Golay calls on supporters to prepare for final push for change

LIEUTENANTS HINT AT NEW PARTY BY 31 OCT
HEE BERMIOK, 02 Sept: Dissident SDF MLA, Prem Singh Tamang [Golay], today addressed his first major public meeting since going public with his dissidence, and addressing a gathering of youth and supporters here at Hee-Bermiok, Daragaon, called on them to prepare for a fight to change the system in Sikkim. Their movement, he stressed, was not just for a political change of government but a change in the system itself and how Sikkim is governed.
As for his political plans and strategy, light was shed on these aspects by his lieutenants with TN Dhakal, a retired government servant and now a close aide, hinting that the MLA will resign from the ruling party after Dussera and float his own party by 31 October next month. This announcement was also repeated by another close aide of Mr. Tamang, former MLA Bhojraj Rai in his address.
Continuing with his tirade against the SDF Government, Mr. Tamang alleged that Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has misled the people throughout his 18 years in government and contended that for all the development being claimed by the SDF Government, Sikkim and the Sikkimese people have instead been burdened with debt.
He also alleged that the people have been “emotionally blackmailed” by the present government and announced today that these “emotionally blackmailed” and overlooked people will figure prominently in his movement for change in Sikkim.
Encouraging the youth to come out openly in the move to change the system, he announced that he himself was now committed to effecting this change, assured that he would not abandon this movement and reiterated that he would make every sacrifice required to ensure success.
On change, he stated today that he was not presenting himself as an alternative to Chief Minister Pawan Chamling. “The alternative may not be Golay, but any of the large number of Sikkimese youth who are becoming the alternative,” he said.
He went on to accuse the Chief Minister of not only engineering political violence but also foisting nepotism at the cost of Sikkimese interests. These details, he said, he would reveal gradually with time. He also challenged the ruling party’s claims of having institutionalised democracy in Sikkim.
The dissident MLA also demanded that the State Government release all pending bills of contractors before Dasain.
Mr. Dhakal, who also addressed the meeting, delved on the Sikkim Subjects issue, contending today that a scrutiny had revealed 31,180 fake Certificates of Identification in circulation in Sikkim. Of these, some 5,000 fake CoIs were from the Chief Minister’s constituency in South Sikkim, he alleged.
He also underlined the need for a review of IAS, IPS and IFS cadre with State Civil Service Cadre while promoting for IAS and other cadres immediately. If the new government comes to power, the cadre review will be done accordingly, he said.
The meeting was also addressed MN Dahal, former minister Phuchung Bhutia, Bhojraj Rai, Avinash Yakha, Jacob Khaling, Roshan Pradhan and Shilu Lepcha also addressed the gathering.
After the meeting, a rally was taken out through Hee-Bermoik bazaar with Mr. Tamang’s raising slogans of support.