GANGTOK: The Sikkim government has constituted a 12-member high-level committee for the inclusion of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for 12 unlisted Indigenous communities in the state.
According to the Gazette notification, the Sikkim State High-Level Committee (SSHLC) will analyze the socio-cultural, historical, ecological, and legal reasons for the inclusion of these communities in the ST category.
Prof. B.V. Sharma, the Director of the Anthropological Survey of India and Director General of the Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation, will chair the committee, while Prof. Mahendra P. Lama, an experienced economist and professor, will serve as Vice Chairman.
The committee will draft an extensive ethnographic and anthropological report of the 12 left-out Sikkimese communities: Bhujel, Gurung, Jogi, Kirat Khambu Rai, Kirat Dewan (Yakha), Khas (Chettri-Bahun), Mangar, Newar, Sanyashi, Sunuwar (Mukhia), Thami, and Majhi.
The report will comprise of an evaluation of the potential advantages of including these communities, highlighting elements such as cultural preservation, tribal development, and the vital importance of border security in the Himalayan region.
The SSHLC has been given a three-month period to submit its report. This will serve as the basis for the state's formal proposal to the central government, seeking the recognition of these indigenous groups.
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