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Item Open Access Environmental governance and women in Sikkim : a study of actors and network since 1994(University of North Bengal, 2023) Bhutia, Tseten Uden; De, SoumitraOver a decade and a half. the environmental movement in Sikkim has witnessed several changes, particularly since 1994. when Sikkim Democratic Front came to power. The objective of environmental protection remains, but the activism has committed itself to addressing many more issues. Analyzing the success or failure of the traditional method of governance, which could have been replaced by a new form of governance known as New Environmental Governance ( NEG). The new form of governance has introduced an idea of activism that has risen beyond the distinctions of class, gender, and region. The idea or participation. collaboration, and collectiveness based on selfless service and representation has emerged. Sikkim has been on a march towards sustainable development or 'Green· development, respecting the values and importance of natural resources and the lives dependent on them. For the same, various green policies have been formulated and implemented through State and Centre-led initiatives Such initiatives in a sense ha,e been accused of not being inclusive oft he aspirations and sentiments of the local population. Such an opinion is not just confined to a place like Sikkim. but activism against development projects which is seen to endanger the social. economic, and environmental spheres of the lives or the people has developed in different parts of India and the world. The rise of the people and communities affected ts not new to India. With Sikkim treading on the path of development later compared to other states of India, was said to have 'delayed development'. But the sooner the development started so did the activism against it. Over five chapters. the work revolves around the study of the nature of activism in Sikkim, which saw the rise of community. as well as groups within the community i.e., the rise of women in environmentaI governance. Different actors and their dependence on each other and their functioning through a network are studied. These actors have through their effort emphasized the intrinsic value of nature/environment. and its significance for the people of Sikkim especially the indigenous community i.e., Lepchas of Dzongu. Materializing on the idea of collective action toward a common goal, the movememt to this day continues. Along with the activism to stop the imposition or development projects; the actors through their organizations have instated various initiatives at the local level for the welfare of the community. They strive to relieve dependence on development efforts from external forces and establish self-determination and self-reliance through dependence on their own resources through indigenous efforts as well. They have initiated policies to prove to the authorities of traditional administration that the intellectual resources of the state and indigenous resources are adequate to bring about development in a region like Dzongu, which can later be taken as an example for the entire state. Such methods would have no negative repercussions on the environment and the people. They are keen on providing alternatives to development to the authorities. This work would provide a theoretical and field-based perspective on the concept of environmental governance in Sikkim. [t also presents an evaluation of the move from the administration of the enviromnent by the government: to environmental governance. and finally to NEG- New Environmental Governance. The work would gradually elaborate on the concepts and principles of environmental governance in general; the characteristics and principles of NEG: and move towards identifying the actors in governance and NEG and its interdependence which leads to network governance. A specific emphasis would be laid on the actors and networks in environmental governance in Sikkim. The success and failures of the above-mentioned methods of governance have been analyzed through the work. Governance includes the idea of independence and interdependence of actors working towards a particular goal. There needs to be a collaboration between the community organizations and the state agencies and also a com1ecrion between women as individuals and women as a part of the community. Local knowledge would have a grave impact on the preservation and conservation of the environment. Administration by the government should acknowledge and be inclusive of the contribution of the community and groups within the community for achieving effective and efficient governance. Actors participate for reasons which may vary- material or emotional reasons may cause one to participate, it would be befitting to consider that state-mediated environmental governance contains ' Arrogance, as prescribed by Ramachandra Guha, and thus makes it imperative to consider tJ1e presence and contribution of other actors in environmental governance. lt could complement the state-led initiatives and give a local and closer perspective to the governance of the environment. The nature of actors especially NGOs- Non- Governmental Organizations also differ. There are various NGOs that work under the aegis of the state government and a few NGOs which have no affiliation to the government. They function independently and apolitically with the support received from the local community, and national and international organizations with similar purposes. This work is based on the state's policy initiatives and the interaction with the organization, Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT).Item Open Access Floriculture and floriculturists in Sikkim : a sociological study(University of North Bengal, 2023) Bhandari, Yashmin; Bhui, UjjwalPost globalization, floriculture has become an important commercial activity m Horticulture sector. Presently, India along with China has majority of its area under flower cultivation. Though the contribution of India in global scenario is much Jess, nonetheless, floriculture in India and in different states of India has emerged as an alternate source of income. In India, floriculture is viewed as one of the upcoming industries and is accorded with hundred percent export-oriented status. Floriculture in other states of India like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal etc., is commercially done and has been able to secure leading positions in India. Likewise, Sikkim located in the western most part of Eastern Himalayas, with its geographical and environmental conditions coupled with a skilled workforce give Sikkim a definite edge in the business of floriculture. Sikkim also with its advantage in terms of climate has paved its way for floriculture. The young minds have been showing keen interest in floriculture as they look at it as an alternate source of income, a scheme for selfemployment. The flowers grown earlier were mostly amateur type, in terms of the purpose for which it was grown; i.e., for beautification, or an aesthetic feel. However, things slowly and gradually changed over a period of time. People of Sikkim have always lived close with nature / have always shared a close connection with nature. The art of growing and producing from the available resources of nature has been a part and parcel of people residing in Sikkim. In the State, large number of farmers who were mostly dependent on agriculture at a point of time was involved in growing crops and vegetable as a means to sustain their lives. Over a period of time when the art of commercialization came to the fore, the crops and vegetable started to be sold in order to earn money. Likewise, Sikkim witnessed a gradual shift from agriculture to that of floriculture. The commercialization of flowers were done because it was realized by the flower farmers that farming of flowers and selling it in the market will give a high economic return, also the feel of independence to many youth and women who wanted to earn for themselves now had a chance to liberate from the guilt of not having a job. Floriculture means cultivating flowers and ornamental plant materials. It also means that these cultivated flowers and ornamental plants materials can be used for scientific purpose or for commercialization. It also includes production of their by - products such as oil, scents, medicines etc. Floriculturists are the people who farm flowers. Therefore, the present study has focused on the flower farmers/floriculturists in Sikkim. Commercializing of flowers in Sikkim has changed lives of many people affecting the parameters like socio-economy, age, gender etc. Though flower share in the national/ international market may be disheartening but the demand for flowers is continuously increasing. Therefore, this increase in demand hint on the fact that flower decoration has become a ritual for the people of Sikkim. The involvement in floriculture has also acted as a therapy to some of the floriculturists who informed the researcher during the field survey. In order to fulfil this Government of Sikkim has also taken up several steps. The support from the government's side has also helped the flower farmers to try this new avenue. It has indirectly encouraged them to accept floriculture in the state. The flower farmers are mostly middle and small scale flower growers. There are however people doing floriculture in large scale as well. The present study tries to overview and highlight the progress of floriculture industry in Sikkim so far and its impact on socio-economic conditions of the growers. In this study, both primary and secondary data from different sources has been used in order to know the present status of floriculture industries in Sikkim. In total 300 respondents were interviewed by the researcher. Apart from interview, discussion with the respondent was also included. Researcher has also included Case Studies as a part of data collection. At present Sikkim is producing cut flowers that include roses, anthurium, gladiolus etc., on a commercial scale. Sikkim is the only state in India that produces high - value cymbidium orchids. Analysis of data reveals that status in relation to income of floriculturist farmers has been changed and it shows a better picture regarding upliftment of people and a chance to earn their livelihood also providing a platform for budding entrepreneurs. The study area of the present studies include, the area in which flower cluster exist. Different places from the district of east, west, south has been taken for the study. The north district has been kept aside for the present study because there are no flower clusters in north district. Flower farmers from other district are much ahead from that of north district. I 00 samples who are flower farmers from each district ( east, west, south) were interviewed. Apart from them, government officials who are directly or indirectly in relation with floriculture was also interviewed. They were part of discussions related the present study as well. Many important information regarding governmental schemes and initiatives were given by the officials from the department of Horticulture and Cash Crops. This also helped the researcher to cross check the facts and information on the initiatives taken by the government towards floriculture. The strategies that have been adopted by the department for improving commercialisation of flowers were also discussed. Furthermore, the collection of data has been fulfilled; the analysis of the collected data has been done. Once the data from primary and secondary source was collected the analysis was made looking at both the primary and secondary data and has been highlighted and explained in qualitative and quantitative methods. This has been done through the help of tables, figures, narratives and case studies. The thesis is divided into six chapters with introduction and conclusion. The chapters have been done in a way that it fulfils the research objectives of the present study. The findings are an attempt to bridge the existing gap in floriculture and to expand the knowledge with regards to floriculture through a sociological perspective.Item Open Access “STATE, NGO’s and Ecotourism: A Study of Select Ecotourism Projects of Sikkim(University of North Bengal, 2022) Tamang lama, Nisha; Chakraborty, RanjitaThe present study seeks to address the understanding of community-based ecotourism projects in Sikkim associated with how community-based ecotourism has been able to promote sustainable tourism and at the same time understand what has been the nature of interlinkages between the state, NGOs, and the local community in the promotion of sustainable ecotourism in the region under focus. The study also seeks to look into the degree of freedom given to the communities in planning and managing ecotourism in the context of hegemonic state-market relations in the area under focus. The present study focused on the Ecotourism Policy and the nature of the linkage between the government of Sikkim, the local NGOs, and the local community of the Ecotourism destination. We would probe the successes as well as the weaknesses of the projects and in the process address the question of how to promote and sustain community-based ecotourism. A major success has been the emergence of a community-based Non-Government Organization. NGOs have a potentially valuable role in supporting and building the capacity of local communities to participate in ecotourism programs, especially in defining the zoning and designing interpretation materials and facilities. Many NGOs have been participating in the tourism industry based on their different aims, but their major involvement has occurred within the area where tourism is linked with the local Community and environment; "community-based ecotourism''. Field trips were undertaken to study the ET projects in Sikkim. No study has focused on the conditions of the operation as well as the outcome of these projects. The present study seeks to examine Sikkim's Ecotourism Policy establishing the state as an ultimate and unique ecotourism destination offering memorable and high-quality learning experiences to visitors while contributing towards poverty alleviation and promotion of nature conservation. In Sikkim, though ecotourism projects are in operation, studies have focused on community participation and promoting conservation and sustainable developmentItem Open Access Socio-economic and political status of the bhutias in Sikkim since 1975: change and continuity(University of North Bengal, 2022-05) Bhutia, Karma Samten; Datta, KarubakiItem Open Access Structure and socio-economic conditions of migrant population in East and South districts of Sikkim since 1975: a geographical study(University of North Bengal, 2021) Choudhury, Subhashis; Sahu, Rangadhar