GOVT. OF SIKKIM : Withdraw Hunger Strike So demands CanbeExamined in a month.
photo: Chief Secretary,Government of Sikkim
Gangtok:Today marks the beginning of 31st day that Dawa Lepcha and Tenzing Lepcha have gone hungry to impress upon the government of the need to scrap the different hydel projects coming up in North Sikkim and elsewhere in Sikkim. Dawa and Tenzing are at STNM Hospital while the rest of hunger-strikers are continuing the relay hunger strike at BL House located at TibetRoad ,Gangtok.
A flicker of light was beginning to glow with the statement of Chief Minister of Sikkim Dr.Pawan Chamling earlier this week during review meeting at the conference hall of the Tashiling secretariat that sacred Dzongu must be preserved and "the sanctity of Dzongu has to be protected at any cost" and same was further reinforced through a letter addressed yesterday to ACT by Chief Secretary of Government of Sikkim who called ACT to withdraw their hunger strike to create a positive environment for further dialogue and discussions on concerns put forward by ACT and its members.The Chief Secretary,it may be recalled,chairs the high power committee authorised recently by the Chief Minister to open talks with ACT to resolve the stand-off resulting in indefinite hunger-strike by members of ACT
Meanwhile in another development , NEAA has dismissed appeal of ACT against Teesta III.ACT in their appeal had contended that the Public Hearing was not adequately publicized and that the Public Hearing Panel was not constituted according to EIA Notification and the Public hearing itself was ‘characterised by threatening speeches, accusations and denial of free and fearless democratic participation of the affected people’. Even DVD copies of Public Hearing proceedings had been supplied as documentary evidence.
ACT can now appeal to the Supreme Court against the orders of the NEEA.
Day 30 of hunger strike at BL House also witnessed more support to ACT , Twenty One Land Owners arrived from Dzongu to extend support and express solidarity with ACT and the Members on hunger strike. These Land owners are from Sakyong-Pentong, where the Panan hydel project in Dzongu is scheduled to come up.A Lepcha"MUN" (Devi, faith healer..) was also seen calling the divine powers to bless and pray for the well-being of young hunger strikers.
