Bandh call by JAC: Sikkim wears a deserted look

SUJAL PRADHAN, EOI, GANGTOK, FEBRUARY 8, 2023:  Large parts of the state of Sikkim wore a deserted look on Wednesday, the day the Joint Action Council called a 12-hour bandh in the state in protest against an apex court judgment. 

No untoward incident was reported. JAC vice president Passang Sherpa said the band was successful and remained peaceful.

Meanwhile, reacting to the Supreme Court deleting the controversial observations from the judgment of January 13, Sikkim state president of BJP D. R. Thapa said: “This is the victory of the Sikkimese people and their hard work. As a result the decision came in a short period.” 

Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Jacob Khaling said:“ The tag of immigrant was there for 25years but with the efforts of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang the immigrant tag has been removed in 28days by the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha government.” 

The Sikkim Democratic Front too welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court to delete the reference to the Sikkimese Nepalis as ‘persons of foreign origin’ had been deleted. “This positive result is a victory of the unity and strength of the Sikkimese people,” it said.