Have not left the field, still in politics: Chamling

SDF celebrates its 33^rd Foundation Day

GANGTOK, : Former Chief Minister Pawan Chamling on 33^rd SDF Day asserted that he has not taken political retirement and still remains the “final hope” of Sikkim people for justice, security and dignity.

“Pawan Chamling is in politics even today and has not left the field. I have not taken retirement from politics. Have faith, Chamling as the final hope is still there to deliver justice, dignity and security to Sikkim and its people,” said the former Chief Minister.

Chamling, also the SDF president, was addressing the 33^rd SDF foundation day programme at the party’s head-office here. It was his first major public appearance after the 2024 Assembly elections in April last year.

In his speech, Chamling maintained that Sikkim and its future are suffering from ill-health under the SKM government in these six years with its economy, financial, tourism and growth sectors declining. He pointed out that Sikkim was leading the nation in tourism, poverty alleviation, environment protection, peace and development till 2019 during the 25 years of the SDF government.

“Sikkim had peace, law & order, a strong economy, development and innovative schemes. Both people and development flourished during our government. It was a win-win situation for the people. However, people these days say there is no money flowing in the villages, shops are not getting business, land value has regressed and hotels are not running,” said Chamling.

The former Chief Minister highlighted that the SDF government had handed over a strong economy and surplus budget to the SKM government in 2019.

“There should have been a growth in development and purchasing power of our people. Sikkim should have been debt-free by now but nothing has happened in this direction,” said Chamling. He said the State’s decline was due to fake electoral promises of the SKM government and Chief Minister PS Golay.

Chamling added that the SKM has failed to deliver its electoral promises of giving unemployment stipend, contracts to unemployed youth, pension to farmers and ex-panchayats, festival allowance to the people, cash support for cardamom and ginger, and other schemes. The SKM government has failed to even properly maintain the infrastructure and missions developed by the SDF government though it has amassed a huge debt in the six years, he said.

According to Chamling, the SKM government has annually presented deficit budgets since 2019 with all these budgets totalling to Rs. 70,000 crore besides taking loans amounting to Rs. 35,000 crore. So in six years, they have spent Rs. 1.05 lakh crore but no works have been done which means money has been misused…we must find out how and where they spent such huge amount of money as it is the people of Sikkim who have to pay the loan of Rs. 35,000 crore, he said.

The SDF president contended that the public healthcare system is in shambles where the patients have to purchase every medical item in government hospitals while also alleging that the Health department is de-facto run by the Chief Minister’s son.

Chamling also raised questions to the SKM regarding its electoral promises of delivering Limboo-Tamang Assembly seats and tribal status for the left-out communities. He maintained that the SDF government, during its tenure, had prepared and submitted a formula to the Centre for Limboo-Tamang seat reservation. However, the SKM made only big promises of giving Limboo-Tamang seats but does not even have a formula, he said.

On the tribal status demand, the SDF president alleged that Golay was playing politics on the demand. The Chief Minister wants to make the tribal status demand an issue while continuously blaming me so that it becomes a political tool for him to gain vote banks… the more this issue lingers, they will have space to blame us, he said.

To the SDF workers, Chamling urged them to be fearless in fighting against those who are looting and destroying Sikkim and its people. SDF has taken a new fearless avatar from today on the occasion of our 33^rd foundation day, he said.

The SDF president said the party must accept its electoral defeats in 2019 and 2024, and move ahead with new zeal by staying connected with the people. “We lost two elections and must accept it. We now need to build our resolve and work towards victory. People have kept us out of the Assembly this time but they have also placed us among them.  We must reach out to them, politics is not easy, and people need to see our sacrifice, character and courage,” he said.