Click to play videoGangtok: A river and a movement to protect it will be the deciding factors when voters in Sikkim cast their vote on April 30.
The Lepchas, residents of the Dzongu in North Sikkim, are opposed to building dams on Teesta River. A silent protest against the dams, which the Lepchas believe will kill Teesta, is now over 700 days old.
The anti-dam movement believes it can influence voter opinion during the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state. “This issue will be a big deciding factor, whether one supports this particular government or not--it will be a big factor," says Dawa Lepcha, a supporter for the environment group Active Citizens of Teesta.
Tunnels are built through hills to divert Teesta’s waters for hydroelectricity. Critics allege tunneling the hills won’t survive the tunneling for two mega hydel projects--the 280-MW Panan and the 520-MW Teesta IV projects00.
The Opposition alleges the state government is not heeding worries for the Teesta. "You are not allowed to express your opinion in public. It looks as if there is no democracy at all," says K N Upretti, the Congress candidate for the single Lok Sabha seat in the state.
Chief Minister Pawang Chamling's Sikkim Democratic Front, which holds 31 of the 32 Assembly seats and has been in power since 1994, is unfazed by the protests.
The government believes the dams and hydel projects will bring development to the state, and votes too.
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