STAND UP AND FIGHT!

“Sikkim’s identity was a cause

   B.S. Das, former Chief Executive of Sikkim, while paying tribute to the Chogyal in his book, “The Sikkim Saga”, said: “A lone and forgotten man who lost his kingdom, his wife and everything that he stood for, stuck to his Palace, his people, his Sikkim till be breathed his last. Unbending in his misfortunes, he dreamt of someone, someday appreciating the righteousness of his cause and placing him in history as a true nationalist who fought single-handed against all odds for what he believed in. His silvery grey hair and the small wrinkles on the face alone spoke of the strain of the past years but they made him look even handsomer than he was.

   The so-called friends deserted him as is the way with the world. Yet, he showed no rancour, no bitterness and held his head high. To leave his people and Sikkim was totally unacceptable to him. He still called his abode “The Palace” and himself “Thondup of Sikkim”. Many of his old subjects paid homage to him during his lifetime and on his death. In his solitude, he reflected on his past mistakes but had no regrets. Because, the pride in himself and for Sikkim were the only reasons he lived.”

    Das concluded: “As a person, I hold Palden Thondup Namgyal in great esteem. I have met few personalities in my long career who could stand up and fight for a cause. For him, more than his personal gains, Sikkim’s identity was a cause. That he fought using all means available to him does credit to him. His battle was one sided and against all odds. That did not deter him as it was a question of his faith and in the righteousness of his cause.”

(Ref: Sons of Sikkim: The Rise and Fall of the Namgyal Dynasty of Sikkim, Jigme N. Kazi, Hill Media Publications and Notion Press, 2020.)