SIKKIM OBSERVER Saturday July 26-Aug 1, 2014

Blog:jigmenkazisikkim.blogspot.com

SDF not a unit of NDA: Rai, Khatiwada

“No place for corruption in BJP”

Khatiwada

Gangtok, July 25: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s former colleagues have accused his ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) of misleading the people into believing that the SDF is a constituent unit of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Former SDF Lok Sabha MP Nakul Das Rai and merger veteran and former MLA NB Khatiwada issued a joint press release stating that as the Chamling Government was perceived to be highly corrupt it would not like to forge an alliance with the SDF.

Though Khatiwada was BJP’s candidate for the recent Lok Sabha elections Rai is believed to have decided to join the BJP.

State BJP President Palden Wangchuk is presently in Delhi to brief party leadership of the state of affairs in the State. There are reports of talks for merger/alliance between the BJP and Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), which has 10 MLAs in the 32-member House.

Referring to the recent student agitation in the State, Khatiwada said the State Government had misled the Centre on what really happened.

Rai raises IT issue for old settlers in Lok Sabha

Gangtok, July 25: Sikkim’s lone Lok Sabha MP Prem Das Rai of the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has urged the Centre to grant income tax exemption to the State’s ‘old settlers’.

He raised the issue in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Rai informed the House of the need to meet the demand on the basis of Article 371F of the Constitution, which gives special status to the former kingdom which merged with the Indian Union in 1975.

Under the old law on income tax in Sikkim during pre-merge era old settlers were treated equally with bonafide Sikkimese. The old settlers feel discriminated as they have now been left out while ‘Sikkim subjects’ have been exempted from income tax payment.

Sikkim parties on revival path, focus is on media management

Gyaltsen

Gangtok, July 25: Two months after the Assembly poll results political parties in the State are gearing up for revival of their respective parties.

Former Speaker and Minister KT Gyaltsen has been appointed as ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) spokesmen along with Bhim Dahal. While Gyaltsen has been appointed as Legal Advisor to the Chief Minister Dahal is now the CM’s Press Advisor.

The SDF has also geared up its organizational units in the districts with appointments of various party workers in several posts.

The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) has also reshuffled its office-bearers. While former MLA Bhojraj Rai and MLA Kunga Nima Lepcha have been appointed as party spokespersons, Bikash Basnet has been made charge of Press & Publicity as Secretary.

Navraj Gurung is incharge of social media as General Secretary.

Recently, the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) led by President AK Subba appointed 10 new vice-presidents and 10 general secretaries.

The BJP, too, has been actively expanding its base in the State. There are reports of formation of a new executive committee of the party. Party chief Palden Wangchuk is presently camped in Delhi meeting party leadership on party reorganization in the State.

China, Bhutan hold boundary talks

Thimphu, July 25: China and Bhutan were expected to hold the 22nd round of boundary talks in Beijing from Thursday to resolve the issue of disputed land, which also borders India's northeastern states of Sikkim and Arunanchal Pradesh.

The seven-member Bhutanese delegation for the talks is led by Foreign Minister Lyonpo Rinzin Dorji.

Others in the team include Foreign Secretary Yeshey Dorji, Ambassador of Bhutan to India Maj. Gen. Vetsop Namgyel and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international Boundaries.

The 21st round of boundary talks was held here on August 22, 2013.

During the intervening period, the two sides conducted the Joint Technical Field Survey of Bayul Pasamlung area in September 2013 and an expert Group Meeting was held in Beijing in March 2014.

The boundary negotiations between the two governments are guided by the Four Guiding Principles of 1988 and the 1998 Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility in the Bhutan-China Border Areas.

Since the 1980s, the two sides have held regular talks on border and security issues aimed at reducing tensions.

China shares 470 kilometres border with Bhutan, which is also close to India's "chicken's neck" - the narrow Siliguri Corridor which links the northeast passage.

Sikkim’s ‘peace of the grave’ is disturbed

Jigme N Kazi

Gangtok, July 25: Mishandling of the recent student agitation in the State on college fee hike issue has not only exposed the Chamling Government’s inability to handle a volatile situation but has made the public more aware of the potentials of a mass movement in the State, where a large section of the people are not too happy with the present dispensation.

  The widely-held view that one man is running the State was evidenced when the State witnessed utter confusion and chaos following college students rally protesting the recent college fee hike. The violence that took place on the highway is a reminder of what happens when the peace of the grave or the security of the slave is disturbed.

    A vehicle set on fire below STNM hospital in Gangtok recently.

What made things worse was when Chief Minister Pawan Chamling – also the Home Minister – returned from Delhi and publicly stated that he was unaware of what was going on in his kingdom. No one believed him and this led to another whisper campaign against the man who has been ruling the State  with a firm hand for more than two decades at a stretch.

   Closing down schools and colleges for half a month to avoid student unrest spilling into a political turmoil not only reflected poor administrative management but inept political handling of the situation. In the process the Sikkimese people for the first time in decades responded to the situation in varying degree. The capital’s shops closed down promptly for a few days, taxis stopped plying and political parties lent their weight to the agitation students. In short, life in the capital came to a standstill and most people were enjoying it.   

   A section of the legal fraternity also joined in when the Bar Association promptly took legal action against Police officials who were responsible for beating up two employees of the judiciary. A section of government employees, including teachers and MRs,  pressurized the government on numerous issues.

The local press and social media, too, highlighted the events of the day causing more trouble for the administration. In short, we saw a glimpse of participatory democracy in a State where most people minded their own business for fear of incurring the wrath of the powers-that-be. This shameful era in Sikkim’s contemporary political chapter delightfully is coming to an end.

From now on people-power will surface more often as the Sikkimese people are finally discovering their own strength. A vibrant opposition with 10 MLAs in the 32-member House is an added advantage for those who want to buck the system every once in a while.

China rail link near Sikkim, Arunachal border

Beijing, July 25: China will soon start construction of a new railway line in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh, even as another rail link bordering Sikkim is set to become operational next month, enhancing mobility of its military in the remote and strategic Himalayan region.

"Sky rail to run from Lhasa to South Tibet," state-run Global Times said in a front page report today, highlighting China's claims over Arunachal Pradesh with observations from Chinese analysts that the new rail network along the disputed border could act as a "bargaining chip" in the boundary negotiations with India.

The rail line connecting Tibet's provincial capital Lhasa with Shigatse close to the Indian border in Sikkim as well as Nepal and Bhutan which is currently under trials would become operational next month, the report said.

Another railway line linking Lhasa to Nyingchi in the east is also expected to start construction soon, it said.

Nyingchi is located right on top of Arunachal Pradesh, the nearest area to the border.

The railway expansion will connect, Nepal, Bhutan and India by 2020, the report said.

Yang Yulin, deputy director of the railway office of Tibet said during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) period, the construction of a railway connecting Shigatse with Gyirong county (close to Nepal), which has a checkpoint connecting Nepal and Yatung county (close to Indian border near Sikkim and Bhutan), a trade centre bordering India and Bhutan, will start.

Significantly, the Global Times, the ruling Communist Party of China-run tabloid which often strikes nationalistic postures highlighted Beijing's claims over the area in the write up on the new rail network close to the Indian borders.

"According to the Chinese foreign ministry, there are a total of 125,000 square km of disputed area between China and India, of which, 90,000 square km are in the South Tibet region, known as 'Arunachal Pradesh' in India," the report said.

As per India's stand, the border covered over 4000 km along Line Actual Control (LAC) which included Aksai Chin, the area China took control of during the 1962 war.

Editorial

STUDENT UNREST

Administrative Bungling

A small matter relating to college fee hike, which could have been sorted out amicably, catapulted into a major unrest in Sikkim with numerous stakeholders, including political parties, adopting confrontationist postures. The unrest among the student community failed to subside when the Sikkim Police’s excesses provoked the protesting youths to retaliate leading to damages to public properties, burning of vehicles and injuries to students and others who were involved in violent protest rallies in Gangtok. What made matters worse was the manner in which an agreement between the government and student body was reached to stall the agitation. In the process educational institutions in the State were closed down for a week. This was followed by another week of closure which the public at large failed to understand. Is the Chamling Government shutting its doors for dialogue mainly because it is not used to facing hostile reactions? Grow up, it’s a part of democracy. Take note: repression begets rebellion.

China’s conquest of Tibet led to Sikkim’s annexation

By SUNANDA K. DATTA-RAY

China’s conquest of Tibet had made Sikkim “an area of geo-strategic importance overnight”.

A group of red-robed monks waited in a curve of the road that wound up from Teesta towards Gangtok. A Kalimpong lama had died, my Nepalese Hindu driver said indifferently. “They are waiting for him.” It wasn’t until a day later that I learnt the deceased monk was Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, the 14th Red Hat Lama, a powerful prelate whose passing, on June 11, can have repercussions on Himalayan religious politics.

I didn’t make immediate inquiries because Gangtok is always so beguiling. The town seems more crowded. More brick high rise buildings dominate the skyline. If you look down, the roads and pavements are dirtier than ever. But there is a clean crispness in the rain-washed mountain air. A smile always twinkles in the eyes of local folk. On a clear day, you could look out from the elegance of my suite at the Denzong Regency hotel to the snows of Kanchenjunga. On the other side shimmered the ancient red-roofed Rumtek monastery where the last Chogyal of Sikkim, Palden Thondup Namgyal, was installed as head lama in 1933. Tragically, Rumtek became notorious some years ago as the scene of pitched battles by opponents of Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa lama.

Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal

My visit had nothing to do with that controversy. It couldn’t have been more secular in fact, for Sikkim University’s gently scholastic vice-chancellor, Dr T.B. Subba, had invited me to deliver the foundation day lecture. It was a particularly welcome invitation for a university that had been one of the Chogyal’s dreams. It was denied to him, which made it a particularly gratifying — if humbling — experience for me to play some small part in the dream’s belated realisation. Sikkim University is a bustling place with more girl students than boys but it badly needs to be concentrated in a single campus.

My theme was “The ‘Near Abroad’ concept for big countries like the US, Russia, China and India”. That Russian term, also translated as sphere of influence, allowed me to discuss how nations manage neighbourhoods that are important for strategic, economic, ethnic and cultural reasons. Globally, the Ukraine crisis made it topical. Historically, the subject’s significance lies in American attempts to extend the Monroe Doctrine — the most explicit articulation of the Near Abroad theory — to promote its geopolitical interests in Europe and Asia.

India’s rulers are not given to cerebral analyses of their actions. But by inviting all the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation leaders, and the Prime Minister of Mauritius and Tibet’s Prime Minister-in-exile, Lobsang Sangay, to his swearing-in ceremony, Narendra Modi highlighted a welcome appreciation of India’s rights and duties in its Near Abroad. That was confirmed when he made Bhutan — India’s closest friend in the region — his first destination abroad. Travelling in Europe at the time, I was delighted to learn he hadn’t rushed to thank the Americans for granting him a visa as his first act in office.

Bhutan is an independent kingdom and Sikkim now a state of India. But with Tibet, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar, they comprise a sensitive Near Abroad for both India and China. The British called the region the “Belgium of Asia” and warned it could become another “Alsace”, the province over which France and Germany squabbled throughout history.

P.N. Dhar, Indira Gandhi’s principal secretary, invoked the Near Abroad theory (without using the phrase) in his memoirs, Indira Gandhi, the “Emergency” and Indian Democracy. Rejecting pious fiction about the Sikkimese yearning for democracy and India holding a referendum to ascertain their wishes, he confirmed that RAW’s R.N. Kao personally supervised all the seemingly spontaneous events that led to the annexation. “This process had started several months before the storm broke in April 1973.” In short, RAW set Sikkim’s revolutionary ball rolling before the Sikkimese knew they were revolting. The reason? China’s conquest of Tibet had made Sikkim “an area of geo-strategic importance overnight”. It was the Near Abroad.

In the lively question and answer session following the lecture, someone mentioned India’s “big brother” attitude in the neighbourhood. That allowed me to emphasise that good diplomacy does not mean outright acquisition which generates hostility, as Russia’s actions in eastern Ukraine demonstrate. The 1950 treaty with Sikkim and subsequent agreements gave India every power it needed to safeguard legitimate strategic and economic interests. It is only because of a fortuitous concatenation of circumstances that the annexation did not provoke armed resistance. Participants at last year’s seminar at St. Anthony’s College, Oxford, where I launched a new revised edition of Smash and Grab: Annexation of Sikkim asked precisely this. Why didn’t the Sikkimese rise in revolt like the Nagas?

That question didn’t come up at the Sikkim University function. I wonder how the chief guest, R.B. Subba, would have responded if it had. A former bureaucrat, R.B. Subba, a Limbu (or Tsong) like the vice-chancellor, is the state’s human resource development minister. I was greatly impressed by his phlegmatic (though silent) acquiescence in all that was said. Times have obviously changed. The Sikkimese now display a new mature confidence.

I hope a matching maturity will inform India’s response to the young Karmapa lama, now that his most formidable opponent has gone. As the Tibetologist, Thierry Dodin, writes in Tibet Sun, Shamar Rinpoche best understood how to play on fears of China and fuel the Indian security community’s suspicions about the Karmapa. Having already demonstrated his appreciation of Mr Sangay’s symbolic significance, Mr Modi can now further define his Near Abroad strategy by acknowledging that the Karmapa can be a valuable Indian asset. The Sikkimese, including Mr Subba and his chief minister, Pawan Chamling, would be delighted if the Karma Kagyu sect’s head is allowed into Sikkim to start with. (The writer is a senior journalist, columnist and author: The Asian Age)

Why Are Fire Engines Red?

Sikkim’s special status needs to be preserved.

By DEYANG DOLKAR GYATSO

Well roses are red and magazines are read, too. Two plus two is four and four times three is twelve. There are twelve inches in a ruler. Queen Elizabeth was a ruler; Queen Elizabeth was also a Ship. Ships sail in the sea. Fish swim in the sea. Fish have fins. The Finns fought the Russians. Russians are communist Red. Fire Engines are always rushing. And THAT is why fire Engines are RED…..

(This is an example of ‘Spiral Thinking’, a phenomenon commonly observed in important policy-making meetings. It should then come as little surprise that often the effect of a policy is exactly the opposite of what was intended!)

Ever since I worked in a private bank in the capital (Gangtok), I have often wondered why certain rules and regulations from the Head Office / Zonal Office(s) were not customised to fit the needs of the clients of our bank.

Sikkim is special. Sikkim is different. And I don’t say it just because I am a “Sikkimese” but simply because it is. Sikkim as we know has its own rules and laws that make us slightly different from mainland India. Forget the features, I am not even going there, not for now at least. When I say special or different, I do not mean what half the readers would probably assume - rather what makes us so special? Or what differentiates us from others? What is this fuss all about? Yes, I am talking about the “FUSSY SPECIAL”.

For instance, when working at the bank, I made sure I took a copy of the Sikkim Subject Certificate or the Certificate of Identification (COI) for all those who had the same when I opened accounts. What the younger generation needs to know is direct taxes (like income tax) do not apply to Sikkim Subject Certificate/ COI holders. Therefore, we do not compulsorily need the PAN card as well.

With various bank boasting of so many products and features to make banking easier in India, take the case of the "Secured" Credit Card, etc that was launched only after persistent email(s) back and forth, between the then Zonal Head and me, with facts that ultimately made it possible to launch the same; were clients from Sikkim not eligible to use credit cards? Were they not eligible for loans? These contradicting the trend that about that time (2007-09) 28 banks were set up in and around the market area in Gangtok alone. 28! (now I hear it’s about 32 +).

Similarly, like the bank, if some of the schemes from the Centre (that are made keeping Pan India in mind) are customised by the various departments acquiring the schemes, it would probably help the State bear better results. When I say better, I mean striving to get the best results.

We can probably get the best results only when we know the laws that govern our land that is our home, our pride above all our identity.

For instance, a case in point is the much looked-for Marriage Certificates these days.  I remember in 2008, when I had gone to the DC office in Gangtok to get the certificate for my parents I got one issued that read, “so and so…….. ….married under the HINDU MARRIAGE ACT”.  It was only when my late uncle pointed out and called the office and explained to the then DC that most of us in Sikkim were married under the Buddhist rituals specific to the State of Sikkim that I managed to get my parents’ Marriage Certificate that was befitting our ethos.

 During the ‘merger’ era: The Chogyal (centre) with LD Kazi (right) and Kewal Singh, India’s Foreign Secretary.

couple of days back a very kind officer and a gentleman finally clarified to me why Marriage Certificates should be population-specific because for one and the most important rule, the Hindu Marriage Act did not allow bigamy. Under this Act, he continued,  government servants can be terminated from their jobs.

How many of us knew about it? Ok, know about it but question it??

Moving on to get to know our land and its laws better, as per the New Constitution (Thirty - Sixth Amendment Act, 1975), Article 371 F of India whereby Sikkim became a part of India, all the Old Laws of Sikkim are PROTECTED, unless repealed by the Central Act.

The landmark judgement whereby the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has retained the Sangha (Lama) Seat. Likewise, under the 32 Assembly seats in Sikkim, 12 seats are reserved for the Lhopos (Bhutia) / Monree (Lepcha) and one for the Sangha,  irrespective of the population of the Lhopos and Monrees. These are not tribal seats but Lhopos (Bhutia) / Monree (Lepcha) seats.

It might not be out of place to mention here that during the time of the Chogyal, it was 50 / 50 (Lhopos and Monrees / Sikkimese Nepalese).

The article was the result of a detailed and much debated study into the needs of the Sikkimese people which included provisions to ensure equality among the ethnic communities, to ensure the political security of the Sikkimese people and to preserve their way of life. This was also a result of deliberations among Indian intellectuals, constitutional experts and parliamentarians who must have had a reason for putting it there in the first place and to have accorded the special provisions. As is well known, this article accords Sikkim a special status which has been more talked about than seen in practice.

It is high time for the Sikkimese people to exert pressure on the chosen representatives to summon the political will to implement what we have got by laws in its totality. This can be achieved only if the people get interested in knowing what they have got as a matter of right by understanding the long term implications of the provisions and what would happen if they were totally done away with.

It is also of no use trying to blame the Centre. The Centre also has to go by the provisions in the Constitution and it is up to us to interpret it to our advantage. People should also remember again, that these provisions were put into place by the brightest minds of the time who felt it necessary so as to protect our way of life and there was a definite reasoning behind it. So, it would be very unwise on our part to take it lightly and let it vanish without even having seen how it could be.

The unfortunate thing is rather than enjoying the fruits of this wonderful arrangement, we have in these three decades not even decided who the inheritors of these benefits are and instead keep on taking everything on a case to case basis. This has created conditions where there is an upheaval in every sphere and if we are to clear the confusion which are there in the minds of the Sikkimese people regarding the interpretation and implementation of these same provisions then all we have to do is recognise and comprehend that there are indeed special provisions for Sikkim, and we are one of the more privileged lot in the Indian Union and that there is no harm in implementing it as a matter of our right.

If such provisions are to be interpreted, we shall have to go back to the old definitions as laid out by law and reject our fragmentations into confining groups thereby diluting the definitions under which special treatment is possible, and also reject political theory which fragments our miniscule population using the divide and rule policy as has been the practice. In short we have to learn to be “Sikkimese”first and forget about our caste, our other differences and unite and then, finally when such provisions are implemented, it shall have to be done with dignity, humility and caring but also with  firmness so that what we have got by right is not confused with other peoples insecurities and not get implemented at all.

Implementing and practising the provisions for special status is nothing new. Taking the closest example of the state of Nagaland, that exists within the Union of India guaranteed by the asymmetrical nature of India's Federal Constitution which allows such differences. So, we will be well within our rights to stand up for everything we can get interpreted to our advantage from 371F.

However in concluding, it is sad  that though this Article is the basis of our position within the Indian Union, the general population and administrative leaders at large do not seem to be really aware of it. This has resulted in a situation whereby the relevance itself of these provisions is slowly eroding from public memory and the younger generation is being denied what is theirs by right.

And for those still wondering why fire engines are red? Well maybe it was just the most striking colour at the time of decision. God knows!

Teachers transfer ‘political’, affecting North Sikkim: SKM

Bhutia

Gangtok, July 25: Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) MLA Ugen Nedup Bhutia has alleged that the recent ‘mass political transfer’ of teachers in the State was politically-motivated as it came after the recent Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the State.

The Kabi-Longtsuk (North Sikkim) legislator, who recently complained about the poor condition of roads in North Sikkim, has urged the State Government to look into scarcity of teachers in the Bhutia-Lepcha tribal-dominated district of North Sikkim.

In his letter to the HRDD Minister RB Subba, Bhutia said several schools in the district were run without principals. He said at least 200 teachers are needed to fill up the vacancies.

Shamar Rinpoche’s cremation to take place in Kalimpong if Nepal disallows

Kalimpong, July 25: Family members of the late Shamar Rinpoche are now preparing to make a last-ditch effort to perform his last rites in Nepal.

The Rinpoche´s brother, Jigme Tsering Uthap, has arrived in Kathmandu to request Prime Minister Sushil Koirala to allow them to perform his last rites in Nepal. Koirala, who was in the US for cancer treatment, arrived in Kathmandu just on Tuesday evening, Kathmandu’s Republica reported.

The high lama, also known as the Shamarpa, had died in Germany last month. Before his death, he had reportedly asked his followers to perform his last rites in Nepal. However, the government of Nepal has not yet given a permission. Although a section of media has reported that the government denied permission under ´pressure from China, government officials have claimed that they did so as the Shamarpa was holding Bhutanese citizenship at the time of his death.

According to sources at the Tibetan camp, Kalimpong, where the Shamarpa´s body is being kept, the late Rinpoche´s relatives will wait for PM Koirala´s response till Wednesday. If the govenrment does not issue permission then the Shamarpa´s last rites will be performed in Kalimpong itself on July 31. The government of Bhutan, where the Shamarpa legally belongs to, has also denied permission to perform his last rites there.

Since followers of the late Rinpochhe have already gathered in Kathmandu from across the world, the Shamarpa´s relatives want to make every possible effort for performing his last rites in Nepal. Kalimpong is the last option for his last rites.

Sikkim and Puducherry has highest suicide rates in the country

Gangtok, July 25: With suicide rates in the State on the increase Sikkim could soon top the list of suicides in the country.

Puducherry and Sikkim had the highest suicide rates. Against the national average of 11 out of every one lakh citizens, Puducherry saw as many as 35.6 per lakh and Sikkim 29.3 per lakh, according to a recent report.

Three persons committed suicide in Sikkim on Sunday. They are Phurba Tamang (24), Yogesh Subba (26) and Tek Bahadur (45).

The number of students who committed suicide increased 26.58 per cent between 2012 and 2013, from 6,654 to 8,423, figures compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau show.

This was when the nationwide total had dipped 0.47 per cent from 1,35,445 in 2012 to 1,34,799 in 2013, which translates into 11 out of every lakh Indians. Suicides by farmers dipped 14.41 per cent from 13,754 to 11,772.

Maharashtra had the highest state-wise count in 2013 with 16,622, followed closely by Tamil Nadu with 16,601, each accounting for 12.3 per cent. Andhra Pradesh accounted for 10.8 per cent, West Bengal for 9.7 per cent, and Karnataka for 8.4 per cent. Together, these five states saw 53.5 per cent, or more than half, of the country’s suicides. Of these states, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh saw an increase in suicides while the other three saw a dip.

“All the five states, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka, have registered consistently higher number of suicidal deaths during the last few years,” states the NCRB report ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India, 2013’.

 Among causes, family problems were blamed for 24 per cent of the suicides, illness for 19.6 per cent, drug abuse for 3.4 per cent and love affairs for 3.3 per cent.

Tribute to DANIEL GYANENDRA RONGONG

He lived out his faith in daily life

In her eulogy, Roslyn Namgyal, former student-cum-teacher of Mt. Hermon School (Darjeeling) and former teacher of Tashi Namgyal Academy (Gangtok),  says her late father Daniel Gyanendra Kumar Rongong , who passed away peacefully in Kalimpong (India) on July 3, 2014, was a simple man who lived out his faith in daily life. His compassionate nature and creativity have impressed his near and dear ones who will surely miss him dearly. He was 80 and is survived by his two daughters, Roslyn and Heather Prickett, and their children who are now settled in Australia.

       Mr. and Mrs. Rongong.

Good afternoon and welcome to you all. Thank you very much for coming today. Many of you have travelled from far places in bad weather and on difficult roads. Thank you.  Many tributes have come in from around the world and there are messages that can be viewed on Facebook under my name Roslyn Namgyal if you are interested.

We have come today to mourn the loss of our beloved father Daniel Gyanendra Kumar Rongong - Gyanu. But along with the tears we have also come to celebrate his extraordinary life.  I speak today on behalf of his immediate family members who love him dearly and most of whom cannot be here today.  Today I want to acknowledge his younger daughter Heather Joy, his brother in law David Stewart, his sons-in-law Sherab Namgyal and Michael Prickett. His beloved grandchildren Jennifer Zangmu, Deborah Rinzing, Daniel David, Rebekah Joy, Indira Joy and  Sherina Ruth, their partners Daniel, Ayesha and Lochie.  And lastly I want to mention his two darling great grand-daughters Nuri Elly Namgyal and Marley Rinchen Ram.

I think the first thing I want to say about dad was that he was brother, father and grandfather to many more than simply those of us privileged to have been born into his family.  I speak of you who have become extended family to him and to us too- who became his sons and daughters, especially later in his life.  From the blind school, from Albella and many other places.  To you all from this unique, extended Tirpai family - we want you to know how grateful we are for your love and care of dad especially in these later years after we moved to Australia.  He loved you and chose to be with you right to the end.

Heather and I always felt we had the best dad in the world.  He was a brilliant story teller - in his stories everything came alive and he fired up the imaginations of his listeners.  He could build us anything we wanted. A cute little play house with thatched roof that was the envy of our friends in Mount Hermon School - a dolls house, a rocking horse...he could fix anything that had stopped working - washing machines, sewing machines, jeeps, piano accordions and  broken toys.  He made the best and most comfortable beds we have ever slept in- all tucked in and warm and cosy.      

   He had amazingly clever hands and a wonderful sense of design.  He could see the finished product mapped out in his minds eye and so often it was we who were the blind ones as we stood beside him passing him the screw driver while he fiddled under the car or inside the bowels of the washing machine.   I often think he "saw" things much more clearly that the rest of us.

He created beauty and order around him - everywhere he could.  Flowers  -  gladioli, orchids, cacti. Beautiful weaving in cane work and with wire. Even on the day he died we hear he was outside polishing up the panes of glass in the house-a task he did faithfully every day as he imagined the sunlight and colours that the clear, sparkling glass would allow inside.

Sherab Namgyal with wife Roslyn, Heather, Late Mr. Rongong’s sister and Hermonite Shiv Saria (behind Roslyn) at the funeral in Tirpai, Kalimpong, on July 6, 2014. Hermonite PJ Pradhan, Udai P. Sharma, Amode Yonzone, Palden Gyamtso and Jigme N Kazi were also present during the funeral.

Dad could pack a suitcase so that it looked like a work of art - he would fit large numbers of different shaped objects into the smallest of spaces- there was a space and a place for everything.  And this reminds me of another tremendous gift he had - the wonderful ability to include people who have been left out or didn't quite fit in and so became marginalised from the mainstream of life.  It was people most in need who found the largest space in dad's huge compassionate heart and very often right beside him in his own home.

 He was one of those rare people with an infinite capacity to see the best in everyone and to hope for and work towards fullness of life for everyone around him.  Many of us remember his business ventures - the 5-star chicken houses complete with saw dust on the floor and special egg laying trays.  His beehives and all of us chasing swarms of bees in unlikely and dangerous places.  His orchids, cacti and gladioli business deals. His phing-making days and his numerous taxis......Many of us also remember he never seemed to make any money out of any of these ventures but he pursued them passionately and we were all swept along for the ride.

Another thing I loved about dad was that he never sat and "counted the cost" - he gave freely from whatever he had - his generosity was legendary - very like that of his beautiful mother - our Aji.  He was known to literally give away the shirt off his back and certainly his last rupee!

He shared with our mother Joy Rongong a remarkable gift as a teacher, a leader and a guide.  Together they inspired and guided several generations of young people.  Their ability to really see what was important in life has guided many of us through their visionary leadership.

Above all dad would want to be remembered for his deep faith in Jesus Christ.  I understand that in the original language of the New Testament, the word for faith is not actually a noun - it is not a static word describing a thing we can possess, but is actually used more like a verb – a "doing" word. It describes faith as an activity - a living and a way of being - not simply an idea in our heads.  I love that meaning - and I especially love what it means in my dad's life.  For we know he actually lived out his faith in humble daily acts of love, kindness, thoughtfulness, loyalty, generosity and humour.  He prayed often and deeply - he also cared for the widow and the orphan, the father less and the dispossessed. These words from Micah 6 :8 I feel describe him well. Let me read them to you.

"He has shown you o man what is good: and what does The Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

Although we now feel and will continue to feel, the terrible void of his absence, although there will be tears,  His legacy of love, faith, hope and joy lives on in us because he loved us and showed us the Way of Jesus by his own living and loving.

I therefore say with tremendous pride and love - What a magnificent life! And I venture to believe that at the portals of heaven they too will be saying  –  “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

WILLIAM WAYNE JONES: He will be long remembered at Mt. Hermon School

By JAMES SINCLAIR

I apologise for the brief announcement on the News Update page of the sad death of Bill Jones (William Wayne Jones).  I was prompted by Mrs Murray (Patricia Murray - wife of Headmaster, Graeme Murray), to say a bit more about Bill Jones and the contribution he made towards Mount Hermon School during his three-year term there.  In truth, I did not know Mr Jones very well, as I was a day-scholar for a few brief months of his final year, and the only time I had any contact with him was during PE.

 So I had to look up extracts from the Blue & Gold Yearbook for 1954 which had been very kindly sent to me by Headmaster David Stewart, and I found out a bit more about him from the School Notes for 1954 -  the year of Mr Jones' leaving - in which the Headmaster had paid him a tribute for all the work he had put in during his years at MHS.  So, I have added that bit in the News Update page for 2014, and also corrected some errors in the initial announcement.  I have also added in a piece he had written about his memories of Mount Hermon under the tab Memories of 1954.  Unfortunately, it is incomplete as I did not have the second page of what he had written.  My most vivid memory of Bill Jones was what a wonderful violin player he was, when he performed at one of our concerts.

Mt. Hermon School, Darjeeling.

I have also added a page "Growing up in India" which Kitty Katzell (Mildred Engberg - daughter of Headmistress Lila Engberg) had sent me recently of her memories of growing up and schooling in India, which I am sure will revive memories of the school back in the 1940s.

 It is with sadness that I have to announce the death of Bill Jones (William Wayne Jones), who died on 15th June at home after a long illness.  He leaves behind his widow (Beulah Kessop Jones), sons Arun and Kenny and daughters Sharon and Nalinee.  His son Kenny said his end was peaceful and the family are thankful that he is finally at rest.

In the Headmaster's Notes published in the Blue and Gold 1954 Yearbook, Rev. David Stewart paid this tribute to Mr Jones on his leaving MHS.

     Mr. and Mrs. Murray with Mr. Bill Jones (centre) and the Hermonites in the US.

"It is a very sorrowful farewell we say to Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones has served three years on the staff, and has contributed a tremendous amount to the school. He has always been not only capable and efficient, but continually cheerful, encouraging, enthusiastic, and helpful. He has not only taught English, History, Latin, and Violin, he has also conducted choir and orchestra, coached games, has been Scout Captain and Warden of Fern Hill. He has earned the affection of staff and students alike, and will be long remembered at Mount Hermon. His three-year term is, however, ended, and we must say farewell.  Mr. Jones goes to Yale Divinity School, where he will complete his theological studies.  If in a few years’ time he again returns to India, there are many of us who hope we might again see him in Mount Hermon School."

Mr.  Jones was back in Mt. Hermon in mid-1970s and served the school as its Vice-Principal.
(James Sinclair is Secretary/Treasurer of Old Mount Hermon Students’ Association (UK). He can be contacted at: jimsin12@aol.com,www.oldmhs.com)

 Just Out!!

Book: The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland

Author: Jigme N Kazi

Publisher: Hill Media Publications, Gangtok, Sikkim

Price: Rs. 525/-

AVAILABLE AT:

Observer Building: Nam Nang, Gangtok, Sikkim.

Kandoika: New Market, MG Marg, Gangtok, Sikkim.

Good Books: Old Market, MG Marg, Gangtok, Sikkim.

Jainco: New Metro Point, 31A National Highway, Gangtok, Sikkim.

Rachna: Development Area, Gangtok, Sikkim

Pashupati: Lall Bazar Road, Gangtok, Sikkim.

Bulk copies available at Observer Building, Nam Nang, Gangtok, Sikkim.

PS: Hermonites, would be grateful if the items on Mr. Gyanendra Rongong and Mr. WW Jones, who passed away recently, is shared among Hermonites.