Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party takes on Prof. Lama on Sikkim University

Gangtok, July 11: The establishment of Sikkim University in the state is the need for the development of state as a whole and the future generation and the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party welcomes every statement made by
the opposition in a positive way, were the opening words of General Secretary (SDF) Mr. TN Sharma in a conference held here in capital today. Whereas MP Lok Sabha Mr. PD Rai in his address said that the final phase of acquisition of land for SU is in its way which in itself is a major achievement but it does not help the matters when the SU VC visits the site and tries to coerce the public which he did on 30th June 2010 which is not at all the VC’s look out. Adding more Mr. Rai said that all the matters related to SU when made political does not solve the problem what it has become today and Mr. Rai even thanked the political parties and politically motivated outfits who have dropped their hats in the ring too. Stating more Mr. Rai informed that many of the statements of such people are recorded in a few newspapers is malicious and the SDF party condemns them outright.

The opposing people have proved their commitment to an anti-people agenda, their statement are proof enough of the fact that they have no love for the younger generation and will go to any length to oppose the pro people stance of SDF party added Mr. Rai. Informing more Mr. Rai added that SDF party and its government never wanted to make SU land acquisition an issue but when the VC made the quasi political moves then it became mandatory for us to bring the issues on the ground to the people as after being forced numerous times by the VC act the party had to stand. Mr. Rai further placed queries like what kind of actions have been taken by the university to upgrade the facilities as well as the teaching capability of the colleges, professors and subject content enhancements. Furthermore Mr. Rai said that all this queries are important indicators of the commitments made by the university to provide solid support to the colleges operating in state to enable the children with better quality education and skill sets.SDF Spokesperson Mr. Bhim Dahal in his address said that SDF party and its led government want the construction of SU be completed soon but requests for change in Prof. Lamas behavior towards the Sikkimese people and the state along with a suggestion that he should not address the media often and not to oppose the state governments initiative.

Furthermore Mr. Dahal added that Sikkim state has the potential to become a educational hub and every efforts from the government is made to achieve the same too. The disconnection of Prof. Lama from the people of Sikkim or the government has made the acquisition of land along with the whole process of setting up of the university a tough job but if connected every thing will be easier and smooth added Mr. Dahal.

Adding more Mr. Sharma stated that the allocation of land to SU and the resettlement of the donor’s are being carried out by the State Government but the acquisition of land, allocation has become a major
issue today. SU is established for the people of Sikkim and the generation next but the way SU is operating or functioning under Vice Chancellor (VC) Professor Mahindra P Lama is not at all favoring, benefitting the larger interest of the Sikkimese people in state in context to employment opportunity or academically. Since the inception of SDF party and its government that is since 1994 the establishment of SU was given the highest priority by the visionary Chief Minister also the president of SDF party, Dr Pawan Chamling and due to his determination and approach to the central government SU was granted added Mr. Sharma. Furthermore Mr. Sharma informed that during that time only 50% of the states across the nation had university and upon that if we look as per the population the establishment of SU was never possible, the CM’s plea for establishing SU after holing numerous meet came into existence. Where as the SU, VC Prof. Lama today is unable to meet up to the hopes and aspiration of the Sikkimese people at all informed Mr. Sharma. Mr. Sharma stating more said that acquisition of land is a sensitive issue across the nation today and in Sikkim a major one due to the existence of old laws but the instance of Prof. Lama that was initiated on 30th June 2010 when he along with his group visited the site and threatened the inhabitants the acquisition process was hampered totally. Reacting to the behaviour the local inhabitants of the land acquired site at Yangyang even conducted a press meet and opposed Dr. Lama’s act.Addressing upon the employment opportunity provided to locals Mr. Sharma said that there are 92 professors currently educating the students in SU but of that only one is local whereas in regards to students admitted stated that there are a total of 225 students availing their Post Graduation course from SU where only 21 students are locals. The SU is started to facilitated the children’s of state with best of education along with quality but the process catered in the university for local students to avail admission is tough and due to which the students are moving out to other states for studies which is totally against the concept the SDF party or the Government had dreamed off.Adding more Mr. Sharma stated that the state government started a college at West Sikkim which was not availed with affiliation from SU which the SDF led government opposes and in context to admission the entrance test for the candidates of Sikkim are set where as 5%
reservation is met for other state candidates which is totally injustice and the people of Sikkim along with the government criticizes. All such policies, criteria adopted by the VC, SU along with the support of the opposition to the VC is not acceptable to the SDF party and the government.The conference was also attended by SDF Publicity Secretary Mr. Amber Rai.

(SikkimMail)

Sikkim MP PD Rai Questions Sikkim University's VC Prof. Lama’s role in Sikkim’s educational development

Gangtok July 7 : Sikkim's Lok Sabha MP Mr PD Rai strongly condemned the statements coming from the Sikkim University Vice Chancellor Prof. Mahendra P Lama regarding the land acquisition for the establishment of Sikkim University by the State Government. He stated that the process of land acquisition has already started and Prof Lama should understand the gravity of the situation. Land is a sensitive issue and people who have given their land for the University has to be rehabilitated first, before the same is handed over to the University. He further added that the process of rehabilitation has already started and the Government is leaving no stones unturned from its side to complete the project soon. He also added that being the Vice Chancellor he has not come for any discussion or deliberation on the issue with the State Government on the issue for its settlement. It was also informed that the University has not submitted the plan and programme about the design and lay out of the upcoming University to the State Government. Further the MP very strongly voiced that from the manner of his working it is clear that Pro Lama is not working in the true earnest for the students of Sikkim and the development of their future. “We feel let down in many ways” added a peeved MP.

Likewise SDF Spokesperson Mr Bhim Dahal informed that on 30th June 2010 the VC himself went and met with the land donors and told them to vacate the land immediately. This was not taken lightly by the people who on 6th July 2010 came and submitted to the Government that the land will not be handed over until they are rehabilitated suitably. Mr Dahal called such act coming from the VC as against the policy of the State Government and questioned his intentions. He also stated that in 365 days of a year the VC is present in the University only for 90 days, amongst the 225 students of the Sikkim University only 21 are from Sikkim and he has engaged 42 teachers for these 225 students. He also added that the State Government is closely monitoring the activities of the University as well as the VC as it concerns the future of the students of the State and neither the Leader nor the Party will let anything spoil it. Mr Dahal also stated VC had created many obstacles on the process of the affiliation of the Soreng B.Ed college earlier.

He further added that in Geyzing there is an immediate need for a college as there are more than 1300 students from around West Sikkim, however when the Government wrote to SU for affiliation for the Geyzing College VC turned down the proposal. Mr Dahal said that the VC is doing nothing but creating obstacles for the State Government in providing quality education for the people of Sikkim. The State Government had processed for affiliation through the Vinayaka Missions University for Geyzing College and the VC again gave strong remarks in the press against it. This in the words of Mr Dahal is highly uncalled for coming from the Vice Chancellor of Sikkim University that was established for the benefit of the students from Sikkim.
(SikkimMail)

Sikkim field visit by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on I&T

Rongpo post office likely to get Heritage status

Gangtok: The second oldest post office in Sikkim, the Rangpo post office could be soon declared as a heritage postal building by the Union government following a field visit by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information & Technology.

A 12-member Parliamentary committee led by its chairman MP Achuthan on Monday inspected the wooden post office at Rangpo bazaar, 41 kms away from Gangtok. The team was briefed about the heritage value of the Rangpo post office by Sikkim Lok Sabha member PD Rai, who is also a member of the standing committee on Information & Technology.

“The Rangpo post office has been rendering good services to the people. Generally people are satisfied with its services. It is a heritage building in Sikkim and once it is declared as a heritage building, its architecture will be maintained in its original form”, said Achuthan to reporters after inspecting the Rangpo post office and the telephone exchange which is also in the same around 1 acre complex.
Achuthan told media that the Parliamentary committee will be in Sikkim till July 7 to take an overview of the postal and telecommunication services in the border State. The team will also be visiting the Nathu La border to take stock of the telecommunication services being enjoyed by the defense personnel and local population. The committee will be interacting with the State government to get their feedback on the status of postal and telecommunication services in Sikkim during their tour. The team is accompanied by senior officials from BSNL and Postal Services.
Rangpo is the main entry point to Sikkim and since its establishment in 1927, the post office has witnessed the history of Sikkim especially the border trade with Tibet. Sikkim, at that time, was under a monarchy and the postal services under the British ruled India had set up the post office at Rangpo.
“When it was established in 1927, lot of trade was taking place. The whole history of Sikkim can be interpreted through this post office. Once it is declared as heritage post office, tourists coming to Sikkim through Rangpo will love to visit it and take photographs. There will also be lot of development in the post office at Rangpo. We will then make a pitch for Rhenock post office once the one at Rangpo gets the heritage status”, said Mr. Rai.

Interview with Sikkim MP P.D.Rai

Prem Das Rai is a member of the Lok Sabha with degrees from both the Indian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Management. The articulate MP from Sikkim has a degree in chemical engineering from IIT-Kanpur and an MBA from the prestigious IIM-Ahmedabad.

Soon after graduating, he worked for Bank of America in Kolkata  before going back to Sikkim to join the government. He served as deputy chairman of the state planning commission and headed various organisations until he entered politics.

He spoke to A.Ganesh Nadar of Rediff  in a modest room at Sikkim House in New Delhi
What kind of reactions do you evoke in other MPs because of your IIT, IIM badge?

They treat me with a lot of respect. Many of them have told me that I speak well. There are not many IIT, IIM graduates in politics because the moment they graduate, they are sought out by the corporate world. They want to do other things or start their own businesses.

In the IITs and IIMs, you are not attuned to politics. How you go through a particular channel tunes you for your future, right? Essentially it is just that. I am one of those lucky ones who sought out politics as an eventual career option.

Is there a place for the highly qualified professional in politics?

I think so and there is a greater need for that now. I can assure you that if there were five of us in Parliament today with similar views we could make a lot more difference.

Don't you think the Northeast's representation in the Union ministry is very small, if you consider its large geographical area?

We have a Cabinet minister from Assam and two ministers of state from the region. It is not less, but the distribution could have been better. Both the MPs from Meghalaya are ministers. That's lopsided.

Why is there so little knowledge about the Northeast in the rest of India?

The Northeast is known as an insurgency prone area. The Naga issue, Bodo issue, ULFA issue, only these get media coverage.

The Northeast is the biodiversity saviour of the country. I had mentioned that in Parliament. Thirty to 40 per cent of the biodiversity of the country is housed in the Northeast.

It is the battery of India. Not only oil and gas but it has a hydroelectricity capacity of 70,000 MW. It has so much colour and diversity within itself. Those nuances have never been brought to the fore.

Do you think the lack of infrastructure is a reason for this lack of knowledge?

The government has always viewed the Northeast as a security issue. Now they have realised that it mustn't be only about security and it must get the full embracement of development.

Another aspect is that all the borders are closed. More than 4,000 kilometres of border area with Myanmar, Bangladesh and China is closed. There is no form of trade there.

Do you think the Northeast has been discriminated by the rest of the country?

I wouldn't say discrimination. I studied in Mussoorie, Kanpur and Ahmedabad [ Images ]. I was never made to feel that I am an outsider. In Parliament also I feel at home.

I have had the most wonderful school experience and college education.

The Northeast is said to have enough hydroelectric power for the entire country. Why has this not been developed?

It is a difficult proposition. You need the resources. There are land issues. There is a lot of geology involved. It has to be harmonious with nature. There are a host of issues.

There are a lot of people who are against dams. Not only large dams, there are people who will object to anything that you do.

It is a very complex process. We in Sikkim are facing that. We are seeing the problems and working on how we can tackle it.

The Government of India had never seen the potential earlier. Only in the last 10 years have they looked at it seriously. There is going to be a shortage of power and shortage of water. The Northeast is going to be the place to be in.

How would you tackle militancy in the Northeast?

I am from Sikkim, it's the most peaceful state. I don't have an answer. There is no easy answer. It is very complex. You must find where it comes from. The Government of India has tried almost everything.

Take Manipur, for instance. It needs a different treatment because it has a political dimension to it. It's not just a law and order problem. It's about a host of issues emanating from politics.

Manipur has people in the valley and people in the hills. People in the hills are sitting on 80 per cent of the land and they make just 20 per cent of the population. Can you imagine the imbalance? That itself is the fault line.

How do you solve that in a democratic way? In a democratic process?

The Nagas are indulging in violence and the government is countering it. To achieve peace this is not the way. So these are very complex problems. There are other issues like the Bodo problem.

All these issues come out of the feeling of marginalisation.

The Assamese have a different flavour to it. They have to be dealt with differently. If I had to do it? If I was given the task to do it? I would use a lot of social and political tools.

Naxalism is different from militancy. Even in Naxalism, the issues in one part of the country are not the same as the ones in a different part. I have heard it in Parliament -- 'This has worked in Andhra Pradesh and so it should be implemented in other states too.'

Mr P Chidambaram is a very senior person and also understands development. Perhaps he will look at the social processes. He is sinking his teeth into it. The steps he takes will be much better than what we have seen so far.

What is the Chinese threat on the ground?

In Sikkim there is no perceptible threat. We are on the Chinese border. There are occasional incursions. They come here. Our people go there. There is some bit of tension. That's a border issue.

India and China need to sort out the border issue. Today it's not about any country invading another country. Today it is about insurgency and counter insurgency.

You fight proxy wars within your country because it is fermented from somewhere else. The movement of information and money, all that effect is there. There is no threat of taking over the territory of another country. That's my personal view.

What are your plans for your constituency?

Education, power and water.

Photograph & Interview by: A Ganesh Nadar

Sikkim MP PD Rai in Parliament Standing Committee on IT

Gangtok,September 18: Congress MP Rao Inderjit Singh has become the chairman of the Standing Committee on Information Technology, which was constituted today by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.

The Committee looks after the issues of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The newly constituted committee has 17 members from Lok Sabha and nine members from Rajya Sabha.

The members from Lok Sabha include Abdul Rahman (DMK), Shivaji Adhalrao Patil (Shiv Sena), Rajendra Agrawal (BJP), Nikhil Kumar Choudhary (BJP), Milind Murli Deora (INC), Rajen Gohain (BJP), Mithlesh Kumar (Samajwadi Party), Inder Singh Namdhari (Independent), Prem Das Rai (Sikkim Democratic Front), Tathagata Satpathy (Biju Janta Dal).

Other Lok Sabha members part of this committee were Bhola Singh (BJP), Dhananjay Singh (BSP), Sushil Kumar Singh (Janata Dal United), C Sivasami (AIADMK), Dharmendra Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Darshana Vikram Jardosh (BJP), M Vijaya Shanthi (Telangana Rashtra Samithi

Sikkim MP Meets 13th Finance Commission Chairman, Dr. Vijay Kelkar

GANGTOK, August 27: The 13th Finance Commission has assured all help will be given to Sikkim.

The commission chairman, Dr. Vijay Kelkar assured all help to Sikkim during a meeting with Sikkim Lok Sabha member PD Rai.

An IPR release informs that Dr. Kelkar also congratulated Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party for making significant progress on development and political fronts.

During the meeting with Mr. Rai, the commission chairman stressed the need to do more to alleviate the debt issues of the State. He also extended all possible help regarding the core financial and fiscal issues of the State.
Dr. Kelkar reminded the MP the need to place before the 13th Finance Commission the special need on economic security arising in the State because of the closure of the only artery to Sikkim the NH 31A due to political and environmental reasons.
To this, Mr. Rai said that he would see that this is sent forthwith to the commission.
During the meeting, the Sikkim MP Mr. Rai apprised chairman of the need to see that the award this time of the Commission toward Sikkim is a just and fair one. He related the need to see that Sikkim receive justice in making up for the poor award last time around which has put huge amount of fiscal pressure. He said that it, the 12th Finance Commission, did not take the State’s special position in mind.
Mr. Rai was earlier briefed by the State Finance Department.
Mr. Rai reminded Dr. Kelkar of the special needs of the State in alignment with the Article 371 F of the Constitution of India. He also stressed the fact that the State was on course to develop faster. He spoke to Dr. Kelkar about the vision of the Chief Minister and giving huge priority to imparting high quality education and skill development.
The chairman appreciated the overall progress in comparison to several other States, the release informs