CA Bell proposes to name it as “Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital”

Charles Alfred Bell (Pic: Wikipedia)

The Archives Section under the Culture and Heritage Department at Gangtok stores the rarest of documents related to Sikkim. I shall always remain grateful for an opportunity granted to me to flip over pages of that epoch which is more of a dream come true. Over the last few years I have spent most of my time learning and understanding Sikkim, and it gives me pleasure to share what I know or what I listen to.

I am more of a storyteller, those stories that got lost along the helm of time. This time around let me take you back to the year 1917, and the date reads 10^th of March. An official letter arrives at his Palace to His Highness Maharaja Tashi Namgyal of Sikkim. The letter inquires about naming the new Civil Hospital at Gangtok, which was ready for public use very shortly.

CA Bell, Superintendent of Sikkim State, the writer of the letter writes that it occurred to him and a Civil Surgeon whether the hospital could be named in memory of His Highness's late father, Sir Thutob Namgyal. Bell further writes about his ignorance of Sikkim customs, such as whether a building can be called in the name of a Maharaja, frequently mentioned by the public and spoken all the time by every class.  

Replying to the letter two days back, His Highness Maharaja Tashi Namgyal of Sikkim agreed to the proposal, and the new Civil Hospital at Gangtok was adapted to Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital. It was a nice gesture of CA Bell to have considered naming the hospital in Maharaja Thutob Namgyal’s name. I believe we should ever remain thankful to him for the suggestion.