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.

SIKKIM OBSERVER Saturday July 19-25, 2014

Blog:jigmenkazisikkim.blogspot.com

STUDENT POWER BRINGS GOVT TO ITS KNEES

GANGTOK BANDH – SCHOOLS & COLLEGES SHUT DOWN - VEHICLES SET ON FIRE – STUDENTS INJURED, HOSPITALISED – HIGHWAY CLOSED – ARMY INTERVENES

Gangtok, July 18: For the first time since Sikkim’s controversial ‘merger’ with India in early 1970s the former kingdom witnessed a bloody confrontation between the State Government and the people, this time represented largely by college students.

The bloody confrontation brought the Chamling Government on its knees when on the third day it yielded to the demands made by the student community. The agitation was partially lifted on Thursday when the student body reached an understanding with the State Government late Wednesday.

The agreement between several Cabinet ministers led by HRDD Minister RB Subba and student representatives, though not accepted by a section of the student community, binds the State Government to take action against guilty police officers, roll back fee hike, provide medical assistance to injured students and legal assistance for the probe.

The decision arrived at the meeting sought for restoration of normalcy and end to the agitation.

The agitation, aimed at protesting against hike in college fees, turned violent when the protestors were teargassed and lathicharged while holding a rally at the premises of Sikkim Government College at Tadong.

Several students were injured and hospitalized, two vehicles were torched and at least 30 vehicles were damaged while mediapersons were assaulted and a high-ranking police officer was roughed up during the three-day-long confrontation.

Though political parties condemned police brutality against peaceful protestors the agitation was largely a students vs police affair.

Former minister and Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) President PS Golay rejected the formation of the State Government’s one-man committee to probe into what he described as “inhuman” acts of the Sikkim Police against agitating students. He demanded that  Home Minister  Pawan Chamling  and HRDD Minister RB Subba  apologize to the student community.

The BJP Sikkim unit President Palden Wangchuk condemned the lathicharge. He said “in a democracy people have a right to voice their grievances.” The BJP also condemned “the unnecessary and drastic hike in the fees structure” of colleges in the State.

Even as schools and colleges were closed down for a week due to the agitation, the Principal Secretary of Human Resource Development Department Thomas Chandy appealed to the student community to resume their classes as the fee hike decision has been rolled back.

The One-Man Committee, to be headed by C.T.Wangdi, Secretary, Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department, is expected to submit his report within 15 days.

As the days progressed muster roll and ad-hoc employees, taxi drivers and a section of the public also joined in the movement. The capital’s shops were shut for two days – Wednesday and Thursday – and the national highway was closed down for sometime.

To contain the situation the Army was brought in on Wednesday. It held a flag-march in Tadong in full battle gear.

Nine SKM legislators sat on hunger strike outside the main Secretariate on Wednesday protesting against police atrocities against the student community. This put more pressure on the authorities to meet the demands of the student community. (also see page 4)

South district students threaten to renew strike if demands not met

Namchi, July 18: The Students of Namchi Government College and student representatives of South District have condemned the police action against the students on 14th and 15th July at Gangtok and demanded strict and immediate action from the state government.

   They said that the issue had not been settled yet. Students will wait for 15 days for the investigation of the incident and if they are denied justice they will continue their agitation and this time students of all four districts will join in the agitation.

South district students have demanded strict action against SP East and PI Sadar Thana for the lathi-charge against the students when they were only fighting for their rights, Talk Sikkim website reported.

They also demanded there should be no bias in the investigation of the incident and that all the police and IRB personnel involved in the incident should be punished accordingly.

Speaking about the incident the students expressed dissatisfaction about the way the HRD Department handled the issue. They said that if the department had put the notice about the price hike earlier in the college fee, a solution would have been found and no such incident would have taken place which ended with so many injured students.

The short notice given by the department about hike in college fee had made students worried as maximum students were not in a position to afford to pay the extra amount.

Subsequently, the non-cooperation from the department had forced them to block the National Highway. “But instead of listening to our demands, we were lathi-charged by the police,” they said, the report said.

Chief Minister Pawan Chamling called on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi this week and apprised him on various issues pertaining to Sikkim, including Assembly seat reservation for Limbus and Tamangs and income tax exemption for Sikkim’s left-out persons.

Tibetan Parliamentary delegation meets Indian MPs on Tibet

Dharamshala, July 18: A Tibetan parliamentary delegation has met newly-elected members of Indian Parliament from different political parties in New Delhi and the latter expressed their continued support for the Tibetan people.

The Tibetan parliament delegation comprise of Geshe Monlam Tharchin, Dolma Tsering, Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, Choekyong Wangchuk and Lobsang Yeshi.

The delegation is scheduled meet many members of India’s lower house of Parliament, Lok Sabha, to convey their greetings and make efforts to reinvigorate the All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet.

The delegation met Dr. Prasanna Kumar Patasani, a member of Parliament from India’s Biju Janata Dal party.  Dr Patasani, who has participated in many Tibet-related conferences, said he understands the sufferings of Tibetans under China’s repressive rule and expressed his continued support for the Tibetan cause.

 He said he would rally his parliamentary colleagues to join the All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet. He also expressed his support to lobby the parliamentary foreign affairs committee to seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s support on the issue of Tibet. He said he would make efforts to participate in the upcoming World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet.

  Some of key Indian Parliamentarians that the Tibetan delegation met  include Ajit Singh, former minister and chief of Rashtriya Lok Dal, who is the founding member of International Tibet Support, Jayant Chaudhary, P D Rai of Sikkim Democratic Front, Shashi Tharoor of Indian National Congress and Sharad Yadav of Janata Dal United. They pledged to continue their support for the issue of Tibet, join themselves in the All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet and encourage party colleagues to do so.

Editorial

KARMAPA CONTROVERSY

India Must Tread Carefully

If Nepal succumbs to Chinese pressure Shamar Rinpoche’s funeral will not take place in the former Hindu Kingdom. This will surely prove China’s influence in the sensitive border region in the Himalayan frontier. It is one thing to squabble over who really is the 17^th Karmapa and quite another thing to be influenced by big powers which are using religion to spread its wings. The Buddhist cultural landscape from Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east along the porous Himalayan belt – a natural wall between Asia’s two giants– is vital for both China and India’s security. Even before Shamar Rinpoche’s funeral rites are over Sikkim has demanded the early return of the 17^th Karmapa Ugyen Thinley Dorje to Rumtek. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government at the Centre needs to be widely aware of the political ramifications of the Karmapa controversy in this sensitive region. He must, therefore, be carefully briefed and properly guided by competent authorities to avoid another Himalayan blunder.

Did Shamar Rinpoche’s funeral plans fall foul of Himalayan power politics?

Kathmandu, July 18: The government of Nepal has revoked its decision to allow the last rituals of a prominent Buddhist leader who passed away in Germany last month due to heart attack, reported The New York Times.

The Nepalese Embassy in New Delhi had earlier issued a “no objection letter” for the body of Shamar Rinpoche to be taken to Nepal for the last rituals but reversed the decision after Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued directives to revoke the permission.

As per the wishes of the late Shamar Rinpoche his body was scheduled to be brought to Nepal for cremation at his own monastery, the Shar Minub in Kathmandu, on Monday.

   The body of Shamar Rinpoche was kept at the Karmapa Buddhist Institute in New Delhi till July 1st, and then at Diwakar Institute in Kalimpong. "Due to some unanticipated circumstances, we have had to postpone the departure of Shamar Rinpoche’s kudung from Kalimpong on July 13, 2014. We regret the inconvenience that this may have caused on your travel plans. We will be providing the updates once the date has been confirmed," said a statement on the official website of Shamar Rinpoche.

   Shamar Rinpoche, 62, who held the title Sharmapa, had died of a heart attack in Germany in June. His supporters wanted to fulfil his wishes and transport his body first to Kalimpong, in India’s north-east, and then to Nepal for a funeral service at an institute he had established.

But his supporters around the world fear their teacher may have fallen foul of power politics playing out in the Himalayas. Having initially granted the go-ahead for his body to be taken to Nepal, the authorities in Kathmandu have now withdrawn permission. It has been reported they did so under pressure from neighbouring China, which does not want to encourage Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal, The Independent reported.

A spokesman for Nepal’s home ministry, Laxmi Prasad Dhakal, confirmed permission had been given and then subsequently withdrawn.

Dhakal said officials at the Nepalese Embassy in Delhi had granted permission when it was believed the Sharmapa held a Nepalese passport. He said it was then discovered he held a Bhutanese passport and officials said permission could not be given as there was no legal provision for allowing foreigners to travel to Nepal for a funeral.

Asked whether Nepal had acted under pressure from China, he said: “No, no, no. That’s not true – 200 per cent not true.”

The Sharmapa held a senior position within the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, yet he was not without controversy. In 1992, he broke from the opinion of many other senior teachers and declined to recognise the person identified as the 17 Karmapa, who heads the Karma Kagyu school.

Indeed, he instead identified his own candidate. Today, the Karma Kagyu school remains split over who is its true head. The Chinese government recognises the Karmapa that the Sharmapa refused to recognise.

Shamar Rinpoche Mipham Chokyi Lodro was born in Derge, Tibet. At the age of four he was recognized by the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpei Dorje as the 14th Shamarpa.

The 14th Shamar Rimpoche wass one of the three main disciples of the previous Karmapa. After the death of the 16th Karmapa, Shamarpa recognized Thaye Dorje as the 17th Karmapa in 1994. However, Tai Situpa Rinpoche chose another boy, Ogyen Trinley Dorje as the 17th Karmapa who was approved by the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Deal with students in a humane manner: BJP

Gangtok, July 18: The Sikkim State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has condemned the incidence of lathicharge and bursting of tear gas shells on innocent students  here this week.

Party chief Palden Wangchuk said it was the collective administrative failure of the State Government to handle the situation which led to law and order problem.

“The party condemns violence of any sort,” the BJP release said.

It said the administration should have dealt the issues raised by the students in a “humane and compassionate manner”.

SIKKIM OBSERVER Saturday June 28 – July 4, 2014

Blog:jigmenkazisikkim.blogspot.com

Fiery Assembly session: Opp keeps govt on its toes

SKM LEGISLATORS WALKOUT IN PROTEST AGAINST ‘ANTI-NATIONAL’ TAG

Gangtok, June 27: For the first time in years the budget session of the Assembly this time has been a fiery one. Led by Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) President PS Golay, the treasury bench was kept on its toes with members of the Opposition comprising 10 MLAs refusing to budge and cornered the government on many issues ranging from Article 371F, Assembly seat reservation for Tamang and Limbu communities, water shortage and poor maintenance of roads in the State.

On Tuesday, the Sangha MLA Sonam Kaloen Lama charged the government of its neglect in not mentioning the long-pending demand for restoration of Assembly seats of Sikkimese Nepalese in the Governor’s address.

There was heated exchange of words when Chief Minister Pawan Chamling alleged that any reference to the historic Tripartite Agreement of May 8, 1973 was ‘anti-national’.

The Chief Minister’s refusal to acknowledge a letter communicated to the Union Government by his own Chief Secretary ND Chingapa in 2006 that suggested seat reservation issue for Limbu- Tamangs  be kept on hold did not go down well with the Opposition.

The government’s failure to grant income tax exemption to the State’s old settlers figured in the Assembly debate. Chamling closed the lid on this explosive issue by stating that the matter was with the Supreme Court.

Another touchy issue raised in the Assembly by the Opposition was the government’s move to do away with the categorisation of a section of Nepalese listed as Most Backward Classes (MBC) and to revert them back to their former OBC status.

The drama in the Assembly climaxed when the entire Opposition legislators led by Golay staged a walkout from the Assembly today in protest against the move to brand Opposition legislators as ‘anti-national’ when they raised issues regarding Article 371F.

“When we raised the issue of Article 371F we were termed anti-national and we walked out of the House in protest. When we talk about Article 371F we were accused of going against the Constitution,” Golay said at a hurriedly convened press conference after the walkout.

Golay also alleged that the Speaker KN Rai acted in a discriminatory manner and failed to observe the rules of the House. The walkout was also in protest against the Speaker’s decision to expunge Golay’s statement on numerous issues during Zero Hour from proceedings of the House.

On Monday, the Chief Minister presented the annual budget of Rs 6666.71 crore of which the plan outlay is fixed at Rs 3497.03 and non-plan at Rs. 3169.68.

Shamar Rinpoche: cremation in Kathmandu on July 31

Kudung to remain in Kalimpong for a fortnight from July 1

Gangtok, June 27: The funeral of Shamar Rinpoche, who passed away in Germany on June 11, will be held in Kathmandu on July 31, coinciding with the auspicious day when Lord Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma.

One of the most prominent spiritual figures of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the most influential personalities of Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism died of cardiac arrest at the meditation center of his Bodhi Path organization in Renchen-Ulm, sources said. He was only 61.

   Shamar Rinpoche Mipham Chokyi Lodro was born in Derge, Kham, in eastern Tibet. At the age of four he was recognized by the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpei Dorje,  as the 14th Shamarpa.

The 14th Shamar Rinpoche is one of the three main disciples of the previous Karmapa. After the death of the 16th Karmapa, Shamarpa recognized Thaye Dorje as the 17th Karmapa in 1994. However, Tai Situpa Rinpoche chose another boy, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, as the 17th Karmapa who was also approved by the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

In a statement after his meeting with the Dalai Lama on August 13, 2010, Shamar Rinpoche said, “I met His Holiness the Dalai Lama iin Dharamsala at His Holiness’ residence. We had a discussion for approximately one and a half hours and had a very important and detailed exchange of views regarding the ongoing Karmapa controversy and its possible solution. Although this matter is not easily resolved, since it is connected to the politics of China and India as well, with His Holiness Dalai Lama’s blessing and support I am confident that there will be an amicable solution, which will be beneficial for the Karma Kagyü lineage, as well as for Tibetan Buddhism in general.”          

Several thousand Buddhists from all over the world met at Renchen village to pay their last respects to Shamar Rinpoche. His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Thaye Dorje led the impressive farewell ceremony for his teacher. He accompanied Shamar Rinpoche on his last journey to New Delhi, where his mortal remains is being kept.

Shamar Rinpoche himself did not fear death. In one of his last teachings he said: "You don't need to be afraid of death if you know how to practice [meditation] in death."

After his death, letters of condolence were received from many high masters of Tibetan Buddhism as well as the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Bhutan. "I have known Rinpoche for many years and my family and I will always remember Shamar Rinpoche as a close and dear friend," His Majesty Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the 4th King of Bhutan, wrote.

  With its more than 180 meditation and study centers, the Karma Kagyu is the most widespread Buddhist school in Germany. It is worldwide represented by more than 900 monasteries as well as meditation centers under the guidance of Karmapa Thaye Dorje.

Since the Kudung of Sharmar Rinpoche arrived at the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute (KIBI) from Germany, His Holiness Karmapa Thaye Dorje along with the sangha have been performing daily prayers.

The Kudung of Shamar Rinpoche, accompanied by His Holiness Karmapa Thaye Dorje, will be leaving for Kalimpong on the July 1. Devotees of the Late Rinpoche from Bhutan, Sikkim and Darjeeling will pay their respects to the departed soul while the Kudung remains for a fortnight at  Kalimpong’s Shri Diwakar Vihara Buddhist Research and Educational Institute that Rinpoche had established.

Attempts were made to bring the Kudung to Rumtek monastery in Sikkim but the authorities refused to give permission citing law and order problem.

On July 14, His Holiness Karmapa Thaye Dorje will be accompanying Kudung of Rinpoche on the final journey to Shar Minub Monastery in Kathmandu, the main seat of Shamar Rinpoche, which will be the final resting place for his Kudung. The cremation will take place on July 31, which coincides with the first turning of the dharma wheel by Buddha Shakyamuni.

During Sharmar Rinpoche’s lifetime, it was his wish to build a Kudung stupa in the land of his own seat. Thus, a stupa will be constructed to contain the remains of the 14th Shamarpa.

HIMALAYAN Buddhism

Shamar Rinpoche fled Tibet with 16^th Karmapa and settled in Sikkim

14th Shamarpa Mipham Chökyi Lodrö (1952 – 2014)

Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche died of a cardiac arrest on June 11th, 2014 in Renchen-Ulm, Germany, at the age of 62. Many Buddhists worldwide are deeply stricken by his death. With heartfelt thankfulness and great respect we bid farewell to our lineage holder.

The 14th Shamarpa Mipham Chokyi Lodro was one of the highest Lamas of Tibetan Buddhism. As lineage holder of the Karma Kagyu tradition, against much political resistance, he enthroned Trinley Thaye Dorje as the 17th Karmapa in accordance to the tradition.

Mipham Chökyi Lodrö was born in Derge (East Tibet) in 1952. At four years of age he was recognized as the 14th incarnation of the Shamar Tulkus by his uncle, the 16th Karmapa.

Together with the 16th Karmapa he fled the Chinese occupied Tibet in 1959, leaving his Tibetan seat Yangpachen behind, finally reaching Sikkim. At Rumtek monastery, he received a traditional training and the complete transmission of the Karma Kagyu School. Subsequently the Karmapa, the head of the tradition, appointed him as the next lineage holder.

Thus the 16th Karmapa followed the history of the Karma Kagyu tradition. Many Shamarpas before had been the closest students of the respective Karmapas as well as the teacher of the succeeding one. Next to the Karmapa’s, the tradition of the Shamarpas is the second oldest lineage of Buddhist masters leaving clues prior to their death predicting their next reincarnation in order to be able to continue the activity of their predecessors as soon as possible. The lineage of the Shamar Tulkus goes back to the 13th century.

     The 14th Shamar Rinpoche and the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa.

In 1967, the 16th Karmapa confirmed Kunzig Shamarpa in an official document as the second highest Lama of the Karma Kagyu school, thereby appointing him with the responsibility of finding and enthroning the next lineage holder. Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje died in 1981. To share the responsibility of administrating Rumtek, Karmapa’s seat in exile, and other affairs of the Karma Kagyu tradition, a council of young high-ranking Lamas more or less of the same age had formed. Along with Shamar Rinpoche, it consisted of Situ Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and Gyaltsab Rinpoche.

Soon disagreements arose among the four. Shamar Rinpoche had clues about the reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa. Because of the Chinese occupation it was difficult to get in touch with his family in Central Tibet. Meanwhile Situ Rinpoche sought for cooperation with the Chinese authorities to abet a limited revival of Buddhism and the reconstruction of destroyed monasteries in Tibet. The situation got increasingly critical when in spring of 1992 Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, who had repeatedly been mediating between the two parties, died in a car accident.

  Situ Rinpoche named a nomad boy from East Tibet as the new Karmapa candidate and enthroned him at the Karmapas’ main seat at Tsurphu monastery, giving him the name Urgyen Trinley Dorje. Beforehand, he had obtained the consent of the Chinese government as well as the Dalai Lama, the political leader of Tibetans in exile.

While Situ Rinpoche’s Karmapa candidate Urgyen Trinley Dorje was not allowed to travel and the Communist Party was trying to put him up for political purposes, Shamarpa prepared the flight of his Karmapa Thaye Dorje from Tibet. It was very important for him, that the future Karmapa should be able to grow up and work in freedom.

In accordance with the tradition of the Karma Kagyu lineage, Shamar Rinpoche, after the Karmapa the highest-ranking lineage holder, enthrones Thaye Dorje as the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa.

Aided by Western Buddhists, Karmapa Thaye Dorje reached India. At the beginning of 1994, he was officially enthroned according to the tradition of the Karma Kagyu lineage by the Shamarpa. In the following years, the relationship between Shamarpa and the Tibet Government in Exile was not always easy. Legal disputes about Karmapa’s seat in exile at Rumtek and the relics stored there dragged out. In various talks with the Dalai Lama, Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche tried to find a mutual agreement for the situation.

Shamar Rinpoche was a highly respected teacher of Buddhists in the East and the West. He gave numerous teachings and empowerments in Diamondway Buddhist Centers and at the Europe Center, the international meeting point of Diamondway Buddhism in Immenstadt. To meet the needs of his Western students especially following his curriculum, in the 1990s Shamarpa founded the Bodhi Path centers which today are represented in 20 countries throughout Europe, America and Asia.

In “Creating a Transparent Democracy” he drafted a model for a political system and a society inspired by Buddhist principles. The preface was written by the South African bishop and Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu. He also wrote an extensive biography of the 10th Karmapa Choying Dorje (1604-1674) who lived in difficult political times in Tibet. Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche also founded an organization for the protection of animals called “Infinite Compassion Foundation” that especially worked for a humane treatment of productive livestock.

A few days before his death Shamar Rinpoche guided a meditation course in Renchen-Ulm. One of his last teachings was: “You don’t have to be afraid of death if you know how to practice in death.” (Bodi Path Renchen-Ulm Karmapa in Deutschland (German) Shamarpa.org)

Editorial

‘SIKKIM SUBJECT’ ISSUE

Right Move, Wrong Time

The move that could have got the overwhelming support of bonafide Sikkimese is now met with derision and suspicion. The Chamling Government’s decision to accord top priority to ‘Sikkim Subjects’, citizens of the former Kingdom of Sikkim, in matters pertaining to employment, incentives, facilities etc. in Sikkim is widely perceived to be a move to punish those who sided with the Opposition Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) and voted against the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) in the recent Assembly and Lok Sabha polls rather than a genuine effort to protect the rights and interests of bonafide Sikkimese who basically hail from the three ethnic communities – Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese of Sikkimese origin. And yet this decision – irrespective of whatever the motive and undue delay in its implementation – if pursued to its logical conclusion will go a long way in giving justice to the Sikkimese people who have for long hoped and prayed that the Chamling Government and in particular the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling, himself will come to their senses and honour the commitment made to the Sikkimese people before the 1994 Assembly polls. It is most unfortunate that the present government which  has been in power for over two decades since December 1994 is now realizing the present predicament faced by the locals and taking precautionary measures to set things right.

If he is serious Chamling ought to follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s example of setting an ideal example and starting the clearing up process right from the top. Firstly, the present legislators, including the two MPs, must disclose their Sikkim Subject Certificate in original for public scrutiny. The alleged 35,000 fake Sikkim Subject Certificates held by a section of the State’s residents must be scrapped with immediate effect. Secondly, Article 371F, which is based on the historic May 8, 1973 Tripartite Agreement, ensures that Assembly seats be reserved for bonafide Sikkimese possessing genuine Sikkim Subject Certificate. Therefore, the Chamling Government must revive its demand for reservation of Assembly seats for Sikkimese Nepalese. The 12 reserved seats in the Assembly should also be restored to bonafide Sikkimese Bhutia-Lepchas. The Modi Government, too, must honour the terms of Sikkim’s merger and restore the traditional political rights of the Sikkimese people at the earliest.

Narendra Modi’s Bhutan visit will expand India’s influence in Asia

By CLAUDE ARPI

     School children greeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bhutan recently.

On Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed at Thimphu. A touching ceremonial welcome by Bhutanese school children awaited him. It was Modi’s first visit abroad.

Fifty six years ago Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, visited Bhutan too. But it was another era.

In October 1958, in a letter to the Chief Ministers, Nehru recalls: “After I left Gangtok, I was almost entirely cut off from communications till my return to Gangtok two and a half weeks later. I received an occasional message by wireless from Delhi. …There were no newspapers at all and I had a sensation of being in another world.”

At that time, it was no question of landing anywhere in Bhutan. The PM, Indira Gandhi and their entourage had to undertake a long trek via the Chumbi Valley in Tibet. It was the customary and easiest road to reach the Kingdom of the Dragon. India had just built a road till Nathu-la, the border between Sikkim and Tibet.

Nehru remarked: “On the Tibetan side, this road will be a much simpler proposition than the one that we have built on our side. Through road traffic would make a great difference to trade as well as to travellers. There is still a considerable inflow of goods from India to Tibet although this has gone down during the last year or two.”

Why should the trade have gone down? Simply because the Chinese had established themselves on the Tibetan plateau and had decided to drastically reduce the trade exchanges between India and Tibet.

At that time, India still had a Consulate General in Lhasa and 3 Trade Agencies in Gyantse, Yatung and Gartok (Western Tibet).

Nehru, who spent 2 nights in Yatung’s Trade Agency, recalled: “Yatung was a small spread out town. The main market road was full of Indian shops. There were, I believe, over ninety such shops, many of them having started business in the course of the last three years, when this trade was highly profitable. Conditions were more difficult now and so a number of these Indian shops were closing up. The Chinese authorities had put up a number of new buildings-schools, hospital, community centre and residential houses for themselves. Our own Trade Agent’s house had its own little hospital and buildings for the staff.”

Unfortunately, the relations with the Himalayan States, which have for centuries been so important to India, deteriorated a few months later, with the uprising in Lhasa in March 1959 and the consequent flight of the Dalai Lama to India. Thereafter, the Chinese tightened their grip on the Tibetan plateau; this was a tragedy for India and its security.

By paying his first visit to Bhutan, Narendra Modi has probably decided to change the tide.

The Times of India reported that Modi has “stepped up a charm offensive with neighbours to try to check China’s influence in the region.”

Before leaving, the PMO had released a statement putting the visit in perspective: “Bound by common interests and shared prosperity, India and Bhutan enjoy a unique and special relationship, which has been forged by ties of geography, history and culture. Therefore, Bhutan as the destination for my first visit abroad as Prime Minister is a natural choice. Relations with Bhutan will be a key foreign policy priority of my Government.”

Modi’s first visit abroad comes ahead of the 22nd round of bilateral talks between Bhutan and China which are expected to take place in July or August. Since 1986, these talks are officially aimed at resolving the long-pending border dispute between Bhutan and China.

For some time now, Thimphu has been tempted to have a more official relationship with Beijing. It is probably why Modi was accompanied by Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh.

On August 9 last year, the then NSA Shivshankar Menon visited Bhutan. There was more in his visit than a routine exchange on the 11th Bhutanese Plan.

It was clear that the NSA’s main purpose was to see with the Bhutanese Government how to handle the border talks with China.

The 21st round of boundary talks between Bhutan’s Foreign Minister Rinzim Dorje and the Chinese vice-Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were to be held two weeks later.

The New Indian Express then mentioned “a shift in emphasis from the disputed north-western, close to Siliguri corridor, to the central parts of Bhutan,” this made Delhi nervous.

The Sino-Bhutanese border talks have always had serious strategic implications for India’s security.

A particular Chinese claim worries India. It is the Doklam plateau, adjacent to the hyper-strategic Chumbi valley, crossed by Nehru 56 years ago. This is the real nightmare for India.

At the time of Menon’s visit, Liu Zengyi, a research fellow at Shanghai Institutes for International Studies admitted in The Global Times that for India, China’s advances in the Doklam area was a strategic threat to the Siliguri corridor: “As a country located between China and India, Bhutan serves as a buffer and is of critical strategic importance to the Siliguri corridor, a narrow stretch of land (known as chicken’s neck) that connects India’s north-eastern States to the rest of India. …The corridor is considered a vulnerable bottleneck for India’s national security. New Delhi worries that China will send troops to the corridor if a China-Indian military clash breaks out.”

It is indeed a vital issue for New Delhi. Incidentally, the present Bhutanese PM Tshering Tobgay’s constituency is adjacent to the territory claimed by China.

 Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his visit to Bhutan in 1958.

Interestingly, when Nehru crossed the Chumbi valley in 1958, there was no discrepancy between the Chinese and Bhutanese maps (except for eastern Bhutan where Beijing did not recognise the McMahon Line) and no claim on Doklam.

Since then, the PLA has intruded in several areas and has built important infrastructure, such as the road from Yatung to Phari in the Chumbi Valley. The Doklam area overlooks this highway. The Chinese engineers have also built traversal roads and set up a communication network within the disputed area. By grabbing the Doklam Plateau, Beijing considerably enlarged the Chumbi valley and its access to Sikkim and Siliguri.

How to dislodge the Chinese will not be an easy task. At the same time, the cordial people-to-people relations between India and Bhutan had to be reaffirmed. A Bhutanese well—known nature photographer wrote in his blog: “In recent times, our relationship has digressed from being trustworthy buddies to that of being an estranged couple – slowly drifting apart with the danger of finally ending in divorce. This would be so unfortunate. …I hope that somewhere tucked away in a small corner of his luggage, Mister Modi brings with him a brand new and re-tinkered foreign policy initiative towards Bhutan that is progressive and based on trust and good intention.”

Let’s hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit would have also achieved this. (niticentral)

Centre to invest Rs 5,000 crore to set up 8,000 telecom towers in northeast

New Delhi, June 27: The Union Government will invest Rs 5,000 crore to set up over 8,000 telecom towers in northeastern region.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said improving telecom connectivity in the north east is one of the top priorities of the government.

Telecom Commission had cleared the proposal a few days ago.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had last year recommended an investment plan to improve services in north east India, PTI reported.

The TRAI recommended a 2 percent discount on annual license fees for telecom operators that cover at least 80 percent of habitations with a population of 250 and subsidies for installation of solar power units at telecom towers.

The Indian regulator also recommended investments to provide seamless connectivity across national highways in the north east region covering Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

State-run companies BSNL and Power Grid Corporation of India recently signed an agreement to improve telecom connectivity in the region.

The Telecom Commission has approved the long-pending project of installing mobile towers in nine Naxal-hit states, for which BSNL had submitted an estimate of Rs 3,241 crore, which was higher than Rs 3,046 crore approved by the Cabinet.

The project will be placed before the Cabinet for final approval.

 Road projects along China border to get fast-track approval

New Delhi, June 27: After giving two quick green clearances to defence projects, the environment ministry has now decided to fast-track road projects along India-China border. These road projects within 100 kilometres of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are crucial for troop movements and other related developments for security point of view.

A decision on environmental and forest clearances on building defence infrastructure in areas in the 100 km-range from the LAC can be taken by the state governments concerned, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said. "Construction of roads within 100 kilometres of Line of Actual Control will be given fast-track approval", said the environment minister Prakash Javadekar. A policy in this regard will be formulated very soon, he told reporters. The 4,056-km-long LAC with China touches four states — J&K, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim, The Times of India reported.

Interestingly, it is the second such decision keeping China in mind.

The ministry has earlier given its go ahead to set up a radar station at Narcondam in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The project was pending for long despite repeated requests from the defence establishment which wanted to install the radar at the strategic location in view of suspected Chinese presence and "listening post" on nearby Coco Island.

China-made aircraft starts commercial flights in Nepal

Kathmandu, June 27: Nepal's first ever China-made aircraft, a 58-seater Modern Ark 60 (MA60), started commercial operations on Wednesday, Nepali officials said.

The MA60 was handed over to the Nepal Airlines Corporation by the Chinese government in April, Xinhua reported.

"The plane made its first successful commercial operation from Kathmandu's airport to Biratnagar," Ram Hari Sharma, spokesperson for the Nepali airline said.

 Airline executives said the plane was operated by two Chinese pilots from China's Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation, the producer of the aircraft.

Lhasa-Shigatse rail link by Sept

Lhasa, June 27: When it opened eight years ago, the railway from Golmud to Lhasa was one of the most ambitious rail ventures ever attempted. At a cost of $4 billion, tracks were built across 550km (340 miles) of permafrost, reaching an altitude of 5,000 metres (16,400 feet)—the highest railway in the world. This September, an extension of the line will open from Lhasa to Shigatse, the first part of a further plan to knit Tibet into the rest of China.

The line to Shigatse stretches 250km southwest of Lhasa and will reduce the five-hour road journey to two hours by rail. As well as allowing easier access for tourists to Tibet’s second city, it will make an area rich in natural resources more accessible. (The Chinese name for Tibet, Xizang, translates as “Western treasurehouse”.) In the autumn the construction is due to start on another extension, running 400km from Lhasa to Nyingtri, a county with large hydropower potential.

By 2020 the aim is to complete several other major rail routes connecting Tibet with its neighbouring provinces of Xinjiang, Sichuan and Yunnan (see map). One of them, a 1,900km railway from Lhasa to Chengdu, will cost more than $20 billion.

Two more railways from Shigatse to the Nepalese and Indian borders, at Nyalam and Dromo, are also planned, to the alarm of the Indian government, which last week announced plans to fortify 54 new border posts in Arunachal Pradesh, a north-eastern state that China invaded in 1962.

LITERARY

 ‘Anglo-Indians are in search of an identity

Kevin Martin’s debut work, Double Cream, Memsahib?, a novel-in-verse, was launched in Chennai recently

When Kevin Martin speaks, there are no hurried sentences rushing into each other. He is calm and relaxed, and weighs each question carefully before answering it. “My mind is a strange place. It’s very volatile, but I use it to my advantage while writing,” says the Anglo-Indian author from Sydney.

Kevin was born and raised in Podanur, Tamil Nadu. The eldest of four children, he says he inherited the writing bug from his mother who was a teacher. In Chennai to launch his début fiction novel-in-verse Double Cream, Memsahib? Kevin says that he is highly influenced by Vikram Seth (whose Golden Gate is also a novel in verse). “I admire the man and his style of writing. I began writing with his work as the standard to reach,” he says with a smile.

The story revolves around Darius Rembrandt, a young, shy, poetry-writing Anglo-Indian boy who witnesses two English soldiers raping a woman on the banks of the Hooghly on the day India is granted independence. What follows is a roller-coaster ride of emotions: horror and wonderment vie with each other as the narrative follows the characters whose lives get intertwined by fate. “We Anglo-Indians might be happy with our lives, but we are always in search of an identity. My book reflects that search,” says Kevin.

“Fate is something I strongly believe in even in real life,” he adds. “That’s what has brought me here. Like Frederick Forsyth when he was trying to find a publisher for Day of the Jackal, I too had a file full of rejection letters. You know, the type which lavishly compliments your work and follows it up with a ‘but’,” he says.

Fate pointed Kevin to a Morrissey concert in Brisbane; the concert in Sydney had sold out. “I didn’t want to miss it as he’s my favourite singer. While I was in Brisbane, I stayed at my aunt’s house. She handed me some copies of Anglos In The Wind (AITW) and also told me about Anglo Ink,” says Kevin.

“I must confess that I hadn’t heard of AITW till then,” says Kevin, giving its editor, Harry MacLure, an apologetic look.

When Harry, who is also the publisher of Anglo Ink, wrote back to Kevin, the latter kept looking for a ‘but’ in the mail.

“Harry had also given the manuscript to someone else, and they too gave the go ahead. For so long, I had only heard ‘No’ to my book. All of a sudden, there were two people saying yes!” he says, recalling the excitement and exhilaration that came with his book being accepted.

But why verse? “I began writing in prose, but it fell flat. I then tried blank verse, but it didn’t reflect our community — we are anything but blank. The richness and vibrancy of sonnets capture the vibe of Anglo-Indians, and despite my apprehensions, I stuck with it and I’m quite happy with the result,” says Kevin. With a grin, he adds, “When I started off, the going was quite slow: I wrote at the rate of 85 words a day. Stephen King recommends 1,000 words a day.”

To young writers, Kevin says, “Remember that writing is a lonely, lonely task. You will be confronted by the tyranny of the blank page: it masters you until you fill it with your words and master it.”

The book was released by S. Muthiah, editor of Madras Musings and received by author, playwright and poet Shreekumar Varma. Theatre personality N.S. Yamuna and Superintendent of Customs, Chennai, Richard O’Connor read excerpts from the novel. The launch was co-hosted by Madras Book Club at Vivanta By Taj Connemara.

 (Double Cream, Memsahib? (Rs. 350) is available online at www.angloink.com. - The Hindu. Note from Sikkim Observer Editor: Kevin Martin and I not only did our TTC (Darjeeling) from the same institution but also taught at Mt. Hermon School, Darjeeling, and played for the school’s cricket team.)

DISTINCT IDENTITY

Within the Union

Gradual dilution of Sikkim’s distinct identity

May  8^th 1973: Historic day for Sikkim

By Jigme N Kazi

In the first picture I’m with three historic personalities of Sikkim politics: Kazi Lhendup Dorji Khangsarpa (centre), the first Chief Minister of Sikkim (1974-1979), Krishna Chandra Pradhan (on Kazi’s right), and Bhim Bahadur Gurung (on Kazi’s left). The three were signatories to the historic May 8, 1973 Tripartite Agreement. This pact was signed between the Government of India, Chogyal of Sikkim and leaders of three major political parties in Sikkim. Former Gangtok MLA and Mayor Balchand Sarda is on the extreme left in the picture.
While LD Kazi represented the Sikkim National Congress in the historic Agreement, KC Pradhan and BB Gurung belonged to the Sikkim Janata Congress. The Late Netuk Tsering represented the Sikkim National Party.
The Agreement while curtailing the Chogyal’s power gave more political rights to the majority Sikkimese Nepalese. It also brought Sikkim closer to India.
The May 8, 1973 Agreement gradually paved way for Sikkim’s absorption into the Indian Union in April-May 1975. Article 371F of the Constitution of India, which provides special status to Sikkim, is based on the May 8th Agreement. 
Viewed from the historical perspective, the 1890 Convention signed between Great Britain and China and the Indo-Sikkim Treaty of 1950 paved way for the May 8th 1973 Tripartite Agreement. Under the 1890 Convention Sikkim was made a British Protectorate. The Protectorate status continued after India’s Independence under the 1950 Treaty.

After the Indian takeover of Sikkim in 1975 Article 371F of the Constitution defined Sikkim’s status within the Indian Union.
The dilution of Sikkim’s special place within India has been a source of constant political tension in the former kingdom after the ‘merger’ in 1975. If the tension continues it may eventually lead to political uncertainty in this strategic and sensitive border region.
In the other picture I'm with former Sikkim Chief Minister NB Bhandari, former Sikkim Lok Sabha MP PM Subba and former Sikkim minister KN Upreti at a function in Gangtok on Article 371F a few years back. Are we mourning the death of our distinct identity within the Union? Upreti once said gradual dilution of Article 371F will lead to its inevitable death. Now that electoral politics is over for the moment will concerned Sikkimese come together and save Sikkim and the Sikkimese people?

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, Sikkiim

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

GRADUAL DILUTION OF SIKKIM’S DISTINCT IDENTITY
In the first picture I’m with three historic personalities of Sikkim politics: Kazi Lhendup Dorji Khangsarpa (centre), the first Chief Minister of Sikkim (1974-1979), Krishna Chandra Pradhan (on Kazi’s right), and Bhim Bahadur Gurung (on Kazi’s left). The three were signatories to the historic May 8, 1973 Tripartite Agreement. This pact was signed between the Government of India, Chogyal of Sikkim and leaders of three major political parties in Sikkim. Former Gangtok MLA and Mayor Balchand Sarda is on the extreme left in the picture.

While LD Kazi represented the Sikkim National Congress in the historic Agreement, KC Pradhan and BB Gurung belonged to the Sikkim Janata Congress. The Late Netuk Tsering represented the Sikkim National Party.
The Agreement while curtailing the Chogyal’s power gave more political rights to the majority Sikkimese Nepalese. It also brought Sikkim closer to India.
The May 8, 1973 Agreement gradually paved way for Sikkim’s absorption into the Indian Union in April-May 1975. Article 371F of the Constitution of India, which provides special status to Sikkim, is based on the May 8th Agreement. 
Viewed from the historical perspective, the 1890 Convention signed between Great Britain and China and the Indo-Sikkim Treaty of 1950 paved way for the May 8th 1973 Tripartite Agreement. Under the 1890 Convention Sikkim was made a British Protectorate. The Protectorate status continued after India’s Independence under the 1950 Treaty.
After the Indian takeover of Sikkim in 1975 Article 371F of the Constitution defined Sikkim’s status within the Indian Union.
The dilution of Sikkim’s special place within India has been a source of constant political tension in the former kingdom after the ‘merger’ in 1975. If the tension continues it may eventually lead to political uncertainty in this strategic and sensitive border region.
In the other picture I'm with former Sikkim Chief Minister NB Bhandari, former Sikkim Lok Sabha MP PM Subba and former Sikkim minister KN Upreti at a function in Gangtok on Article 371F a few years back.