I’ve recently been battling out the topic of stopping immigration in Sikkim in the forum of sikkimonline.info. The topic ranted about a Sikkimese being an alien in their own domain, being dominated or called chinkys, bahadur, etc. outside the state. This is how I responded:
I dont think you’re going to like what I’m going to say so apologies in advance.
Yes, I have been called a chinky and whistled at by these so-called perverts of our society when I’ve been outside the state. I agree that most of these people who indulge in such habits are cretins of the lowest kind and bring shame to our culture and country.
But I wonder why there is this tide of strong anti non-Sikkimese sentiments so rampant which says WE are superior to them. After all, even we as citizens of India have taken ample opportunity in terms of educations, jobs and a better life outside the state. Then why stop anyone from doing the same in Sikkim?
The government of Sikkim has already secured us by providing a certificate of Identification and we all know that govt jobs are accessible only to those holding a COI. Even most govt undertakings prefer to hire local people wherever possible.
What about people like Bhaichung Bhutia, Danny Denzongpa, Karma Paljor of CNN-IBN and thousands of other professionals opting to live and work in the various metros of the country? What made them leave our blissful state and struggle for life outside Sikkim that we know for sure isnt as laidback and cosy as home in the first place? Shouldnt the local people there too protest against their working there by hailing them “immigrants” and shooing them away?
So why should we do that here?
Yes, I feel more secure after crossing Rangpo. (Rangpo is the border which leads to Sikkim) Yes, I feel our people are far more civilized and tolerant and accommodating than others. Yes, the people from outside may disturb our peace and harmony.
But the point of self complacency has long gone past. Why should we feel worried about non locals snatching our jobs when we ourselves are unemployed by the dozen?
Forgive me for not being able to sign the petition. I evidently believe differently and I’m sure I’m one of the very few people to do so. I dont want to create an un-necessary argument in any case. I’m just voicing my opinion that we should live and let live.
To which the answer was:
hello rinchen,
thank you for your reply. it was really presented well and i really appreciate your outlook. but i still beg to differ.
yes i agree we have our people going outside of sikkim for better work opportunity since sikkim is not so exposed. but let me present you with this fact that only the educated lot go outside of sikkim for a better job. where as in the case of non sikkemese here, it is every tom,dick and harry pouring in. forget all this and just try to calculate the ratio of both the parties working in and outside of sikkim and you will come to know.be a judge yourself.
and when you mentioned the name of bhaichung,please there’s no comparison between a national hero and a general public. bhaichung has given so much to this country rather a other way round.
it is a ticking time bomb and if not stopped in time..may lead to disaster. if you still don’t believe me,wait until next decade.
have a good day and lets be practical.
reply is awaited.
To which, I in turn, replied:
Sure, lets be practical. Do you know who were the original inhabitants of Sikkim years back? Out of the Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalis, more than one tribe was considered ‘immigrant’ at different periods of time.
Cut to the present, the ‘plains-men’ you’re talking about are now the Immigrants! Even when we have a judicial system that verifies the origin of the people of Sikkim, we’re still so insecure of the outsiders. Why?
I believe a word better than ‘communal’ is – Racist. And if every race, community and religion started fighting for supremacy, we all would be mini versions of Hitler and have our own genocide camps to counter this issue.
Lets be practical. Take a long, hard look at the culture around us. Inter caste marriages have ensured that the surname gets carried on only for name’s sake. National integration is taking place whether one likes it or not.
As for who’s the next CM, I believe the colour of one’s skin is not the standard by which a state’s leader is chosen. As long as he or she is educated enough to have a vision to take our state to the next level of prosperity, that is okay by me.
Your move.
This one hurt. Ouch.
well said rinchen but i am still here standing for my people.
your thoughts are good and i really appreciate it but it can’t be applied everywhere. sometimes it is as good as your ear.
you must have read todays telegraph. there’s article relating about the recent turmoil in kashmire.
the chaos was triggered by a mere transfer of 40 hectres of land to the amarnath shrine board.this was how it was presented but in reality the kashmere people were afraid of the demographic changes it could bring into their society and their culture. even in tibet,china changed tibet’s demography by settling han chinese there in large number.
as of now i am just insisting on stopping the influx, i have never said we should flush out all those who have already settled in sikkim. but if we carry on like this the day will surely come when you will see our younger generation acting the same way like they did in guwahati and maharashtra. this is bound to happen if our attitude remain this way. i am not saying this is the right way and i don’t justify such act at all.
regarding the cm….i think you are day dreaming anil kapoor of movie nayak.
this is reality.
you please
This goes on for three pages. After which I was near about labelled an outsider myself as well as being unsupportive of “our people”. I wasnt calling the opposition a racist. All I wanted to do was make this point – Stop labelling people according to their community, caste, colour, creed and gender. We live in a democracy. Might as well act like it.
I gave up on the debate after a while but I thought I might was well publish the great debate on my blog; for what its worth, perhaps I may get more supporters here. And as for that last CM remark – this is what I had to say:
You were the one to bring up the CM issue, not me. Plus, I’m afraid I’m not a Bollywood fan like you so I dont see Anil Kapoor as my daytime hero.
Me and understand? Not possible… tetro dimag chaina… hahaha…
Me too got to go. Talk to you layters las. Good night!
suku mano?
no hear .. no see..
Sukam
Kaha bata sikhi halecha! Pinne entha vishesham? Entha cheya natha, cheta?
Anta, football final heryo?
tatro lamo tah nah bholnos na..confuse bhayoe ni..
yeah i watched the final…it was awesome..army x1 displayed a very good game but somehow lost the match and in the process it made me poorer by rs.2000. luck thinye nah army ko…4 times they hit the bar.
errrrrrrrrrr
Yeah, bichara Army XI. They should’ve won, I thought they were the better team. You lost 2k! Dhani manchey haru bet pani katro besi ko lagauda raicha.
I couldnt see anything from where I was sitting near the Gymnasium side. Most of the action was on the Fisheries side ma, isnt it?
hey….mah chai i am not a big shot….trying to build up.
i was watching from the hill side….you can have a best view from hill but you have to compromise on certain things like sun…gosh it was so hot…but i really enjoyed the every bit of it.
you were at gymnasium site…you didn’t hear me cheering army x1…i was constantly cheering c’mon army from the hill side.we were only 3 or 4 guys remaining were all cheering nepal.so,embarrassing….
Yeah, I know… most of the people were supporting Nepal. My fave player was #7 of Army XI. Kya ball control raicha ni usko – bichara lai last ma nikalyo, I dont know why. I liked him the best. Nepal ko goal keeper ley gardai matrai jiteko ni!
mean….you like that short guy…are you speaking about the captain.
as for me i found no.9 of army really good…i was brilliant time to time..and i also found no 9 of nepal very good…he was the best striker in nepal team and because of him nepal won.
happy diwali…
Yah! I mean that short Manipuri guy, jersey #7, Captain of Army XI. I didnt really notice the other players – I didnt even know which team was which – almost before half time
Happy diwali to you too! Pateka parkayera kehi chaina yahan. I’m scared of loud crackers. Planning to light diyas instead.
For Rinchen and other readers of the Great Debate,
They Say that Sikkim usd to cover an area that was almost three times the size what it is now.
If you’re looking at that area – say from something similar to how you’d view a place with Google Earth – and visualise a garden – A garden just being prepared. That is, there’d be earth all around and probably a border of green. Let us assume that nature, on its own is prearing a garden of flowers.
Keep looking at that plot. After a sufficient amount of time, sprouts and buds etc start to appear and shortly the garden would be full of – say yellow flowers.
There are not many of these yellow flowers. they are spread around sparsely in that plot. They are sturdy and can survive with whatever is available from the garden. So they grow and spread, but slowly, without adversely affecting the environs that they grow in.
Some TIME passe, bright crimson flowers appear in the north west of the garden. With the passage of time, the Northwestern areas of the Garden retain vestiges of the bright crimson flowers. Whereas the rest of the garden is still a massive expanse of green with the yellw flowers still being evident all over the garden but with splotches of yellow dominating some areas, some areas where the crimson stands out and quite a few places both thr yellow and bright crimson intermingle to produce a cordinated hue of reddish yellow and/or yellowish red.
The garden now appears set to be a garden of different combinations of bright crimson and yellow. But wait there appears to be a darker version of flowers appearing on the south east – No those are a new group of flowers – dark brown in colour.
On their own the dark brown flowers seem to be overtaking the yellow flowers in the south east. Soon the dark brown flowers are spreading further north and west. But after some time the dark brown flowers intermingle with the yellow and bright crimson flowers and slowly fade, but not before adding to the mosaic that was already there.
So now the garden has yellow flowers, yellow tinged flowers, bright crimson flowers, crimson tinged yellow flowers, and brown tinged Yellow and crimson flowers.
Is the garden going to stay that way. No. From the south several different coloured flowers seem to appear. Darker strained purples, mauves, and combination of many other colours. These different coloured flowers start appearing in many of the areas – and actually add a spectalular effect. Is that a danger sign.
Around the same time strange new flowers also appear from the western and south western end of the garden – brightly coloured and very similar looking flowers but having much stronger shades of white, red, orange, purple, and many other shades.
With the passage of time (again) this new combination of many colours, shades, hues and tinges, appear to be what was best for the garden. But the original yellow flowers are far and few between, the bright crimson are only found in patches, and the combination of these two flowers grow in the shadow of the bigger plants from the south.
The brightly coloured flowers from the west, with their many hues, strains, tinges and shade have now taken over most of the areas where once only yellow and bright crimson flowers, swayed in the wind.
The beautiful yellow flowers may soon be extinct. The bright crimson flowers are shining again, but it is the shine preluding anihilation.
The different flowers carrying the shades and combination of the yellow and bright crimson flowers may survive if they take on the different characteristics of the new new flowers that have taken ove the garden.
That is the way of nature. A cycle of change, movement and time.
Mingma King
Hi Mingma,
Nicely written
Indeed a cycle of change. You should write more 