THE OLD SETTLERS OF SIKKIM

Pinking of the Sikkimese populace Whatever one might say, replacement of Sikkim Subject Certificate, a sacrosanct document with coloured cards should not have been done on the following reasons:

1. Pre-empting the Crooks. Argument that discovery of 30,000 fake SSCs necessitated Pink Cards, is akin to saying, “The thief has been identified, now lock the doors”, instead, we should be catching the crook. What was required was strengthening of the rules, regulations and processes related SSC rather than pinking the SSC itself.

2. Pink Cards producing Pink Cards. SSC is an historical sacrosanct document, now never replicable and is like the main root of the tree. There can only be one main root and, correctly, branches have been created in the form of Domicile Certificates and the Certificate of Identification which would ultimately trace the genuineness of their origin, thereby keeping the sanctity of the root intact. But today we are making the branches to act the root. It will take just one brother holding a Pink Card to make all his brothers, sons, and grandsons Ad Infinitum eligible to possess the Pink Card. The roots stand forgotten. But in the process, a single wrong brother will also create a mistake of similar magnitude. Just imagine a scenario. One takes out Sikkim Subject Certificate and other flashes the Pink Card with a pink smile and this fellow got the Pink Card because his brother possessed one, and he himself was borne in Bangladesh and is the son of his father’s third wife. Pinking of SSC has lowered its dignity and improved chances of fraudulence.

3. SSC a harmless document. In the long run, perhaps SSC will mean very little in terms of facilities and freebies that would come along with it. Even today with or without SSC everyone is enjoying every bit of facilities available here - jobs, contract works, right to purchase dokaan, makaan, land, business opportunities, BPL rice, etc. As for the jobs, just read the papers. For about 1000 jobs there were tens of thousands of applicants! So where are the jobs that we should be banking on Sikkim Subjects for? And for how long? One may point out Income Tax exemption. But, how wealthy and for how long are the people of Sikkim? A few who have moderate business will just feel not so rich if they cross Rangpo, reach Siliguri and meet Mittals and Agarwals. Basically, IT imposition would have hardly any impact. And remember tax paying is a process of nation building. SSC is neither harming anyone nor it will make anyone billionaire overnight. So, it should have been left alone.

4. Tied with our emotions. Today when we have lost so much, what remains is - this old mould infested and colour faded paper which - as a precious inheritance, we keep in our boxes padlocked and with which we are so emotionally bound to. So, this paper has significance of very different nature, like papyrus or parchment on which Valmiki wrote the original Ramayana. So how can this sacrosanct precious parchment can be replaced with any other coloured paper?

5. SSC gives us a unique Identity. SSC does give people of Sikkim a unique status. Its Power has been immensely amplified and elucidated not only by 371F, but also by the recent Income Tax Act. Ours is a small place, always has been the abode of Gods, epitome of peace, tranquillity, brotherhood and prosperity. Our misfortune - that in one sense, we have lost everything. It is not impossible that in future the Pink cards will overtake SSC and will spread from Gangtok to Bhagalpur to Taplejung. So let us not dilute and consign this last vestige of our identity which we called Sikkim Subject Certificate, a Symbol of bygone Sikkim – a rock solid reminder that once we were a Nation – to oblivion.

6. Is Pink Card to Safe Guard people of Sikkim? Finally, a writer has hinted whether the card is for security reason. And does he mean security from influxes? (We have been facing an unprecedented influx. Are we now trying to cap it by the use of Pink Card?). But our constitution declares – “Though shall not close the Rangpo gate to anyone entering Sikkim!” Alas, 371F is also getting self-destructive while we bring in sometime utterly un-necessary rules, regulations and Acts in the name of earning money, and oblivious to damages that such acts are causing. Whereas every time Government of India fling a few drops of honey of money from its cup of coffer, the entire state gets inundated. After all, Sikkim with 5 lakhs people and 50% of which residing in Gangtok, is about 50 km by 50 km in area, remove forests, etc, then, it is comparable to district of Patna or Darjeeling. The latter having population of about 20 lakhs, is run by a single DC and has a budget of about 2-300 crores. And don’t forget Darjeeling (with influx) now was once what Sikkim is today !

Globalization, Industries, free market and so on are the essential modern mantra. But these should not be gobbled-up like hot potato, lest your mouth will get blistered. What we do today must have holistic perspective and ingredient of truth towards the coming generation to make them live in harmony and not with frustration. Else, we have done nothing good. So, if the writer is right, and if we are concerned about the extinction of people of Sikkim, and if we feel SSC is not working (unless it is given a new avatar), and if we are aware of the underlying problem, then this CARD ( perhaps a means to remedy the problem) is OK, but starting it by pinking the Sikkim Subject Certificate ? This cannot be a correct thing to do.

D. Subba, Gangtok
source; voice of sikkim