New Delhi, July 30 : Indra Hang Subba, the Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Sikkim, has made a strong appeal to the Lok Sabha Speaker, advocating for the long-awaited seat reservation for the Limbu and Tamang communities in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly. The MP highlighted that despite their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list in 2003, these communities have been denied reserved seats for over two decades.
MP Subba emphasized that the reservation of seats for Limbu and Tamang communities is mandated by both Article 371F of the Constitution, which provides special provisions for Sikkim, and Article 332, which ensures reservation for Scheduled Tribes in legislative assemblies.
“It is disheartening that even after two decades since their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe list, the Limbu and Tamang communities of Sikkim continue to be deprived of their rightful representation,” stated MP Subba. He drew a parallel with the ongoing efforts to reserve Scheduled Tribe seats in the Goa Assembly, questioning the delay in addressing a similar, long-standing issue in Sikkim.
The MP urged the government to initiate the necessary readjustment for Sikkim, ensuring that, similar to the existing reservations for Bhutia, Lepcha, Sangha, and Scheduled Caste communities, the Limbu and Tamang communities also receive their due reservation.
MP Subba further called for an amendment to the Representation of the People Act to facilitate the reservation of seats for the Limbu and Tamang Scheduled Tribes. This, he stated, would ensure that these communities are finally allocated seats in the upcoming delimitation exercise.
“The Limbu and Tamang communities have contested five elections without any seat reservation,” MP Subba pointed out. “This long-pending issue must be resolved urgently to ensure their proper representation and uphold their constitutional rights.”
