- News>
- States
SIBLAC`s opposition to Nathula unjustified: Gooroong
Gangtok, Oct 29: The Sikkim Bhutia-Lepcha Apex Committee`s opposition to the reopening of the Nathula trade route is the handiwork of forces with whom this breakthrough in Sino-Indian relations has not gone down well, B B Gooroong, political advisor to the Chief Minister, said here today.
Gangtok, Oct 29: The Sikkim Bhutia-Lepcha Apex
Committee's opposition to the reopening of the Nathula trade
route is the handiwork of forces with whom this breakthrough
in Sino-Indian relations has not gone down well, B B Gooroong,
political advisor to the Chief Minister, said here today.
At a recent demonstration-cum-rally in New Delhi, SIBLAC,
which champions the cause of the twin ethnic minority
communities of Sikkim, has charged the state government with
diluting Article 371(F) of the Constitution and also vowed to
protest revival of the ancient trade route until their rights
were fully safeguarded as per the provisions of this article.
Rebutting the charge, Gooroong said Article 371(F) of the constitution was as sacrosanct as any other article and the question of diluting it did not arise.
The article in question provides special safeguards to the twin communities of the state which merged with the Indian union in 1975.
As for SIBLAC's opposition to Nathula, Gooroong said they were being instigated by forces which relish this significant breakthrough in Sino-Indian relations.
Asking them to stop playing into the hands of these forces, Gooroong who was himself the Chief Minister of the state for a brief period in the eighties said they should not oppose Nathula because of their political concerns.
''While Article 371(F) is a political subject reopening of Nathula is a purely economic issue with far-reaching implications both for the state and the country as a whole'', Gooroong argued and urged SIBLAC not to club the two different issues together at the behest of some ''undesirable elements''.
Bureau Report
Rebutting the charge, Gooroong said Article 371(F) of the constitution was as sacrosanct as any other article and the question of diluting it did not arise.
The article in question provides special safeguards to the twin communities of the state which merged with the Indian union in 1975.
As for SIBLAC's opposition to Nathula, Gooroong said they were being instigated by forces which relish this significant breakthrough in Sino-Indian relations.
Asking them to stop playing into the hands of these forces, Gooroong who was himself the Chief Minister of the state for a brief period in the eighties said they should not oppose Nathula because of their political concerns.
''While Article 371(F) is a political subject reopening of Nathula is a purely economic issue with far-reaching implications both for the state and the country as a whole'', Gooroong argued and urged SIBLAC not to club the two different issues together at the behest of some ''undesirable elements''.
Bureau Report