Rascal's Tussles
Orthodox and dissident Members of the Sikkim Democratic Front clash in Namthang, 14th October 2012.
Sikkim faces a classical win-win situation: Papers got their headlines, people got a topic of conversation, the police got an opportunity to prove mastery of the situation, Golay got a lot of publicity and the footmen of the state party got a confirmation for their pretension that Sikkim does best with SDF alone any other party being inapt and uncalled-for. So, all is well ...
... unless, perhaps, we attempt to look backstage and to fathom what's all the noise about. For, noise seems to be the determinant of the Namthang clashes.
Most obviously, PS Tamang urgently depends on noise in order to be noticed as a man of action as well as to detract the public from his acute lack of credibility. Bearing in mind the poor job he did for the past three years - just as a friendly reminder: He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, an appointment exclusively reserved for one out of 20,000 Sikkimese - one truly can not attest him he was operational. When he finally showed up in the Assembly he only did so to mimic the irreverent rebel which, in fact, he is not. Otherwise he had left the party at the latest in December 2009, when his seniors, in order to save their bacon, were left with the Hobson's choice of blocking a CBI-probe into their business. That was the ultimate deadline for every upright democrat to quit. Golay did not.
The top brass of the current administration, on the other hand, do not seem to be too well with noisy developments. They are used to handle their affairs with discretion, a principle that served their purposes well through thick and - all the more - through thin. Criticism is silenced, allegations are muted, contradictions are hushed up to maintain a dignified front. Common sense easily realizes that this is a false front, and even the fat cats themselves can't seriously expect anyone to buy that. Dignity has gone long ago. Therefore, they usually prefer to keep quiet hoping the public could be misled to take silence for peace.
Anyway, since it's beneath them to comment about Golay, the high-command sends the party infantry led by two seargents - heaven knows owing to what mischief - to dirty their hands. Of course, they feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar with the role of the villains. For at least a decade, it had been sufficient to sport the label „SDF" to get approval they were right and on the right side. Now, they are accordingly helpless. The only point they have to bring up in their defense is the accusation repeated in prayer-wheel like manner that their adversaries had "deadly weapons ... deadly weapons ... deadly weapons ..." not considering the fact that a weapon is a deadly one once someone has died due to its use which, thank goodness, has not been the case.
After a while, a party vice-president takes pity on them running to their aid with smashing arguments stating that Golay had substantial support from outside Sikkim and that he were trying to establish dictatorship in the state, carefully concealing that the supporters of the SDF, generally, consist of outsiders to a considerable extent and that Sikkim already is a dictatorship.
So, even after closer examination we can maintain: All is well. The tussles between the two fractions of one and the same party may probably be categorized as a local version of „Tom and Jerry". This is not the first episode of the season in Sikkim and, if we cast a glance beyond the borders of the state, we are inclined to believe this is an inherent peculiarity of Nepali politics. Wherever they are in power we come across such Toms and Jerrys in a continuous succession. In awe inspiring regularity they manage to exploit the weariness of the common people with their corrupt leaders to overthrow them. Not to get rid of corruption, but to catch an appropriate share for themselves.
By the way: The irritating fact that neither has PS Tamang left the party nor does SDF bother to throw him out might as well be an indication of a refined strategy on the part of the state party to keep the plum posts beyond the next few polls. After all, it's much easier to deal with a home-made albeit noisy „rebellion" than to face up to a true opposition.
Therefore, lean back, let's enjoy the show. But beware of the temptation to presume one of these two to be the good guy!
Chopel Serkhangpa, 18th October 2012