Gangtok (Sikkim) [India], August 15 : On the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day, the Government of Sikkim, under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Prem Singh Tamang, launched the 'Shravan Kumar Award', a state-level honour designed to acknowledge and celebrate individuals who demonstrate devotion towards their parents.
The award is administered by the Rural Development Department and was announced on August 15, 2023. It is named after the mythical character Shravan Kumar, known for filial duty.
The award is presented annually on Independence Day, with a cash component of Rs 1 lakh for each recipient from the State Government.
This year, 199 individuals, one from each Gram Panchayat Unit (GPU) across the state, received the award. CM Tamang personally conferred the award upon 22 individuals from 22 Gram Panchayat Units under Gangtok District.
Through the initiative, Sikkim aims to promote values of respect, gratitude, and service towards parents, reflecting the State Government's commitment to strengthening the emotional and cultural foundations of the state.
Meanwhile, at 14,000 feet, the Indian Army's Gajraj Corps led Tiranga March in Chuna's forward areas in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district to mark Independence Day.
In a novel move, 160 Gorkha troops & attached troops, along with 25 ITBP personnel, carried the 100-metre National Flag through the lush Himalayan grasslands, accompanied by approximately.
150 local villagers, including toddlers and children from greenfield villages of Mago and Chuna in Tawang District, marching shoulder-to-shoulder, turning the landscape into a vibrant sea of saffron, white and green.
The Civil Administration, under Assistant Commissioner Thutan Wangchu, led the local villagers in the event coordinated and mobilised by the Indian Army. Twenty-three students and a teacher from the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi (UP) also joined in the march in search of their patriotic roots.
After the march, all agencies united with immense patriotic fervour and a deep sense of duty for a 'No Plastic Zone' cleanliness drive, removing waste and reinforcing the campaign to protect the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.