The Final Events Which lead to the Merger of Sikkim

Elections to the State Council were held in 1973. A small controversy with reference to the counting center at Gangtok ignited and within no time political parties organized demonstrations against the Government. The police force was used to control the agitation, which added fuel to fire. Sikkim National Congress and Sikkim State Congress demanded countermanding of the election and ordering a fresh poll. The Durbar adopted its old dual policy of repression and causing dissension in its political rivals. But this time it did not work. 

Demonstrators began to attack and take over the police stations in the interior. The two political parties decided to boycott and disturb the ruler’s birthday celebration on April 4, 1974, in spite of appeals made on the contrary. The situation was grim and a pitched battle was fought between the demonstrators and the police. The palace went ahead with the birthday celebrations, which angered the masses even more.

The administration collapsed and the Chogyal was forced to request the Political Officer to take over the administration, as his father had done 24 years back. The Political Officer took over the administration for time being, but the political stalemate continued. The Government of India encouraged the Durbar and political leaders to negotiate an agreement and establish normalcy in the State, but stands on both sides were hardening. 

At last, a tripartite agreement between the ruler, political leaders, and India was reached on May 8, 1973. Unlike in 1949, the Government of India had decided to discard the unsolicited colonial advice this time and took a clear stand on democratic principles. The famous tripartite agreement envisaged the Chogyal to be a constitutional head, establishment of a responsible government with democratic rights, rule of law, fundamental rights, independent judiciary, adult franchise, and executive and legislative powers to the people’s representatives. Article 5 of the Agreement envisages: “The system of election shall be so organized as to make the (State) Assembly adequately representative of the various sections of the population. 

The size and the composition of the Assembly and of the Executive Council shall be such as may be prescribed from time to time, care is taken to ensure that no single section of the population acquires a dominating position due mainly to its ethnic origin and that the rights and interests of the Sikkimese Bhotia- Lepcha origin and of Sikkimese Nepali, which includes Tsongas and scheduled castes origin, are fully protected”. 

According to the provisions of the Agreement, a State Legislative Assembly of 32 members (Lepcha- Bhotia 15 + one seat to the monks + Nepalese 15 + one seat to the Scheduled Castes among the Nepalese untouchables), a Chief Minister, and a Council of Ministers responsible to the Assembly to be elected on the universal adult franchise was envisaged. With a view to carrying out special provisions of the Indo-Sikkimese Treaty, an Office of the Chief Executive to be manned by an Indian functionary was created between the two, and deference of opinion between him the ruler was to be referred to as the Political Officer at Gangtok, whose opinion would be binding. 

The political atmosphere in Sikkim was surcharged with and in such excitements, elections to the State Assembly were held in April 1974. With exception of one Lepcha- Bhotia seat to a nominee of the Sikkim National Party, the remaining 31 seats were captured by the newly formed Sikkim Congress. Lhendup Dorji Kazi, the leader of the Sikkim Congress Legislature Party, was sworn in as the first duly elected Chief Minister of Sikkim. These and other developments were seen as evidence of the dilution of “Sikkim’s International Status” by the Ruler, which may be seen as a conflict between the head of the state and his people.

The State Assembly met in an emergency season and passed this resolution: “ The institution of Chogyal (the head of the state) is hereby abolished and Sikkim shall henceforth be a constituent unit of India”. While the ruler went on asking for the right of self-determination for Sikkim, this Resolution of the Assembly was put to the electorate and 97 percent favoured it. This led to the Indian Parliament passing the 38th Constitutional Amendment Bill on April 26, 1975. 

Thus, Sikkim ceased to exist as an Indian protectorate and became the 22nd state of the Indian Union. Accordingly, the office of the Chogyal stood abolished and provisions of the Indo-Sikkimese Treaty, Tripartite Agreement, and the Government of India ACT, 1974 were made inoperative. Lhendup Dorji Kazi (LD Kazi), Chief Minister, emerged as the central figure after these epoch-making developments. His style of functioning was that of an old-world patriarch, addicted to advice from all corners, but too old to learn anything afresh.