GANGTOK, September 03: Nine women from Sakyong, Dzongu, North Sikkim have joined the indefinite hunger strike launched from yesterday.
For some of them, it was their first ever visit to the Capital and was forced to come leaving behind household chores.
Their land falls on the dam-site of the proposed Panan hydro-electric power project and there are chances that a major portion of their land would be submerged.
According to Aakith Lepcha, they had to come here to fight for their land as their husband who had left for Lingzya and 4th Mile for rations along with other Lepcha men had been allegedly duped by the Panchayats to sign on the cheque and receive the compensation, after which they were reportedly taken for a tour to Samdruptse.
Same is the case with Denka Lepcha.
During a press conference called by the Concerned Lepchas of Sikkim (CLOS) today, Denka Lepcha in a tearful note said that the mother of the houses and the children should have equal rights to the property and not only the consent of the father of the house. “I have got four sons and I don’t know whether my land would be enough to distribute amongst them. And even though I haven’t seen such an amount of money in my lifetime, I consider my land the greatest asset,” Mrs Lepcha spoke out in a Lepcha dialect.
It is obvious from such episodes that the social and family rift in the Lepcha reserve has already been felt not to speak of the environmental or the concerns of sanctity.
Talking to the media, Gyatso Lepcha, President, CLOS informed that the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs during a meeting with a team of Lepchas from Kalimpong had clarified that the government has not sought any sanction from the ministry regarding the power projects in the Dzongu reserve.
“We once again reiterate our demands for scrapping all the power projects from Dzongu,” Mr. Lepcha said.
The indefinite relay hunger strike initiated by the Affected Citizen of Teesta (ACT) has stepped into the 76th day today.
Meanwhile, three members from ACT, four members from CLOS and from SAFE is in Delhi to meet the central leaders.
For some of them, it was their first ever visit to the Capital and was forced to come leaving behind household chores.
Their land falls on the dam-site of the proposed Panan hydro-electric power project and there are chances that a major portion of their land would be submerged.
According to Aakith Lepcha, they had to come here to fight for their land as their husband who had left for Lingzya and 4th Mile for rations along with other Lepcha men had been allegedly duped by the Panchayats to sign on the cheque and receive the compensation, after which they were reportedly taken for a tour to Samdruptse.
Same is the case with Denka Lepcha.
During a press conference called by the Concerned Lepchas of Sikkim (CLOS) today, Denka Lepcha in a tearful note said that the mother of the houses and the children should have equal rights to the property and not only the consent of the father of the house. “I have got four sons and I don’t know whether my land would be enough to distribute amongst them. And even though I haven’t seen such an amount of money in my lifetime, I consider my land the greatest asset,” Mrs Lepcha spoke out in a Lepcha dialect.
It is obvious from such episodes that the social and family rift in the Lepcha reserve has already been felt not to speak of the environmental or the concerns of sanctity.
Talking to the media, Gyatso Lepcha, President, CLOS informed that the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs during a meeting with a team of Lepchas from Kalimpong had clarified that the government has not sought any sanction from the ministry regarding the power projects in the Dzongu reserve.
“We once again reiterate our demands for scrapping all the power projects from Dzongu,” Mr. Lepcha said.
The indefinite relay hunger strike initiated by the Affected Citizen of Teesta (ACT) has stepped into the 76th day today.
Meanwhile, three members from ACT, four members from CLOS and from SAFE is in Delhi to meet the central leaders.
