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(i) Protection of 12 seats reserved for the Bhutia-Lepcha communities in Sikkim Legislative Assembly. (ii)
Reservation of seats for Limboo & Tamang communities in Sikkim
Legislative Assembly consequent the inclusion of these communities in the
list of Scheduled Tribes. (iii)
While Bahun, Chettri and Newar communities have already been declared as Other
Backward Classes(OBC) under State Government Notification, they may be
recommended for notification, as
Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the Central List. (iv)
Recommendation of remaining ethnic communities like Kirat Khambu
Rai, Gurung, Mangar, Sunwar, Thami Newar and Bhujel to be declared as
Scheduled Tribes in Sikkim. (v)
Recognition of Lepcha as the most primitive tribe. (vi)
Increase in the total number of seats in the State Legislative
Assembly. (vii)
Setting up of the Central University. RESOLUTION
NO. 9 0F 2008 That
the Legislative Assembly of Sikkim passed
a resolution on 10th. June 2008 for adoption of the Executive
Report submitted by the commission. The
said Resolution listed as No.9 of the day
was supported by four Annexure
as under - A
– Interim Report of the Commission, A1-
Recapitulation and Recommendations of the Commission, B
- Executive Report of the
Commission, D
– bio-data of Prof. B.K.Roy Burman,
That
in order to make the report of the commission clear the following excerpts
from history are submitted herewith :
- 1.
HISTORY OF OBLITERATION OF SIKKIM AND ITS PEOPLE: (
I ) The
process of obliteration of Sikkim and its people was initiated by the
British in the late nineteenth century.
Sikkim left with the
Chhogyal was conquered by the British in 1888 and was partitioned in 1890
by entering into a convention with Imperial China.
This was done all for obliteration of the ethnic Sikkimese
Bhutias. The British plotted changing Sikkim demographically with
their Gorkha ally. The
territories of Sikkim north of Nathula range was ceded to Tibet. The
territories in the south, comprised of the present day Darjeeling District
of West Bengal, which the British had annexed as early as 1850 was turned
into Tea Estates and Nepalese were cultivated there.
All the cultivable lands of Sikkim were appropriated and divided
into blocks and leased out to Thikadars
(Contractors) for a fixed sum of rent.
The Thikadars imported the Ryots
or tillers from Nepal.
The Lepcha chiefs who were hostile to the Chhogyal were appointed
as Kazi. The kazi may be understood in the sense of the present day
Revenue officer with Magisterial power. Among the Lepcha chiefs the Khangsa brothers were in the
forefront. The kazi is a
derivative of Mughal judicial system burrowed by the Gorkha ruler of
Nepal. The Gorkha ruler appointed
some of the Lepcha chiefs as kazi in the tract of Sikkim they annexed as
reward for their help. There was one Mondal in each Block as
representative of the kazi. This system of land tenancy came to be known
as zamindari. In short the
British agents were referred as kazi-Thikadars. This
way the British plotted
complete extermination of the Sikkimese Bhutia as they did to the Carib
Indians. The native Indian inhabitants of Caribbean Islands group in the
West Indies were wiped out and the left outs were transported to distant
lands. The British friendly black people were resettled there.
How they did it in Sikkim, H.H. Risley may be quoted as under
‘The Future of Sikkim’ in the introduction to the Gazetteer of Sikkim,
1894 – “
.. ..
Most of all will our position be strengthened by the change which is
insensibly but steadily taking place in the composition of the population
of Sikhim. The Lepchas as has been stated, are rapidly dying out; while
from the west, the industrious Newars and Goorkhas of Nepal are pressing
forward to clear and cultivate the large areas of unoccupied land on which
the European tea-planters of Darjeeling have already cast longing eyes.
The influx of these hereditary enemies of Tibet is our surest
guarantee against a revival of Tibetan influence.
Here also religion will play a leading part.
In Sikhim as in India, Hinduism will assuredly cast out
Buddhism.” It
was not exactly the Lepchas who were dying out.
It was the Sikkimese Bhutias who were dying out due to their
involvement in the malaria and kala-azar infested terai region. Chhogyal
Sidkeog Tulku himself was a victim of malaria. He contracted malaria when
he camped in Jalpaiguri for construction of winter residence in 1911. Most
of the people involved in the construction mostly from south and west
Sikkim died of malaria and kala-azar.
A Sikkimese settlement still exists in the area. The
decimation of Sikkim and Palestine was started by the British
at about the same time. There is a striking parallel between the
two. The state of Israel was
raised out Palestine. Similarly
a Gorkha state is being raised out of Sikkim. In Sikkim, it is believed
that some good hearted English man might have advised
Chhogyal Thutob Namgyal to plead for a restriction on the sale of
lands by Bhutia Lepcha people and also to save them from dispossession and
displacement. Chhogyal Thutob Namgyal pleaded this from a prison. The
Chhogyal was much concerned with the plight of the Sikkimese Bhutia who
were targeted for being his clan-men. In
Palestine the unsuspecting Palestinians sold their arid lands to the
Jewish people at premium. The
overseas Jewish people remitted money to their fellow Jews in Palestine
for purchasing as much land as possible.
By 1930 almost 60% of lands in Palestine were in the hands of
Jewish people. In Sikkim it
was the Zamindari system which indirectly
took away the lands from the natives. All cultivable lands were
appropriated by the Zamandari regime. Had the Zamandari regime been not
abolished in 1949, they might have acquired title over whole of Sikkim.
Today 60% of the cultivable lands of Sikkim are held by the
Nepalese, 30% by the Lepchas including their Kazis.
The size of the land holdings of the Sikkimese Bhutia household
explained the history. The above said commission analysed the community
wise distribution of land in Sikkim on the basis of data pertaining to the
period 1978-83. The
commission found as in Annexure ‘A’
to the Resolution No.9 – “
..
..It is to be noted that contrary to general impression Lepchas
have proportionate more land than
that of Bhutias during the period under referenced.” Today
Sikkim has no reserved revenue land for allotment to the landless
Sikkimese Bhutias. It is
anticipated that 90% of the Sikkimese Bhutias would be landless by 2025
AD. In order to suppress the fact about this, the holdings of the
Kazi Lepchas (Zamindars) and eight
ethnic groups of multi-national
origin have been shown under Bhutia
block. The
Sikkimese Bhutias suffered
worst of subjugation under British regime as the kingdom was turned
into a serfdom. What
economic condition the Sikkimese Bhutias attained today, was
achieved during the short respite of
twenty years , that was from 1950 after the end of serfdom to 1970.
They partially succeeded in recovering
the lost ground. (
II ) The
fortune of the
Sikkimese Bhutias eclipsed once
again when their home land was annexed by India in 1973 bringing the
process initiated by the British into culmination.
Sikkim was invaded simultaneously from within and outside in April 1973.
The Chhogyal(king) of Sikkim was dethroned.
A Treaty was forced
upon Sikkim on 8th. May 1973.
This Treaty is better known as the Tripartite Agreement 1973.
But the hostility against the Sikkimese Bhutias continued. They
faced pogrom. Their leaders and elders were hunted and hounded. They faced
execution, arson, looting. Their
houses were ransacked and set on fire. The hostility against Sikkimese
Bhutias partially subsided only when
Sikkim was formally declared as the 22nd. State of India on May
16, 1975. However the
hostility of the Nepalese continued who opposed the safeguards that the
native Bhutia Lepcha enjoyed
in the form of parity. The
parity was abolished in 1979 by a Presidential ordinance pending passage
of the Representation of Peoples (Amendment)
Bill, 1979 by the Parliament of India in violation of the Treaty of
May 8, 1973. The mandated Bhutia Lepcha reservation was downsized
from 16 to 13 in a
house of 32. The Nepalese
under the leadership of Mr.
Ram Chandra Poudyal moved the
Supreme Court of India for
repeal of the Bhutia Lepcha reservation including the Article 371F of the
constitution of India which provided for the safeguards. In simple
language the Nepalese wanted total obliteration of the existence of Bhutia
Lepcha people from the soil of Sikkim as had been planned by Great
Britain. The
majority bench of Supreme
Court of India dismissed the writ petition of Mr. Poudyal in 1993.
He was shown to have lost the case.
In reality what he succeeded in getting was not highlighted.
Mr. Poudyal won two things from the writ -
the dilution of the mandated
Bhutia Lepcha reservation and its
transformation into a transitional arrangement which would go any time. A complicity of Government of India is suspected in this
episode. The Government of India too was not in favour of the mandated
Bhutia Lepcha reservation to be permanent.
The Indian rulers were wary about such special provisions in their
constitution. They had one
already in the form of Article 370 which gave special status to the state
of Jammu & Kashmir. The
process of obliteration of the mandated Bhutia Lepcha reservation was done
very ingeniously taking advantage of the helplessness of the people. First
as vanquished people the Bhutia Lepcha people were declared as Scheduled
Tribes of India vide the Constitution (Sikkim) Scheduled Tribes Order in
1978. This Order placed the
Sikkimese Bhutia in the category of multinational people viz: Chumbipa,
Dopthapa, Dukpa, Kagatey, Sherpa, Tibetan, Tromopa and Yolmo.
A new genus of Bhutia was created. A Bhutia language was also
notified for the genus in supersession of the language Notification of
1958. The diluted or the enlarged definition of Bhutia was surreptitiously
inserted in the Representation of Peoples (Amendment)
Bill, by way of a footnote definition.
The Bill was passed into an Act in 1980 almost a year later.
There was no Sikkimese Bhutia in the Parliament of India to defend
their case. Thus
was made a mockery of the mandated safeguard of the native Bhutia
Lepcha people of Sikkim. The above stated
people derived their name from the
places or countries they came from.
Thus, Chumbipa means people living in Chumby valley of Tibet China.
Tromo and Doptha are regions within Chumby valley.
Tibetan represented
whole of Tibet. The Kagatey, sherpa and Yolmo are ethnic Nepalese.
The Dukpa is a national of Druk or Bhutan. What
is left of BL-reservation
after the dilution of the definition of
“Bhutia” ? The
ethnic identity and entity of Sikkimese Bhutia was destroyed as above. The
people of stated origin are made
eligible for election to Legislative Assembly from
seats reserved for the Bhutia Lepcha.
Besides any one can identify himself as member of one or the other community by affidavit. In other words, the ethnic Sikkimese Bhutia or the Denjongbo
stand technically exterminated. The Nepalese being in majority they can
get elected a Nepali from the
Bhutia Lepcha-seats. In this manner a mechanism was evolved for sabotaging
the interest of Sikkimese Bhutia from within.
2.
BHUTIA LEPCHA -RESERVATION This
is not to be understood in the ordinary sense of reservation.
This is not a statutory reservation as provided under Article
332(1)
of the constitution of India. This is a measure intended for
relocation and rehabilitation of the native Sikkimese people comprised of
the Bhutia Lepcha when Sikkim
was conquered by India in April 1973.
It is mandated by
International convention that when a member state of the UNO
conquered a territory, the interest of the natives of the conquered
territory or in other words the vanquished people are duly protected and
they are not placed at disadvantage. The
Bhutia and Lepcha people constituted one nationality that of Sikkim.
This is how the Bhutia Lepcha came to be clubbed together in the
Treaty signed on May 8, 1973 and subsequently in the Mandated Reservation.
Ironically the mandated BL-reservation
was rendered almost defunct as stated above.
The Bhutia Lepcha people could never defend their rights. In other words their fate was decided without being given an
opportunity to be heard. 3.
SANGHA-RESERVATION Sangha
in the context of Sikkim is Lha-dey and
Lha-dey is not Sangha. The
misnomer cropped up due to official fauxpass of the regime in the
erstwhile Sikkim. The official in charge of the affair might have
understood the Lhadey as Sangha. Sangha is called “Gey-dün” in Sikkimese which
is a body of celibate monks ( Gelong ) who have renounced the
worldly life. Whereas Lhadey
is a council of monks ( Dharma Sansad ) who are engaged in worldly
affairs. A monk need not
necessarily be a celibate in Sikkim as in other Buddhist countries.
Sikkimese monks live by themselves. They
are not supported by the state. They led the twin life of a monk
and a laity. As laity they were the soldiers, police, doctor and
administrator. Very few took to celibacy. The best of the son who bore no
marks on the body was admitted in the order.
There are six great Gumpas called Gön-chhen – three nyingma and
three Kagyu. The nyingma are
Pema Yangtsi, Tashiding, Fensang and the Kagyu are Ralang, Fodong and
Rumtek. They functioned as the District collectors of present day. For
this reason the Sikkimese Gumpas do not admit non-Sikkimese origin people
in their order. On top of that there is the criteria of the clan. This is
how the Sangha that is Lhadey
is intertwined with the Sikkimese life and polity. 4.
REVENUE ORDER NO.1 The
Revenue Order was first issued in January 1897 and in bit enlarged form in
1917. It was a
directive issued to the British agencies called Kazi-Thikadars by
the British Political Officer at Gangtok who also functioned as the
Superintendent of Sikkim affairs till 1917 for restriction of sale of
lands by the native Sikkimese Bhutia Lepcha people. The Order specified
two categories of land as the title or the freehold land held by the
natives viz the Bhutia Lepchas and the lease hold land held by the Kazi,
Thikadars, Mondals and their
Nepali tillers (Ryots ). Most
of the land leases were renewed or
fresh ones granted illegally in 1925 for another 25 years. The Revenue
Order remained redundant and
the land was turned into serfdom. The young Chhogyal Sidkeong Tulku
opposed the British system of governance but to his own peril. He was done
to death in 1912. He was
suffering from malaria. It is alleged that he was assassinated by
injecting rum into his artery by engaging a British quack in the pretext
of treating malaria. The
ryots(tenants) were the charge or the subjects of the Thikadars and not of
Chhogyal. They were the bonded labourers of the Thikadars because they
were brought to Sikkim by the Thikadars acting directly under the
Political Officer. The ryots
paid the lease rent to their respective Thikadar which included the
commission of the Thikadar. This
rate was higher than the normal Land revenue rate
paid by the Bhutia Lepcha to the Government. The
winds of change blowing from the plains influenced the tillers to revolt
against the bondage of kazi-Thikadari.
It was finally abolished in 1949. But the status of ryots of the
Kazi-Thikadars was not settled. They
were living as before as mere tenants. It was settled only in 1961 by
India as protector of Sikkim when
Chinese threat loomed large in the Himalayan frontier of India.
5.
PARITY AND ETHNIC VOTING: Much
insinuation is made out of the
parity system of power sharing without going into the background.
The situation of parity and
ethnic voting developed due to the status of the former ryots (tenants) of
the kazi Thikadars and secondly the India-Nepal Treaty of 1950.
The ryots were mostly the subjects of Nepal. India as protectorate
of Sikkim worked out the formula when the natives protested.
The Nepalese were allowed dual status in accordance with the
clause-6 & 7 of the Treaty. Under
the parity irrespective of the size of the population, the Nepalese were
given 50 % only. The ethnic voting was abolished by India after
annexation. The Representation
of peoples (Amendment) Act of 1980 which is the Bill of 1979 downsized the
Bhutia Lepcha reservation to 13 from 16 in the house of 32.
HOW OBLITERATION
OF SIKKIMESE
BHUTIAS PLOTTED : 1.
That the aim and object of the commission is the abolition of the
mandated Bhutia Lepcha reservation. This
is the fourth attempt. The
first attempt was made by moving the Supreme Court of India in 1979 and as
stated above it succeeded in diluting the reservation and turning it into
a transitional arrangement. The second attempt was made in 1993. The
present commission was instituted immediately after the third one. The
resolution was passed hastily on
10th. June 2008 without giving
the usual statutory notice to the Assembly secretariat even. 2.
That the composition of the Commission is highly unconstitutional
and biased against Sikkimese Bhutia. The commission
comprised of the following main stream Indians, Nepalese and
Lepchas who openly opposed
Sikkimese Bhutias : - (i
). Prof.B.K.Roy
Burman,
Chairman (ii
). Shri
D.N.Takarpa (Lepcha), Hon’ble Speaker, SLA,
Member (iii
). Shri
K.N.Rai, Hon’ble Minister, RMDD,
Member (iv
). Shri
D.T.Lepcha, Hon’ble Minister,R&B,
Member (v
). Prof.A.K.Danda,
President
Anthropological society of India,
Member (vi
). Shri
C.B.Tripathi, formerly
Coordinator, Tribal Studies Panel, Indian
Council of Social Science Research,
Member (vii
). Ms.C.K.Cintury,
IAS (Retd), Member (viii
). Mr.R.S. Basnet,
Principal Secretary, Chief Minister’s Office as Member Secretary of the
commission. 3.
That neither a copy of the Bill nor the report is circulated for
the information of general public and specially the Sikkimese Bhutias.
Venerable Acharya Lama, the lone opposition member in the Assembly
was not allowed to speak on the bill . 4.
That the Commission brought shocking facts to light. The
Commission alleged that the little safeguards that the native Bhutia
Lepcha people of Sikkim enjoyed in the form of the mandated reservation
caused “reverse inequality” in the socio-economic profile of the people. The
Commission reported that in this situation, if the balancing measures were
not taken quickly, the reverse inequality may have an unsettling effect on
the socio-political structure of the state. 5.
That the Government of Sikkim granted the Lepcha the recognition of
“Primitive Tribe” in
2005 much ahead of the institution of the commission.
It proposed to upgrade the recognition to the “Most Primitive
Tribe” in 2008 as evident from the report of the commission. This is
submitted to the Government of India for inclusion in the central list.
Though consensual it was aimed at dissolution of the mandated
Bhutia Lepcha reservation. 6.
That the observations of the commission
coupled with the statement of Dr.Pawan Chamling, chief Minister
that the Bhutia Lepchas would not be safe unless the Nepalese are safe,
raised a question that India as the conqueror of Sikkim alone could
address. A situation of this
nature was anticipated in 1973 only when India annexed Sikkim.
That the situation warranted relocation of the Sikkimese Bhutia for
self determination. 7.
That one of the terms of reference of the commission is shown as
protection of the Bhutia Lepcha reservation. In reality it was used as
shield for implementation of larger agenda.
This is revealed when the Commission
noted in the last
paragraph of the Para-3.18.6 of the Executive Report which is Annexure
‘B’ to the Resolution – “
.. .. Erasing the opportunities of original Scheduled Tribes by whatever means
will not stem the tide. If anything, it will remove whatever check is
there against the tide.”
8.
That the commission has not been very fair and clean about
information used for justifying its recommendations. What bothered the Sikkimese Bhutia most
is that the Chairman of the commission is an important person who
drafted policy matters for Government of India. 9.
That the commission literally crafted out the recommendations for
inclusion of non-tribal Nepali population in the Scheduled Tribes in the
most extraneous manner. The commission adopted new yard sticks such as -
The Historical Right, Justice Right, Need Right and
Social Structured attribute. A tribe in Indian context meant those
people who are still in the early stage of evolution, who still lacked the
sense of property , sense of material value,
sense of self determination. They still lived in early mode of life
and held a myth of genesis which is always rooted to the soil.
10.
That the commission attempted to mislead the nation and the
international community into making them believe that the Nepali
population as a whole is a tribe and indigenous to Sikkim. 11.
That the commission distorted the facts about territorial tribe as
found in Kinnaur of Himachal Pradesh and Jaunsar of Uttaranchal Pradesh.
Sikkim can not be compared with Kinnaur and Jaunsar which are mere
sub-divisions. Sikkim is a
state and it is not fair to compare the tribes of Kinnaur or Jaunsar with
the Nepalese who are the rulers of Sikkim.
12.
That the commission suppressed fact about Indo-Nepal ties and their
impact particularly on the Bhutia Lepcha people.
The Clauses - 6 & 7 of the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and
Friendship, 1950 has been one way traffic with exemption of visa/passport
etc. No cut off year is fixed
by the Treaty for granting citizenship right to the people.
13.
That the commission distorted facts about the Sikkim Subject
Regulation,1961. This is citizenship rule of erstwhile sovereign Sikkim.
How can the commission compare Sikkim at the relevant time with
other Indian states which were governed by Indian regulation.
The Sikkim subject Regulation, 1961 fixed
1946 as the cut off year for the
Ryots(tenants) of the British agencies to be Sikkim Subject. 14.
That the commission projected the Nepalese as underprivileged and
suffering masses. Nowhere it is indicated that the Nepalese have been ruling
over the state since the day one of the conquest in 1973. Instead the
commission projected the Bhutias as the ones who are still the ruling
elites and most privileged ones and held them as the root cause of the
growing reverse inequality in the socio-political structure of the state.
Given the rate of influx , can it be rectified ? But the game plan
is to destroy the Sikkimese Bhutias economically as well. Thousands of
Crores of rupees have been ploughed into the state since 1973.
Where is the money gone ? Who
is responsible for the reverse inequality
? The economic plight of the Sikkimese Bhutia, who mostly live
in villages, has gone down deplorably.
The member of Bhutia community embracing Christianity speak volumes
about their economic plight. It is deteriorating day by day. The cash crops like the oranges, ginger and cardamom
have stopped growing. Their
land holdings have fragmented which did not sustain livelihood. 15.
That in order to justify the recognition of
Bahun , Chettri and Newar( upper caste Hindus) as ST, the
commission distorted facts. It is stated in para-3.20 of the Executive
Report - “
.. .. Here
we have taken note of an interesting fact.
Each ethnos like Bahun, Chettri, Rai has a good number of persons
who have been converted to Christianity. But they continue to be members
of the original ethnos”. This
is sinister. The Christian society took special care that the converts did
not revert back. They are not allowed to take part or mingle in social
functions of the Hindus. They
are forbidden to take Hindu puja prasada( food offerings to god ). The
nation can not be bluffed like this.
If Bahun, Chhetri and Newar become ST, what would the genuine ST
become ? 16.
That the commission suppressed facts about dilution of the
definition of Bhutia. The Bhutia Lepcha reservation was turned infructuous
by including in the Sikkimese Bhutia eight Multi-national tribes viz:
Chumbipa, Dopthapa, Dukpa, Kagatey, Sherpa, Tibetan, Tromopa and Yolmo. Of
which the Kagatey, Sherpa and Yolmo are Nepali : the Chumbipa, Dopthapa,
Tibetan and Tromopa are Tibetans and Dukpa is Bhutanese. The kazi
community is also included in the Bhutia.
Whereas the commission showed only Bhutia and sherpa hiding the
rest. 17.
That the commission suppressed facts about the Revenue Order No.1of
1917. The land holding of the
Sikkimese Bhutia is skewed by the holdings of other people included in it.
The land holdings of the Sikkimese Bhutia needed reassessment
against the background of Revenue Order No.1. 18.
That the commission used a questionable Historical sources for
establishing the historical Right of the Nepali people. The commission has
not established the rights conclusively.
The commission spoke about the seven given tribes. The commission
itself admitted at the same time that influx from outside is alarming as
at pg.-7 of Annexure
‘A1”- “ ..
..The transition has been retarded by an important demographic
fact. Compared to the rest of India large scale immigration of population
is taking place in Sikkim creating thereby a seize psychosis among
indigenous local population.” More
of tribes/castes will join in course of time which is a continuous
process. Nearly eighty
thousands of them were granted Indian citizenship only in 1989.
Dr.Chamling proposed 1975 as the cut off year for identifying people for Land Bank
facilities. This way
the cut off year is being moved forward. HOW
THE RELOCATION
IS NECESSARY: 1.
That the ethnic Sikkimese Bhutias are basically apolitical.
They are thoroughly imbibed in the philosophy of Buddhism. They
strove for self excellence. They lived by the “Live and let live” philosophy of life. They treated the life just as a
transience. They looked at people very compassionately irrespective of
caste and creed. They shared
what ever they have with others. They
performed pujas day and night for the welfare of
all sentient beings which included all people. 2.
That they bought peace sacrificing everything.
For this reason their well wishers cynically compared
them with the animals which were standing in the backyard of a slaughter house
waiting for their turn to go in. Those animals are least perturbed by the
activities that are taking place inside the house.
They ate gleefully from the same hand which took their lives the
very next moment. This is the case with
the Sikkimese Bhutia people since the day one of annexation of Sikkim by
India in 1973.
Tragically their spirit of tolerance has been misjudged and
they are taken for granted. 3.
That Sikkim is considered as the most peaceful state of India. The
natives alone knew at what cost
and pain the peace is propped up in Sikkim.
They alone knew at what cost and pain the “shabtens
( pujas ) ” are performed individually at home and collectively in
the Gumpas for the peace and prosperity of Sikkim.
They alone knew why they thronged places of worship for spiritual solace and rushed to the Rimbuchhis(precious Guru)
off and on for guidance. Because
there is no Government for them. The
Commission Report also confirmed this.
How long will they live at the discretion and pleasure of some body
? 4.
That the atrocities of the conquerors of Sikkim since April 1973
onwards are there for all to
see. They are taking place in
ever growing scale. They faced sustained campaign of hatred and contempt.
That the campaign of hatred and contempt for anything that is Bhutia is
carried out through printed medium as well.
Such insinuations have found place in the vernacular school Text
Books too. Emboldened with the silence of the Sikkimese Bhutias the
campaign is carried out publicly through PA system. Canards are spread at
home and abroad that Nepalese are being chased out of Sikkim.
Indeed the Nepalese are chased out of the trouble torn north
eastern region of India. Incidentally most of them are resettled in Sikkim.
This canard was first cultivated in Sikkim by a paranoid man called L.B
Basnet in a book titled “The Political History of Sikkim” that he
published in 1973 after annexation
of Sikkim by India. He
alleged in the book that every house of Bhutia
contained arsenals of firearms. The Bhutias were plotting a Uganda
like operation against Nepalese in Sikkim.
The Bhutias were taken aback by the allegation. What worried them
most is that it is placed in a printed medium where
it will live on. A
classic example of how written text could incite passion of hatred in one
community against other is testified by the Bible. The people who wrote
Bible could not have imagined that the story of crucifixion of Jesus
Christ would threaten the lives of millions
of Jewish people.
5.
That the canard cultivated by the paranoid person has been a tool
in the hands of the leaders ever since.
It is planted across Nepal. The
Sikkimese Bhutias going to Nepal on pilgrimage came across with people who
inquired from them whether Nepalese are really being chased out of Sikkim.
Upon little inquiry it was found out
that the canard was used in furthering their vested interests. It
helped them in gaining the sympathy of
unsuspecting fellow country men for acquisition of properties
there. The canard is used to whip up sub-national communal passion
among the people as and when situation demanded and especially during
election times. That the
threat of reenacting the pogrom of 1973 is repeatedly issued. The canard
assumed alarming proportion in March 1994 when a certain party spread the
rumour that Nepalese are being wiped out in Gangtok. In response to the
call thousands of fully armed Gorkha militia from Nepal and different
parts of India thronged Gangtok. The militias were flabbergasted when they
found nothing of the sort in Gangtok. Sikkim police had tough time in
disarming them. The BBC reported this supported by file pictures of
different sources which amounted to insinuation.
6.
That the places of worships are defiled, vandalized and encroached
upon. Not a single Chhoten and Mendangs ( Buddhist stupas ) are left
undefiled. There was
systematic attack during 1980
and 1990. Thereafter it has
been sporadic. The sacred lake of Khe-cho-pelri
was defiled by a self styled Baba in 2003.
He came all the way from Nepal.
He was seen washing himself in the lake holding a National
flag of India by the other as if he was conquering a virgin
territory for India. This could happen due to the privilege accorded to
national of each country in the territory of other
by the clause- 6 & 7 of the India-Nepal Treaty of 1950. The
case went right up to the Supreme Court of India. The Baba vanished to
Nepal. He reappeared in
August 2008 to address a convention on Gorkhaland in the heart of Gangtok.
More of such unpleasant incidences are anticipated to take place with the
change of political culture in Nepal. 7.
That Gumpa ( Buddhist Temple ) estate lands are targeted. They are
encroached upon and transferred fraudulently. The Lamas are coerced or
induced to the fraud. The estate lands of three
prominent Gumpas viz. Pema-Yang-tsi, in the west Sikkim, Ralang in
the South and Rumtek in the east are in the vortex.
Raking up the matters means innumerable court cases against the
state, concerned Gumpa, and the individuals and parties acquiring the
lands. 8.
That the Sikkimese Bhutias can not get what are entitled to them by
right or merit. The discrimination was worst in the employment. The
Sikkimese Bhutia children have become highly prejudiced.
They hesitate to apply for job. They have developed a preconceived
notion that they would be denied. Those in employment are equally
aggrieved. The vacancies are advertised with implied condition that
non-Nepali need not apply. At
times it is done indirectly. The main deciding question is about writing
an essay in Nepali. 9.
That the native Sikkimese Bhutia anticipated the worst with the
cultivation of the so called Central University in Sikkim.
This is seen to be a central design.
A young Lecturer/Professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University
of New Delhi and an advocate of Gorkha state is cultivated as the
Vice-chancellor of the said university. He is known for his contempt for
anything that is Bhutia. His article published in the editorial of
Times of India published from New Delhi, a few years ago, evidenced
this. Many people saw the
university against the backdrop of
the Roy Burman Commission. 10.
That Sikkim as a whole is
being turned into a Twenty Thousands Megawatt composite hydro-electric
power house. The scheme is accorded priority by Government of India.
Accordingly the Government of Sikkim proposed a number of
Hydro-electric power projects under the scheme. Of which 70 (seventy) have
been sanctioned. This is
stated to be the initial phase. An alternative high way via Bhutan is
being proposed under scheme. The
vast stretch of the existing national highway which runs along the course
of Teesta river is expected to be submerged in later stages when the
height of the dams on the
river and its tributaries shall be raised for stepping up the generation.
11.
That two thirds of Sikkim is uncultivable, uninhabitable and
inhospitable rocky mountains. The
remaining one third is also
strewn with rivers, cliffs and rocks.
The total geographical area of
Sikkim is 7096sq.km. Mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak of the
world is situated there. Most
of the proposed hydro-electric projects are coming up within the habitable and the settlement areas. The population figure
supplied by the Directorate of Census, Government of India as 6,00,000 is
suspicious. The population of
people living in Sikkim at any time is not
less than 20,00,000 Lakhs as of today.
The census of India just showed the population of Nepalese living
in India as 28,00,000 lakhs. Whereas
the Nepalese claim it to be to the tune of 3,00,00,000. The population density of Sikkim can not be calculated in
same manner as being done in the plains of India.
Sikkim is already over-populated. It is
in seismic zone. It
may burst any time. The immigrants will go back to their respective
countries or mother lands after making good business. 12.
That Sikkim falls within defense
zone of India and is kept blacked out from media.
The Indian media does not give coverage of the developments in
Sikkim. The marathon
hunger strike staged by the Lepchas in protest against the Power projects
since June 2007 did not find place in the English or the Hindi medium
national papers of India. Seven of the power projects are located in the
Lepcha Reserve land called Zongu in North Sikkim. There is no remedy or
relief if the people are
asked to vacate lands. 13.
That the top brass of the bureaucracy comprised the members of
Indian elite services called Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police
Service and Indian Forest Service. They are paid an additional allowance
of 15 % for the extraordinary
role they played. They functioned more as party activists than as watch
dog of the state administration. The
fate of the native people is all but understandable in this situation.
The absence of civil society in
the state is acknowledged by the commission.
It is very unsafe for the natives. 14.
That Sikkim is invaded by influx of low degrade people, criminals ,
fugitives and economic refugees from mainland India and neighbouring
countries. The commission placed the fact on record as -
“
.. .. The transition has been retarded by an important
demographic fact. Compared to the rest of India large scale immigration of
population is taking place in Sikkim creating thereby a seize psychosis
among indigenous local population.” Only
in 1989, the domicile of
75,000 of such influx people were settled by granting them Indian
citizenship. Regularization of the domicile status of influx people would
continue under the Land Bank and free Housing Schemes. Hearthless and
landless people are provided land and a dwelling house under the schemes
with financial supports. Sikkim
is turned into Eldora do. 15.
That the Nepalese have been persistent about realization of
Gorkhaland. A Gorkha Apex
Committee is constituted in Sikkim to pursue the matter.
The committee openly attacked the natives.
The issue of Gorkhaland has gone to the highest level.
Ironically, both the Nepali leaders and the Government of India are
silent over the fate of the native people of Sikkim.
Numerically insignificant, they are helpless and remain blacked out
from Indo-Nepal agenda. 16.
That the statement of
Dr. Chamling, the chief Minister, that Bhutia Lepchas will not be safe unless Nepalese are
safe warranted relocation of Sikkimese Bhutia.
He made the statement
in his address to the Sikkim Government employees in Paljor Stadium
Gymnasium on 28th.June and also on
26th. July 2008. The meeting was anchored by the Chief
Secretary to the Government of Sikkim. This is not a political stunt. This
highlighted the harsh reality of Indo-Nepal ties. The statement of
Dr. Chamling implies
that the Government of India should formally declare Sikkim as a Nepali
state. Indeed India is placed
under obligation by the India-Nepal Treaty of 1950 and the Tripartite
Treaty between Nepal, Great Britain and India, 1947 regarding use of
nationals of Nepal as Gorkhas in the British and Indian Armies
respectively. 17.
That the hostility of the Nepalese towards anything
that is Bhutia is not just pathological.
It is imbedded in the psyche and quite genetical. The hostility
will not end even if the Bhutia Lepcha-reservation, Sangha-reservation
including Article 371F are abolished.
The Bhutias have not lived in peace in the neighboring Darjeeling
hills of West Bengal where no Bhutia Lepcha-reservation or 371F existed.
H.H. Risley noted about this ethnic hostility in the Gazetteer of
Sikkim, 1894 as – “ .. ..
The influx of these hereditary enemies of Tibet is our surest
guarantee against revival of Tibetan influence”.
Indeed
Nepal is the only country in the world where the Bhutia people are
forbidden to identify themselves as Bhutia.
If a Bhutia wants to live in Nepal he has to change his alias.
The king of the Bhutia
enclave of Mustang in Nepal is forced to change his name to Bista
Chhetri. The identity
of the Bhutias of Manang is
changed into Gurung. 18.
That the commission makes it clear that the mandated Bhutia Lepcha
reservation must go. The commission noted in the Para-2.11 of the
Executive Report which is Annexure ‘B’ – “
.. ..
Supreme Court speaks of the
subvention of the legal process to the political contingency of admission
of a border state to the Indian Union; but at the same time the Court
envisages a peaceful and gradual process of transition.
By the nature of things, the Court is not expected to prescribe the
political process and to indicate a time-frame. We
do not think that CRESP is qualified to lay down a road map for the
elimination of the feudal residues, except to note that in the recent
years the geo-political environment seems to have moved in favour of
completion of the transition in a quicker pace. We should note here one
aspect of the political process which does not appear to have been
adequately explored.” The
commission viewed the growing Chinese tantrum in the Sikkim sector of the
Indo-China border, the Gorkha land issue
and the Maoist take
over of Nepal as the geo-political environment which warranted early
completion of the transition. The
early completion of transition meant the obliteration of the Sikkimese
Bhutias at the earliest. The Lepcha tribe is obliterated out by granting
it the recognition of the Most Primitive Tribe.
The commission proposed turning Sikkim into a compact Gorkha state.
Accordingly it recommended turning entire Nepali population as territorial
tribe indigenous to Sikkim. That
roads, streets and places are renamed after Indian and Nepali leaders. The
statues of Mahatma Gandhi and that
of Nepali father figure known as Bhanu Bhakta Acharya
are erected all over the state in a systematic manner. 19.
That the existence of Sikkimese
Bhutia is already wiped out at the village level. No Bhutia Lepcha-reservation
is provided in the Panchayat in terms of the Tripartite Agreement of 1973
and Article 371F of the constitution. The Panchayat is state subject. This
is nothing but ethnic cleansing which has parallel only in the
Israel-Palestine tangle. 20.
That India had formally declared Sikkim as its 22nd.
State on 16th. May 1975. Since
then the 16th. May has
been celebrated as the
victory day. The occasion
witnessed the conquistadors making speeches vilifying and belittling the
Sikkimese and giving away of awards to the people who contributed to the
annexation. The natives are forced to attend the celebration and listen to
innuendos of insult and humiliation. This is viewed as a policy of the
victor state for breaking the self pride and individuality of the natives
and degrade them. 21.
That it is not possible for any community
to fight court cases for restoration of their rights
endlessly and live in a state of seize psychosis.
The BL-reservation case in Supreme Court took nearly thirteen years
for a decision. Fighting a case is not an easy proposition. No people can
sustain financially when they
faced litigations one after
another. If the violations of
rights are not contested, it is treated as acceptance.
The relocation alone resolved the issue.
22.
That The Sikkimese Bhutias have not been compensated for the
injuries they suffered during the period
from April 1973 to May 1975. The
Sikkimese Bhutias are entitled to compensation
for the injuries and losses they suffered. Much of the losses can
not be compensated without being relocated
for self determination. WHY
RELOCATION FOR
SELF DETERMINATION :
That the Sikkimese Bhutia mooted the relocation in 1973 only at the
time of annexation by India. It
was held up due to the wishes of the Chhogyal who wanted to die in Sikkim
only. 1.
That Sikkimese Bhutia
preferred self determination to reservation and concessions.
They aspired to rise up to higher level of humanism and self
excellence. They required an
assured future for their children and conducive atmosphere for excellence
which is possible only by self determination. 2.
That the influx of
immigrants coupled with the Indo-Nepal ties severely impacted the survival
of the Sikkimese people. It
is not possible for them to live indefinitely
in a state of
seize psychosis under
the subjugation of Gorkha warriors .
This affected the psyche and intellectual growth of the people. 3.
That the Clause-5 of the Tripartite Agreement of May 8, 1973
provided for self determination for attainment of higher level of humanism. It read as - “
.. .. The system of
elections shall be so organized as to make the assemble adequately
representative of the various sections of the population. The size and
composition of the assembly and of the Executive Council shall be such as
may be prescribed from time to time with
care being taken to ensure that no single section of the population
acquires a dominating position due mainly to its ethnic origin and the
rights and interests of the Sikkimese of Bhutia Lepcha origin and of the
Sikkimese of Nepali, which includes Tsong and Scheduled Caste, origin, are
fully protected.” India
is mandated to protect the interest of
Sikkimese Bhutias by providing them the opportunity of self
determination. As conqueror of Sikkim, India is mandated to free them from
the subjugation of Indo-Nepal ties. India
can not obliterate out the Sikkimese from Sikkim for promotion of the
India-Nepal ties. 4.
That the Sikkimese Bhutias have not been compensated for the
injuries and losses they suffered during
the period from 1973 to 1975. Much
of the losses can not be compensated without being relocated for self
determination. 5.
That over 90 % of the
Sikkimese Bhutias will be landless by 2025AD which the commission
confirmed. A most productive and enterprising people being turned
stateless and unproductive is a crime against humanity and the world which
is predicting food shortage by 2030.
A family required minimum 10 hectares of fertile land for
subsistence and 200 hectares for supporting the country and the world. 6.
That the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Government of
India has written to the Government of Sikkim for appraisal of the facts
about the threat faced by the Bhutia Lepchas of Sikkim from the Nepalese
and measures taken thereof. It is imperative that the commission desires
that the state Government move a proposal for the relocation of Sikkimese
Bhutias. Perhaps the perception of the commission is that it is more
sensible to relocate 50,000 or so souls of Sikkimese Bhutias than reverse
the situation. 7.
That Great Britain is equally guilty of the crime if not more. It
was Great Britain which initiated the process of
obliteration of Sikkim and the Sikkimese Bhutias.
It was Great Britain who created the entity of Gorkha and
cultivated in Sikkim and Darjeeling hills. The agitation of the Gorkhas
for a Gorkha state in India is said to be a legacy of the British. It is
not by coincidence that the Gorkhas are demanding for a Gorkha state which
is comprised of Sikkim and the Darjeeling hills of Bengal.
The British Gorkhas were also resettled in the region.
May refer to Nepal-Britain-India Treaty of 1947.
The violation is continuing. The
Great Britain is still recruiting the Gorkhas in its armed force. Therefore, in view of the continuing
violation, the Great Britain is mandated to save the Sikkimese Bhutias and
help them realize self determination.
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