Foresters organise prayers at Enchey for Japan

GANGTOK, 19 March: The Forest, Environment and Wildlife Management Department, in a move to display its solidarity towards the people of Japan, organized prayers and the lighting of 1,000 butter lamps at Enchey Monastery here last evening. The prayers were attended by the Forest Minister Bhim Dhungel, Secretaries of various government departments, staff of the Forest Department as well as all project staff of the Japan International Cooperation Agency [JICA]-assisted Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project [SBFP].

Speaking to the press, the Forest Minister informed that this was being done in the memory of the people who lost their lives to the earthquake and the Tsunami which hit Japan a week ago.
“Countries can have boundaries, but people do not, they are connected to each other, somehow or the other and so we have kept these prayers to help the people in Japan,” he said. “The news is heartbreaking and reminds us how fragile life can be and this is perhaps the most difficult crisis for the people of Japan,” he added.
“The Japan International Cooperation Agency [JICA] has been helping Sikkim for the past one and a half years and so it is our responsibility to help out in any way we can,” he said and added that “they too had families, friends and loved ones back in Japan and so we were praying for the well being of the people.”
The gathering prayed for an end to the miseries and sufferings caused by radiation leakages from the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi after the most powerful earthquake in history followed by Tsunami. Prayers were performed by Enchey monks and 1000 butter lamps were lighted in the memory of the departed souls. Expressing solidarity with the people of Japan in the moment of crisis, the gathering sought blessing of the Almighty for peace to the departed souls and strength for the families of the victims to bear the greatest loss.