Sikkim: Certain forces don’t want 12 left-out communities to get tribal status, says CM Prem Singh Tamang

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has alleged that certain forces do not want 12 left-out communities to gain tribal status. He blamed the previous government for submitting incorrect reports to the Centre, which resulted in the denial of their demand for tribal recognition.

Speaking during a one-day session of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, Tamang said that the previous government had pushed these communities backward. He stated that their mistakes prevented these communities from being recognized as Scheduled Tribes. He informed the House that the current government has already passed a resolution in the Assembly, urging the Centre to grant tribal status to these communities. He also highlighted that he had repeatedly raised this issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Chief Minister explained that the fight for tribal status is a major challenge and that Sikkim alone cannot win this battle. Therefore, the state government has decided to work together with Darjeeling to push for this demand. He reminded everyone that the demand for Limboo and Tamang communities to be recognized as Scheduled Tribes was also a joint effort between Sikkim and Darjeeling. However, he claimed that certain elements were always against this cause and had tried to block it, even during an important meeting in Siliguri.

Tamang expressed concerns that some groups are working against the interests of the 12 left-out communities. He accused them of creating obstacles and ensuring that these communities remain deprived of tribal status. Despite these challenges, he reaffirmed his government’s strong commitment to securing tribal recognition for them. He said that the ultimate goal is to make Sikkim a fully tribal state.

The demand for tribal status for the 12 left-out communities has been a long-pending issue in Sikkim.

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