His Excellency, The Governor of Sikkim's address on the Republic Day

Gangtok, the 26^th January, 2013

My dear fellow citizens,

          On our auspicious Republic Day, I convey my warm greetings to every citizen across the State and the Nation.

        On this occasion, I greet members of the Armed Forces and the Para-Military Forces who valiantly guard our frontiers in unfriendly terrain and adverse weather conditions throughout the year. It is due to their vigil that we sleep peacefully during the night and carry out our duties in fields, offices and factories. Let us place on record our deep sense of gratitude to the members of our security forces who make the supreme sacrifice to maintain the security and integrity of our Nation. 

          As we observe and celebrate yet another anniversary of our Republic with a deep sense of hope and confidence in our future, let us recall with reverence and gratitude the sacrifices made by our valiant freedom fighters. Let us humbly pay our homage to the illustrious leaders of our national movement who fought relentlessly for the cause of securing freedom.

          Today, let us salute the framers of our Constitution and the founding fathers of our Republic. Their wisdom, maturity and vision which have gone into the formulation of the Constitution constitute an eternal guide for proper functioning of parliamentary democracy in the country. We are indeed indebted to them.

          India justifiably takes pride in having a constitutional framework that is worthy of emulation. In fact, several developing countries have taken our Constitution as a model in the making of their own constitutional frameworks.

          On 26^th  January, 1950, ‘WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA’, constituted India into a ‘Sovereign, Democratic Republic’.  This was not a product of any violent political uprising. It was the culmination of a non-violent revolution that engulfed India under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, “the Father of the Nation”.

          The establishment of the Republic of India was a unique event in our history. This means ours is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. For purposes of governance, we have chosen the parliamentary system. The people of India use their sovereign power at the centre through their representatives in Parliament and in the states through their representatives in the Legislatures.

          Another important aspect of our constitution is its federal character, although considerable authority was granted to the Union of India. The very first article, Article 1 declares: ‘India that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States’.

          The Constitution of India was one of the principal attractions to the people of Sikkim when they decided to join the National mainstream on 16^th May, 1975. This process of “merger”, as it is popularly called, exemplified the strength of our Constitution and the wisdom of its architects.

        In many ways, Sikkim has shown how democracy can secure for citizens all- round development and effectively act for removal of poverty, illiteracy and for facilitating proper health care to every citizen. Dialogue and democratic processes have also helped in the maintenance of peace and harmony in the State.

  

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

    Since 1975, Sikkim has moved rapidly on the path of sustainable and inclusive economic development. Our Per Capita Income is rising rapidly. During 2011-12, it stood significantly higher than the national average. As per the report of the Planning Commission of India, Sikkim had recorded the highest Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth-rate among all States and Union Territories during the 11^th Plan period.

Democracy is at the centre of development in Sikkim. It is only through your participation and the energetic efforts of the Government agencies that we can create sustainable and inclusive development in all-important areas of our economic and social activity.

          We have now entered the first year of our 12^th  Five Year Plan.  Our vision for the 12^th Five Year Plan is in agreement with the guidelines approved by the National Development Council recently. We have set ambitious targets. Our agencies would be required to work with dedication for the efficient implementation of various welfare programmes in cooperation with Panchayats and other elected representatives of the people.

          With single-minded perseverance and a positive outlook, I believe Sikkim will meet all the parameters set forth in the 12^th  Plan. This will further deepen the process of all-encompassing development in the State.

Education holds the key to our future. The educational system in Sikkim has witnessed an enormous expansion in recent years. The State has devolved 20 percent of its plan allocation on human resource development. Decentralized planning and the involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions in the management of schools will further accelerate the process of educational expansion in the remote areas of the State.

          I take this opportunity to warmly congratulate all of you for the peaceful manner in which Panchayat elections were conducted last year. In this election, 50 percent of seats at the Gram and Zilla Panchayat levels were reserved for women, including in the positions of Adhyaksha and Up-adhayaksha.

          The newly-elected Adhyakshas and Up- Adhyakshas of the Zilla Panchayats of Sikkim called on me recently. They have assured me that they will work with renewed vigour in securing cent percent enrollment in schools. They will also keep vigil in order that there is no drop-out from schools. Towards this, they will adopt such imaginative and friendly measures that the parents are encouraged to keep their children in their respective schools, and not engage them in household affairs. We have decided to honour such representatives of the people whose singular services would help secure universal literacy in the State.

          We are conscious of the fact that along with proficiency in general education, the youth are required to be imparted with skills. This would enhance their employability potential and enable them to contribute meaningfully to manufacturing and service sectors of the economy.

With regard to capacity building and skill-development, we now have a fully functional Directorate of Capacity Building at Gangtok and an Institute of Capacity Building at Jorethang.  We have also established 41 livelihood schools across the State. All these institutions are imparting training and facilitating transfer of knowledge to a large number of youth in the State. These centres provide training in various trades and professions ranging from carpentry to basic engineering. Our capacity building and skill-development initiative has met with success.

          In the healthcare sector, we have initiated the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Annual and Total Check-Up for Healthy Sikkim (CATCH) Programme which is designed to provide annual check-up, as well as preventive and curative care to our citizens. This has the potential to become a path-breaking programme in public healthcare system. However, for the success of the scheme and for it to have a sustainable and visible impact, we have to work towards strengthening its delivery mechanisms.

Priority has been accorded to development of agriculture and horticulture as a large number of our people live in the villages. Attention would be given to the task of enhancement of farm productivity through organic agriculture.  We will continue to work for expansion of areas under organic certification. Cultivation of traditional crops such as cardamom, ginger and oranges too would receive needed support.

          We are organizing the 2^nd  International Flower Show next month. This Flower Show will showcase the State’s nearly 5000 floral species, including its 500 varieties of colorful orchids. It may be recalled that four years ago, the 1^st International Flower Show was held in Sikkim. The event attracted the participation of many international and domestic companies as well as of several State Governments. The objective that then was and continues to be now is to exhibit the State’s floral potential to the world. We intend to surpass our earlier successes. We hope that this Festival would provide a fillip to the floriculture industry and tourism in the State.

          Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in our State.  The service sector under tourism is the principal employment generator in Sikkim. The State has unsurpassed natural beauty and is inhabited by friendly and hospitable people. We also have a rich cultural heritage and a crime-free atmosphere. These positive factors make Sikkim an ideal destination for tourists.

          In our endeavour to promote pilgrimage tourism in the State, we have put many tourist infrastructures in place like the Buddha Park at Ravangla and the Siddheshawara Dham Complex at Namchi. New tourist infrastructures are also being built, such as the ropeway between Samdruptse to Namchi and the Sleeping Buddha Statue at Singhik in north Sikkim. These will add further value to the existing attractions.

          It is heartening to note that our youth are increasingly getting attracted to job opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sector.

          We are blessed with abundant natural resources. We are harnessing our rivers and streams for generating power. In the coming days, we will be contributing significantly to meet the energy security needs of the country. We hope that this will bring rich financial dividends to the State which will, in turn, fuel rapid economic growth and economic vitality.

          We have to be sensitive to the conservation of our ecology. We have made consistent efforts to protect our glaciers, lakes, streams, rivers, water bodies and medicinal plants.

          We are seriously promoting eco-tourism and have included the concept of eco-friendliness in the curriculum of our schools. We will continue to emphasize on our afforestation programmes such as ‘Smriti Van’ and the unique “10 Minutes to Earth,” which is a programme that carries out mass plantations through active public participation in the month of June every year. The State Green Mission to plant trees and flowers in vacant lands will also be pursued during the 12^th Plan.

          As we use our natural resources for our development, we must observe utmost restraint so that the environment receives least damage. We should keep in mind that ours is a State whose cultural ethos is built around respect for nature and the world around us.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

          Connectivity is the biggest challenge for development. In the absence of rail and air network, the State is solely dependent on National Highway 31A for transportation of people and freights. With the small size of local markets, the success of attracting private investments crucially depends on all-weather road network. 

          The widening and improvement of National Highway 31A is currently in progress, but the need for an alternative highway from Sevoke to Gangtok is urgent. We also require a new two-lane road from the upcoming Airport at Pakyong for its linkage to Gangtok. We are aware of the urgency to strengthen the existing transportation network throughout the State in order to inter-link our villages and towns, as these are essential to promote tourism and support the economic and social needs of our people. We intend to complete the spillover of road construction projects from the last plan period during the 12^th Plan.

          Rapid unregulated urbanization is a major concern for our State. Unplanned growth and rise in population in the towns and cities create severe pressure on the existing infrastructure. We plan to take up urban development programmes in a phased manner. We also propose to develop and beautify all the bazaars and provide every civic amenity in our rural areas.

          In recent times, crimes against women have caught the attention of the country. It has touched the conscience of millions of our people, both men and women. Several of them have risen up in unison against gender crimes and prejudices in a spontaneous manner.

          We have a rich tradition of showing respect to women. The advent of consumerism in our midst has brought in commodity culture, debasing our age-old values.

          Corrective measures need to be taken urgently. We have to resolutely work to construct a secure social environment for our women and young girls in order that they can pursue their activities in schools, colleges and at work-places freely and without any harassment. It is our individual and collective responsibility to provide them an environment wherein they can live their lives without fear and discrimination. Empowerment of women through coordinated implementation of women-related programmes would be required to be devised with imagination and in consultation with women leaders. Deterring legislation, gender sensitization of law enforcement and police personnel, as also tightening of judicial system, are the needs of the hour.

  

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

          Sikkim has been hailed as a leader in development among the smaller states of the Indian Union. Credit for this achievement must go to the people of Sikkim for their faith and cooperation as stakeholders in the effective execution of schemes and policies of the Government. This affirms the strength of our democracy and harmonious centre-state relations.

          We are on a journey of social harmony and economic progress. People and government have to act in unison and shed negative attitudes.

          Let us pledge to work together with earnestness.  Let peace, harmony and development continue to be Sikkim’s distinctive features towards which we should continue to make sustained efforts.

****  JAI     HIND ****