The Supreme Court on Tuesday posted a plea seeking representation of the Sikkim Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly for hearing after 2 weeks.
A bench of Chief Justice S.A. Bobde, Justice A.S. Bopanna and Justice V. Ramasubramanian was hearing the petition filed by Limboo and Tamang, the Scheduled Tribe groups of Sikkim seeking directions to the Sikkim Government, Election Commission and the Delimitation Commission to protect the rights of the tribal groups provided under Article 332 of the Constitution, which provides reservation of seats in Legislative Assemblies to Scheduled Tribes.
The plea has alleged that there is inaction on the part of the respondents in reserving seats for the two scheduled tribes in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly for the last 15 years. “It is submitted that as of now, three elections to state assembly have been held in 2004, 2009 and 2014 without any reservation of seats in the Legislative Assembly for two tribal communities after they were declared as Scheduled Tribe in 2003,” the petition added.
The plea further submits,
“Comparing the population size of the Limboo and Tamang tribal communities with that of total population of Sikkim, the proportionate seats out of total 32 seats allotted, the Limboo and Tamang Schedule Tribe community is entitled to get 5 seats in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly.”
The bench has adjourned the matter for hearing after two weeks.