The Queen’s Baton Relay – Address by Hon’ble Chief Minister

IPR News Service


His Excellency, respected Shri B.P. Singh ji, Governor of Sikkim, respected representatives of Queen’s Baton Relay, national and internationally acclaimed mountaineers and sportspersons from Sikkim, cabinet colleagues, MLAs, Member of Parliament Lok Sabha, local gentry, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, officials and participants.


On behalf of the people of Sikkim, I express immense happiness to be part of this great tradition of the Commonwealth Games. During its long journey outside and within India, the Queen’s Baton Relay entered Sikkim this morning. And, I daresay, it has entered the most peaceful State, its natural ally in its commitment to fostering world peace. This event in itself fosters fraternity among the commonwealth members. The promotion of representative democracy and individual liberty, the pursuit of equality and opposition to racism, to fight against poverty, ignorance and disease are also great values that the Queen Baton Relay (QBR) represents and brings in its wake. Sikkim with its natural endowments, peace and tranquillity readily espouse common and shared values and objectives of the Commonwealth as enshrined in its institutional framework.


We welcome all our guests to our land, Sikkim which we claim as the rooftop of India, housing the Mount Kanchenjunga which indeed is the guardian deity of the people of Sikkim now extended to the people of India. Sikkim will charm the visitor with its law-abiding citizens, their warmth and hospitality rooted deep within our tradition and culture.


India is greatly honoured and privileged to host this edition of Commonwealth Games in October this year. As the multi-national and multi-sports events features thousands of elite athletes from members of the Commonwealth of Nations, amongst them many of Sikkim’s participating athletes will get great exposure to hone inherent talent and skills groomed and tutored amidst the Himalayan splendour.


Sikkim has contributed its might offering to the country some great athletes in various disciplines. Late Sonam Gyatso, the first Sikkimese to scale Mount Everest, late Pem Dorjee Bhutia (more widely known as Neelu), Jaslall Pradhan, Bhaichung Bhutia, Tarundeep Rai, Chungda Sherpa, Nirmal Chettri, Sanju Pradhan, Nirmal Dahal Special Olympic Bharat Medal winner, mountaineers Phul Maya Tamang, Yangzee Sherpa and others are some of the sporting names who brought laurel to the State. We have groomed a host of other names from the State, who have excelled at the regional, national and international arena in number of fields including mountaineering, sports, martial arts and the like. During the last one and half decade, the Government of Sikkim has consistently identified local talent and groomed them through a well thought through process. Local talent find Footballer Uttam Rai who is just 15 is going to play for India under 16 in the Tata Tea Arsenal Club. Similarly Nitin Rai is playing for the Staten Island Cricket Club in New York.



I would like to quickly state some of our new and innovative measures to encourage our youth in Sikkim.


■ New and independent Sports and Youth Affairs Department created in the State to promote sporting activities on a more organized manner;

■ State Sports Policy for Sikkim framed and adopted;

■ Construction of a number of Youth Hostels at the village level;

■ “Talent Search Amongst Youth” project launched – to identify sporting talents among young boys from across the State. The boys and girls so selected are provided with schooling facilities together with state-of-art sporting facilities;

■ Palzor Stadium with all modern sporting facilities was formally inaugurated on 3rd April 2005 by the then President of India, His Excellency Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. We have further committed a sum of Rs. 5 Crores for green turfing Paljor Stadium with artificial grass. This will make Paljor Stadium an all-weather and world class stadium;

■ A new Sports Academy shall be established at the Paljor Stadium complex which will be dedicated towards development of talents in various sporting activities;

■ Bhaichung Stadium in Namchi, Geyzing Stadium and Mangan Stadium are under construction during this financial year. 17 Community Playgrounds across the State are also progressing;

■ We have also taken initiatives in the area of adventure sports particularly with regard to river rafting, para-gliding, rock climbing etc. and the prospects of introducing training in Skiing, hang-gliding and bungee jumping are also very promising;

■ An all-inclusive Khel Gaon i.e. Sports Village is being developed at Ranka which is nearing completion;

■ The State Government has made 2% reservation for artists and sportspersons in government employment;

■ We observed the year 2005 as Youth Revolutionary Year and 2006 as Capacity Building Year to bring about a sense of inclusiveness amongst the youth in the development of State;

■ We have instituted State Award of Rs. 1 lakh in cash and a citation to people with excellent track record in the promotion of literature, music, drama, arts and sports. We have already honoured host of our sportspersons and artiste including Captain Ramsingh Thakuri, Late Pem Dorji Bhutia, Shri Jas Lal Pradhan, Late Tulsi Ram Sharma Kashyap, Shri Danny Denzongpa, Shri Sonam Tshering Lepcha, Lharipa Ganden Lama, late Benjamin Rai, Shri Baichung Bhutia and Shri Chungden Sherpa;

■ The State Government has also introduced a new and unique set of incentives to promising Sportspersons of the State by instituting Cash Awards in various categories, as below:


Olympics- Rs 1 crore → Gold Medal

Rs 50 lakh → Silver Medal

Rs 25 lakh → Bronze Medal



Commonwealth & Asian Games- Rs. 20 lakhs→ Gold Medal,

Rs. 10 lakhs → Silver Medal

Rs. 5 lakhs → Bronze Medal


National games- Rs. 5 lakhs → Gold Medal,

Rs. 3 lakhs → Silver Medal

Rs. 2 lakhs. → Bronze Medal


Junior National Championship- Rs. 50,000 → Gold Medal

Rs. 30,000 → Silver Medal

Rs. 20,000 → Bronze Medal


The wealth of human resources in our young population in Sikkim is one that matches the best available anywhere in the world. They are dynamic, creative and highly imaginative. They constitute the upcoming generation of leaders who will need to be fully equipped and groomed with qualities to be in a position to inherit the responsibilities and duties of leadership in different fields. In this context, our endeavour has been to cultivate skills and personalities in various fields among our youths.

The number of youth in the age group between 0-19 constitutes 46.66 percent of Sikkim’s population as per the 2001 Census. The State Government is set to harness this resource by facilitating several measures. Channelizing and developing skills, talent among this target group in their spheres of interest is part of the way of ensuring the demographic dividend for our State and Country.


The Skill Development Initiative we launched in 2002 has encouraged policy intervention at the national level wherein the Central Government has launched the National Skill Development Mission in the XIth Five Year Plan. The launching of the Chief Minister’s Self-Employment Scheme in 2002, has been instrumental in carrying forward the Skill Development Mission. Thousands of young boys and girls have been covered for self-vocational ventures encompassing various agro-based activities, including IT related, tourism connected activities.


As evident, thousands of Sikkimese youths are brimming with creative energy, innovation and upward mobility. The holding of the Commonwealth Games in India will only add to their zest and fervour in chasing their dream to excel in their chosen fields.


Dear friends, the Queen’s Baton (QBR), created in 1958, has travelled through many civilizations; through the desert sands, through the refreshing mountain breeze and across Continents. But the message it has carried ever since has remained the same – that peace, humanity, democracy and equality must remain the order of the day – be it yesterday, today or tomorrow. The Queen’s Baton that we held today has passed through the hands of great achievers across land, air and sea in more than 70 nations. Before the relay concludes its journey at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on October 3, 2010, it would have travelled an impressive 340 days covering a distance of more than 190,000 kilometers.


Tomorrow, we will pass the Baton to fellow citizens across border for its next leg of the journey. When the Baton embarks thus, memories of its ride on the docile yak, high in the Sikkim Himalaya, will be accompanied by the experience of mesmerising peace. Thus, Sikkim would have passed on its message to the world of experiencing happiness and peace; harmony in living with Nature; highlighting life’s true values of forbearance, restraint and tolerance.


With these words I commend that the spirit of humanity, mutual respect and the spirit of Sports triumph forever!


Thank you all

Jai Hind!