<span style="color: #222222;">Sikkim celebrates its statehood day today. It marks the day in 1975 when Sikkim transitioned to become the 22nd state of the country from being a monarchy earlier.<br />''<br />''Greeting people on the occasion, Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad has said that the day is a reminder of the vision and purpose of the founding fathers of our democracy. Mr Prasad said that Sikkim has bagged numerous awards and recognition in various sectors. This is an occasion for introspection on what the state has achieved so far and what remains to be achieved. He reminded that although the COVID-19 pandemic has dented our aspirations and growth forecast, it also has presented opportunities that need to be capitalized on to achieve the collective goal of self-reliance.<br />''<br />''Wishing people on the statehood day today, Sikkim Chief Minister P S Tamang said that the day marks people's choice of democracy and Sikkim has maintained a divine identity in our vast country over the last 45 years.<br />''<br />''Mr Tamang said the government is committed to improving the living standards of citizens. He sought everyone's support for providing opportunities to youth, socio-economic upliftment of women, time-based education system for students, ease of doing business, technical and financial assistance to farmers, citizen-centric government, fear-free environment for the media, and respect for intellectual civil society. He also saluted all frontline warriors battling COVID-19.</span><br />