People make a government such that the government can avail the people basic amenities at their doorstep but what if the government do not provide these all to the wishful people? Similar is the legend of one such village located in South Sikkim, the village named Sokpey comprising of seven hundred voters who have never seen what so called a road and other civic amenities? This should sound strange for the rest people of Sikkim who are literate about developments and modernization, think about the vision 2015 once again and then shall the truth unveil the hard core insight story.
In fact the democracy allows everyone to raise a voice for something or other which one thinks is a subject able matter. The people of Sokpey village have never seen any developments since many years, the sense of developments nowhere reflects seeing the surroundings of this village. Even though one or two structures like bridges could be seen but not to be used since all are on the verge of disposal and wrecked with time. From Singtam to Payong via Makha vehicles can ply through a road, however from Makha to Payong road is awesome thereafter uphills journey of about three hours fetches Sokpey. The place is dominated by rainfall through the year, so the people of this village stock the essential commodities during the winter itself.
There is no proper road leading to the village and people need to cross the rivers and streams through a pitiful traditional bamboo suspension bridge. The literacy rate in this place is absolutely shameful, would had there been a proper roads our children would have gone to school says the parents. Amazingly there is a government junior high school in Sokpey where teachers think working in the place is similar to that of getting a capital punishment. There are two graduate unemployed in the village, not a single person from the place is employed in any government organization. God can come down from the heaven but not a single official ever visits the place to witness the condition of the people living here, says people.
Sikkim Power Department sells its electricity to nearby States after consumption in the State but thinking about electricity in this place is something like a dream coming into reality, what colour a blind person would see in his life. There are sufficient vegetation and farming practice but due to transportation people are landlocked, they instead feed the surplus vegetables to their cattle as fodder. Big cardamom cultivation once brought enough money to ignite their daily oven and full fill their desire, since few years due to alien cardamom plant diseases the cultivation is totally nil. Many patients on the way have lost their lives due to unavailability of better medical or hospital facility, even as there is no dispensary in this place says one of the concerned person of the place.
To be frank it was told that one person Purna Bahadur Tiwari from the place is still living with his illness due to poverty. The big question now arise, is this the only place suffering in Sikkim or are there still the places facing even pathetic condition then Sokpey? So, on what basis is the development taking places in the superior State like Sikkim, a State which is also rapidly bagging awards after awards from every corner of the world for its performance and socio-economic transformation. People wants a justice to be done , these helpless people too are the citizens after all who voted for their well to do future generations, they wants government to hear their voice, who else will listen to them if government doesn’t?
An educated youth DB Katwal of the village has made his mind to put up the reason of being apartheid to various departments and laws. He says, now the leaders needs to stop faking with the people and come down to the basement of problem thereby working honestly to make the vision 2015 happening. Katwal insists that youths are the pillar of new Sikkim, they need to be inspired from the reality of situation and make all their effort in inventing new horizon for Sikkim. (Agencies)