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India Today
29-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Why summiting of Himalayan peak from Nepal stirred up a storm in Sikkim
A recent expedition to Mount Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak located on the border between India and Nepal, by a team of mountaineers from the Nepalese side has sparked outrage in Sikkim. Such intense has been the reaction that the Chief Minister of the state, Prem Singh Tamang, wrote to the Centre, seeking a prohibition of such expeditions from the Nepal side. There is a reason behind this 8,586-metre-high Himalayan peak, considered sacred by the Bhutia and Lepcha communities of Sikkim, has long been off-limits to climbers from the Indian side. Expressing deep concern, CM Tamang wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the Centre to take steps to prevent such expeditions in the letter followed an outrage by the Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC), which condemned the ascent, demanding stricter enforcement of the ban to protect Sikkim's cultural heritage. A joint team of mountaineers from Arunachal Pradesh's National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), led by Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal, summited Mount Kangchenjunga, via the easier Nepal route on May 18. The expedition, part of the "Har Shikhar Tiranga" mission to hoist the national flag on India's second-highest peak, has now sparked outrage in Sikkim, where the mountain is revered as a sacred deity. India's highest peak, Mount K2 (8,611 metres), lies in Pakistan-Occupied SUMMIT BANNED UNDER PLACES OF WORSHIP ACTadvertisementSikkim, in 2001, banned expeditions to "Mount Khangchendzongna" under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on May 24 wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging diplomatic talks with Nepal to halt such climbs, citing the mountain's profound spiritual significance and a longstanding ban on scaling the peak called "Dzoe-Nga" by the locals."The recent reports of this ascent have caused widespread anguish among the people of Sikkim. The mountain is not just a peak, it is a living deity... In view of the above, we earnestly urge that this matter be treated with the utmost sensitivity and respect...," Tamang wrote, urging Shah to take up the matter with letter followed a condemnation of the assent from the Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) demanding stricter enforcement of the ban to protect Sikkim's cultural heritage."This is not just about climbing; it's about respect, legality, and identity," the SIBLAC said, adding, "the Khangchendzonga", meaning "Five Treasures of the High Snows", is considered a guardian deity and the abode of ban on Mount Kangchenjunga's summits aligns with Article 371F of the Indian Constitution, which safeguards Sikkim's cultural and religious laws after it merged with India in the recent climb from the Nepal side, where no such ban exists, has reignited tensions, as it bypasses Sikkim's EASIER FROM NEPAL SIDEClimbing Kangchenjunga is technically easier from Nepal due to more accessible routes from the southwest, northwest, and northeast, compared to the near-vertical northeastern route from Sikkim, which has been closed since summits are active from the Nepal Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation issued permits to as many as 41 climbers between March 1 and April 25 alone. It generated USD 73,800 in royalty fees during the one-and-a-half-month climbing season, reported the Kathmandu-based daily, Mount Kangchenjunga continues to attract climbers from around the world, the challenge now lies in balancing mountaineering pursuits with the deep-rooted spiritual sentiments of the indigenous people of the Watch
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HT Archives: Pact paves way for a democratic set up in Sikkim
New Delhi Sikkim's popularly elected representatives will administer law and order, finance, land revenue and economic development plans, according to the tripartite agreement between India, the Chogyal and the representatives of the State's three main political parties, the Janata Congress, the National Congress and the National Party that was signed in Gangtok last night. These portfolios, hitherto under the direct charge of the Chogyal, were a bone of contention between the hereditary ruler and the elected representatives under the diarchical constitutional arrangements replaced by the agreement. The agreement, which was made public today (May 16, 1975), provides for a State Assembly elected on adult suffrage and an executive council responsible to the Assembly. The Chogyal, under the agreement, becomes a constitutional ruler with direct executive authority only over 'the Palace establishment and the Sikkim Guards,' the latter a 200-strong armed constabulary. India, according to the agreement assumes overall responsibility for Sikkim's good administration, communal harmony and economic and social development in addition to its 'sole responsibility' for defence, territorial integrity of Sikkim and the conduct and regulation of external relations. The head of Sikkim's administration will be a Chief Executive who 'shall be appointed by the Chogyal on the nomination of the Government of India ' The Chief Executive will preside over the meetings of the Executive Council. The agreement also lays down that any difference of opinion between the Chief Executive and the Chogyal 'shall be referred to the Political Officer in Sikkim, who shall obtain the advice of the Government of India, which shall be binding'. The 'one man one vote' for the State Assembly, the agreement stipulates, should not lead to the domination of any single ethnic community. The provision evidently is intended to reassure the Bhutia, Lepcha and other ethnic minority groups against domination by Sikkimese of Nepali origin. who constitute about 80 % of the State's approximately three lakh population. The balance, it is said, is to be attained through a 'parity' of seats in the Assembly between the majority community and the ethnic minority groups, but the details of the arrangement are still to be worked out by the three parties concerned. There is also said to be an informal agreement among the parties concerned on the immediate appointment of an Advisory Council of eight to 10 popular representatives to discharge the State's executive functions, pending fresh elections in about six to eight months. Mr. B. S. Das, the Indian administrator, will head the Council. The following is the text of the agreement: 'Whereas the Chogyal and the people of Sikkim are convinced that their interest and the long term interest of Sikkim as a whole call for: (i)the establishment of a fully responsible Government in Sikkim with a more democratic Constitution, the guarantee of fundamental rights, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, and greater legislative and executive powers for the elected representatives of the people; (ii)a system of elections based on adult suffrage which will give equitable representation to all sections of the people on the basis of the principle of one man one vote; (iii)the strengthening of Indo Sikkim co-operation and interrelationships.'
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- The Hindu
Sikkim celebrates golden jubilee of Statehood with race to watch butterflies
GUWAHATI A race to watch butterflies has been one of the highlights of the celebrations marking the 50th year of Sikkim's Statehood. Sikkim transitioned from a protectorate to India's 22nd State on May 16, 1975. In Frames: Butterfly effect 1 / 10 'We started the 16-day Butterthon, the first-of-its-kind event specific to butterflies, on May 1. This is not a test of speed but a leisurely race to spot the ecologically important butterflies across Sikkim,' Sonam Wangchuk Lepcha, the president of the Butterfly Society of Sikkim-TPCF, said. TPCF expands to Thamblyok Putali Charphemba Famiyap, which, respectively, translates into butterfly in four languages in the Himalayan State – Lepcha, Nepali, Limboo, and Bhutia. Several lepidopterists, ornithologists, and citizen scientists from other parts of India and abroad joined the event scheduled to conclude on May 16, marking the completion of Sikkim's 50th year as a State. The participants include Indian Peter Lobo, American Joseph Coleman Thompson Jr, and Sri Lankan Indika Upul Jayatissa. Mr. Lepcha said that foreigners have, for the first time, visited Sikkim specifically to watch butterflies. The Butterfly Society of Sikkim-TPCF said the event had been organised to promote butterfly watching as a new form of tourism in the State and contribute to the celebration of Sikkim's 'golden year'. Members of the Butterfly Society have been helping visitors spot and document butterflies in the 7,086 sq. km State's jungles and high-altitude meadows. About 700 species of butterflies, almost half the number recorded across India, thrive in Sikkim. Of these, some 420 species or 61% of the butterflies in the State are concentrated in the 78 sq. km Dzongu area adjoining the Khangchendzonga National Park and Biosphere Reserve.
The Hindu
04-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
About 61% of Sikkim's butterfly species are in the Dzongu region, study finds
A 10-year study to establish the Dzongu region as one of India's richest butterfly habitats has become a 'gift to the world' in celebration of Sikkim's 50 years of Statehood. Sikkim transitioned from a protectorate to India's 22nd State on May 16, 1975. Sonam Wangchuk Lepcha, a citizen scientist from Noom Panang village in Sikkim's Mangan district, trekked through forests, climbed hills, crossed rivers, and spent days and nights under the open sky between 2016 and 2024 to record 420 species of butterflies in Dzongu. This worked out to 60.95% of about 700 species recorded in Sikkim so far. He published the findings with zoologist Monish Kumar Thapa of the Assam Royal Global University in the latest issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa. 'Sikkim is known as a global hotspot for butterflies according to the Government of India, but what fills me with more pride is that almost 61% of all the butterflies found in the State are from Dzongu, our home, rich in forests, culture, and traditions,' Mr. Lepcha told The Hindu. Measuring about 78 sq. km, the triangular Dzongu region is at an elevation ranging from 700 metres to 6,000 metres above the mean sea level. The area adjoins the Khangchendzonga National Park and Biosphere Reserve and is a part of the Indo-Myanmar Biodiversity Hotspot. Butterflies are considered a valuable indicator of biodiversity because their populations are sensitive to environmental changes and habitat loss. India is home to 1,502 of some 20,000 butterfly species recorded across the globe, and a tad less than 50% of the species found in the country thrive in Sikkim. According to the Lepcha-Thapa paper, Nymphalidae emerged as the dominant family with 165 species across 68 genera, followed by Lycaenidae with 92 species from 51 genera, Hesperiidae with 84 species from 44 genera, Papilionidae with 38 species from eight genera, Pieridae with 32 species from 13 genera, and Riodinidae with nine species from three genera. Altogether 118 of these species recorded in Dzongu are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 with the majority warranting a high level of protection as Schedule II insects. A total of 194 butterfly species exclusive to the northeastern region have been documented. Among the rare butterflies recorded were Papilio krishna, Teinopalpus imperialis, Meandrusa lachinus, Stichophthalma camadeva, Euaspa pavo, Ionolyce helicon, Dodona adonira, Koruthaialos butleri, Bassarona durga (Sikkim's State butterfly), and the Zographetus dzonguensis. that's still new to science. 'We found that the sub-tropical hill forest supported the highest butterfly diversity with 395 species recorded, while the sub-alpine forest supported the lowest diversity with 13 species,' Mr. Lepcha said, thanking guides Nosang M. Limboo and Sonam Pintso Sherpa, and members of the Butterfly Society of Sikkim for helping with the decade-long study.
