SIBLAC passing away of Prof BK Roy Burman

GANGTOK, 27 June: Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee [SIBLAC] held a condolence meeting today to mourn the passing away of Prof BK Roy Burman on 26 June. A respected anthropologist, Prof Burman also headed the Commission for Review of Social and Environmental sector policies, plan and programme (CRESP) in Sikkim.
The SIBLAC press release informs that its members observed a two-minutes silence and decided to adopt a condolence resolution in memory of Late Prof BK Roy Burman.
“This organization deeply condoles the passing away of Prof. BK Roy Burman on 26, June, 2012. Prof Burman was a renowned anthropologist and always worked for the betterment of the indigenous people,” the release states.
Prof Burman is the former Chairman, Study Group on Land Holding System of Tribals, Planning Commission, Government of India (1985-86), and former Chairman, Committee on Forest and Tribals Backward Classes Unit, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (1980-82).
A former visiting Professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Professor of Visva-Bharati University and ex-officio Director of the Council of Social Development, Prof. Burman also served as a visiting Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.
Considered an authority on the northeast, Prof. Burman stoutly opposed the imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Manipur and Operation Green Hunt, and had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh several times.
The Commission for Review of Social and Environmental sector policies, plan and programme (CRESP) he headed in Sikkim was shouldered with the responsibility of reviewing the constitutional status of castes and communities of Sikkim in historical, cultural, ecological and political-economic contexts to make appropriate recommendations and also to review the policies, plans and other programmes in respect of SCs, STs, OBCs and other socially and economically backward communities for improvement of quality of life of all sections of people of Sikkim. The SIBLAC release goes on to contend that the Commission’s recommendations were biased and believes that Prof. Burman resigned from the Committee “realizing the faults of the committee and being misused”.
“The passing away of Prof Burman is an irreparable loss to the nation and more particularly, the indigenous people who shall always miss the academic deeds and contributions of late Burman,” the release expresses, adding, “We deeply condole his passing away and pray the almighty to bestow him eternal peace at death and power to tolerate this tragedy to all his surviving family members.”