ESSAY: HISTORY OF OBLITERATION OF SIKKIM AND ITS PEOPLE:

FROM SURVIVAL SIKKIM

( 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.

[SOURCE: http://www.survivalsikkimese.org/petition.htm]