Editorial: Drawing Optimism from Gen-Next

In a year of mediocrity and global despondency, there is still hope for Sikkim. Hope in the hands of a generation with stand-out achievers who have decided to seek futures beyond the shackling limits of quotas and reservations. The younger generation has such icons as Bhaichung who has invested not just his skills, but also his earnings in reappointing a local football club with such professionalism that it broke into the elite I-League senior division within a year. The team might be struggling at the bottom rung of the I-League at present, but one needs to only look at what is available to a Sikkim club by way of infrastructure and talent pool to marvel at the fact that USFC stands among the top clubs of the country. Bhaichung has extended rare commitment to his passion and one hopes such resolve is displayed by more of the young Sikkim. Year 2012 also saw the release of Prajwal Parajuly’s debut publication, “The Gurkha’s Daughter”. Released in India by Penguin, Prajwal’s collection of short stories was originally picked up by UK-based Quercus which has him on a two-book deal. The India release has been so successful that the book is already into its second edition and is being heralded as having resuscitated the short story genre. In Prajwal, Sikkim has another Sikkimese who has dazzled among the best in the world. While on the world of writing and writers, there is also Chetan Raj Shrestha, a Gangtok-based conservation architect, who has been signed up by Aleph Book Company, a new venture which has the publishing scene breathless in anticipation as it marries the respected editing and publishing skills of Indian publishing’s poster boy David Davidar with the established sales and distribution network of Rupa Publications. Chetan’s is among the 25 books handpicked by Aleph for its first series of release. And then there is Dr. Bishal Sharma, who resolved to dream big and topped his academic achievements towards the close of 2012 by becoming the first from Sikkim to feature in the top-10 of the entrance exam for a seat in AIMS Post Graduate courses. He was ranked seventh in the country from among the 1.5 lakh doctors who took the exam.
It is with people such as these [and the names shared above are only a sampling and not the whole] that the Sikkimese can afford some optimism in the years to come. The attitude developed by the generation that this handful represents is in stark contrast to the previous one which has time and again proven itself to be regressive, parochial and short-sighted as its politics and priorities clearly announce. Maybe it’s the younger generation’s form of rebellion, but whatever it may be it is a timely paradigm shift and is necessary. Look at what the previous generation bequeaths Sikkim. Very little, save a horde of controversies, unresolved issues and a grooming in insular reactions. They have made corruption a norm and forever shirked accountability – something that is as evident in both, the lethargy that grips the bureaucracy and the social problems that plague the families. It is a miracle then that Sikkim still has a generation in the making that is more pragmatic and responsible. One only hopes now that the spirit this generation imbibes does not dull under the influence of the elders who have still not stepped out of the scene. Corruption of youthful ideals would be an unpardonable disservice to the State and to the future. Generation next, given half a chance, would prefer to carve independent futures which will undoubtedly combine to give the Sikkimese society a healthier glow. Whether an insecure generation allows such self realization or not remains to be seen. It would surprise very few if the generation on the wane tries and makes the coming generation as dependent as it itself is. This, combined with a sense of entitlement, is a debilitating handicap. The rush for freebies is so aggressive that it pushes the in-need category to the end of the line even as the cream continues to masquerade in its various guises appropriating something that should have trickled down. The gene which triggered the spirit of adventure and hard work which emboldened those who made Sikkim their home at a time when survival itself demanded a daily battle with the elements seems to have skipped a generation or two in this Hidden Land. Thankfully it is expressing itself again. One only hopes that this return of the Spirit sustains itself and takes Sikkim to another level - a very doable task...