SIKKIM OBSERVER Page 1 Saturday   Feb 8-14, 2014

Bhandari to work for opposition unity, to hold talks with Golay

SKM demands Prez Rule in Sikkim before polls

Gangtok, Feb 7: Acknowledging Sikkim Krantikari Morcha President PS Golay’s hold on the people, former chief minister and Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP) President Nar Bahadur Bhandari said he was hopeful of an alliance with the SKM to stop the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front’s comeback in the next Assembly polls due in May.

Bhandari said he was in touch with Golay, whose party celebrated its first anniversary during a mammoth meeting at Jorethang in south Sikkim on Tuesday. Speaking to Sikkim Observer, Bhandari said he is likely to meet Golay soon to look into the possibility of working together to thwart SDF’s comeback.

“There should not be a triangular fight during the next Assembly elections,” Bhandari said. He said he was also in touch with other opposition leaders in the State to chalk out opposition unity.

    While Golay is likely to make an inroad into the SDF vote-bank among the State’s OBCs Bhandari still has a sizable hold among the upper-caste Nepalese (Newars, Bahuns and Chettris – NBCs) and the minority Bhutia-Lepchas (BLs), who have 13 seats reserved in the 32-member Assembly.     

    Unity among the OBCs, NBCs and BLs under Golay and Bhandari’s combined leadership will give a stiff competition to the ru

ling party, observers feel.

   And yet former MLA and Gangtok Mayor Balchand Sarda warned, “If Opposition leaders fail to check manipulation of the EVMs Chamling may make a comeback again.” He is convinced that the ruling party won the Assembly polls in 2004 and 2009 due to manipulation of EVMs.

   Meanwhile, the SKM has sought for President’s Rule in the State prior to the next Assembly polls. A memorandum on this issue was submitted to the Election Commission of India by the SKM on Wednesday. The party fears misuse of the government machinery and manipulation of EVMs during the polls process.

Rahul stands by Northeast people, says justice will be done

New Delhi, Feb 7: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday met Northeast students at Jantar Mantar in Delhi in the backdrop of the death of a 19-year-old boy from Arunachal Pradesh. Students from Northeast have been protesting at Jantar Mantar and demanding justice for Nido Taniam who was allegedly beaten up by shop keepers and his friends.

Rahul assured strict action against the culprit and said, "What happened here is completely unacceptable," agencies reported.

Rahul Gandhi speaking at the protest venue in New Delhi on Monday.  (left)

During his brief stay at the protest venue, Rahul also assured the protesters that government would ensure that they get respect and justice.

He said there was only one India for him which matters and that was the India where every single person was treated with respect, justice and treated fairly.

"There is no other India that I am interested in. I am not concerned whether you are from the Northeast or any other religion, there is only one India and that India is for all of us. We will fight for this. We are going to ensure that you get respect in this country, full stop. For me, Nido represents this country," he said. He said, "My heart and spirit are 100 per cent with you."

Students have submitted a memorandum to Rahul. Earlier in the day, Rahul had also met MPs from Arunachal and asked Union Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to act on Taniam's death case.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has also assured that he would join their protest for speedy justice for a student from Arunachal Pradesh who died following an alleged attack by some shopkeepers here. The delegation accompanied by Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Ninong Ering submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister in this regard.

The protest against the death of Nido Taniam continued in the capital as different student organisations in Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University organised demonstrations demanding immediate action against the killers of Nido Taniam.

The 14 organisations working for northeastern community submitted a detailed 16-point memorandum to prime minister, home minister and Delhi chief minister urging them to act on the suggestions to ensure safety and security of vulnerable northeastern community in the capital.

The Union Home Ministry has strongly advised the Delhi Police to give protection to the people of Northeast. In a meeting with top Delhi Police officials, the MHA asked them to take immediate action on the complaints of people from Northeast region and to sensitise all police stations regarding the people from the region.

The student, Nido Taniam's initial post-mortem report which came out on Sunday evening suggested that he died of swelling in his brain and due to fluid filling up in his lungs. However, the police said that the actual cause of Taniam's death can only be determined once the viscera report comes out.

The body of Taniam, son of an Arunachal Congress MLA, was flown to his home in Itanagar for his last rites. But, in the national capital protests continued over his death.

Taniam was found dead inside his room on Thursday. He had allegedly been beaten up by workers at a sweet shop in Lajpat Nagar on Wednesday after he broke a window pane there for allegedly being mocked over his hair.

Mamata opted for Bhaichung for Darjeeling LS seat

GJM oppose Bhutia candidature, says he is not ‘face of hill people’

Kolkata, Feb 7: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress has decided against fielding star footballer Baichung Bhutia from Darjeeling in the upcoming general elections, changing its stance after it became clear that Gorkha Janamukti Morcha was planning to put up a candidate from the hills.

"We want to put up a rebel GJM candidate against the official nominee of party chief Bimal Gurung so that we can get a significant chunk of Gorkha votes. Baichung Bhutia will not be able to divide the GJM's vote bank since he hails from Sikkim and is unlikely to get tribal votes in Darjeeling," a senior TMC leader said, requesting anonymity.

GJM leader and Kalimpong MLA Harkabahadur Chhetri said, "We oppose Baichung Bhutia's candidature. Neither he is from Darjeeling, nor is he the face of hill people. We will support the candidate, who is son of the soil".

Nepali-speaking Bhutia is seen as the frontrunner among potential Trinamool Congress candidates for the Darjeeling constituency, where the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) calls the shots. Asked about the possibility of his joining politics or contesting in next year's general election, the footballer from Sikkim refused to comment.

The Gorkhas elected the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) Jaswant Singh in 2009 and the Congress's Dawa Narbula in 2004, but this time, the GJM wants one of its own leaders to represent the constituency in Parliament.

The rebel in exile: a lone struggle for the common cause

Gangtok, Feb 7: Sequel to Jigme N. Kazi’s previous book Inside Sikkim: Against the Tide, this book, The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland, highlights the downfall of the Nar Bahadur Bhandari regime, which ruled Sikkim for a decade and half (1979-1994),  and subsequent events in the former kingdom leading to formation of Pawan Chamling-led Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government in December 1994.

 The book, released on February 6, 2014, delves deeply into social, religious and political issues – Assembly seat reservation, income tax, Rathongchu hydro power project, scaling of Khangchendzonga, Gurudongmar lake controversy, Opposition unity – that the Chamling Government confronted during its first three successive terms in office (1994-2009).

   The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland also seeks to highlight how and why the author – a journalist – left the safe confines of his profession and joined active politics. Was he after ‘power politics’ or did he truly struggle for ‘people power’ to triumph in Sikkim?

   In his recent book, Sikkim For Sikkimese, the author reveals his professional and political struggle of two and half decades (1983-2008) to safeguard Sikkim’s ‘distinct identity within the Union.’ In The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland, Jigme N. Kazi shows that he can use the pen and the sword with equal flare and ferocity. His personal confrontation with those within and outside his political circle on diverse issues makes it a must-read book for those who are looking for unique insights into how the political elite of established political parties play the game of survival.

 More than anything The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland reveals how one can fight head-on and take on the powers-that-be for the common cause and come out unscathed and with one’s credibility intact.

   Jigme N. Kazi is now back to where he belongs – journalism. He currently edits two of his weekly English newspapers – Sikkim Observer and Himalayan Guardian – and has plans to revive his other publications. In his 30-year career in journalism, Jigme N. Kazi has worked for numerous local, regional, national and international publications and news services, including Eastern Express, North East Daily, The Telegraph, The Statesman, United News of India (UNI), The Independent (Nepal) and Inter Press Service(IPS).

   Published by Hill Media Publications, Gangtok, the 276-page book priced at Rs 525/-, is available at Observer Building, Nam Nang, Gangtok, Sikkim and at the local books shops in Gangtok.

Editorial

FEDERAL FRONT

The Third Alternative

The likely formation of the ‘Federal Front’ before the ensuing Lok Sabha polls has caused a lot of discomfort in the BJP camp. With nearly 100 seats in its kitty the Federal Front, led by regional chiefs, will surely hamper the BJP’s march towards formation of  the government in May this year. Bihar and West Bengal chief ministers, Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee, have already taken an earnest stand on the formation of the new front. Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is eager to become the next PM possibly with Congress support, has lent his weight behind the new platform.

   “We have to win as many as seats from Bengal to ensure that Bengal plays a key role,” insists Mamata. With Congress keen on tying up with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Nitish Kumar is likely to forge a non-Congress and non-BJP front by bringing together the remaining groups of the old ‘janata parivar,’ ‘before or after’ the Lok Sabha polla. Kumar said he would initially make efforts to rope in Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) in the proposed federation. And if the move becomes successful, the scope of expanding the front for Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal, Left parties and AIADMK’s J Jayalalithaa. Kumar is expected to meet prominent leaders of the Samajwadi Party and Janata Dal (S) during his visit to New Delhi on February 9-10 to work out a strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. AAP, which is expected to win at least 20 seats, may also support the third alternative.

Gurung calls for Gorkha unity, fails to take stand on LS seat

Darjeeling, Feb7: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung has called all members of the Gorkha community to work towards Gorkha unity and identity.

His call came at a meeting of  the party at Jamuni on Wednesday where the Gorkha leader was expected to spell out the party’ s stand on the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat.

“Today, I will not speak about the Lok Sabha election or our party candidate. We will take a decision on the issue at an opportune moment. We will not adopt a strategy according to what the government of India or the state government wants,” Gurung said.

Representatives of different hill communities were invited to the Morcha meeting in Jamuni, 20km from here.

 “I am increasingly feeling that various Gorkha sub-communities are forgetting about Gorkha unity. I feel the situation is emerging in a way that in the days to come, a Gurung will not go to a Rai family house where there has been a death. Probably, a Chhetri will not be there for the Tamang people during crisis and vice-versa. We Gorkhas are a community which takes great pride in our recognition as a brave community but we are slowly getting scattered,” Gurung said, The Telegraph reported.

“Please remain united, keeping in mind the larger picture. I have no problems with the government forming boards for different communities,” Gurung said.

“In fact, when Mamata Banerjee was in Darjeeling, I had requested her to form development boards for all hill communities. I have also requested her to initiate a process so that 10 Gorkha communities are enlisted in the Schedule Tribe list. After forming so many boards, I think the state government can also dissolve the GTA,” the Morcha chief said.

LITERARY

How Sikkim fell prey to India’s imperialistic designs

By INDRANIL BANERJIE

Sunanda K. Datta-Ray with the revised edition of Smash & Grab: Annexation of Sikkim. (Pix: The Telegraph- left)

Sikkim became the twenty-second state of the Indian Republic on 16 May 1975 and the monarchy that had ruled this Himalayan kingdom for more than three centuries was abolished. How this came about is the theme of journalist Sunanda K. Datta-Ray’s book, which was first published to much acclaim in 1984.

This revised edition with a new introduction comes several years after the original publisher gave up the rights to the book, claiming he was not interested in reprinting it. Another publisher, Tranquebar, decided Ms Datta-Ray’s book needed to be kept alive.

Smash and Grab is at heart a simple story, masterfully embellished with first hand journalistic detail, about Sikkim’s noble but defenceless King, who falls to the machinations of imperial New Delhi and a handful of conniving local politicians.

The author’s view is that Indira Gandhi’s government decided to annex Sikkim because its ruler Palden Thondup Namgyal, the twelfth Chogyal, was showing every sign of asserting his independence, despite being bound by an unequal treaty to be utterly subservient to New Delhi.

The book is a distressing account of how Indian officials conspired with a few local Nepalese leaders to engineer protests against the Chogyal, who was portrayed as an oppressive, undemocratic feudal, and eventually force a vote to secure Sikkim’s merger with India.

The Indian view at that time was that the Chogyal was opposed to democracy as it would effectively transfer power to the local Nepalese, who despite being immigrants had over the decades become the majority ethnic group in Sikkim. The original Bhutia-Lepcha inhabitants of Sikkim, it was argued, would become a minority with diminished powers.

Whatever the politics, the author’s account accurately portrays the ruthless manner in which the tiny Kingdom, a protectorate of India, was brought down with the Indian Army’s shadow looming over the Chogyal’s palace.

In Ms Datta-Ray’s account the Chogyal, who was his friend, is clearly the tragic hero while the gaggle of treacherous Nepalese politicians and Indian officials are the villains. The author’s superb writing skills, his ability to capture the spirit of the moment and his deep sympathy of Sikkim’s tradition make the book much more than a black and white account of past events.

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the Chogyal of Sikkim during the controversial ‘merger’ era. (right)

Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal, as the book explains, was no ordinary king but was “recognised at birth as an incarnate of the eighth Chogyal , Sidkeong Tulku, and through him, of a legendary king of Tibet, as well as the monk, Aen-Tul Karma Rinchen of the Kargyu-pa sect of Kham.”

Particularly compelling is the author’s portrayal of the deposed Chogyal, whom he describes as a person of “gentle charm, classical Tibetan scholarship, progressive administrative ideas, and scientific interest in contemporary forms of advance.” He was also recognised as “a staunch ally of India’s democratic leadership”.

Ironically, at one time, New Delhi had championed the Chogyal and even sent him as India’s confidential envoy to Lhasa. He was the president of the Mahabodhi Society of India and had led the Indian delegation to a Moscow conference on Orientalism. He was an honorary major general of the Indian Army and colonel-in-chief of the Eighth Gurkhas.

“Nehru was paternally fond of the active and imaginative prince so bubbling with enthusiasm for his country”, writes Datta-Ray. Yet, this very person several years later would be “publicly reviled and rejected in the closing years of his reign, depicted as a tyrant and a monster, painted as India’s implacable foe, and the enemy the Nepalese had to overthrow.” “The sad, shy man with his gentle ways and embarrassing stammer, his soft speech and quiet thoughtfulness, was lost to view under an avalanche of abuse…It was cruel and wicked distortion. But it served its purpose”, the author recounts. The Chogyal had to go and democracy had to be seen to have triumphed.

    The author’s purpose in writing a revised version of the book is not to express eternal regret for the annexation but to record a critical and not very savoury episode in Indian history. For, as the author writes in his new introduction, “Telling the story again does not mean a U-turn is possible, or even desirable, in history’s one-way street. My Sikkimese friends have made their peace with destiny. On the whole, they have profited from it. Today’s Sikkim is far more vibrant than the sleepy kingdom I knew. Everything is bigger, if not always better…Gangtok has become a throbbing business and tourist centre with packed cafes, a busy walkway and one of India’s few casinos.” “Few look back with nostalgia”, writes Ms Datta-Ray. “But no one can afford to ignore the interlinked historical processes that converted a kingdom under India’s protection into the twenty-second state of the Indian republic. The disappearance of old Sikkim was not the end of the Himalayan story. It was the beginning.” (The Asian Age)

Just Released!

The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland

By JIGME N. KAZI

Publisher: Hill Media Publications, Gangtok, Sikkim

Price: Rs. 525/-

  Sequel to Jigme N. Kazi’s previous book Inside Sikkim: Against the Tide, this book, The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland, highlights the downfall of the Nar Bahadur Bhandari regime, which ruled Sikkim for a decade and half (1979-1994),  and subsequent events in the former kingdom leading to formation of Pawan Chamling-led Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government in December 1994.

 The book, released on February 6, 2014, delves deeply into social, religious and political issues – Assembly seat reservation, income tax, Rathongchu hydro power project, scaling of Khangchendzonga, Gurudongmar lake controversy, Opposition unity – that the Chamling Government confronted during its first three successive terms in office (1994-2009).

   The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland also seeks to highlight how and why the author – a journalist – left the safe confines of his profession and joined active politics. Was he after ‘power politics’ or did he truly struggle for ‘people power’ to triumph in Sikkim?

   In his recent book, Sikkim For Sikkimese, the author reveals his professional and political struggle of two and half decades (1983-2008) to safeguard Sikkim’s ‘distinct identity within the Union.’ In The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland, Jigme N. Kazi shows that he can use the pen and the sword with equal flare and ferocity. His personal confrontation with those within and outside his political circle on diverse issues makes it a must-read book for those who are looking for unique insights into how the political elite of established political parties play the game of survival.

 More than anything The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland reveals how one can fight head-on and take on the powers-that-be for the common cause and come out unscathed and with one’s credibility intact.

   Jigme N. Kazi is now back to where he belongs – journalism. He currently edits two of his weekly English newspapers – Sikkim Observer and Himalayan Guardian – and has plans to revive his other publications. In his 30-year career in journalism, Jigme N. Kazi has worked for numerous local, regional, national and international publications and news services, including Eastern Express, North East Daily, The Telegraph, The Statesman, United News of India (UNI), The Independent (Nepal) and Inter Press Service(IPS).

   Published by Hill Media Publications, Gangtok, the 276-page book priced at Rs 525/-, is available at Observer Building, Nam Nang, Gangtok, Sikkim and at the local books shops in Gangtok.

Hill Media Network

Gangtok, Sikkim

SIKKIM OBSERVER Saturday   Nov 16-22,  2013    

In Supreme Court, SKM demands CBI probe into police lathicharge

Sonam Bhutia (left)

Gangtok, Nov 15: The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) has demanded CBI probe into the brutal Sikkim Police lathicharge at its party headquarters here on February 11, 2013.

It has expressed optimism over the recent hearing of the case against Akshaya Sachdev, IGP, Law & Order, Govt of Sikkim, in the Supreme Court.

SKM General Secretary (Legal) Sonam Bhutia said the case came up for hearing on Tuesday and the apex court’s Justice Singhvi “heard the case at length”.

Appearing on behalf of the petitioners, Prashant Bhusan and Sunil Mathew argued that the Respondent No. 2, Akshaya Sachdeva, IPS, be suspended and that a criminal case be registered against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The petitioners have also demanded that departmental proceeding be initiated against Sachdeva.

Justice Singhvi passed an order on behalf of the Bench stating that Sikkim Police’s action against SKM supporters on February 11, 2013, were “unwarranted” and the subsequent cases and chargesheets registered against the petitioners and other SKM members be stayed, SKM release said.

Based on the report submitted by the Enquiry Commission headed by I. C. Dwedevi, Ex. DGP, UP, the apex court will decide in two weeks’ time which organization will carry out the probe against Sikkim Police headed by Sachdeva, SKM release said.

The Commission was set up by the Supreme Court to probe into the alleged “unprovoked lathi- charge” by Sikkim Police headed by Sachdeva on SKM supporters.

‘North Point’ has contributed to nation building: Prez

Darjeeling, Nov 15: President Pranab Mukherjee said schools such as Darjeeling’s St. Joseph’s School, commonly known as ‘North Point’ – as it is located at North Point – “have stood the test of time and contributed to the building of our nation.”

Speaking at a function here at St. Joseph’s School on Sunday, the President said “India’s tomorrows are shaped in the crucibles of great schools, in their classrooms, games fields as well as co-curricular activities.”

Quoting India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, he said: “If India is to be a great nation, it must begin in her classrooms.”

The President’s visit to the Jesuit school is one of the highlights of the school’s year-long celebrations of its 125 year. The celebrations will conclude in April 2014.

The President lauded the contribution of the school and the Jesuit fathers, in particular, in the field of education.

 “Institutions like St Joseph’s School, North Point and others run by the Jesuit fathers like St Xavier’s, Kolkata, where Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore studied, St Xavier’s Mumbai, XLRI, Jamshedpur, and Loyola College, Chennai, have stood the test of time and contributed to the building of our nation,” he said.

St Joseph’s School, and St Xavier’s Calcutta and Mumbai were founded by Fr Henri Depelchin, a Jesuit father of Belgian origin.

Editorial

GREAT INSTITUTIONS

Take Care of Them

President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Darjeeling’s prestigious St. Joseph’s School (North Point), founded by the Jesuits 125 years ago, this week coincides with the Gorkha leadership’s decision to go slow with the demand for Gorkhaland. While the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is now planning to get back to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) instead of pursuing a hardline approach to its statehood demand other Gorkha leaders, including Mahendra P. Lama, are chalking out a more democratic method to achieve Gorkhaland. These are noteworthy developments on which hill people and their leadership must now focus on.

Great educational institutions such as ‘North Point’ have made tremendous contribution not only to Darjeeling, India but also to the world at large. Indeed, many ex-students of schools such as St. Joseph’s School, Dr. Graham’s Homes, St. Paul’s School, Loreto Convent, Mt. Hermon School, Goethal’s Memorial School and others in the region have given leadership to Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet. It may also be noted that most of the distinguished schools in Darjeeling went through a rough time during the Gorkhaland agitation since 1986 and are still facing difficult days. ‘North Point’’s Father Kinley needs to be applauded for his success in ensuring that his alma mater reaches greater heights in difficult times. Hill people of Darjeeling and school authorities must learn something from St. Joseph’s School and start learning to take care of these great educational institutions.

SKM: People’s movement for change is gathering momentum

     Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) chief PS Golay with his colleagues and supporters during a party meet.

Gangtok, Nov 15: “This man is better than Bhandari and Chamling,” confessed a prominent leader of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM).

“I’ve worked under both Chamling and Bhandari but Golay has better leadership quality,” he added.

“One of the main reasons why people are flocking to the SKM is because Golay has the winnability factor,” said an observer. He pointed out that Golay has been winning from various constituencies ever since the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) came to power in 1994.

When Pawan Chamling launched his SDF on March 4, 1993, in Jorethang, South Sikkim, less than 10,000 attended the public meeting. Ousted from the Bhandari Cabinet in mid-1992, Chamling’s popularity in early 1993 was at its height.

 AD Subba, President of Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad Party, who has now merged his party with the Congress, could gather around a few hundreds for his party rallies.

The crowd at public meetings of Sikkim Sangram Parishad, led by NB Bhandari, falls far short of people’s expectation. The same can be said of the BJP, SNPP, Sikkim Liberation Party etc.

Compare these to SKM’s recent party meeting here at the Paljor Stadium which had a crowd of about 30,000. Golay is yet to be formally crowned SKM President and the number of people joining his is staggering.

People’s expectations from the SKM are very realistic. “We just want change at the top. Twenty years under one man’s rule is far too long.”
Death of A Judge

Justice Anup Deb: Did he commit suicide or was he murdered?

By Jigme N Kazi

More than a decade after his sudden demise the mystery of Justice Anup Deb’s death refuses to fade away, at least among those who were close to him.

   He was a Judge and I a journalist but what bound us together for more than two decades was our friendship nurtured down the years through turbulent times. When I got a call from someone early morning on March 14, 2002 I rushed to Justice Debs’ official residence at Balwuakhani in Gangtok only to find out that he was no more. The official version of Justice Deb’s death was that he hung himself in his official residence in the night of March 13.    

   Justice Deb was a strong and determined person and those, like myself, who knew him from close range found it very difficult to believe that he had committed suicide.

   “Unable to bear his prolonged illness, sitting High Court Judge Justice Anup Deb committed suicide,” a national daily reported. It added “…an ailing Justice Deb (59) hanged himself in the bedroom of his official residence here shortly after midnight leaving a suicide note stating "I cannot bear my illness anymore."

   However, Deb’s personal physician Dr. K. Bhandari of Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital (STNM) said he was not suffering from any terminal or serious diseases. It is the first time in India’s history that a sitting Judge commits suicide, reported Sikkim Express.

   My own English weekly, Sikkim Observer, which many times reported on Justice Deb’s pronouncements in the court, was out of print during this period and failed to carry anything on his death. I hope this piece will to some extent do justice to the departed soul and compensate for my failure to carry anything on circumstances surrounding his tragic death which still remain shrouded in mystery.

    Deb was elevated to the rank of a Judge of the Sikkim High Court from the State Advocate General's post in 1994. He was transferred to the Agartala bench of the Gauhati High Court in February 1995 and then moved to the Orissa High Court in March 1996 before returning to Sikkim High Court in December 1997. During his tenure in the Sikkim High Court he also held the post of Acting Chief Justice for some time.

   “Don’t meditate too much. Look after your family,” were his last words to me and my wife when we went to see him and his wife at his Gangtok residence. He was in a good mood and we had a good time. That was, I think, the last time we met. Most of the time Justice Deb lived alone in his residence while his wife and children resided in neighbouring Siliguri, his home town.

    Since the Chamling Government slapped two cases on me regarding my press and residence in early 2001 and since Justice Deb was hearing these cases I made it a point not to be around him. But by early 2002 I learnt that he was not his normal self. During this period he once told me that he had information from the Union Home Ministry that his life was in danger. He used to often seek divinations for even traveling to Siliguri and Delhi. Lots of pujas were also performed for his safety and security. At times he was quite paranoid about his personal safety. “Some people think I’m running a parallel government!,” Deb used to tell me at times and then burst into laughter. Indeed, some of his observations and verdicts in the court made the administration sit up and take note.

   Realising that he was not keeping well I made it a point to see him and personally find out what was troubling him. I had some paper works to do at the High Court on March 13 which took some time. It was then I decided to go and see him in his office at the High Court premises. He was not there and I was told he was with Chief Justice R. Dayal in his office. I waited for sometime and left a word in his office that I had come to see him.

    I was expecting a call from him in the afternoon or evening of the same day.  Justice Deb usually calls me to his residence whenever I wanted to see him or the vice-versa. We normally chat over a cup of tea and snacks prepared by his cook. But this time there was no calls from him and early the next day I get a call saying he is no more.

    My first encounter with Justice Deb was way back in the winter of 1983. I was just fresh out of college and into journalism. What brought us together was a writ petition filed in the Supreme Court on seats reserved for Sikkim’s indigenous Bhutia-Lepchas (BLs)  in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly by Ram Chandra Poudyal, then perhaps the most popular and articulate leader of the Nepalese community in Sikkim.

   In his writ petition, Poudyal, a former minister in the Kazi Cabinet (1974-1979), sought to do away with 12 Assembly seats reserved for the Bhutia-Lepchas and 1 for the Sangha, representing Buddhist monasteries in Sikkim. Deb, who was then the Additional Advocate General of Sikkim, sought my help to defend the case on historical ground. He said we would lose the case if we depended solely on legal and constitutional grounds. I took leave from Eastern Express, where I was working, and prepared the papers to defend the 13 reserved seats of the BLs and Sangha in the Supreme Court.

   When the case came up for hearing in early 1984 before the Supreme Court Poudyal was asked to “withdraw” his petition. The five-judge constitution bench headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice, Justice YB Chandrachud, which took note of the historical background on Assembly seat reservation for the minority indigenous communities in Sikkim, was in our favour. However, Poudyal tactfully delayed hearing of the petition for several years and when it did come up for hearing in early 1993 we won the case.

   “The inequalities in representation in the present case are an inheritance and compulsion from the past. Historical considerations have justified a differential treatment,” read the verdict of the apex court. These were the same observations made by the apex court in February 1984.  If Justice Deb had not advised us to depend on our history to defend our case we may have lost our battle in the apex court and that would have been disastrous for Sikkim.

   When we finally won the case in 1993 it was my privilege to have Justice Deb, Sonam P. Wangdi, now Judge of Sikkim High Court, then a Sikkimese lawyer who was once Deb’s junior, and my friend Chewang Tobgay, who represented Sikkim Tribal Welfare Association (STWA) in the case as an intervening party, at my residence at Deorali for lunch. It was time to celebrate for our victory. Former Home Secretary, Late Jigdal T. Densapa, who was a part of our team representing the State Government, was the only person missing from the table.

   I was the last person to place a khada on Deb when his body was placed in the crematorium on the banks of Mahananda River in Siliguri during the funeral. I vividly recollect what came to my mind when I first passed the Mahananda bridge, located near the cremation place, after Deb’s death.  As I looked over the bridge across to where the last remains of Justice Deb’s body were turned into ashes and then immersed into the river these words from the man whom I loved and respected flashed through my head: “Don’t look back. Look forward. I did my job. Now you do yours.” Was he referring to the Assembly seat issue? I often wonder about this but have no answers. However, I know that our mission on Assembly seat issue for both the Bhutia-Lepchas and Sikkimese Nepalese is still unfinished. Whenever I pass through that bridge I look over to the same spot and whisper some prayers for the one who is now no more but who still lives in my memory.

   Did Deb really commit suicide or did someone hang him? During the tragic incident, Deb’s younger brother, Goutam Deb, now Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s troubleshooter in Darjeeling and also North Bengal Development Minister, was heard uttering these words in front of Justice Dayal and other officials: “Cold blooded murder.”   

   The Sikkim unit of the Congress party’s demand for a CBI probe into the incident went unheeded. The fact that one of Deb’s prominent friends in college was senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee – now India’s President – did not evoke much response from the authorities. Former Chief Minister NB Bhandari also doubted the suicide claim of the government.

   Years later, a highly-placed Sikkimese civil servant close to Deb who has now retired, told me that the former Acting Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court did not commit suicide but was forcefully hung in his toilet. To prove his point he said there was no probe into the incident and the policeman who was guarding Justice Deb’s residence during that period died mysteriously one month after the tragic incident. The constable’s wife also committed suicide shortly after her husband’s death. Reportedly, the couple hung themselves.

    No matter how Justice Deb may have met his end I strongly believe that it was the system that thrives on lies, deceit and corruption that put an abrupt end to his life. (Talk Sikkim, October 2013)

St. Joseph's School: 125 years of excellence in service

In 1877, school was established for Catholic boys in 'Sunny Bank' a bungalow close to the presbytery (possibly what is known as the Bishop's House today) by the Capuchin Fathers. In 1879 new building had been put up and the school was given the name of "St. Joseph's Seminary" under the Rectorship of Fr. Joseph Peacock, helped by five assistant-masters. This was presumably the first authentic ancestor of North Point. By 1881 the school was enlarged to a building measuring 150 by 40 feet, a very large structure for the Darjeeling of those days.

St. Joseph's School, Darjeeling, is popularly known as ‘North Point’. The name North Point came about because the school is situated in that area of Darjeeling.

The Kanchenjunga mountain range forms the backdrop to the school, with Grecian columns and cuneiform windows enclosing an eye-catching quadrangle in the centre. The school was opened on February 13, 1888, at Sunny Bank in Darjeeling town. There were eighteen boarders and seven day scholars on the rolls. Numbers soon increased and the need was felt for more ample grounds.

The present roperty was procured by Fr. Henri Depelchin SJ, the founder, on the town limits at North Point. The foundation stone was laid on April 27, 1890, and on February 18, 1892 the new building received the first North Pointers. In 1899, the student body consisted of 193 boys.

Towards the end of 1908, Sir Andrew Fraser gave Rs.21,000 to the school. The money was used to close in the quadrangle completely. With this the number of students increased to 290. In 1947, the year of Indian Independence, the number reached 422, including ninety-three college students.

There was a steady increase in the numbers of day scholars, and the school became more international in character. There had always been a scattering of English, French and German boys. Later, students from China, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand and Burma started arriving. In 1954, twenty-eight nationalities could be found in the college, including the staff. At one time there were Americans, Czechs, Armenians and a mixture of religions: Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jew, Bhuddist, Hindu, etc. Initially, the Jesuits who ran the school were from Belgium but in the late 1940s, the Canadians slowly took over.

The building of the structure, in 1888, was entrusted to Brother Eugene Rotsaert, who levelled the site. Approximately 2,000,000 cubic feet (57,000 m) of rock and soil was removed before building could begin, and a force of some two thousand men was employed for the purpose. Below the school site, the Maharaja of Burdwan had an extensive field known as Ladbrooke Farm. It was acquired on long lease. The work at North Point proceeded under the lead of Brother Rotsaert. By May 10, 1889 the excavation of the foundations was completed and construction was started without delay.

The foundation was blessed on April 27, 1889, and the school was blessed by Fr. Depelchin on December 8. In 1892, E. H. FitzGerald joined the staff, and remained until his death in 1945. Classes reopened on February 18, 1892, for the first time at North Point.

In spite of the financial difficulties at St. Joseph’s, material improvements were taken in hand from the very first year of its existence. The dormitories were panelled, dressing-rooms were fitted out, and the equipment of the two laboratories -for physics and chemistry- was improved.

In 1893 the unsightly mound which stood between the building and the Lebong Road was removed.

The house system was introduced in 1950s. Boys who come to North Point are assigned to a house.

Four houses- Ashley, Garnet, Campion and Southwell- were established with a boy prefect each. There are no records of those after 1938. In 1952 the present system was introduced. The houses were named after four deceased Jesuits who had served many years at North Point.

Depelchin House (red) was named after the founder of St. Joseph’s College and builder of North Point, Fr. Henri Depelchin S.J. (1822–1900).

Fallon House (blue) was named after Fr. Joseph Fallon, a former Prefect and Rector (1913–1919). Fr. Fallon later became Superior of the Bengal Mission. He returned to North Point and died here in 1952.

Laenen House (yellow) was named after Fr. Denis Laenen who taught from 1901 until his death in 1946.

O'Neil House (green) was named after Fr. Edward O'Neil who had been a teacher and then the Prefect. Later he was appointed Rector of St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta. (Wikipedia)

Father Kinley: ‘Second Founder’ of St. Jospeph’s School

Born in Bhutan and an alumnus of St. Joseph’s School, Father Kinley Tshering S.J., who is widely regarded as the ‘Second Founder’ of St. Joseph’s School, was the first batch of ICSE in 1975 and was a Depelchin Gold Medallist.

He went to Bangalore for plus 2 to St. Joseph's, and then to Mumbai at St. Xavier's College for a degree in Sociology. He started "Malhar" which is one of the biggest students' festival in India today. He was awarded the best foreign student by Rotary Club Mumbai in 1980.

Fr. Kinley graduated from IIM-Bangalore with a MBA in Marketing. Later he did his M.Ed in Educational Administration from the University of Manitoba in Canada.

Before joining North Point, he was the Principal of Loyola College of Education at Namchi, South Sikkim, Principal of St. Alphonsus H.S. School at Kurseong and The Dean of the Sikkim Govt. College, Gangtok.

In 2003, Fr. Kinley joined North Point and since then he has changed the face of the school in all respect. Today North Point is one of the best schools in the region. He is, therefore, known as "Second Founder" of St. Joseph’s School, a credit that he rightly deserves.

There was no ultimatum…it was just smash and grab: Chogyal of Sikkim

Imprint: Tranquebar Press

Format: Hardback

Extent: 494pp

Published:  Oct- 2013

Price: Rs 795

ISBN 9789383260386

This book made history. It wasn’t banned, not quite, when it first appeared in 1984, but its disappearance was cleverly managed so that few got to read the only authentic account of how a protected kingdom became India’s twenty-second state. As the Hon. David Astor, editor of The Observer in London, wrote, Sunanda K. Datta-Ray was ‘alone in witnessing and communicating the essential story’.

Chogyal

  He had to surmount many obstacles and incur severe disapproval to do so. Nearly thirty years later, a revised edition with the author’s long new introduction reads like an exciting thriller. Rich with dances and durbars, lamaist rituals, intrigue and espionage, it brings vividly to life the dramatis personae of this Himalayan drama—Sikkim’s sad last king, Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal, and his vivacious American queen, Hope Cooke; bumbling Kazi Lendhup Dorji and his scheming Kazini, whose nationality and even her name were shrouded in mystery, and who played into the hands of more powerful strategists.

Kazi

Citing documents that have not been seen by any other writer, the book analyses law and politics with masterly skill to recreate the Sikkim saga against the background of a twentieth-century Great Game involving India and China. Smash and Grab: Annexation of Sikkim didn’t only make history. It is history.

 About the Author

Sunanda K. Datta-Ray

Sunanda K. Datta-Ray has been a leading Indian journalist for half a century. He has been editor of The Statesman (Calcutta and New Delhi) and has also written for the International Herald Tribune and Time. He was also the editorial consultant to Singapore's The Straits Times newspaper.

An alumnus of La Martiniere for Boys School, Calcutta, Datta-Ray is the author of Looking East to Look West: Lee Kuan Yew's Mission India, Bihar Shows the Way, Smash And Grab: The Annexation of Sikkim and  Waiting for America: India and the US in the New Millennium.

Jigme N Kazi’s blog: jigmenkazisikkim.blogspot.com

SIKKIM OBSERVER  Saturday   Nov 9-15,  2013  

    One of Tashi Namgyal Academy’s (TNA) gates – traditional and unique –which leads to the school playground, located on      the eastern side of the campus. (Pix by Leonard Lefevre)

President to visit Darjeeling, Sikkim

Prez to attend St. Joseph School’s 125^th celebrations

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee will visit West Bengal and Sikkim on November 10 and 11, an official statement said on Friday.

The President will attend the 125th year celebrations of St Joseph's School, North Point, Darjeeling on November 10.

In Gangtok, he will inaugurate the 40th Jawaharlal Nehru National Science, Mathematics and Environment Exhibition on November 11.

West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan is presently on a 19-day visit to Darjeeling district from Oct 27.

A GJM delegation led by its supremo Bimal Gurung is also likely to meet Narayanan.

Sikkim Chief Secretary R. Ongmu convened a meeting on Wednesday at the Conference Hall of the Secretariat to review the progress of preparation of concerned departments for the visit of the President to the State next week.

The function is being  held here at Epica Garden, Saramsa, East Sikkim, an official release said.

Panel report on Sachdeva before Supreme Court

Gangtok, Nov 8: Senior Police officer IG Akshay Sachdeva (Law and Order), who ordered the brutal crackdown on Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) activists here at the party headquarters in February this year, has been “completely exposed,” said a party functionary.

He was referring to the report on the incident submitted by a panel before the Supreme Court. The apex court set up the one-man committee to probe into the matter after SKM’s Kala Rai approached the court’s intervention in August.

According to reports, retired DGP of Uttar Pradesh Shri IC Dewedi submitted the report on October 17. The report has termed ‘illegal’ the police lathicharge led Sachdeva.

The SKM is now keenly awaiting the apex court’s verdict on the issue.

PM apprised of ‘massive corruption’ in earthquake relief work: SKM

Gangtok, Nov 8: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been apprised of the alleged massive corruption in the utilization of earthquake relief work in the State.

The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) has submitted a memorandum to the office of the Prime Minister alleging huge corruption in earthquake relief fund utilization.

Vice President of the party, T. N Dhakal, personally visited the office of the Prime Minister and submitted a memorandum citing ‘massive corruption’ of the relief fund provided by the Central Government for compensating victims of the 18 September 2011 earthquake, according to a press release of the party, Talk Sikkim reported on Facebook.

SKM Working President Bharati Sharma said the memorandum reveals that out of 8000 damaged houses, not even 5% work has been completed.

The SKM alleges that the relief fund has been misused by the ruling SDF party for their political purpose rather than compensating the victims.

Sikkim: World’s No. 1 region to visit in 2014

Gangtok, Nov 8: Sikkim, the tiny Himalayan mountain state in northeast India, has come top of the Lonely Planet’s regions to visit in 2014.

The Lonely Planet said Sikkim has set new benchmarks for responsible travel in India, with sustainable community-based tourism and eco-friendly policies that have reinvigorated the state.

It added that organic farming is being promoted in Sikkim, which has a population of around 600,000, and that a new airport scheduled to open near Gangtok in 2014 will shave several hours off travel time to the region. Reaching the state now involves a winding journey from West Bengal on narrow mountain roads, which are often flooded or blocked in winter, The Wall Street Journal reported.

In September 2011, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the region, killing more than 100 people.   That year, Sikkim was one of six states and union territories to experience a decline in domestic tourists, with just over half a million visitors, down 21.1% from 2010, government data show.

But the state continued to attract foreign tourists thanks to its snow-capped mountains, Buddhist monasteries, terraced fields, agreeable climate and excellent trekking. In 2011, the number of foreign tourists in Sikkim rose 13.7% to 23,602. Foreigners need a permit to enter the state.

Growth in India’s tourism industry has slowed this year. In the first four months of 2013, the growth in foreign tourists was just 1.8%, against 9% a year earlier.  Some female tourists say they carry stun guns and pepper spray for protection in India, following reports of attacks on women in the country, including foreign tourists.

The Incredible India campaign launched in 2002 to attract tourists to the country was felt by some in the north east to have left the region behind. In response in 2012, the North East Development Council, a body aimed at promoting economic and social development in the region, began its own 10-year campaign to entice visitors.

Sikkim was an independent kingdom until it became India’s 22nd state in 1975. Along with Goa, it is one of only two states in India to permit gambling.

The state does well on some development indicators. It has a female literacy rate of 76.43%, above the national average of 65.46%, and infant mortality is 26 per 1,000 births, nearly half the national rate of 50 per 1,000 births.

The Kimberley in Australia was second on the Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2014 rankings for regions. It was followed by Yorkshire in England, Hokuriku in Japan, the U.S. state Texas, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Zambia, the Spanish island Mallorca, the west coast of New Zealand, the Chinese province Hunan and the Tongan island group Ha’apai.

The Lonely Planet also lists what it deems to be the world’s top cities, countries and destinations based on other travel criteria.

Editorial

REALITY & RHETORIC

Democracy Guardian of Vested Interests

Acclaimed author Arundhati Roy once branded ‘democracy’ as “the Free World’s whore”. Roy, a social activist and critic of the United States and globalization, like another noted intellectual Noam Chomsky, has blamed the West of making a big show of ‘manufactured consent’ in the name of ‘democracy’, where vested interests, including the media and big business houses, call the shots in the name of the people. Naive citizens in developing democracies often fall prey to what The Times of India calls ‘dance of democracy’ while referring to the electoral process. Elections are often looked upon as celebrations in a democracy but the stark reality is that it is a process by which the microscopic elite literally buys consent to govern.

Governance in such a situation is nothing but a pack of wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing to exploit the masses in the name of democracy. The history of modern civilization bears witness to this fact. Elected rulers in a democracy do not listen to the voice of reason. They, time and again, ignore public opinion against war, corruption and anti-people policies. Its only in name that India is called the world’s largest democracy. The reality is that it is a functioning anarchy. Roy is absolutely correct when she says free elections, a free press and an independent judiciary mean little when the free market means they are on sale to the highest bidder. Even in smaller regions of India such as Sikkim, a former Himalayan kingdom annexed by its protecting power, the evil nexus between politicians, bureaucrats and the corporate houses are in full display.

PRIDE OF SIKKIM

Army honours Victoria Cross holder Ganju Lama

Gangtok, Nov 8: In a befitting honour to a brave son of Sikkim, the Indian Army last Friday dedicated the gate of Gangtok Military Station in the name of Victoria Cross recipient Ganju Lama.

Ganju Lama, who received the prestigious Victoria Cross for his valour during the Second World War was honoured by naming Ganju Lama Dwar during a ceremony attended by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and Indian Army officials, The Statesman reported.

Late Ganju Lama’s wife Pema Sangmo and his two sons and daughter Rinchen Doma also attended the inauguration function at Gangtok Military station. The majestic gate has traditional Sikkimese design keeping in view the local ethos and heritage.

‘This gate will also be as a medium to inspire the younger generation and make them aware about the history and the courage reflected by the brave soldiers of Sikkim and the foremost in this is Late. Captain Ganju Lama’, said Lt Gen KJ Singh, GoC, Trishakti Corps.

Assuring Sikkimese people on the peaceful border conditions, Lt. Gen. Singh said: "Sikkim’s is one of the peaceful borders, where we have Indian Army ever vigilant over there, in keeping with the defence policies. And there is peace and tranquility on the border. Our operational infrastructure is also coming up very well."

Maj Gen D Anbu, GoC of 17th Mountain Division based in Gangtok also attended the function.

Ganju Lama was born on 7th July 1922 in the village of Sangmo in South Sikkim of a Sikkimese Bhutia father belonging to the Shangderpa clan.

He was admitted into the Gurkhas at the age of 18 only because in wartime the regiment let slip its usually stringent ethnic criterion. His real name was Gyamtso Shangderpa.

Subadar (Captain) Ganju Lama VC, MM, 1st Bn, 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles, died on the 30th June 2000 at his home in Sikkim.

The spring of 1944 saw General Sir William Slim's offensive into northern Burma countered by the move of the three divisions of General Mutagachi's 15th Japanese Army into the Imphal Plain. Mutagachi aimed to block Slim's lines of supply through the mountain passes from Assam, but first had to take Kohima and Imphal.

In Burma, on the morning of the 12th June 1944, the enemy put down an intense artillery barrage lasting an hour on our positions north of the village of Ningthoukhong. This heavy artillery fire knocked out several bunkers and caused heavy casualties, and was immediately followed by a very strong enemy attack supported by five medium tanks.

   After fierce hand-to-hand fighting, the perimeter was driven in in one place and enemy infantry, supported by three medium tanks, broke through, pinning our troops to the ground with intense fire. "B" Company, 7th Gurkha Rifles, was ordered to counter-attack and restore the situation.

Shortly after passing the starting line it came under heavy enemy medium machine-gun and tank machine-gun fire at point blank range, which covered all lines of approach. Rifleman Ganju Lama, the No. 1 of the PIAT gun, on his own initiative, with great coolness and complete disregard for his own safety, crawled forward and engaged the tanks single-handed.

In spite of a broken left wrist and two other wounds, one in his right hand and one in his leg, caused by withering cross-fire concentrated upon him, Rifleman Ganju Lama succeeded in bringing his gun into action within thirty yards of the enemy tanks and knocked out first one and then another, the third tank being destroyed by an anti-tank gun.

In spite of his serious wounds, he then moved forward and engaged with grenades the tank crews, who now attempted to escape. Not until he had killed or wounded them all, thus enabling his company to push forward, did he allow himself to be taken back to the Regimental Aid Post to have his wounds dressed.

Throughout this action Rifleman Ganju Lama, although very seriously wounded, showed a complete disregard for his own personal safety, outstanding devotion to duty and a determination to destroy the enemy which was an example and an inspiration to all ranks. It was solely due to his prompt action and brave conduct that a most critical situation was averted, all positions regained and very heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy.

Ganju Lama was invested with his Victoria Cross by the Viceroy of India, Field Marshal Lord Wavell, at the Red Fort, New Delhi, India, on the 24th October 1944.

On the partition of India in 1947, Ganju Lama joined the 11th Gorkha Rifles of the new Indian Army. The regiment had been re-raised from the soldiers of the 7th and 10th Gurkha Rifles who opted to continue their service with the Indian Army, rather than join the British Army. On his retirment the Government of Sikkim granted him a piece of land near his native village in the Ravangla District where he farmed both potatoes and the profitable spice crop cardamon.

Sikkim honoured the brave soldier with Pema Dorji, the highest civilian award in the former kingdom.

Darjeeling, Kalimpong were once part of Sikkim

Darjeeling in 1912

The area of Darjeeling was inhabited by the Lepchas,  and Bhutias as part of Sikkim from ancient times. In 1642, Phuntsog Namgyal became the first Chogyal ruler of Sikkim. Tensung Namgyal became the next Chogyal of Sikkim in 1670. It was during his rule that Sikkim lost the area of Kalimpong to Bhutan.

The Gorkha army from Nepal invaded Darjeeling in the 1790s, attacked the Sikkimese capital of Rabdentse, and annexed territories up to the Teesta River into Nepal. After the Anglo-Gorkha War, Nepal ceded one-third of it territories to the British as per the Sugauli Treaty in 1815, which included the land area between the rivers Mechi and Teesta. On 10 February 1817, the British reinstated the land area between rivers Mechi and Teesta to the Sikkimese Chogyal as per the Treaty of Titalia.

 The present disputes between Nepal and Sikkim arose regarding their borders (especially Ontoo Dara) and the then British Governor-General of India, Lord William Bentinck, sent two officers, Captain George Alymer Lloyd and Mr. J. W. Grant, to help resolve the dispute in February 1829. It was on the journey to Ontoo Dara that the two officers stayed at Darjeeling for 6 days at "the old Goorka station called Dorjeling" and were "much impressed with the possibility of the station as a sanatorium." On 18 June 1929, Lloyd communicated to the government regarding the possibility of Darjeeling serving as a sanatorium, while about the same time Grant also urged the government to possess the tract.

Lease Deed

Captain Herbert, the Deputy Surveyor General, was sent to Darjeeling to examine the area. The court of Directors of the British East India Company approved the project. General Lloyd was given the responsibility to negotiate a lease of the area from the Chogyal of Sikkim. The lease as per the Deed of Grant was granted on 1 February 1835.

This Deed of Grant, which is commendably short, runs as follows:

“The Governor-General having expressed his desire for the possession of the hills of Darjeeling on account of its cool climate, for the purpose of enabling the servants of his Government, suffering from sickness, to avail themselves of its advantages, I the Sikkimputtee Rajah out of friendship for the said Governor-General, hereby present Darjeeling to the East India, that is, all the land south of the Great Runjeet river, east of the Balasur, Kahail and Little Runjeet rivers, and west of the Rungpo and Mahanadi rivers.”

This was an unconditional cession of what was then a worthless uninhabited mountain, but in 1841 the British government granted the Chogyal an allowance of Rs. 100,000 per annum as compensation, and raised the grant to Rs. 6,000 per annum in 1846.

In 1835, a member of the Indian Medical Service, Dr. Arthur Campbell, was appointed as agent of the leased tract, and Lieut. Napier (later Lord Napier of Magdala) set to work improving the area and laying the foundations of the hill station of Darjeeling. Dr. Campbell became the first superintendent of the sanitorium in 1839. A road connecting Darjeeling with the plains was constructed in 1839.

Tea Plantation

Dr. Campbell brought Chinese tea seeds in 1841 from the Kumaon region and started growing tea on an experimental basis near his residence at Beechwood, Darjeeling. This experiment was followed by similar efforts by several other British. The experiments were successful and soon several tea estates started operating commercially.

Darjeeling, showing the Himalayan Range, as seen from St. Paul's School, Darjeeling, 1870

The rapid growth of Darjeeling led to jealousy from the Chogyal of Sikkim. There were also differences between the British Government and Sikkim over the status of people of Sikkim. Because of the increased importance of Darjeeling, many citizens of Sikkim, mostly of the labour class, started to settle in Darjeeling as British subjects. The migration disturbed the feudal lords in Sikkim who resorted to forcibly getting the migrants back to Sikkim.

Sikkim Rebellion and Annexation of Darjeeling

The relation deteriorated to such an extent that when Dr. Campbell and the eminent explorer Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker were touring in Sikkim in 1849, they were suddenly captured and imprisoned. This detention continued for weeks. An expeditionary force was sent by the Company to Sikkim. However, there was no necessity for bloodshed and after the Company's troops had crossed the Rangeet River into Sikkim, hostilities ceased.

Consequent to this trouble, and further misconduct on the part of the Sikkim authorities a few years later, the mountain tracts now forming the district of Darjeeling became a part of the British Indian Empire, and the remainder of kingdom of Sikkim became a protected state.

The area of Kalimpong along with the Dooars became British property following the defeat of Bhutan in the Anglo-Bhutan war (Treaty of Sinchula – 11 November 1865). Kalimpong was first put under the Deputy Commissioner of Western Duars, but in 1866 it was transferred to the District of Darjeeling giving the district its final shape.

The Chowrasta, Darjeeling, 1880.

Development in Darjeeling

The Darjeeling Municipality was established in 1850. Tea estates continued to grow. By the 1860s, peace was restored in the borders. During this time, immigrants, mainly from Nepal, were recruited to work in the construction sites, tea gardens, and other agriculture-related projects. Scottish missionaries undertook the construction of schools and welfare centres for the British residents: Loreto Convent in 1847, St. Paul's School in 1864, Planters' Club in 1868, Lloyd's Botanical Garden in 1878, St. Joseph's School in 1888, Railway Station in 1891, and Town Hall (present Municipality Building) in 1921. With the opening of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in 1881, smooth communication between the town and the plains below further increased the development of the region. "Darjeeling disaster" was an earthquake in 1898 that caused considerable damage to the young town and its native population.

Darjeeling Municipality took responsibility in maintaining the civic administration of the town from as early as 1850. From 1850 to 1916, the Municipality was placed in the first schedule (along with Halna, Hazaribagh, Muzzaferpur and others), where commissioners were appointed by the local governments and second schedule (along with Burdwan, Hooghly, Nadia, Hazaribagh and others), where the local government appointed a chairman.

Prior to 1861 and from 1870–1874, Darjeeling District was a "Non-Regulated Area" (where acts and regulations of the British Raj did not automatically apply in the district in line with rest of the country, unless specifically extended). From 1862 to 1870, it was considered a "Regulated Area". The term "Non-Regulated Area" was changed to "Scheduled District" in 1874 and again to "Back Ward Tracts" in 1919. The status was known as "Partially Excluded Area" from 1935 until the independence of India.

Tourist Destination

Darjeeling's elite residents were the British ruling class of the time, who visited Darjeeling every summer. An increasing number of well-to-do Indian residents of Kolkata (then Calcutta), affluent Maharajas of princely states, land-owning zamindars and barristers of Calcutta High Court also began visiting Darjeeling. The town continued to grow as a tourist destination, becoming known as the "Queen of the Hills". The town did not see any significant political activity during the freedom struggle of India owing to its remote location and small population. However, there was a failed assassination attempt by revolutionaries on Sir John Anderson, the Governor of Bengal in the 1930s.

Ethnic Tension

After the independence of India in 1947, Darjeeling was merged with the state of West Bengal. A separate district of Darjeeling was established consisting of the hilly towns of Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and the Terai areas of Siliguri. When the People's Liberation Army annexed Tibet in 1950, thousands of Tibetan refugees settled across Darjeeling district.

The population of Darjeeling rose by leaps and bounds. The colonial town of Darjeeling was designed for a population of only 10,000. The population spurt has made the town more prone to the environmental problems in the recent decades as the region is geologically relatively new. The rise in tourism also affected the ecological balance of the area.

A diverse ethnic population gave rise to socio-economic tensions, and the demand for the creation of the separate states of Gorkhaland and Kamtapur along ethnic lines grew popular in the 1980s. The issues came to a head after a 40-day strike called by the Gorkha National Liberation Front, during which violence gripped Darjeeling. Political tensions largely declined with the establishment of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council under the chairmanship of Subhash Ghisingh. The DGHC was given semi-autonomous powers to govern the district. The issue of a separate state still lingers on with a new political party Gorkha Janmukti Morcha demanding for the state of Gorkhaland. The new party accepted the GTA (Gorkha Territorial Administration) after certain years from both the center and the state Government of India which it believes that the demarcation of land including the Tarai and Doors with three subdivision Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong are to be formed which could lead to the formation of Gorkhaland. But the issue of a separate state still lingers. (Wikipedia)