Pakyong, August 20 (IPR): Minister for Education, Sports and Youth Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs and Area MLA, Namcheybong, Mr Raju Basnet, released The Frozen Pulse, a student collaborative Manga comic produced by the Asian Anime and Manga Academy (AAMA), Namcheybong.
The Manga comic was developed as part of the district-level competition, Mangaka 2026, in which 242 students from schools across Pakyong district participated in an online competition. Of these, 20 students were selected for a three-hour live competition at AAMA, where each student created two pages of Manga art. The contributions were compiled to produce the final comic, The Frozen Pulse.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Raju Basnet congratulated the participating students and encouraged them to pursue their interests in various fields. He also highlighted the efforts of the State Government to support and encourage students and extended his wishes to AAMA for its future initiatives.
Founder of AAMA, Mr Dewaker Basnet, stated that the comic was the first student collaborative Manga comic of its kind in Sikkim. He said the initiative aimed to encourage creativity among students and promote collaboration alongside competition. He added that the comic brought together the work of 20 students who collaborated during the three-hour session.
The names and photographs of all 20 contributing students have been included in the comic. AAMA plans to showcase the comic at various events across the country in the coming months.
The release programme was attended by Zilla Up-Adhakshya, Pakyong District, Mrs Prabha Pradhan Chettri; Municipal President, Pakyong Nagar Panchayat, Mr Inchung Bhutia; APS, Pakyong, Mr Bishal Pokhrel; OSD to Area MLA, Namcheybong, Mr Hari Rizal; OSD, Water Resources Department, Mr Gagan Gurung; OSD, Skills Department, Mr Bimal Neopaney; CEO Education Department, Mr Narayan Mishra; General Manager, DIC Pakyong, Mr Jigmee Wangdi Bhutia; Principals of Schools across Pakyong district, teachers, students and members of civil society.
The programme concluded with the release of the Manga comic and the poster for AAMA’s next Manga comic, scheduled for release in September 2026.
Report from DIO Pakyong