Protests after Supreme Court calls Sikkim Nepalis 'foreigners'

Sikkim on Saturday saw protests following the recent Supreme Court observation that Sikkimese Nepalis were people of foreign origin.

The protestors have set a deadline of seven days for the state government to act, following which it has called an emergency session of the Assembly on February 9.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang recently expressed his deep concern about the community being referred to as foreigners and asserted the remark were not part of the verdict.


He assured that the state government would make all efforts for getting the remarks expunged.

The main opposition party, Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), had called for a 48 hours' bandh starting on Saturday. Nepalis are present in big numbers in Sikkim along with Lepchas and Bhutias.

On a petition filed by the Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim (AOSS), demanding exemption of income taxthose who had settled in the state before its merger with India on April 26, 1975, the Supreme court on January 13 observed that Sikkimese Nepalis were people of foreign origin. The SC also exempted old settlers of Indian origin from paying income tax.