Sikkim Newar Guthi's Historic Shradhanjali Programme

23.09.23: Sikkim Newar Guthi has spearheaded a ground breaking movement called the "Newar Madhumaha Shradhanjali Programme-2023" (in Newar Language: BIBHA WAHKA DHEKU). The program aims to stand-in connections, offer solace, share grief, and provide financial assistance to bereaved Newar families during times of loss. Sikkim Newar Guthi hopes to bring about a sense of unity among each and every member of the community and instill a sense of belonging to the Newars of Sikkim by being there in times of hardship.

The Dream project envisaged by Sikkim Newar Guthi (SNG) under the able leadership of Bhaju Nirmal Kumar Pradhan, the President of SNG was conceived a year before i.e 2022. After repeated meetings, discussions and reviews among the different Sakhas from all over Sikkim, the program was agreed upon unanimously in the Annual General Meeting at Auditorium, Namthang Senior Secondary School on 30th July 2023 and finally started on 18th Sept’23.

The program states that each Newa house of Sikkim would offer prayers and contribute Rs 20 in favour of the grieving family. This collection would be handed over to the bereaving family, personally by the members of the Central Executive Committee member, Coordinator and Sakha executive committee members along with a Samvedna Patra.

There is nothing one can say to alleviate the pain of a family which is grieving the loss of a loved one; but the initiation of such a program can certainly provide comfort and support for them during such a difficult time. In this way, each and every Newars of Sikkim can grieve the loss of a fellow member of their community and stand in solidarity with the family of the deceased.

On September 18th, 2023, a team comprising Nirmal Kr. Pradhan, President of SNG, Mahendra Kumar Pradhan, Vice President, Dr. Sushen Pradhan, General Secretary, Basant Pradhan, Chairman State Chief Coordinator, Sunil Pradhan, Youth Secretary, Sishir Pradhan, Publicity Secretary, Binita Pradhan, CEC, and I K Pradhan, CEC, along with Youth Core Members paid a visit to the bereaved family of Karna Bahadur Pradhan from the Timburbong Sakha in Soreng District, where his mother, Late Subha Maya Pradhan, aged 103 years, had passed away. Dr. Sushen Pradhan, the General Secretary of SNG, briefed the gathering about the program and observed a two-minute silence to remember the departed soul.

Nirmal Kumar Pradhan, President of SNG, and Basant Pradhan, Chief Coordinator, emphasized the significance of the program. K B Pradhan, President of Soreng Sakha, and his team provided full cooperation to the central SNG and extended their best wishes to the SNG CEC team for their continuous efforts to bring all Newars of Sikkim together. A Samvedna Patra, along with Rs. 19,280/- (nineteen thousand two hundred and eighty rupees) was handed over to the bereaved family by Nirmal Kumar Pradhan, President of SNG, and Basant Pradhan, Chairman State Chief Coordinator, along with other members of SNG.

They wanted to kill me??

AN ENVELOPE A PIECE OF PAPER LIST OF ADDRESSES INSIDE THE ENVELOPE I was part of a successful newspaper at Gangtok; the weekly newspaper “Weekend Review” was then considered the third party in Sikkim after the Sikkim Democratic Front led by Pawan Chamling and Congress led by N B. Bhandari, former Chief Minister of Sikkim. I had just completed my graduation when I got a chance to join the big-wig WR team. It took me a week to decide, and I was a news reporter. Even then, my primary concern was looking for Sikkim's old history. The new job was interesting, challenging, and more of an adventure. I never knew what I would do the next day or where I would be. I was only told to file a report to the newspaper office at Gangtok every Thursday. I was associated with the WR team for more than two years till our editor was replaced, and I found it uncomfortable to work with the new editor. His lack of journalism ethics made me leave WR. Within the fol...

The AC3PT: A story of the deleted country

BY SHITAL PRADHAN To the amateur radio stations in the world, he was just “AC3PT”, a name that is today counted as a deleted or dead country in the pages of Ham Radio. A "Ham" is an Amateur who receives and transmits on short waves, a fascinating hobby followed since the late 18 th century. An amateur radio enthusiast AC3PT was very well-known among amateur radio communicators across the world. Being on the map of HAM Radio since 1963, AC3PT suddenly came to an abrupt end on April 9, 1975. “…now Indian troops storming my room…” was the last message that radio amateurs across the world last heard of AC3PT. The distressed caller was none other than Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal, the last Chogyal of Sikkim State, sending his last-minute SOS across the world. When I first read about the AC3PT and the ham radio sometime back in one of the chapters of a much sought-after merger book on Sikkim, “Smash and Grab: Annexation of Sikkim” by Sunanda K Datta-Ray I could hard...

JANHA BAGCHA TEESTA RANGIT

This was a national song of Sikkim sung in the Nepali language during the monarchy system. During the merger with India, the song got banned and later re-released. Two words on the 8th para, which earlier said 'Rajah rah Rani,' were replaced with "Janmah bhumi." This song was dedicated to the King and Queen of Sikkim. The song lyrics were penned by Sanu Lama, and the music was composed by Dushyant Lama. The song was first sung on the birth anniversary of Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal on April 4, 1970, at Gangtok by Aruna Lama, Dawa Lama, and Manikamal Chettri. JANHA BAGCHA TEESTA RANGIT, JAHAN KANCHENDZONGA SEER YEHI HO HAMRO DHANA KO DESH, TAPAWAN HO PYARO SIKKIM INTERLUDE PHULCHAN YEHA AANGANAI MAA, CHAAP , GURAS, SUNAKHARI SWARGASARI SUNDAR DESH KO HAMRO PYARO PYARO JANMAHBHUMI JANHA BAGCHA…… BATASHLE BOKCHAA YAHA, TATHAGAT KO AAMAR WAANI ...

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