Gangtok:14 April: Former CM PK Chamling has conveyed ‘AMBEDKAR JAYANTI GREETINGS. ‘He has said,’On this wonderful occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, I extend my heartfelt greetings to the people of Sikkim. On this day, we commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the father of inclusive politics in India. Widely regarded as the principal architect of the Indian Constitution, Babasaheb contributed immensely to how we imagine our nation and what we continue to strive for. He gave enduring shape to the ideals of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity that guide India even today.
His greatest contribution, beyond serving as Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution, was his lifelong struggle for social justice and equality. In a country deeply shaped by the caste system, he fought tirelessly to secure dignity, equal rights, and opportunity for the marginalised, especially Dalits and other oppressed communities. Yet, despite his lifelong struggle, India still has work to do in fully freeing itself from the shackles of caste discrimination.
After the formation of the Sikkim Democratic Front government on 12 December 1994, we undertook several policy initiatives to advance equality for marginalised communities, thereby honouring Dr. Ambedkar’s legacy in our own way.
We established the Atrocities Court in Sikkim on 9 May 1995, barely six months into the SDF government. The Court provided legal recourse to victims of discrimination and abuse. By strengthening the legal framework, we eliminated untouchability in the state. We also introduced laws making caste-based derogatory language against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes punishable, and ensured implementation of protections for inter-caste marriages, including legal provisions to investigate cases of ostracism.
Another important policy step was the introduction of 6% reservation in education, government jobs, Panchayat, and Nagar Panchayat institutions. We also provided 2% reservation in government jobs and higher education for Christian Kami, Damai, and Sarki communities. Unfortunately, this was stopped once the SKM party came to power. In addition, we launched the Ambedkar Scholarship for the best student from each district.
We appointed Aita Singh Baraeli as Sikkim’s first Scheduled Caste Minister, and Dr. Neeru Sewa as the first Scheduled Caste woman Minister. We also declared Ambedkar Jayanti a gazetted holiday in the state, installed Dr. Ambedkar’s statue in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly compound, and built Sikkim’s first Scheduled Caste Bhawan in the Development Area, Gangtok.
These initiatives also brought visible social change. Overt expressions of caste-based exclusion began to disappear. For example, before the Sikkim Democratic Front government, discriminatory practices such as separate buffets for different communities at social functions were common. Such practices gradually ceased. Similarly, access to dharmalayas became universal, ensuring that people of every caste could enter freely and equally. We worked with urgency to provide equal protection to the Scheduled Caste community in Sikkim, bringing them into the social, political, and economic mainstream of our society. Through these efforts, we have strived to honour Dr. Ambedkar’s legacy in Sikkim.
On this Ambedkar Jayanti, let us renew our commitment to the values Babasaheb stood for—justice, equality, dignity, and social harmony. The true tribute to Dr. Ambedkar lies not only in remembrance, but in building a society where every individual is treated with fairness and respect. May his vision continue to inspire us as we work towards a more inclusive, progressive, and united Sikkim and India.
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