Proud to be a Sikkimese: Sikkim Travel, Culture & Local Heritage

Nirmal Mangar is a Sikkim State Awardee in the field of journalism (2007). Winner of Ram Patro Memorial Award (2007) and Lagansheel Patrakarita Purushkar (2018). He had been associated with Sikkim Express, The Telegraph, Doordarshan and All India Radio. Presently, he is the Founder and Editor-in-chief of the Sikkim Chronicle, one of the popular online digital news platforms in Sikkim.

The 24 th Basibiyalo on April 18th held at Singtam felicitated Sanjay Agarwal, popular freelance journalist assonated with different newspapers in Sikkim and in Siliguri. The Chief Guest of the day, Bijoy Kumar Subba renowned writer handed over the trophy, memento and khada to the felicitating journalist. Speaking on the occasion, Bijoy Kumar Subba told that the work done by Sanjay Agarwal is significant and encouraged him to better his efforts. Basibiyalo founder Mohan Pradhan “Neeraj” addressing the gathering informed Basibiyalo had started a felicitating policy from 21 st  Basibiyalo and in 24 th Basibiyalo the felicitation is in journalism sector. He announced that though Sanjay Agarwal does not belong from Nepali community but has done lots of appreciable work in Nepali literature and in Nepali news sector from 2004.

BY SHITAL PRADHAN --> --> This is a list of twelve news that i felt was the highlight of the year. It was not easy to pick up single news from each month but if my fellow readers help me to make another list of events that was missed i am sure it would be a nice idea. January : 10-kg radish grown in Sikkim February : The Best Tourism Performing State March : 1st International Flower Show concludes April : Bhaichung Bhutia a hero for Tibetans May : Prashant Rasaily loses in the finals of Gateway Acclaimed director Anurag Basu presents the young filmmaker from Sikkim with a Bollywood script June : Rousing homecoming reception for the Everesters July : UNKNOWN ASSAILANTS ATTACK "HAMRO PRAJASHAKTI" OFFICE SEVEN JOURNALISTS GRIEVOUSLY INJURED August : Gompa Dara Lake in West Sikkim disappearsLake disappearance in Uttarey leaves villagers baffled September: Sikki...

GANGTOK, July 15: All five persons arrested in connection with the attack on local journalists at the Hamro Prajashakti office on July 4 have been granted bail by the Lower Court here yesterday. Those five persons are as Suraj Gurung (29), Ashish Subba (24), Milan Rai (27), Roshan Gurung (23) and Rupesh Gurung (23), who were arrested on July 7 from Syari in the Capital. Another accused, Dawa Tshering Bhutia was arrested later. However, these five were rearrested today in another case. They have been arrested under the Arms Act and the Sikkim Anti Drugs Act, based on the evidences recovered from the room in Syari at the time of their arrests on July 7. from Sikkim Express

MINGMA BHUTIA GANGTOK, July 09: Even as Sikkim Police produced six suspects yesterday morning before the deadline set by the Press Club of Sikkim, journalists in the State are questioning the way the Police acted on the case. Reacting over the display of five colourful plastic masks supposedly seized from the suspects along with drugs and knives to the journalists yesterday, some of the journalists here said that the Police failed to produce the weapons of offence-iron rods and hammers. “I do not think that the masks, which were shown by the Police yesterday are the right ones,” Bijoy Gurung, Correspondent, United News of India (UNI) told SIKKIM EXPRESS. He was seriously injured in the July 4 attack in the Hamro Prajashakti office. He said that the per...

Press Club of Sikkim sets deadline of Tuesday 10 am for the Police to arrest culprits GANGTOK, July 07: Journalists representing the Press Club of Sikkim submitted a letter to the Director General of Police and the State Home Secretary this morning. The letter informs that the press fraternity would be condemning all the State Government functions if the suspected culprits are not arrested and interrogated by 10 am Tuesday morning. The journalists have decided to boycott the swearing in ceremony of the new Governor of Sikkim, which is scheduled to be held on July 9 at Raj Bhawan. Further, the Press Club has decided to send a memorandum to the Press Council of India at the earliest. http://www.sikkimexpress.com/topstories.ht...

Gangtok, July 06: A protest dharna was organised by media persons at Titanic park of Gangtok here today to voice their concern over attacked on seven journalists on last Friday evening. ‘Who will guard the guards', ‘Stop targeting journalist' and ‘We want freedom of Press' are mentioned in their placard. Disruptive mask personals had beaten journalists here yesterday while working in office of Hamro Prajashakti where Shekhar Khawas, reporter of Himalaya Darpan and Vijay Gurung, reporter of UNI was severely injured. In this incident Anjan Upadhyaya, Editor of two local dailies suffered serious injuries. Other injured journalists are Pabitra Bhandari, Anup Rai, Thakur Subedi. Newspapers and all agencies in Gangtok will boycott all government functions Gangtok, July 06: A meeting of Press Club of Sikkim along with the working journalists, editors and publishers of all the local dailies as well as the regional newspapers representatives was he...

Media fraternity demand immediate arrest of culprits GANGTOK, July 06: Journalists affiliated to various organizations yesterday picketed outside the Police Headquarters here in protest against the assault on local journalists on July 4 and sought swift action to bring the culprits to book. The journalists also took out a silent rally from the Press Club of Sikkim here and marched through the Mahatma Gandhi Marg to the Central Referral Hospital in Tadong demanding strong action against the culprits. The media persons wore black armbands and carried banners and hoardings condemning the attack and seeking an assurance from the State government that the right of expression of the media would be protected. The rally saw a ...

GANGTOK, July 04: A group of masked men in black leather jackets armed with hammers and iron rods entered the office of “Hamro Prajashakti” around 8:30 pm today evening and attacked the journalists present in its office in Gairi Gaon, Tadong. Seven journalists associated with the Nepali daily, Hamro Prajashakti and Himalayan Mirror, an English daily were seriously injured in the attack. The injured include the Editor and Publisher of Hamro Prajashakti and Himalayan Mirror, Anjan Upadhaya and reporters and office staff. Shekhar Khawas, Bijay Gurung, Pavitra Bhandari, Anup Rai, Thakur Subedi and Raj Kumar, were present in the office during the time of the attack. All the injured persons were rushed to the Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial (STNM) Hospital and were under...

GANGTOK, May 25: Governor Sudarshan Agarwal said the freedom of the press is the most integral part of democracy. He was speaking at the Ram Patro Memorial Award ceremony on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of SIKKIM EXPRESS as a daily newspaper at Mangla Mansion here yesterday. While stating that journalists have a greater role in leading society in the right direction, the Governor urged the local journalists to report on rural and social issues alongside carrying out initiated investigative journalism and emphasized reporting on the effective implementation of centrally sponsored schemes in particular the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for the welfare and betterment of the rural folks across the State. According to him, Mass Media are the shepherds of the society and that the shepherds depen...

A. CHATTERJEE Gangtok: Mr Sudarshan Agarwal, Governor of Sikkim, recalled that Edmund Burke, one of the foremost political thinkers of 18th Century England, attributed the coinage ‘Fourth Estate’ to journalism (press). He said ‘you can hold the other three – legislature, executive and judiciary – accountable. Quoting Oscar Wilde, an eminent 19th Century British writer, he said, ‘collect facts first, distort later. Recalling his personal experience of setting up a school for the downtrodden in Uttarakhand as Governor there, and a distorted report thereof by a national daily, Mr Agarwal said, ‘I have been a victim of media distortion’. Referring Press Council of India's observation he said, ‘media should work within a Lakshman Rekha to be drawn by themselves’ and advised not to take ‘liberty as licence’. The Governor was speaking as chief guest at the ‘Ram Patro Memorial Award’ function held by Sikki...

GANGTOK, May 23: The Journalist fraternity of Sikkim have welcomed the constitution of a Wage Board for Working Journalists by the Centre. Welcoming the announcement, working journalists from Sikkim have expressed their happiness over the Wage Board, saying that it will mean at least a decent salary to them. Commenting on this development, veteran journalist and President, Press Club of Sikkim, CD Rai said that this was long overdue. Welcoming Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s approval, Mr. Rai said that this will ensure that every working journalist in Sikkim will get equal pay and this will end the great pay disparity prevalent in many media organisations in the State. “The Wage Boards should act quickly so that all working journalists benefit from them,” he said. Senior journalist, Bijay Bantawa said that Sikkim’s journalists would benefit immensely from this, adding that the Wage Board was long overdue to remove the uneven salary structure adopted by the many public...