The Hindu : National : Nathu La Pass reopening deferred till next year

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 16, 2004

National

National

Nathu La Pass reopening deferred till next year

By Marcus Dam

KOLKATA, JUNE 15. The re-opening of the Sino-Indian trade route through the Nathu La Pass will have to wait till next year, the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, has told the Sikkim Chief Minister, Pawan Kumar Chamling. It was to have been `symbolically' reopened next month.

Speaking to The Hindu over telephone from Delhi a day after his first meeting with Dr. Singh, Mr. Chamling said: "I was told that the Commerce Ministry has been asked to look into the matter. A decision on the reopening of the trade route will be taken by the Centre after the Ministry submits its recommendations. Itis likely to happen some time next year.''

Mr. Chamling said they accepted the Prime Minister's decision. However, the Sikkim Government was carrying out a survey on the trade route and how Sikkim would benefit from its reopening. The report on the findings would be ready within three months.

Mr. Chamling, who apprised the Prime Minister of the development programmes in Sikkim said his Sikkim Democratic Front, previously a partner of the National Democratic Alliance, now fully supported the Congress-led Government "keeping in mind the joint interests of both the State and the country."

Dr. Singh reportedly assured Mr. Chamling that his Government's demand for declaring Sikkim as a "tribal State will be examined." "Once that is done it will help in the overall development."

Another issue that had figured in the talks was the fallout of any move to implement Income tax in the State. If there was any such move, then Indian nationals of Sikkimese origin should be exempt from it. He added that a unilateral decision on income tax could create unrest in the State and he had apprised Dr. Singh of how sensitive the matter was to the people of the State.

"I also asked the Prime Minister to consider our demand for a special census in the State on the basis of which we will ask for de-limitation of our Assembly constituencies and additional reservation of seats for the tribal Limboo and Tamang communities'', Mr. Chamling said. "We are demanding that the number of Assembly seats be raised from 32 to 40 and there be two Lok Sabha seats from Sikkim." "We are also calling for legislation to bring all Nepalis into the Other Backward Classes category and for including Bhutia, Lepcha and Limboo languages in the Eighth Schedule'', he added.

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