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.