Comments on: One River, Two Perspectives: Hydropower Projects in North Sikkim

By: Anupam

Anupam — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 14:55:55 +0000

This is such a beautifully researched and written piece. I really appreciated how it goes beyond a simple “pro vs anti development” debate and instead brings out the layered ways in which both elders and youth relate to the Teesta—as sacred landscape, as livelihood, and as a living memory. The contrasts between Dzongu and Chungthang, and the way you show resistance evolving across generations, were especially powerful. It’s rare to see development, culture, and environmental risk woven together with this much care and nuance. Thank you for centering local voices and reminding us that rivers are not just resources, but relationships.

By: Shakshi

Shakshi — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 05:05:13 +0000

In reply to Jivitesh Bansal. Thank you for reading and for this thoughtful comment.

By: Shakshi

Shakshi — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 05:02:16 +0000

In reply to Aditya chettri. Thank you so much

By: Gagan Kumar

Gagan Kumar — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 13:43:05 +0000

An excellent piece of writing—balanced, informative, and deeply relevant. It highlights the complex relationship between development and environmental sustainability in a very compelling way

By: Jagjit Chipra

Jagjit Chipra — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 15:32:41 +0000

Adding:::: The green earth sends her incense up from every folded leaf and dewy cup. Her mountains are shrines, her rivers are hymns, her forests are sanctuaries. “Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.” The Seven Sisters and the Himalayan foothills stand today as a test of whether we will honor this truth.

Fondness for the ground comes back to man after he has run the round of pleasure and business, drifted about the world, and taken the wind of all its moods. At last, he returns to the soil, to the wilderness, to the primal union with beauty. Let us not wait until it is too late. The Himalayas, the Northeast, the rivers, the soil—all plead with us in silence. They are not asking for charity. They are demanding justice.

If we can learn to see the earth not as a resource to be consumed but as a living companion to be loved, the foothills of the Himalayas may yet breathe free, rivers may flow wild, forests may sing again, and flowers will once more blaze like suns and fire and rainbows.

By: Himanshu

Himanshu — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 14:30:46 +0000

I would like to appreciate that how the article moves beyond a simple “elders vs youth” framing and instead shows a deeper continuity between them. Both are essentially protecting the same river, just in different ways of expressing it. That subtlety is what makes the piece stand out.

By: Jagjit Chipra

Jagjit Chipra — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 13:19:33 +0000

I appreciate the basic facts presentated in the article. I have been watching the development of these projects since early 1970 , and both eco.system and economic success have hardly helped the local community. Sad !

By: Riya Jain

Riya Jain — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 08:46:52 +0000

This article made me realize that development is not just about building bigger projects, but also about understanding what people and nature might lose in the process. The Teesta is more than just a river—it holds culture, memories, and livelihoods for the communities around it. Progress is important, but it should never come at the cost of ignoring the voices of the people who call this place home. Thank you for presenting both perspectives so thoughtfully.