Sikkileaks
Former Chief Secretary Sonam Wangdi Bhutia faces another campaign of intimidation.
There's hardly anything more disturbing for a ruling circle than former insiders turning communicative, dragging to the public the government's dirty laundry that was meant to be kept covert at any rate. Facing such unpleasant incidents, nobody cares to factually deal with the secrets revealed. The need of the hour is to have the chap's trap shut. The United States take the lead, once again: Julian Assange's repute has successfully been flushed down the drain, Bradley Manning's more-than-lifetime sentence is well under way, while Edward Snowden is still driving his persecutors nuts with a cat-and-mouse game at Sheremetyevo.
Such plots are, however, not limited to big ruthless administrations. Even the Government of Sikkim got her troubles with a whistle-blower. Since his retirement from public service, former Chief Secretary Sonam Wangdi Bhutia dedicates a lot of time and effort to writing articles published in the local papers. Based on his wealth of insight into the governmental machinery and with the accuracy of a well-trained IAS officer, he's torturing the powers that be with statements like the following:
"If (Sikkim) government sources are to be believed, then there are over 1 lakh people in the State possessing fake or ineligible Certificate of Identification (CoI). In fact, the exact number of such CoI holders would be 1,19,289."
"Chamling is a Nepal citizen."
"Never in Sikkim had people faced such a situation as the present one where there is open 'Mahaloot' and the fact is reported in the local media without any reaction since the highest court has allegedly 'condoned corruption'."
"It is unfortunate that the Chief Minister did not keep his assurance to the people of Dzongu in May 2000, that "he would not proceed with the project if the people were against it".
"As all are aware, only the Sikkim king could have made Sikkim Subjects and after the kingdom became a part of history from 26 April de jure and 16 May, 1975 de facto, no authority could either add or amend the Sikkim Subject Register."
Again, nobody cares to discuss the findings of the former Chief Secretary on a factual basis. There is no contradiction, there is no demand for proof and there is not the slightest attempt to present counter-proof. So, we can safely assume he's right.
But we know for sure it's the intent of those exposed to silence this man overstressing his civil rights. In the southernmost part of the former kingdom, this is usually done with a Kukri, but not so in the more 'civilised' remaining districts. There was not even a road mishap required as, most miraculously and just in time, jurisdiction rushed to the aid of the hassled state party.
Most papers deemed the news worth a short note only copying the jurisdictional pidgin an ordinary person usually doesn't understand. It's to the credit of the linguistic intermediation of Sikkim Observer a dimwit of my kind finally got the hang of what was going on:
- Most astonishingly, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had decided not to accept the acquittal of the court of its own choice in a disproportionate assets case against Sonam Wangdi Bhutia.
- Still more surprisingly, the CBI only realized it was not happy with the said verdict two months after the delay for appeal had elapsed.
- But eyebrows definitely raise when learning that the High Court of Sikkim did not mind at all to anyway accept the appeal even granting the CBI another three months' period to put the papers together.
- And for those still not catching on, Jigme N Kazi bravely adds: "It may be mentioned that Wangdi has been writing a series of articles critical of the ruling elite. These articles have appeared in various local papers in the past so many months."
Considering the discretion, not to say reluctance the CBI has shown in other cases of corruption in Sikkim, one is gobsmacked at such hyperactivity. Remember the effort Delay Namgyal Barfungpa dedicates to the 'encouragement' of the same agency to investigate against Sikkim's top brass with similar determination.
This does not only smell of intimidation ... this stinks to high heaven! Has the principle of legal certainty been done away with? Where are we heading to, if a final verdict is final temporarily only, if the judiciary acts in compliance with the needs of the executives?
Arsonists beware! The fire you laid at your neighbour's house may readily set ablaze your own home.
It only requires the wind to shift.
Chopel Serkhangpa, 1st August 2013
Illustration: Lone warrior Don Quijote de la Mancha by Honoré Daumier