KNE NEWS

Kalimpong,15th June

Pasang Tamang and his independent party today burned effigies of Sikkim chief minister Dr PawanChamling at Damber Chowk Kalimpong. 

Tamang with around 150 supporters first took out a rally from the town. The supporters,who were carrying black flags and placards, raised slogans against Chamling demanding apology for his statement.

The protest came nearly a month after after Sikkim chief minister Dr Pawan Chamling while addressing a Sakewa celebration programme at Singithang Ground Namchi said that Sikkimese Nepalis must be clear that Gorkhas are people who had come to India to serve in the army in the past and later settled in different parts of the country.

He later added that the Sikkim Nepalis are not the same as the Gorkhas.Despite similarity in culture and tradition there is no similarity of the Sikkim Nepalis with the so-called Gorkhas, he said.

The statement was condemned by many but no one came forward. Pasang Tamang today said, “We as a small party waited for bigger parties to condemn the statement but they did not utter a word. Dr Pawan Chamling is a pride of our community and such a statement has hurt our sentiment.”

He said this is just the beginning of series of programmes.“We just want him to take back his words. If he does not we will hold protests in the Darjeeling Hills, Terai, Dooars and finally Delhi.