I
was given a khada by my father. As I was about to offer my khada, HE
instead - surprised me by putting my khada around my neck. HE asked for an envelope (I still remember it was a brown envelope) from a person nearby and handed it over to me and said ‘mithai khanu’. I never knew what to do with it and moving a few steps further, I went near a corner and looked inside. It was a hundred rupees note of five. I was very happy almost on cloud nine. With joy around, returning back home I just recalled when will I visit him again on his next birthday!
The year passed by and the D-day arrived. It was the birthday of the
Chief Minister of Sikkim and Bua was there again to accompany me to the party. Like the previous year, my visit was nothing but the expectation of that brown envelope – which to be very frank and with sadness, I did not receive nor did I see anyone near HIM. Though there was unhappiness around my face and my heart; the charisma of the party was something to be seen. I had never come across such celebrations for ages now.
In between, many years later I learned about him more from my mother. I
was told HE was a teacher at Rongli before joining the politics; he and his family used to stay in a rented room at Aja’s place. Even today when
I enter THAT room, I can feel the aura of presence.
In my growing years, I was always fond of hobbies and one such hobby was
an autograph collection. In 2003, despite little hope, I wrote to a few
of the leaders of Sikkim for an autograph, and to my surprise, I received
two letters within some time, one from BB Goorong, the shortest reigned
CM of Sikkim, and from Mr. Bhandari.
My second meeting with HIM was a few years back at STNM Hospital, Gangtok.
My father was kept in one of the private wards of STNM Hospital. I
heard Bhandari Sir was admitted to the next ward. I wanted to meet him but I
was hesitant.
Breaking my hesitant, I went inside the room. I greeted Namaste and went near HIM, there were four people around and HE too greeted me with folded hands. Bhai lai chinnu sakinah,
he told. I replied I am the grandson of Siba Narayan Pradhan from
Rongli. CB (Siba) Gurubau, he said to which I nodded my head. He told me about his days at Rongli and his bonding with Aja.
As I was talking with HIM, a man came and asked HIM for his identity card
for the formalities of the discharge form of the hospital.
HE handed over a card. A little later that man returned back claiming the nurse wanted a voter card and no other card. HE laughed at that
man’s word and went on to say, this is a Member of Parliament Identity
Card that your Chief Minister also does not have. Smiling back he gave his voter card to that person. I too bid farewell, he told me to introduce myself whenever I come across HIM.
That was Nar Bahadhur Bhandari, three times Chief Minister of Sikkim,
one of the longest-serving Chief Ministers in India. During the first
death anniversary of my grandmother held at our home at Shantinagar,
Singtam earlier in March, HE had arrived. I did not go near him but clicked his few photographs with Dhaba and others. That was the last time I saw
HIM.
