Inclusion of all indigenous communities in ST list recommended
Posted by barunroy on June 14, 2008
Gangtok, June 13 (PTI) A Sikkim government-appointed commission has recommended that all indigenous communities living in the Himalayan state be included in the list of Scheduled Tribes and the strength of the state legislature be increased from the present 32 to 40 to give them adequate electoral representation. [Inset: A young Limbu Girl]
The Commission for Review of Social and Environmental Sector Policies, Plans and Programmes, headed by eminent social scientist Prof. B K Roy Burman, in a report submitted to the state government recently has recommended for the inclusion of the entire Bhutia, Lepcha and Nepalese population in the Scheduled Tribes list and that the strength of the state Assembly be increased to 40 to give them electoral representation.
”Taking an overview of the living condition of the communities in Sikkim, we came to know from various sources that all communities of Sikkim of Nepalese stock have a ‘historical right to claim special treatment by being recognised as tribal people,” the commission said in its report.
Pressing further for recommendation of inclusion of all ethnic communities in the ST category, it said that a number of such communities like Bahun, Chettri and Rai have maintained their original ethnic identities despite some of their members converting to Christianity.
These ethnic communities still maintain their multi-religious and cultural association and do not want to be identified as a caste, the report said.
Similarly, all ethnic communities of Sikkim have common structural attributes associated with the tribes and as such they should be granted historical and need-based rights so that they are brought at par with more advantaged sections of society, particularly the Bhutias who got special privileges following the tripartite treaty among the monarchy, three political parties and the Union of India in 1973, it said. The commission has also taken note of the Sikkim Citizenship Regulation of 1961 by which the indigenous people of Nepalese origin and tribals have been deemed as the natives of the Himalayan state and their rights protected by being recognised as the Sikkim subject holders.
While making recommendation for recognition of all indigenous people of Sikkim as the STs, it said, “We agree that reverse inequality prevails in Sikkim. To ensure that social structural attributes of the population are taken care of and their historical rights and need-based rights are respected by giving due consideration to their justice rights to be considered as scheduled tribe, the report said.
With reference to the electoral representation to the Sikkimese people of the ethnic origin, the commission has suggested that the present strength of the state Assembly be increased from 32 to 40.
On providing reservation to Limboo and Tamang communities after they were granted the Scheduled Tribe status six years ago, the commission has suggested earmarking of 20 seats in the state Assembly out of the proposed 40 for the Scheduled Tribes which would not only provide electoral representation to the Limboo and Tamang communities, but enable other ethnic groups to get adequate representation in the legislature.
In an interesting observation, the commission has said that the Bhutia and Lepcha communities be also made eligible from the proposed ST seats in recognition of them being members of the constellation of the ST communities. Referring to the Bhutia community along with Lepchas getting the benefit of reservation of seats in the state assembly at 12 presently as part of the existing political arrangement in Sikkim, it said that the same be continued even as the two communities should be eligible to contest from the ST seats in the proposed and expanded state assembly.
The commission further suggested putting aside two seats in the proposed expanded state assembly for the Scheduled Castes, which were observed to be maintaining their distinct identity,four seats for the general people and two for the Sanghas (Buddhist monastries) from the existing one seat.
The proposed additional assembly seat for the Buddhist monanstries would give universal character to the Buddhist monastries and lead to secularisation of the polity for the religious groups as the monastries of Buddhist faithfuls from Gurung and Tamang communities have come up over the years.
The extra assembly seat would ensure that the monks from other than the Bhutia community also get opportunity to contest the seats reserved for the Buddhist monastries in the state legislature. PTI KDK MD pd pd 06131216 K 06131232 DEL
