Bato Khoju: A workshop to find a way forward for Gangtok

Dear Reader,

This document represents diverse perspectives expressed during vigorous discussions on the second day of the Bato Khoju workshops hosted by the Architects of Sikkim.

As such, this document is not a view of any single participant or organisation, including the Architects of Sikkim. It is simply an attempt at piecing together different viewpoints and ideas that were shared during the workshop, all with the intent of helping Sikkim.

What this document does represent is:

• The belief that public discourse about the guiding principles, challenges and solutions for our society, initiated and sustained by we, the citizens of Sikkim, is essential in order to achieve the ideals of Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity enshrined in our Constitution.

• The conviction that public participation, like what happened on Day 1 of Bato Khoju, where citizens feel safe to express themselves, is crucial for understanding the problems and opportunities our society faces.

• The idea that the participation, like what happened on Day 2 of the Bato Khoju, of a diverse group of critical thinking people, with different areas of expertise, all of whom deeply connected to Sikkim, coming together to discuss and analyse the data and generate insights, is a legitimate and helpful civic exercise.

The Architects of Sikkim is grateful for the participation of all our esteemed guests who took valuable time out of their weekends to discuss and analyse the data generated by the public of Gangtok.

If you, the reader, have any thoughts, suggestions, concerns or comments about this document, please do get in touch with us through the comment section below or at architectsofsikkim@gmail.com. We welcome your perspective on this document and your participation in future discussions.

Architects of Sikkim

Bato Khoju Convener

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Introduction

Workshops can often have a repetitive feeling, of simply going through the motions one more time. Bato Khoju, a 2 day workshop, was determined to delve deeper into the question of why the quality of life and the built environment of Gangtok is steadily declining despite planning exercises initiated by the government over the past few decades. The workshop was conceptualised with the hope of gaining some insights into understanding the hurdles that prevent us from moving ahead.

Day 1 was about compiling aspirations and problems from a cross-section of society that was representative of people living in Gangtok. It included the elderly, physically challenged, youth, professionals, politicians, councilors, and members of various organisations and NGOs. An equitable gender representation was also maintained. The participants were divided into smaller groups consisting of 6-8 people who were then co-facilitated by architects for detailed discussions. Each participant was given an equal opportunity to speak. Two such sessions, of an hour duration each, was conducted. The first session discussed our strengths and aspirations and the other focused on the problems and issues. The key elements of the discussions from these smaller groups were presented to the entire group of participants and feedback was solicited. These proceedings were noted, collated and documented.

A presentation by Kai Weise, an architect-planner from Kathmandu with wide experience, especially in community development, got the workshop started and established the general tone and intention for the rest of the day.

Facilitators: Progressive Learning Foundation, Samuel Waiba and Rohan Raj Pradhan [PLF]

Co-facilitators: Pema Chomu Bhutia, Suwarna Nepal, Madhavi Sharma, Somi Sonom Lepcha, Aishwarya Pradhan, Renchen Choeki [AS]

Event Support: Karan Negi, Moses Karthak, Kongchen Karthak, Sherap Palmu

Day 2 was about convening a small group of resource persons with expertise in their own areas to go through the aspirations and problems collected on Day 1 and to discuss how one should approach fulfilling those aspirations and solving the problems. There were planners from the government, lawyers, a geologist, environmentalists, a retired judge, entrepreneurs, journalists and architects who were then divided into smaller groups for facilitated discussions. Vishal Kundra, a planner with international experience, working in Delhi with the planning and consulting firm, Aecom, was the key resource person, who made a presentation of broad planning issues relevant to the workshop and added depth and nuance to the discussions.

After an initial exercise of making sense of the previous day’s findings, 3 broad tasks were assigned for discussions:

• Articulating guiding principles [broad approaches] to achieve the aspirations and find solutions to the problems highlighted.

• Identifying major obstacles and troubleshooting to achieve the aspirations and solve the problems.

• Brainstorming ways forward, keeping in mind the aspirations/problems, guiding principles and major obstacles.

The insights from these discussions were presented back to the bigger group for further deliberations. All content generated was recorded/documented to be collated later into an appropriate tangible form. It was collectively felt that the final document be:

• Uploaded/shared in the public domain for mass consumption.

• Shared with relevant authorities in the government

Participants:

Barsha Gurung, Planner [UDHD]

Dechen Dolker, Environmentalist

Devesh Pradhan, IT Professional

Devika Sharma, Planner [DESME]

Dinker Gurung, Planner [UDHD]

Jiwan Rai, Writer

Jorgay Namkha, Lawyer

Kailash Pradhan, Architect

Khagesh Agrawal, Entrepreneur

Kushal Tamang, Planner [BE&HI]

Niranjan Kapil, Planner [Gangtok Smart City]

Pema Wangchuk, Journalist

Prashant Pradhan, Architect

Premula Sherpa, Architect

Priya Shrestha, WWF

Roshan Rai, NGO [Zero Waste Himalaya]

Sanjog Raya, Architect

S P Wangdi, Retired Judge, High Court of Sikkim

Suwarna Nepal, Architect

Tashi Rapten Barfungpa, Lawyer

Tshering Tashi, Geologist

Upendra Gurung, Architect

Vishal Kundra, Planner [AECOM]

Facilitators: Tenzing Ninzey, Phuntsok Denjongpa

Co-facilitators: Phunshog Namgyal, Pujamani Pradhan, Madhavi Sharma, Somi Sonom Lepcha, Aishwarya Pradhan

Event Support: Moses Karthak, Kongchen Karthak, Rohan Raj Pradhan, Aranck Veer Kunzang

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Obstacles

In Sikkim, as elsewhere, citizens openly discussing the problems we face as individuals and as a society is often difficult. While most citizens have first-hand experience of problems and ideas for solutions, we are just starting to develop the ability to discuss, analyse and share these openly. This ability is crucial, because if we do not address the problems and if we pretend they do not exist, then they will not be solved and instead they will fester and grow. The first step in solving problems is acknowledging them. Every society that wants to improve the lives of its people, must develop ways of understanding the problems its citizens are facing and the underlying causes of those problems. The points of discussion below represent different views about the underlying causes of many issues faced by the people of Sikkim. As mentioned earlier, these are not the views of any one person nor of any group. They are simply a conglomerate of opinions of a group of people with diverse experiences and expertise imbued with a deep commitment to Sikkim’s prosperity. The account below is a manifestation of dedication to public discourse, to the belief that when we are able to listen, discuss and analyse, then our society will be better able to solve its problems, and thus be more harmonious and healthy in the long term. Subsequent sections on Guiding Principles and Ways Forward offer more diverse perspectives for consideration. Mindset It was expressed that belonging to a sheltered and tight-knit society, we often limit ourselves to arbitrarily set mental boundaries. While recognising the necessity for change in our collective mindset, we are unable to step out of our comfort zones and break out of deep set patterns of complaining and inaction. The excessive dependency of the people on the government (for employment, welfare benefits, various other goods and services) means that we are unable to question governmental authority. Most people turn a blind eye and rarely anyone challenges the government. This has resulted in a “spineless” community wherein there is nobody to bell the cat and public opinions are not voiced. The unfortunate consequence of remaining silent is that it translates into a lack of a collective sense of ownership. Most people participate in creating a facade of well-being often overlooking the problems that plague society. Many go through their days with an air of nonchalance about the status quo that is captured by their “chalta hai” attitude. With the neoliberal turn taken by the economy, there has been an increase in mass consumerism giving rise to an “insatiable greed” among the public. This acquisitive nature of the people at large is supported by the indifference and oblivion to social issues around them.

Public/Community [includes government employees] The lack of a collective sense of ownership and vision is a major obstacle for us to galvanise as a robust community, take responsibility and move forward. Our deep connections and involvement with government, our lack of awareness of our rights and responsibilities, further compounded by a lackadaisical attitude results in a culture of compliance. This becomes a breeding ground for corruption. Corruption has percolated into our psyche and become socially acceptable making us a society lacking in integrity. This normalisation of corrupt practices has distorted our sense of morality. There is lack of critical and reflexive thinking. People often tend to jump to quick conclusions and judgements rather than delving into the issue at hand, understanding it, and sensitising oneself and others to bring about positive change and awareness. All this results in a growing alienation among the people in neighbourhoods and in society at large. Governance [structural] Lack of good governance was identified as one of the major problems facing Sikkimese society. A fundamental structural schism between the political and bureaucratic realms of the government seem to display contradictory processes of symbiosis and disjunction. Dubious policy decisions proposed by the politicians, despite its potentially disastrous consequences, are often endorsed by the bureaucrats especially when personal benefits surpass the risks of working together. Proper planning procedures require both the legislative and the executive to come together and consider evidence backed research to make informed decisions. This collaborative process gets lost in the din of populism and sycophancy. Policy decisions are driven by short-term, populist demands often overlooking the long-term impact on the society and the people. The culture of sycophancy leads to the breeding of “yes-men” whereby important decisions that impact the entire society are often taken with ease and lack of opposition from all parties involved. A default top-down approach as an inbuilt deficiency, was seen as buttressing the government from acknowledging and addressing any kind of flaw within itself and preventing steps towards reforming the system. The absence of a mechanism to ensure accountability means decisions are made with no processes to hold those responsible for making them. These result in continuation of systemic corruption in the government and thereby compromising planning and implementation. Another problematic issue raised was the lack of coordination between various governmental departments. Under the guise of autonomy, the intentional lack of inter-departmental coordination can be traced to sustenance of corrupt activities, since corruption needs opacity to thrive. For instance, the glaring tug of war between the GMC and the UDHD in the specific case of urban planning and development for Gangtok illustrates how vested interests trump good governance. When it comes to proper town planning, the lack of an adequate legal framework that regulates habitation hinders those bureaucrats who are inclined and willing to work earnestly. Establishing a town-planning cadre and ensuring the right person for the right job are steps we could begin with. Governance [qualitative] A lack of maturity in our political culture is our Achilles’ heel that prevents us from acknowledging ground realities and being able to conjure any sort of long term vision for ourselves and our place. Add corruption, lack of transparency and a government which considers the public as inarticulate and unintelligent to the mix and we get conditions for a healthy banana republic! A bloated ego and a mindset that considers a government job as social security translates into unprofessionalism and poverty in imagination in government officials. It does not help that engineers [key players in implementation but many of them not trained in planning] monopolise key portfolios. Planning Short term vision and our inability to see the bigger picture prevents the formulation of well-integrated/coordinated guidelines and development regulations that can translate into specific and doable action plans. Our lack of perspective could have been corrected if the voice of people was heard through public participation in planning and consultation in policy making. Master plans are an opportunity for us to transform our place and lives if we were serious about them. Instead we are on a collision course of unsustainable infrastructure development with finite open space. Communication Effective communication between the government and the public is important. However, we lack sufficient knowledge and information on how to effectively consult with the public of all backgrounds. Implementation Implementation of any project on the ground is fraught with political interference with lawmakers and the elite breaking rules and causing problems. Contractors, protected by politicians and in collusion with the implementing agencies, have a free hand in implementing work as per their convenience. Quality suffers also as a consequence of lack of trained human resource. Illegal land encroachment is rampant and difficult to control. Socio-economic Our focus on physical infrastructure development means the level of our human resource capacity is low and capacity building efforts are wanting. This is in contrast to higher social aspirations and living standards making corruption and nepotism natural pathways to achieving them. The negative fallouts of an ecosystem founded on political hegemony and vested interests are undercurrents of veiled violence and personal threats by law makers and rich people to those who do not toe the line. This affects the psyche of the entire society.

Thorny Issues Certain issues can be too big or too difficult to talk about. Here are some: In the final analysis, the government is the obstacle. Due to the easy flow of money into Sikkim, the government has emerged as the biggest employer assuming the role of a “benevolent” patron. Lack of a mechanism to hold people in power responsible means that the incumbent shares little or no responsibility or accountability. It begs the question of how does one reform the implementers? What happens when the educated opinions are not enough to change the majority who are not as educated? How does democracy that rests on majoritarianism resolve this dilemma? Meanwhile a society with members numbed by acquisition and greed is a society that lacks shared goals. Furthering one’s own vested interest and maintaining silence cannot be a shared goal for a progressive society. Social isolation is on the rise. We are losing our scarce human resource to out-migration due to lack of good work environment within the state. Meanwhile, non-Gangtokians seeing the vacuum are coming in and making it big, with very few of them concerned about the welfare and needs of the place. These are all symptoms of a deeper malady.

Guiding principles: Approaches to achieving aspirations and solving problems

Our guiding principles need to be informed by clarity in knowing what we really want which in turn can ensure consistency in our thoughts, speech and actions. An integrated approach as an overarching principle that acknowledges the interconnectedness of all phenomena is essential.

People centric + Inclusive

Even though Sikkim as a democracy is nearly 5 decades old, socio-economic equity still remains elusive. On the positive end, Sikkimese society is evolving with an increasingly educated and aware youth expecting their voices to be heard. Public consultation and participatory planning not only bring transparency in decision making processes, it has the power to usher inclusiveness in our development efforts to achieve universal design and make the city liveable for everyone. Human development needs to replace physical development as the priority in our development agenda.

Environment

The world view that humans exist as separate entities to nature is shifting to a realisation that our actions are now directly impacting not just climate but natural ecosystems and that we are directly responsible for vanishing tracts of forests, natural habitats and extinction of plant and animal species. Besides the gross unfairness of our actions on other species, we pose an existential threat to ourselves. Our onward progress can no longer be at the cost of nature. We need an attitudinal shift of achieving an environmental balance in whatever we do, including conservation efforts, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and recognising the importance of green spaces in our city and making provisions for the same.

Transparency

Good governance implies a healthy relationship between the government and the people. It means that the aspirations of the people are translated into policies and the problems that people face are addressed on priority. For this to manifest, communication between the decision makers and the public is vital.

Sustainability

Farsightedness and a long term view of the future, that has the wisdom to see the interconnectedness of the reality around us is missing and desperately required. We need an approach that is functional, practical yet simple and inclusive. Why can't we value the good things that we have and preserve before we rebuild?

Quality of life

The simple fact that connection with nature brings quality in human life is one of the least understood and acknowledged truths by decision-makers everywhere. Ironically it is also something very achievable, especially in a land as naturally endowed as Sikkim. What stops us from identifying recreational areas within the existing city and making it accessible to the public? Or removing unnecessary visual clutter to bring nature to the fore?

Community

While close knit and well-integrated communities provide us with a deep sense of security, we need individual freedom to pursue our personal evolution so that each of us can realise our own potential. The modern way of life is lopsided in that it alienates us from one another, resulting in neuroses, unhappiness and a dysfunctional society. The challenge to inculcate a sense of ownership of the commons and care for one another is intrinsically linked with our collective well-being and a promising future for all.

Planning

Sensible planning is one of the most powerful tools to help us achieve our aspirations and solve our problems. If we can understand our strengths and acknowledge our challenges, every problem can be transformed into an opportunity to help us evolve in a direction that respects the sanctity of nature and values every human life as precious. Embarking on that path will build a genuine sense of community that can propel us out of the shackles of narrow self-interests.

Ways Forward: Notes on Various Strategies

Keeping in mind the aspirations / problems, guiding principles and major obstacles, the following is the roadmap through which we can move towards a more sustainable, socially just, and healthy society.

Civic Action

“Be the change.”

Instead of blaming others, it's better to be part of the solution and responsible for our own actions. By being aware of our rights/responsibilities and raising our expectations of what's possible/ achievable and what's not, we can network a group of concerned and dedicated people together, utilising our collective strength to work together. We can identify problems in and around our areas and come together as citizens to tackle the problem instead of expecting the government to do something. We could also band together a sincere, committed pressure/lobby group with legal back up as consultants, not activists.

We can use the things discussed today in our own fields and everyday life and figure out how each of us in our professional spaces can add to the conversation on the city, write about it, talk, discuss, meet often [both experts and common public], widen the circle and reach out to multi-varied section of the population. This can even expand into a grassroots people’s movement.

Public participation

It is imperative that the masterplan for Gangtok is developed through public participation and that the public be consulted before the planning begins to make sure it's on sure footing and more importantly, to avoid future obstacles during implementation. We need to find ways to effectively communicate with the public in order to do this.

Legal framework

Planning efforts need to be buttressed by a management plan and a legal framework that can inform us of what is applicable or what is not. A strong legal framework coupled with an awareness drive about it that includes strong development regulations, zoning and land use maps will ensure chances of realising our plans.

Sustainability

We [in Gangtok/Sikkim] need to come out of our dependency on the government and work towards generating our own source of livelihoods and employment options so that we become self-sustainable as a city/state. We have the resources but lack the management.

Planning

Gangtok is in need of a long term vision. Our masterplan has to be informed by it and our implementation efforts true to this vision. Planning decisions need rigorous geological input and considerations of local geography. Smart and critical strategies that are able to deconstruct aspects of development, recognise and acknowledge a few that prevent us from seeing the overall picture and focussing on them is the way forward.

Public spaces and streets that are safe, polycentric planning, vertical zoning and inclusivity, especially the homeless have not been given due attention and need to be considered. Large constructions that people are not happy about should be stopped if they are not critical to the functioning of the city.

Governance

The competence of our urban local bodies, the state urban development authority and the government in general is wanting and there is an urgent need to build their capacities. There is a need to create accountability of those in-charge. How can we question them and hold them accountable? IT platforms could be one way to bring greater transparency in governance.

Government linkage

Civil society aspirations and actions are impotent unless there is a connection with the government. Creating linkages between the citizens, the government and the administration for communication is of paramount importance. Could we, the public, develop an actionable roadmap/ concrete plan in conjunction with civic authorities and administration, then report back with findings and share with decision makers/politicians/bureaucrats/civic authorities after due consultation with the public? Time is of essence and doing so timely makes all the difference.

Software

In order to be the masters of our own destiny, building our capacity both within the government and of people in general is necessary. Sensitising and educating people to create awareness will lead to being organised in getting our voices heard. We can agitate if we must. Redesigning our education that is value based and Sikkim centric is a crucial step in this direction. Events that shed light on what's happening in Gangtok [such as the exhibition organised by AS] should happen more often.

This initiative [Bato Khoju]

The initiative by AS [Gangtok 2021] should be well documented and should be shared with the public/media/institutions in the form of a publication/documentary. Further public consultation in continuation with this initiative [workshop], signature campaigns, and the like should take place. Is it possible to consider a pilot project/proposal? Finally, AS can emerge as a pressure group that can influence the manifestos of political parties, for instance, and can communicate to those in power about the changes that are urgently required.