SPYF responds to SKM

GANGTOK,: The Sikkim Progressive Youth Forum (SPYF) has clarified that it is not for electoral politics though the forum does engage in politics and also seeks support on common interest issues from political parties including the SKM when the Krantikaris were in opposition before 2019.

The SPYF was responding to the allegations made against the forum by the ruling front following its peace march at Gangtok on Wednesday against the incidents of political violence in Sikkim.

In a press statement on Thursday, the SPYF said the SKM has been trying to vilifying the SPYF and asserted that “rising political violence is a fact”.

“Ever since the speech of the Chief Minister on the foundation day of the ruling SKM party, the State has been exponential rise in the political violence. The zero arrests of any one of those involved in the violence show under whose haste such incidences are taking place. People specially those not in the good book in the ruling have been targeted. Some were attacked in their own home. Some were attacked when they were going for the morning walk. The offices of opposition parties were vandalised and stone pelted,” said the SPYF.

The organisation added that its members were also attacked on February 5 at Melli adding that the SPYF functionaries have been harassed through several court cases filed in the behest of the ruling party.

“Moreover, to speak against violence it is not necessary that we ourselves must be a victim. Such organised attack from the party in power is a dangerous sign for the society as a whole. It is a duty of every individual to stand against such attacks,’’ said the SPYF.

The forum maintained that since its foundation on January 26, 2017, the SPYF has been clear that they are apolitical only in the sense that SPYF is not for electoral politics. It pointed out that everything and anything under the sky in the society today is directly or indirectly linked with the politics.

“What SPYF has been doing is also a politics. What differentiate our politics from the rest is that our politics is not driven by the desire to rule people and all our actions in the past have been in the interest of the common people of Sikkim,” said the SPYF.

“SPYF has never been against any party in particular. We have joined hand with any party or organisation which shares common interest with us. In 2019, when SDF was enjoying its 25th year of power, we had done several movements in the demand of standard public health services in government hospitals. Then the SKM supporters including its leaders were in our support. In fact almost all the opposition then had joined our movement.  This is not the first time that the political parties were in support of SPYF,” said the organisation.

The SPYF said the ruling SKM, instead of mudslinging SPYF, must work on fulfilling its election promises like restoring democracy in the State among many other promises.