Sikkim: Former speaker, ministers join SKM on ‘Jan Unmukti Diwas’

Gangtok: Several former legislators, from ex-speakers to ministers, joined the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha party on the occasion of the 5th ‘Jan Unmukti Diwas’ celebration at Jorethang in Namchi District on Wednesday.

Every legislator under the banner of the Sikkim Democratic Front party who joined the celebrations was first lady speaker Kalawati Subba who served between 1999-2004 and was also a two-time legislator holding a ministerial rank till 2009. Along with Subba, former three-time minister Ran Bahadur Subba (1994-2004 and 2009-14), two-time legislator and one-time minister Bhim Dhungel (2004-14), were also present at the occasion.

The list of former legislators at the event includes Madan Cintury (2009-14), Deepak Kumar Gurung (2004-09), Puran Gurung (2009-14), Em Prasad Sharma (2009-14), and Sonam Gyatso Bhutia (2009-14). Among other notables joining the occasion was Nepali movie actor Uttam Pradhan.

The Jan Unmukti Diwas marks the day Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay was released from Rongneyk state jail in 2018. According to the SKM party press release, “The day marks the moment when the Sikkimese people liberated themselves from the deep-seated tyrannical and dictatorial regime of the past and showed resolute desire towards the path of Parivartan.”

“It was the conspiracy to implicate PS Golay, as part of which he was incarcerated for a year in a politically motivated court case. Golay was undeterred and continued his fight for the people and on 10 August 2018, he walked out of the jail to a statewide welcome by thousands of supporters and well-wishers. The unprecedented welcome to a leader being released from jail has not been witnessed elsewhere because the people had understood that Golay’s incarceration was nothing but a conspiracy,” SKM release stated.

A total of 1051 citizens also joined the SKM party on the occasion.

Minister Arun Upreti said, “SKM is an ocean which welcomes every river and stream, there is no differentiation of who belonged to which party and who is a former legislator belonging to a different party. CM Golay has been welcoming of every Sikkimese person and we want to emphasize not differentiating between people.”

Also read | SDF man accused of forging CM Golay’s signature gets clean chit