GANGTOK, : Amid the ongoing
political discourse surrounding ‘Sikkim-Darjeeling Merger’ issue, former MP
candidate and ex-president of Citizen Action Party Bharat Basnet has called for unity among all
Sikkimese people to safeguard the State’s interests.
Addressing
a press conference on Thursday, Basnet emphasized that the unification demand
raised by the Darjeeling-based GorkhaRashtriya Congress, citing the 1835
British-era treaty, holds no legal or constitutional relevance today.
He
asserted that the 1950 Indo-Sikkim Friendship Treaty nullified all previous
treaties signed during British rule and with Sikkim’s merger into the Indian
Union in 1975, the State was granted special constitutional protection under
Article 371F.
Basnet
criticized the ongoing debate, stating that instead of celebrating Sikkim’s
golden jubilee of its merger with India, both ruling and opposition political
parties are engaging in unnecessary discussions. He highlighted Sikkim’s
strategic importance as a border State sharing frontiers with China, Bhutan and
Nepal, and praised the people of Sikkim for maintaining peace for the past five
decades.
Urging
the Government of India to recognize this milestone, he called for measures
such as waiving Sikkim’s debt, restoring lost Nepali seats in Sikkim
Legislative Assembly and reinstating all diluted provisions of Article 371F. He
also urged the State government to convene a special Assembly session to focus on
development and progress.
With
regards to Sikkim Darjeeling merger, Bharat Basnet said, “We share brotherhood,
culture, language and attire along with all the pain and pathos of the people
of Darjeeling but this kind of unwarranted issues will only strain the strong
brotherhood between Sikkim and Darjeeling.”
