Monday, December 28, 2015

Sikkim Royal Photograph : Palden Thondup Namgyal appointed President of the Mahabodhi Society of India


In 1953, Crown Prince Palden Thondup Namgyal was appointed as President of the Mahabodhi Society of India, a South Asian Buddhist organization. Here, the Crown Prince addresses a crowd in Bodhgaya, India, during the 1956 celebrations for Buddha Jayanti, which marks Buddha’s birthday. Source: I love Siliguri facebook

Sikkim Royal Photograph : Coronation luncheon of Chogyal Tashi Namgyal


Sir Tashi Namgyal succeeded his brother to become Sikkim’s 11th rule in 1914. His reign was characterized by socio-economic reforms, including the separation of executive and judicial powers, and the abolition of unpaid labor. Here, people sit for his coronation luncheon in 1914.
Source: I love Siliguri facebook

Sikkim Royal Photograph : Indira Gandhi with Chogyal Palden Thondup Namagyal


Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi walks with Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal near Denzong Cinema Hall in Gangtok during a visit in 1968.
Source: I love Siliguri facebook

Sikkim Royal Photograph : Wedding party of Princess Sangey Deki Samdo Phodrang


The Tibetan wedding party of Princess Sangey Deki Samdo Phodrang arrives in Sikkim’s capital of Gangtok, ahead of her wedding to Crown Prince Palden Thondup Namgyal in August 1950. Leading the procession- Rai Bahabur Sonam Tobden
Source: I love Siliguri facebook

Monday, December 14, 2015

Shantinagar GSS members cleans bushes to make a playing field

SINGTAM, DECEMBER 14:  In the second phase of cleanliness drive along the Joggers Footpath below Shantinagar river side, the members of Shantinagar Goan Sudhar Samiti on December 13 cleaned the bushed grown old football field. The football field was covered with huge bushes grown over the last few years.
Half of the field was cleared yesterday to set up volleyball and a badminton court. In the evening, the members of Shantinagar Goan Sudhar Samiti even tried playing badminton. Mohan Sunar, President, Shantinagar Goan Sudhar Samiti congratulated the members for their effort and said that now on the young children of Shantinagar has a playing ground and the parents would be less worried about them running at the road or going to the river.
It was also informed through press release, LN Pradhan, Advisor, Shantinagar Goan Sudhar Samiti had gifted a volleyball net and a volleyball to the organization.

Phurba Thendup Bhutia wins the Sikkim Chapter of IWIF photography contest

SINGTAM, DECEMBER 14: Photographic Society of Sikkim, Singtam in their press release had congratulated Phurba Thendup Bhutia from Gangtok for winning the Sikkim Chapter of the Second edition of India Weaved in Frames (IWIF) photography contests.
Sishir Chettri, President Photographic Society of Sikkim, Singtam has congratulated Phurba Thendup Bhutia. It is a special moment for us; our member’s win will surely inspire our photography team, reads the press release. The winning pic was taken during Kagyed Dance at Enchay Monastery.
India Weaved in Frames, in short IWIF, is a collection of 31 photography contests, one contest themed on every Indian state and one for all the Union Territories together. The competition showcased the salient feature of Indian states including culture, heritage, architecture, landscape, people, wildlife, festival, art forms, food, or any other subject of one’s choice.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

PD Rai Presents the GLOBE COP21 Legislators Summit Communiqué

PRESS RELEASE

Sikkim Lok Sabha MP Prem Das Rai presented the GLOBE COP21 Legislators Summit Communiqué to MoS Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju at the annual Meet of the Mountain States in New Delhi on 11 December 2015. The event was organized by Integrated Mountain Initiative to celebrate the International Mountain Day.
Rai updated the gathering about his participation at the UNFCC COP 21 in Paris, particularly the keen interest in supporting measures for disaster risk reduction in mountain states shown by Margareta Walhstrom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the UN for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The GLOBE COP21 Legislators Summit was hosted by the Assemblée Nationale, France’s National Parliament, and supported by GLOBE France in collaboration with the GLOBE International secretariat. The summit was attended by over 221 parliamentarians from over 67 countries.
The theme of the summit was TOWARDS COHERENCE & IMPACT: The challenge of Paris and the 2030 Agenda for a prosperous and sustainable world.
The Summit concluded with for more integrated action on the climate and 2030 Agenda, and greater parliamentary engagement in implementation. The legislators committed to:
1. Ensuring consistency of national legislation and policies on climate and of other societal objectives, such as access to energy, gender equality and financing for development;
2. Ensuring that all necessary means are put in place on national level to implement the Paris Agreement through advancing legislative action and strengthening the dialogue with all other stakeholders;
3. Reviewing INDCs and/or national climate change action plans to ensure appropriate ambition, funding and coherence with commitments under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction and other related international processes;
4. Accelerating the ratification of the Doha Amendment establishing the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, and achieving the ratification of the Paris Agreement by the end of June 2017;
5. Increasing effective scrutiny of implementing national legislation on climate and improving transparency and accountability on climate action.
Rai, along with Bhubaneswar Kalita (Rajya Sabha MP, Assam), Jairam Ramesh (Rajya Sabha MP, Andhra Pradesh), Sanjay Jaiswal (Lok Sabha MP, Bihar), V.P. Singh Badnore (Rajya Sabha MP, Rajasthan), Mmhonlumo Kikon (Parliamentary Secretary for Labour& Employment, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Border Affairs, Government of Nagaland), Malini Mehra (Chief Executive, GLOBE International) and Pranav Sinha (Director, GLOBE India) were part of the GLOBE India delegation to the summit.

GLOBE is an international network of legislators comprised of national parliamentarians from over 70 countries and chapters established in over 40 legislature, that are committed to finding legislative solutions to the challenges posed by climate change and sustainable development.

Annual Meet of the Mountain States 2015 held

              
   PRESS RELEASE

The Integrated Mountain Initiative held its annual Meet of the Mountain States in New Delhi on 11 December 2015 celebrating International Mountain Day, at the Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, Chanakyapuri.  The Meet followed up on the successful conclusion of the 4th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS IV)  held in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh in October 2015.  

The central theme of the Summit was Disaster Risk Reduction, which is particularly crucial for the mountains which face increasingly frequent large- and small-scale disasters such as earthquakes, flash-floods, and landslides.  Natural disasters result in loss of lives, and set back the economy of the region by destroying assets, interrupting school education and livelihoods. 

To follow up the recommendations made during the Summit, the Meet of the Mountain States was held in the format of a workshop that discussed the implementation of these resolutions, by identifying the implementing bodies, liaison mechanism, resources required, and timelines.  

The Meet was attended by Lt Gen Marwah and Dr. Kamal Kishore, Members of the National Disaster Management Authority, as well as representatives from the National Disaster Response Force, the State, and Disaster Management Authorities from Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.  Grassroots organizations working on disasters on the ground, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute, Delhi and Save the Hills, Kalimpong participated.

The Chief Guest, Mr. Kiren Rijiju, Hon’ble Minister of State for Home Affairs, recently declared the Champion of DRR for the Asia-Pacific region by the United Nations, gave a rousing address espousing his concern about disasters and offering his full support for mitigation and preparedness measures.  He also released the summit report from SMDS IV.

Mr. PD Rai Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) Sikkim updated the gathering about his participation at the UNFCC COP 21 in Paris, particularly the keen interest in supporting measures for disaster risk reduction in mountain states shown by Margareta Walhstrom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the UN for Disaster Risk Reduction.

IMI is a collective initiative of a wide range of stakeholders from across the Indian mountain states, who gather together to deliberate and advocate mountain-centric development policy. 

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Prem Das Rai Calls for a People Centred Approach to Drug Abuse


Press Release
 Highlights Sikkim’s SAATHI Program as a Model Positive Intervention 
Sikkim Lok Sabha MP called for a fresh people centred approach to address the drug use issue through the lens of human rights and public health. He emphasized that when it comes to addressing drug abuse, the rights way is the right way.
Rai made these comments while participating in a special dialogue on “the right to health and safety of people who use drugs: importance of prevention, treatment and care”, which was organized to commemorate the World Human Rights Day on December 10, 2015. The event was hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for South Asia in collaboration with The Forum of Parliamentarians on HIV/AIDS (FPA) and the India HIV/AIDS Alliance.
Rai stated that interventions focused on drug abuse prevention, especially targeted at the youth, are the need of the hour, He called for harnessing the positive power of peer influence and highlighted Sikkim government’s SAATHI initiative as model program in this direction. He shared that SAATHI seeks to expand to 100 schools and aims to impact over 100,000 school students across Sikkim between 2016-2019.
Rai informed that over 25 students from Tadong, accompanied by 5 teachers, will be attending a sensitization session at the UNODC office on December 15, 2015. The session will focus on generating awareness about the health, social and economic implications of drug abuse.
SAATHI is a drug intervention programme under Chief Minister’s Youth Empowerment and Self Reliant Mission and works with students and teachers to spread positive influences. Rai is the Chairman of the Steering Committee overseeing the execution of the SAATHI program.
Answering a query on the need for evidence-based policy to tackle drug abuse, the Sikkim Lok Sabha MP highlighted the need to undertake continuous assessment of the trends and patterns of drug use. Rai stated that he has introduced a Private Member Bill to this effect – which calls for the need to conduct yearly surveys to understand the extent, pattern and trend of drug use.

Earlier, the event commenced with a welcome address by senior Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes, who chairs The Forum of Parliamentarians on HIV/AIDS (FPA). Participants at the dialogue include Christina Albertin, UNODC Representative for South Asia; Nagaland Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio; Ghazala Meenai, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment; Dr. Neeraj Dhingra, Deputy Director General, National AIDS Control Organisation; Rajesh Nandan Srivastava, Additional Director General, National Academy of Customs Excise and Narcotics; Dr. SK Khandelwal, All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Simon Beddoe, Advocacy Officer, India-HIV Alliance, among others.

Thank You Burung JHS for the honour

Thank You Burung JHS for the honour.(09.12.15)
I find myself blessed to receive my first honour as a school teacher from the school where I was first posted at.





MY SPEECH ON THE OCCASION

Good afternoon to all, with due permission from today’s Chief Guest, Special Guest, and distinguished guests from my department .i.e HRDD and others.

I am standing on the premises of a school, where I started my journey as a school teacher. Here I stayed for six long years and I am thankful to the school administration for considering me worthy of recognition. I find myself blessed to receive my first honour as a school teacher from the school where I was first posted.

I was told during my early years that teaching was a beautiful profession. Despite this, I was made aware that it is not the easiest of professions. Honour, whether large or small, encourages you to improvise your efforts in order to bring out the best in you. To give back to society, I became a teacher.

Today it might seem funny but my intention as a teacher was that I always wanted to work in a village school. In the last ten years, I've been a school teacher in three schools I've been posted to.

 I always believed that teachers are always the medium between our students and the outside world; the less we expose our students to the global world, the less we are contributing to holistic development. Not all students are gifted in academics but it’s the duty of a teacher to bring out their potential. Some might be talented at sports, some at culture, and others in literature: we need to find a platform for them, provide them with opportunities, and help them motivate better.

At this very school, the first-ever football tournament played by the students they were routed with 9 goals to nil yet I was part of that moment. I was happy to see many players in that match were the finalist of the Sakyong Chisopani Independence Day Football Tournament last year.

As teachers, we have a tendency to blame students, parents, or guardians for a student's failure. If we realize that it was I who failed to make the lesson understandable to my students, I am sure the outcome would be positive. Here we are dealing with a student many years younger than us. We cannot communicate with the student through a graduate thinker....we need to get down to the student level...we need to be like them and interact with their ideology.

Coming back to Burung JHS, I have seen this school grow from a mere Burung Primary School. I had good opportunities during my stay at this school. Thank you to NT Sir, Uttam Sir, MB Sir, Kamal Sir, Sabitra Madam and Gangaa Madam.

From here, I would especially like to thank Mrs Indira Rizaal, Pre Primary Teacher at this school. She helped me with many projects we worked on together at this school. I do not hesitate to say that the honour I received here is also shared by her.

Thanks to the newly appointed headmistress, her arrival is a blessing to this school, a blessing to this village.

Thank you once again!! And best of luck to the school in the coming days too!!

Sunday, December 06, 2015

"World Soil Day" Observed at Community Hall, Pakyong




World Soil Day observed today at Pakyong in the Chief Guest of Shri. K.N. Rai (Speaker), Minister Somnath Poudyal (Agri & Horti.), Minister/Area MLA D.T. Lepcha ( Housing & Building), Bikram Pradhan (Chief Whip), B.B. Rai MLA (Namchebong), Dr. Mechong MLA (Martam-Rumtek), Gopal Baraily MLA (West Pendam), Hemant Adhikari MLA (Rhenock), officials from Agri. & Horti. Dev. Deptt., farmers and general public in the banner of Deptt. Of Agri & Horti.

Saturday, December 05, 2015

Biodiversity Club meeting held at Sakyong Chisopani JHS


SINGTAM, DECEMBER 5: Sakyong Chisopani JHS Biodiversity Club had its annual meeting today at its school. Teacher and student members of the Biodiversity Club discussed different matters to enhance the club for the next session.

Shital Pradhan, Biodiversity Teacher of the school gave details of the different activities undertaken by the club in the 2015 session. Pradhan emphasized that eco-friendly environment help students be familiar with nature and its surroundings. It was also decided in the meeting, one year project on photo-documentation of butterflies around the radius of 10 km from Singtam would be undertaken.

Wednesday, December 02, 2015

PD Rai calls for improved preparedness to check damage caused by disasters in Himalayan States

PRESS RELEASE
PD Rai, MP(LS) Sikkim

Sikkim Lok Sabha MP PD Rai placed the need to improve disaster preparedness in Sikkim and other Himalayan States, particularly in light of their vulnerability to natural disasters such as earthquakes and landslides. Speaking at the Lok Sabha during the question hour, Rai stated that climate change has only accentuated the risk caused by seismic activities in the Himalayan region. 
Rai pointed out that various studies have predicted an increased risk of a future major earthquake in the Himalayan region. The Lok Sabha MP from Sikkim, while welcoming the initiatives of the Ministry of Earth Sciences in the area of seismology, sought clarification on the steps taken by the government to respond to this threat.
Minister of Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan acknowledged that the concerns raised by Rai are valid “as Sikkim and other nearby areas are more prone to earthquakes and seismic activities”. He assured Rai that the government will “make sure that no stone is left unturned to take care of these issues in the future”.



Tuesday, December 01, 2015

Singtam offers tribute on the death of Ganesh Rai

SINGTAM, DECEMBER 1:   Sadbhawana Samiti, Singtam condoles the death of Ganesh Rai, former President of the organization today. The press release reads a small meeting was held at Sadhbhawana Samiti office where more than 20 members paid tribute to the departed soul.
Ganesh Rai was the former President of organization and his contribution towards the society is irreplaceable reads the release. Under his leadership, different work of progress was performed at Singtam Bazaar.

Similary, Basibiyalo Singtam also paid respect to the departed soul. Mohan Pradhan “Neeraj”, Sansthapak in his press release has said, Singtam has lost a genuine gentleman who worked for the better society.