SDF Party condemns CPM leader Nilotpal Basu’s remark in Sikkim on Dzongu

Gangtok,17 October :Communist Party of India (Marxist) central secretariat leader, Mr. Nilotpal Basu and CPM MP from Darjeeling, Mr. Saman Pathak, speaking in a CPM organized meeting in BL House here on Sunday, remarked that the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government move for hydropower project in Dzongu (North Sikkim) “ is destructive”. They pledged support to the ongoing protest to the government move by ACT, a forum in the name of “Affected Citizents of Teesta”.On Monday, Mr. Bhim Dahal, SDF general secretary (publicity), has “condemned” the remark, without naming the CPM leaders. Mr. Dahal has said in a press release, the CPM leaders by supporting an “anti-development” group and trying “to divert people’s attention to Sikkim from West Bengal and the massacre of farmers in Singur and Nandigram in the State by lathi and bullets “. Calling CPM “a party that changes colour”, the release questions the “ideology of the party in joining hands with BJP and SIBLAC in Sikkim”. The release adds, “Dzongu is on a development path. There is no fighting, lathi charge or firing”, as in Singur and Nandigram

Sikkim Opp unhappy with Panchayat poll date

GANGTOK, Sept. 26: The Opposition parties have criticised the state government's decision to hold the panchayat election during the festival season. It may be recalled that the State Election commission had yesterday hinted at holding the panchayat election tentatively on 26 October."The government has fixed election date in between Dusshera and Diwali. Moreover, we do not have adequate time to prepare for the elections," said a senior Congress leader. The Congress, though, has decided to fight the elections anyhow. "We have discussed the matter with our party high command in New Delhi. They have told us to participate in the polls without bothering about the government's dirty political game," the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee president and former chief minister, Mr Nar Bahadur Bhandari, said.The CPI-M leaders are also unhappy with the government's "hasty" decision. "The State Election Commission had given Form A and B yesterday only. We have sent the forms to our head office in New Delhi," said Mr Anjan Upadhaya, senior CPI-M leader of the state. "We do not have adequate time and to prepare for the polls," he added. The Opposition parties, including BJP, Congress, CPI-M, Sikkim Sangram Parishad and Gorkha Prajatantrik Party had earlier requested the government to hold the polls after the festival season. The Opposition parties have also criticised the government over the seat reservation and delimitation issues. "The seat reservation and delimitation should have been made on community basis and not the party basis. We are planning to launch a non-cooperation movement against the government,” said Dr AD Subba, president of SHRP.

Joint Action Committee Condemns Attack on Opposition Political leaders

Gangtok: A Press Release issued by BJP president Shri H.P.Pradhan on behalf of the JACTSD has informed that a meeting of the “Joint Action committee to Save Democracy” (JACTSD) consisting of 4 main opposition Political Parties viz. Indian National Congress, Communist party of India (Marxist), Bharatiya Janata Party and Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad and a NGO was held on 16th August 2007.

In a press release issued on August 17, JACTSD has announced that a number of resolutions were adopted by JACTSD in the meeting and details of same as per release is as follows:

1. The meeting strongly condemned the character assassination of the leaders of the opposition, Non governmental Organisations and official and the language used by the Chief Minster on the auspicious day of Independence on 15th August 2007 in presence of the innocent school children, government officials, dignitaries and the public at large.
2. The meeting took exception to the call of the Chief Minister to the public to become combatant (Jujharu) and analyzing whether this amount to call for civil war when democracy can not survive without the presence of opposition Political parties.
3. The meeting also condemned the assertion of Chief Minister that no negotiation to be made on the Hydro-electric Power project at Dzongu neglecting the call of the minority Lepcha tribe and consider this as threatening statement when such issues should have been settled in democratic way.
4. The meeting decided that the election to the Panchayat and Municipality should be held after proper delimitation of the wards based on proportionate population and reservations following the principal of public hearing before final delimitation. For independent delimitation and the reservation, the committee felt that this should be done by the State Election Commission.