Sikkimese are Peace Producers who have contributed to integrity and sovereignty of India: Chamling

NEW DELHI, 01 Feb: In his address for the “Conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security” chaired today at Vigyan Bhawan by the Prime Minister, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling stated: “In this meeting on Internal Security, I am happy to say that Sikkim and the Sikkimese people are peaceful. As peace producers, the Sikkimese people have made considerable contribution towards integrity and sovereignty of the Country.”
“Towards the overall growth and development of the Country, we have made special contribution as a border State in the maintenance of atmosphere of perfect peace, tranquillity, communal harmony and accelerated growth and development. Amidst the multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious communities, the prevailing peace and communal harmony that exists in Sikkim is exemplary,” he shared.
The meeting had started with introductory remarks by the Union Home Secretary GK Pillai, followed by the Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, who presented an overview of the internal security scenario in the country, contending that it has improved over the last two years.
The Prime Minister, in his address, called for “greater centre-state coordination to deal with security matters” and expressed his concern over left-wing violence and stressed on proper monitoring at check-posts and more training for police personnel to deal with extremist activities.
The Chief Minister, while updating the meeting on the internal security situation in Sikkim, highlighted that the relative development in Sikkim was powered by the State Government’s commitment to deliver “due justice to the hopes and aspirations of the people by providing the basic minimum needs and the basic minimum infrastructure to the people with focussed provision and implementation for people belonging to weaker section of the society”.
“The whole environment of social engineering has fetched rich social contentment and happiness among the Sikkimese people. The 100 percent mandate of the people in our favour is reflective of our tract record on peace, security, social justice and development,” he added.
While informing the meeting that Sikkim was free from obvious signs of disturbance like communalism, religious intolerance or labour unrest [as reported in other parts of the country], incidents like the arrest of a Bodo militant from Sikkim in 2003 [he was using Sikkim as a safe haven], the CM said, have “substantiated apprehensions that the peaceful environment of the State can be exploited by extremist or insurgent groups to carry out their nefarious activities”.
“Growing unemployment compounded by influx from neighbouring States and region is cause of concern and may have long term adverse impact on the prevailing peace in the State,” he added.
On how the State was preparing for these challenges, the CM shared that personnel strength was already being enhanced in Sikkim alongside efforts to strengthen the counter-terrorism capabilities of the police force, strengthing of the intelligence wings, adoption of a crime and criminal tracking network system.
He added that, considering the “security challenges likely to be faced in the future”, the annual plan size for Sikkim as approved by the Government of India under the Modernisation of Police Force [MPF] scheme at Rs. 6.4 crores was not adequate for purchase of high value technical equipment “very necessary for the forces today”.
Utilisation of these funds have also been delayed, he explained, mainly because there are no manufacturer/ suppliers of the required technical equipment in the State. “We are therefore constrained to route our proposals through State undertakings but that takes a long time,” he explained, urging that delays on this account should be taken into consideration by the MHA while settling the MPF funds for the State.
The Chief Minister also delved on the hardships faced by the people owing to the movement for statehood underway in the Darjeeling district neighbouring Sikkim.
The Chief Minister called for a permanent solution to the connectivity problems faced by the State at the earliest, reminding the Central leaders of Sikkim’s “persistent demands for early construction of an Alternative National Highway and upgrading the ATR 72 Greenfield airport at Pakyong for enabling bigger aircraft, to operate as well as quickly complete the double laning of the existing 31A National Highway”.
Reliable connectivity, the CM emphasised, is essential not only for Sikkim and the Sikkimese people, but also for the defence establishments in this border State and in the overall interest of the Nation.  
The CM was accompanied to the meeting by the Chief Secretary, TT Dorji, DGP Jasbir Singh, Principal Secretary to CM, RS Basnet and Arvind Kumar, Principal Resident Commissioner, Sikkim House, New Delhi.
[from a press communiqué received from the PS to the Chief Minister]