BB Gurung never fails to surprise me

  

 This article on Sikkim’s former chief minister BB Gooroong (Gurung) was sent to The Statesman for its Northeast page on December 5, 2011. I was a contributor from Sikkim for this page but it was never published for reasons best known to the publishers. I’m placing this in the public domain to record my work.

  The man who always supported the status quo and became a part of it in a political career spanning more than fifty years surprised me again when I learnt that he remembered me during a media function here recently.

Bhim Bahadur Gooroong urged mediapersons in the State to read my first book, Inside Sikkim: Against the Tide, during a recent function where he awarded five local journalists with “Positive Journalism” grant. The grant came from the State Government.

     Gooroong (centre) during a media function in Gangtok in June 2010 (file photo).

Would Chief Minister Pawan Chamling approve Gooroong’s reference to my book during such an occasion when IPR Secretary KS Tobgay was also present and when I’m still in the bad books of the authorities? I really don’t know, but I feel that the former Chief Minister was freely expressing his views not caring for anyone’s views on his remarks, which the local media purposely ignored for reasons best known to them. Though Against the Tide was looked upon by many as an anti-Bhandari book the establishment has been treating me as one indulging in “negative journalism” in the past one decade or so. So, Gooroong, a former journalist, did a brave thing by asking the local media to read my book. But will they ever read and go against the tide? I won’t blame them if they don’t. There’s a big price to be paid for exercising one’s freedom in Sikkim. Everyone knows that but pretend not to.

 Another credit due to Gooroong from me is when he was the Chief Guest during last year’s function of the Sikkim Federation of Working Journalists (SFWJ), which I still head. During the function, six local journalists, including myself, were felicitated by the Federation, an affiliate of the Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ), with “Press Freedom” award for taking part in a press freedom protest rally in Gangtok on June 19, 1993, when the political situation was unfavourable towards freedom of expression and movement in the State.

When Chamling launched my book in Gangtok in February 1994 I was lucky. Within three months (it has nothing to do with my book) Nar Bahadur Bhandari, who was in power for nearly fifteen years at a stretch, was eased out of power. Dissident legislators within his party (Sikkim Sangram Parishad) used the income tax issue to throw him out. He never came back to power since then.

In May 1984, Gooroong, who earlier defected to the Congress (I) government headed by Bhandari, sided with dissident Congress legislators to go against Bhandari. The dissidents were successful and Gooroong became the Chief Minister – but only for 13 days!

In February 1982, Gooroong, then an MLA representing RC Poudyal’s opposition Congress (R),  led ten legislators – six  from the ruling Congress party and four from the opposition –  in a revolt against New Delhi by acknowledging former Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal’s second son Prince Wangchuk Namgyal as the 13^th “Chogyal of Sikkim.” The revolt took place on the day of the Chogyal’s funeral on February 19, 1982.

   The sad thing with the old man is that the opportunistic tendencies in him got the better of him than his rebellious streak. Otherwise Sikkim would be a better place to live.