Chief Minister Pawan Chamling on Monday expressed confidence that people of Sikkim would elect him for the 6th straight term. As part of his state-wide tour called ‘Jan Seva Abhiyan,’ Mr Chamling on Monday began his trip to the East district from Simik Gumpa (monastery) in the Khamdong Singtam constituency.

Addressing the huge gathering on the premises of the monastery, Mr Chamling said that his government’s commitment is to reach out to every constituency in the state and fulfil the needs and demands of the people and ensure equitable development.

“Our ideologies, principles and programmes are always for the benefit and uplift of the people. We are a pro-people and pro-Sikkim party. Everyone is given equal rights, reservation, security and respect. SDF (Sikkim democratic Front) has never discriminated anyone on the basis of caste and religion. I am aware that the opposition parties are trying their best to topple my government, but I am confident that I will be able to make it to the 6th term as well,” the CM said.

On the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa issue, he said that the opposition parties always blamed the SDF for not bringing Karmapa to Sikkim, “but now he is coming, so what do they have to say now?” “The SDF will always have programmes for the monks. You all are preachers of peace and love, so do not get distracted by some people who are using you all for their personal gains,” he said.

He further slammed the Limboo-Tamang Voluntary Committee (LTVC) on the LT seat reservation issue. “I came to know that a group of young people has been demanding the LT seats within the 32 seats (in the Assembly) and it also burned copies of the Burman Commission report a few days back. They did not burn papers, but they burnt the rights of other communities. The SDF is trying to give justice to all the communities, including the LT and the 40-seat formula is in favour of everyone. The SDF is even ready to increase the seats to 60 if it is in favour of all the communities of the state,” he said.

Without naming anyone or any group, the CM also warned the public to beware “outsiders and casteist politicians, who are trying to bring a drift amongst us in the name of caste and religion.”

“We are one and we should not let such negative forces effect us. We should not listen to them as they are trying to make Sikkim like Syria,” he said. On the ban on inorganic agricultural produce, Mr Chamling said that the move was meant to maintain the good health of the people.

“Going organic will not only raise the life span of the people, but also the land. We want to uplift the farmers. We should all support it and work towards branding it. We should be the producers now and not the consumers,” he said Among a slew f announcements he made on Monday include promotion of ‘non-COI (certificate of identification) holders’ working in the muster roll for more than 20 years, salary for Lobenla (monastic teachers) on a par with primary teachers, and 100 percent literacy in the state.

Earlier, Minister for Agriculture and area MLA Somnath Poudyal, in his welcome address, placed some demands of the Khamdong Singtam constituency, and said that they were on high priority of the government.