GANGTOK, 27 Oct: Sikkim Commission for Backward Classes [SCBC] has called the recent allegations leveled by Sikkim Krantikari Morcha [SKM] regarding the removal of the Majhi community from the Scheduled Castes list as “misleading” and “irresponsible”.
In a press release, SCBC Chairman, TN Sharma has clarified that till recently the Majhi community of Sikkim was notified as Scheduled Caste of the state under the Constitution [Sikkim] Scheduled Caste Order, 1978 however, members of the community had been requesting the Government of India, the State government, Welfare Department and SCBC to remove them from the SC list and instead include them in the Other Backward Classes [OBC] list.
The reasons shown were that their inclusion in the SC category in 1978 by the Government of India was due to the compulsion of the community as SC was the only prevalent category of reserved class meant for Nepalese of the state at that time and they had agreed to be notified hoping that this could help them to improve their social, educational and economic conditions, the release contends.
The community’s representatives, led by one Ishwari Majhi, have since repeatedly requested for deletion from the SC list and inclusion in the OBC list, Mr Sharma informs. Their case was presented to the state government and the government of India and was kept in abeyance till recently, he adds.
The Commission has advised the SKM not to mislead people with such “erroneous, misleading and irresponsible statements made upon this statutory commission and the State government”.
In a press release, SCBC Chairman, TN Sharma has clarified that till recently the Majhi community of Sikkim was notified as Scheduled Caste of the state under the Constitution [Sikkim] Scheduled Caste Order, 1978 however, members of the community had been requesting the Government of India, the State government, Welfare Department and SCBC to remove them from the SC list and instead include them in the Other Backward Classes [OBC] list.
The reasons shown were that their inclusion in the SC category in 1978 by the Government of India was due to the compulsion of the community as SC was the only prevalent category of reserved class meant for Nepalese of the state at that time and they had agreed to be notified hoping that this could help them to improve their social, educational and economic conditions, the release contends.
The community’s representatives, led by one Ishwari Majhi, have since repeatedly requested for deletion from the SC list and inclusion in the OBC list, Mr Sharma informs. Their case was presented to the state government and the government of India and was kept in abeyance till recently, he adds.
The Commission has advised the SKM not to mislead people with such “erroneous, misleading and irresponsible statements made upon this statutory commission and the State government”.
