Rangpo (Pakyong), Aug 10 : In a historic first, the Rangpo playground was the venue for the inaugural ‘Aama Samman Diwas,’ or Mothers’ Honor Day, celebrated with great fanfare alongside the 8th Jan Unmukti Diwas. The event, an initiative by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, was dedicated to honoring the invaluable contributions of mothers to their families, communities, and the state. It saw a massive turnout of people from across Sikkim.
Chief Minister Tamang announced that August 10th will be celebrated annually as ‘Aama Samman Diwas’ to recognize the social, cultural, and economic roles of mothers in society. A key highlight of the celebration was the distribution of financial assistance. A first installment of ₹20,000 was disbursed to 32,000 mothers under the Sikkim Aama Sashaktikaran Yojana (Sikkim Mother Empowerment Scheme). Additionally, over 4,200 mothers from various districts received financial grants to cover the cost of refilling cooking gas cylinders under the Aama Sahayog Yojana.
Mothers from various professions were also honored for their exceptional service and contributions. Awards were given for “Outstanding Mother PWD Worker,” “Outstanding Mother Safai Mitra,” “Outstanding Mother Anganwadi Worker,” “Outstanding Mother ASHA Worker,” “Outstanding Mother Hospital Safai Mitra,” “Outstanding Mother Mid-Day Meal Cook,” and “Outstanding Mother Panchayat.”
The event, organized by the Women, Child Development, and Divyangjan Development Department, also featured a documentary on motherhood. Chief Minister Tamang was felicitated by women leaders, and a new women’s court was officially inaugurated. In an emotional address, Tamang recalled his time in prison and expressed deep gratitude and respect for the support he received from mothers. He thanked everyone who helped make this new day of honor a reality.
The event was graced by Chief Minister Tamang’s mother, Smt. Dhanmaya Tamang, as the special guest, along with his wife Krishna Kumari Rai, Sikkim Assembly Speaker M.N. Sherpa, Deputy Speaker Rajkumari Thapa, and numerous other ministers, legislators, and senior officials. A large number of SKM party workers and mothers from all over the state were also in attendance.
