Sikkimese Nepali Identity Row: Fmr Sikkimey Nagrik Samaj President demands old settlers of Sikkim to be charged with income tax
First Published: 11th February, 2023 19:31 IST
Basnett, launching a strike against the members of the Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim (AOSS), said that they could not be old settlers of Sikkim because they claimed to
Even though the Supreme Court has removed the verdict referring to Sikkimese and Nepali as “foreigners” or “immigrants,” the matter has not settled in the state.
Former Sikkimey Nagrik Samaj President, Bharat Basnett, speaking to Northeast Live, said that the old settlers of Sikkim should be charged with income tax and they must provide documents proving their status as old settlers.
Bharat Basnett, who was one of the intervention petitioners against the Supreme Court verdict issued on January 13, 2023, stated that the old settlers came to Sikkim through gift racketeering, leading to money laundering.
Basnett, launching a strike against the members of the Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim (AOSS), said that they could not be old settlers of Sikkim because they claimed to be British Indians.
However, Indians were divided into three parts in 1947, when Sikkim was not a part of India, Basnett added.
Basnett stressed that due to this very reason, they cannot claim themselves as Sikkimese Indians.
Meanwhile, Basnett, clarifying why he filed an intervention petition regarding the matter, said that someone from Sikkim had to file this petition for the people of Sikkim.
He also said that even though the judgement that came on February 8, 2023, removed the foreigner tag put on Sikkimese people, more official documents tag the people of Sikkim as foreigners.
Also Read: Sikkimese Nepali Row: Bhaichung Bhutia wants CM Tamang to apologise to people of Sikkim
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