Gangtok, 12th December: Social Welfare Minister Samdup Lepcha today tabled the B.V. Sharma–led Sikkim State High-Level Committee report on the inclusion of the 12 left-out communities (Bhujel, Gurung, Jogi, Kirat Khambu Rai, Kirat Dewan (Yakha), Khas (Chhetri-Bahun), Mangar, Newar, Sanyasi, Sunuwar (Mukhia), Thami, and Majhi) during the special session of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly. The House unanimously passed the resolution, marking a major step in the long-pending demand for recognition.
During the discussion, Minister Arun Kumar Upreti, Minister Nar Bahadur Dahal, Minister Raju Basnet, MLA Lok Nath Sharma, and Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang participated in the debate. All of them stated that the report is comprehensive and strongly supports the demand for granting ST status to the 12 communities. Their remarks highlighted that the report provides clear socio-cultural, anthropological and historical justification for inclusion.
Speaking to the media after the session, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said that the government had worked seriously and systematically on the report. He informed that the state government will now forward the report to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Registrar General of India (RGI) at the earliest. The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the 12 communities will receive recognition based on the findings and strength of this report.
The demand for ST status for these communities has a long history. After the Burman Commission report prepared during the previous government was rejected by the RGI, the state government initiated a fresh process to address the issue. A crucial meeting between the Government of Sikkim and community leaders from the Darjeeling hills was held in Siliguri on 6 October 2024, where it was decided that a new expert committee would be formed. Subsequently, the Sikkim State High-Level Committee, chaired by Prof. B.V. Sharma, was officially announced through a Gazette Notification on 4 November 2024. The committee held its first meeting on the same day with the Chief Minister, followed by several rounds of consultations with representatives of the 12 communities.
With today’s unanimous approval in the Assembly, the process now moves to the Central Government, raising renewed hopes among the 12 left-out communities for long-awaited constitutional recognition.
