Chronicle 2006
SIBLAC holds condolence meeting for 'Khandrola'
Sikkim Bhutia-Lepcha Apex Committee held a condolence meeting here on 11 September to pay respect to and offer prayers for late Khandro Pema Dechen of Deorali Chorten who had passed away on 5 September. She was in her early eighties.
Her funeral will be held on 26 September at Drakar Tashiding in West Sikkim which is considered the holiest of holy spots. Also lovingly known as 'Khandola', late Khandro Pema Dechen was revered as a Wisdom Dakini. She resided at the Dodrul Chorten at Deorali.
During the condolence meeting, the SIBLAC members remembered the compassionate service and all the noble activities of Khandola during her six decade-long stay in Sikkim. Born in Tibet, she had accompanied her teacher Dudjum Rinpoche to Sikkim in 1947 after the latter was invited by the then Himalayan kingdom by Chogyal Sir Tashi Namgyal. After the death of her teacher in the 1960s, she chose to make Sikkim her home and continued propagating the teachings of Dharma.
SIBLAC, during its meet, called upon all the Dharma practitioners to seek inspiration from the attainment of the perfect state of Nirvana by late Khandro Pema Dechen and appealed to all its volunteers to remain present during the final cremation. The funeral procession will be taken out on 25 September from Gangtok and her physical remains will be cremated at Tashiding the next day.
SIBLAC criticises Sikkim Govt for distorting religious Ethos
The Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) today strongly criticised the state government for what it said distortion of traditional religious ethos and demanded steps for its restoration.
SIBLAC convenor Tseten Bhutia in a statement here said the state government in its publication Sikkim Study Series (Culture, Part-1, Volume-III) had wrongly mentioned that Pang Lhabsol, a Buddhist festival is observed on September 2, every year.
However, Mr Bhutia said Pang Lhabsol ceremony is observed all over the state from 8th to 15th day of the seventh month of the Sikkimese lunar calendar corresponding to the month of late August or early September in reverence to Khangchendzonga, the presiding deity and other deities of the state.
Mr Bhutia condemned the motive of the people associated with the publication and wanted the authorities to rectify the error. SIBLAC also wanted the authorities not to insinuate the ceremony to any other form like "Ekta Divas or Day of Brotherhood" departing from tradition.
Mr Bhutia said, SIBLAC also demanded the government to ensure that the traditional annual Saga Dawa Chokhor procession takes places on its traditional route from the coming year. The procession is taken out every year with the holy scriptures to enable the common people to have a darshan of the holy scriptures and to remind them of the noble words of Buddha Sakyamuni on peace and non-violence.
The route of the procession, which was taken out on the streets of Gangtok bazar since time immemorial till last year, was changed for the first time this year.
Mr Bhutia said traditional ethos and values were never compromised in the name of development and cited the example of world famous car festival of Puri and the Ganesh Utsav rallies of Mumbai in this connection. He urged the government not to disturb the tradition and allow the procession to continue on its traditional route from the coming year.
Minority Fear in Trade Run
In September 2003, barely months after an agreement was reached on the opening of the Nathu-la trade route, monks in their traditional finery were seen trudging along from Jantar Mantar to Mandir Marg in the sweltering Delhi heat.
The clerics, representing different monasteries across the state, were protesting against the opening of the trade route. They were supported in this rally by members of the Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC), an umbrella organisation of the two communities. They had demanded that the trade route should not be reopened unless the rights of the Sikkimese are fully protected.
Three years later when the route finally reopens, there is a studied silence on the part of the government about the issue. The SIBLAC and the All Sikkim Monks Association (ASMAN), however, are sticking to their demand.
"We are not opposed to the reopening of the trade route. All we want is that the rights of the Sikkimese, including the Bhutias, Lepchas and the Nepalis of Sikkim, be fully protected while an agreement is reached on reopening the route", said SIBLAC convenor Tseten Tashi Bhutia. Referring to the 2003 protest as an 'awareness rally' Bhutia said through the move they had wanted make the authorities aware of the possible consequences once trade was resumed. He said it was their duty to apprise and warn people of the possible negative effects of the steps.
Bhutia and his comrades are primarily worried over the major changes in the demography of the region that will be ushered in by the reopening of the trade route. The influx of outsiders, they feel, will result in the erosion of political rights among the Sikkimese. They are apprehensive that as the trade picks up the local residents will be marginalised.
He also said that while only Sikkimese were being permitted for the border trade initially, there are bigger plans for later stages. He said various safeguards should be worked out to protect the entire Sikkimese population. "SIBLAC is not just speaking for the Bhutia-Lepcha community. It is voicing the fears of the entire Sikkimes population", the convenor said. He said that if the growth in the number of foreigners is not checked, the Sikkimese (Bhutias, Lepchas and Nepalis) would become a minority in their own homeland.
In the last of the several sittings of the State Assembly on the issue the lone opposition member of the Congress Acharya Tshering Lama, who represents the Sangha (the monks' body) in the Assembly, had also demanded a whitepaper on Nathula. The Acharya is the general secretary of ASMAN.
SIBLAC criticises Urban Dev minister for 'insensitivity'
The Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) today criticised state Urban Development Minister D D Bhutia for his 'insensivity' to increase the number of seats for Bhutia-Lepcha communities in the proposed expanded house in proportion to their population.
SIBLAC demanded a proportionate rise in the number of seats in the state assembly after the state government proposed the Centre to increase the number of seats in the state assembly from the existing 32 to 40 to accommodate the Limboo and Tamang communities. The Limboo and Tamang communities have been demanding reservation of seats in the state assembly after they were included in the list of ST in 2002.
SIBLAC Joint Conveners Tsteen Tasi Bhutia and Kunga Nima Lepcha alleged that Mr Bhutia in a statement had said that the BL seats need not be increased in the expanded house. The SIBLAC leaders said 12 seats were reserved for BL communities in the state assembly as per the Article 371F of the constitution to protect the rights and interests of different communities and to prevent dominance of one community over the other. Parliament, Supreme Court and the Central government also believed that the demand for proportionate increase of seats was justified.
"But instead of supporting the demands, Mr Bhutia, who belonged to the community, choose to keep silent", they said. They alleged that the statement of Mr Bhutia speaks of the 'double standard' of the politicians who claimed to be champions of Art 371 F but took a U turn for their own 'petty interest'.
Bhutias, Lepchas demand proportionate Reservation of Seats
The Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC), an organisation working for these communities, today demanded for a proportionate rise in the number of seats reserved for the two communities in the state assembly.
SIBLAC demanded the number of seats reserved for the two communities should be increased from the existing 12 to 17 if the Union government increases the total number of seats of the Sikkim Legislative assembly from 32 to 40.
In a letter, SIBLAC Co-Convenors Tseten Tashi Bhutia and Kunga Nima Lepcha urged all BL MLAs to demand the proportionate rise in the number of seats in various forums, including party meetings, cabinet meetings and the state assembly.
The present Sikkim Democratic Front government has also demanded reservation for the Limboo and Tamang Communities after they were accorded SC/ST status in 2002. Under the present arrangement, 12 seats are reserved for BL, one for Sangha and two for SC in the 32 member house.
The state government requested the Centre not to disturb the present arrangement while increasing the number of seats from 32 to 40 as the reservations were made under Section 7 of the Peoples Representation Act 1950 to exercise power provided under Article 371 F of the Constitution.