Independence Day speech of His Excellency, the Governor of Sikkim.

My Fellow Citizens,

Tomorrow we celebrate our 64th Independence Day. On its eve, I extend my heartiest greetings to all of you.

Our long and arduous struggle for freedom commenced in 1857. This was energized by the inspiring leadership of Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 and this was continued till we got freedom. Bapu mobilized the people of India in non-violent struggle against the foreign rule and its scale and depth were unprecedented in history. The freedom movement had the distinction in bringing for the first time the millions of women marching along with their men-folk into the political realm of civil-disobedience and satyagraha. The selfless spirit and indomitable courage of our forefathers secured us freedom. The story of our freedom struggle constitutes one of the unique chapters in world history.

Our leaders of the freedom struggle had also visualized that political freedom is not complete in itself. Together with political freedom what is equally necessary is economic freedom and social equality. This is more pertinent in today’s context as people’s wants and aspirations have become more intricate. Together with rapid development in human thought, all areas of human development have become broader and more inclusive.

Let us join in paying homage and deep respects to our freedom fighters.

I would also like to convey our special gratitude to the brave personnel of the Armed Forces and the Para-Military Forces, who guard our frontiers. I also greet members of Sikkim Police on this occasion.

Fellow Citizens,

Thirty-five years ago, the people of Sikkim decided to join this great nation. Ever since, Sikkim has made rapid strides and meaningful progress, and have achieved many milestones. But we still have formidable challenges ahead. And if we work hard, diligently and honestly it is possible to realize our dream of making Sikkim a fully literate and poverty-free State and more.

Sikkim already has the distinction of experimenting certain successful growth models to diversify development options and provide wide-ranging socio-economic opportunities to our people in terms of their genius. Towards this end, programmes have been designed with appropriate decentralization of decision-making and financial powers to the local bodies in order that location specific decisions are taken and fruits of development reach people at the grass-root level.

Several measures have been taken to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). 10% of the budget is being directly transferred to the Panchayats. Women have been given 40% reservation in the Panchayats and Municipalities at all levels. This year, we have also successfully concluded municipal elections. This would go a long way in empowerment of people in the urban areas.

A great deal of emphasis is being given to upliftment and development of the people living in rural areas. Proper designing of schemes and feasible projects are regularly monitored to ensure that the benefits accruing from these schemes percolate down to the people living in villages. We have achieved some success as well.
The percentage of families living below poverty line is steadily decreasing. For a number of years we have been earmarking 70% of the plan funds for rural upliftment. Similarly, our social commitments continue to guide formulation of a wide range of social safety nets in order to secure basic minimum needs of the deprived and disadvantaged section of the society so that they too have the means to live a dignified life.

Besides our resolve to adopt innovative and socially relevant measures to completely eradicate poverty from Sikkim by 2015, we are also aiming at making Sikkim 100 percent literate State by the same year. This can only be made possible by enrolment of every child, boy or girl, in the school and by ensuring that they do not drop-out till they pass their secondary or higher secondary examinations.

We are also conscious of the fact that we need highly trained and motivated teachers. Quality education not only needs caring leadership of the teachers but also continuous involvement of every parent while child is in formative years. I call upon each one of you to take education of the child with seriousness that it deserves.

In recent years, we have been making sincere efforts to diversify career options for the youth. We have also set up a new Institute of Capacity Building, the first of its kind in this region, to further expand the scope of skill development programmes. We have also established livelihood schools in each Assembly constituency to train our youth in different vocational courses.

Priority is being accorded to the health sector starting with upgradation of the existing facilities and embarking on a plan to build a 575 bedded multi-specialty hospital at Gangtok. The aim is to provide good and affordable medical care to people within the State itself.

One of the recent initiatives has been the launching of Comprehensive Annual Total Check-up for Healthy Sikkim (CATCH) campaign. Under CATCH, the health profile of each citizen would be recorded. This exercise would also mean upgrading the technical expertise of the doctors including the para-medicals as well as improving the facilities for diagnostic services covering the entire network of our medical centres.

Our aim is to encourage more and more educated and young Sikkimese to take up agriculture, horticulture and floriculture as an industry. We have made notable progress as far as floriculture is concerned. All measures comprising technology transfer, delivery of inputs, pre and post harvest technology and marketing will be systematically organized and judiciously harnessed for better productivity.

All of us, including the Government of India and the State Government, are actuated by strong desire to secure reliable connectivity links for Sikkim . Towards this end, there is an imperative requirement to have all-weather roads connecting hills with the plains; a railway line linking us with Siliguri; an airport; and the internet link covering the entire State.

We have made commendable progress in rural electrification and drinking water supply. All villages in the State are being connected with roads.

The Border Roads Organization has initiated the process of improving and double-lanning the National Highway 31A right up-to Nathula.

The work on survey of the alternative road route from Siliguri via Chalsa in West Bengal to Gangtok will also be taken up as soon as the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is prepared.

The construction of the Pakyong airport is making steady progress and would be operational by 2012.

The work on railway connectivity from Sevoke to Rangpo started recently and is due for completion by 2015.



The telecommunication network including the Internet service is being strengthened with the installation of high capacity equipments.



Sikkim is an eco-friendly State, rich in natural resources and scenic beauty with its unique ethnic diversity. Since 1994, the efforts of the people and the Government have accomplished increase in the forest cover of the State by two percent which is an impressive achievement by any standard. This year, during ten minutes to earth programme, the Sikkimese people acting in unison planted over 6, 20,000 saplings at different places in the State. This is in itself a commendable collective effort and one of the ways to address widely shared concerns of global warming.

Collective efforts and cooperation of all the people of Sikkim are also needed to make the fifteenth census to be conducted in 2011 a grand success.



Sikkim is increasingly becoming an alluring State. More and more people are thronging to Sikkim to experience its enchanting beauty and hospitality. Our natural scenic beauty with a breath taking collection of flora and fauna, our monasteries and stupas, temples and prayer centres, our rich cultural heritage and hospitable nature of our people have immensely contributed to promotion of the tourism industry.

Our efforts towards harnessing the potential in the eco-tourism and adventure tourism sectors have begun to yield dividends. This has opened new opportunities in both salaried jobs and self-employment. I hope the young boys and girls of Sikkim would take full advantage of this prime area of economic activity developing in the State. Let us secure a respectable place for Sikkim in the tourism map of the world.



Fellow Citizens,

Freedom and Democracy are our precious possessions. Democracy in a pluralist social order is a special feature of India . Democracy has to go beyond the ballot box as it needs to be concerned with and guided by continuous ‘exercise of public reason’. Fortunately, the pillars of our democracy: the Legislature, the Executive, the Judiciary, and the Media are getting increasingly sensitized to public needs. Right to information and livelihood programmes are further strengthening people’s will to exercise their responsibilities in democracy. We hope that the civil society, the media and the judiciary will act in harmony to help secure fulfillment of the aspirations of the people.

Sikkim is a peaceful and investor-friendly State. And I take this opportunity to urge entrepreneurs within and outside the State to come forward and make investment in Sikkim .

Sikkim is making impressive expansion in human capability of our youth through education and technology. Our State has shown a remarkable capacity to assimilate new ideas. Let us not allow evils of drug abuse and extremist behaviour to jeopardize our peace and harmony. A strong, united, peaceful and progressive Sikkim is in our interest and in the interest of India .

I once again express my best wishes to the people of the State on this happy and auspicious occasion.

J A I H I N D