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B.S. DAS
SIKKIM: A HIMALAYAN TRAGEDY by Nari Rustomji Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd., N. Delhi, 1988, 173 pp., 125
March-April 1988, volume 12, No 2

Those who had known Thondup Namgyal, the late Chogyal of Sikkim, would find Nari Rustomji’s portrayal of his personality extremely interesting and readable. The personal letters reproduced reflect the conflicting trends which contributed substantially to the course of events in Sikkim. Charming and sensitive, Thondup Namgyal was human to the core. Yet, the inbuilt contradictions prevented his emerging as a realist imbued with political acumen. Trained with the Indian Civil Service, he was always conscious of the elitist factor. But his intellectual and academic shortcomings gave him a feeling of insecurity and inferiority complex. His letters reflect that clearly. His American wife and the complex viz-a-viz ‘white’ races, added to this tragedy.

But one is foxed by the title ‘A Himalayan Tragedy’. One could understand ‘The tragedy of Sikkim’. Delving into the issue of merger of Sikkim, Rustomji is prone to emotionalism. The very first mistake he makes is in describing himself as the ‘Prime Minister’ of Sikkim. No such post ever existed in Sikkim. Rustomji was the Dewan, a successor to J.S. Lai, and a nominee of the Government of India. Not one official document exists designating him as the Prime Minister. The Chogyal wanted to do so but could not.

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