Gangtok in Xinjiang? Sikkim activist wants State to get X to fix geolocation error
GUWAHATI A Sikkim-based social activist has asked the State’s Home Department to make X, a micro-blogging site, undo an anomaly that indicates Gangtok is in
GUWAHATI A Sikkim-based social activist has asked the State’s Home Department to make X, a micro-blogging site, undo an anomaly that indicates Gangtok is in China. In a statement on July 8, Muk Hang Limboo pointed out that the capital of Sikkim is displayed as “Gangtok, Xinjiang” instead of “Gangtok, Sikkim, India” on X due to an apparent geolocation anomaly. Xinjiang is an Uyghur-dominated province in China. The anomaly appears while selecting a location for posts, he said.
Attaching documentary evidence, he said Gyalshing, Mangan, Namchi, Rangpo, Singhik, Singtam and other locations in Sikkim are correctly identified as being in India. “Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim and an inseparable part of the Republic of India. As the most searched and internationally recognised location in the State, any incorrect digital representation on a globally used platform has the potential to mislead users, create unnecessary confusion regarding India’s territorial integrity, and adversely affect the digital representation and soft power of Sikkim and India,” Mr. Limboo said.
He noted that the cause of the anomaly has not yet been established, and urged the Home Department to examine the matter and coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and X to ascertain the reason for the incorrect location display. He also requested the Sikkim government to examine similar discrepancies that may exist on other digital platforms and take appropriate steps to safeguard the State’s accurate digital representation.
Limboo further said that he submitted a separate representation, supported by the same documentary evidence, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the intervention of his office to address the issue to protect Sikkim’s correct digital identity and uphold India’s sovereignty.
The BriefWire