Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Monday described the submission of final ethnographic reports by the State High-Level Committee (SSHLC) for the inclusion of 12 left-out communities in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list as a historic milestone for the State. The reports were formally handed over during a valedictory function in the national capital.
The four-volume reports, prepared after nine months of extensive fieldwork, recommend granting tribal recognition to Bhujel, Gurung, Jogi, Rai (Kirat Khambu), Kirat Dewan (Yakha), Khas (Chettri-Bahun), Mangar, Newar, Sanyasi, Sunuwar (Mukhia), Thami, and Majhi communities. Such recognition would provide constitutional protection, social justice, and equal opportunities.
“The previous reports were flawed and incomplete, weakening our case. This time, we prepared a strong, authentic, and scientific report involving scholars, officials, and community representatives. All five criteria laid down by the Union Government for tribal recognition have been fully followed,” said CM Tamang. He emphasized that earlier governments lacked seriousness on this sensitive issue, but the current report carries historical and evidential weight.