Lawyer to prepare brief of Gov's special powers

Gangtok, July 13: Hemlal Bhandari, a lawyer and spokesperson for Sikkimese Association For Environment (SAFE), has taken up the challenge to prepare a brief for the Governor regarding his powers and constitutional obligations under Clause-G of Article 371 F.

Mr Bhandari said he has been compelled to take it up following the Governor's query to him during a meeting with SAFE on July 9 at Raj Bhavan. According to him, the governor had requested for enlightening him as regards to his powers and constitutional obligations under Article 371 F before he invokes the powers.

The Governor had, some years back, asked the same question to me when I called on him. The same question has been repeated again and the governor has desired me to submit to him a written brief on Article 371 F, with particular emphasis on Clause (G) thereof, said Mr Bhandari in a press statement.

Article 371 F had been inserted into the Indian Constitution following Sikkim's merger with India in 1975 granting special protection to the state.

Clause-G of the Article grants the state governor special powers and opposition parties had been demanding the governor to invoke the powers on various occasions.

Mr Bhandari is a LLM from Harvard and an associate professor for National Law School of India University. The governor's query is extremely relevant to us in context of the multifarious socio- economic and political problems encountered daily by Sikkimese people, said he said.

In his letters addressed to all the former and present Chief Ministers, MPs, judges, lawyers, governmental heads and senior citizens, Mr Bhandari has requested written views on Article 371 F in general and Clause (G) in particular to enable him to include the merits from them and also gathered from other eminent person having experience in socio-economic and political affairs of Sikkim.

The written views received by August 15, 2007 will be incorporated in his final brief for submission to the governor, said Mr Bhandari.

UNI