ani sikkim runcha.......: 09/01/07

Saturday 1 September 2007

Day 74

Unheard Voices of Protest in Sikkim: Vibha Arora

August 25-31, 2007, Economic and Political Weekly\

[Current Issue available online http://www.epw.org.in/epw/user/userindexHome.jsp]

In solidarity with the struggling Teesta activists,

Vibha Arora, D.Phil (Oxon)

http://web.iitd.ac.in/~aurora/

Assistant Professor in Sociology
Dept of Humanities and Social Sciences
The Indian Institute of Technology,
Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016 INDIA
Office (MS 617): 0091-11-26591381

aurora@hss.iitd.ac.in; vibhaaurora@yahoo.com

IN LOVING MEMORY OF Ms CHUKIE TOPDEN - 26th November, 1954 -6th April, 2009

A Social and Environmental activist, Member of SAFE (Sikkim Association for Environment), and a dear friend of Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT). She never feared to speak the truth to save Sikkim from the dangers of Environmental degradation and against mega hydel projects threatening our landscape. She will always be remembered and respected for her dedication in highlighting the most pertinent environment and social problems that all Sikkimese people face in these times and in the days to come.

MODERATOR'S MESSAGE..............

Anybody wishing to write to Moderator/Administrator/etc of http://weepingsikkim.blogspot.com/ may do so at :

weepingsikkim@gmail.com

We would also like to clarify that http://weepingsikkim.blogspot.com/ is not the official website of ACT(Affected Citizens of Teesta) and we do not have any political affiliations or belong to any political party or any other group as such. Its just our simple concern about the state of our environment policies in Sikkim and the wrong direction that we have been asked to trod.

The blog began the day our friends Dawa, Tenzing and others decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike last June to pray and appeal to the Government of Sikkim on the dangers of mega hydel dams and the ecological degradation and social impact that it would bring to Sikkim and Dzongu in particular. It is dedicated to them and the courage and conviction they have had in standing up for a noble cause and going hungry all those days. Dawa and Tenzing went hungry for 63 days in the record first indefinite hunger strike earlier and and even longer one of 96 days months later in the second indefinite hunger strike.

The issue still remains the same and Sikkim is on its course in having more than 26 big dams being built all across it and the biggest among them in and around Dzongu.

Of course, there is a need to develop in these modern times and harness resources for energy for the sake of it and we would be hypocrites to say that our lives don't revolve around electricity to an extent!........

At the same time, we strongly believe that there are various other modes of development which can blend with various other alternative and sustainable ways & sources of harnessing energy and ways to generating income for Sikkim's prosperity and future.

We are not at all convinced about the projections and perceivable impacts shown in the present scheme of things.

In disagreeing, we have tried to argue and have tried to give suggestions and alternatives in our limited but honest sense of intellect earlier too at:-

http://weepingsikkim.blogspot.com/2007/06/alternatives-to-hydel-projectsa-thought.html

Alternatives suggested by International Rivers Network

http://www.irn.org/basics/alternatives/pdf/BeyondDams.pdf

26 or more mega hydel project being sanctioned across all of Sikkim is not the most appropriate of ways to so called industrially develop as we feel. It is nothing but heading Sikkim towards major environmental disasters and negative social impacts in the very near future. This has been widely expressed by environmentalists, conservationist, and people from many other walks of life. Similarly, various examples of such journeys and tasks taken in the said direction earlier has shown that harnessing energy in such large destructive scale for profit has manifested in bad experiences and possible disasters in many parts the world.
A major debate and serious understanding is needed and should be intended here in Sikkim.

It concerns us as normal citizens of Sikkim to be a little selfless at such an hour to not to turn or look away but rather show concern to a humanitarian, social and ecological cause in our own surroundings.

As normal citizens of Sikkim, we have the right to see our rivers and forests and natural resources protected and preserved for the present and the future.

As the textbooks and elders tells us that the Eastern Himalayas and adjacent hill states of India are not only biologically richest in the Indian Subcontinent but also one of the richest in the world. This region has been rightly recognized as one of the 18 Biodiversity Hot spots in the world. Out of seven Endemic Bird Areas identified for the country, three extend to this region, so therefore, preservation is the need of the hour.

We have a fragile ecosystem endowed with unimaginable lengths of biodiversity and a characteristic and unmatched natural scenery. In this highly volatile and fast changing modern world, we stand to lose what nature has endowed us with here in a much shorter time imaginable. This blog is therefore, our honest effort of intending debate, reasoning and understanding in this critical issue pertaining to our times and of Sikkim's. Many thanks to this amazing modern means of this of communication ..........the internet!

We strictly do not claim to be experts in the any field of environmental studies but we would like to believe what a famous poet singer once said," You do not have to be a weather man to say which way the wind blows".

In the days gone by of the blog, we have had the pleasure of reading into matters of environmental importance for conservation regarding Sikkim and the Eastern Himalayas. A lot of internet viewers from different walks of life have also written in and shared their views and knowledge too. Thank you very much!

Besides, I sincerely hope that the web links and other materials provided and feedback in the comments column is useful to viewers who need them for awareness and research.

This blog is a forum to express environmental and other concerns regarding our natural surroundings We would be grateful to viewers, emailers, fellow bloggers and surfers who would want to share anything of significance through the blog.

Lastly, we are delighted with the response and appreciation of concerned people from all over the world.

Thank you very much and do keep writing in!

DO WRITE IN

No invitations have been sent to individual email addresses to write in. However, anybody wishing to write in may do so on any of the comment links at the end of each article or photograph posted. I shall then have it published in the front page as and when it is updated from time to time.

At the same time, i would like to request and remind people that this is a genuine concern of the publisher/editor to highlight the environment and ecological issues of importance to Sikkim and to create awareness and solutions to the problems of the effects of too many hydro electric projects .
Also, this blog exists out of my love and responsibility to Sikkim, the land of my birth and my home.

So..... i would like to appeal to the viewers and people writing in to avoid using foul language and not to attack people, personalities etc ....personally but rather put argumentative thoughts and ideas to this present impasse of different ideologies and perceptions regarding the subject. This blog has no negative issues of colour, race and ideology of political parties .

This is purely a humanitarian and ecological concern.This is Satyagraha!India's answer to centuries of various forms of colonialism.............It means non violence even in thought!

Thank you! and keep writin in!

ani sikkim runcha.......

Saturday 1 September 2007

Day 74

IN LOVING MEMORY OF Ms CHUKIE TOPDEN - 26th November, 1954 -6th April, 2009

OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF ACT (Affected Citizens of Teesta)

Hydel projects planned in Sikkim

List of Hydro Power Developers in Sikkim

LEPCHA NARRATIVES OF THEIR THREATENED SACRED LANDSCAPES - Kerry Little

MODERATOR'S MESSAGE..............

Pictures of Teesta Stage V at Dikchu

Video Bar

water and sanitation related issues of the Himalayan region

Issues of Environmental importance in Kalimpong and Darjeeling Hills

Action Guide for Communities affected by Dams(English & Hindi)

CARRYING CAPACITY STUDY OF TEESTA BASIN IN SIKKIM

Has the government of Sikkim given a fair hearing and shown concern to the Affected Citizens of Teesta?

THE TEESTA PUBLIC HEARINGS......

HIMAL...September Issue.

South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People

So says the Booker gal, Arundhati Roy in " The Greater Common good"

VIDEOS OF HEADLINES TODAY COVERAGE - if video is buffering, let it run its course,then view

VIDEOS OF CNN IBN COVERAGE - if video is buffering, let it run its course,then view

FACTS REGARDING WORLD COMMISSION ON DAMS

other connected links

Join the weeping sikkim orkut community

DAMS.......? What went wrong...........

Are you a concerned citizen of the World.....If so.......do sign the Environment petition

For info/news on Sikkim and the latest developments with regard to ACT......log onto

CONTACT ACT (Affected Citizens of Teesta)

YOU TUBE FOOTAGE OF DAWA AND TENZING IN HOSPITAL

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