Kabi (north Sikkim) April 11: Determined to keep intact the apolitical nature of the Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (Siblac), convener Tseten Tashi Bhutia today resigned from the apex body to run in the Assembly polls.
Bhutia will join the state Congress and contest from the Bara-Pathing constituency in east Sikkim, a seat reserved for the Bhutia-Lepcha community.
A former Sikkim Democratic Front legislator from Assam Lingzey in east Sikkim, Bhutia had resigned from the party on March 4 saying he had lost faith in the leadership.
He had, however, promised to continue work for the two ethnic communities by remaining a part of Siblac.
In the first convention held yesterday in this historic place in north Sikkim, Bhutia said his decision to step down from the post of the convener was to let Siblac remain as an apolitical body.
“The apex body in the state should not be tainted with political colours,” he said.
Bhutia said his decision to join the Congress was prompted by the party’s assurance that it would pursue the main demands put forward by Siblac in its 12-point manifesto, which was released last month.
The meeting was preceded by a Lhabsol (puja ceremony) at Kabi Longchok, a sacred place where Lepcha chief Thekong Tek and Bhutia chieftan Khye Bhumsa are said to have signed blood brotherhood in the 16th century.
Addressing a 7,000-strong gathering, Bhutia said: “I have met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi and given her my word to protect the rights of the two communities. The Siblac is an apolitical body but its members can vote just like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. There is no harm in lending indirect support to a political party.”
Focusing fire on chief minister and SDF chief Pawan Chamling, Bhutia said: “The SDF has failed not only to protect the rights of the two communities but also in restoring the rights enjoyed by the Nepalese community earlier.”
“Our political, social and economic rights, guaranteed under Article 371 (f) of the constitution, is being exchanged for money,” he alleged.
