GANGTOK,: Chief Minister PS Golay on Sunday asserted that the proposed Ed Sheeran concert during Sikkim’s Golden Jubilee celebrations would be funded through sponsorships and it does not involve government expenses.
“Recently I had said that we will try to bring Ed Sheeran to Sikkim but I had not said that the government will bear the expenses. We will bring him without any expenses from the government, the government will only provide logistics support. We will bring him through sponsorships,” said the Chief Minister. He was addressing the Namprikdang Namsoong Festival concluding day programme at Namprikdang, Dzongu.
After the ‘Ed Sheeran performance’ announcement, opposition parties here have been accusing the SKM government of prioritizing high-cost entertainment over the pressing requirements of the people.
Responding to these allegations, the Chief Minister maintained that no government money would be spent on the proposed Ed Sheeran concert in Sikkim. “We have well-wishers who have expressed their readiness to sponsor and bring the world famous singer to Sikkim and do ticket system. If Ed Sheeran comes without Sarkari karcha then what is the problem? He will make Sikkim famous world over. Thousands of people from outside will come to watch his show and they will stay in our hotels, visit our beautiful locations and generate business for every tourism stakeholder,” he said.
Golay added that the opposition is trying to make the ‘Ed Sheeran concert’ an issue without understanding how much tourism benefits and international mileage Sikkim will get through the international musician. Instead of speaking mindlessly, they should focus on why their party workers are leaving the party and do an analysis on why they were rejected by the people in the 2024 elections, he said.
In his address, the Chief Minister shared that the State government is not funding mega entertainment events happening in Sikkim but facilitating sponsorships through well-wishers and industrialists who do business here. We are not doing ‘manoranjan’ (entertainment) but doing publicity of Sikkim without any government expenses, they (opposition) are envious when grand programmes take place in the State, he said.
He added that renowned singer Kailash Kher is performing at Jorethang Maghey Mela and the show is happening without government expenses, the expenses are met through sponsorship. Similar sponsorships have been facilitated to have performances of other artistes at Jorethang, he said.
Golay also rejected the allegation that the SKM government is focused only on entertainment and festival celebrations. He highlighted that it is the government’s duty to support communities and organisations to celebrate their traditional and cultural festivals. “Today under the SKM government, all communities are grandly celebrating their festivals without any fear while the so-called opposition are saying that we are busy only in entertainment. It is our responsibility to encourage and support communities to celebrate their festivals as it is related with their culture and identity. Those opposing the cultural festivals are against the communities of Sikkim,” he said.
The Chief Minister added that the SKM government, besides supporting every community, has been working diligently to uplift the poor people and extend every possible help to the poor patients and students of Sikkim.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister assured that the historic Namprikdang area, which was affected by the floods in 2023, would be renovated and restored in a more sustainable manner. He also spoke about the importance of safeguarding traditions and culture, urging everyone to preserve the rich legacy of the Namprikdang Namsoong Festival, which has been celebrated for 49 years till date.
The State-level Namprikdang Namsoong festival organised with the theme ‘Roots & Horizons’ successfully highlighted Dzongu region’s rich cultural heritage and vibrant traditions over its three-day run.
In his welcome address, area MLA-Forest minister Pintso Namgyal Lepcha thanked the Chief Minister for the development work done in Dzongu and expressed his gratitude to the local community for their ongoing support. He also highlighted the festival’s roots dating back to its inception in 1976 and emphasised the desire to elevate the festival to even greater heights in the future.
A highlight of the closing ceremony was the cultural performances sponsored by Eastern Zonal Culture Centre, Ministry of Culture, featuring traditional dance and music of Sikkim as well as other States, in association with Culture department, Sikkim. Traditional sports competitions were also an important part of the festival with the tug of war (for men and women) finals taking place today. In addition, the event included distribution of cheques to the beneficiaries and the presentation of awards to individuals and groups who made significant contributions to community welfare and celebration.