Sikkim: Key issues in 2009 LS polls

Chonmipem Horam

As many as seven contenders are in the fray for the lone Parliamentary seat which witnessed polling on April 30. Though Sikkim is considered a peaceful state free from any insurgency, there are issues like unemployment, lack of infrastructure, development and connectivity woes that would affect people while deciding their representative. Therefore to woo voters across the state, the contestants have come up with their manifesto targeting unemployment, development, reservation of seats and security as the main agenda. Former Deputy Chairman of State Planning Commission P D Rai is fighting as Sikkim Democratic Front candidate. He faced Padam Bahadur Chettri from BJP, K N Uperti from Congress and two other candidates from regional parties. However, BJP assails the ruling Sikkim Democratic Party for failing to ensure assembly seats for Limboo and Tamang communities. It has appealed voters to favour its candidate promising reservation of Assembly seats for them. Citing rising unemployment as the major failure of SDF govt, former CM and Sikkim Congress Committee president, Nar Bahadur Bhandari pledges to provide jobs to all educated youths if voted to power. Congress candidate KN Uperti has also pledged to work for the reservation of seats to the Sikkimese Nepali community and Limboo and Tamang communities. He added that if Congress win at the Centre and its MP from Sikkim would go a long way in solving the pending issues of the state. Other contesting include Supreme Court advocate N B Khatiwada from the Sikkim Gorkha Prajatantrik Party and Bhim Subba from the Janekta Party. There were reports of transgression from China into India territory. China`s People`s Liberation of Army entered into the state and return on their own after spending some time there. The transgression, which took place in 2008 in north of Sikkim in Gyangyong, was referred to as `Finger Area` by Indian forces as it appears like a protruding finger on the map. This move has attracted severe criticism and is a topic of debate in the state. Apart from this, Sikkim also faces the wrath of its neighbouring states in terms of road connectivity. Frequent blockade of its lifeline National Highway- 31 by Gorkha Janmukhti Morcha demanding Gorkhaland in Darjeeling hills of West Bengal has affected the state immensely. Lashing out at the ruling SDF Govt for adopting discriminatory mechanism of favouring only locals, the Sikkim Congress Committee pledges to restore equality among citizens in terms of education and health facilities.