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

  Press Release:  New Delhi: 20 June:  “ I've moved and written a letter to the Sikkim Government from Antarctica congratulating all of you for the work you are doing for the planet. I have posted it from the southernmost city of the world Ushuaia” gushed Pradeep Karuturi. He was part of a two-week expedition to Antarctica in March 2016 organised by International Antarctic expert and explorer Robert Swan.  Pradeep is a climate change enthusiast who went to Antarctica recently on a climate change Expedition by the 2041 team. “I felt great happiness in sharing that Sikkim became an organic state to the International team of 30 different nations.” He wants to come to Sikkim to study the climate-positive work that is being undertaken by the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling, led Government and the people. “Ice melting is happening very rapidly in Antarctica and I believe Climate Change is the biggest issue that we need to take action immediately.I believe Si...

By PD Rai In India many startups are actually happening in the Organic Agri space. Little is known of or about them. They may not have found space in Vigyan Bhawan during the inauguration of #StartupIndia. Of course, overwhelmingly the glitz of Technology led startupswere there for everyone to see. They are the now famous ones in online marketing like Flipkart or those in transportation aggregation like Ola. Prime Minister Modi flagged off #StartupIndia in New Delhi on 16 th January. This is a fantastic initiative and we all applaud it. It has the architectureof giving entrepreneurs the space to do what they do best, creating products and services from ‘ideas’ and making them work – the startup ecosystem. After making them work finally curating them to be able to monetize it before ramping it up in terms of scale. That an idea can fail and hence needs that exit route is planned well. Self certification is a key ingredient. This will take away the ‘babu’ or small time bu...

Nirmal Mangar, my good journalist friend shares his anecdotes meeting with Prime Minister Modi. He was among the Sikkim Journalist Team that got an opportunity to witness the proceedings of parliament at New Delhi last year.  Nirmal Mangar in his facebook status writes.... " It was last monsoon, I got an opportunity to meet the man of India in Parliament House, I felt pompous and happy to thank him on mentioning Sikkim's organic mission in both the parliaments ( of India and Nepal) also not to forget his Germany visit. I still have a strong memory of him telling ' Main January mein Sikkim aunga (I will come to Sikkim on January) and will declare your state as the first in the country to adopt organic farming ' Finally, the great moment has arrived." Truely a great moment has arrived, we all Sikkimese is awaiting this big moment when PM Modi will declare Sikkim as the fully Organic State.

Modi Sikkim visit schedule

By PD Rai Come Monday 18 th January 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially declare Sikkim as an Organic State. Any which way you look at it Sikkim has assumed leadership in Organic Agriculture. The rest of the country will have to follow suit. Years of toiling and leadership has made this happen. The people of Sikkim, the farmers, agriculturists, bureaucrats and politicians have all played their part in this great Sikkimese narrative. All have to be congratulated. One must commend Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, for taking a look at the great potential of this venture. He has found it to be a significant public policy move that can transform the Agriculture Policy within the rest of India. Little wonder then that he has skilfully combined the launch with a meeting of all Agriculture Ministers of the Indian States to romp home this point. How are we to achieve food security but without the costly inputs of fertilizer plants created from imported oil and Naphtha. ...

Please critique, don’t criticise — Sikkim Organic Mission is far too important - and yes for the future of young Sikkimese farmers By P. D. Rai One can look at political rhetoric in many different ways. If it leads to useful debate, imaginative thinking and good outcomes on matters of policy, they are hugely welcome. But what SKM leader PS Golay attempted in the recently concluded session of the Sikkim Assembly when he spoke on Sikkim’s Organic Mission, relied more on accusation than substantial critique. What is known as ‘optics’. Unfortunately, Golay and the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, have reduced their politics to throw-mud-and-see-what-sticks and Sikkim’s Organic Mission appears to be their chosen victim. As the opposition, they may continue to play their games of one-upmanship, but as a State, let us not sell ourselves short. Consider what Chief Minister Pawan Chamling pointed out in his reply: this is the first time in the history of the world that a state has ...