EMERGENCY DECLARED AFTER SIKKIM’S TAKEOVER

     Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal

Two months after Sikkim’s merger with the Indian Union a national emergency was declared in India on June 26, 1975. For the Sikkimese who wanted to voice their resentment against the merger this was an unfortunate development.

In the midnight of June 26, 1975, President, Fakruddin Ali Ahmed, passed an ordinance declaring a state of emergency under Article 352 (1) of the Constitution.  By June 27 morning, all prominent leaders of the opposition in India were under arrest under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). In Sikkim, the axe fell on Nar Bahadur Bhandari and his anti-merger colleagues - Sonam Yongda, Ashok Tsong (A.K. Subba) and P.B. Subba.

Bhandari and his colleagues were arrested under MISA and spent about a year (1976-1977) in Berhampur jail in Bihar. The Emergency lasted precisely 635 days (21 months) between 1975-1977 and about one lakh political activists were arrested during this period. Around 35,000 people were arrested under the MISA and 72,000 were put in jail under the Defence of India Regulation Act. All the fundamental rights were suspended, politicians were arrested and a heavy censorship was imposed on the media throughout India.

The Emergency was in effect from 25 June 1975 until its withdrawal on 21 March 1977.

SPRING SURPRISE:HERMONS ON THE MOVE

It all began this spring when the Hermons were on the move. Uttam Pradhan and I went to see Miss Russell in Darjeeling on March 20. We visited MH and we felt good; the school was putting its best foot forward despite trying situations. 

We met Chuck, my school mate and ex-Princi of Lamarts Cal. Cindy and Pradeep flew from Ireland and visited MH in April with Anup Chachan.  They felt the same.  I drove down to Siliguri to meet them at Shiv Saria’s place before they left for Darj in early April. This was followed by the visit to the school by Shiv Saria and his son Suds. Shiv and Suds who also came to Gangtok, also felt good about the school.

Then we all said, “Why not? Why not give another try to save MH?” Pradeep and Cindy swung into action and got in touch with school authorities. General Thip, our HI (Hermonites International)  President in Bangkok, was contacted and updated on the events and he gave the green signal. He also wrote to Rev. K. Sardar, the school’s Administrator and Secretary, and got a good response from him. He invited us for talks. On June 14, Anup, Namgyal and I met the Senior Master, Mr. Partho Dey, to apprise him of the new development. The meeting went off well, the decks were cleared.

  Finally, a meeting has been fixed with Rev. Sardar on June 20. We are hopeful and confidant that the Managing Committee, which looks after MH on behalf of the Methodist Church in India, will give us the go-ahead in taking MH to greater heights.

Meanwhile, Jagdish Saria and Mahesh Singh of 1972 and 1973 batch respectively also visited Darj recently. Mahesh, a Supreme Court lawyer, also paid a short visit to Gangtok. Earlier, my class 5 student of the 1970s, Dhruba Ghosh, a senior lawyer at Calcutta High Court, also visited us in Gangtok recently.

In Bhutan, Thinly Dem and other Hermonites looked after Cindy and Pradeep. Thinley and other Hermonites are currently taking care of visiting Hermonites in Bhutan.

The central focus and the talks held during all our interactions were and will be always “MH”. Hail Mt. Hermon!

A NEW BEGINNING AT ‘MH’

A new beginning has been made by concerned Hermonites to enable the Hermonites (alumni of Mt. Hermon School, Darjeeling.) to do whatever possible to help and support their alma mater.

Rev. K. Sardar, the school’s Administrator and Secretary, has welcomed the initiative taken by Hermonites International (Hi!), a global body of the Hermonites, to work together in unison for the welfare of the school.

In response to a letter from Hermonites International President, Varongthip Lulitanond, Rev. Sardar, who also represents the Managing Committee of the school, while stating that the Hermonites’ concern for the school “has encouraged and motivated us a lot and made us feel that we are not alone in this struggle but the entire ‘Mount Hermon Family’ is standing behind us to support this noble cause”,  has also stated, “I am keenly interested and look forward for the opportunity to have a meeting with you to apprise you about the status of the school.”

On June 14, three Hermonites of the ’70 era – Namgyal Wangdhi, Anup Chachan and Jigme N. Kazi – representing the global body, met the school’s Senior Master, Mr. Partho Dey, at Mt. Hermon to lay the groundwork for further talks regarding the school’s welfare. Mr. Dey’s response was also very positive and encouraging and the talk was very friendly and fruitful.

A team of concerned Hermonites in the region, representing the HI, are expected to have a formal meeting with Rev. Sardar shortly on the said matter. If the Methodist Church of India (MCI), which owns the school and governs it through its Managing Committee, formally gives the green signal for the alumni to pitch in then a way will be cleared for global Hermonites to participate in the school’s welfare in a more organised and systematic way on a long-term basis.

Finally, after a long and arduous struggle the way is being cleared for the alumni’s association with their alma mater in a deep and meaningful way. In his year-long stay at MH, Rev. Sardar and Mr. Dey, who has been on MH staff for the past 25 years, have done a wonderful job in running and maintaining the school despite trying circumstances. Hermonites who visited the school recently are all impressed by their work.

At this stage, when we see a ray of hope for the school’s future success, we urge all Hermonites and well-wishers of the school to be very, very positive in their outlook and ensure a bright future for MH. Hail Mount Hermon!