- Sujal Pradhan, NET Correspondent, Sikkim
‘Athak Pathik’, a comic book based on the life of former bureaucrat of Sikkim – Chewan Prasad Dhakal, was revealed on Sunday during an event held at Simmick Aritar, Khamdong. In the year 2018, Dhakal, the former Secretary to the Government of Sikkim, was sworn in as the State Information Commissioner of Sikkim.
It was unveiled by the Special Director General of Police (SDGP) – Akshay Sachdeva who attended the event as its chief guest in the presence of former Minister Phuchung Bhutia; Former Secretary NR Bhattarai, Mangal Jit Rai, Chairman of National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India, East Dist Zilla Upadhyakshya Sharmila Chettri and other family members and guest.
The author of this Comic Book – Bhawani Pradhan shared “I thought Mr. CP Dhakal was a great exemplary figure, being from a tiny town and looking at his accomplishment of a small rural guy who achieved pinnacle of success and this is worth telling narrative, so I approached him and later he consented and we came with this book. This would be a tremendous source of inspiration for the next generation, particularly youngsters.”
He also mentioned that this will aid in instilling a reading habit in children, as reading culture among pupils is decreasing.
The former Minister – Phuchung Bhutia while encouraging the young generation shared “This same village has produced Chief Secretary and people like CP Dhakal and Arjuna Awardee Jaslal Pradhan, and this is from a time when there was no effective education system in place. Now, students have numerous possibilities and a good education, allowing them to succeed in life and set an example.”
He also placed few demands to the SDGP, including a police outpost in the region and better parking at the main market, Singtam bazaar.
Meanwhile, the Chief Guest – Akshay Sachdeva shared “CP Dhakal is actually Athak Pathik, which signifies (never tiring traveller). Even if today’s kids are pursuing quality education, their goal is to work for the government, which he believes should not be the case. Instead, they should aspire to work for themselves by becoming entrepreneurs.”
State Information Commissioner CP Dhakal expressed gratitude and acknowledged his wife Dhan Maya Dhakal for her contribution to the success of writer Bhawani Pradhan and reviewer Chakrapani Bhattarai.
He also mentioned that, despite the fact that he was stationed in the capital, Gangtok, thanks to his service, he had made numerous contributions to the community.
During the occasion, Dadi Ram Dhakal was recognized for donating blood 82 times, while one Deo Narayan Khatiwada was compensated for the loss of his cow with Rs 25,000 in cash.
