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

BY SHITAL PRADHAN Today if i am asked what is the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to you, i do not have any second doubt and say i am very fortunate to be born in Sikkim.But my love for my Sikkim never happened in a flash point. It was the year 1996 and my first trip to Calcutta now they call it Kolkata, till then i never knew what was Sikkim really about. When i was asked about my place of origin i was too surprised to find that most of the people never had heard of Sikkim, they thought it to be part of either Nepal or Bhutan. It was with names of two Sikkim giant Danny Denzongpa and Bhaichung Bhutia i was able to relate that there is a small state of Sikkim a part of Indian union for the last 20 years. when i returned back at home i was swept off my feet, i was taken aback i never felt bad like that before and i thought within myself i never knew anything about Sikkim..how could i tell people about my Sikkim. This promoted me to learn more about Sikkim and over the years ...

By Source: The Statesman on November 28,2007 Neeraj Vagholikar The late Nari Rustomji who served as Assam’s chief secretary and Dewan of Sikkim had, through his writings, warned that development inputs into Sikkim needed to be within the absorptive capacity of the region. In 1998, the Expert Appraisal Committee on river valley and hydroelectric projects, appointed by the ministry of environment and forests, noted Rustomji’s observations while examining a proposal for environmental clearance for the 510-MW Teesta V hydroelectric project in Sikkim. Since this was one of the multiple large hydroelectric works in the ecologically and culturally sensitive Teesta river basin, it recommended a detailed study on the “carrying capacity” of the river basin before taking a decision. But the MoEF cleared the project in May 1999 without giving environmental clearance and conducting the carrying capacity study. However, one of the conditions for clearance was that “no ...