The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front which has been in power continuously for 20 years under the leadership of Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, is flaunting its 'achievements' of two decades to woo voters this election even as it faces stiff challenge from the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha this time. The tiny Himalayan state known for its natural beauty and tourism potential is going for simultaneous elections to its only Lok Sabha seat and 40-member state assembly on April 12.
The Centre has constituted an inter-ministerial team to visit Sikkim to take stock of the damage following Sunday's devastating earthquake amid fresh reports that 400 foreign tourists were stranded in the worst-hit North Sikkim. Home Minister P Chidambaram will also visit Sikkim on Thursday to review the rescue and relief operations being undertaken in the Himalayan state.
The trials are being held to select the teams for the Asian Championships and Asian Olympic Games Qualifiers, both scheduled to be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
'China and India would like to conduct useful and meaningful exploration on this issue,' Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.
The government on Friday expressed deep concern over China constructing a road in the disputed Doklam area near Sikkim
Mainstream political parties in Sikkim have thrown their weight behind the separate Gorkhaland state issue for which the state has witnessed a series of agitations with its economy paralysed. The state's main political force -- the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front -- has openly supported the creation of a separate Gorkhaland state to fulfil what it says the aspiration of the Gorkha people.
India maintains Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura belong to it.
Official sources in the Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday downplayed the controversy related to Chinese activities in the northern most part of Sikkim. Both sides are expected to meet formally to settle the new friction at the border.According to reports, China tried to grab a small tract of land, also known as finger area, in northern Sikkim, which overlooks the Himlayan Valley Sora Funnel.
As rescue teams continued their march to the inaccessible quake-hit areas of North Sikkim, the death toll in the ravaged Himalayan state on Friday reached 75, with the recovery of one more body.
With 20 more bodies recovered in quake hit Sikkim on Tuesday night, the toll mounted to 73 on Wednesday amidst fears that the casualty figure could go up significantly as the rescue party were yet to reach 15 major villages.
"The voting percentage is likely to go upwards when reports from all polling stations are obtained as polling is scheduled till 6 pm in many constituencies. Final figures will be known on Saturday after the scrutiny of form 17A," the EC said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday went around some quake-hit areas in Sikkim where the toll has climbed to 50 and promised all help to the state to tide over its major crisis.
Pawan Chamling is all set to become CM for the fifth time in a row; SDF party led by him sweeps the assembly polls, winning 22 of the 32 seats. Anurag Kashyap reports.
The exercises also involve combat operations command, combat synergies, live fire shooting training, and comprehensive inspection of arms integration, the report said.
The charming town of Pelling can strike a balance between commerce and conservation
The Dalai Lama's proximity to the Chinese border will anger the Communist dictators in Beijing, who despise the Tibetan spiritual leader who retains his influence in his homeland 64 years after he fled Tibet.
Justice Paul Daniel Dinakaran, facing impeachment proceedings in the Rajya Sabha, was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court on Monday after his transfer to the Himalayan state following allegations of corruption.
A Jaguar fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force crashed in a forest near Lik in Upper Dzongu in North Sikkim on Friday, with the pilot suffering serious injuries.
In underlining the role of border villages as custodians of India's frontiers, New Delhi is following China's example in Tibet.
The PLA said the move has 'seriously damaged' border peace and tranquillity.
Lonely Planet has nammed Sikkim the best region to visit in 2014. Here are some snapshots from one of India's most beautiful state.
In a joint statement, they noted that while the incident highlights the prevailing "apathy, misgovernance and lack of accountability" in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, the state government's "apparent inclination" to shield perpetrators rather than protect victims is a "grave miscarriage of justice".
Singh said the Modi government has changed the approach adopted by previous governments that the border areas are buffer zones between the plains and the potential adversary.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman displayed the photographs of the alleged Indian "incursion" into the area during a media briefing.
Santiago Martin has funded Rs 1,368 crore to political parties between October 2020 to January 2024 through electoral bonds.
At least 11 people were killed -- six in India and five in Nepal -- after a powerful earthquake with a 6.8 magnitude rocked Sikkim and other parts in the northeast on Sunday leaving. In, India around fifty people have been injured and there has been extensive damage to property. The quake also jolted Bangladesh, sparking panic among the people, though there was no immediate report of any casualty.
'The impasse on the India-China border in the Sikkim sector persists, but the Hamburg meeting between the two leaders will certainly have its salutary effects on the relationship between the two countries,' says China scholar Rup Narayan Das.
SMU (Sikkim Manipal University) of Distance Education has announced admissions for its 'Spring Drive' in 2009.
China will resolutely safeguard its border sovereignty in conflicts with Indian troops even at the cost of war, GT said.
Sikkim's tryst with floriculture marks a new beginning for small growers, but poor market access and a flush of imported breeds may mar its sustainability.
As powerful earthquakes rocked Sikkim, the Central government on Sunday swung into action, rushing specialised teams for rescue, relief and medical operations, besides mobilising the Army and Air Force.
The advisory asked to pay close attention to the security situation and take necessary precautions.
Sikkim was cut off from the rest of the country when Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha activists blocked the National Highway 31A early on Saturday as part of their 24-hour strike in the Darjeeling Hills region. Vehicular traffic between Sikkim and Siliguri via the NH-31A has been totally paralysed since early morning, police officials at Rangpo inter-state border checkpost said. Only a few vehicles belonging to the military forces, press persons and some ambulances were seen.
Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling drove down from Gangtok to Rangpo and submitted to the governor a letter recommending dissolution of the House.
The Sikkim government is considering a proposal by the Forest and Wildlife Department to market the medicinal herb Cordyceps Sinensis, popularly known as Himalayan Viagra. The herb, whose scientific name is Caterpillar Fungus, is found abundantly in the forests of the Himalayan state.
At least two persons were killed and four others injured in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district as a mortar shell, reportedly carried by the floodwaters of Teesta river, exploded, police said on Friday.
On the eve of Foreign Ministerial talks, India on Wednesday virtually rejected China's claim over a small part of Sikkim, saying the state's boundary issue has been settled. Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said the recent Chinese claim over the 'finger area' in Sikkim border would be discussed at the talks between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in Beijing on Thursday. China recently laid claim over the 'finger area'.
China on Wednesday accused India of "trampling" on the Panchsheel principles and asked New Delhi to "correct its mistakes" as soon as possible by pulling back troops.
