2; SIKKIM NOW!

08 April, 2011 EXPRESSIONSˆ

row, school children do not scam-
TENZIN C. TASHI
per anymore, grimly escorted as

R
ain has always cleansed.
And hail has always pep
pered. And yet, a large-
cross section of Sikkimese soci-
What Sikkim Was they are by over-ambitious par-
ents straight from school to tu-
ition. We are sadly not only los-
ing our simplicity as a people, we
ety braved the rain and the hail- are actually losing that human
storm on the 6th April evening of jottings moved by Satyajit connect so visible in the film.
Departments Should Step the world premiere of Satyajit
Ray’s ‘Sikkim’. More than fog, Ray’s “Sikkim”
‘Sikkim’ also revealed the real
intermingling of the many cul-

Out of the Way Vajra Cinema was shrouded with

a barely contained excitement that
and allow rural folk to streamline was as palpable as my own quick-
ened breathing.
their own development A trio of kho-clad musicians
It is rare for auditors from the CAG office to record praise playing traditional instrumental
for constituents of the State machinery, their job after all is music on stage set the tempo for
to help streamline financial propriety and this they do by the evening. There were tradi-
needling out examples of embezzlement and misappropria- tional choktses on stage for the
tion. Yet, hidden in the data and figures of a Technical In- principal dignitaries, and practi-
spection Report conducted by the office of the Accountant cally everyone was in khos in
General of Sikkim, is strong praise for the Lunchok- honour of the occasion. It was
Kamarey Gram Panchayat of South Sikkim. In a section easy to believe, if only ephemer-
highlighting how gram panchayats in Sikkim have not lev- ally, that we had been transported
ied taxes, rates and fees even though they are authorised back to the Sikkim of yore that
to do so, the Auditors mention Lunchok-Kamarey GP which was shortly going to unveil itself
had levied such fees and taxes “and realised revenue mer- under the maestro’s baton.
iting appreciation”. Interestingly, the failure of the remain- After a brief and dignified
ing GPs was not due to their failing, but because the con- function that incredibly included
trol mechanism for levy and its collection by the Panchayati six addresses in about half an
Raj Institutions was not prescribed despite the accepted hour, the much-awaited moment
recommendation of the Second State Finance Commission. arrived-the screening of ‘Sikkim’.
Also ignored was the commitment to transfer 1% of tax rev- There has been so much hype
enue to PRIs. The Audit also discovered that release of funds and hoopla over this film. People
by various departments to the panchayats was “not based claim that ‘Sikkim’ was ‘banned’,
on sound rationale” but as per their own discretion. Given that the Chogyal was shown in
this whimsical release of funds, it only follows that plan- bad light, and of course, we had
ning by the panchayats is crippled with ad-hocism. The the court step in to stay the pro-
draft development plans for the districts are also handi- posed screening at a film festival
capped by preponderance of bureaucratic presence and in Kolkata recently. Also, there
hence lacks the priority commitment it requires. The Au- has been a lot of build-up around
dit also highlights gram panchayats were slack in prepar- this film as the last unseen work
ing budget estimates and he District Planning Officers ac- of that brooding genius, Satyajit
commodating in that they did not insist for one, perhaps Ray. Reams of newsprint and
in acceptance that projecting budget estimates in the ab- megawatts of verbal horsepower
sence of clear indications of available funds is impossible. have been exhausted over what
The governmental support required to keep MGNREGA ‘Sikkim’ is and what it is not.
works on track and adequately monitored have been slow If anyone expected fireworks,
as was the deputation of expert support for the PRIs. When they were restricted to outside of
it comes to MGNREGA works, between 2006-09, 75,000 this tiny gem of a film. The roll-
households received employment on execution of 1,869 ing of the simple title ‘Sikkim’
works involving funds to the tune of Rs. 56.23 crore. De- evoked a spontaneous roar from
spite the scale of funds involved, the number of house- the lucky multitude in Vajra, there
holds touched and sheer ambition of the scheme, the con- ‘By invitation only’ while others
cerned officials did not even meet conditions included in gate crashed, albeit electronically,
the operational guidelines to inspect works in progress. by smsing and ‘facebooking’
It only follows then that some of the works were misman- those inside for real time updates.
aged and funds wasted. The movie, we must remem-
What is significant in the matter is that despite slack ber, was shot over 40 years ago
support from government departments, panchayats in when technology was not as
Sikkim have performed exceptionally well. They regularly evolved. Factor in on-location
win accolades at the national level and figure prominently shooting problems in remote
in award ceremonies for panchayati raj institutions. Their Sikkim. Another imperative, it not
successes become even more significance in the light of only remained hidden from the
general departmental lethargy towards grassroots rural de- world all these many years, it also
velopment. Recently, the Ministry of Rural Development, deteriorated and necessitated res-
impressed by the State’s success in implementing toration. Most restoration work is
MGNREGA, has lavished a 33% hike in the outlay for this about salvaging what one can, and
sector. As per the Rural Management & Development De- trashing what cannot be salvaged.
partment, individual GPUs stand to receive an average of Yet, in spite of all these draw-
Rs. 70 lakh exclusively for MGNREGA works. That is huge. backs, technical and otherwise,
One hopes that the entire fund is secured for Sikkim’s vil- the film has managed to retain the
lages and job-card holders, something which is possible most essential element- it is as
only if the schemes are flawlessly executed since the allo- relevant for today’s audience as
cation is to be released in instalments based on perfor- the audience it was originally in-
mance. The Technical Inspection Report of the AG illus- tended for. I would go so far as to
trates that what is holding back panchayati raj institutions
say it has become even more rel-
evant after all the water that has
flown under Bayul Demajong’s
bridge since the time it was com-
missioned and the time it was fi-
nally aired.
Here, I must make a small
aside to thank Ugyen Chopel and
the Art and Culture Trust of
Sikkim for making it possible for
us to watch this historic film,
Sumendu Roy and Tinnu Anand
for taking the trouble of joining
us in Sikkim and the Governor of
Sikkim for making an impeccable
Chief Guest- His Excellency ar-
rived right on time and gave a
crisp but apt address.
The movie is a virtual walk
through history, a visual re-intro-
duction to our past.
It is one thing to hear
our gyenbos or el-
ders reminisce about
what Sikkim was,
read about what it
was like and quite
another to see for
ourselves what they
were talking about.
Add to that Ray’s
cultured voice that
made for a compel-
ling narrative that
augmented the visu-
als unspooling
onscreen.
The film opens with visuals of
what we still have in Sikkim- wa-
terfalls, rivers, mountains,
tharchoks and people. There is no
voiceover in the initial frames. Yet
the caress of the camera, for all
its abrupt movement, gives it an
almost lyrical quality... one can
hear the waterfall roar, the rivers
gurgle, the mountains reverberate
with the honour of being the
abode of the gods and the
tharchoks flutter. It helped that the
hall was full of strangely mute
people, just feeling, not talking,
mobiles mercifully ignored.
The colour of the film reflected
Sikkim herself, it was not really
black and white, not really sepia
and not really colour as we have
come to demand it... it is all of
these, and none of it. Sikkim’s
history has, to quote my father-in-
law, always been a victim of its
geography. So while we ostensi-
bly enjoy the fruits of democracy,
which enshrines parity for one and
all, we simultaneously clamour
for old laws that recognise our
unique history and jostle to be in-
cluded as Sikkim Subjects of a
king who is no longer there.
‘Sikkim’ captures the funda-
mental simplicity and relative in-
nocence of the times, a simplicity
that pervades every visual, be it
the clothes the people wear, the
hard manual labour they cheer-
fully undertake, the school kids
skipping along merrily, the
Pemayangtse monks leading
prayers in Tsuklakhang, the
Chogyal himself, the simple,
wooden Gangtok bazaar, the
Nepalese lady imperturbably
puffing a beedi while hawking her
wares in the bazaar. Life was
probably hard, but there is a ob-
vious dignity in the way people
carried themselves.
There are so many little vi-
gnettes that pepper the film and
make for light interludes. The
camera pans in on scenes that
evoked spontaneous laughter
from the audience- a young boy
pulling two recalcitrant goats that
are about as big as him, if not big-
ger; two ladies fighting conflict-
ing emotions of politeness and
bashfulness as the lens trains on
them; a chubby child caught hap-
pily gorging; a gauche youth
gawking as a glib-tongued orator
holds sway in town; a row of smil-
ing children and suddenly, a petu-
lant child in focus... that is where
the real magic of ‘Sikkim’ lies, in
its ability to capture the quintes-
sence of Sikkim in an uncontrived
way. The film succeeds largely
because it does not try too hard.
Also on record is the hard work
put in by Maharani Kunzang
Dechhen, the Gyalyum of Sikkim,
in creating the chamgoe or cos-
tumes used during religious
dances at Tsuklakhang. As the
Shanag and Pangtoed warriors
swirl in the courtyard of
Tsuklakhang, the film captures the
extraordinary detail and finesse of
their resplendent costumes.
Personally, the footage of the
band marching up the Palace
gates and the Chogyal walking up
towards Tsuklakhang to take the
salute from the Sikkim Guards
forms the most compelling seg-
ment, as poignant as it is power-
ful. Probably ineffective, both in
terms of numbers as well as the
kilt-like uniform, the Sikkim
Guards may have been largely
ceremonial but they remain an
undeniable part of the Sikkim
saga as the king’s
own men, answer-
able only to him.
In another seg-
ment, villagers are
depicted making of-
ferings – jheshu - of
the first bounty of
their harvest to the
late Chogyal in front
of the Palace and
prostrating the Bud-
dhist way before
him. The jheshu was
offered to the gods in
Tsuklakhang by the
Chogyal on behalf of
the people. If this is one of the
‘controversial’ portions, the adjec-
tive is misplaced. The Chogyal is
the king who rules with righteous-
ness; Chogyal Phuntsog Namgyal,
the first Chogyal was anointed
with two-fold powers- spiritual
and temporal.
The audience was transported
back in time in the little under
an hour running time of the film.
In that brief interval, we literally
re-lived the times with increas-
ingly vicarious awe. All thought
of the usual tea/ coffee, popcorn,
chips etc were dispelled with as
we soaked in what Sikkim was.
There was an almost voyeuristic
thrill in this flashback to the past.
This is about as close to our past
we will ever get. Today, the la-
dies are too busy haggling over
escalating vegetable prices to
smoke beedis, we wear branded
clothes, tippers unload stones
once passed on hand to hand, the
historic Gangtok town is coming
apart, wooden row by wooden
tures that weave the tapestry
called Sikkim. Nowhere in the
film do we feel, this is a Rong,
this is a Lhopo, this is a Tsong,
this is a Nepalese... everybody is
Sikkimese. There are no inter-
groups, no intra-groups... there is
only our Sikkim.
When ‘The End’ rolled, the
general consensus was that it was
a sweet, simple movie, utterly
non-controversial. It probably did
not live up to the hype but to be
fair, it probably transcended it.
Reactions outside the hall
where we waited for our vehicles
to arrive in the downpour were
mixed. While the old-timers
greeted each other with great alac-
rity and were generally nostalgic,
some of the younger people were
saying that the movie was differ-
ent; it had such fleeting footage
of the royal family. But that is
again people’s own assumptions
at play. The film is about Sikkim,
not the royal family. Were it to
focus on the royal family alone, it
would be called ‘The Namgyal
Dynasty’, not ‘Sikkim’. Most im-
portantly, it is a still-surviving
graphic archive of what Sikkim
was. I think that is what we should
all celebrate, that it was made,
that it survived, that it saw the
light of day.
“I was very moved to see my
beloved father, the Chogyal, once
again,” shared Princess Hope
Leezumla, “I am so grateful to the
Art and Culture Trust for having
been given an opportunity to
glimpse back to ‘the old days’ with
the premiere of Sikkim. I am so
honoured we, as a family, were
able to contribute so much to our
homeland and look forward to
Sikkim’s bright future. Both the
movie and the land.”
In the front row of the box was
an earnest 20-something young
man. At the end of the film, he
was glad to have seen a moving
image of his grandfather, in more
ways than one. Tenzing
Abrahams, the US-based son of
Princess Yangchen, had just had
a vivid connect with the
Sikkimese part of his ancestry.
Rain has always cleansed. And
sometimes, it sanitises. Hopefully,
‘Sikkim’ has sanitised several mis-
conceptions especially amongst
the youth of today about what
Sikkim was.
ˆ

What is the Jan Lokpal Bill, Why it is Important and North grows desperate as monsoons
from delivering on the potential of the Acts and empower-
ment devolved to them, is not their own failings or limita-
tions, but the resistance/ disinterest of the departments to
extend them the support system require to plan and de-
How it is Better than Union Govt’s Lokpal Bill... approach and road conditions
liver more effectively. The policy commitment to do so has
been clearly communicated, what should be ensured now www.indiaagainstcorruption.org refuse to improve
drafted by the civil society, be or any other work is not being done
is that the departments and its officers respect the policy
commitments and learn to share and assist. The Depart-
ment head-office driven model of development planning
T he Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen’s
Ombudsman Bill) is a draft
anti-corruption bill drawn up by
adopted. The website of the India
Against Corruption movement
calls the Lokpal Bill of the gov-
in prescribed time. Lokpal will have
to get it done in a month’s time. You
could also report any case of cor-
Contd from pg1
panchayat of Tibuk Lower
was in Kabi recently for a Legal
Awareness programme.
Driven to desperation, the
stands exposed as being too short-sighted, and village-level prominent civil society activists ernment an “eyewash” and has on ruption to Lokpal like ration being Minister had appealed to Jus-
Mangshila informed that the
planning for rural development offers itself as the obvious seeking the appointment of a Jan it a critique of that government siphoned off, poor quality roads tice Wangdi to look into the
people of Lower Mangshilla are
alternative. It needs to be reinforced and streamlined. Lokpal, an independent body that Bill. It also lists the difference been constructed or panchayat connectivity woes of the
being inconvenienced exten-
would investigate corruption cases, between the Bills drafted by the funds being siphoned off. Lokpal sively, because the lighter vehicles people of the area.
Slack in planning, eager to compromise, complete the investigation within
a year and envisages trial in the case
government and civil society.
A look at the salient features of
will have to complete its investiga-
tions in a year, trial will be over in
headed for Mangan no longer
come through their area [since
The people of Dikchu further
highlight that the BRO had as-
disinterested about final delivery getting over in the next one year. Jan Lokpal Bill: next one year and the guilty will go they are travelling via Dzongu]. sured improvement of the road
supply lines were damaged and Drafted by Justice Santosh 1. An institution called Lokpal at to jail within two years. Similarly, the Gangtok- condition during the visit of DC
Contd from pg1 the villages treated the most ex- Hegde, Prashant Bhushan and the centre and Lokayukta in each 7. But won’t the government ap- Mangan highway is also in poor East to Jang village last year. The
vious pilferage. pensive water supply which ran Arvind Kejriwal, the draft Bill en- state will be set up point corrupt and weak people as condition at several places. In black topping works which fol-
The Roads & Bridges Depart- only for a few weeks after have visages a system where a corrupt 2. Like Supreme Court and Elec- Lokpal members? That won’t be fact, the issue was also high- lowed covered only 2 kms when
ment has dipped into NEC fund- consumed Rs. 3.71 crore. person found guilty would go to jail tion Commission, they will be possible because its members will lighted by the Kabi-Lungstok BRO had in fact committed to
ing to commission bridges which As mentioned earlier, the Audit within two years of the complaint completely independent of the be selected by judges, citizens and MLA, PHE Minister TT Bhutia complete the black topping from
remain works in progress three performance review is of the being made and his ill-gotten governments. No minister or bu- constitutional authorities and not with Judge SP Wangdi of the Dikchu to Thingchim Zero before
years past their scheduled DPERNECAD although the cases wealth being confiscated. It also reaucrat will be able to influence by politicians, through a com- Sikkim High Court when the later the year 2010 ended.
completion and has even planted cited are of individual departments. seeks power to the Jan Lokpal to their investigations. pletely transparent and participa-
on in North Sikkim at a place with What the CAG Report discovered prosecute politicians and bureau- 3. Cases against corrupt people tory process.
no road connectivity [detailed in
a previous edition].
is that the DPERNECAD, despite
being the nodal department through
crats without govt permission.
Retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi
will not linger on for years any-
more: Investigations in any case
8. What if some officer in Lokpal
becomes corrupt? The entire func-
NOTICE
If the residents of Kaluk and which projects are forwarded for and other known people like will have to be completed in one tioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will This is to inform all associations,
Rinchenpong are still left to their approval by NEC, it is kept in the Swami Agnivesh, Sri Sri Ravi year. Trial should be completed in be completely transparent. Any
own devices to source water, they dark about release of funds by NEC Shankar, Anna Hazare and next one year so that the corrupt complaint against any officer of organizations and groups issuing Press
can blame the Water Security and through the Finance Department to Mallika Sarabhai are also part of politician, officer or judge is sent Lokpal shall be investigated
Public Health Engineering De- the implementing departments. It the movement, called India to jail within two years. and the officer dismissed within releases for publication as news in Sikkim
partment for having wasted Rs. only follows then that it cannot un- Against Corruption. Its website 4. The loss that a corrupt person two months.
3.71 crore received from the NEC dertake effective monitoring. It has describes the movement as “an caused to the government will be 9. What will happen to existing
NOW! that such communication should
for “Augmentation of Kaluk- also shied away from field inspec- expression of collective anger of recovered at the time of conviction. anti-corruption agencies? CVC, include contact details (phone numbers) of
Rinchenpong Water Supply tions on the excuse of shortage of people of India against corruption. 5. How will it help a common citi- departmental vigilance and anti-
Scheme”. The project was de- staff and has never bothered to carry We have all come together to zen: If any work of any citizen is corruption branch of CBI will be the issuing authority/ official. This,
signed to serve the projected out an impact study about the sta- force/request/persuade/pressurize not done in prescribed time in any merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will
population of the area for 25 tus of implementation. the Government to enact the Jan government office, Lokpal will im- have complete powers and ma-
particularly in the case of press releases
years. Water was to be sourced The Audit has recommended Lokpal Bill. We feel that if this pose financial penalty on guilty chinery to independently investi- issued over email. Press releases delivered
from Hee Khola 17 kms away. that the DPERNECAD now insist Bill were enacted it would create officers, which will be given as gate and prosecute any officer,
The project included a filteration on survey and investigation while an effective deterrence against compensation to the complainant. judge or politician. without accompanying contact details will
component as well, but when scrutinising proposals and actively corruption.” 6. So, you could approach Lokpal 10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal
completed in June 2007, it could involve itself in the planning of Anna Hazare, anti-corruption if your ration card or passport or to provide protection to those who henceforth not be entertained.
supply only untreated raw water, schemes instead of remaining crusader, began a fast-unto-death voter card is not being made or if are being victimized for raising Editor, Sikkim NOW!
that too only for a few weeks. The merely the transmitting agency. today, demanding that this bill, police is not registering your case their voice against corruption.