High-level committee on ST status
demand to submit report on Feb 10
GANGTOK,: Chief Minister PS Golay on Tuesday maintained that opposition here are resorting to ‘Sikkim-Darjeeling merger’ fear-mongering, having run out of issues to discredit the SKM government.
“The
so-called opposition, who have been discarded by the people, are always trying
to make an issue out of a non-issue like the Sikkim-Darjeeling merger. Sikkim
has its unique identity protected by Article 371F under the Indian
Constitution. I reiterate…Sikkim-Darjeeling merger will not happen under any circumstances. But the so-called opposition
always tries to misguide the people,” said Golay.
The
SKM president, addressing the 13th SKM foundation day celebrations
of his Rhenock constituency at Bengthang Tar, was commenting on allegations
surrounding the upcoming February 10 meeting of the high-level committee at
Delhi. The pre-scheduled meeting’s date and venue had been disclosed and later
omitted in a recent SKM press statement regarding decisions taken during the
SKM legislators’ meeting.
Golay
shared that different resolutions were made at the SKM legislators’ meeting
including the upcoming high-level meeting at Delhi but some inadvertent words
were added due to typing errors. He explained that the February 10 meeting was
with the high-level committee constituted by the Sikkim government last
November for the ST status demand of the 12 left-out Sikkimese communities.
The
high-level committee, consisting of prominent anthropologists and
representatives from the left-out communities, is headed by Prof BV Sharma. The
Sikkim government has already held a preliminary meeting with the committee at
Samman Bhavan, Gangtok.
The
Chief Minister shared that a 200-member Sikkim delegation under his leadership
is heading to Prayagraj to attend the Maha Kumbh 2024 on February 7 with the
holy dip scheduled on February 9.
Given
that the Sikkim delegation has to visit Delhi on return trip and most of the
committee experts are based there, we took a decision to hold the second
meeting with the high-level committee at Old Sikkim House, Delhi itself on
February 10, informed the Chief Minister.
The
February 10 meeting is being attended by the committee members, representatives
of the 12 left-out communities and the Sikkim government led by the Chief
Minister. The committee is submitting its draft report to us, he added,
condemning the attempts made by the opposition to give a different picture to
the Delhi meeting.
Just
based on a press statement, they are trying to misguide the people as they
don’t want the 12 left-out communities to get ST status, said the Chief
Minister. He maintained that the SKM government is working dedicatedly to
deliver the tribal status demand.
The
Chief Minister also strongly condemned the inflammatory statements made by one
individual from Darjeeling against a Sikkimese community. Don’t attempt to
vitiate the communal harmony of Sikkim, do it in your area but do not drag
Sikkim into it, we will not spare those trying to damage the communal harmony
of Sikkim, he said.
In
his address, the Chief Minister assured that all infrastructural and
development requirements of Rhenock constituency will be fulfilled by the State
government. He announced to start his ‘Jan Bhet Karyakaram’ from Rhenock
constituency, followed by similar meetings in Soreng, Namchi-Singhithang and
other constituencies.
Golay
would be camping in Rhenock constituency from February 23 to 25 and meet the
local people.
