THREE SIKKIMESE GIRLS CLEAR UPSC 2012! Congratulations, my dear Girls! You have made every Sikkimese proud!

LET’S HOPE WE TAKE INSPIRATION AND LEARN FROM YOUR SUCCESS
KC PRADHAN
To learn that our girls competed in the AIS examinations at the national level and came out successful out of hundreds of thousands is a matter of joy. Our present Chief Secretary heads the list for Sikkim as the first from here to secure direct recruitment into the IAS followed by only a few others in the decades since, the latest breakthrough is hence of significant importance. To know that Sikkim has come of age on the educational front is very comforting. The Chief Minister’s educational scholarships for meritorious children at the primary level, so thoughtfully considered, is bound to make a considerable impact in the years to come. This is a long term investment par excellence which the people of Sikkim will realize only in the future.
When I come across bright young officers, like the 40-odd who underwent a short course in administration in Singapore, I wonder why they did not give the AIS examinations. Apprehensive perhaps that they will be slotted to some obscure posting in the country. But compete for competition’s sake and if you get a slot not of your liking, you can always opt out, but your prestige will grow manifold. You are as good as any AIS officer. Just some sincere advice.
One also remembers here the brilliance of the late Sangay Doma, who, selected in the IAS in the UT Cadre, made a mark in Arunachal Pradesh as one of the finest officers they have ever had, a service they have immortalized in Arunachal by naming the Institute she got established there as a World Bank project in her memory.
Now coming back to these bright three girls. It would be worthwhile to analyze who they are. What was their early educational schooling? The story of each of them speaks volumes of their hard work and determination for others to emulate. To know Aparajita, daughter of one of our finest forest officers who lost his life in a torrential flood that struck Pani House in Deorali some ten years back, did the State proud with her ranking of 358th. Her consistent attempts, right since 2009, and coming 768th in her second attempt and getting offered Indian Defence Accounts Service did not satisfy her. She appeared again as an in-service candidate and in her third attempt she secured a ranking good enough for IPS which she likes, it appears. Her determination and consistency speaks volumes. She had her schooling in TNA and graduated in Law.
Yangchen, with her 542nd ranking, hails from the far away village Tinkitam of Baichung Bhutia and Orchid Fairrieanum fame, has excellent educational background with her early schooling at the coveted St. Joseph’s Convent, Kalimpong, and again finishing her schooling from TNA and ultimately graduating from St. Stephens in Delhi, products from where are the policy-makers of the country, and completing her post graduation from JNU.
Then comes Tshering with her 838th ranking. She comes from Pelling with her primary education in Kyi-de-Khang, completing schooling from TNA and Masters from University in Delhi.
So it is TNA that comes in as a common factor for all three, attesting the good schooling provided there. To know we have school of such standing good enough for our youngsters to go out and compete in the national level speaks volumes and people of Sikkim at large should applaud the institution as a whole and its teachers in particular with a deep sense of gratitude. It would go good for the Government to give all impetus and support to this school so that it can continue to groom the younger generations with a sense of competitiveness and determination to plunge in this wide competitive world where brilliance rules. TNA has one of the finest campuses with 12 acres of sprawling compound and a school groomed by eminent educationists like VN Langer (he headed TNA for a good 16 long years), Madhusudhan Singh, Fantomes (father and his son) and such other eminent educationists in its formative stage of establishment. It was the vision of the Durbar as early as 1956 to establish a premier public educational institution in Sikkim to prepare youngsters for the best institutions in the world. The school could take shape only after 1966 once the TNHS was moved out to its new campus at Development Area. As Sikkim is marching ahead in all fields with commendable success, it is even more necessary that the vision behind TNA’s establishment is remembered and efforts made to raise it to such prominence public schools like Doon, Sanawar, Rishi Valley or Mayo.
But primary education is quite a different matter. It needs a set of teachers with quite different caliber. In this region, it is St. Joseph’s Convent in Kalimpong that has produced and is still producing the best brains. One can know a girl is from this premier school just by seeing the handwriting- a real calligrapher. So far, our Primary Education has received a shoddy deal. Only in recent years has there been a serious effort to improve it. The neglect of the past led to mushrooming of so-called private English Schools in every nook and corner of Sikkim. On a short drive from Reshi to Jhum via Hatidhunga we came across a dozen. So is the case in faraway Daramdin as also anywhere else in the state. How we can bring the best primary education system to Sikkim, whether based on Montessori, Kid-zee, Kindergarten or with some of the improved version like the Alice Project- an offshoot of Montessori based in Italy- in Sarnath and Bodh Gaya- is food for thought. Manjushree, the brain child of Lodey and Wendy –the well qualified and well travelled husband and wife team- with a small beginning at MG Marg and now off to Temi is the forerunner of truly best schooling Sikkim could possibly offer. It will do good to establish a Primary Education Teachers Training Institute with the best of methodology as adopted in Finland, Korea, Singapore and elsewhere which are rated among the 20 best in the world in this field. That should be our benchmark. In the process, even if we slide halfway, the job is well done.
I also strong feel that the so called English Primary Schools established by private initiative should also be brought under the fold as even students there are after all our children. Parents from the interiors like Karchi and Dhupidara have moved to Rabongla working menial jobs only so that they can give their children English School education. This is the story I heard wherever I travelled. They are of the view that English Education is the only security for the future of their children.
So, as we clamour for higher education and Universities of which we have lined up so many for reasons unknow, it is time we gave more thrust to our Pre- and Primary Education where 70% of our children are currently enrolled. This, not by pumping more money alone, but by providing the best of teachers who are temperamentally and psychologically well tuned to teach children in their formative, impressionable age and working in the knowledge that “Every child is unique and has infinite potential”. These teachers should be offered the best salary and accorded the highest respect and status as they are the persons who lay the foundation on which the future of Sikkim will be built. May the tribe of the late Hon’ble Mary Scott, Shankha Gurung, Ganga Devi Rai, Pedong Guruama (Lydia Lucksom) etc. proliferate. We remember them with a deep sense of gratitude as teachers who had love and concern for the mental makeup of every child under their care as they marched ahead in their noble mission without wavering. They had in them the essence of ‘child centric learning methodology’.
Thanks to the vision of the present Chief Minister, this blessed land of Guru Rimpoche has really become the Mecca of all religions with special emphasis on Buddhism and Hinduism at a time when the world at large is beset with materialism and consumerism – the maddening trend set by economic pundits. The inner philosophy of all religions is to imbue in every human being, a true sense of tolerance, humility with wholesome personality. This has been repeated by HH the Dalai Lama during a recent visit in clear terms at his sermon to the at large at Rabongla and to the children at Mannan Bhawan in Gangtok. While we search for such schooling based on values and ethics percolated from religious saints, Gurus and philosophers, we come across Rishi Valley based on the vision of eminent philosopher J. Krishnamurti, Vivekananda University on the philosophy propounded by Swami Vivekananda, Alice Projects as an off-shoot of Maria Montessori philosophy of child education and in operation in Sarnath and Bodh Gaya, Sai Schools based on the philosophy and preaching of Satya Sai Baba. It will augur well if we establish educational institutions based on such values and ethics to enable our future generations to give be able to reevaluate and rethink, rather unwind, the past and the present and come up with a balanced approach of a wholesome living ethic for the world order. This is the only remedy to overcome the ills currently inflicting the society.
In the same vein, it is good to understand how important it is to be Scheduled Tribe or OBC at the national level. Food for thought for all Sikkimese to be Tribals. Let the loaves continue to be divided between tribes, castes, class and non-class with all their Constitutional rights within the State, but outside the State let all Sikkimese have a common level playing field. This is possible only if all Sikkimese as clearly defined in the Financial Act are bestowed with deemed Tribal status. It is time everybody, irrespective of their differences, political or otherwise, pulls up their socks and ponders on the possibility. It is an issue where there should be no differences. Time is now. Tomorrow is too late.
[The writer is a former Chief Secretary, Sikkim]

Sikkim Almanac for all, and some other thoughts…

KC PRADHAN, Sikkim Senior Citizens’ Society

We applaud the Department of Information and Public Relations for bringing out the Government of Sikkim Almanac consistently for several years with precise holiday information. As a New Year dawns, we crave for a copy or two as it is undoubtedly the most authentic Calendar in any household to refer to on all occasions. The irony however is that except for regular Government employees, it is well nigh impossible for the rest to lay hands on one and one has to run from pillar to post to get a copy. It is alright for the people with resources by way of their children being in Government service but for the Senior Citizens and for the general public at large it is a herculean task and several weeks pass by before they manage to get a copy.
My humble suggestion is that the Almanac be sold through Newspaper vendors or Book sellers throughout the State as a priced publication well before the Year commences. It is perfectly alight for the Vendors to charge certain extra for the service. It is holiday time, and school children sitting idle could also sell them house to house with at marked up price and earn some pocket money. It will be appreciated if some thought could be given on this trifle but important initiative.
Similar lines of action could perhaps be thought of selling all government notifications and publications brought out by various Departments. Perhaps one window sale under department of IPR, no matter which Department publishes the Notification could also be given a thought.
Another issue on similar lines there is that there is no Sikkim Map that presents an updated picture of Sikkim roads and basic infrastructure. The Kingdom of Sikkim Map brought out by Prof Karan in the 1960s by the University of Kentucky, USA, was the most authentic Map with correct spellings of places in Sikkim. A similar but updated map in due consultation with the Survey of India is urgently required especially since there has been a boom in tourism and ridiculous spellings for place names given by all and sundry should be strictly curbed. When the Kingdom of Sikkim Map referred to above was contemplated, a special committee was constituted to verify correct spellings of places. A similar action is called required as it is beyond the Survey of India to do so due to unfamiliarly and significance of names to the organization, besides many organizations like Roads and Buildings, RDD, Forests have put in a number of roads under various programmes which all need to be collated and reflected in an authentic map for the benefit of all.

We Remember

KC PRADHAN
Three years have passed since we lost some of Sikkim’s finest souls in Tashi, Wangchuk and Chukie to a terrible road mishap on 06 April 2009. Years pass, but memories linger and the feeling of loss deepens as I mull over some of the vexed issues that confront us so frequently and so often. They were analysts in the truest sense of the word and understood with rare clarity where the destiny of Sikkim lay. Both, Tashi Tobden and Wangchuk Barfungpa, worked with me as able lieutenants cum facilitators for long years in the administration. They were always by my side when I had to confront any hassle in the administration. Their help was always readily available whenever called for and at times even without being asked. They dropped by the moment they sensed a situation developing. If we managed to steer away from some of the worst financial tangles, it was Tashi who put forth his considered thought and put the situation on the rail.
Temperamentally, they were poles apart. But in times of crisis, when the situation needs to be grasped clearly and immediately, their minds met and in their free and forceful deliberations, unfailingly delivered clear and simple solutions. Such occasions were many during my long tenure in service, and after their passing away, I consider, and do so very strongly, a void has been created which remains very difficult to fill. Their reservoir of knowledge on all matters Sikkim is now lost forever.
They were the real custodians of Sikkim’s rules and regulations and knew precisely how to position Sikkim in the national context. Their erudition fired a forthrightness which expectedly led to misunderstandings, but they remind upright in their thinking and never minced words or held back if they had to speak out against any issue which was detrimental to Sikkim. Such confidence and commitment does not come so easily. They belonged to families which go back as long as Sikkim’s written history; this rootedness to the land, backed by education in the best of public schools and colleges in India, and then being scions of ace diplomats of the times of the British Raj, infused in them an inherent strength to speak loud and clear, without fear or favour. They were men of substance and I had high admiration for them always.
Petite Chukie was a real fighter, an environmental activist with a clear vision. Even she was misunderstood and misrepresented, but what she was crusading for, we are realizing only now to the right issues. It was her relentless fight that finally got through to people at large and eventually, four of the five hydroelectric projects proposed for Dzongu were abandoned. She was the Daughter of Dzongu in the real sense.
Sikkim is progressing on all fronts in a rapid - rather hurried - pace. What the State desperately needs at present is an intelligentsia which can point out where things are going wrong and suggest course corrections in time. But where is this intelligentsia? This is the dilemma that we find ourselves in. There are many arm-chair critics, but none with the commitment or depth to point out, with well studied reasoning, not just what is wrong, but also what the right option is. This will greatly help the policy-makers to give a considered thought - rather re-thinking – to the path charted out for the future. As our Chief Minister often reminds us, if the intelligentsia does not speak, it will be fools who occupy the public domain and influence public opinion. Needless to add, the whole State will then become a fool's paradise.
On this rather somber anniversary, it would be advisable for the people of Sikkim to remember the three we lost on 06 April three years ago from the perspective of what Sikkim has lost with their passing away and pay them a homage they have earned because of how they lived their lives.
[The writer is a former Chief Secretary, Sikkim]

Is boycott advisable?

PUBLIC HEARING FOR TEESTA STAGE IV

KC PRADHAN
The Public Hearing for the much in the news Teesta Hydroelectric Project Stage-IV to be located between Dikchu and Sangkhalang has been re-scheduled for 29 March 2012 at Namprikdang in North Sikkim. The project entails generation of around 520 MW of hydro power on a run-of-the-river system through the GoI organization- NHPC. Unlike private sector developers which are to run hydel projects for 35 years and hen hand them over to the State Government, projects implemented and operated by NHPC will be for perpetuity.
The NHPC has, in the past, constructed the 510MW Teesta Stage V which was commissioned some three years back and the 60 MW Legship HEP at Rangit in West Sikkim which was commissioned some ten years ago. As per the terms of the agreement with NHPC, the State Government will get 12% of free power. It is understood the generation indicated in project formulation is at peak period - the monsoon. It would be good for people at large to be told how much revenue has actually accrued to the State exchequer from these two projects during the period in question. This should give a fair idea about how much revenue is likely to be forthcoming after the commissioning of the new project [Stage-IV] for which the State Government has called a Public Hearing as per GoI rules. This is an important matter and all stakeholders – nay, all the people of Sikkim - should give a considered thought. It should be fully supported if the economic gains far outweigh the damages likely to be caused. If the people do not attend the public hearing and the project goes ahead with all the usual sugar-coated pills and smooth talk, it will be the people who are solely responsible and it would be un-ethical to blame the Government or the project developers after the project is commenced. Such is the importance of the Public Hearing and it has great legal sanctity.
I have seen in the local dailies that some people of the affected area are once again likely to boycott the Public Hearing slated for 29th March as the various assurances given by the organization to the stake holders while extracting their consent for Teesta Stage V have not been delivered. People’s apprehensions have been further aggravated by to Sept 2011 earthquake as the main Central Thrust (MCT) line is said to be located in the area from the geological and seismological standpoint. Whether this has been scientifically confirmed or not is different matter, but fact remains the trauma of earthquake, during which Dzongu was badly hit, is still fresh in the minds of the people and they are still in a state of shock. It is premature to rake up the issue of a fresh hydroelectric project though the idea was mooted many years back.
It is pertinent to add here that the stretch from Dikchu to Sangkhalang holds the only expanse of tropical jungle in Sikkim and is the abode to some of the prized plant species like wild bananas, terrestrial orchids, various species of palms, bamboos of great plant genetical interest, besides  home of butterflies. Identifying some rescue homes and rehabilitating these species should be seriously considered. For butterflies, the best option is to go in for massive plantation of both nectar and caterpillar food plants suited for the butterfly species of the area. This could best be undertaken by an independent nature conservation trust with funds forthcoming from the project developers. It is equally important to take into consideration that this stretch of the river Teesta border the protected region of Dzongu - the home of the Lepchas.
The objective of entering into agreements for generation of hydroelectric power in the State is basically, besides Sikkim chipping in its share towards national interest with much-needed clean energy, to augment the financial resources in the State and thus serve not only in its developmental programmes but also meet the expenditure of a bloated Government establishment. The internal revenue generated by various sources at present can barely meet the expenditure of less than half a year. This gives a fair idea how important it is to augment internal resources, and in the given situation, to bank on hydro power generation and get the much needed resource thereof is the only ray of hope. The days of New Delhi pouring money for the asking are over. Unless you stand on your own, you will have no voice – you will rather be looked down upon in the corridors of power in the Centre. They are generous towards all developmental programmes and money will come anyway as allotted annually based on population pro-rata as ascertained by the Planning Commission. In the federal system of governance, this is an inherent right of a State of a Union.  But to run your house for day to day affairs is entirely your resposibility. As someone said: “We might have all the resources for grandiose programmes, but may not possibly have resources to buy even the basic need as salt”.
Taking this point into consideration, at the Public Hearing, if at all held, the concerned department should be able to throw these facts and figures to the participants to gauge whether the project will in reality will fulfill our aspirations. We are harping about earning between Rs. 1,200 to Rs. 1,500 crore by way of revenue by generating around 3000 MW of hydroelectricity within a few years and thus offering Sikkim and the Sikkimese people reasons to be to confident about a bright future – a future in which there will be no financial crunch to launch programmes of our liking with which our younger generation will be well equipped educationally besides maintaining our revered heritage as bequeathed in ancient monasteries, temples etc. in  a befitting manner. And then we will also be able to ensure proper maintenance of infrastructure constructed over the year under Plan Fund which are now lying in state of despair. If this is possible, there is reason to accept some immediate pains for a better tomorrow.
There are reasons for people at large to be unhappy with the deals which are not the most transparent and have been cleared with undue hurry. This has definitely brought some undue hardship, including environmental degradation - not forgetting the religious sentiments in some of the locations endowed with exceedingly rich religious significance and sanctity. But having gone so far as to nearing commissioning of projects, to retract will only lead to litigations which do not always resolve issues. If the economic projections are accurate and State really in a position to make substantial gains, there should a concerted effort to come to a meeting point. The best we could do is to apportion a sizeable portion of the revenue accrued from such projects for the upkeep of religious endowments, besides the welfare of the people in the affected area so that they develop a stronger bond and attach a sense ownership in the Project in question and even help expedite the commissioning at the earliest so that the project-related influx is cleared quicker as well. For all new projects, of course, they can clamour, but remonstrate with a well-studied and clearly reasoned line of argument. The Government, in its wisdom, has scrapped seven projects- 4 in Dzongu and 3 in the West Sikkim. This is in itself a bold political decision and people at large should appreciate the gesture.
All we could possibly say, on the lines written on monolith of Kohima War Cemetery: “For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today”.
[The writer is a former Chief Secretary, Sikkim]

A TRIBUTE :On the passing away of RK Gupta

KC PRADHAN

A legend of Sikkim administration is now no more. I met him first in early 1950 in the office of the then Dewan and the last at the Manipal Hospital a few hours before he breathed his last. Sadly, he was already in coma at the time.
He was picked up by JS Lall, a fiery ICS officer and the first Dewan of the erstwhile kingdom of Sikkim. As Lall’s, and many of the successive Dewans Principal Administrative Officer (PAO) and Sidlon, the late Gupta was their most confidential and trusted assistant. He saw Sikkim’s history in the making as no one had and he was the only man I know of who knew truly the inside story - especially the period before the merger. The series of confidential papers that passed between the Palace, Tashiling and India House, he was the only privy.
To work with a dynamic and meticulous ICS officer like JS Lall was not a simple task. I have never seen or heard of any ICS officer as fiery and intelligent as JS Lall. He was an administrator par excellence and it was he who put Sikkim’s feudal administration on the trail with a purpose, substance and dignity which has unfortunately lost its luster with the passage of time. He hand-picked half a dozen officers to pursue studies both at home and aboard and who formed the core of the administration before and after the merger. JS Lall’s handwriting was the worst possible and there were times when officers used to queue at Gupta’s office to help them decipher and understand what was written. At times, the late Gupta himself was at loss and used to go to his boss for clarifications which JS Lall used to do with a burst of laughter. Except him, few others had the courage to face Lall. Many of these scribbles have become the laws of the land.
Born on 12 April, 1926, the late Gupta joined the Sikkim Durbar Service on 01 Sept 1949 as young stenographer, aged 23. Within a short span of 4 years, he was promoted to the gazetted grade - the most prestigious group of barely a dozen then in the Durbar administration. He was inducted into the Indian Administrative Service in its initial recruitment. During his long career as a government servant, he headed many departments including serving as Additional Secretary, Home, and also Secretary to the Sikkim State Legislative Assembly. He was Secretary of the Sikkim Durbar Council right from its inception in 1953 till 1974 and was the first Secretary of Sikkim Legislative Assembly with late Chatur Singh Rai as the first Speaker. It was during his tenure as Secretary that he streamlined the administrative set up in SLA. His vast experience as Secretary in erstwhile Councils presided over by the veteran Dewans gave him immense leeway in handling the most delicate of matters in the SLA with ease and guide the Speaker in later years
He was always a helpful, charming personality and easy to befriend. At one time he was an ace bridge (card) player along with late AC Dutta and Tulsi Sharma and Justice Tarachand Hariomol as the team. Not forgetting a good billiard player as well, with Khika chowkidar as Guru of all billiard players in those days at the White Hall at Gangtok.
We miss him dearly and also all the anecdotes with which he used to regale us. Just a month left to enter his 88th year, he lived a full life and has left behind hordes of friends to cherish his memory. We are with the bereaved family in their hour of sorrow. We pray the Almighty that his soul rests in peace.
[The writer is a former Chief Secretary, Sikkim]

Sorry, my dear trees!

KC PRADHAN
The beeline of hundreds of cars denied me the chance to reach a meeting in time recently, even though I had kept a good 45 minutes, unlike just 25 minutes required till a few years back, to commute to the place and took the Namnang Road. On the drive, to my horror, I found all cypress trees (Cupressus torulosa.) planted in 1976, on near mission mode- gone. Later, I was told they are making space for a walkway. A walkway is fine, with nice scenery both down to the Roro Chu and beyond to the verdant forests of Bhusuk, but why did these poor trees have to become victims? Removing a few is understandable, but rendering the entire place almost barren is absolutely unacceptable. You can make sky scrapers, but trees so well established for the last 35 to 40 years cannot be bought as it amounts to buying time. Cypress is a well-rooted tree species. A good example of this is the Cupressus funebris at Yuksam – now almost 370 years old and still standing like a sentinel even though its top-half is blown away. At best, they could be top headed. Better planning could have been done to make the walkway or whatever is in the planning process to make trees the focal points and blend it with architectural planning. Why the Forest Department succumbed to such blatant destruction, I cannot fathom. The plantation was established the hard way.
I have seen many houses in Kerala designed by Laurie Baker with coconut trees jutting out right from inside the house - like the one of our former Development Commissioner RN Narayanan in Trivandrum. I thought to myself as I drove along they could be well blended in the scheme of things.
My senior, MM Rasaily, a very strict and disciplined forest officer, used to reject such requests outright with remarks “whether his house came first or the tree. Knowing very well the tree is there what made him to build the house”. That was the respect the trees had in the State at one time.
Then again, on the plea of earthquake damaging houses, hundreds of trees were put to the axe - the one Panisaj of a 100+ years near my house which was almost a landmark, is now gone. Sikkim’s beauty is in its nature, the trees and forests and to relegate them for the shake of making grandiose structures for tourist attractions at the cost of some of the grand trees, is, in my opinion, at conflict with the ethos and appeal of the place. It is time to give a deep thought and the Forest Department should play very pro-active role in this.
The number of trees being felled for the national highway double-laning is heart-breaking. The precious avenue plantations of silver oak at Bageykhola are all gone. But highway widening is a necessity and some sacrifice cannot be helped. Hope these 40 year old trees with sizeable boles could be put to good use - preferably by the Directorate of Handloom and Cottage Industries- as it makes very good furniture timber. Again, further down Bageykhola, near the Hume Pipe factory, three mandaney trees loaded with orchid (Cymbidium aloifolium) - the largest clumps with numerous brownish pendant flowers floating in the air in April - are all gone. What has become of my prized orchids, of whom I have numerous photographs, are best not recollected for the pain such nostalgia will bring.
I wish I had not gone or traveled to see and get myself so disillusioned. Good bye my trees. Do please forgive us!
[The writer is a former Chief Secretary to the Govt of Sikkim and prefers to introduce himself as “A Forester cum Plantsman”]

A Sikkimese speaking

K.C.Pradhan

I read with considerable interest the “LETTERS’ written by Pasaang Tamang of Hingdam, South Sikkim in your august daily. Such an awareness to come from some village in South Sikkim and not from the intelligentsia saturated capital of the State –the Gangtok- is both a delight and sad. What he has said is right and if the Sikkimese as recognized by the Constitution of India does take a lackadaisical posture they have to pay dearly and the posterity will look down upon the present generation with disgust. . When Tamang says “Finally, with folded hands I urge my fellow Sikkimese young and old, unemployed association, ACT, SIBLAC, other public forum etc. to raise a voice against such an injustice to our present and future generation. Act now before it’s too late!” it touches my heart. He is speaking a truth and pays well for each and everyone who claim themselves to be Sikkimese (Indians of Sikkimese origin as enshrined in the Constitution) to ponder over and react loudly and clearly to be heard both within the State and in Delhi. Finance Minister then, P. Chidambaram, in his wisdom has very clearly defined the Sikkimese while giving Income Tax exemptions under Finance Bill/Act 2008- christened 26AAA inserted in Section 10 and to dilute it in any manner is unacceptable. The Act defines Sikkimese as:

   “ A “Sikkimese” is anyone whose “name is recorded in the register maintained under Sikkim Subjects Regulation, 1961, read with Sikkim Subject Rules, 1961, immediately before 26 April, 1975; or individuals whose name is included in the Register of Sikkim Subjects by virtue of the Government of India Order No. 26030/36/90-I.Ci. of August 7, 1990 and Order of even number dated April 08, 1991; or, any other individual whose name does not appear in the Register of Sikkim Subjects but it is established beyond doubt that the name of such individual's father or husband or paternal grandfather or brother from the same father has been recorded in that Register.”

Sikkim Legislators in their wisdom have already recommended the privileges to be bestowed to this section of this community numbering around 400 families and it augurs well for all of us residing in this peaceful State to stick to it and support their cause irrespective of any party affiliation so that we can continue to live with peace and harmony  in this tranquil State- the State considered the most peaceful (including Mizoram) among all the NE States as per former Home Minster G.K. Pillai only the other day in Guwahati and further added this example should be emulated by other NE States.

When house is getting aflamed we have to learn to forget about our party affiliations, tribe, caste and class and unite for a common cause. That is what is required in present day Sikkim and importantly watching every move detrimental to Sikkim from whatever quarter it comes should be well guarded against.

SDF Legislators decision made my day

 - K.C.Pradhan, Former Chief Secretary, Sikkim
The decision made by the Legislators of the ruling party that separate directorate of primary education should be created is a landmark decision which all, irrespective of party affiliation or otherwise, should commend.  This combined with decision to send best of our children from nooks and corners of Sikkim selected at class V level to send to best of educational institutions in the country speaks volume. That is the best investment we are possibly making. Sending ultimately 1000 children on an annual basis to pursue class education with put Sikkim in high pedestal within next 10 to 20 years is noble thought. The process of sending 50, 100 and 200 for last here years is already on. Even if we stick to 200 per year the number will be 1400 when the first batch attains their Class XII. In other words it will cost good rupees two hundred crores at conservative estimate annually once the first batch attains Class XII. This expenditure, rather investment, is unparallel and worth pursuing even we have to kept in abeyance all grandiose schemes of no immediate benefit- rather locking up a capital at a time when investment will give better dividends by way of skilled manpower- the skill with which our children can conquer the world in any sphere and in any place they ventured into and make Sikkim proud. Where in the world such opportunity prevails ? The vision is both bold and commendable and there should be no two opinions. The decision maker could consider making an Educational Endowment Fund to sustain it in perpetuity so that there will be no uncertainly or dearth of resources for such right cause. Possibly many, both individual and organizations, would like to contribute.

.  While I was heading the Education Dept for a year in early 1980s, I realized the need for a better deal to our children in their impressionist age. Due to lack of space the children had to attend the morning shift and allowed to go home to do all sorts of mischief in their neighborhood- not because of their  inherent trait but because there were no avenues to vent their energies . Had it been in Soviet Union of the yesteryears they could go to Pioneer Clubs established in every village to pursue their interest from playing various musical instruments to singing to dancing to swimming etc. We were pleasantly entertained by school kids in Alma Ata Pioneer Club giving us a glimpse of dance of bharat natyam acted by children – all below 7 years of age. Some were busy cooking with kids draped with neat apron and some learning to play chess and many guarding the monuments of martyrs in rotation well uniformed looking like little well decorated soldiers rather generals. After disintegration of the Union what has become of the Pioneer Clubs, I wonder but it was definitely well thought of idea worth emulating.

In 2000 I happened to be a member in the State Planning Commission. I was the only non-economists.  Taking my past experience in short stint in Education and where I realized 70 of our children go in primary education, I broached the idea of creating a separate directorate of Primary Education with decentralized power. The idea was nipped in the bud on the pleas the money is more important for higher education.  Mine was a lone voice and felt sad but kept quite.  On this happy occasion it is good to remember exalted teachers like late Mrs. D.C. Lucksum, Late Mrs. B.B. Gooroong and others who were the epitome of primary education in Sikkim. It was the former who taught me the three Rs.

To know our Legislators have come of age in decision making process without having to import expertise from outside is heartening. They are grasped with ground reality and with sensitized populace who can interact decisively at any level and any field is real dawning of democracy. If sections of the people have grievances to make it is good to come out openly with facts and figures and alternative solutions for the people at large to judge and give the right verdict. It is wrong to make the right wrong just for the shake of hoodwinking the people. The world is moving very fast and to catch up we have to have to run against the time. Time and tides wait for no one.

Let our children work hard and strive to be better citizen for tomorrow with all the opportunities around which rarely come even in advanced countries. The world is large but highly competitive. If our children in equipped with best of education and knowledge they can do wonder as many of our children who are already making a dent in advanced countries like UK, USA and Australia is the case in point.

Following up on exotic trees decades after they were planted

ONGDEN LEPCHA
I finished reading KC Pradhan’s “The Life and Times of a Plantsman in the Sikkim Himalayas” some months back, without missing a single page. The book is very educative and informative for botanists, floriculturists, plant-lovers, and last but not least, the Sikkim foresters. My personal copy dated February 2009 reminds me that it was released two years back in January with the words “In memory of great people, KC Sir” written on it by me.  After reading the book I decided to thank KC Sir by writing an article, so I dedicate this article to KC Sir.

KC Pradhan becomes first Indian to be conferred Royal Horticulture Society's Veitch Memorial Medal

GANGTOK, 03 July: Respected forester and plantsman, KC Pradhan, who has also served Sikkim as its Chief Secretary, will, one Monday, become the first Indian and only the third Asian to receive the prestigious Veitch Memorial Medal of the Royal Horticulture Society, United Kingdom.
The RHS announced Mr. Pradhan’s name for this year’s VMM along with three others at its annual general meeting convened on 01 July, last Friday. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 04 July, Monday, at the Hampton Court Palace Premiere Flower Show- the largest flower show in the world. Mr. Pradhan will however not be able to travel to England and the award, which will be presented by Princess Alexandra, will be received on his behalf by a nominee of the president of the RHS. BBC 2 (in UK) will telecast the awards ceremony on 04 July at 7.30pm.

The Chief Minister Leads the Way

KC PRADHAN on the CM’s Sikkim Bhraman, how it has drawn remote areas into the development and empowerment process and how the people at large at the civil society should respond to the CM’s call to cleanse Sikkim of corruption and denial…

I am closely following the Chief Minister’s 40-day village-to-village grassroot level public interaction tour through all corners of Sikkim both, on the local TV channel and the dailies, with considerable interest and delight. Meeting people from far corners of the State like Dhupidara, Labdang, Karchi, which I consider the most neglected, and making the Heads of Departments see the ground reality has gladdened my heart. I had occasion to see their plight and have often hoped that development start from such far away corners. It has been a good 50 years since I saw them literally in rags and to see them in pictures now, well dressed, empowered and articulate enough to demand their rights, I say to myself, “Yes, Sikkim has really changed and changed for the better. All other sentiments set aside.”

Resurgence of the Himalayan Rhododendrons

Author [in fur cap] with forest officers- P.O. Pazo, S.M. Rai, C.D. Lama and retinue of camp followers
including village headmen at camp at Hilley before going to Chiwabhanjyang. Just declared
‘Rhododendron Sanctuary’ warden- Kaloo Sherpa at right (sitting). Fr. Karma, FG Namgyal
and  FG Anna Purna Subba [behind S.M. Rai] also in the picture. [Bersey 1969]

BERSEY RHODODENDRON SANCTUARY
The closing ceremony of the International Rhododendron Festival 2010-11 begins 25 March. In an aptly timed contribution, respected forester, KC PRADHAN, shares a chapter from his well-received book, “Life & Times of a Plantsman”. The extract below recounts his visit to the West Sikkim Forest Division in 1969 and of how the idea of a Rhododenron Sanctuary at Bersey was born and how, with it, started the process which earned Sikkim’s Rhododendrons their rightful position as a wealth worth celebrating…

SOMETIME AFTER MY return from Yale, I visited the west forest division. This was in April 1969. I was accompanied by P.O. Pazo, Saharman Rai, L.B. Lama, and a host of other forest staff. We trekked from Hilley to Bersey and found the whole hillside ablaze with a pinkish to an almost white hue of Rhododendron arboretum var. campbelliae. We decided on the spot to declare the area a Rhododendron Sanctuary and got the area marked roughly with the help of natural features. Everyone accepted the need to appoint a chowkidar (caretaker). A dumb fellow - a daredevil nevertheless - accompanying us, Kalloo Sherpa, was the instant choice. He did a really good job and kept all the cow-herders under strict control.