Gangtok: Tseten Tashi Bhutia, who resigned from his post as the Bhutia convener of Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) and later joined BJP on April 7, has been reinstated as the SIBLAC convener.
After assuming charge of SIBLAC convener once again, Tseten Tashi Bhutia said, “The burden is still on me; I have to continue with that. They have shown their trust in me, so I cannot betray them. Unless SIBLAC appoints another convener from the Bhutia community, I promise to continue as the convener.”
SIBLAC has been instrumental in deciding which party the Bhutia Lepcha communities should vote for in every election.
Tseten Tashi, during a meeting on Sunday, said, “The 2024 elections are knocking on our doors. Sikkim’s Bhutia and Lepcha communities will vote where SIBLAC will tell them to vote for. In 2019, we wanted ‘Parivartan’. But we have learned now that monarchy was better than today’s democracy and this is now a jungle raaj.”
Bhutia cited the ‘mistrust’ of current Bhutia Lepcha legislators as the reason for joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. While joining the saffron party on April 7, he said that he has been associated with BJP since 2019.
Addressing his fellow SIBLAC members, Bhutia said, “On December 12, SIBLAC had passed and submitted three-point resolutions to the state government, appealing for amendments. Those issues have not been addressed yet. So how can we say this government is in favour of the Bhutia Lepcha community? When we wrote to the 12 BL legislators and one Sangha MLA last year, concerning the decrease in the reservation of Bhutia Lepcha in the panchayat elections to 8 percent, none of the 13 legislators responded. Some of the wards boycotted the panchayat election over the reservation. That means we are being given step-motherly treatment.”
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On maintaining a balance as a member of both BJP and SIBLAC, Bhutia said, “BJP is a political party, while SIBLAC is non-political organisation. Whatever issues SIBLAC has those are political issues. Till now, regional parties have failed to address our issues. With hopes and aspirations of addressing these issues, I have joined BJP. BJP leader and Home Minister has assured that Article 371F has an overwriting clause. They have assured that Sikkimese people are special than other citizens of India. If the Sikkimese people and our special provision have to be upheld, only BJP part can uphold it.”
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