“I stand with the people of Sikkim” – Raju Bista BJP MP from Darjeeling says.
Bista, in a press statement has said that the lines deeming Nepalis as foreigners is “highly objectionable and does great disservice to the Gorkha community of Sikkim.”
His statement read as follows:
“The Supreme Court of India while passing a judgement dated 13th of January, 2023 on the Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim and Ors Versus the Union of India and Anr with respect to the Writ Petition (C) No. 59 of 2013 has made a highly objectionable reference to the Sikkimese Nepali/Gorkha community, who constitute roughly 80% of the Sikkimese population.
In their order the Hon’ble bench of the Supreme Court has observed, “In 1948, the Sikkim Income Tax Manual, 1948 (SITM) was promulgated by the Ruler of Sikkim (the Chogyal). Under the SITM, all persons engaged in business were subjected to tax irrespective of their origin. Therefore, there was no difference made out between the original inhabitants of Sikkim, namely, the Bhutia-Lepchas and the persons of foreign origin settled in Sikkim like the Nepalis or persons of Indian origin who had settled down in Sikkim generations back. It is averred that under the SITM, Income Tax was paid by all without any discrimination on the ground of place of birth, race or ethnicity.”- [Paragraph 10(a), Page. 46]
These lines/inference by Hon’ble Supreme Court “the persons of foreign origin settled in Sikkim like the Nepalis” is highly objectionable and does great disservice to the Gorkha community of Sikkim. It alienates them, labels them as ‘foreigners’, and has the potential to create widespread ethnic and communal disturbances in a sensitive border state like Sikkim.
Perhaps the Hon’ble Court is unaware that the Gorkhas have been part of the Sikkim much before its modern day existence. The very name Sikkim is derived from the Tsong (Limbu) words Su-Khyim, meaning New Palace. Limbus are one of Gorkha sub-tribes. When Phuntshog Namgyal was consecrated as the first Chogyal of Sikkim in 1642, he made a pact called called Lho-Mon-Tsong-Sum (Lho-Bhutias, Mon-Lepchas, Tsong-Limbus, and sum-three), attesting to Gorkha presence in Sikkim when the modern day Kingdom of Sikkim was established. The presence of Magars, Rai and other Gorkha-sub tribes in Sikkim have been very well documented, including in the Census of 1931 and 1941. Moreover, Gorkha kingdom had annexed Sikkim from 1777, till the Gorkhas surrendered lands from Kangra in the west to Darjeeling-Sikkim region in the east following the Anglo-Gorkha war under the 1816 Sugauli Treaty.
In 1817, the lands of Sikkim, taken over from the Gorkha kingdom were restored to the Chogyal with certain conditions by the British under the Treaty of Titalia. While the ownership of lands changed, the people remained in these land, and they today constitute the ethnic and cultural fabric of Sikkim, one of which happens to be the Sikkimese Gorkhas.
From ancient times to the merger of Sikkim in India in 1975, the Gorkhas have been an integral and important part of the history, polity and society of Sikkim. Out of the six Chief Ministers of Sikkim so far, five belong to the ethnically Gorkha community, including Hon’ble P.S Tamang (Golay) ji the current Chief Minister of Sikkim.
Yet, the Supreme Court thought it was wise to label a whole group of people as “foreigners”. It is this humiliation meted out from the highest of offices across the nation that enables the persecution Gorkhas have had to face across India. As history is our witness, the Gorkhas have had to bear the burnt of ethnic strife in many parts of India, from where they have been forced to flee after being labelled as ‘foreigners’. The Bhumiputra movement in North East India between 1975-1999 saw over 100,000 Gorkhas being evicted from their ancestral lands. This persecution has continued to date, Gorkhas from Darjeeling too have being labelled as ‘foreigners’ every time we have demanded our constitutional rights.
I am most fearful that the careless words used by the highest court in the land, can very well be made to be the basis for further discrimination and ethnic cleansing of Gorkahs in the coming days.
I stand with the people of Sikkim in seeking these offensive opinion expunged from the order. The entire Gorkha community across India stands with them. I have taken strongest exception to this, and I will be bringing up this issue in the appropriate forum. The era of Gorkhas being levelled as “foreigners” and discriminated against is long gone. We will not tolerate any such infringement and baseless assertions on our community any more.
Raju Bista
Member of Parliament, Darjeeling and
National Spokesperson, BJP “
“I stand with the people of Sikkim” – Raju Bista BJP MP from Darjeeling says
Bista, in a press statement has said that the lines deeming Nepalis as foreigners is “highly objectionable and does great disservice to the Gorkha community of Sikkim.”
His statement read as follows:
“The Supreme Court of India while passing a judgement dated 13th of January, 2023 on the Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim and Ors Versus the Union of India and Anr with respect to the Writ Petition (C) No. 59 of 2013 has made a highly objectionable reference to the Sikkimese Nepali/Gorkha community, who constitute roughly 80% of the Sikkimese population.
In their order the Hon’ble bench of the Supreme Court has observed, “In 1948, the Sikkim Income Tax Manual, 1948 (SITM) was promulgated by the Ruler of Sikkim (the Chogyal). Under the SITM, all persons engaged in business were subjected to tax irrespective of their origin. Therefore, there was no difference made out between the original inhabitants of Sikkim, namely, the Bhutia-Lepchas and the persons of foreign origin settled in Sikkim like the Nepalis or persons of Indian origin who had settled down in Sikkim generations back. It is averred that under the SITM, Income Tax was paid by all without any discrimination on the ground of place of birth, race or ethnicity.”- [Paragraph 10(a), Page. 46]
These lines/inference by Hon’ble Supreme Court “the persons of foreign origin settled in Sikkim like the Nepalis” is highly objectionable and does great disservice to the Gorkha community of Sikkim. It alienates them, labels them as ‘foreigners’, and has the potential to create widespread ethnic and communal disturbances in a sensitive border state like Sikkim.
Perhaps the Hon’ble Court is unaware that the Gorkhas have been part of the Sikkim much before its modern day existence. The very name Sikkim is derived from the Tsong (Limbu) words Su-Khyim, meaning New Palace. Limbus are one of Gorkha sub-tribes. When Phuntshog Namgyal was consecrated as the first Chogyal of Sikkim in 1642, he made a pact called called Lho-Mon-Tsong-Sum (Lho-Bhutias, Mon-Lepchas, Tsong-Limbus, and sum-three), attesting to Gorkha presence in Sikkim when the modern day Kingdom of Sikkim was established. The presence of Magars, Rai and other Gorkha-sub tribes in Sikkim have been very well documented, including in the Census of 1931 and 1941. Moreover, Gorkha kingdom had annexed Sikkim from 1777, till the Gorkhas surrendered lands from Kangra in the west to Darjeeling-Sikkim region in the east following the Anglo-Gorkha war under the 1816 Sugauli Treaty.
In 1817, the lands of Sikkim, taken over from the Gorkha kingdom were restored to the Chogyal with certain conditions by the British under the Treaty of Titalia. While the ownership of lands changed, the people remained in these land, and they today constitute the ethnic and cultural fabric of Sikkim, one of which happens to be the Sikkimese Gorkhas.
From ancient times to the merger of Sikkim in India in 1975, the Gorkhas have been an integral and important part of the history, polity and society of Sikkim. Out of the six Chief Ministers of Sikkim so far, five belong to the ethnically Gorkha community, including Hon’ble P.S Tamang (Golay) ji the current Chief Minister of Sikkim.
Yet, the Supreme Court thought it was wise to label a whole group of people as “foreigners”. It is this humiliation meted out from the highest of offices across the nation that enables the persecution Gorkhas have had to face across India. As history is our witness, the Gorkhas have had to bear the burnt of ethnic strife in many parts of India, from where they have been forced to flee after being labelled as ‘foreigners’. The Bhumiputra movement in North East India between 1975-1999 saw over 100,000 Gorkhas being evicted from their ancestral lands. This persecution has continued to date, Gorkhas from Darjeeling too have being labelled as ‘foreigners’ every time we have demanded our constitutional rights.
I am most fearful that the careless words used by the highest court in the land, can very well be made to be the basis for further discrimination and ethnic cleansing of Gorkahs in the coming days.
I stand with the people of Sikkim in seeking these offensive opinion expunged from the order. The entire Gorkha community across India stands with them. I have taken strongest exception to this, and I will be bringing up this issue in the appropriate forum. The era of Gorkhas being levelled as “foreigners” and discriminated against is long gone. We will not tolerate any such infringement and baseless assertions on our community any more.
Raju Bista
Member of Parliament, Darjeeling and
National Spokesperson, BJP “