Sikkim tribals, represented by Sikkim Limboo-Tamang Apex Committee, today approached Union Minister for Development of Northeast (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh,requesting him to take up with the Government of India, the issue of reservation of seats for them in the State Assembly.In a meeting, the delegation led by Shri C B Subba, former Speaker Sikkim Legislative Assembly and Chairman of the Committee, it was submitted before the Minister that the Government of India may take necessary steps for the reservation of seats in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly for Limboo and Tamang Scheduled Tribes of the State under Article 332 read with Article 371 F(f) of the Constitution of India. They also requested that the appropriate decision may be taken at the earliest so that the provision of reserved seats may be available before the upcoming Assembly elections in the State next year.
The members of the delegation also handed over to the DoNER Minister, a copy of the letter written by Chief Minister of Sikkim, Shri Pawan Chamling, recommending the provision to provide seats to the Limboo and Tamang tribes of the State under Article 332 of the Constitution.In a separate memorandum submitted to Dr Jitendra Singh, the members of the delegation argued that the said tribal community in the State of Sikkim nurses a sense of deprivation of their political and fundamental rights, ever since they had been declared as Scheduled Tribes in 2003 under article 342 of the Constitution. They requested that the issue be taken up early so that they do not have to suffer further injustice or sense of discrimination.The memorandum asked for suitable Parliament legislation or Ordinance to provide a minimum of five reserved seats in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly for the Limboo Scheduled Tribes. This, according to them, would promote peace, harmony in the border State.Dr Jitendra Singh gave a patient hearing to the points raised by the delegation. He said, since the matter pertains primarily to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and to the other concerned Ministries, he would forward this memorandum accordingly and also take up the issue with the concerned Ministries.