"THE CHIEF MINISTER IS TRYING TO ALIENATE THE LT COMMUNITY FROM THE REST OF THE NEPALI COMMUNITY BY STATING THAT LT SEAT RESERVATION IS EATING INTO THE SHARE OF THE MAJORITY COMMUNITY - SPA

The Sikkim People’s Alliance (SPA) has strongly refuted the recent misleading and distorted statements of the Chief Minister regarding the Limboo Tamang ( LT ) seat reservation issue and the consequent expansion of Sikkim Legislative seats ( SLA ) from 32 to 40, during his ongoing Jan Sewa Yatra which commenced from the 10th of April 2018’.

In a press statement they mention that the LT community on being recognized as Schedule Tribe in 2002, were entitled for seat reservation in the SLA and consequently, the Ministry of Home Affairs, GoI had given 3 options vide Letter No – D.O. No IV/11015/1/2005-CSR II dated 30th July 2005 to the GoS where the first option was to reserve 5 seats from the existing 17 Unreserved seats in the SLA.

The second option was to increase the SLA seats from the existing 32 to 40 seats, and give reservation to the LT community leaving the remaining 20 seats as Unreserved.

The third option was to increase the SLA seats from existing 32 to 60 seats in conformity with Article 171 (1) of the Indian Constitution.

Out of the 3 options proposed by the MHA- GoI, the SDF led Govt cleverly chose to go with the 2nd option of increasing the SLA seats from existing 32 to 40 seats, consciously aware of the fact that the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly seats has been frozen till 2026 vide the 84th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2002, which was approved and passed as an Act in both houses of the Indian Parliament when the SDF led Govt had 2 MP’s in both the houses.

Subsequently, the 4th Delimitation Commission chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Shri Kuldeep Singh had given an opportunity for Limited Delimitation to the GoS to accommodate the LT seats within the existing 32 SLA seats in 2006. However, the proposal was declined by the SDF led Govt, which further deprived the LT community of their Constitutional rights.

In the same context, they question the Chief Minister as to how he will provide the LT seats before 2019 as claimed by him, within the framework of the Indian Constitution, knowingly that the next Census-based Delimitation exercise is expected only in 2031, after the current freeze expires in 2026 vide the 84th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2001.

"Hence, the SDF led govt is very much aware of the Constitutional obligation and that they will not be able to provide LT seats before 2019. However, the Chief Minister is trying to alienate the LT community from the rest of the Nepali community by stating that LT seat reservation is eating into the share of the majority community thereby inciting divisive communal propagandas," the SPA stated.

"This clearly exposes that the Chief Minister has failed to deliver on the burning issues of the statey and is running out of options to face the General Elections of 2019 for which he is building up Hate Politics once again."

(File Photo)