Chamling demands bonus for Sikkim peace

Chamling demands bonus for Sikkim peace
SAMUDRA GUPTA KASHYAP

GANGTOK, OCT 9: Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has urged the Centre to consider his state for a bonus for the ``reasonably high degree of peace'' in the state for the past six years.

Chamling said that most states were fighting insurgency and various other law and order problems. ``Sikkim is the most peaceful state, even more peaceful than Mizoram.''

``Considering my state for a peace bonus will not only boost Sikkim's welfare and infrastructure-building initiatives, but will also send a positive signal to states afflicted with insurgency,'' he said.

``Otherwise, there are politicians who want to keep the fire of insurgency alive for extracting funds from the Centre,'' he said, without taking names.

Chamling, however, has not tried to quantify the amount he wants from the Centre. ``It is for the Centre to assess. It can look into the special needs of the state. We have problems in infrastructure, power and communication. If these are tackled by the Centre, that itself will be a bonus,'' he said.

Chamling submitted a memorandum to the Union Home Minister L.K. Advani a few weeks ago, pointing out that Sikkim had the lowest crime rate in the country. The crime rate in the state is 101.1 per lakh of population against the national average of 183.2, the memorandum states.

``We do not have any insurgency problem despite being a border state in the north-east. Moreover heinous crimes in the state can still be counted in the fingers,'' the chief minister claimed. He said that Sikkim had not witnessed any militant uprising even though it joined the Indian Union only in 1976.

``Ours is a perfect example of national integration. Look how our people have become a part of the Indian Union within 25 years. Sikkim can be projected as a role model of national integration,'' he said, claiming that he was the first chief minister of any state to have initiated emotional integration of the people.

``Only those states which are hit by insurgency and violence, and are known for dowry deaths get media coverage. The media too should recognise the good things that we have been maintaining in Sikkim,'' he said.

Under Chamling, Sikkim has initiated a series of developmental projects, including massive plantation and regeneration of forests for which the cheif minister was named the ``Most Green Chief Minister'' by Down To Earth magazine last year.