Namthang violence a result of hatred being ‘carefully spread’ by Golay camp: SDF

NAMCHI, 15 Oct: The Sikkim Democratic Front has accused its Upper Burtuk MLA, PS Tamang [Golay] of having himself led an attack on the SDF party office at Namthang and instigating his supporters into a violent rampage which left shops vandalized, vehicles damaged and many injured on Sunday night. In a press communiqué issued today, the party spokesperson, Lok Sabha MP PD Rai, states, “This violence laden fury is a result of the hatred that is being carefully spread by the Golay camp. Earlier in the day they had made several unparliamentary references to the SDF Party leader, Dr. Chamling, alleging that he is now down and under. Campaign of slur and vindictiveness by a man who has no mature political agenda has to be condemned in the strongest of terms.”
Meanwhile in Namchi, before Section 144 which disallows large gatherings was imposed, the SDF took out a huge protest rally through Namchi against the “Namthang Rampage”.
The rally was led by Namchi- Singithang MLA Binod Rai and began from the party office here and marched up to the public ground at Singithang through the Central Park and then back to the party office. Even though no slogans were raised in this silent protest rally, there were tense moments when the rally passed by Golay supporter, former MLA Bhojraj Rai’s house here. No incident however transpired.
It is learnt that the SDF sought permission to hold a public meeting at Namthang today, but this was denied by the district police in light of last night’s incident and the still unsettled mood in the district.
While addressing media-persons later, the SDF South District in-charge cum party vice president, former Minister GM Gurung contended that the Namthang clash erupted when they asked Golay supporters to stop raising slogans against the SDF president, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling.
He stressed that the SDF party workers at Namthang told the Golay supporters that they could raise slogans in support of their leader but should desist from heckling the SDF or its president. “The other side responded by unleashing vandalism and violence,” Mr. Gurung contended.
Earlier today, SDF leaders from different parts of South and West districts also met at Namthang where they condemned yesterday’s incident. The meeting was attended by Minister Tilu Gurung, who also happens to be the area MLA. A similar meeting of the SDF Namchi unit was also chaired by its South District in-charge of the Panchayat Cell, Girish Chandra Rai.
Unanimous in their condemnation of the Namthang episode, the party has countered that a paucity of issues was leading the dissident MLA to “play politics” at funerals and other social occasions with an agenda to disturb the law & order situation in the State.
Meanwhile, the SDF spokesperson conveyed the party’s official response to the incident in these words: “The SDF Party condemns, in the strongest of terms, the Namthang incident when the supporters of Golay, led by him, went into a rampage in what has become their signature at 9 pm Sunday night. They attacked the office of the SDF in Namthang where Mrs. Tilu Gurung, the area MLA and Minister were holding a party meeting discussing the program of the next day. This is according to reports received from party sources.”
The party has also alleged that among “the miscreants were in a WB vehicles and many of the persons were from outside the state.”
Recognising that Namthang violence was “huge by any standards”, the SDF spokesperson reiterates that the violent mob was led by Mr. Tamang himself and adds that the personnel at the police outpost at Namthang “were helpless in the face of the number of violence perpetrating mob.”
The party has held up the Namthang violence as a “clear signal” from its dissident MLA “that he means to reduce this State into one which will be counted amongst those that are highly disturbed”.
While contending that Mr. Tamang will continue with his “politics of violence”, the SDF spokesperson has conveyed the party’s confidence in the people of Sikkim, who, “will reply in the best possible way they know - The SDF will be given an overwhelming mandate and he will fall flat face down in the court of the people.”
“For a person who was made three times Minister and four times MLA by the SDF party this turnaround is nothing but not being given the posts he so desired. Hence he is has been reduced to doing exactly what he is best capable of – fighting a losing battle that too with violence as his tool,” the release states.