Comments on: WHAT REALLY MAKES A SIKKIMESE? SIKKIM’S RECKONING WITH BELONGING AND IDENTITY. https://sikkimproject.org/what-really-makes-a-sikkimese-sikkims-reckoning-with-belonging-and-identity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-really-makes-a-sikkimese-sikkims-reckoning-with-belonging-and-identity The Land and Its People Wed, 22 Nov 2023 11:54:12 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Caroline Chettri https://sikkimproject.org/what-really-makes-a-sikkimese-sikkims-reckoning-with-belonging-and-identity/#comment-168 Sun, 25 Jun 2023 07:34:37 +0000 https://sikkimproject.org/?p=5343#comment-168 As an Indian-Nepali who’s lived in the mainland for most of her life, I grew up having my ‘Indian’ identity questioned and questioning it myself.

Very rarely did I reflect on the opposite, which stands true in hill cities/communities. What does it mean to belong in the Himalayas?

Dr.Mona has done a great job of showing two sides of the same coin, while asking very pertinent and hard-hitting questions that go beyond:

‘Where is the outrage over the erosion of our rights, the loss of our land and culture that we ourselves are enabling? Is it okay when we ourselves do it?’

]]> By: Mrinal Shanker https://sikkimproject.org/what-really-makes-a-sikkimese-sikkims-reckoning-with-belonging-and-identity/#comment-167 Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:32:01 +0000 https://sikkimproject.org/?p=5343#comment-167 Dr Mona Chhetri's article is outstanding. In terms of population, Sikkim is tiny. Yet, ethnic differences divide the state. Dr. Chhetri has not touched on the issues of reservation policies for SCs/STs/OBCs which further differentiate different segments of ethnic Sikkimese.It is good that the Supreme Court granted equality in income tax exemption to non-Sikkimese settled there for generations. It is even better that the Supreme Court rectified its error in calling the Nepali-speaking people " outsiders".
However, the fact remains that inward and outward movement of people in search of jobs and business opportunities, and inter-marriage, will blur ethnic identities and gradually make Article 371 F difficult to maintain. This is not unique to Sikkim. Similar issues have arisen, and will arise, in states like Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram. The turmoil in Manipur illustrates the pitfalls in strait-jacket ethnic identities and privileges.We certainly hope that Sikkim will resolve the issues of ethnic and sub-ethnic issues in a peaceful manner.

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