SIKKIM POLITICAL CONSENSUS FOR GORKHALAND

SIKKIM POLITICAL CONSENSUS FOR GORKHALAND
All parties to ask Sikkim Govt to pass resolution in favour of separate Gorkha state

Staff Reporter(sikkim Express)

GANGTOK, Aug 17: Rising above their ideological differences, the Opposition and the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party today agreed to submit an all party representation under the banner of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) to the Sikkim government requesting it to pass a resolution in the State Assembly in favour of Gorkhaland.

However, this all party accord does not include the CPIM party who went unrepresented in this historic hour.

This consensus was reached upon after a fiery interaction of almost five hours between the representatives of all the political parties in a seminar organized by the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, the apex body of 1.5 crores Indian Gorkhas living in different parts of the country.

Today’s attendance list figured prominent faces of Sikkim politics.

Nar Bahadur Bhandari (president of Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee), HR Pradhan (president of Sikkim unit of BJP), GM Rai (president of Sikkim Gorkha Prajatantrik Party), Jigme N Kazi (founder member of Sikkim United), RC Poudyal (president of Rising Sun), former minister KN Upreti, Tseten Lepcha from Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad and SAFE convener, Bharat Basnett.
Kiran Chettri, publicity secretary of SDF represented the ruling party in the seminar.

Amidst the plethora of suggestions and some frank admonishment, all were unanimous in their support to the Gorkhaland cause taken up by the Parisangh and other political parties of Darjeeling including the most prominent of them, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

Summing up today’s intellectual exercise, BGP working president and renowned figure of this region, CK Shrestha concluded that all political parties in Sikkim “seemed to be in favour of Gorkhaland” and proposed an all party memorandum to be submitted to the Sikkim Government.

The proposed memorandum seeks to request Sikkim government to pass a resolution in the State Assembly in favour of Gorkhaland, a separate state for Indian Gorkhas in the country.

“Since all parties in Sikkim are in favour of Gorkhaland and agrees that the Sikkim government should play a proactive role, Sikkim should take the lead and be the first state pass a resolution in the Assembly before any other states does it,” Mr. Shrestha said. He claimed that BGP was working on war-footing with its units in 22 states of the country to get a similar resolution passed.

“In other states, we are almost near to get similar resolutions passed,” he said.
All representatives of the political parties present in the seminar gave their support to the resolution.

“It’s a part of the democratic process to approach an elected government for a representation. We should send the resolution collectively under the banner of Parisangh”, the state Congress chief, Bhandari said. It is up to the State Government to whether to entertain or reject it,” he added.
The SDF representative Kiran Chettri also nodded his agreement.

The memorandum will be submitted to the Sikkim Government under the banner of BGP in a later date.

“The Sikkim government has also a commitment to fulfill”, Mr. Shrestha said, referring to the statement made by the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling a couple of years back for passing a resolution on Gorkhaland in the state Assembly.
The BGP also adopted another resolution to start a national-level signature campaign to get support from as many as MPs as possible in support of the Gorkhaland demand.
Earlier during the seminar, the political leaders spared no words to voice their support to the Gorkhaland and pinned responsibility on the Parisangh to take the movement on the national level.

Opening up today’s discussions, Bhandari conceded that Sikkim’s role is limited to state level and suggested BGP to make the Gorkhaland movement into a national agenda. The Parisangh should unite all the Indian Gorkhas and their leaders and similarly all of us should shed our egos and narrow mindedness and work for the greater cause, he said.

Sikkim Congress Pradesh Congress is whole heartedly supporting the Gorkhaland demand above our party politics, said Bhandari.
The State Congress chief opined that Gorkhaland realization is easier than the Nepali language recognition movement. “Language recognition was not easy because it was not constitutionally binding. But Gorkhaland demand is valid as there are constitutional provisions for creation of separate states”, he said.
“The proposed Gorkhaland territory should give leadership to all the Indian Gorkhas living in the nation”.

Stating that the MP signature campaign for inclusion of Nepali language in the 8th Schedule worked as a ‘Ram Bhan’, Bhandari urged the Parisangh to work on similar lines as GJM’s role is confined to a regional level.
Kiran Chettri, the SDF publicity secretary suggested the Parisangh to take up the role as a guardian to all the political parties identified with the Gorkhaland demand adding that the parties should also attach itself with the BGP.

“If BGP does not take into its fold all the parties and organizations of Gorkhaland, demand then there will be doubts raised whether the movement will be fruitful,” he observed.

“The BGP’s guardian role is important so that our demands are institutionalized and we reach the ears of Delhi through the Parisangh,” Mr. Chettri said.
Having offered his suggestions, the SDF leader expressed the support of Sikkim to the Gorkhaland demand. “I feel that nobody from Sikkim will back out from supporting the Gorkhaland demand,” he said. There will be constant support from Sikkim and Sikkimese people, he asserted.

State BJP president, HR Pradhan observed that an intellectual front is also necessary in the movement apart from political fronts. “The BGP should prepare a proper documentation justifying the Gorkhaland demand to the Delhi leader”, he said.
The Sikkim Gorkha Prajatantrik Party (SGPP) president, GM Rai presented a strong cause for more proactive support from Sikkim government and people. Sikkim’s potential for the Gorkhaland movement is being wasted, he said.

Mr. Rai urged the Parisangh to use its 22 states network more effectively and work in tandem with GJM taking each other into confidence.

For example, whenever GJM calls for a bandh then BGP should be able to simultaneously use its units in 22 states to take up processions, posterings and slogan shoutings, he said.
“BGP has nationwide network but we are not using it”, Rai stated.
Sikkim United party leader Jigmee N Kazi also offered his personal and party’s support to the Gorkhaland demand.

Former minister and a stalwart in Sikkim politics, KN Uperti observed that the stand taken for separate state for Indian Gorkhas will not be successful if confined to Darjeeling region only. “It will not be successful unless it becomes a national issue”, he said.

Mr. Uperti also gave a call for separation of politics and the Gorkhaland cause and appealed that all the warring factions within the movement should be brought together on a common platform.
SAFE convener Bharat Basnett suggested BGP should not discard other political parties in Darjeeling apart from GJM and said that intellectuals should not be kept out of the movement.

Expectedly, the fireworks came from RC Poudyal.

In his brief and philosophical address, Mr. Poudyal rationalized that the erstwhile ‘king of Darjeeling hills’ and GNLF supermo Subash Ghisingh should be taken into the movement and his earlier misgivings be forgiven. “We should take good qualities of Ghisingh and use him in the movement and not treat him like his is being treated presently,” he said.

Mr. Poudyal also slammed the GJM’s antics to ostracize Ghisingh and said that it does not figure in his dreams for Gorkhaland. “The mass have no minds but leaders should be able to control the masses”, he said.
The Rising Sun leader opined that the definition of Indian Gorkhas must be expanded and rope in more people from other communities for a larger support base