NH 31A-Road to Perdition between Sikkim & Darjeeling
Sikkim faces extremism of being hold hostage: Chamling
‘Governance be restored in the troubled area across the border’
SIKKIM Express | www.sikkimexpress.com
Sikkim faces extremism of being hold hostage: Chamling
GANGTOK, February 7: Drawing the attention of the highest level of collective governance of the nation that had gathered at New Delhi to deliberate on internal security, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling on Sunday said that the border State of Sikkim, so far immune from external threat, has to face another kind of ‘extremism’-being held hostage and rendered isolated from rest of country.
“While there have been no terrorist or extremist acts, the State has had to face another kind of extremism-i.e. of being hold hostage and rendered isolated from rest of the country for no fault of ours and for no reason that we acknowledge,” said Chamling during the Chief Ministers’ conference on internal security held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi today which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and attended by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.
The ‘hostage’ stand of the Chief Minister is in line with his series of earlier statements given to Centre and national media on the National Highway 31A blockade highlighting the woes of Sikkim and Sikkimese people whenever its sole lifeline is ruptured during the ongoing agitation in the neighbouring hills, incidents which had occurring of lately in the past two years.
Reiterating his stand on protecting Sikkim’s sole connectivity link which passes through the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, the Chief Minister highlighted that Sikkim’s socio-economic pace has been adversely affected for more than two decades by political movement for a separate State in the neighbouring district. “Therefore, our quintessential worry is that in spite of rationality or constitutional validity for or against the formation of statehood as claimed by the pro and anti agitationists or their affiliated units, why do we as the citizens of this great country are frequently disrupted in our free movement, denied our basic right and dignity or denied our right to seek fulfillment as part of national pride”.
Chamling added: “The loss we have suffered due to frequent blockades of National Highway 31A- our only link with the national mainstream cannot be measured in quantifiable terms alone”. The acute mental agony and trauma that we suffer and the fear elements mostly remain unaccounted for across board, he said.
Communicating the concerns of the State in the important meet, the Chief Minister recalled that ever since the intensification of the agitation in the neighbouring areas of the State in 1986, the agitationists have not only blocked the national highway at will but also created a kind of fear psychosis amongst the people of Sikkim. He pointed out that truck owners plying on the highway have faced recurrent demands for payment of ransom.
“Since last year, they have raised their own police personnel who have also subjected our people to checks of vehicles and uncalled for harassment on the pretext of curbing drug trafficking causing unnecessary panic amongst the general public”, Chamling said. He also informed the meeting that the alcoholic products of Sikkim are not allowed movement outside the State. “With the blockade of our only lifeline, all our development works are being pushed to a standstill causing loss to our working hours,” he said.
“This heavily hampers our development tempo. Besides, Sikkim is always prone to natural calamity and the recurrent blockade along our national highway adds salt to injury by the man-made calamity”, Chamling said.
In his speech, the Chief Minister also underlined the feeling of grave uncertainty among the Sikkimese people due to ‘incidents of murder and loot taking place across the border along the contiguous areas like Okhrey, Ribdi Bhareng, Sombaria, Mangsari, Tharpu, Sibsu-Budang, Naya Bazar in West Sikkim, Jorethang, Majhitar, Melli, Lower Pamphok in South Sikkim and Rangpo, Kamarey, Reshi and Rhenock in East Sikkim’.
“Groups of anti-social elements have frequently crossed the inter-state border and indulged in criminal act. They indulge in illegal timber felling and overnight shifting across the porous border”, Chamling said. He also raised the incident of March, 2009 where a mob from Melli, West Bengal ransacked the Melli police post on Sikkim side after an accused smuggling kerosene from Sikkim was checked at the inter-State border. On denial of bail to those arrested in the subsequent case, a group of agitators blocked the national highway, he added.
“My purpose in highlighting the above incidents is to draw attention to the state of lawlessness prevailing in the area and that something needs to be done about it. It is because of the disturbed environment that pro and anti agitationists are seeking to isolate us on the slightest pretext and make unreasonable claims. The State has joined not only geographically with the Indian Union in 1975 but has also emotionally integrated to it during the last 15 years. Therefore, attaining emotional integration along with the prevailing peace and tranquility has been our biggest achievement”, said the Chief Minister.
Chamling said that recurrence of the disturbances have started affecting the eco-friendly tourism and floriculture industry of Sikkim resulting in losses over Rs. 100 crores every year raising the cumulative monetary loss to over Rs. 1000 crores. “We can well imagine the quantum of loss that we have suffered since 1986. If such blockades continue, it will not be long before this State gets sucked into the culture of violence witnessed in other region. In order that Sikkimese people receive due respect and dignity as guaranteed under the Constitution, it is necessary that governance be restored in the troubled area across the border”, he said.
Earlier in his inaugural address, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh called for effective coordination between the Centre and the States to face the challenges of internal security.
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well well by now we have known how capable&successful mr chamling was in keeping 31_a open.He has been trying hard to do this,by now he him self must have realized that he is not a able leader who can solve this kind of national problem so he should forget this sort of problem and concentrate on the river banks of teesta and its tributary where the condition of the river banks are terrible, government could at least order the authority of the NHPC to build the proper toilets for their workers.The river bank from rongli to rangpoo and the riverbank of singtam and various other rivers are in pathetic condition where 1000s of NHPC workers dump their daily outlet shamelessly .Do all sort of these dirty business happens in Switzerland ?Are the authorities of Switzerland so carefree to their environment? if at all u say Sikkim is Switzerland….Switzerland is not only about making flyovers , footpath, etc etc or beautifying mg marg its also taking care of our environment in toto(total).
CM saab you did well, Sikkim never indulged Darjeeling in any time. So, why should we the people of sikkim fear? We want justice, I read above statement of Bimal Gurung Daju which I feel is very very absurd.
CM sir, even though we are oppositions but when it comes a matter of illegal blockage our blood is with you, just take it sir!
Let’s fight against our own people there at borders.
Fight
Incredible
FIRST PRIORITY FOR SIKKIM SHOULD BE UNINTERRUPTED ROAD COMMUNICATION . WITHOUT THIS EVERYTHING ELSE IS MEANINGLESS.
SO WILL OUR C.M SET HIS PRIORITIES RIGHT AND CONCENTRATE ON GETTING SIKKIM AN UNDERGROUND LINKAGE TO SILIGURI ? LIKE THE ENGLISH CHANNEL.
LET US KEEP THE SKY WALK AT BHALEY-DOONGA ( probable cost Rs.1200crores) IN ABEYANCE FOR A WHILE AND USE THIS MONEY TO GET SIKKIM AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE BYEPASSING GORKHALAND.
IF THIS HAPPENS, CHAMLING WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS ONE OF SIKKIM’S FINEST LEADER.
THIS WILL BE THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT OF CHAMLING
Good thing, Chamling did this, Chamling did that …blah..blah. What a nauseating shit of blames are these?
Does any one try to say once only, what the other legislatures who are enjoying in their home doing like? No one dares to think, DON”T BLAME CHAMLING FOR ENTIRE EPISODE OF THE STORY, TRY FIGURING OUT WHO WERE THOSE WHOSE ACTIVITIES MADE SYSTEM HOLLOW. WHERE ARE THOSE STUPID MINISTERS, MAY BE ENJOYING A BRIGHT SUNLIGHT IN GOA WITH BABIES.
WHO IS A MAN HERE IN SIKKIM WHO CAN HANDLE 6 LACS POPULATION AND MANAGE TO LISTEN TO ALL BLAMES…. YES HE IS NONE OTHER THAN CHAMLING.
PLEASE SEE UNDER YOUR COLLAR FOR A DIRT BEFORE SEEING IN OTHERS FACE.
IN THE HISTORY OF INDIAN NEPALESE (GORKAHLI) WHO IS MORE THAN A CRORE (ie. 16 times the population of Sikkim) IN INDIA, CHAMLING NAME WILL GO DOWN AS THE MOST SELFISH GORKHALI (NEPALI) who for the sake of his power CRUSHED THE INTEREST OF 10 MILLION GORKAHLI/NEPALI IN INDIA.
HE WILL BE REMEMBERED AS cheater IN THE HISTORY OF GORKHA IN INDIA AS he gave false promise to pass a resolution in Sikim Legislative Assembly WHEN NONE OF THE PEOPLE IN DARJEELING HAD APPROACHED HIM – HOW MANY LIES WILL HE MAKE TO REMAIN INPOWER – god only knows.
ONE SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT DARJEELING HAS HELPED SIKKIM TO DEVELOP BY GIVING EDUCATION TO PRACTIACLLY ALL SIKKIMESE WHEN THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE COLLEGE IN SIKKIM (the first College was startd during Bhadari regime)
HE COULD HAVE PRESSURISE THE CENTRE GOVERNMENT TO GRANT GORKHALAND WITH THE HINDRANCE CAUSED IN THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY – there are many other ways
Mr rascal 31 NH not in a state list it is in a union list by virtue on 7th schedule of indian constitution so it is out side the jurisdiction of the State Government. Mr Chamling Shab is doing what ever he could to keep 31 NH open. Only way out to get rid on this jinx is to have a alternate route as pointed by Mr Pema Dorejee Regarding making our Sikkim Switzerland by Chamling Shab it is duty of us to turn into our selves into Switzer lander then our sikkim will automatically become Switzerland. So be optimistic always……………………….
Very sensible suggestion by Pema Dorjee. An underground tunnel will not only liberate Sikkim from the clutches of Gorkhaland but will cut short the travelling distance and time.
This is a possibility and the cost could be recovered by toll. The cut in travelling time and distance means savings of fuel and thereby money and part of which I am sure everyone will be willing to pay.
Sikkim’s Planning Commission lacks efficiency i must say…i have never heard about them coming out with any concrete plans for the all round development of State.
Our Chief Minister being the Home Minister, Finance Minister and on top of that the Party President must take requisite actions to gear up all the Government Department to be more accountable and efficient in its working.
Just a population of 6.5 lakhs and still our state isnt doing well.
The amount of budget that is allocated to Sikkim is more than sufficient.
Corruption is at its critical stage in our State, we must ensure that corrupt politicians, government agencies and personnels are caught and taught a lesson.
Sikkim boasts of having good quality education system, but let me remind my people, we lack quality education.
Just compare a government school student with a private or a missionary school student, the later excels the former in almost all fields.
I had some friends back at my college , they had a government school background, very sharp in studies, but the communication skills were pathetic, they lacked the ability to explain what they scribble.
Hence , they were the loser.Government is not at all concernd abt proper recruitment of teachers.
Government should ensure quality, we have quantity, we must now look into filtering of talents.
Well said everybody……but I’m sure Chamling had some other issues too besides the 31 A NH . He should have given emphasis on price rise and its impact on the jantas ..
Well as for 31A NH .. he should have directly said that “GORKHALAND” is the only solution ….
Lets stop blaming the CM only ….each and every Govt employee who has noticable authority is corrupt. We all know that but we move away from the truth because we ourselves are somehow associated with officials in the the govt.
Spare the CM. What about the secretaries , directors , asst directors , deputy directors , JE sahabs , AE sahabs, AO sahabs , etc etc etc . Think About it.
yes Mr denzongpa i indeed mentioned above stating that it is a national issue for which our cm can do nothing………………..but the other issue of destroying the beauty of our river banks is the problem under the government jurisdiction of Sikkim ,and u also stated that making Switzerland lies within our people and indeed i agree with u yes the Sikkimese people are aware of these thing and indeed Sikkim is clean compared to other states but now the river banks of teesta does not belong to them ,they are now inhabited by the workers who r in majority from outside the state government should impose certain rules and regulation to keep the surrounding clean and green, they at least should visit and see the condition of the river banks in order protect our environment,not only the banks but the woods near the river r brought down in areas like rongli and chuchagen slowly by those uneducated workers at least this must be an issue at the moment before its too late rather than to go to Delhi and impress the politician he have a better work to do at home.
I think rascal is right to highlight this issue!!am with him good job!
Rascal sishir has mentioned the real threats that our state faces at present
ITS TRUE…OUR RIVERS ARE ALL GONE…WE ARE DOOMED
ITS THE INCOMPETENCY OF OUR GOVERNMENT THAT MAKES IT ALL HAPPEN
Natural calamity means natural disaster which is caused by nature. Every year many country falls victim to various natural calamities. They are flood, earthquakes & many other natural calamities. The effects of the natural calamities beggar description. They leave a vast trail of devastation. The affected people & animals suffer untold sufferings. They cause heavy damage to our life & properties. Houses are destroyed, cattle are washed away, crops are greatly damaged and trees are uprooted. Thousands of people and other animals remain without food for many days. The after effect of some natural calamities are more serious. Famine breaks out. Many people & animals die for want of food. The prices are all necessary things go up. Many dangerous diseases like cholera, typhoid and dysentery etc. break out in an epidemic form. By raising public awareness and taking necessary precautionary measures and steps natural calamities can be prevented. The government and all the conscious citizens should come forward with concerted efforts to prevent natural calamities.