Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee appeals to Nepal to respect sanctity of Mt Kanchenjunga
In two separate letters addressed to Nepal's tourism minister and the NMA president, SIBLAC urged the authorities to reconsider their decision to allow a joint mountaineering expedition involving climbers from India and Nepal, which is scheduled to begin from Nepal on June 18 under the aegis of India's National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS).
Gangtok, Jun 14 (PTI) The Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) on Saturday appealed to the Nepal government and the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) to immediately halt a planned expedition to Mt Kanchenjunga, citing the mountain's deep spiritual and cultural significance to the indigenous communities of Sikkim.
The organisation noted that the mountain is central to the state's religious and cultural heritage, and is associated with annual prayers and ceremonies deeply rooted in local traditions.
The letters further reference the 2001 notification by the Government of Sikkim, which banned mountaineering activities on the mountain out of respect for local beliefs. They also invoked provisions of Article 371F and Sikkim's special status within the Indian Constitution, emphasising the protection of indigenous customs and religious sentiments.
SIBLAC warned that any expedition involving summiting Kanchenjunga, particularly from Nepal, could be perceived as a serious cultural violation, and called for the mountain to be treated with spiritual reverence rather than as a site for adventure tourism.
The committee requested both governments to act with sensitivity and uphold the sacred status of the mountain.
The appeal concluded with a request to halt the planned ascent and preserve the spiritual and environmental sanctity of the region, while respecting the sentiments of the Sikkimese people.
SIBLAC had earlier urged the Sikkim government to enforce the standing prohibition on climbing Mt Kanchenjunga, citing the sacred status of the mountain and the legal protections already in place. It had condemned the summit attempt by a group of mountaineers in May. PTI COR ACD
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Did Trump's White House delete sections on foreign gifts, due process from Congress' Constitution site?
The White House removed Sections 9 and 10 of the Constitution from the official congressional website, as per archival searches. These sections deal with habeas corpus and judicial review of wrongful incarceration. The last two parts of Article I, which contain clauses like habeas corpus, prohibiting the name of nobility titles, and prohibiting foreign emoluments for US officials, were removed from the US Constitutional website maintained by Congress.(AP) The last two parts of Article I, which contain clauses like habeas corpus, prohibiting the name of nobility titles, and prohibiting foreign emoluments for US officials, were removed from the US Constitutional website maintained by Congress. On July 17, the Internet Archive archived the final complete version of the webpage, which still contained the sections that had been removed. Parts of Article I, Section 8, and all of Article I, Sections 9 and 10, are no longer available on the live site. The Constitution page on the National Archives website still displays the full text of the document. 'Does this regime think that by editing the website they can delete these basic rights, or do they just want to make it harder to read about them?' asked ResistBot commenter.
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Nagaland against separate Constitutional Article for ENPO demand
Kohima, The Nagaland government on Wednesday strongly opposed the Centre's proposal to grant a separate constitutional provision — potentially under Article 370 — for the proposed Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority , calling it a move that would "amount to territorial bifurcation of the state". Nagaland against separate Constitutional Article for ENPO demand Addressing a press conference in Kohima following the state cabinet meeting, Minister for Power and Parliamentary Affairs and Government Spokesperson K G Kenye said that while the state supports the demand for administrative, financial, and judicial autonomy for the Eastern region, it is firmly against the creation of any separate political identity that severs its constitutional and territorial link with Nagaland. "The state government is not opposed to autonomy as per the original demand of the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation , but we will not support any arrangement that detaches the region through a separate constitutional article," Kenye stated. He said the Centre's proposal to place the FNTA under a new constitutional article, akin to Article 370, has raised serious concerns. Instead, the state government proposes an arrangement under Article 371A, similar to the autonomous councils in Assam under Article 371B, he said, adding that the state cabinet also flagged suggestions such as granting voting rights to ex officio members in regional councils as unconstitutional. A Nagaland Cabinet delegation is scheduled to visit New Delhi after Independence Day to present the state's stand before the Union Home Ministry, Kenye said. The state government has also decided to review its 48-year-old job reservation policy in response to increasing pressure from both backward and non-backward tribes in the state. While five major tribes have demanded a revision, other backward tribes are calling for its continuation. Citing official data, Kenye said, "Five non-backward tribes currently occupy 64 per cent of government jobs, whereas ten backward tribes hold only 34 per cent". However, to address this imbalance, the government will constitute a Reservation Review Commission, led by a retired senior government official. The Commission will include one official each from the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department and Law and Justice Department, the Home Commissioner, along with a representative each from the Central Nagaland Tribes Council , ENPO, and Tenyimi Union. The Commission is tasked to submit its report within six months from the day it would be formally appointed, but the implementation of the reforms may coincide with the caste-based census scheduled by the Centre in January 2026, the minister said. On the Inner Line Permit regime, Kenye said the state has operationalised a comprehensive legal framework under the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, moving beyond the earlier system that relied only on executive orders. Particular focus has been laid on border districts like Dimapur, Chumoukedima, and Niuland, where unregulated migration following eviction drives in Assam has sparked concern. A government sub-committee has been formed to classify migrant categories and chalk out enforcement strategies. While acknowledging the proactive role of civil society, village councils, and student bodies in maintaining vigil within their jurisdiction, Kenye urged them not to take the law into their own hands, but to support law enforcement in regulating the ILP. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Wire
6 hours ago
- The Wire
Rajya Sabha Passes Resolution, Extends Presidents Rule in Manipur For Six More Months
The resolution was passed amid continuous sloganeering and protests by Opposition MPs against the SIR in Bihar. New Delhi: The Parliament on Tuesday (August 5) passed a statutory resolution to extend the President's Rule in Manipur for another six months with effect from August 13. The resolution, passed by the Lok Sabha last week, was approved by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday amid uproar by opposition members over the issue of special intensive revision (SIR) in Bihar. News agency PTI reported that as Opposition MPs raised slogans and continued their protests, deputy chairman Harivansh said it was a 'constitutional obligation' to pass the resolution. 'It's a statutory resolution. All of us, as MPs, have to follow constitutional provisions. These have a time limit within which it has to be disposed of…' he said and asked YSRCP member Subhash Chandra Bose Pilli to speak on the resolution. Meanwhile, BJD MP Muzibulla Khan pointed towards the situation in Odisha and said, 'When Manipur law and order situation was bad, Article 356 was imposed. Today, the situation of law and order in Odisha is bad… Double engine government in Manipur failed…. Has the situation improved after so many months of President's Rule or not?' 'The Centre should take responsibility, removing an elected government and imposing President's Rule repeatedly is also not good,' he said. Minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai, who moved the resolution for passage of President's Rule, said a rift had formed between two communities in Manipur due to a high court order. 'Those who say it is religious violence are wrong,' he said. Rai also said that home minister Amit Shah had undertaken a tour of violence-affected areas in Manipur and met high level officials, security forces, civil society members. He claimed that the Northeast has witnessed widespread development under the Narendra Modi-led government and that since the President's Rule was imposed in Manipur, only one incident of violence has been reported. Earlier in Lok Sabha, Rai made the same claims, noting that there was a need to extend President's Rule since there has been peace since it was imposed. As opposed to Rai's claim, that President's Rule has brought peace to the conflict-torn state, violence and curfews still continue in Manipur. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha approved the resolution with a voice vote. The President's Rule was imposed in February when N. Biren Singh stepped down as chief minister. However, it was only in April when after two back-to-back midnight sessions that parliament passed the statutory resolution on the proclamation of Union government rule in Manipur. The ethnic conflict in Manipur between the valley-based Meitei community and the hills-based Kuki-Zo group of communities has been underway for more than two years. This article went live on August sixth, two thousand twenty five, at twenty-three minutes past six in the evening. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
