Senior Delhi officer suspended for ad that shows Sikkim as country

Gangtok: Term it an utter negligence of highest level or lack of proper knowledge on geography and history of the country, the Delhi Government has described Sikkim as an independent country in one its advertisements published in the media.

However, due to the massive condemnation pouring in from different quarters, the Delhi government responded fast and withdrew the advertisement with immediate effect. A senior officer of Directorate of Civil Defence (HQ) has been suspended with for publishing an advertisement. The Lieutenant Governor, Anil Baijal took to twitter to announce that the officer responsible has been suspended for publishing an advertisement which disrespects the territorial integrity of India.

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The chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal replied to this tweet and said, “Sikkim is an integral part of India. Such errors also cannot be tolerated. Advertisement has been withdrawn and action taken against the officer concerned,” Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in his Twitter wrote.

In an advertisement published in newspapers by the Delhi government, Sikkim has been described as a separate country along with Nepal and Bhutan.

The Delhi government has issued an advertisement to recruit ‘Civil Defence Volunteers’ in most of the daily newspapers. The Delhi government in its ad to recruit nearly 200 volunteers, however, referred the state of Sikkim to be a separate entity and placed alongside sovereign nations like Bhutan and Nepal.

In this advertisement, the eligibility column for the application mentions that applicants should be a citizen of India or a subject of Nepal, Bhutan or Sikkim.

Sikkim, once a separate country, became an integral part of India in 1975. It merged completely with India to become the 22nd state of our country.

Meanwhile, Sikkim minister Prem Singh Tamang has expressed his disappointment and claims the advertisement by Delhi government is objectionable for the proud Indian citizens of Sikkim.

“I am deeply hurt by an advertisement published by the Government of Delhi terming the people Sikkim as different citizens equated with Nepal and Bhutan. The people of Sikkim are emotionally integrated with the nation since 1975. Our people even cannot think of such a mistake by a responsible government. The people of Sikkim are the lover of democracy and amalgamated with the national ethos, purity of nationhood engraved in their heart,” Sikkim chief minister said.

He also urged the chief minister of Delhi to give an unconditional apology to the people of Sikkim.

“Sikkim is a part of India and should not be sethis is condemnable and I would request the Delhi Government to rectify this issue,” Tamang wrote in his Twitter.

SC Gupta, chief secretary of Sikkim, in a letter to his counterpart in New Delhi, Vijay Kumar Dev, has requested the Delhi government to immediately withdraw the “offensive advertisement” and issue a suitable communiqué to assuage the feelings of the people of Sikkim.

Twitterati were quick to react and condemned the advertisement. Criticizing the Delhi government, senior journalist, Ashish Singh wrote in his Twitter, “AAP receiving funds from Beijing? Delhi govt refers to Sikkim as a different country!!! Watch this shocking Delhi government advertisement’s eligibility criteria point 1 on civil defence recruitment”.

“A senior officer of Directorate of Civil Defence (HQ) has been suspended with immediate effect for publishing an advertisement which disrespects the territorial integrity of India by making incorrect reference to Sikkim on the same lines as some neighbouring countries,” Lieutenant Governor of Delhi wrote in his Twitter