Citizen Action Party to hold one-day dharna protesting SC's verdict on Sikkimese Nepali

A meeting of the members of the newly formed Citizen Action Party was held at Mellidara, Namchi district under the Chairmanship of Ganesh Rai, Chief Coordinator, CAP. In the meeting , The Citizen Action Party decided to hold a one-day dharna at the District Court premises in Gangtok on 3rd February 2023 protesting the decision of the Supreme Court's “inadvertent mention of the Sikkimese Nepali community as foreigners” . The party decided that it shall submit a memorandum to the Governor of Sikkim regarding the matter. A 7-member committee has also been formed by the party to deal with this sit-in which will be chaired by Shri Narendra Adhikari.

In a press statement the party said that people whose name appears in the Sikkim Subject Register, their children named in the Sikkim Subject Register and those who were issued identity cards by the Government of India in 1990 and 1991 have been given a special status and hence were provided with safeguards to protect the interests of the people of Sikkim. This special status has been put under question by the recent judgement passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court. 
The press statement said that Citizen Action Party strongly objects to the decision whereby every person living in Sikkim before April 26, 1975 are covered under the same bracket.  Further, it is painful for all the inhabitants of this blessed land of Sikkim that a section of people- Nepali, living here since generations and have been instrumental in the state's growth have been labelled as having settled in Sikkim after coming from a foreign country. 

"This is a grave insult to the entire community and also speaks about complete lack of awareness about the history of Sikkim even amongst those holding the highest chair in the country. What makes this even more worse is that the Additional Advocate General of the Sikkim government did not raise any objection in the Supreme Court and made no efforts to correct this erroneous point is simply unacceptable. It was the duty of the present government to assure that the AAG presented facts in the right manner and the inability to do so in his part also makes the government liable to be questioned about its honesty and sincerity in this matter. The Citizen Action Party considers the SKM government to be answerable it this grave issue that troubles every Sikkimese.", the press statement read.

"A Joint Action Committee has been formed in Sikkim which aims to address the issue of immigrant tag that has been labelled against the Nepali community. But, the Citizen Action Party would like to state that this Committee should also strongly place its opinion about the dilution of the term Sikkimese which should refer to the descendants of this land. The Citizen Action Party shall place its support to the JAC if this point is also raised by the Committee.", the party said.