GANGTOK, : In support of the ongoing protest at Bodh Gaya, Bihar, over the Bodh
Gaya Temple Act of 1949, the All India Buddhist Forum (AIBF) Sikkim Chapter
conducted a peace rally in Gangtok on Saturday.
The
rally, which saw participation from around 500 supporters from all over Sikkim,
started from Zero Point and passed through the MLA Hostel, Titanic Park, and
Hospital Dara, before concluding near Sadar Thana.
The
Forum is demanding an amendment to the Act to ensure that all members of the
Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) are Buddhists. The peace rally in
Sikkim was held in solidarity with the AIBF members who have been staging a
sit-in protest for over two months in Bodh Gaya.
The
BTMC, appointed by the Bihar government, currently consists of nine members:
four Buddhists, four Hindus, and the District Magistrate of Gaya as the
ex-officio chairperson. The forum argues that the non-Buddhist majority in the
committee hinders the execution of religious programs and insists that all
members should be Buddhists.
“Today
marks the 74th day of the protest in Bodh Gaya. We are demanding the repeal of
the Bodh Gaya Temple Act. This peaceful rally in Gangtok is not just organised
by the AIBF Sikkim Chapter, but supported by people from across Sikkim, from
all age groups and backgrounds, who believe that an injustice has been done to
the Buddhist community,” said Sangay Gyatso Bhutia, AIBF Sikkim coordinator.
He
added that the forum has been collecting contact details of participants and
will soon submit memorandums to the President, the Prime Minister, and both the
Governor and Chief Minister of Sikkim. “On May 12, a major rally is being
organised at Bodh Gaya on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, and Sikkimese
supporters will be joining,” he said.
AIBF
Sikkim convenor Ongdi Pintso Lama stated: “The protest has continued for 74
days now. In 2023, around 25–30 people from Sikkim joined the AIBF rally in
Bodh Gaya. We couldn’t organise a peace rally in 2024, but we did send seven
speed posts to top leaders including the PM, President, and CMs of Bihar and
Sikkim. Our core demand remains the same i.e. we want all Buddhists in the
BTMC.”
He
appealed to Minister Sonam Lama to raise the issue at both State and Central
levels.
“This
is a 100-year-old issue, dating back to British colonial rule. Our primary
demand is for all Buddhist management at BTMC. The 74-day dharna will continue
until the Bihar government repeals the Act. This is not merely an
administrative issue. It's about preserving the sanctity and traditions of our
most sacred site,” said another convener, Sonam Gyatso Sherpa.
“We
are not seeking special treatment, just that the management of a Buddhist
shrine should rest in Buddhist hands.”
Since
February, nearly 100 monks under the AIBF have been protesting, initially
within the Mahabodhi Temple and later just outside it, after being removed by
police on February 27. They have submitted memorandums to the Bihar government,
demanding that the BTMC be dissolved and reconstituted entirely with Buddhist members.
The
AIBF has also filed an intervention petition in the Supreme Court for an urgent
hearing of a 2012 case challenging the Bodh Gaya Temple Act. Protests have been
held in multiple cities including Mumbai, Delhi, and even overseas.
