Sikkim Has a Soft Corner For Gorkhaland

Jorethang, Jan 17 : Making his first public statement on the Gorkhaland issue after a gap of five years, Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling yesterday said that Sikkim has a soft corner for Gorkhaland demand adding that the issue should be resolved at the earliest.

“We have a soft corner for Gorkhaland demand. We want that the Gorkhaland issue should be resolved at the earliest by the Centre”, said the Chief Minister while inaugurating the four day Maghe Mela here in South Sikkim.

Making public his support to the Gorkhaland demand, Chamling said that Sikkim seeks early solution of the Gorkhaland issue as Sikkim and Darjeeling people share brotherhood relations. It is the constitutional right for the people of Darjeeling to get Gorkhaland and it should be solved at the earliest, he said.

The Chief Minister informed that he had placed a request on Gorkhaland to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during his recent Delhi trip. “During my Delhi tour, I had appealed to the Prime Minister on the Gorkhaland issue and requested him to solve the issue at the earliest”, he said.

The people of Sikkim and Darjeeling are brothers since ages and this brotherly relationship should be maintained at all costs, Chamling said.

This stand of Sikkim Chief Minister on the issue of Gorkhaland comes after a gap of five years. Since November 16, 2004, Chamling had not spoken on Gorkhaland issue despite numerous requests from Darjeeling-based political parties.

It was on November 16, 2004 when Chamling had attended the National Press Day celebrations in Darjeeling that he had promised that his government will pass a resolution on Gorkhaland in theSikkim Assembly if a request came from the political parties of Darjeeling.

At that time, Subash Ghising’s Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) ruled Darjeeling Hills. Ghisingh who had maintained distance from Chamling did not respond to this call.

However, in 2005, All India Gorkha League president Madan Tamang had sent a request to Chamling to pass a resolution on the Gorkhaland issue in theSikkim Assembly. Similar requests were made to Chamling by other parties on several occasions.

Even the new Gorkhaland protagonists, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) led by Bimal Gurung had sent requests and made public appeals to Chamling to support the Gorkhaland demand.