SIKKIM OBSERVER OCT 10, 2011

SAKYA TRIZIN IN SIKKIM

Sikkim’s connection with Sakyapas

Recalling the Sikkim-Sakya connection on His Holiness the Sakya Trizin’s visit to Sikkim

Gangtok, Oct 9: His Holiness the Sakya Trizin, the Supreme Head of the Sakyapa Order of the Tibetan Buddhism, who was on a visit to Kalimpong arrived here today on a month-long visit to the State.

The Sakya Trizin’s visit is at the invitation of the Sa-Ngor Chotshog Centre (SNCC - Ngor Gonpa)  in connection with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Centre, Kunga Y. Hochotsang, the institute’s director said.

 His Holiness, who normally resides in Dehradun, has been accorded the status of the State Guest during his stay in Sikkim, Hochotsang said.

His Holiness’s major engagements during his stay in Sikkim would be the holding of a special Fire puja (Yajna) at Ngor Gonpa, Rongyek on October 17 for those who lost their lives in the massive earthquake in Sikkim and neighbouring places on   September 18 last month  and to pray for prevention of such natural calamity in Sikkim and elsewhere in the world in future. The Fire Puja (Jensek) is being organized at the initiative of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly Speaker K.T.Gyaltshen and Chief Minister Pawan Chamling.

Sikkim’s historical and religious ties with the Sakya dates back to the time when Khye-Bumsa, the eldest son of a scion of the Mynak House in Kham region of Eastern Tibet, helped to raise the pillars of the huge monastery in Sakya in mid-13th century, which was built by the Sakya Hierarch in Sakya in central Tibet, north of Sikkim.  The herculean feat of erecting the pillars not only earned him the title of ‘Khye-Bumsa’, meaning the one who possesses the ‘strength of Hundred Thousand’, but he also married the Sakya Hierarch’s daughter.

Khye-Bumsa later moved southwards and settled in Chumbi Valley, once the administrative centre of Sikkim. He then came into contact with the Lepchas which led to the swearing of the blood brotherhood between the Bhutias and Lepchas  led by the Bhutia leader Khye-Bumsa and the Lepcha Chief, The-Kong-Tek,  at Kabi Longtsok in north Sikkim. Khye-Bumsa remained in Chumbi and died there but his descendants came to Gangtok and settled there. Guru Tashi, Khye-Bumsa’s grandson, who resided in Gangtok, was highly respected and loved by the people. His great grandson, Guru Tenzing, was the father of Sikkim’s first consecrated Chogyal (King) of Sikkim, Chogyal Phuntsok Namgyal.

His Holiness the Sakya Trizin first visited Sikkim when he fled Tibet in 1959 and stayed for a month at Lachen, North Sikkim.  He later visited Lachen and Lachung in 1987. Lachenpas to this day recall their traditional and religious ties with the Sakya Lamas. Since then His Holiness visited Sikkim a couple of times mainly aimed at revival of the Sakya tradition in Sikkim and to promote Buddha Dharma.

Sa-Ngor Chotsog Centre (SNCC)  was established by His Eminence Luding Khenchen Dorje Chang in Gangtok in 1961 under the guidance of His Holiness the Sakya Trizin. Besides preserving the rich traditions of the Sakya order, the Centre provides education and training to young monks in painting, wood block making and other social and cultural activities. Being the first and the only Sakya monastery in Sikkim, the Centre renders religious services to the local people. During his stay in the State the Sakya Trizin is expected to give a number of teachings, public sermons and initiations, besides being engaged in the inauguration of the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Centre.

EDITORIAL

CONG UNDER PRESSURE

Anna Threat Will Work

Middle class Indians are with Anna Hazare on his nationwide anti-corruption campaign. The Congress party cannot ignore this fact, particularly when Assembly polls in several states, including Uttar Pradesh are nearing. The Lok Sabha elections, too, are not far behind. If Team Anna’s anti-graft campaign makes an impact in the coming polls the Congress party is likely to pay a heavy price in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls for its inability to tackle the growing frustration of the people on rampant corruption in administration and every sphere of life in the sub-continent.

Anna Hazare has rightly put the Congress party on notice on the Lokpal issue, saying he would campaign against it in election-bound states if the Centre fails to get his version of the anti-corruption Bill passed in Parliament's Winter Session. This is the only effective way to deal with the likes of the Congress-led UPA government, whose dithering stand on graft is becoming increasingly clear to all. Congress party may be putting a brave front to this threat but they should be warned of the cost the party will pay for its inaction and delaying tactics in tackling corruption head-on.

TACKLING CHAMLING

All Eyes On Bhandari

Sikkim Congress chief Nar Bahadur Bhandari wanted a complete overhaul of the party after he completes his month-long jail sentence. The former chief minister believes that there are few persons within his party who are making a mockery of the party’s stand on dealing strongly with Chief Minister Pawan Chamling on the corruption issue. That the Congress party in the State has taken the corruption issue against Chamling in the court of law is a fact known to many. That the Congress party has achieved very little on the issue in the court is also known to many.

There are now unconfirmed reports that point out that some SPCC leaders, who are involved in the corruption case against Chamling, have compromised and ‘withdrawn’ the petition against Chamling in the Supreme Court. SPCC leader Kunga Nima Lepcha had filed a petition in the Supreme Court to annul a decision taken by the Sikkim Government last year disallowing a CBI probe into charges of corruption against Chamling. The case came up for hearing recently and Lepcha’s vague statement after the court took up the issue has left everyone puzzled. Why is dissident Congress leader KN Upreti, who has been making a lot of noise on alleged rampant corruption in Sikkim, silent on this? Bhandari, now back from Delhi where he was hospitalized following Sikkim High Court’s verdict on corruption charges leveled against him by the CBI in 1984, is expected to resume his tirade against Chamling, politically and legally.

Chandigarh Judge is Chief Justice of Sikkim HC

Gangtok, Oct 9: Justice Permod Kohli of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has been elevated as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court. The orders were officially conveyed to the High Court by the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Justice Kohli joined the Bar at Jammu after enrollment on 12 October 1972. He was appointed Additional Advocate General of the State during Governor's rule in the year 1990 and took over as the Advocate General in December 1990. He continued as Advocate General till January 1992 and was designated a senior advocate in April 1991. He was later appointed Additional Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir on 07 January 2003 and as permanent Judge on 03 January 2005. He was later transferred to Jharkhand High Court, Ranchi and took oath on 04 May 2006. Thereafter, he was later transferred to Punjab and Haryana High Court and took oath on 10 May 2007.

After corruption cases against former Sikkim High Court PD Dinakaran forced him to resign in July this year Justice SP Wangdi has been heading the court as the Acting Chief Justice.

SC stays impeachment probe against Justice Dinakaran

New Delhi, Oct 9: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the pre-impeachment probe by a Rajya Sabha-appointed panel into allegations of judicial misconduct and corruption against Sikkim High Court Chief Justice PD Dinakaran.

The apex court passed the order on a plea by Justice Dinakaran, expressing apprehension of biased probe against him by the three-member panel, comprising Justice Aftab Alam of the apex court, Karnataka High Court Chief Justice J S Khehar and senior advocate P P Rao.

The apex court bench of Justice H.S. Bedi and Justice C.K. Prasad issued notice on the petition filed by Justice Dinakaran and gave the respondents, including senior counsel PP Rao, two weeks' time to reply to the petition.

Justice Dinakaran has contended that Rao had signed a memorandum addressed to President Pratibha Patil opposing his elevation as a judge of the Supreme Court and hence Rao's presence in the JIC would prejudice his case.

The court said that Rao's presence in the JIC does not make bias absolute.

However, senior counsel A. Saran appearing for Dinakaran, argued that even the apprehension of bias was enough to hold up the enquiry proceedings.

The three-member (JIC) was set up by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari after a motion seeking the initiation of impeachment proceedings and removal of Justice Dinakaran was moved on Dec 14, 2009.

Mamata likely to visit Darjeeling on Oct 10

Observer News Service

Darjeeling, Oct 9: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit Darjeeling tomorrow before going to Jhargram in Maoist-hit West Midnapore district on October 15.

Banerjee has appealed to all armed groups across the State to surrender arms.

The chief minister would meet local people to enquire about their problems and was expected to focus on development programmes.

Official sources said that before going to Jhargram, the chief minister would visit Darjeeling on October 10 to attend a tourism festival there the next day.

Her proposed Darjeeling visit comes close on the heels of the state assembly passing the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill last month.

She would also visit Dooars in Jalpaiguri district, where people in the plains are worried over possible inclusion of their areas in Gorkhaland Territorial Administration jurisdiction, on October 12 and attend a programme of adivasis the following day.

Muyal Liang Trust to provide free education to quake victims

By A Staff Reporter

Geyzing, Oct 9: As part of its support to the victims of the recent earthquake, the Muyal Liang Trust (MLT) has offered free education to victims of the recent earthquake. The Trust wants the victims of the quake to send their children to the Denjong Pema Choeling Academy (DPCA) run by the Trust in Pelling, west Sikkim.

In a letter to the State Chief Secretary, Karma Gyatso, Trust Chief Executive Yapo Sonam Yongda said, “Under the compelling circumstances and as part and compulsion of its social commitments and responsibility, MLT calls upon the earthquake victims of Sikkim to send their children to the DPCA to pursue or continue further education, free of cost.”

“We request the Government of Sikkim to kindly notify this or inform the interested parents who are partially or completely affected by the devastating earthquake of September 18, 2011, from across Sikkim,” Yongda added.