PRADIP LOHAGUN
KALIMPONG
31 Aug 2013
The Kalimpong unit president of the
Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, LS Tamsang, today denied
allegations about the state government trying to pursue a ‘divide and
rule’ policy in the hills with the formation of the Lepcha Development
Council. He said the formation of the LDC has nothing to do with
politics and the step was taken for the development of the community.
Tamsang appealed to the leadership of the ongoing statehood agitation to
refrain from associating the LDC’s formation with politics.
“I personally believe the state
government has no wicked intentions behind this. The LDC has been formed
for the sole purpose of uplifting the community,” said Tamsang.
Addressing the press in the ILTA party
office, he said the Lepchas have been able to convince the state
government to form the council and the fruits would be available to all.
“We have to nothing against the GJM. The Lepchas are not politically
strong. If we were we, would not have been left behind in the race. The
condition of Lepchas in the Sunderwarti area is still miserable. The
board has been formed simply to develop the community and not to create
division among communities,” said Tamsang.
The ILTA president also said the
community is not against the formation of a separate state. Even as he
said every community has the right to fight for rights, he refrained
from commenting on the support of the Lepchas to the statehood movement.
“We never said we will not support the
cause of Gorkhaland. We are not saying we are coming now. When the time
is ripe to come we will announce our decision,” said Tamsang.
He said the ILTA has made arrangements
to felicitate chief minister Mamta Banerjee on September 3 at Mela
Ground. The decision to honour her was decided in June and an invitation
also forwarded then. In such circumstances, cancelling the event would
be a disgrace to the invitee, maintained Tamsang.
The community will felicitate the CM
with the ‘Kingstoom Darmit’ (bestower of fortune) title in the presence
of around 25,000 Lepchas.
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