SENSATIONALISM AND ITS MISPLACED PRIORITIES

Letter:
Two recent developments have caught my attention. One was the distribution of a pamphlet by two people from West Sikkim. The duo alleged the Chief Minister of having meted out step-motherly treatment towards Limboo-Tamang community. They have posed a volley of questions to the Chief Minister regarding different issues right from reservation for Limboo community in the Assembly to reservation in jobs. They want to know why some people from their community were singled out for Vigilance raids and investigation. The Chief Minister has also been accused of trying to bring all the Limboo associations and organisations under one umbrella. But any sane person would know that it is always better to have one strong body than a number of less effective bodies. I do not see or smell any conspiracy in the intention of the Chief Minister.
It has also been mentioned that the number of Limboos working in higher posts is very few. But why do we forget that community or caste has nothing to do with such things. What matters is how much you can contribute to the state and the country irrespective of which community you belong to. The majority of the population in Silicon Valley is American, but it is the handful of Indian software engineers (in minority) who have made all the difference. The rest is history. I see no reason why any community should feel insecure about such things. We must unite and not divide.
With due apologies to the duo, I am a little tired, like most of you reading such pamphlets. There was a time when such things were taken very seriously. But now they just serve as a pastime. We read them and forget about them because we know that such mediums are being used to settle personal scores. Facts are distorted and statistics are twisted. All the ingredients are added to make it as sensational as possible. I have nothing against anyone. But what I would like to request you all is to strive to sift chaff from the wheat.
On the other hand, I read a news report in a Nepali daily regarding eviction of a Limboo family of an old mother and her only son in Sipsu in South Sikkim. The Court has ordered them to vacate the house in which they have been staying for decades. The family has nowhere to go. According to the report, they are awaiting intervention by the State Government. Unfortunately, none of the so called associations or the Limboo Association have come to their rescue, at least till now. Isn’t this the time when the community should raise their collective voice? Why is the Limboo community silent? Where are all the leaders? Why are they not raising any voice? Is it because the case does not have any political worth? Or is it that the case does not come under the ambit of their ‘agenda’? Anybody can print a pamphlet and malign someone. But it takes a lot of humanity to extend a helping hand without any expectation, especially when you know that your help will never make it to the front page of the newspaper, it will never find credit in any of the records nor will it be mentioned anywhere. A random, unplanned act of kindness is always better than a well planned, well designed conspiracy aimed at defaming someone.
Passang Sherpa, Sombarey, West Sikkim [recvd on email]