Sikkim government forms high-level committee for inclusion of 12 indigenous communities in scheduled tribes list

The Government of Sikkim has announced the formation of the Sikkim State High Level Committee (SSHLC). The committee, comprising experts in anthropology, sociology, and regional development, will work on assessing and recommending the inclusion of 12 Sikkimese communities in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list of India. This announcement, published in the official gazette by the Social Welfare Department, sets a three-month timeline for the committee to submit a comprehensive report.

The 12 communities under consideration—Bhujel, Gurung, Jogi, Kirat Khambu Rai, Kirat Dewan (Yakha), Khas (Chettri-Bahun), Mangar, Newar, Sanyashi, Sunuwar (Mukhia), Thami, and Majhi—are seeking recognition in alignment with their unique socio-cultural, historical, and geographical backgrounds. The committee will examine whether these communities meet the criteria stipulated in the Constitution of India for ST status, which could lead to enhanced benefits and protections for them.

The committee is chaired by Prof. B. V. Sharma, Director of the Anthropological Survey of India, with prominent scholars such as Prof. Mahendra P. Lama of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Prof. Virginius Xaxa, a former Deputy Director at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and several other respected figures in anthropology and social sciences. Their mandate includes conducting a thorough ethnographic and anthropological analysis to substantiate the communities' eligibility.

According to the notification, the SSHLC's tasks include preparing a report that justifies the ST status based on the socio-cultural and legal backgrounds of these communities. The committee's work will involve highlighting the socio-economic and cultural conservation benefits that ST status could bring to these groups, alongside potential contributions to national interests, especially in sensitive border areas in the Eastern Himalayas.

The report will address three key areas: socio-economic upliftment, cultural preservation, and contributions to state and national interests, particularly in the strategic Himalayan border regions.

Upon completion, the SSHLC will submit its findings to the Government of Sikkim, which will then make an official recommendation to the Government of India.