Ethnographic Committee submits final report on 12 left-out communities to Sikkim CM in Delhi

The Ethnographic Committee on Sikkim’s tribal inclusion today submitted its much-awaited final report to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) in New Delhi, recommending the inclusion of 12 left-out communities into the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list. The submission, described as a historic and potentially transformative step, comes at a time when the state’s long-standing demand for Tribal State recognition is gathering momentum at the national level.

The meeting is being held in the national capital. Senior officials from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and the Social Welfare Department were part of the talks. The core agenda was the inclusion of 12 left-out communities — Bhujel, Gurung, Jogi, Khas, Kirat Rai, Kirat Dewan Yakha, Majhi, Mangar, Newar, Sanyasi, Sunuwar (Mukhia), and Thami — into the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list. Their recognition has remained a sensitive and important issue, directly tied to Sikkim’s larger push to be declared a Tribal State.