Editorial: Another Year...

A New Year has begun and a noticeably uneventful year passed. Year 2012 in Sikkim was mostly about the earthquake rebuilding efforts, and save a significant blip of dissidence in the ruling camp in the otherwise unimpressive political space, there was not much that made 2012 remarkably significant. Perhaps people and politics are taking a breather, conserving resources for 2013 when politicking is bound to escalate in the run-up to Assembly Elections 2013. Perhaps ‘uneventful’ is the wrong term, because even though a majority of the past year lacked the frenetic activity of some previous years, 2012 was still special; and apart from the obviously positive developments like the recognition the year secured for the State at the national and international levels, even the apparently negative events had an optimistic feel to them - the more confrontational Opposition politics for example [minus the violence of course]. Even though they have not made any serious dents in the politics of things in Sikkim, hopefully the Opposition has learnt well, and since so many of them of former ruling front leaders, they might just make the democratic process that much more contesting in 2014. For the ruling front, which at times got more rattled than the Opposition rhetoric justified, the year ended well with substantial victories in the courts and handsome endorsement of the electorate in the Panchayat polls. Now is perhaps the time for it to give its office bearers a refresher course on party and state affairs. The past year also saw some substantial initiatives find their tempo and gather significance – the Chief Minister’s Rural Housing Mission and the REDRH effort, for example. Admittedly, when the CMRHM programme was announced, few, including initially the officials, understood its significance or even took it seriously. The resilience of the CMRHM houses in the 18 Sept 2011 earthquake and the smartness of the constructions as more and more houses were inaugurated, became apparent and now the scheme is being celebrated for what it is genuinely worth. One hopes for a similar realisation to dawn among the executive and the stakeholders with regard to the CATCH programme this year. It is also heartening to note that the Chief Minister’s Meritorious Scholarship Scheme is also delivering well on ground. The Livelihood Schools continue to evolve and the Organic Mission moves along. Few can fault the intent behind these moves, but good intentions on their own are hardly sufficient. For these initiatives to be sustained and improved on this year, an honest appraisal will have to be undertaken. The beginning of the year is the best time for such an exercise because the budgets are almost spent, leaving more time for stock-taking, and the New Year optimism still high to actually accept mistakes and take criticism in the right spirit.