In the study it has been seen that the economy of Sikkim has the twin characteristics of a traditional and a modern economy. So far as the former is concerned it is mostly shaped and influenced by natural, mainly geographical, and cultural factors.
Within the realm of development economics the book is an attempt to search for a right interrelationship amongst community, market and the State for promoting economic growth and to allow the trickle down effect of growth to reach the grass root level. The development process followed in post State hood period shows that serious attempts were made in Sikkim to create new avenues for livelihood outside agriculture without disturbing the rural fabric of the region. The economy is growing at a satisfactory rate, higher than the all India average growth rate. Per capita income stands higher than the all India average. The so called structural change has apparently become prominent. Does it then imply that Sikkim's economy is moving in Kuznets way? Has the reliance on agriculture been reduced substantially? Institutional reforms in terms of agrarian reform have not been initiated in Sikkim. Can we then conclude that high economic growth can be achieved without bringing institutional changes? Has high economic growth led to a strong and resilient manufacturing sector or services? An honest and an unbiased effort has been made to answer these questions so that Sikkim can become a model state in North East and in India in the days to come.
Using seventeenth and eighteenth century sources from the former Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim, this book examines the construction of Sikkimese historiography and presents an interpretation of the history of state formation of Sikkim.
Rising densities of human settlements, migration and transport to reduce distances to market, and specialization and trade facilitated by fewer international divisions are central to economic development. The transformations along these three dimensions density, distance, and division are most noticeable in North America, Western Europe, and Japan, but countries in Asia and Eastern Europe are changing in ways similar in scope and speed. 'World Development Report 2009: Reshaping Economic Geography' concludes that these spatial transformations are essential, and should be encouraged. The conclusion is not without controversy. Slum-dwellers now number a billion, but the rush to cities continues. Globalization is believed to benefit many, but not the billion people living in lagging areas of developing nations. High poverty and mortality persist among the world's 'bottom billion', while others grow wealthier and live longer lives. Concern for these three billion often comes with the prescription that growth must be made spatially balanced. The WDR has a different message: economic growth is seldom balanced, and efforts to spread it out prematurely will jeopardize progress. The Report: documents how production becomes more concentrated spatially as economies grow. proposes economic integration as the principle for promoting successful spatial transformations. revisits the debates on urbanization, territorial development, and regional integration and shows how today's developers can reshape economic geography.
The present political system of Sikkim, the 22nd state of India, is based on democratic principle enthuse with the ideas of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice. However, the situation before the merger of the erstwhile Himalayan Kingdom with the Indian Union shares a very different picture. Evolution of Kingship dates back to 1641, under the Namgyals with the title of the Chogyals or Dharmaraja.
SIKKIM, the tiny Himalayan Kingdom came in existence in 1642 A.D. with a much larger area than it was in 1975 A.D. before it s integration in the Kingdom was the whole of Limbuwan, now the eastern most part of Nepal, southern parts of Tibet Autonomous region of China from Nathu La and Jelep La to the Tang La beyond Phari Jong, western Bhutan up to the watershed range between the Ammo Chu Valley and Har Chu Valley, and the northern plains of West Bengal as far south as Titalaiya and Purnea of Bihar. The Kingdom disintegrated in eight phases in different period of time when it s considerable areas were annexed by Bhutan, Nepal, China and British India of those days, and was finally integrated as one of the States of Indian Union in 1975 A.D. thereby loosing it s identity as a Himalayan Kingdom. The book provides insight into the history of its existence as the Himalayan Kingdom and it s disintegration in various phases, ethnicity, culture and customs of the people of Sikkim. About The Author: - Mr. Jash Subba, a post graduate in agricultural science from IARI. New Delhi, is a prolific writer and critic. Born in 1949 at Hee, one of the villages of Sikkim joined Agriculture service and has retired from Government Service in 2007 after 32 years as Principal Director Agriculture. During his long period of service he held a number of posts in the State Government and has contributed a lot for the development of agriculture and horticulture. He has also worked as consultant to FAO, SARD-M project, and is an expert on sustainable mountain farming systems. Besides, he has eighteen books in his credit on diverse subjects ranging from agriculture, horticulture, biodiversity, culture, anthropology, religion and philosophy. He has also contributed a number of articles and participated in seminars in the country and abroad. Contents: - Foreword Acknowledgement Acronyms Chronology History and Culture Land, People and Livelihood Landscape, Agricultural Ecosystems and Sac
The State in the Colonial Periphery: A Study on Sikkims Relation with Great Britain, as the preliminary title of the book indicates; it uncovers the relation between Sikkim and Great Britain, from the beginning of the relationship in the early nineteenth century, till the end of the British Colonial rule in India. This book expands upon the existing literature by uncovering the British influence in the region and its impact in determining the politics of the region. This work connotes Sikkim with the term colonial periphery which is neither a state under colonialism, nor outside the zone of influence of colonialism and predominantly acts according to the aspirations of the colonizer. After the end of British paramountcy in India, a delegation headed by Crowned Prince, Thondup Namgyal went to Delhi to discuss the matters relating to Sikkim with the British Officials. But since, the paramountcy had already been lapsed, they urged Sikkims delegation to discuss the matter with independent India. Independent India didnt define the status of Sikkim, eventually India signed a Standstill Agreement (1948), to discuss the future and position of Sikkim in open. The Treaty of 1950 confirmed the sovereignty of Sikkim and Sikkim became the protectorate state of India, as it was of Britain. The international implication and the demands for the larger democracy in Sikkim, led to the merger, a peripheral state became the part of India. The contact with the British transformed the traditional monastic state with cultural, political and religious affinities with Tibet, into a modern state. Sikkim is still to some extent a virgin territory for the researchers, much work remains to be done on the period of British influence in the region; perhaps this is the first on the said theme. This work has made an attempt towards contributing to the fulfilment of this need. This work attempts to provide some answers to the question of British influence in shaping the politics of the region and its impact on the state of Sikkim. Overall, this study makes the conclusion that the regional, political, economic and strategic interests of British colonialism played a key role in determining the political developments and present political situation in Sikkim.