Sikkim Democratic Front president Pawan Chamling on Wednesday alleged that there had been a massive influx of 1.5 lakh people from outside into the Himalayan state and the implementation of Centre’s policies like the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, and One Nation, One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme would bring about a massive demographic change in Sikkim.

“Already, there has been an increase of 1.5 lakh…. All those coming to work from other states of the country will remain here (because of ONORC) and that is how the influx will happen in Sikkim and herald a demographic change,” he said.

Chamling said the implementation of the ONORC scheme would facilitate the influx since it would enable people from outside to first acquire ration cards and then get themselves registered as voters in the state.

He, however, did not expand as to how the implementation of the CAA would aid influx in the state.

The ONORC essentially is a central government scheme that allows eligible beneficiaries to avail themselves of food grains that they are entitled to from any fair price shop across the country. The scheme eliminates the need to obtain a new ration card for the new location.

The CAA, on the other hand, seeks to give citizenship to migrant Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians other than Muslims from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Chamling said the P.S. Tamang (Golay)-headed Sikkim Krantikari Morcha government could have made use of the special status enjoyed by the state under Article 371F of the Constitution to avoid implementing the two policies.

“During our government, we had implemented the Work Permit Act, 1965, in Sikkim because of which outsiders entering Sikkim could only stay for a limited period of time and return,” he said.

Earlier, speaking during the observation of the SDF’s Sampurna Kranti Divas, Chamling lambasted the SKM government on a host of issues, including law and order and corruption.

The SDF celebrates June 22 as Kranti Divas to mark the day in 1993 when Chamling had gone underground to evade arrest after leading a revolt against the then Sikkim Sangram Parishad government of Late Nar Bahadur Bhandari.