Bhaichung's party to move SC over "immigrant" tag on Sikkimese

The political party launched by former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia on Tuesday announced plans to move the Supreme Court to remove the "immigrant" tag from the Sikkimese Nepali community.

A large section of the Sikkimese society has been hurt by this tag but the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), despite a promise, has not done anything to change the word from the verdict, Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP) leader Bhutia said.

The community had been tagged as "immigrant" in a Supreme Court judgement delivered in 1993, he said.

"The best way to correct this is to again approach the Supreme Court. It cannot be done in Sikkim by making political speeches," Bhutia said.

"We will be going to Delhi tomorrow and file the case within the next 3-4 days. We want the word immigrant amended or removed," he told a press conference.

Sikkim has three ethnic communities Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalis, and during its merger with the Indian Union, these communities had been defined as Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalis of Sikkimese origin, Bhutia said.

Thus they became Indians after the merger but despite this, the word "immigrant" was used against the Sikkimese Nepali and the members of the community consider this is an injustice to them, he said.

"The SDF government did nothing to correct this during its long rule, despite making a promise in the assembly election manifesto in 1994," Bhutia claimed.

He appealed to all political parties to support the step taken by the HSP in the larger interest of the people of Sikkim.

The party has also announced that it will form a coalition with the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.

Bhutia floated the HSP in April.