“OBITUARY” “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way”. A great visionary and advocate of truth and justice, late G.M. Rai passed away on the early morning of 13th September 2014. His sudden demise has created a huge vacuum in the Sikkimese Society and Sikkimese politics. Late Mr. G.M. Rai, a fearless leader and true son of soil always stood for the equality and justice and have always stood firm in his words and deeds thus paving a way for Sikkimese society to follow his path to bring equality and justice among its citizen. Mr. G. M. Rai, Founder, Gorkha Apex Committee and later as the President of Sikkim Gorkha Prajatantrik Party roared against the injustice meted out to the majority population of Sikkim who were subjected to inequality, injustice and discrimination for 332 years during Namgyal Dynasty Rule in Sikkim and 40 years in our democratic journey with India. Though, during our 40 years of democratic journey with India, there were thousands of so called leaders, who all pretended to be a messiah of Sikkim, but had the intention not more than grabbing power and meet their own vested interest. None of the leaders in Sikkim ever understood that even after merging Sikkim with the largest democracy in the World, the laws and system in Sikkim is still Feudal in nature. Whereby, the majority Sikkimese people were forced to live their life with feudal and autocratic laws designed by feudal mind-set during the erstwhile Chogyal Regime. And because of such laws prevailing in Sikkim, the same majority people are now living as 2nd class citizen with the allegations of being immigrants, illegal citizens and foreigners in their own land. However, true son of soil and fearless late G. M. Rai could not remain silent for long and in the year 2002, he started “Gorkha Apex Committee” a first social organisation for the majority Sikkimese people in 40 years of democratic journey with India. Under the banner of “Gorkha Apex Committee” he started sensitising Sikkimese people about their rights and duties towards their country and state. And he is the first person in Sikkim to explain that “monarchy and Democracy” will not be defined by merely changing the ruler but only when the laws designed in monarchy is changed and made equal for the common people, than only true “democracy” will prosper. Though he had all the money, power and position (as Vice President of SDF) however, he sacrificed all these just for the sake of Sikkim and Sikkimese people. He could have easily become minister or chief minister but his vision was not just to grab the power but to bring equality and justice among sikkimese people. Therefore, after realising, that, in Sikkim, there is unequal and undemocratic distribution of Political Rights among its citizens, which is instrumental in forcing majority Sikkimese people to become politically, financially, socially and educationally backward. Therefore, it would be impossible to unite the drastically divided sikkimese society, unless, there is equality among the sikkimese people. Therefore with a vision to unite sikkimese society and to bring equality among its citizen, Late G. M. Rai and like-minded people floated “Sikkim Gorkha Prajatantrik Party” in the year 2005. “One man, one vote, one value” and “equal laws among sikkimese people on buying and selling of land”. These were the basic principle of Sikkim Gorkha Prajatantrik Party. In place of supporting such noble principle to eradicate the feudal laws of Sikkim, the people of Sikkim suspected him to be a political card played by some political power, which have resulted in the great misfortune to Sikkimese society. We have already lost the great personality as G.M. Rai, however, the path shown by him is open to all the people of Sikkim. Anyone with sincerity and dedication can take this movement of equality further and when, we the people of Sikkim become equal before laws and understand the true democratic process being the citizen of India. Only then, our homage to Late G.M. Rai would be real. [From R. S. Biswakarma, Advisor, Sikkim Gorkha Prajatantrik Party]
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 04:12:57 +0000
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