Skilled Human Resources crucial for Sikkim’s Growth Story 2.0

Indra Hang Subba Lok Sabha MP, Sikkim

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address during the inaugural session of the Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav at the Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi was a clarion call to fulfil the vision of making the Northeast region as the growth engine of the nation. The Mahotsav itself served as a rich platform for involving the Northeast region with the rest of the country and the globe as a whole.

Organised by the Ministry of Development of Northeast Region, participants from eight states, viz. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Sikkim, the Mahotsav provides an unprecedented platform to showcase the strengths and potential of the Northeast region. The region boasts of a vibrant textile industry, artisanal crafts, indigenous processed food products, agricultural and horticultural produces with unique Geographical Indication (GI). The Northeast region contributes significantly to India's cultural, social, and economic fabric. In recent decades the Government of India’s focus has been fixed on strengthening socio-economic status of the region, simultaneously protecting its unique cultural values.

Historical challenges & path to peace

The region has been known, for many decades after India’s independence, as a disturbed area with insurgencies making their safe haven in the teeming jungles and porous international borders.

After decades of struggle and infighting among the ethnic groups, today, most of the states in the region have started experiencing peace. A true progress for the region as peace is the prerequisite for socio-economic development. As argued by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, freedom is both the primary end and the principal means of development. Freedom is not possible without a certain degree of peace or the absence of violence.

PM Modi’s call for progress of the Ashtalakshmi, the eight states of the NER, he said, is based on building strong connections in ‘Emotion, Economy and Ecology’ with the rest of the nation. This is indeed a huge step towards inclusive growth of the region.

Even though the rest of India witnessed development in multiple fronts, the NER experienced isolation in many fronts for a long period.  Modern connectivity, be it roads, railways, waterways, or telecommunications, was extremely poor and unreliable. The investment in these sectors stagnated for decades. Because of poor connectivity, and persisting violence and political uncertainty, major players in the field of business restrained from investing in this region. However in last decade we have seen unprecedented growth in the highway and road network in the region. The total length of National Highways constructed in North Eastern Region during the last ten years is 9,984 km with an expenditure of Rs.1,07,504 crore, adding to seamless transportation across the region as well as to the rest of the country. In addition 265 NH projects are under implementation at a cost of Rs.1,18,894 crore with a total length of 5,055 km (Ref: PIB, 26 JUL 2024).

Railway link to the Northeast region has drastically improved and is more reliable. Sikkim is projected to have its first railway line from Sevoke-Rangpo operational by 2026, according to the answer provided in the Lok Sabha this winter session, which will lead to an unprecedented boost in Sikkim’s business and trade. Along with the rail, road and airways, an ambitious project to connect towns along the Brahmaputra through inland waterways shows the commitment of the government towards growth of the region.

Sikkim: A model of peace & development

Among the Ashtalakshmi states, Sikkim is the smallest in terms of area but a trailblazer of innovation and development in multiple fronts. Since its merger with the Indian union in 1975, there has been no history of insurgency in the state which shares international borders with China, Nepal and Bhutan. History does not record any incidents of major violence in Sikkim in the last five decades. There have been few political and social uprisings from time to time but in a democratic manner leading to positive development of the state. The prerequisite for the development is peace, a batch our state proudly carries. Therefore, the state has achieved multiple feats during its five decades of journey as the 22nd state.

Sikkim has been an example in term of its growth in literacy.  In 1971 it was just 17% when the national average was 34%. Today, the state’s literacy rate has reached 82%, approximately 10 points higher than the national average (census 2011). This unprecedented growth can be attributed to strong policy decisions made in the post-merger decades, strong social cohesion among various ethnic groups, absence of religious and caste-based discrimination, community participation and most importantly, the hunger for basic education among the common populace.

My father still recounts his day as a committee teacher, a teacher in a school run solely by committee without any aid from the state, where he was paid mostly in kind rather than in cash. There are many such examples where the locals came together to start schools in the 70s. The government’s policy to hire teachers from other states till the time we have sufficient locals qualified enough to become teachers was a game changing decision which led to rapid growth in literacy. Today, every individual is able to read not only letters, bills, and newspapers, but also the statements made by their leaders on social media. This shows that our state is now ready for growth story 2.0.

Growth Story 2.0: Embracing change & modernisation

Our growth story 2.0 must begin with skill development, entrepreneurship, business and leaders in the field of administration, judiciary and media. Thousands of teenagers graduate every year with a hope of future filled with opportunities. However, the economic and social landscape is changing at an unprecedented pace and presents a new set of challenges.

The global digital revolution has completely altered the dynamics of employment. Jobs are available, but for those who have acquired a specific set of skills. Automation has created opportunities as well as distress. Creative destruction of opportunity in the field of administration, transportation, marketing, and dissemination of information has been an ever growing challenge.

Alas, it cannot be undone. Economies which tried to resist technology have been left behind, and history stands as witness to this truth.

We cannot afford to be left behind just because we are not yet comfortable with the new reality. We must embrace the opportunities created by technological growth by accepting the challenges posed by the urgent need of modernisation in every field, including agriculture.

Sikkim can be the bright-spot of the Ashtalakshmi in the Indian economy. Socially, we have set the standard which others aspire to achieve. In terms of ecology, we are the trailblazers and look ahead to lead the nation by becoming a carbon neutral State. The green initiatives taken by Sikkim today are the frontrunner in the country’s policy. However, economically, we are yet to achieve the feat of being Atmanirbhar in many sectors. Most of the products we use today are not produced in our state, including the essential commodity items. Our population is just 6,10,000 (2011 census) which is absolutely manageable. Unfortunately, self-sufficiency has never been reached. The reasons are valid; small area, scarcity of arable land, ecologically fragile, unpredictable shift in weather pattern, limited availability of skilled personnel. It is time that we work on our strengths.

The future of Sikkim: Skilled human resources

We have a young population and nearly all are literate. Skilling them would definitely fetch short-term and well as long-term gains for Sikkim. It makes them employable and will address the problem of unemployment, and also enhance production and hence the wealth of the state. In the long-term, the dynamics of the state’s economy will change by creating new avenues of manufacturing as well as services in the market. High-tech manufacturing is a lucrative opportunity as its demand is ever growing in the global market. Every multinational company would like to hire technically efficient and well trained human resources. If we start today orienting our existing education in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), by next decade we might have the potential to become a power house of human resources. Having enough human resources is to have a greater potential for innovation, entrepreneurship, and business. These are ultimately the engine for wealth creation and overall well-being of the society. However, I would like to point out here that the wellbeing of the society also depends on social cohesion and political certainty, democracy and freedom.  

In conclusion, I believe that it is high time that Sikkim actively engages in the global economy, instead of isolating itself from valuable opportunities. Our State’s physical area is limited but the human resources we have in Sikkim are much higher in terms of literacy, innovation and creativity. It is only because that we have been feeding ourself with the low hanging fruits for so many years, we have never tasted the sweetness of the ones hanging higher up on the tree. It is time we help our youngsters explore better opportunities in entrepreneurship. There are vast opportunities yet to be explored. Even in Sikkim, the entrepreneurial opportunities in the field of semiconductor based manufacturing, tourism, and transportation remains unsaturated. Business in farming sector is still yet to be fully tapped even though it carries an enormous opportunity in the global market. Let’s all come together and seize the opportunities available.