The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) held a press conference today responding strongly to remarks made by Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) leader Komal Chamling who had urged that “women’s safety must come before politics.”

The SDF, led by former Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, had on Sunday met with the State Women’s Commission and top police officials to raise concerns over cases of cyber harassment targeting SDF women leaders. Komal Chamling, daughter of the former Chief Minister, had called on all political parties to ensure the safety of women, especially in the digital space.

However, the SKM countered the SDF’s claims and said that the ruling party has always upheld the dignity and respect of women and that the SDF was attempting to politicize sensitive social issues for political mileage.

“We, the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, have always said that women must be respected,” a senior SKM spokesperson said during the press conference. “A woman is like Lakshmi — like the goddess of prosperity — and she deserves dignity and respect in every sphere of life.”

The spokesperson said that the SKM has long dedicated its important party days to honouring women and mothers, describing them as central figures in the state’s social fabric. “We used to say, ‘May she be liberated,’ dedicating that day to the mother figure and to the devoted women in our party,” the spokesperson added.

The SKM leadership said that the remarks from the SDF were misleading and failed to acknowledge the challenges faced by SKM’s own women members in the past. “There was a time when our sisters were insulted and even beaten at checkpoints. Our women were targeted online, and false, hateful comments were made about them. But we never turned these painful experiences into a political weapon,” the party said.

They alleged that during previous political years particularly before the 2019 elections many SKM women leaders had been harassed on social media and their photographs circulated with malicious intent. “We suffered humiliation and exploitation, but we never used women’s issues as political tools,” the SKM leader said.

Accusing the SDF of hypocrisy, SKM leaders said that the same party that now speaks about women’s protection had remained silent when women from SKM were attacked or ridiculed. “What was being shown by your ministers and MLAs back then? Videos went viral, women were insulted, and no one spoke up for them,” they said.

The party also condemned the trend of using women as “tools of political warfare.” “We have seen attempts to turn women into weapons to arm them and use them as guards at checkpoints just to shame the administration. This is not empowerment; this is exploitation,” said another SKM member.

The SKM leaders went on to recall the struggles their women members faced during difficult times. They spoke emotionally about incidents where women were harassed or their privacy violated online. “When a daughter’s private photo is circulated on social media, the pain is unbearable. As a mother, as a sister, we feel that pain deeply,” an SKM representative said.

At the press meet, SKM also appealed for an end to what they called “dirty politics” being played out on social media. “We request Mr. Chamling and his party.. please stop spreading lies and fake information. Don’t turn our daughters into political instruments. Stop using social media to create hatred,” the spokesperson said.

The ruling party said that while disagreements in politics are natural, personal attacks  especially those involving women should never be part of public discourse. “We all have to live in this small state together. Let us not divide people using false narratives,” they said.