BL Protection Force campaigns for protection in New Delhi

A seven-member delegation of the Bhutia Lepcha Protection Force led by its president, Phigu Tshering Bhutia has been camping at New Delhi for the past one week to draw the Centre’s attention towards matters pertaining to Bhutias and Lepchas of the state. As per a BLPF press release, the delegation has called on various Ministries and officials of the central government appraising them about what the organization sees as the “hidden agendas to do away with the rights and benefits enjoyed by this minority community in the state and the gross violation of the very spirit of Article 371F”.

BL Protection Force to organize convention in Rabong

GANGTOK, 20 Jan: Bhutia Lepcha Protection Force [BLPF], under the auspices of Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee, has announced plans to organize a Convention on 25 January in Rabongla, South Sikkim. This is in follow-up to the convention organized by the BLPF in Gangtok on 08 December last month. The organizers are preparing for an attendance of around 2,000, all of whom it expects to join the BLPF on the day.
The BLPF advisor cum spokesperson, Kesang Dorjee, accompanied by the organisation’s president, Phigu Tshering, informed a press conference yesterday that the Rabong convention was being organized for the convenience of people from South and West districts.

BL Protection Force convention passes 12-point resolution

 GANGTOK, 08 Dec: The Bhutia Lepcha Protection Force passed a twelve-point resolution at the national Bhutia-Lepcha convention organized by it here today at the BL House. Political leaders and former bureaucrats of the Bhutia-Lepcha communities attended the convention even as the BL and Sangha MLAs stayed away. The meeting saw a substantial gathering from all the districts.
Following deliberations, the convention passed the 12-point resolution which will be forwarded to the Governor, sitting BL Ministers, MLAs and Union Ministers.
Among the resolutions passed, the BL community re-affirmed the blood-brotherhood instituted by Thekong Tek and Khey Bumsa in the 13th century.  Among the main agendas discussed was the safeguard of BL community under the constitutional provision of Article 371 F.
The BL community has also rejected the Prof. Roy Burman Commission’s report on the basis of which the state government is demanding reservation of seats in the state legislative assembly for the newly inducted tribal Limboo-Tamang community. It was stated that this poses a threat to the political rights of both the BL and Sikkimese Nepalese population in the state.
The convention further alleged that the state government has failed to uplift the Lepcha community in the state and demanded additional 10% reservation for the Lepcha community in higher studies and government jobs.
The convention resolved to urge the state government to accept the report of the Parliamentary Committee on providing rights to the Old Settlers of Sikkim; BL representation in all government and constitutional organisations; request the Centre to take up the issues of threat to religious sanctity and environment; oppose the unification of Sikkim-Darjeeling, proper safeguard to Sikkimese people as per 371 F.