PLAINSMAN ? LEFT OUT SIKKIMESE ?

Red flag over ‘Plainsmen Business Community’ nomenclature
Does the term `businessman’ refer to all persons?-NSS

SE Report
GANGTOK, November 11: Expressing an outraged objection, Nagarik Sangharsha Samiti (NSS) today strongly censured the State government for repeatedly trying to nomenclature a section of the Sikkimese residents as ‘Plainsmen Business Community’.

“The use of the terminology ‘Plainsmen Business Community” is a misnomer and inappropriate in as much as persons deprived of equal rights at par with the former Sikkim Subject Holders are from different places and different avocations and professions”, said Prem Goyal, NSS chief coordinator in a press statement.

“To brand the heterogeneous group into ‘Plainsmen’ or ‘Business Community’ is to continue the perpetuation of injustice against each individual who, under the banner of Nagrik Sangharsha Samiti, has fought relentlessly for the past 33 years for being treated at par with the erstwhile Sikkim Subject Holders who became citizens of India on and from April 26,1975 only”.

NSS said that the terminology ‘businessmen’ can be safely used to describe all persons doing any and every kind of business for their livelihood irrespective of whether such persons are legally entitled to enjoy the socio-economic and political rights in Sikkim.

“Does the term `businessman’ refer to all persons? The Samiti would appreciate if the terms like ‘businessmen’ and ‘plainsmen’ are altogether avoided. This will go a long way in strengthening communal harmony, peace and brotherhood in a small State like Sikkim where we have been living like one family”, Mr. Goyal said.

The outcry of NSS is based on a news item carried by a local English daily which reported that the State government is examining ‘plainsmen business community for facilities at par with Sikkim subjects’.

NSS said that this exercise clearly demonstrates the fact that the ‘State Government is trying hard to extricate itself from the illegal and discriminatory policies being pursued for over three decades affecting a sizeable number of persons resident
in Sikkim until April 26, 1975-the historic day when Sikkim became a part of India’.

The body also accused the government of desperately trying to cover up its ‘illegal and discriminatory policies and practices’ by restoring to ‘misinformation and disinformation campaign’.

NSS claimed that it has ‘repeatedly made it clear that the State Government must concede its demand for equal treatment in socio-economic and political arena on the basis of all the applicable laws and rules in force in the State of Sikkim and that denial of equal treatment are violative of the Constitution and the rule of law’. It asserted that the sizeable number of residents of the pre-merger date, that is, April 26, 1975 is a group of bonafide Indian nationals from all communities and from different places in India and ‘not just those who run a business or hail from the plains’.

NSS also refuted the reported claims of the State government directing the ‘business community’ to prepare a charter of ‘grievances and demands for examination’.

“No communication has been received from the State Government on the issue and the question of submitting any list of grievances and demands does not arise at all. The demands and grievances of NSS have been repeatedly made known to the State and the Central Government right from 1977 and the one point formula is equal treatment to all those residents in Sikkim till April 26, 1975”, NSS said.

NSS also said that it is ‘ironic that Indian nationals already resident in Sikkim till April 26, 1975 were conveniently left out and are being treated as ‘second class citizens’ when 73,431 persons granted Indian citizenship who were neither Sikkim subject holders or Indian citizens taking April 26, 1975 as the cut off year.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source:Sikkim Express)