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2005/2004/2003
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Hymnal Rakshaks to protect Sikkim’s Biodiversity More..
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Sikkim to be developed as another Switzerland More.
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Ecotourism: a double-edged sword. More..
- Discover tourism prospects, CM urges at Rabong Discovered. More... .
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History Up-Close More...
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CM inaugurates Tourist Festival at Rabong More...
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First Lampokhari Paryatan Mahaustav held at Aritar. More...
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US praise for Sikkim More...
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Sikkim needs airport to enhance appeal among tourists and investors: US Consult General More...
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Uttarey: Where ill-informed babus from Delhi have snuffed out the local economy. More...
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Cave tourism for hill visitors. More...
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NE Parliamentarians to deliberate on eco-tourism today More...
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Ecotourism central to Sikkim’s long-term sustainable economic activity: CM More...
Hymnal Rakshaks to protect Sikkim’s Biodiversity
Forest proposes enlisting High Altitude Dwellers as Mountain Guardians
Gangtok, 04 April: Nearly sixty percent of Sikkim’s landmass lies above 3,000 meters under the cover or reserve forests. While reserve forests are protected zones, the manpower at the Forest Department’s disposal is not adequate to effect practical security to these zones.
Recognizing this limitation, the Department, it is learnt, has proposed enlisting the support of villagers who live in the higher altitudes to play the role of mountain guardians, ‘Himal Rakshaks,’ to ensure a more effective, ‘on ground’ conservation of the Himalayan eco-system.
The Forest Department proposal in this regard, explains the Strategy in the following words: “ … it is proposed to enlist the support of the villagers, practicing traditional subsistence livelihoods in the high altitudes of the Himalayas, in conservation management. Such villagers, who are willing, shall be recognized as Himal Rakshaks (Honorary Mountain Guardians) and their capacity building done. This will result in a more effective, participatory on ground conservation of the Himal jointly with the Forest Department. Since it is their traditional livelihoods which compel the Himal Rakshaks to access the Himal, these livelihoods will be permitted in a regulated manner, provided they perform their duties and responsibilities.”
Although most of the lower and middle hill forests have been brought under the Joint Forest Management network, the upper hill forests of the Himalayas, despite concerted efforts, continue to be inadequately managed and beset with threats and need urgent interventions, the Departmental status report records.
The main threats come from unregulated grazing, unplanned trekking tourism, hunting and trapping of wild animals, smuggling of medicinal and aromatic plants and lack of awareness among the security forces, the report records.
“Effective conservation of the Himal by the forest staff alone is very difficult due to is high altitude, remoteness, tough terrain, harsh climate and limited resources available. Further lack of adequate infrastructure and facilities make every patrolling visit more like an expedition, with a large contingent of support staff and resultant high attendant costs.” justifies the report proposing the institution of Himal Rakshaks.
The Forest Department proposal seeks to train Himal Rakshaks to assist in wildlife conservation work and empower them as ‘public servants’ delegated with powers under Wildlife[Protection] Act 1972 ‘enter, search and seize’ premises they suspect of being in contravention of the Forest Act and detain suspects who break provisions of said Act.
As per the Department’s proposal, Himal Rakshas would be enlisted from bonafide residents of Sikkim with a genuine concern for wildlife conservation and with a personal record free from any current involvement in any activity detrimental to the interests of nature and wildlife conservation. Those involved in commercial exploitation of forests will also not be considered for enlistment as Himal Rakshaks.These Guardians will also visit the higher altitudes in the normal course of their lifestyles.
Yak herders from the districts of West, South and East Sikkim are not eligible for selection under this criterion, since there is no cold desert in these districts, which is the only natural home for the yak in the State.
This is undoubtedly a good proposal and if implemented properly, could go along way in re-establishing the biodiversity consciousness that Sikkim has always displayed and also provide private persons who remain committed to protecting the delicate ecology of higher ranges with a stronger sense of pride in the lifestyles they lead.
Source: Now
Dated: 05th April 2006.
Sikkim to be developed as another Switzerland
SIKKIM
will be developed as ''another Switzerland'' to attract tourists from world
over, state Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has said at a meeting that was
attended by Deputy High Commissioner Dr Ranjan Mathai and Director of India
Tourism, Vivek Angra.
''We are confident that Sikkim will be another Switzerland in our country,''
Chamling said while addressing a tourist operators meet at the India House
in London on Thursday night.
Chamling who arrived in London after visiting Germany, Switzerland, Italy,
France and the Netherlands, said it was a successful tour.
The experience and knowledge gained during the trip would help planning the
tourism infrastructure in the state.
''We will try our level best to replicate them in Sikkim'', he said.
He said about 300,000 tourists including 20,000 foreigners visited Sikkim
last year and the state was planning to have one million tourists by year
2015.
Necessary infrastructure including airport, roads and helipads are being
developed as part of our efforts to promote the tourism sector of the state,
he said
Dated: 5 April 2006
Source: Indai enews.com
Ecotourism: a double-edged sword
Tours bring people and money, but they also poses a conservation
threat to the islands off the coast of
Ecuador.
In early February, Galapagos
National Park officials announced with great fanfare that they had
prohibited Celebrity Cruise Line's Xpedition, a 94-passenger cruise
ship, from traversing the area's waters for two months. The temporary ban
aimed to penalize Celebrity for letting some of its crew members illegally
fish for shark last year.
But when I arrived Feb. 12 on the island of Baltra to board the M.S.
Islander, a boat operated by Lindblad Expeditions, one of Celebrity's
rivals, the Xpedition was docked just offshore and waiting to accept
passengers, just as it was on Feb. 19 as I returned to shore. It was my
first glimpse into the varying shades of ecotourism in Ecuador.
While some companies have devoted considerable time and expense to
protecting the very ecosystems they market to their clients, other firms are
not always so careful. And the Ecuadoran government, which has passed a
series of laws designed to protect its flora and fauna, does little to
enforce its own rules.
"If tourists are well guided, if they have someone who's responsible, the
impact would be minimal," said Maria Ramos, an Ecuadoran naturalist who has
worked for both Lindblad and Celebrity. "There are two ways of doing things.
One way is careful, where you do not affect the environment too much, and
the other way is when you say it doesn't matter."
On the face of it, the Galapagos would seem like a magnet for conservation
efforts. The birthplace of Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection, the
archipelago contains dozens of creatures that appear nowhere else, including
an array of finches and marine iguanas. Tourism is highly regulated: About
100,000 visitors come each year, and they can stop only at specific islands.
Just 84 tour ships are allowed to travel the area's waters each year, and
none can carry more than about 100 passengers.
Some companies strive especially hard to be environmentally sensitive.
Lindblad staffers, for instance, provide biodegradable shampoo in cabin
showers, serve meals on china rather than plastic and sort guests' trash
into recyclable categories. The company's president, Sven Lindblad, said
environmentalism makes economic sense.
"It's not philanthropy," said Lindblad, who first came to the Galapagos
almost 40 years ago. "You're not going to have a good business in a degraded
place. Guests aren't going to want to go to a degraded place."
To be sure, a Lindblad cruise is one of the more exclusive ways to see the
archipelago. While guests are expected to get up at dawn to trek to the
highlands in search of tortoises, they receive fresh-squeezed juice and
piping hot cookies upon their return. After snorkeling, there's hot
chocolate, and the ship boasts a full-service spa. Each morning between 6
and 7 on my cruise, expedition leader Cindy Manning would gently urge
passengers to wake up with the promise of a sunny 78-degree day outside.
"This isn't a holiday," she chided when some guests groaned. "This is an
expedition. You're going to have to sleep in when you get home to recuperate
from this."
The recent influx of tourists has strained Ecuador's natural resources in
other ways, as mainland Ecuadorans have come here in search of better
economic opportunities. Between 1974 and 1997, the Galapagos population grew
by 6 percent a year; five of the archipelago's 13 major islands are
inhabited, and the current year-round population numbers between 25,000 and
27,000. In March 1998, Ecuador adopted a special law that sharply curtails
migration between the mainland and the islands.
In February 2004 three researchers, including two New Zealanders and one
Ecuadoran, published a policy paper warning that the influx of immigrants
was straining the area's natural resources and introducing alien plant and
animal species that threaten to destroy native flora and fauna.
"Tourism is the main economic driver, yet the migration it induces threatens
the future of tourism," wrote the authors, who published the study through
Motu Economic and Public Policy Research in New Zealand.
Local tourism promoters anticipate that as many as 150,000 tourists will
soon flock to the Galapagos each year, and the number could go higher in the
future.
Alan Tye, interim director of sciences at the Charles Darwin Research
Station on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos, said tourism amounts to "a
classic two-edged sword. If there weren't ecotourism, there wouldn't be
people here, and the problems would be much more manageable. But if it
weren't for ecotourism, there wouldn't be any money for conservation."
As it stands now, Lindblad stands a better chance of producing environmental
converts than any Ecuadoran-sponsored PR campaign. Few of my fellow
passengers initially chose the cruise line because of its reputation for
conservation.
All 38 passengers on my ship eagerly delved into the tour's daily
activities, including kayaking and birding expeditions. They gawked at the
sea lions that wandered lazily on the beach and the small Galapagos penguins
and Pacific green turtles that swam fearlessly alongside them as they
snorkeled.
Protected from land predators for tens of thousands of years, Galapagos
creatures rarely flinch when humans come near and sometimes even approach
tourists to investigate. During one deep-water snorkel off Floreana Island,
several penguins on a nearby rock dived in with passengers and spent more
than 15 minutes entertaining us, zooming up to snorkelers' cameras and
darting around a floating log.
When the ship's crew asked for donations for island conservation, most of
the guests gave money without hesitation. Lindblad raised $520,000 last year
from its passengers for conservation in the Galapagos, and it covers all
administrative expenses for distributing the money. It also matches $250
donations with cruise vouchers that can be used toward future Lindblad
trips, giving guests an additional incentive to help the cause.
Lindblad is not the only cruise company that devotes money to the
environment, according to Conservation International. Disney Cruise Line
collects donations from its passengers as well, which it distributes without
an administrative fee to environmental groups. Since 1998 the line has
donated $8.5 million to more than 450 projects worldwide, including a sea
turtle conservation project in the Bahamas and an iguana recovery program in
Jamaica.
Holland America helps protect a bird sanctuary on a private island in the
Bahamas its guests visit, and Royal Caribbean has awarded $7 million in the
last decade to ocean conservation.
According to Tye, no tour company has given as much to area conservation
recently as Lindblad.
Sven Lindblad said the tour aims to show guests why it makes sense to
support the region they've just visited.
Trips on Lindblad's Islander cost between $3,650 and $6,280 per
person double, plus about $1,080 to fly round trip between Washington and
the island of Baltra. The cruise fee covers guides, lodging and all meals,
but not alcohol. Details: 800-397-3348, www.lindblad.com.
Source: Juliet
Eilperin
The Washington Post
Dated : April 9 2006
Discover tourism prospects, CM urges at Rabong Discovered.
Ravangla, [South Sikkim]. 09 April: “Tourism is one of the promising and lucrative sources of employment for the youth and has been identified as a thrust area by the State Government,’ said chief Minister Pawan Chamling here while inaugurating the 7-day Rabong Discovered-2006, a tourism festival organized by Raongla Tourism Development Committee, on Saturday.
Addressing the inaugural function, Mr. Chamling highlighted that nature had endowed Sikkim with all the ingredients of becoming the ultimate tourist destination and was already gaining popularity, but for this opportunity to translate into prosperity for the locals, they will have to involve themselves in the sector and work hard.
Stressing that tourism was developing by leaps and bounds in Sikkim, he urged the youth to acquire the skills and get involved in the sector or the opportunities would be lost for all time if other more enterprising hard workers capitalized in Sikkim’s increasing appeal instead.
On Saturday, the Chief Minister also announced that a ropeway would soon be constructed at Maenam as an added tourist infrastructure and attraction. This, he said was the role the government would be playing henceforth-setting up infrastructure and playing the role of facilitator; for such initiatives to benefit the people, they will have to become stake holders in tourism themselves, he added.
The Chief Minister also appreciated the efforts put in the area MLA, DD Bhutia, to introduce Ravangla to toruism and tourism prospects to the local youth.
The year’s Rabong tourism festival has a grand orchid show-cum-competition as one of its main attractions with Rs. 1 lakh worth of cash awards to attract the best displays.
Besides this, exhibition-cum-sale of handicrafts, cultural shows, including lok dohri and rock concerts, traditional food festival, shopping in the jungle, adventure sports, eco-tourism and various other activities are the main attraction of this fest.
Along with the inauguration of this festival, the chief minister also kicked off the State Green Mission for Rabong Sub-Division on Saturday.
Source: Now.
Dated: 10th April 2006.
Lampokhari Tourism Festival is a Hit.
SUCCESS OF PUBLIC INITIATIVE HAS CM PLEADGING FUNDS FOR FUTURE FESTS
RHENOCK, 09 April: the First Lampokhari Tourism Festival concluded today. The Aritar-Dalapchand Lampokari Development society can pat itself on the back for a job well done. The festival is a certified hit and has achieved what ever it has set out to secure.
Attendance was more than healthy with guests coming in from all over the State and event he neighboring areas of West Bengal and just about everyone who made it to Lampokhari returned charmed by its appeal. And that is what the organizers had hoped to achieve-introduce Lampokhari to Sikkim and the neighboring areas.
What is more, the debut effort has now been assured continuity. The tourism festival was organized completely from private funds without any departmental support this time. Although many government officials and VIPs were involved in the organization, they were helping out a personal level. Impressed with the private initiative displayed by the locals, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, who attended the festival as the chief guest on 07 April, announced governmental support by way of funds and promotion to ensure that the Lampokhari Tourism Festival becomes a permanent even on the tourism-related activities of the State.
Addressing the audience on the day, the Chief Minister congratulated the organizers and the area MLA, KB Chamling, for their belief in the area’s tourism appeal and the initiative to begin promotion on their own initiative. He assured that the State Government would extend all help to establish the area on the tourism map and support all future efforts to promote it.
Mr. Chamling also promised to get Rhenock Gumpa included in the Buddhist Circuit tourism itinerary. This he announced after signing away Rs. 27 lakhs towards the Rhenock Gumpa construction project. The project is budgeted at Rs. 30 lakhs, of which the concerned committee has already raised Rs. 3 lakhs.
The Chief Minister had more good news for the region. In his address, he announced that funds for the carpeting of the Aritar to Simana [on the West Bengal border] road had already been sanctioned and that the tender process would be initiated soon. With the completion of this axis, tourism prospects here are bound to multiply since the road leads to some exhilarating trekking routes and connects to popular tourist destinations on the Kalimpong side.
It would probably also be a good idea for the tourism stakeholders here to arrange for more paddle boats. On 09 April, no only did the Chief Minister paddle around the lake accompanied by the Tourism Minister RB Subba, but even the other VIPs could be seen having a good time sweating it out in the lake and taking longer and longer rides. This and the prospect of pony rides on alpine paths make Aritar a truly unique destination in Sikkim.
More diversions can be taken before hitting Rhenock. A drive to Reshi, the Sikkim-West Bengal checkpost is worth it. The cops welcome people to Sikkim at a checkpost with orchids on its front lawn!
Stretches of the old cart road used by the Younghusband Mission to Tibet in 1904 keeps hitting the new blacktop at several points to prepare one for the history that Rhenock bazaar also has its own cham. The place ahs new buildings and century old cottages all vying for attention in a town that appears to hang around the taxi stand there. A narrow lane behind the front row takes one to the best repository of the past that Sikkim has – the nursery cum museum run and operated by GK Pradhan and his family.
Source: Now.
Dated: 10 April 2006.
Let’s begin the Rhenock experience with plants and antiques. Although one could ask directions to either Evergreen Nursery or Ram Gauri Sangralaya, it would be easier to ask instead for Ganesh Kumar Pradhan’s house. A narrow lane through the grant row of Rhenock town towards Thakurbari reaches one to a doorstep crowded in by foliage. Both, the nursery and the museum are in the same house and the obsession of two generations of Mr. pradhan’s family. It’s convenient to start with the bonsais.
Ruben , Mr. Pradhan’s elder son, is in charge of the nursery wing and if heis around, he will walk you through the phenomenal collection that the family has. A fifty-year-old Bonsai enjoys pride of place and is a remarkable piece of the Japanese art. Then there are the minibonsais that the family is experimenting with and a handsome greenhouse which, if accompanied by introductions from Ruben, can take up a whole afternoon in the less than 20 ft that the displays are stacked around.
Although the whole family in involved in the fascination that they have stocked their house with, the visit to the museum is best in Mr. Pradhan’s company. The Sangralaya is a fascinating room. It is unlikely that an ‘interest’ in antiques are without any professional training has been taken to such pleasantly obsessive limits anywhere in the world by amateurs. The museum has everything, from century old Tibetan bull whips to an almost as old hurricane lamp with ‘made in Germany’ embossed on it, articles from the past, probably belonging to people who passed by way of Rhenock make an eccentric mix on the racks. If there is a portable black and white TV [one of the first models ever produced] then there is also an unwieldy contraption that you are told is an antique lock and key set. A broken gramophone, probably a family heirloom, jostles for attention next to a telegraph switch which we would like to believe comes from the telegraph laid with the Younghusband Mission to Tibet. What makes this museum more fun is that the family is too polite to protest if you pick up an item for a closer look. [We would not advise that though] .
And then there is the coin collection. For those interested in the numismatics of it, there are coins from all over and from all times. For those interested in Sikkimese history, there are some displays of the bronze coins that Sikkim experimented with for a brief while. One look at the limited workmanship and craft deployed in minting the coins and it becomes apparent why the experiment was so shortlived. Okay, that’s a bit extreme. Minting was probably discontinued because there was very limited commerce back then beyond what simple barter could take care of. The coins are worth a viewing still. Then there is the display of coins botched in production by Gol mint. Interesting stuff, the range of mistake that the minters can make even when working from moulds. The rare currency notes with mistakes are recommended to spend some time trying to figure out the mistakes. The best one is the Rs. 20 note with the Parliament of Indian flaf. And these are not forgeries, they are genuine mistakes from the currency note presses!
Old documents and records of Sikkim get a whole room for themselves. Collecting memorablia is now an obsession that runs into the third generation of this Pradhan family and one item they are proud of is with copy of the first edition of Sikkim Herald in Neplai; a facsimile of which the publishers, the IPR Department, had to request and acquire from the Pradhans. Complete sets of the popular kanchenjunga periodical and also the ‘most complete’ set of Sunchari should have any researcher’s eyes light up in glee. Original copies of ration cards issued in the 1950’s, hand written political pamphlets from the turbulent 40’s and 70’s are documents which even those who released them originally have lost. Sikkim is yet to acknowledge it, but the State and its people owe GK Pradhan and his family a huge debt of gratitude for having conserved all these snippets of Sikkim’s history when no one else seems to have cared enough.
What the State Government could probably do is sponsor one of the sons to a course in museum management and preservation. The family is collecting and preserving by instinct, some professional training and history just might get saved for longer till some local researchers can use the documents to reflect a clearer picture of the times they belong to.
Rhenock’s tryst with Sikkim’s history contines beyond the Sangralaya. Walk back into town and there is the post office where the Nepali litterateur Shiva Kumar Rai was born and where he heard the stories which would later get immortalized in his celebrated work, “Tibet Ko Hulak Path.”
The roads leading above Rhenock are irrationally steep and narrow convincing one that they are the original mule tracks banged out by the British for mule trains and have just been black –topped to take more modern modes of transportation. This is obviously the case because the ‘Ari’ Dak Bungalow commissioned by Claude White back in 1896 shoulders’ this stretch towards Aritar. Although Dak Bungalows are common legacies of the Raj days, this one is special because near it are the ruins of the first Sikkim Police checkpost where Sikkim’s first cops attended to their duties.
Slightly below the Dak Bungalow are the four unmarked graves of British soldiers. The graves are believed to mark the final resting place of injured soldiers who survived the Tibetan attack on Ghathang in 1888, but died while they were being rushed to medical aid. The graves must have tombstones at one time, but are now unmarked. The locals have displayed some remarkable compassion by repairing the dilapidated graves and fencing the area.
Further up is the lake itself and a hair-raising mountain ride over a route that flies off from the route to Rongli and into the mountains behind the lake takes one to Haathi Chedey. It is unclear what the name actually means, ‘pierced by an Elephant’ or the ‘spot from where an elephant got through.’ Whatever the original meaning, locals will take you to a spot which has some story associated with an elephant that ambled up to this hilltop perched at nearly 5,500ft!
For those interested in wilder stories, seek out any old villager and get them taling on the Royal Bengal Tiger that passes by every year. She has not been sighted yet, but forest officials have collected enough pug mark casts to confirm that she comes by this way every year. What is even more exciting is that of late, forest officials have also lifted pug marks of a tiger cub accompanying the ‘Lady of Aritar.’
A walk back to the lake through the glades is recommended because it reaches one to a Rai Mangkhim [temple] which commands the hilltop that lords over Lampokhari. A gentle footpath has now been constructed to amble down to the lakeside and catch up on some refreshments at the Ekra shed canteens there. Be warned though, the canteen people are still not used to fast sevice and instant noodles take much more than an instant to serve here. But you should not be complaining, Rhenock and Aritar would have left you satiated well enough to tide over the hunger pangs which should actually be gnawing by now.
Source: Now
Dated: 11th April 2006.
CM
inaugurates Tourist Festival at Rabong
Rabongla, April 8: The 2nd Rabong Discovered, a Tourist Festival 2006 convenced with Zeal on April 8 and will continue till April 14. The Rabong Discovered is organized by the Rabongla Tourist Development Committee (RTDC) with the support of Department of Commerce & Industries, Government of Sikkim. The venue of the festival is the Cho-Dzo Lake, one kilometer away from Rabong town below Ralong road.
The festival saw the Chief Minister, Dr. Pawan Chamling as the chief guest, who while addressing a large gathering, thanked the RTDC members and the people from Rabongla for the warm reception. He said that the main objective behind the organization of such festival is to bring out the rich traditional and cultural heritage of Sikkim and to preserve and protect the same. Therefore, the people should understand the objective and cooperate with the government in the tourism development mission, he added.
Further he encouraged the stall owners to keep in mind the tourism sector and sell their traditional and cultural items to the tourists with an aim to generate revenue as well as expose the same at the international level. While organizing this kind of festival, much importance should be given to bring out the rich cultural and traditional aspects of the state to let the tourists discover the true Sikkim, he stated.
However the failure or success of the festival depends on the perspective of the public and the government can only support and initiate, he said. He asked the youth to avail of the opportunities that arise through this festival and asked them to have a competitive attitude in order to be self reliant and successful. Tourism and floriculture are the two upcoming profitable venture which should be taken seriously, he said.
There is no easy shortcut to achieve success instead people must respected hard work if they want to be successful, he said. He asked the older generation to encourage and guide, their younger generation to pursue their productive interests in the right direction towards bring future. He pointed out Sikkim being rich in natural beauty and resources could derive maximum benefit form this in the tourism sector. He also said that the tourist come to Sikkim to experience and enjoy the beauty and breathe the ‘pure air’ of Sikkim.
He stressed on the need for the people to be aware of becoming self reliant and to make the best use of opportunities. The state can be the best only if the people start working for the prosperity of the society instead of personal prosperity, he said. ‘When the society is weak, power goes to few but if the society is strong and determined them the society as a whole will achieve prosperity and power’ he said. He also shared his experience of his recent foreign visit.
Lastly, he called upon the masses to cooperate with the government is making Sikkim a developed successful state in all the sectors.
Besides, the Grand Orchid Show and exhibition-cum-sale of Handicrafts, the festival also hosted cultural shows. Lok dohri and rock concerts, traditional food festival rave parties fashion shows, adventure sports among others.
The guests to the festival were welcomed by Mr. L. B. Das, SDM/Ravangla-cum-Chairman, Tourist Festival 06 and the vote of Thaks was delivered by Mr. C. B. Karki, MLA.
Present on the function were his cabinet colleagues, ministers and area MLAs, official heads of departments, panchayats members.
Earlier, the Chief Minister launched the sate green mission for Rabong Subdivision by planting a tree sapling on his way to the Cho-Dzo Lake. Mr. D.D. Bhutia, Minister UD&HD and area MLA, is the chief patron of the festival. He also spoke on the occasion.
Source: Sikkim Herald
Dated: 11th April 2006.
First Lampokhari Paryatan Mahaustav held at Aritar.
With a view to promote tourism in the state, Aritar Dalapchand Lampokhari Development Society oragnised the 1st Lampokhari Parayatan Mahaustav at Aritar Dalapchand under Rongli sub-divison on April 7.
To grace the occasion Chief Minister, Dr. Pawan Chamling was invited as the chief guest where he was given a warm welcome by the area MLA, Mr. K.B. Chamling and the members of the organizing committee. While speaking as the Chief guest, Dr. Pawan Chimling said that by organizing such festivals peoples should preserve the culture, traditional and environment etc. of the state and further said that these festival help the youth to expose their talents, therefore they should take full advantage of this. He also said that Sikkim is entering a very crucial age in the history of the development and side-by-side Sikkim has been bestowed with many places that possess scenic beauty which is an asset of the state therefore each and every individual should preserve it. In his speech the Chief Minister, Dr. Pawan Chamling urged the public to take a progressive path towards private sector instead of depending more on the public sector. He appealed to the public to take up tourism, floriculture, horticulture as their professions to bring development in the state and added that everyone should work for the development of the society. He informed the gathering that 33 % budget has been sanctioned for the tribals and 27 lakhs has been sanctioned for the renovation of Rhenock Gumpa. Gunds for carpeting and widening of roads and construction of new college building at Rhenock has also been sanctioned, he said.
Other highlights of the programme were the welcome song by the local artists, colourful cultural dance performed by the various schools of Aritar, Rehnock. Exhibition-cum-Sale and traditional stalls were also displayed.
Earlier, the Chief Minsiter, Dr. Pawan Chamling visited Rhenock Gumpa where he was given a warm welcome by the Ven. Tulku Rimpoche and the monks of the monastery, where he was offered a Thanka by the Rimpoche. Thereafter, he visited Mang Khim, a temple of the Rai Sect were he offered his prayers an took a panoramic view of Lamphokari and the surrounding area. He then visited Anandalok were he inaugurated a tree house and a cow shed and after that he also inaugurated the boating and horse riding at Lampokhari which is unique and first of its kind.
In the programme the welcome speech was placed by General Secretary, ADLDS/Organising Committee and vote of thanks was placed by J.B. Rai, SDM, Rongli.
Among those present were Deputy Speaker, Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, Zilla Upadhakshya and a huge gathering of public.
Source: Sikkim Herald
Dated 11th April 2006
Gangtok, April 18: Ecotourism, health issues, development plans for Sikkim and a little bit of Nathula.
The conservation between Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling and Us consul-general henry V. Jardine that took place here last evening touched upon the whole range of topics.
The Us envoy, who is on a five-day visit to the picturesque hill state from the American consulate in Calcutta, had called on Chamling at his official residence in Mintokgang yesterday.
During his brief meeting, the envoy did not fail to admire the natural beauty of Sikkim, stating he was impressed with the overall development of the state that had tremendous potential to become a leading tourist destination.
To this, Chamling replied that Sikkim was also the most peaceful state in the Northeast and it was working hard on creating its own brand name in the country.
He added that 2006 was being observed as the capacity building year in Sikkim. The Chief Minister also told Jardine about the state’s plans of developing eco-tourism, floriculture and hydro-electric power.
According to a communication from the state information and public relations department, Nathula too figured in the talks between the two.
The visitor, the department sources added, had observed that the opening of the Nathula trade route would crate a whole new range of trade prospects for the region. He also seemed impressed with the state’s tourism sector.
The Chief Minister, however, admitted that transport was one area where the state lagged behind.
He rued the fact that the state did not even have its own airport or railway network, adding, however, that Sikkim would have its own airport ready for operation three years from now.
Source : The Telegraph.
Dated: 19th April 2006.
Sikkim needs airport to enhance appeal among tourists and investors: US Consul General
Gangtok, April 18: Air connectivity, or rather the lack of it, had been identified as the vital missing component in the chain of infrastructure that will put sustainable development of Sikkim in a fat track.
Consul General Henry Jardine of American consulate, Kolkata, has laid emphasis on air connectivity in the State for further augmenting its appeal among international tourists and industrialists.
“Air connectivity for Sikkim is very important for the State to really open to the tourists and industrialists,” he observed while speaking to media-persons here Tuesday evening. This is the Consulate Gerneral’s first visit to the Himalayan state.
“Sikkim is a unique place with its rich culture and biodiversity. We are keen to extend support in areas of cultural preservation and this visit was to learn more and keep the communication channels open, “Mr. Jardine added.
The next step will be to look into other areas like ecotourism, infrastructure and agro industry, he aid. Sikkim is very peaceful with no labour issues and we will be providing information to the us companies about the state’s potential, he added.
The Chief Minister spoke about his inclination towards developing eco-friendly tourism, floriculture, and hydel power in the State.
The Consul General said that the ever-improving Indo-US ties should be of great help for Sikkim.
During his stay here, Mr. Jardine visited various places of tourist interest and also called on the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and SPCC [I] president, Nar Bahadur Bhandari.
Source: Now
Dated: 20th April 2006.
Uttarey: Where ill-informed babus from Delhi have snuffed out the local economy.
SINGALILA TREK WAS CLOSED BECAUSE IT TRAVERSED PARTS OF NEPAL, LOCALS INFORM THAT EVEN THIS CLAIM OF THE CENTRE WAS HALF-BAKED AND NOW THERE IS AN ALTERNATE ROUTE BUT DELHI STILL WON’T ORDER REOPENING.
UTTARAY, 19 April: The Singalila trekking route recommended by most experts and enjoyed by enthusiasts, has unfortunately remained out of bounds for quite some time for trekkers and this is having an adverse impact on the local economy. The route was closed about two years back by the government of India due to its proximity to the Nepal border and because of the ongoing strife on the Nepal side.
Locals here mention that there was a time when Uttaray was on its way of becoming the tourist hotspot in the region.
“We were all convinced at that time that tourism and the service sector would be the bread earners for the locals here. Many of us local unemployed youth attended many training courses to work as guides and cooks. We knew there was something in it for all of us. But now we have nothing to do and are once again unemployed.” Said Meyong Sherpa who is a certified guide and has done the Singalila trek more than a dozen times.
His woes are only the iceberg, as Lendup who is a local travel agent puts it, “Uttaray sure has promise. When we were just starting and realized that the future was bright for us, the Singalila trek was closed. We had invested a lot of money on trekking gear: Some of us even took loans and now it is getting hearder to pay the banks, The prospects were high and we realized that. Hotels sprung up here and people started investing. Now, the town wears an abandoned look.”
Travel agents are known to have earned as much as Rs. 40 lakhs from Uttaray on a good year.
There are families here who say that there was a time when there was enough money in the house to indulge in leisure activities and buy themselves expensive gifts.
“My husband was a porter. We also had our yaks ferrying tourists and their luggage on the Singalila routs. My son had started working a guide and things were good then. Now, every one sits idle. We had also admitted out two children in a private school and could afford the fees then but now the financial position has become tight and it has become difficult to even run the household,” says Yanki Doma, a housewife from Sherpa Busty here.
Interestingly, locals remains unawares of why the trekking route was closed. It was known that it had been more than two years since the trek route was closed by the Central Home Ministry after the survey of the Geological Survey of India along with security and intelligence officers. The Singalila trek which can be extended for about 9-16 days passes through the borders of Nepal and India at places. The objection raised by the Government of India on using campsites within the Nepal region specifically Paremeghu and Garakhet in the Singalila Trails to Dzongri area from Uttaray in West Sikkim led to the closure of the trekking route until further notice. The reason mainly being the Maoist problems in the neighboring country.
The locals however maintain that the clause put in by the Central Ministry on identifying Garakhet as in Nepal is totally false and that it was in fact a part of Sikkim. The Tourism Department Officials also confirmed today the Garakhet fell in Sikkim while Paremeghu was a part of Nepal.
The locals and the local tour operators have been requesting the Tourism department ever since the trek route was closed, but have not received a positive announcement so far.
“We know that the decision if from the Centre but what we want the Tourism Department and the Government of Sikkim do is to take up this matter with the concerned authorities there. They must know that Garakhet falls in Sikkim and also that if the Centre has closed this route through Garakhet and Paemeghu we have found an alternative route which is equally beautiful and safe and will only take abut a couple hours more,” said Loday, a local tour operator.
He also mentions that to do away with the use of the Nepal region, the travel operators in collaboration with the local community and the tourism stake holders of Uttaray, have conducted a recce of the trails and found a new, equally good route.
The locals of the area have also submitted letters related to the same with the tourism department with the changed itinerary that will traverse only Sikkimese land.
The Tourism Minister, RB Subba, in turn said, “We shall take up the issue very seriously. I had also earlier raised this issue in the Assembly and accept this matter is serious.”
He also said that the Department had recently completed a recce of the alternate Singalila trek route and that a report was being prepared. The matter would be considered accordingly, he added.
“The proposal for an alternative route has come and we are very serious about it” he stated. He also urged the locals of the area to become more vocal about the problems being faced by them due tot eh closure of the route so that it opened some ears in the centre.
“It is also not that we have not being doing anything for so long. We are in discussion with ICIMOD and SNB, an NGO from the Netherlands, who are now on the process of mapping the Greater Himalayan Trek which will pass through Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. The trek shall be the ultimate one lasting about 55 to 60 days. For Sikkim, we have planned this trek to start from Uttaray itself.” He informed today.
Source: Now
Dated: 20th April 2006.
Cave tourism for hill visitors.
Bara Mangwa (Kalimpong), April 20: Caving, as a form of adventure sports, is fast becoming a craze with tourists visiting the region.
The credit for bringing the sport in the list of attractions in the region’s adventure tourism circuit goes to a selfhelp group of eight youths from this village, more than 55 km from Siliguri. The youths have been instrumental in opening up a 300-m natural cave for sports enthusiasts.
Gloria Cace, as they have named it, was opened for tourist last Saturday, amid the holy chant of a local pastor and cultural performances by village youths. Though the area abounds in caves, Gloria Cave is the first to be opened for caving.
“It is great that we have been able to introduce a new sport for tourists visiting the region,” said Lawrence Pradhan, one of the members of the self-help group- Mangwa-Tawling Nature Guide and Adventure Tracks Group. “It is only recently that we came to know that caving, which is hugely popular as an adventure activity elsewhere, could be initiated in a cave that has been here for ages,” he added.
Rock-climbing and nature treks are other activities that the group wants to promote and form an adventure circuit by linking these activities with white-water rafting in the Teesta.
Source: The Telegraph
Dated: 21st April 2006.
NE Parliamentarians to deliberate on eco-tourism today
Gangtok, 26 April: Now
The 9th Annual Regional Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (NERCPA) Conference is scheduled to be held tomorrow at the Sikkim Legislative Assembly from 10 am onwards.
Chief Minister Pawn Kumar Champing has consented to inaugurate the conference and address the gathering which will include speakers, ministers, MPs and Secretaries from North East Legislative Assemblies.
The topic of the discussion is to be ‘Prospect of eco-tourism for changing
socio-economic scenario in North East region.
Source:26 April
Dated:Now
Ecotourism central to Sikkim’s long-term sustainable economic activity: CM
Gangtok, 27 April: “In Sikkim, we are at the stage of transformation where we are increasingly calling upon our people and especially the youth to opt for service sectors like eco-tourism as part of our long term sustainable economic activity,” Chief Minister Pawan Chamling said today. He was speaking at the 9th Annual Conference of North East Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association being held here the Sikkim legislative Assembly from 26 to 29 April.
Attending the conference are the Chairman, NERCPA, speaker, Assam legislative Assembly, Prithibi Maji, Speakers and Deputy Speakers of all the eight Northeastern states.
Discussions and deliberations on the prospects of ecotourism for changing the socio-economic scenario in the Northeastern states is the main agenda of the conference.
Stressing that his government was actively pursuing the process of making Sikkim the ecotourism destination of the world, the Chief Minister said that the vital element which the state had ingrained was seriousness towards management of the environment.
“The people themselves are conscious to the core about the importance of environment in the sustainable development process,” he said.
He added that in Sikkim the major components of ecotourism were the rich biodiversity, the cultural heritage including monasteries, temples churches and cultural values. He added the natural heritage for the state was unparalleled.
“We have a big reservoir of intellectual and social capital, in order to bring international recognition to some of these unique components of our heritage, we have been trying to practice the highest possible conservation ethics,” he said.
He said that as the world wide debate and concern over global warming was going to have far-reaching impact on the hill and mountain regions, it was necessary to highlight the impact of global warming on glaciers and mountain ecology.
While stating that one of the main reasons which enhanced Sikkim’s ecotourism prospects was that Sikkim was a totally peaceful state. “Peace is a sustainable phenomenon in Sikkim as peace is central to our development philosophy, social existence and political action that is why we have natured it day and night,” he said.
The Cairman, NERCPA, in his address said that since its inception in 1996, “under the inspiring and able guidance of PA Sangma the then Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha,” the NERCPA was founded with avowed objective of opening up new vistas of regional cooperation for the promotion and upholding the principles of democracy.
“Over the years, NERCPA, the only regional forum of CPA in East India has been steadfastly marching ahead in the right direction and earning rich dividends by playing a vital role in advancing the cause of regional development with cooperation and concentrating on achieving the common good of the people on NE region in India.” He said.
Further he said that this time also the NERCPA have tabled a topic for discussion on a matter of common public importance. The subject selected for discussion on a matter of common public importance. The subject selected for discussion this time also was common and the need to develop the tourism in the North east region providing communication facilities and improving the existing tourist sports and establishing other new spots with infrastructure travel facilities to attract the tourists all over the world.
“Tourism is the key that opens the door to prosperity. Almost 30% of the unemployment problem could be solved through this sector. The NE should focus on sustainable tourism without disturbing the fragile socio-cultural fabric or the eco-system,” he stressed.
Also to address the participants was the Speaker SLA, DN Thakarpa and Minister, Tourism, RB Subba who presented the states’ tourism report.
Source: Now
Dated: 28th April 2006.