RIWO SANGCHOD: Mountain Smoke Offering

Lhatsun Namkha Jigme

Mountain Smoke Offering: from the Life-Force Practice of the Vidyādharas (Rigdzin Sokdrup)

revealed by Lhatsün Namkha Jikmé

༈ྃ བྷྲཱུྃ༔ རིན་ཆེན་སྣ་ཚོགས་དྭངས་མའི་སྣོད་ཡངས་སུ༔

droom rinchen natsok dangmé nö yang su

Bhrūṃ! In the vast lustrous vessel, made of the essence of various jewels,

འཇིག་རྟེན་སྲིད་པའི་འདོད་རྒུ་དམ་ཚིག་རྫས༔

jikten sipé dögu damtsik dzé

The samaya substances, all the desirable objects in worldly existence, are

འབྲུ་གསུམ་ཡེ་ཤེས་བདུད་རྩིར་བྱིན་བརླབས་པས༔

dru sum yeshe dütsir jinlabpé

Transformed into the nectar of wisdom through the blessing of the three seed syllables oṃ āḥ hūṃ,

སྣང་སྲིད་མཆོད་པའི་འདོད་རྒུར་འཁྲིགས་པ་འདི༔

nangsi chöpé dögur trikpa di

So that all that appears and exists becomes an offering of all that is desirable.

བླ་མ་ཡི་དམ་ཌཱཀྐི་ཆོས་སྲུང་དང༌༔

lama yidam daki chösung dang

This I offer to the gurus, yidams, ḍākinīs, dharmapālas and

ཕྱོགས་བཅུ་རྒྱལ་བའི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་ཇི་སྙེད་དང༌༔

chok chu gyalwé kyilkhor jinyé dang

All the mandalas of the buddhas of the ten directions,

འཛམ་གླིང་གཞི་བདག་རིགས་དྲུག་ལན་ཆགས་མགྲོན༔

dzamling shyidak rik druk lenchak drön

To the local deities of this world, beings of the six realms and the guests to whom I owe karmic debts.

ཁྱད་པར་བདག་གི་ཚེ་འཕྲོག་སྲོག་རྐུ་ཞིང༌༔

khyepar dak gi tsé trok sok ku shying

And especially to those who would steal my life and deplete my life force,

ནད་གཏོང་བར་ཆད་རྩོམ་པའི་འབྱུང་པོ་དང༌༔

né tong barché tsompé jungpo dang

To the malicious jungpo demons who inflict sickness and obstacles,

རྨི་ལམ་རྟགས་མཚན་ངན་དང་ལྟས་ངན་རིགས༔

milam tak tsen ngen dang té ngen rik

Bad signs in dreams and all types of evil omens,

སྡེ་བརྒྱད་མ་རུང་ཆོ་འཕྲུལ་བདག་པོ་དང༌༔

dé gyé marung chotrul dakpo dang

The eight classes of negative spirits, the masters of magical illusions,

ཟས་དང་གནས་དང་ནོར་གྱི་ལན་ཆགས་ཅན༔

zé dang né dang nor gyi lenchak chen

And those to whom I owe karmic debts of food, place and wealth,

གྲིབ་བདག་སྨྱོ་འདྲེ་ཕོ་གཤིན་མོ་གཤིན་དང༌༔

drib dak nyodré poshin moshin dang

To forces that bring obscuration and madness, to the shades of men and women dead.

གྲི་བོ་ཐེའུ་རང་གྲོང་སྲིན་འདྲེ་མོ་བཅས༔

driwo terang drong sin dremo ché

To all the spirits, térangs, ghouls and female ghosts!

ལན་ཆགས་དམར་པོའི་མེ་ལ་ཇལ་ཏེ་བསྲེག༔

lenchak marpö mé la jal té sek

Now all my karmic debts are paid, burnt in the scarlet flames.

རང་རང་ཡིད་ལ་གང་འདོད་འདོད་རྒུའི་ཆར༔

rang rang yi la gang dö dögü char

Whatever each one desires, may the objects of their desires rain down:

ཇི་སྲིད་ནམ་མཁའ་གནས་ཀྱི་བར་ཉིད་དུ༔

jisi namkha né kyi bar nyi du

For as far and as long as space exists

འདོད་པའི་ཡོན་ཏན་ཟད་པ་མེད་པར་བསྔོ༔

döpé yönten zepa mepar ngo

I dedicate an inexhaustible amount of sensual stimulants!

བདག་གི་དུས་གསུམ་བསགས་པའི་སྡིག་སྒྲིབ་དང༌༔

dak gi dü sum sakpé dikdrib dang

May my negative actions and obscurations accumulated in past, present and future,

དཀོན་མཆོག་དད་གཤིན་དཀོར་ལ་སྤྱད་པ་རྣམས༔

könchok dé shinkor la chepa nam

And misuse of the offerings made to the Three Jewels, in devotion and for the dead,

སྦྱིན་སྲེག་མེ་མཆོད་འདི་ཡིས་དག་གྱུར་ཅིག༔

jinsek mechö di yi dak gyur chik

Be purified in the fire of this sang offering!

མེ་ལྕེ་སྣང་སྲིད་གང་བའི་རྡུལ་ཕྲན་རེས༔

meché nangsi gangwé dultren ré

Let its flames fill the entire universe and every minute particle of flame

ཀུན་བཟང་མཆོད་པའི་སྤྲིན་ཕུང་མི་ཟད་པ༔

kunzang chöpé trinpung mizepa

Become an inexhaustible cloud of offerings like Samantabhadra’s

རྒྱལ་བའི་ཞིང་ཁམས་ཡོངས་ལ་ཁྱབ་གྱུར་ཅིག༔

gyalwé shyingkham yong la khyab gyur chik

Pervading throughout all the buddha realms!

མེ་ལྕེ་ཡེ་ཤེས་འོད་ལྔའི་མཆོད་སྦྱིན་ཟེར༔

meché yeshe ö ngé chöjin zer

May these flames, offering-rays of five-coloured lights of wisdom,

རིགས་དྲུག་མནར་མེད་གནས་སུ་ཁྱབ་གྱུར་པས༔

rik druk narmé né su khyab gyurpé

Pervade throughout the six classes of beings, down to the Avīcī Hells,

ཁམས་གསུམ་འཁོར་བ་འཇའ་ལུས་འོད་སྐུར་གྲོལ༔

kham sum khorwa jalü ökur drol

The three realms of saṃsāra be liberated into the rainbow body,

འགྲོ་ཀུན་བྱང་ཆུབ་སྙིང་པོར་སངས་རྒྱས་ཤོག༔

dro kün changchub nyingpor sangye shok

And all sentient beings awaken into the heart of enlightenment!

ཨོཾ་ཨཱཿཧཱུྂ༔ ཞེས་བརྒྱ་སྟོང་འབུམ་ཕྲག་མང་པོས་འབུལ་བར་བྱའོ༔

om ah hung

With Oṃ āḥ hūṃ, make the offering a hundred, thousand, or several hundred thousand times.

སྐུ་གསུམ་དག་པ་སྣོད་ཀྱི་གཞལ་ཡས་སུ༔

ku sum dakpa nö kyi shyalyé su

All is purified into the three kāyas: the environment, a heavenly palace where

ཆོས་ལོངས་སྤྲུལ་གསུམ་སྣང་སྲིད་གཟུགས་ཕུང་རྣམས༔

chö long trul sum nangsi zukpung nam

Dharmakāya, saṃbhogakāya and nirmāṇakāya—appearance and the form aggregates of existence

བདུད་རྩིར་ཞུ་བས་འཇའ་འོད་བར་སྣང་གང༌༔

dütsir shyuwé ja'ö barnang gang

Melt into nectar, flooding the whole expanse of the sky with rainbow light.

འཁོར་བ་མྱང་འདས་ཟག་མེད་བདུད་རྩིའི་བཅུད༔

khorwa nyangdé zakmé dütsi chü

Saṃsāra is liberated into nirvāṇa; this essence of immaculate nectar,

ཐོག་མེད་དུས་ནས་ད་ལྟ་ཡན་ཆད་དུ༔

tokmé dü né danta yenché du

I share with all those who, from beginningless time until now,

སྣང་སྲིད་མགྲོན་དུ་གྱུར་པ་ཡོངས་ལ་བསྔོ༔

nangsi drön du gyurpa yong la ngo

Have been guests in worldly existence.

ས་ལམ་འབྲས་བུའི་ཡོན་ཏན་མཐར་ཕྱིན་ཞིང༌༔

salam drebü yönten tarchin shying

Having attained all the noble qualities of the stages, paths and fruition,

ལྟ་སྒོམ་སྤྱོད་པའི་བར་ཆད་ཀུན་བསལ་ནས༔

ta gom chö pé barché kün sal né

And dispelled all obstacles in view, meditation and action,

རྨད་བྱུང་ཀུན་བཟང་ཐུགས་ཀྱི་མཁའ་དབྱིངས་སུ༔

mejung kunzang tuk kyi khaying su

Within the sky-like space of Samantabhadra’s wondrous wisdom mind,

གཞོན་ནུ་བུམ་སྐུར་གཏན་སྲིད་ཟིན་པར་ཤོག༔

shyönnu bumkur tensi zinpar shok

May we seize the stronghold of the youthful vase body!

འཁོར་བའི་རྒྱ་མཚོ་ཆེན་པོ་སྟོངས་པའི་མཐར༔

khorwé gyatso chenpo tongpé tar

And when at last the great ocean of saṃsāra is emptied;

འོག་མིན་པདྨ་དྲྭ་བར་སངས་རྒྱས་ཤོག༔

womin pema drawar sangye shok

May all beings attain buddhahood in the Lotus Net of Akaniṣṭha!

ཕུང་ཁམས་བསྲེག་རྫས་བཀྲག་མདངས་གཟི་བརྗིད་འབར༔

pung kham sekdzé trakdang ziji bar

The sang offerings of the aggregates and elements blaze in vivid, brilliant splendour!

དཀར་དམར་བྱང་སེམས་བསྲེག་རྫས་བདེ་སྟོང་འབར༔

kar mar changsem sekdzé detong bar

The sang offerings of red and white bodhicitta blaze in bliss and emptiness!

སྟོང་ཉིད་སྙིང་རྗེའི་བསྲེག་རྫས་ཆོས་དབྱིངས་གང༌༔

tongnyi nyingjé sekdzé chöying gang

The sang offerings of emptiness and compassion fill the dharmadhātu!

སྣང་སྲིད་འཁོར་འདས་རྡོ་རྗེའི་འོད་ལྔའི་གཞིར༔

nangsi khordé dorjé ö ngé shyir

Upon the ground of five-coloured vajra light of phenomenal existence, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa,

ལྷུན་གྲུབ་རྫོགས་སངས་རྒྱས་པའི་བསྲེག་རྫས་འབུལ༔

lhündrub dzok sangye pé sekdzé bul

I offer the smoke offering of spontaneously accomplished perfect buddhahood.

སྔོན་གྱི་ལན་ཆགས་ཐམས་ཅད་བྱང་གྱུར་ཅིག༔

ngön gyi lenchak tamché jang gyur chik

May all my karmic debts from the past be purified!

ད་ལྟ་རྒྱུད་ལ་མི་གནས་མཐོལ་ལོ་བཤགས༔

danta gyü la miné tol lo shak

In the present so they do not remain in my mind-stream, I confess them!

མ་འོངས་སྒྲིབ་པའི་འཁོར་ལོར་མ་གྱུར་ཅིག༔

ma ong dribpé khorlor magyur chik

In the future, may I never be drawn into the wheel of obscuration!

སོ་ཐར་བྱང་སེམས་རིག་པ་འཛིན་པ་ཡི༔

sotar changsem rigpa dzinpa yi

All impairments of the vows of individual liberation, bodhisattva precepts,

སྡོམ་བཅས་བསླབ་པ་གསང་སྔགས་དམ་ཚིག་རིགས༔

dom ché labpa sang ngak damtsik rik

And samayas of the vidyādharas,

ཚོར་དང་མ་ཚོར་ཉམས་པ་མཐོལ་ལོ་བཤགས༔

tsor dang matsor nyampa tol lo shak

Conscious or unwitting, I openly admit.

ནད་གདོན་གྲིབ་དང་མི་གཙང་དག་གྱུར་ཅིག༔

né dön drib dang mitsang dak gyur chik

May illness, harmful influence, obscurations and impurities be purified!

ནད་མུག་མཚོན་གྱི་བསྐལ་པ་ཞི་གྱུར་ཅིག༔

né muk tsön gyi kalpa shyi gyur chik

May this age of plague, famine and warfare be pacified!

མཐའ་མི་དབུས་སུ་འོང་བའི་བསུན་མ་ཟློག༔

tami ü su ongwé sünma dok

May the attacks of invaders be repelled!

ཆོས་མཛད་བླ་མ་གདན་འདྲེན་བར་ཆད་ཟློག༔

chödzé lama dendren barché dok

May the forces that create obstacles by inviting the spiritual teacher to leave this world be averted!

བོད་ཡུལ་བཀྲ་མི་ཤིས་པའི་ལྟས་ངན་ཟློག༔

böyul trami shipé te ngen dok

May inauspicious bad omens for the land of Tibet be averted!

གཟའ་ཀླུ་རྒྱལ་པོས་སྲོག་དབུགས་སྡུད་པ་ཟློག༔

za lu gyalpö sokuk düpa dok

May the planetary forces, nāgas and arrogant king-like spirits, who cut short the breath of life, be repelled!

འཇིགས་པ་ཆེན་པོ་བརྒྱད་དང་བཅུ་དྲུག་ཟློག༔

jikpa chenpo gyé dang chudruk dok

May the eight great fears and sixteen lesser fears be overcome!

བདག་ཅག་འཁོར་བཅས་བཀྲ་མི་ཤིས་པ་ཟློག༔

dakchak khor ché trami shipa dok

For me and all those around me, may all that is inauspicious be averted!¹

དམ་སྲི་འགོང་པོའི་མཐུ་སྟོབས་ནུས་པ་ཟློག༔

damsi gongpö tutob nüpa dok

May the powers and strength of samaya-breakers and gongpo demons be averted!

ས་མ་ཡ༔

samaya

ཞེས་ཤིང་སྣ་ཚོགས་པའི་བསངས་ཁ་བརྒྱ་དང་བརྒྱད། སྦྱིན་སྲེག་གི་ཆོ་ག་ལས་བྱུང་བ་ལྟར། རི་བོ་བསངས་མཆོད་འདིས་འཆི་བསླུ་དང་། དཀོར་སྦྱོང་། བར་ཆད་ཀྱི་རིགས་སེལ་བ་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཕ་ལམ་ལྟ་བུ་འདི། སྦས་ཡུལ་འབྲས་མོ་གཤོངས་ཀྱི་གནས་སྒོ་འབྱེད་པའི་ཆ་ལག་ཏུ་མཁའ་འགྲོས་གནང་བ་བཞིན་ནོར་འཁྲུལ་མེད་པར་སྦྱར་བའོ།། །།

As indicated in the ritual for the fire offering, use 108 incense burners and various kinds of wood. Through this diamond-like practice of Mountain Smoke Offering, one will be able to ‘ransom’ death, purify the misuse of offerings and avert various kinds of obstacle. In accordance with the ḍākinī’s instructions, this was set down, without any error, when revealing the hidden land of Sikkim.

Bibliography

Ri bo bsangs mchod in Rig 'dzin srog sgrub, 5 vols, Delhi: Chos spyod dpar skrun khang, 2000, (TBRC W13779) vol. 1, pp. 829–834

| Rigpa Translations, 2008. Corrected, 2016.

1.   (Ref: Lotsawa House)

RIGDZIN SOGDRUP AND RIWO SANGCHO

Lhatsun Namkha Jigme

The  famous cycle of terma teachings called Rigdzin Sokdrup (‘Accomplishing the Life-Force of the Vidyadharas’), emerged in a pure vision while Lhatsun Chenpo was in retreat in the cave of Lhari Rinchen Nyingphug near Tashiding in west Sikkim. These teachings, of which Riwo Sangcho forms the mengak or innermost instruction, are unsurpassed instructions on Dzogchen Atiyoga.

Terton Lhatsun Chenpo, Sikkim’s Patron Saint, discovered the “Attainment of the Vidyadhara Life” (rig 'dzin srog sgrub), from which the “Riwo Sangcho” (ri bo bsang mchod), meaning “Mountain Smoke Offering”, a terma hidden by Guru Rinpoche, comes from and “The Spontaneous Song of the Clouds: the Nucleus of Indestructible Reality” (rdo rje snying po sprin gyi thol glu).

Rigdzin Sogdrub (rig 'dzin srog sgrub) is a cycle of more than 800 pages in five volumes. The terma is a collection of core teachings of the Southern Treasure Text Lineage (lho gter) of the Dzogchen Tradition popular in Sikkim. The fifth volume is the famous Neysol (gnas gsol = 'Worship of the Place') often referred to in connection with the religious history of Sikkim.

Through his practice of Riwo Sangcho, Lhatsun was able to remove all human and non-human obstacles to the Dharma in Sikkim, opening it as a ‘secret land’ of the teachings. Because of this, he was able to teach Dzogchen very widely in Sikkim in the remaining years of his life, establishing a vibrant and unbroken lineage that continues to this day, known simply as ‘Sikkim Dzogchen’.

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

More than two hundred of Lhatsün Namkha Jigme’s writings have survived. Accomplishing the Life-Force of the Vidyadharas and The Spontaneous Song of the Clouds have continued to be transmitted and practised throughout Tibet and particularly in Sikkim right up to the present day without any decline.

THE TSUKLAKHAG TRUST

This month, under the leadership and guidance of the Chogyal Wangchuk Namgyal of Sikkim,who is engaged in the revival of Dharma, particularly the Rigdzin Sogdrup tradition,  H.E. Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche will bestow Rigdzin Sogdrup and Dorje Nyingpo Wang-Lung (empowerment and initiation) at Tashiding Monastery, West Sikkim, from November 16-22, 2017.

Dzongsar Rinpoche will also bestow Kawang at the Tsuklakhang Royal Chapel in Gangtok on November 26, 2017.The two functions are being organized under the auspices of The Tsuklakhang Trust.

NO CHANGE OF MIND

“No regrets, no hard feelings”

In days and weeks to come you may be told by some people – genuinely or mischievously - that I would be joining politics and contesting the next Assembly elections  (slated for early 2019 but may take place in 2018) from the prestigious Gangtok constituency, which has equal number of voters from all four communities – Bhutia-Lepchas, Nepalese and byaparies (business community).

This is far from the truth. I have been out of politics and political affairs of Sikkim since 2004. I made an effort to form a credible team and make a comeback in 2008 but this was unsuccessful. Since then this part of my life has been a closed chapter. I intend to keep it that way. The details of what took place are recorded in great detail in my last book, “The Lone Warrior: Exiled in My Homeland” (now unofficially banned in Sikkim) for posterity to take note of.

My political thoughts, recorded in my three books (“Inside Sikkim: Against the Tide” – published in 1993,  “Sikkim For Sikkim: Distinct Identity Within the Union” – published in 2009, and “The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland” – published in 2014), in my numerous newspapers, including Sikkim Observer, and other writings focus on preservation of Sikkim’s ‘Distinct Identity within the Union’ and restoration of the political rights of the Sikkimese people as assured by New Delhi during the ‘merger’ era in 1973-75 and reflected in Article 371F of the Indian Constitution. These are two major issues raised by the Sikkimese people through their social and political organisations in the past four decades.

But despite this New Delhi has failed to meet the hopes and aspirations of the Sikkimese people. So far we have demanded preservation of our ‘distinct identity’ within the Union and within the framework of the Constitution of India. We have never demanded Independence. And yet New Delhi has gone about eroding the credibility of our political leadership and diluting our ‘distinct identity’ and political rights, leading to their eventual death.

Let me again warn New Delhi of what Hindustan Times wrote in April 1974: “Security depends on people, not territory.”

Is it because of New Delhi’s mischievous activities in Sikkim that a people like me have given up on Sikkim and the Sikkimese people? No. I have opted out because I truly believe that our majority Sikkimese Nepalese and their political leadership have made a U-turn along the way and are now not interested in preserving their political rights and distinct identity. They have every right to pursue their own political future and objectives and we must genuinely respect it.

My dream has been that the three ethnic communities (Bhutias, Lepchas, Nepalese), the old business community and others live side by side unitedly and harmoniously with their distinct identity intact and within the bounds of India.

So, with a heavy heart I have come to accept the reality and the death of my dream and called it a day. No regrets, no hard feelings. Its over. 

TRIBUTE TO NAR BAHADUR BHANDARI

When Sikkim Humbled India
The victory of Sikkim Parishad party in the Assembly polls in Sikkim in October 1979 is a reminder that if the Sikkimese people are united nothing is impossible. The Parishad, led by Nar Bahadur Bhandari, a Sikkimese patriot hailing from the majority Nepalese community, had the tacit backing of the Chogyal of Sikkim, Palden Thondup Namgyal, who was unceremoniously dethroned by anti-Sikkimese forces projecting themselves as ‘democrats’ in early 1975. Ever since the Indian-backed phony revolution for ‘democracy’ began in the former kingdom in early 1973, Bhandari and other nationalist leaders from all three ethnic communities – Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese – struggled for seven long years to deliver justice to the Sikkimese people. Bhandari’s Parishad won 16 of the 32 seats in the Assembly and with the help of an independent candidate formed the government and ousted pro-India party led by LD Kazi from power. Significantly, the independent legislator was the Late Lachen Rinpoche, who won from the lone Sangha seat.

The rest of the seats in the Assembly were won by Ram Chandra Poudyal’s Congress (R) – 11 seats – and Nar Bahadur Khatiwada’s Prajatantra party – 4 seats. Poudyal won 11 seats mainly because he raised the demand for restoration of Assembly seats reserved for Sikkimese Nepalese in the Assembly, which were abolished in 1979. Kazi’s Sikkim Janata Party drew nil in the polls and Kazi himself lost from the Dzongu constituency in North Sikkim. While Bhandari’s party promised de-merger, Poudyal projected himself as a Nepali leader and focused on the seat issue. Unlike Khatiwada, Poudyal did not want merger but greater political power for the majority Nepalese. After the ‘merger’ in 1975  Khatiwada, too, revolted and said it was not the wishes of the Sikkimese people to merge its country with India. While the result of the Assembly polls in 1979 was hailed as victory of the Sikkimese people the fact that the Sikkimese people’s political leadership has failed to give justice to the people ever since is Sikkim’s greatest tragedy.

(SIKKIM Observer/Editorial)

INDIAN MEDIA FACING A CRISIS OF CREDIBILITY

Journalism in India is facing a serious crisis. The mainstream media is increasingly vested in the hands of a select few and refuses to question authority. Murali Krishnan from New Delhi examines this disturbing trend.

 Just recently Indian President Pranab Mukherjee resoundingly drove home the point to the Indian media that "discussion and dissension" are crucial for a vibrant democracy, and it must hold public institutions accountable for all their actions and inactions.

"There should always be room for the argumentative Indian, and not the intolerant Indian. The media must be the watchdog, the mediator between the leaders and the public," Mukherjee emphasized while delivering a seminal lecture honoring former press baron Ramnath Goenka.

His words could not have been timelier, with the mainstream media's independence currently being questioned, and how ultra nationalism has dominated the political narrative, refusing to accept dissent.

A mouthpiece?

Commentators criticize how in recent years the media has lowered the quality of India's public discourse. Media expansion has led to a shrinking of the public sphere, resulting in the spread of elitist and socially conservative values.

"The true test of a robust democracy is the independence of its media. Over the past few years our media has become the mouthpiece of the party in power. Coupled with the fact the corporate owners of media houses share close links with the government, the Indian media has tragically lost its voice," criminal lawyer Rebecca Mammen told DW. Mammen has defended many cases related to press freedom.

Serious issues like the beef ban, the crisis in Kashmir, dissent in universities and even the unrest in societies where Dalits - the lowest level of India's caste system - have been discriminated or killed, have received scant mention in media coverage.

Still, there hasn't been a bigger debate about why the media has failed to effectively perform the critical tasks it's supposed to do in a representative democracy.

Poor quality

India has over 400 news channels in various languages and another 150 channels are awaiting clearance. The South Asian country also has tens of thousands of news papers and magazines. But the quality of Indian journalism is poor, as evidenced by the fact India ranks 136 among 180 countries in the index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, an NGO.

When it comes to press freedom, India fares worse than even countries like Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.

"Over the last few years - especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modi won the general election of 2014 - the Indian mainstream media has allowed itself to be undermined by the transcendent political power that he represents,"Pamela Philipose, an ombudsman for The Wire, a media outlet, told DW.

In fact, given the current state of how the mainstream media works it will be difficult to expose tweaked data and opacity in government functioning.

"A new note of muscular nationalism has crept into media discourse.  Also conspicuous is the curbing of dissent and the rise of the surveillance state - developments that bode ill for the independence of the Indian media," says Philipose.

Giles Vernier, a political scientist, has a different take.

"One reason why we don't see much criticism in the media is that the government, in the person of the Prime Minister, has the ability to completely dominate the media's agenda, by saturating the public and media sphere with the message, image, and his voice."

"Thus the media is bound to only react to the news agenda offered by the government, rather than investigate its action independently," Vernier told DW.

Filings with the registrar of companies in the ministry of corporate affairs have revealed that five Indian news media companies - NDTV, News Nation, India TV, News24 and Network18 - are indebted to either Mukesh Ambani, the richest Indian and the owner of Reliance Industries, or Mahendra Nahata, an industrialist and Ambani associate, who is also on the board of Reliance's new telecom venture, Reliance Jio.

"What more do you expect when the media industry is dominated by such big players? The Indian media is now the B team of the Bharatiya Janata party and the Modi government," says Mammen.

 Indien Protest gegen Morde an Journalisten (Getty Images/AFP/I. Mukherjee)

At least 54 journalists were attacked in India between January 2016 and April 2017, according to a report published by The Hoot

'Sensation above sense'

According to a report published by The Hoot, a website that tracks media, at least 54 journalists were attacked between January 2016 and April 2017.

Sevanti Ninan, who runs the site, says many attacks on journalists go unreported, as reporters often succumb to threats from local politicians, policemen, and self-appointed vigilantes.

In 2014 alone, 114 journalists were reportedly attacked, but only 32 attackers were arrested or prosecuted.

Celebrity anchor and journalist Rajdeep Sardesai sees the decline and concurs that the media views the actions of citizens through the lens of nationalism, condemning those who question the state narrative as "anti-national."

"I think there is a credibility crisis, in that television news media in particular is driven by a tendency to put sensation above sense in the search for ratings," Sardesai told DW.

But he was quick to point out that there is also unwillingness across the media to robustly challenge the official narrative on key issues partly out of its own failings but also largely out of fear of being denied access to those in power.

Debates on private news channels have been censured for being strident and shrill. India has one of the world's most vibrant and competitive media environments. It is now time to conduct a reality check and ask whether all is well with it. 

LIVING IN SELF-IMPOSED EXILE IN MY OWN HOMELAND     

             “Only dead fish go with the flow”

The Press Club of Sikkim conferred the “Khangchendzonga Kalam Puraskar 2012” award to journalist-cum-writer Jigme N Kazi at a function in Gangtok on July 17, 2012. The following is the full text of Kazi’s acceptance speech:

Hon’ble Chief Guest, Secretary IPR, Press Club Advisor, Press Club President, distinguished guests and friends,

   On Receiving the Award: I feel very privileged to be here today to receive the Khangchendzonga Kalam Puraskar award from the Press Club of Sikkim on its decadal foundation year. I am told by the Press Club that it had “unanimously decided” to confer this award for my “outstanding contribution and dedication” made during the last three decades (1983-2012) in the field of journalism.

   I believe that by conferring this award to this long-time black-listed man, who is forced to live in self-imposed exile in his own homeland, the Press in Sikkim is sending a clear message to those who care to listen. And that message is loud and clear: the Press in Sikkim wants to be more free and independent and those in power and the people at large should take note of it and respect its stand.

 (L to R) IPR Secretary KS Tobgay, Chief Guest CK Shrestha, Sikkim Observer Editor Jigme N Kazi, Press Club Advisor CD Rai, Press Club General Secretary Joseph Lepcha and Press Club President Bhim Rawat at the Press Club of Sikkim function in Gangtok on July 17, 2012.

   I enjoy doing what I do – be it eating, taking a walk or writing. I seek no reward and recognition in doing these things even if what I do benefits those around me.

   People often criticize me of being stubborn and always swimming against the tide. Let me remind them of what US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin said: “Only dead fish go with the flow.” Living with walking corpses all these years has been a very painful experience. It is better to be exiled in foreign shores than having to undergo constant suffocation at home. However, if this is the cross that I was born to bare then I must live with it whether I like it or not.

   Yes, we have more journalists and more newspapers today than when I started in this profession 30 years back. But I’m not too sure whether we are more free, objective and independent in our reporting. What is more important in life is quality, not quantity, and this also applies to the Fourth Estate, particularly when so many people depend and look up to the Press to make the right decision.

   Sikkimese Society: If we cannot uphold certain basic and fundamental values of human existence such as freedom, democracy, justice, self-respect and the rule of law we miss the opportunity that life offers to each one of us. The first indication of a society’s degeneration is when individuals live and work only for themselves. Sikkim is on the verge of being a dead and decadent society. Our constant efforts to camouflage ourselves will not work in the long run. We will be fully exposed when the time comes.

   We locals often distance ourselves from the byaparis, the business community, for encroaching into our economic and political rights and interests. Little do we realize that while they sell potatoes, tomatoes etc. we are the real byaparis. We have sold our king, our flag, our country, our distinct identity and political rights. Not content with this we are still selling our hills and valleys, our lakes and rivers, our land and people, our religion and culture, and worse of all our self-respect and dignity. Is it really worth sweating it out for such people?

   Sikkim Politics: Me and my kind have lived through this bitter period in Sikkim’s history. In our efforts to fight for the common cause we have brought down five chief ministers and made four chief ministers in the past so many years.  We did this for a good cause and without any selfish motive. We are not to be blamed if our political leadership continuously fails us and lets us down the moment they come to power.

   I took leave from the Fourth Estate at the end of the year 2000 to make my personal contribution to Sikkim politics when I was convinced that those we backed were betraying us and the issues we raised for petty considerations. Unlike many others, I could not hang around and hide myself safe and secure in a small corner when I was convinced that we were being led to a dead-end street. I left active politics after three and half years in August 2004 when I was fully convinced that I was heading nowhere and those around me were still deeply involved in petty politics. There is no future for Sikkim and the Sikkimese if our political leadership – ruling and opposition – fails to rise above mundane things and continues to mislead the people while making great promises.

   It is futile to fight for the distinct identity of Sikkim within the Union if the leaders of our larger community are not sure of who they are, whom they represent, and what they really want. Nepal’s political situation, where ethnic communities are being reduced to a minority in the land of their origin, has still not opened our eyes. This is because while our head is still not clear our heart is full of greed. When will we ever live in a place where the mind is without fear and the head is held high? When will this non-stop looting stop? Corruption has reached a point of no return. Disillusionment has set in and this seems to be irreversible. These are dangerous trends in a sensitive and strategic border State like Sikkim.

   India’s Role in Sikkim: Even if our political leadership has failed us time and again, India must live up to the expectations of the Sikkimese people. If it continues to ignore the hopes and aspirations of those who sacrificed their country so that this nation may live in peace and security there may come a day when Sikkim will become a hot-bed of international politics. We may not see that day but that day is not afar if India fails to honour its commitments made to Sikkim and the Sikkimese people during the takeover.

   The gradual dilution of our distinct identity, political rights and social harmony originates from New Delhi. The erosion of our unique and distinct cultural identity, the systematic manner in which seeds of division are sown in our social fabric, and finally the destruction caused to our fragile environment and ecology cannot and must not be easily condoned. We cannot blame our leaders only; we, too, have shamelessly become agents of division, disunity and destruction. We have sown the wind; we will surely reap the whirlwind.

   Hope and Gratitude: I’m grateful to the Press Club of Sikkim for recognizing my work and honouring me on this very special day. This is the time and the moment to renew our pledge for a strong, united, free and independent Press in the State.

   On this special day I want to remember those who have helped me in my three-decade-long career. Some of them are late Chukie Tobden, Suresh Pramar, Devraj Ranjit, Tenzing Chewang and Pema Wangchuk. I also owe a deep sense of gratitude to the Chamling Government and to those who worked or in any way associated with my printing press and publications.

   Living the way I did is a risky business and I want to say how happy and grateful I am to my wife Tsering, her parents,  and my four kids – Tashi, Yangchen, Sonam and Kunga – for letting me live my life freely and dangerously for so long.

   I hope my endeavours will light up your path and help you to bear the burden of being free and independent in a hostile climate in the days and years to come. My message to you on this day comes from Rev. Jesse Jackson: “Stand up, don’t bow! Stand up, don’t bow!”

   On Myself: French Emperor Napoleon Bonarpate (1769-1821) once said: “There are only two forces in the world, the sword and the spirit. In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit.”

   I have already said “I have accepted the death of my dreams” a few years back and I stand by it.

   However, I have filed my petition in the court of Khangchendzonga, Sikkim’s Guardian Deity, to seek justice – for Sikkim, the Sikkimese people and for myself. I am still patiently waiting for the verdict. That this award should come at this time and in the name of our Presiding Deity is not only very auspicious but meaningful as well.

   Thank you all, both for this wonderful award and your determination to preserve the integrity, independence and freedom of the Press in Sikkim. (Full text published in Sikkim Observer, July 21, 2012)

July 14, 2012

SIKKIM OBSERVER Editorial

TAKING A STAND

Local Press: Regaining Lost Ground

The editor of this paper –whether he likes it or not – finally gets some kind of recognition. The question being asked is not ‘why’ he is getting the award but ‘why now’. This question is relevant and needs to be explained. When the President of the Press Club of Sikkim, Bhim Rawat, rang up Sikkim Observer editor Jigme N. Kazi last week and told him that he was being awarded this year’s Khangchendzonga Kalam Puraskar award by the Press Club Kazi wanted to know why he was being conferred with this award and at this time. Was it politically-motivated or has the local Press come of age, Kazi asked. Rawat’s two colleagues, Joseph Lepcha and Bishnu Neopany, both senior journalists in the State, met Kazi and reiterated the Press Club’s recent efforts to regain the local media’s independent image. While appreciating the new development within the local media, Kazi informed them that the Press Club and its members should be ready to face any consequences for associating themselves with a ‘black-listed journalist’, who has been living in self-imposed exile in his own homeland for nearly three decades mainly because he refuses to be ‘bought over’. Kazi is among the few public figures in the State who has kept his credibility intact – personally, professionally and politically (he ‘flirted’ with politics for a while in early 2000s but for a good cause)

      However, Kazi’s decision to accept the award will surely evoke mixed reactions. While one gentleman close to the editor said, “They had the guts to give you the award,” (to which the editor replied, “You have judged well.”) one senior journalist said, “The Press Club is not as independent as its members claim.” Another senior journalist commented: “They have finally come to their senses and rewarded you.” And yet one contractor from North Sikkim, who is close to Kazi, said, “Does this mean you have Chamling’s blessings?”  The fact of the matter is that in Chamling’s Sikkim all those who do not bow down to the powers-that-be are harassed or ignored. Anyone or any organization that tries to identify itself with those who fail to toe the official line are perceived to be digging their own grave.

      While the image of the local Press, by and large, is not too impressive there are those within the Fourth Estate in the State who are not happy with the way the Press has been projected and perceived in a State where dissenting voices find it very difficult to be heard. And yet the people depend on the Press and expect it to ventilate their grievances all the time and take on the high and mighty at times. The Press, too, depend on the people to react and respond to situations. It also expects the people to come to its aid when it is being attacked and hounded by the authorities. The sad part of the story is that people keep mum when the Press is under pressure. Did you even take the trouble to talk to Hamro Prajashakti journalists who were beaten up in their own work places in Gangtok on July 4, 2008? Did you care to call on this editor when his press was ransacked in early 1990, his Press vehicles set on fire in October 2001 and June 2004 in front of his printing press building in Gangtok? And which newspaper-reader even bothers to take a casual glance at the ongoing economic suppression of many local newspapers, including this paper, in the State? If the local Press is trying to set itself free help and support must be given by the people at large. By accepting the award Kazi has, once again, made his stand clear and sided with the foot soldiers of freedom and democracy in Sikkim. The local Press, too, has spoken – loud and clear.

HIMALAYAN GUARDIAN  July 28, 2012

‘Black-listed’ Kazi finally gets recognition, appeals for Press freedom

“India must live up to the expectations of the Sikkimese people”

 Gangtok, July 17: Journalist-cum-writer Jigme N Kazi was today honoured with this year’s ‘Khangchendzonga Kalam Puraskar’ award by the Press Club of Sikkim.

Kazi, editor of Sikkim Observer and Himalayan Guardian,  was conferred the award for his “outstanding contribution and dedication made during last three decades in the field of journalism,” according to Press Club Working President Vishnu Neopaney’s letter to Kazi informing of the Press Club’s “unanimous decision” to confer the award on its decadal foundation year.

The “Most Promising Journalist” award went to Bishal Gurung while Mohan Lama, Darjeeling correspondent of Sikkim’s Samai Dainik, was also felicitated by the Press Club. Gurung is the State correspondent of Hindustan Samachar news agency.

Theatre activist and senior journalist CK Shrestha of Kalimpong, who was the Chief Guest for the occasion, urged the media in the State to remain united in “thought” and side with the people in all situation. “Merely reporting will not do. You must tell the truth,” Shrestha said.

While IPR Secretary KS Tobgay assured the Press that the government would positively look into all the problems faced the media in the State, Press Club advisor CD Rai, who was the chairman of the function, said Kazi not only deserved the award but his writings were “balanced.”

While urging the media to remain strong, free, united and independent, Kazi called on the people, including the authorities, to respect and respond positively to the urges of the media to remain  free and independent.

“I believe that by conferring this award to this long-time black-listed man, who is forced to live in self-imposed exile in his own homeland, the Press in Sikkim is sending a clear message to those who care to listen. And that message is loud and clear: the Press in Sikkim wants to be more free and independent and those in power and the people at large should take note and respect this stand,” Kazi said in his acceptance speech.

Kazi, who has authored two books, “Inside Sikkim: Against the Tide,” and “Sikkim for Sikkimese”, also appealed to the Centre not to ignore the “hopes and aspirations” of the Sikkimese people and honour the terms of Sikkim’s ‘merger’.

“Even if our political leadership has failed us time and again, India must live up to the expectations of the Sikkimese people. If it continues to ignore the hopes and aspirations of those who sacrificed their country so that this nation may live in peace and security there may come a day when Sikkim will become a hot-bed of international politics,” Kazi warned.

SIKKIM OBSERVER July 21, 2012

Press rewards Kazi for three-decade contribution to journalism

Honour ‘merger terms’, Kazi tells Centre

Gangtok, July 20: Senior journalist Jigme N Kazi said his acceptance of this year’s Khangchendzonga Kalam Puraskar award, conferred by the Press Club of Sikkim here on Tuesday, was proof enough that the Fourth Estate in the State is trying to set itself free and improve its image as a strong and independent institution.

Kazi, also a writer, was conferred with the award in recognition of his “significant contribution” towards “development of journalism” in the State in the past three decades.

Kazi, editor of Sikkim Observer and Himalayan Guardian,  was conferred the award for his “outstanding contribution and dedication made during last three decades in the field of journalism,” according to Press Club Working President Vishnu Neopaney’s letter to Kazi informing of the Press Club’s “unanimous decision” to confer the award on its decadal foundation year.

The “Most Promising Journalist” award went to Bishal Gurung while Mohan Lama, Darjeeling correspondent of Sikkim’s Samai Dainik, was also felicitated by the Press Club. Gurung is the State correspondent of Hindustan Samachar news agency.

Theatre activist and senior journalist CK Shrestha of Kalimpong, who was the Chief Guest for the occasion, urged the media in the State to remain united in “thought” and side with the people in all situation. “Merely reporting will not do. You must tell the truth,” Shrestha said.

While IPR Secretary KS Tobgay assured the Press that the government would positively look into all the problems faced the media in the State, Press Club advisor CD Rai, who was the chairman of the function, said Kazi not only deserved the award but his writings were “balanced.”

While urging the media to remain strong, free, united and independent, Kazi called on the people, including the authorities, to respect and respond positively to the urges of the media to remain  free and independent.

“I believe that by conferring this award to this long-time black-listed man, who is forced to live in self-imposed exile in his own homeland, the Press in Sikkim is sending a clear message to those who care to listen. And that message is loud and clear: the Press in Sikkim wants to be more free and independent and those in power and the people at large should take note and respect this stand,” Kazi said in his acceptance speech.

Kazi, who has authored two books, “Inside Sikkim: Against the Tide,” and “Sikkim for Sikkimese”, also appealed to the Centre not to ignore the “hopes and aspirations” of the Sikkimese people and honour the terms of Sikkim’s ‘merger’.

“Even if our political leadership has failed us time and again, India must live up to the expectations of the Sikkimese people. If it continues to ignore the hopes and aspirations of those who sacrificed their country so that this nation may live in peace and security there may come a day when Sikkim will become a hot-bed of international politics,” Kazi warned.

SIBLAC, NASBO pat for Kazi, Press Club

 Gangtok, July 20: The Sikkim Bhutia-Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) has congratulated writer-journalist Jigme N Kazi for being conferred with this year’s Khangchendzonga Kalam Award by the Press Club of Sikkim.

This is “an honor overdue since long back,” SIBLAC General Secretary Pem Tshering Lepcha said in a Press statement.

The organization, which represents the indigenous Bhutias and Lepcha tribals in the State, also thanked the Press Club of Sikkim for “rightly nominating” Kazi for the award.

It said Kazi’s “spirit and quality” of “fighting with wisdom” was “outstanding and simply awesome.”

SIBLAC Convenor and former Minister Tseten Tashi Bhutia and National Sikkimese Bhutia Organisation (NASBO - 371F) President Sonam Kaleon met Kazi, who received the award at a function here on Tuesday, at his residence here and offered traditional khada to congratulate him.

The Sikkim-Darjeeling Unification Forum (SDUF) General Secretary Shankar Hang Subba also offered a khada and congratulated Kazi here last week.

Padam Chettri, President of Sikkim unit of the BJP, also complimented Kazi for his achievement.

Sikkim Observer May 5, 2012

Editorial

PRESS FREEDOM

We Mourn The Closure Of Gangtok Weeklies

Ever heard of Female Journalist Association? We have one in Sikkim by that name and surprisingly while other media organizations are busy entertaining the public and at times playing the role of a public relations body, the Female Journalist Association has urged the State Government to give a better deal to Gangtok weeklies in matters regarding release of government advertisements. The IPR Minister CB Karki has again assured the Press that the government would respond positively on the issue.  Perhaps it will do something this time as the next Assembly polls are nearing.

Sadly the death of several credible Gangtok-based weeklies and other journals in the past few years is something that free societies should be worried about. Weeklies such as Weekend Review and Mid-Week are no more. We mourn their untimely death or indefinite closure. The Sikkimese and Sikkim Observer (Nepali edition) are also off the newsstands for a long time. Journals such as Talk Sikkim and Hill People have been forced to shut down due mainly to financial constraints. In such a scenario the claim that the Press in Sikkim is free and vibrant has no basis. Quality is what people are looking for in the media and this is in short supply in today’s Sikkim. A casual glance at which newspapers are getting government advertisements and how often will reveal the state of the Press in Sikkim. Let the facts be revealed and the truth will be out in the public domain.

Gurudongmar Lake Controversy  

    Ever since the closure of the Indo-Tibet border in north Sikkim in 1962 local residents of the region, particularly in far-flung areas of Lachen and Lachung, have learnt to tolerate and get along with the growing presence and clout of the Indian army in the region. The peaceful co-existence between the two groups in the past so many decades has always been mutually beneficial.

   However, there are times when even the best of relations are soured by mutual disrespect and unfriendly postures. The deteriorating relations between army personnel and local residents bordering on hatred and bitterness was evidenced in 1997-98 when a zealous chief of 20 Punjab Regiment made concerted efforts to convert the holy lake of Gurudongmar, a sacred pilgrimage centre for Buddhists in Lachen, north Sikkim, into a Sikh pilgrimage destination.

  Matters reached a dizzying height of confrontation when the Lachen Pipon, head of the Lachen Dzomsa, the traditional assembly of the people, openly and quite defiantly, refuted allegations made by the army that the Lachenpas supported the army’s bid to construct a Gurudwara, a Sikh temple, at the lake’s vicinity.

    “We wish to point out that at no point of time that the local people of Lachen had requested the army to construct anything at the premises of the holy lake, leave alone the Gurudwara shrine.  Furthermore, let me as an elected representative of the people of Lachen state clearly that it is neither in their interest nor the aspiration of the local people to let anyone destroy the sanctity of this lake,” said the Lachen Pipon, Anung Lachenpa, in a statement published in the Sikkim Observer in April 1998.

   The Pipon also pointed out: “Construction of a shrine belonging to another religion in the name of national integration at our holy place of worship and pilgrimage does not reflect the hopes and aspirations of the Lachenpas and other local people who visit the area.” He also urged the “concerned authorities”, which included the State Government, to “rectify the mistakes” and restore the “original look and sanctity of the Gurudongmar Tso area.”

   The first party to raise objections to construction of the “highest Gurudwara on earth” (Gurudongmar is located at 17,200 ft. above sea level) was the Forests Department, which alleged that the project was carried out without the mandatory clearance of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Besides the concrete construction of the Gurudwara shrine four huts and a parking area were also built on the shores of the lake. Apart from the ecological damage done to the area, which boasts of being a home of some rare and endangered birds and animals such as Blacknecked Crane and Kiang or Tibetan Wild Ass, the locals viewed the renaming of the Gurudongmar Tso as Guru Nanak Jheel, an obvious bid to dilute and gradually erase the unique and distinct Buddhist cultural heritage of the former Buddhist kingdom.

   Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, quoting Guru Rinpoche (Lord Padmasambhava, widely revered as the Second Buddha), point out that Sikkim is one of the seven sacred and hidden lands for Buddhists in the Himalaya. Except for Sikkim, all others are said to be in Tibet, where religious freedom has been curtailed after the Chinese takeover in 1959. Locals believe that when Guru Rinpoche visited Sikkim in the 8th century he blessed the lake and thereafter it came to be known as “Gurudongmar Tso”, meaning Guru with red face or red-face Guru (‘guru’ means master/teacher, ‘dong’ means face and ‘mar’ means red).

    It is possible that Guru Rinpoche manifested at the lake in the form of Gurudongmar or Gurudrakpo (Gurdak in short form), which is one of the main aspects of the tantric master who established Buddhism in Tibet and the Himalayan region in the 8th century. Gurudramar – the red-face deity of Guru Rinpoche – is one of the main protecting deities of several important monasteries in Sikkim, including Lachen and Pemayangtse monasteries. It was the same deity who appeared to the ancestors of Sikkim’s ruling Namgyal dynasty in a vision in the 13th century, instructing them to go southwards to ‘Bayul Demazong’, the ‘hidden valley of grains’, meaning Sikkim.

   The conversion of the area around the sacred rock in Chungthang in north Sikkim, enroute to Lachen and Lachung,  also said to have been blessed by Guru Rinpoche, into Guru Nanak Jheel, has also been opposed by the locals. There exists a Gurudwara besides the sacred rock and the entire area is fenced and renamed “Guru Nanak Jheel”. Many influential local politicians, contractors and suppliers, who benefit financially and otherwise from their dealings with the army, discourage locals from raising issues, including religious matters, that would go against the army.

   The Green Circle, one of the few credible NGOs (non-governmental organization) in the State devoting to preserving the fragile eco-system in the State, while reacting against the army’s “blatant undermining of local culture and total disregard for a fragile and threatened ecosystem” in the Gurudongmar controversy, in a statement published in the Observer (Feb 1998) said: “As you are aware, the Gurudongmar lake is not only one of the most beautiful lakes of Sikkim but also held sacred by the locals. The army, because of its proximity and influence over these area cannot go about misrepresenting facts. Such gradual and systematic distortion of history only serves to sow the seeds of discontent and tension for the present and future generations…Construction of a permanent structure at 17,200 feet with marble, chandeliers and works is totally uncalled for and changing the surface of the lake by moving earth to create parking space is most deplorable. In an extremely sensitive ecosystem where even footprints stay for months, the army, we hope will take more responsibility and care of their environs which would be better served than find itself championing chauvinistic cultural imperialism.”

   Though rather late, the Chamling Government finally woke up and came to the people’s rescue and opposed army intervention in the Gurudongmar controversy. A committee, whose members included State Government officials, was set up by the Government to investigate into the controversy and restore the lake area to its original glory.

   Though the task is still incomplete as the concrete structure of the Gurudwara has still not been removed, the army’s attempts to takeover the area and convert it into a Sikh pilgrimage centre has failed.

(Ref: Jigme N. Kazi: The Lone Warrior: Exiled In My Homeland, pub 2014 by Hill Media Publications, Gangtok)