Article 20

“This election this time is not a simple election. It is a battle between Janta Shakti (People Power) and Kalo Dhan ko Shakti (Power of Black Money),” Golay said.

“Many attempts have been made by Pawan Chamling to suppress our movement for change. He has lied continuously. First he said our party was not registered when it was, then rumours were spread that we would not get a symbol.

He even wrote to the Election Commission of India to deregister our party. Many letters were sent. But here also it was a victory for truth,” Talk Sikkim reported.

“I thank the Election Commission and the Government of India for not believing in the false stories and fake letters sent by the SDF party and allotting us the symbol of a lamp,” Golay added.

“This symbol is important to us as it symbolizes light over darkness, the victory of truth over lies.”

Meanwhile, a host of heavyweight leaders from the Bhutia-Lepcha (BLs) community led by Sikkim Congress unit President Kunga Nima Lepcha joined the SKM at the Martam meeting.

The Kaleons, a powerful clan among the BLs, also joined the SKM. They included former minister Sonam G. Kaleon, former Secretary Dechen P. Kaleon and Dup Tshering Bhutia. Former SIDICO General Manager Nedup Tongden Lepcha and DB Gautam also joined the SKM.

“I am not happy with the way the SDF government is functioning in Sikkim. There has been rampant corruption and mismanagement in the State administration. I feel SKM is a party that can bring a change for good, so I have extended my support by joining the SKM today," said Kunga Nima Lepcha, who quit the Congress recently.

During its meeting, the SKM unveiled the party’s election symbol, a table lamp. Golay said the acquisition of an election symbol from the Election Commission was an achievement for the party which was moving ahead “despite concerted efforts by the ruling party to put obstacles”.

The party symbol was released in the presence of party supporters, locals and 913 persons who joined the SKM. (see edit on page 2)

Gangtok, March 14:The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), which is making concerted efforts to make a comeback for the fifth consecutive term, will focus on making the State ‘self-reliant’ if voted to power again.

“One of the main targets of next term will be to make Sikkim self-reliant,” said SDF spokesperson Bhim Dahal at a press conference held here yesterday.

“Our manifesto has been one of the best over the past 20 years which resulted in remarkable growth all over Sikkim. Most of the promises made in the past manifestos have been implemented,” he asserted.

Declaring that SDF will release its election manifesto soon, Dahal said, “Like earlier, this year too we will focus on rural development with 70 % of the budget earmarked for that. Also many hydel projects will be commissioned in coming SDF government.”

The SDF this week declared all its candidates for the coming polls. The list has many former ministers and MLAs and very few new faces. Former ministers such as Ram Bahadur Subba, SB Subedi, KN Rai and Somnath Poudyal have been given party tickets while present ministers DN Takarpa, NK Pradhan, Ran Bahadur Subba and CB  Karki have been dropped.

Chief Minister Pawan Chamling will contest from two constituencies: Namchi and Yangang in south Sikkim.

Meanwhile, a large section of SDF supporters have voiced disappointment over allotment of party tickets. Their main grievance is that the old guard has been retained while neglecting the youth.

While Lachen Pipon Cho Rabjor has reportedly welcomed SDF candidate from Lachen-Mangan constituency the Lachenpas feel let down and neglected.

“Young youth from Lachen are really disappointed with the declaration of candidate list whereby no Lachenpa comunity has given a chance to b a representative in SLA not only this time but since from the time when Sikkim join with the mainstream republic of India,” a section of Lachen youths said in a press statement.

“Lachen/Mangan constituency has given a representative from Mangan, Lachung, Chungthang, Singhik but not a single one from Lachen. Are we a second class citizen or neither we have right to choose candidate from SDF side. This shows how much SDF is neglecting the people of Lachen from all point of view.

We have not allowed a hydel project to protect our motherland from exploitation but it doesn't mean that we should be subjected to neglect. Time will come to give a befitting reply in future.” (see edit on page 2)

Gangtok, March 14:It is not only the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in Darjeeling which is opposing Bhaichung Bhutia in the coming Lok Sabha polls but the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front, too, is anti-Bhutia.

Former Indian football captain has accused the SDF of attempting to sabotage his Lok Sabha election campaign.

This revelation came during an Bhaichung’s interview with Sikkim Express.

“SDF sabotaging my election campaign. Why is it always trying to create hurdles for me?” the Expressreported.

According to Baichung, the SDF is wooing some TMC Hills functionaries and promising to finance them should they contest as an independent candidate against him.

“SDF is strong in financial resources and is trying to sabotage my campaign by offering money to independents to stand against me,” Bhaichung said.

In the interview Bhaichung also revealed how the Chamling government failed to offer him land to set up a football academy in the State. “I tried my best to set up a football academy in my home state despite offers from other state governments. The Sikkim government did not give me land for the academy. Other sports persons also did not get land for their academies. They create hurdles in everything and then accuse us of not doing enough for the home state.”

“Earlier foreign players used to come and play in Sikkim freely but the moment my club got promoted into I-League, the state government imposed restrictions on foreign players coming to Sikkim.”

“The SDF government only talks about cash awards for sportsperson of Sikkim but does not help in making sports persons capable of winning.”

In its third list for Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday night named 75 candidates for West Bengal, Bihar, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. Seniors leaders like Sushma Swaraj from Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, SS Ahluwalia from West Bengal's Darjeeling and Kirti Azad from Darbhanga in Bihar feature in the list.

The list has seven candidates who will contest from West Bengal including Ahluwalia with the Gurkha Janmukti Morcha pledging its support for him.

Earlier, Morcha  chief Bimal Gurung  said Trinamool Congress’s candidate from Darjeeling Bhaichung Bhutia will face defeat.

Gurung said on Wednesday that the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal has not done anything for the hills people so far. 

Gurung said, he had full faith in the BJP, which has promised separate Grokhaland state in its manifesto. In 2009, veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh won the Darjeeling seat with the backing of the GJM.

New Delhi, March 14:Kicking off a fresh controversy, Arvind Kejriwal has alleged that the whole media is "sold" and "heavy amounts" have been paid to promote BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi.

But he later denied having made the accusations against the media after his remarks came under attack from Congress, BJP and CPI.

"Since the last one year, we have been told that Modi is here, Modi is there. Since one year, Modi has also been saying that. Even some TV channels have been saying that 'Ram Rajya' has come and corruption has vanished....

"Why did they do it? Because money has been paid to TV channels. Heavy amounts have been paid to promote Modi," Kejriwal alleged in a video aired by a TV channel.

"Around 800 farmers have committed suicide in Gujarat in the past 10 years, but none of the channels showed it," he alleged and added that farmers have sold their land to a company for just "one rupee but even this has not been shown by any channel."

Hitting out at the media for focusing on his security deployment, he charged that the "whole media is sold this time, it is a big conspiracy, it is a huge political controversy. If our government comes to power then we will set up an inquiry into this. And along with the media people, all will be sent to jail".

New Delhi, March 14:Areas surrounding Sikkim's three sanctuaries, which are home to carnivores, herbivores, birds and magnificent rhododendron forests, will soon be declared as Eco-Sensitive Zones by the Centre.

The Union Environment Ministry this week issued draft notifications inviting suggestions on the proposals to declare environmentally-fragile areas surrounding the Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kitam Bird Sanctuary and Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary as Eco-Sensitive Zones.

The move is aimed at conserving and protecting the ecologically-fragile areas bordering these sanctuaries from developmental activities like mining, PTI reported.

Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary is a trans-boundary protected area in the West District of Sikkim bordering Nepal. The sanctuary, spread over an area of 104 sq.Km, is a rich storehouse of flora.

Kitam Bird Sanctuary in South Sikkim harbours a unique association of Sal and Chir Pine forests which nestle a large number of peafowl, the national bird.

It also houses the common leopard, Assamese macaque, Rhesus Macaque, barking deer, wild boar, Himalayan Palm Civet and Indian rock python.

Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary, lying over an area of 35.34 sq.Km is home to wildlife, dwarf bamboo thickets, rhododendron forests, patches of chestnut and oak and still undiscovered epiphytes.

New Delhi, March 14:China last  Thursday announced that an extension of the Qinghai-Tibet railway network will reach Xigase in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), the hometown of the 11th Panchen Lama and located close to the Indian border in Sikkim.

“An extension of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, the world’s highest, will reach the residence of the Panchen Lama at Xigaze, Tibet, the contractors confirmed on Thursday,” the official news agency, Xinhua, said, The Hindustan Times reported..

The headquarters of Beijing-backed 11th Panchen Lama Gyaincain Norbu is based at Xigaze, also known as Shigatse, located close to North Sikkim border.

China projects the Panchen Lama as an alternative to the India-based Dalai Lama, termed a separatist by Beijing. The announcement of the railway network extension comes during the ongoing sessions of China’s rubber-stamp Parliament, the National People’s Congress and the country’s top advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

The report said the extension will help the faithful to worship “Buddha in Lhasa and Xigase”. Quoting Tob Chung, a lama at the Tashihunpo monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama, the report said: “It is the common dream of all the Tibetan faithful to worship the Buddha in Lhasa and Xigaze. The railway will make the journey safer and easier.”

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway began service in July 2006 and, according to the report, had positively impacted on Tibet’s tourism, hospitality and manufacturing sectors.

The plateau railway which covers 1,956 km from Xining in Qinghai Province to Lhasa carried 11.7 million passengers and 57.8 million tonnes of cargo in 2013. The announcement comes at a time when the government says that the economy of TAR grew 12.2% in 2013.

Gangtok, March 14:Members of Gurung community from various parts of the State have alleged that the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front is using the death of NK Gurung to gain political mileage.

“The entire Gurung community across Sikkim is deeply moved by the loss of one of the members of the community but the most disheartening part is that NK Gurung’s death is being used by the ruling front for political mileage,” said TT Gurung at a  press conference held this week.

“We appeal to all political parties to remove posters of NK Gurung put up all over the State. We also demand a fair and independent enquiry,” said Bikram Gurung.

 NK Gurung, said to be member of the ruling party, was killed on March 4, the day SDF celebrated its anniversary.

The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha has demanded a CBI probe on the death.

Gangtok, March 14:Media-bashing in India’s youngest State has come to stay. Despite the condemnation and protests the authorities stubbornly refuse to pay heed to press freedom in the State.

Last week, Pappu Mallick, a photo journalist working for UB Photos (A News Agency) in the State, was threatened by “unknown persons” at Indira Gandhi Bye Pass. Mallick’s photographs appear in various publications in the State and outside.

Mallick, in a press release, said he was threatened with “abusive language and warned me to leave my profession as a media person.”

“They warned me to not do any kind of reporting and photo journalism,” Mallick said.

He has lodged a FIR here at the Sadar Police Station.

Earlier this week, the printing press of Shangrila Times, a Nepali daily published from Gangtok by political activist and writer DN Nepal, was “vandalized”.

The office of Nepali daily Sangrila Times was vandalized in what is being said was another attack on the media.

“I am ashamed to say that none from the media [except for SIKKIM EXPRESS] acknowledged or condemned the threats and warnings that we at Talk Sikkim have been receiving and which we complained about publicly or the vile rants on me personally on social media,” said Talk Sikkim editor Mita Zulca recently.

Talk Sikkim, a monthly newsmagazine that highlighted activities of Sikkim Krantikari Morch (SKM) led by PS Golay, closed down recently, leaving Zulca to bring out her own publication, Sikkim Talks.

Recently, the printing press workers of Sikkim Express and Himali Bela, were assaulted by a member of the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front.

Imphal, March 13:Manipur’s anti-AFSPA activist Irom Chanu Sharmila was freed from detention on Thursday afternoon, a day ahead of her 42nd birthday.

Sharmila, who has been on hunger strike for the last 13 years and is force-fed, demanding repeal of the AFSPA, is ritually arrested on the charge of attempting to commit suicide on an annual basis.

   She had been similarly released on completion of jail term in past years, but re-arrested after two-three days for refusal to withdraw her fast.

Sharmila, who is confined to a Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) hospital security ward during detention, had launched her fast on November 4, 2000, two days after security forces killed 10 people at Malom on the outskirts of Imphal.

Minutes after being freed following a district court order, Sharmila informed that she will continue her strike.

Meanwhile,  the rights crusader rejected chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh’s offer to join the Congress and instead extended her support to the Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal.

“The chief minister came on an unannounced visit in February and asked me to join his party for jointly taking up the issue of repealing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. I did not give any response to the invitation,” Sharmila told reporters on Thursday.

“I am simple protester. I don’t want to join politics. But I want to see a government run by the AAP installed in New Delhi.”

 BJP threatens to review AADHAAR card scheme

Bangalore, March 14:Terming the manner in which the Aadhaar project is being implemented as dangerous to the country’s security, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday indicated that it may review some of its aspects if it comes to power.

Speaking to presspersons here on the sidelines of an interaction with college students on election issues, BJP national spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi also sought a CBI probe into various aspects of the Aadhaar project, including the manner in which finances had been allocated for it.

When asked if the BJP would scrap the project if it comes to power, Ms. Lekhi said, “Aadhaar needs a re-look to see if anything has gone wrong and to know who stores and shares the biometric data of citizens.”

Earlier, at the interaction, she launched an attack on Unique Identification Authority of India chairman and Infosys cofounder Nandan Nilekani, who is taking on BJP’s five-time MP Ananth Kumar in Bangalore South on the Congress ticket. She said Aadhaar was a project for which one had to be condemned rather than appreciated.

“I will be ashamed to take credit for such a project,” she said.

Without taking Nilekani’s name,  Lekhi alleged that the Aadhaar project was dangerous and also posed a threat to the country’s security as it regularised the stay of illegal immigrants from other countries by granting citizenship to them at the cost of the welfare of genuine residents.

Aadhaar project had violated the Parliamentary norms and the direction issued by the Supreme Court to ensure that it was not made mandatory for offering services and foreign citizens were not enrolled under it, she said.

She also accused the UPA government of ignoring the country’s security interests by providing political positions to some of those who allegedly had links with Maoists.