Himalayan Times (1962)

Two i Himalayan Times July 1, 1962

8IKKDI TODAY :.hr«.%.twlwwa'

biggest demooraoy . and

KAZI LHENDUP DORJI Asia's itrongoit bastion

of communism, it is wholly'

In tbe Editorial NoteB go on to state that "Id- inconceivable that a small-
of the April edition of dependent India had no feudal state like Sikkim,
"United Asia", published use for such a poliey. whioh has consistently
from Bombay, and which Personal and autooratio denied a representative
I take the liberty of quo- rule were unaooeptable to government to its people,
ting, there is a most Indian nationalists who that has played fast and
enlightening acoount of fought for freedom and loose with the various
what is oalled the "suo- democracy. It was this ethnio groups by the v-i-
oeSBor-mentality" from democratic aspect of the oious system of communal
whioh, the Notes aver, freedom struggle that ins- voting, where, even in
Indian policy-makers suf- pired them to fight against this year of graoe 1962,
far, with particular refe- ' the Indian Prinoes. The large "Private Estates"
rence to Nepal, Sikkim post independence' polioy and "Monastery Estates"
and Bhutan. The Notes of India should have oontinue to exist, oan
go on to state that tbe shown a mure bold orien- oontinue its present pat-
British evolved a pattern tat ion towards democracy, tern of administration and
of friendly relationship a more open acceptance rule by "Proclamation."
with feudal rulers in all. of the right of the peo- Without the benefits
the Himalayan Kingdom, pie to self-determination of a Constitution, we have
which was, in effect, a anddemocratioself.govern- now had a Sikkim Sub-
polioy of friendship bet- menl, instead, India has jsots Regulation thrust
ween satraps and depon- oontinued to appease the upon us by virtue cf a
denoies. To quote from feudal rulers, and, in the Proclamation. In order
these Notes, "it was con- bargain, has lost consi- to qualify for Sikkim sub-
venient for them, alien derably both in the esteem jectbeod there is a series
Imperialist rulers as they of the people of the re- of seven different forms
were, to form alliances- gion as well as in her in Eaglish, Nepali and
with the deoadent auto- dealings with the rulers." Tibetan. The hapless vil-
oratio feudal rulers. The Now, what have we lager, and Sikkim is a
bargain was simple and in Sikkim today vis-a-vis land of far.flung home-
easy; the British allowed the above-quoted Notes ? steads, has to find out
them their personal pomp We have no written Cons- in any way he can as to
and power, and they re- titiition. a fact that ham- whioh category, if any,
maioed trusted . allies of psrs the administration he and his family belong,
the British. The people and humiliates the every- fill in the form as best
of the region were left day lives of our people he ean, and hand it to
to the meroies of the at every step; ve have the village mandal. These
rulers, for their oontinued no oodifed laws, in effeot, seven forms, and some of
backwardness and politi- no rule oi law; we have ' the phrases contained
oal suppression was itself a High Court without a therein, have caused GaDg-
a factor that strengthened oharter; we have rule by tok's most alert brains
British hold over theBe "Proclamation"; and we much puzzlement, Buoh
areas," The Notes then have no fundamental rights ( Continuod on page 6)