An old Lepcha lady on her second day of Hunger strike. Stop the Indian Government from flooding the habitat of the people of Sikkim.
I am angry.
India has once again shown its true colours. When Sikkim was annexed -- oh, we Indians love to rewrite History, and so the 'correct' term is 'merger' -- however, after the annexation of this tiny Himalayan Kingdom in 1975, a special status was given to Sikkim. No legislation could be thrust upon it unless ratified by the people of Sikkim. In the years that have followed, there has been a consitent onslaught to 'bring the Sikkimese' into the 'mainstream'.
Now, it seems, using its immense clout, the Government, which has been already imbroiled in several developmental projects using the gun, sees Sikkim and its nonviolent, peaceful-loving population as pushovers.
Once again, people are trying to use divisive politics.
There are voices in Gangtok saying that it is not a Nepalese issue, it's a lapchay issue.
There are more whispers from the trader community, that there wil be profits in the making, after all, it's not their land, and they're not tribals.
Sikkimese of Bihar origin are told , it's not your problem, keep quiet, mind your dholbi shop, barber shop, and paan dokan.
Nepali, Bhotay, Lepcha, Madhesi or Anglo: make no mistake this is a Sikimese issue. it's the common wealth that will be submerged. POur land will be destroyed, and the lions share of the profits [ha! profits! what porofit!] will be reaped by the people of the plains.
We have no objectionto mini-hydel projects. More than enough electricity can be produced that way. Why spoil the Himalayas?
This is also an Indian issue. Do we want to further ruin our already fragile eco-system and let our remaining rivers run dry?
The strike goes on. The small Lepcha tribe against the might of the Indian government and the docile government of Sikkim. More and more support for ACT and the Satyagrahis on hunger strike has been pouring in from Gangtok and other parts of Sikkim. Lepchas from Darjeeling and Kalimpong too have been coming in regularly to voice support to the cause. People from all walks of life and other communities too have been expressing concern, but this is not enough. We have to turn this into a National issue.
Bloggers over the world have started responding:
While a virtual mainstream news blackout continues to exist with regards to the hunger strike of many Lepcha, the indigenous inhabitants of India’s Himalayan state of Sikkim, against a hydro power project planned along the Teesta River in Dzongu, some enterprising journalist from a website called Asian News International has shown more initiative than all my colleagues in the Western media and written a serviceable summary of the situation.
Michael Deibert, Writer. [click the link for his reaction]
Meanwhile Tenzing Lepcha, who started it all enters the ten day and counting. He's weakening. And still the Indian Media is silent!!!!!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
India Media black out on Lepcha Hunger strike
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2 comments:
We do have constitutional guarantees under article 371f. These provisions were put in there after much debate in the Parliament and one of the reasons, among many, was to save the Sikkimese people from exploitation from big money and business. This topic was actually debated and justified, that is why the continuation of Sikkim's stringent laws was allowed to carry on. But unfortunately we now have huge corporations romping around Dzongu buying land, whereas as per existing laws, even Sikkimese from others parts of Sikkim are not permitted to buy land in the reserved areas. In fact any outsider still needs a permit to even enter Dzongu. But it is a sad stae of affair that our beaurocray and the government is apologetic in implementing the provisions. For example, the provisions of rule 4(4) have been upheld by the supreme court but yet we do not have the political will to implement it which will help our educated unemployed. To look into matters like these we have formed a group called "Citizens for Clarity on Article 371f" to research further into it and I maintain a blog at http://www.emeraldnova.com/cc371/ , so please visit to learn more.
Identity pushovers have always lead to wars or war-like situations. How easy it is to call someone Insider & someone Outsiders.
In Sikkim, Lepcha is the only Ethnic Tribe, all others including Nepalis, Bhutias & Non-Sikkimese-Indians were Outsiders.
But the Lepchas were subsequently overpowered by Bhutias & Nepalis, parallelly some Indian businessmen also settled in Sikkim.
But now it is Bhutias, Nepalis & Lepchas who call themselves Sikkimese, while all Non-Sikkimese-Indians are always called outsiders.
So many Nepalis hold dual citizenship e.g. of Nepal as well as Sikkim(India), but call themselves ethnic Sikkimese. While people of Indian Origin are always called Outsiders in Sikkim.
This is a very very unfair.
If the Identification Certificates or Sikkim Subject Papers of the so called Sikkimese are verified properly by the Govt. Of India, and their history is traced, then most such certificates will be found fake. On such certificates many have got government jobs in Sikkim or purchased land in Sikkim.
The population percentage of Sikkim has changed in the past few years, as of now it is Nepalis-50%, Christians-16%, Bhutias-16%, Madhesis-16% & Lepchas-2%.
Though Lepchas (a tribe getting obsolete in Sikkim) cry so much about safeguarding their culture, traditions etc., but in 1991 census Lepchas used to be 5% in Sikkim, now after others taking over & many Lepchas converting into Christians, not one is talking or trying to save this Tribe who are hardly 2% of the Sikkim's total population now.
And some Lepchas seem to have developed a misconception that "Indians' mingling with Lepchas will create problems.
In reality it is Indian Government who has been funding the economy & development in Sikkim, while the fruits have been reaped mostly by the Bhutias, who have been the earstwhile rulers of Sikkim.
Even today Bhutias who are just 15% in Sikkim, enjoy 12 Legislative seats out of the total 32.
Means 15% Bhutias are enjoying 37.5% of the powers,
while the rest of 85% population in Sikkim have to contend with just 62.5% of the Legislative Assembly Power Sharing.
Very strangely most of the Sikkimese politicians are into polygamy & have two or more wives ("traditionally"), due to which such males proposed the dreconian law as per which if a Sikkimese Woman marries a non-Sikkimese-Individual after April 1st, 2008, then she has to pay Income Tax.
But at the same time Sikkimese males are free to marry any woman (even a foreigner), but still will enjoy all state benefits.
Even if a Sikkimese Domicile Women marries an Electorate from Sikkim (such male if not having Sikkim Subject), then it leads to a kind of official harassment, e.g. their offsprings cannot get Sikkim Government jobs & so on.
Means, lot needs to be done to see a better Sikkim.
And firstly everyone needs to treat human beings like human beings (not like Insider or Outsider).
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