1994, when the OSU was revived, I cannot squarely blame my colleagues in the organization for not taking their responsibilities seriously. We all must humbly accept our shortcomings and move up from there and not let it bog us down. Had we done the right thing and at the right time we would be calling the shots now. Unfortunately, this was not the case then and people were, once again, forced to rely on petty and narrow-minded politicians and those who raise issues with an ulterior motive. This is the main reason why movements – even great movements – often fail. They lack people who have a firm conviction and committed to a cause. It is this conviction that forces them to commit themselves to a cause whose main objective is for the common good of all people.

With former MLA, NB Khatiwada.

   One of the main reasons why I remained quiet on the seat issue after the OSU’s revival in 1994 was that I expected Chamling to take up the issue seriously and resolve it to the satisfaction of all communities. Those, including Chamling, who claim that democracy was restored after the SDF came to power in December 1994, must be ready and willing to fight for the democratic rights of the people in the changed political atmosphere. Restoration of democracy would be useless and meaningless if the people’s basic political and democratic rights are not restored.

    I had no real interest in getting involved in local politics besides trying to safeguard the distinct identity of Sikkim within the Union. This can largely be achieved if we are able to restore all the 32 seats in the Assembly to bonafide Sikkimese. It is up to us to evolve a suitable formula on the seat issue but this must be done within the framework of Article 371F of the Constitution, which is the basic foundation for laying the four cornerstones – cultural, social, economic and political – of our distinct identity.

 

(Ref: The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland, Jigme N. Kazi, Hill Media Publications, Gangtok, 2014, jigmenkazisikkim.blogspot.com)