OBC plea

RAJEEV RAVIDAS, TT, Jan 13, 2018, Kalimpong: Three Nepali-speaking communities of Sikkim, including Chhetri, Bahun and Newar, have decided to launch a campaign to secure Other Backward Classes status at the national level for them.

The three communities have come together to form a common organization called the Sikkim Chhetri, Bahun, Newar Adhikar Sangh to lead the campaign for the special status. The three communities already enjoy OBC status at the state level.

Guru Prasad Luitel, the deputy secretary of the sangh, said most other Nepali-speaking communities of Sikkim had been granted special status, including Scheduled Tribe status to some, but the three communities for some reason are yet to be given similar status even though they, too, come from the same socio-economic milieu.

"We formed the sangh on January 8 to spearhead the campaign for securing OBC status. We don't know if there are other Nepali-speaking communities who have been similarly left out. If we come across one, we will also get them on board," he said.

Luitel claimed there are about 2 lakh members of the three communities in Sikkim, but that could not be independently verified. The total population of Sikkim is about 6.50 lakhs. The 2011 census had pegged the population of the state at about 6.10 lakhs, the vast majority of whom are Nepali-speaking.

To begin with, the sangh plans to launch an awareness campaign among members of the three communities to mobilize them for the cause.

"After that, in about two-three months time, we will petition the chief minister, governor and the prime minister. Even though we are demanding status at the national level, we will route our campaign through the state ," said Luitel.