Indrajatra 2022 Sikkim Special
One-to-One Talk – Blood Brotherhood
Being with Sikkim Newar Guthi at Rhenock
In the second generation of Taksari and Rhenock Kazi, both had their sons honoured with the title Rai Saheb. Former's elder son Ratna Bahadur Pradhan and Rhenock Kazi Tenzing Dadul understandably for their outstanding contributions to the development of the society harmoniously and the State of Sikkim as a whole since this Author never had an access to see the Rai Saheb Medallion and citation. The only occasion he had the first and last look was that of another Taksari son Rai Saheb Bhim Bahadur Pradhan at Atma Niketan in 2015. With the turn of events that place itself is non-existent with massive construction works taken over the sprawling garden developed by his eldest son Jagat Bandhu Pradhan* and family. It happened within years when we were ruing for the heritage Happy Valley cottage they once occupied to be razed to the ground. A Natural History Museum there was suggested to save the heritage cottage of the bygone era most appropriately. Unfortunately, something else was in store there too. Childhood memories of this Author linger as a school-going young lad staying with Sanu Mama Mohan Pratap Pradhan. Today the most treasured document Sikkim Subject Certificate of the 1960s bears his signature as Land Revenue Secretary but a few like that of this Author signed by Reebum Lepcha, his successor in 1971. Happy Valley was previously occupied by Rai Saheb Bhim Bahadur Pradhan as the Forest Manager and the road leading to the Atma Niketan was named after him by the Government.
Light of Sikkim : When this Author came first to Gangtok in 1956 the first massive building on the right to catch his eye was the name 'Light of Sikkim' written on the top distinctly at the main traffic junction now known as Metro Point. It used to be their residence as well besides Rhenock House, Thulo Mama Bhishma Pratap Pradhan and Buba used to visit Maila Kazi and once when his younger brother Kanchha Kazi came from the USA perhaps. They in the third generation was a fond floriculturist and a good photographer himself to visit the Woodland Nursery at Rhenock often. The building had a photo studio at the road level in the not very distant past with the name Tse Ten Tashi and Sons that once had a branch near Denzong Cinema along Tharo Line as well. Popular was the only bookshop in the 1960s owned by K. N. Dewan* with Jain and Mani, who was earlier working with Kashinath and Sons booksellers at Kalimpong. Visited often to collect R. K. Karanjia's Blitz, Current, Sunday Standard, Screen, Filmfare, Manorama, Sarika, Kadambini, Navanit, etc. These were not in the packet of goodies, viz., Dharmayug, Saptahik Hindustan, Illustrated Weekly of India, Yojana along with their own publications Pragati and the Bulletin sent by the Information Service of India / Office of the Political Officer. Buba brought these home for us to read before they went back to the School Library. The Reader's Digest came from the Kothi as Thulo Mama subscribed to it.
Recently, a post on the Facebook/Stories of Kalimpong mentioned that a branch of Tse Ten Tashi and Sons was also in their town those days. Reportedly to be the first Studio started in the 1930s. It reminds me of the photo studio Rai Saheb Ratna Bahadur Pradhan had at his residence Shanti Kutir even before and also with Babu Durga Shamsher Pradhan at the Nirvana (1932). Some beautiful photographs of flowers in colour as well were found printed in the catalogues for the Chandra Nursery established in 1910. Maila Kazi was a regular visitor to both the Kothi and took many shots of the plants and flowers whenever here.
With the early demise of Rai Saheb, his collection of postage stamps nicely packed in little bundles of each kind and theme were found well-kept in an almirah besides many glass negative photo plates in different sizes and old gramophone records. The family had beautifully maintained huge-sized stamp albums that this Author last saw kept for fresh air in the sun at Happy Valley in the late 1950s. Many might not be aware that it was this Author (with tips from his Buba) who initiated his student Ganesh Kumar Pradhan in Class IV while teaching at Rhenock School in 1962 into philately and numismatics giving some from his own collection including Sikkim coins that Baje Durga Shamsher had given him. Stamps were often given from his collection during frequent Nepal visits while those including the 3-D stamps from Bhutan were sent by his relative Jang Bahadur Pradhan of Melli Dara working there those days and later when this Author himself worked at Manas Game Sanctuary in 1971-72. Of late, Ganesh was introduced in a social gathering with Sikkim Newar Guthi at Rhenock, to be his oldest student and proud to mention the hobby he pursued so well was passed on to his sons supplemented by establishing Ram Gauri Sangrahalaya to doubly ensure that these all to be in safe hands for the generations to come. Ganesh himself might have all forgotten overwhelmed by now, the person behind his success. After his retirement, this Author tried a little to continue his hobby by getting stamps directly from the Philatelic Bureau at the heritage General Post Office Kolkata and visiting Gangtok Head Post Office also from time to time. Other priorities dominated to keep him aloof/away from them all. To cite as examples, documenting life experiences by writing reminiscences, sharing on Facebook and posting on the website www.karunaguthi.com, contributing to local news dailies both in English and Nepali even to Nepal for Newar/Nepal Bhasha version and some to the USA also occasionally, topped by bringing a few compiled in the shape of books. Besides, frequent trips to America in the past decade added fuel to the fire burning inside him to provide this documentation as resource materials in the days not very far off, hopefully!
The earliest photograph by Tse Ten Tashi and Sons with this Author treasured cherishing the memories of the alma mater Tashi Namgyal Academy Class IX of 1960 with friends many no more including the recent demise of Shyam Sunder Pradhan from Rhenock we got admitted together in the Darjeeling Government College in 1962. Others were that of the Tashi Namgyal Academy with its playground and Gangtok in the backdrop and the White Memorial Hall, where he wrote School Final Examination in the last batch of 20 matriculate students from there. This was built by the Newars in Sikkim pooling funds in memory of the first Political Officer John Claude White for his remarkable and far-reaching contributions to Sikkim. If permitted here, it would be worthwhile to remember them too in tribute without whom we would not have been here and what Sikkim is today viz. Hari Dass Prodhan Rai Saheb, Lambodar Prodhan Rai Saheb, Tulsi Das Prodhan, Kalooram Pradhan, Latchmi Narayan Prodhan, Dirghbur Prodhan, Dalbahadur Prodhan, Sherabahadur Prodhan, Ratna Bahadur Prodhan, Durga Shamsher Prodhan and Hira Lall Prodhan. These names appear as signatories of the felicitation scroll at Gangtok, Sikkim on 27th June 1908 to bid him farewell on his retirement after long innings here since 1889.
Coming to our generation with contemporaries like R. D. Rechung* and P. D. Tashi*, who used to often mention proudly this Author as Mit Bhai referring to the Blood Brother relationship. We were colleagues serving the Government of Sikkim heading the Culture and Heritage Department with the former and the Information and Public Relations Department with the latter but in different times yet to well understand how much water the age-old relationship holds for the generations to come.
P. D. Tashi served as the Director earlier when Keshab Chandra Pradhan was posted as Secretary there. Both were good in photography and the Calendar for 1997 with the theme 'Flowers of Sikkim' was brought out by this Author as Information and Public Relations Secretary with slides provided by the latter. Earlier Keshab Chandra Pradhan gave the much-needed break to Ramesh Sharma commissioning the coffee table book Images of Sikkim for the Tourism Department. It was Manoj Agrawal, who was just into his Metro Prints business got a break with this assignment of printing the calendar to make his name known in this field before he switched over to the hospitality and restaurant business. Met him a few years ago at his successful venture Laddoo Gopal near Salugara, Siliguri.
P. D. Tashi's sibling S. G. Tashi was in the Police Department as Superintendent of Police (Wireless) to move to Sikkim Jewels as the Managing Director, if remembered correctly. Youngest Tsegyal Tashi was also working but not together though this Author started his career also in Home Department in 1974-75 (after two years of training in Mussoorie, Shimla, Chandigarh and Calcutta) to be a mute witness to the high and lows of the merger days. What a massive way the Sikkim legislative system has evolved from a unit there in Home Department those days! Later he served there pretty long as Commissioner-cum-Secretary to write his magnum opus Sikkim : Three Decades Towards Democracy – Evolution of the Legislative System in 2005. A friend from Rhenock whose husband was employed there asked, “How come you there in the nest of politicians!” while the other one also from Rhenock who served as Secretary earlier there curiously quipped, “How you survived there all that long!!”.
Known since his Rhenock School days and later seen accompanying Rhenock Kazi in his old age, caretaker Gyapu Tsering Lepcha, with his hair all gone white like the shirt he was wearing since we met last a year or two ago, happened to be at Bazar being a Hat day. We were also there for Gai Jatra when he joined us taking the opportunity to be in the picture together with the eldest of the family, Sunder Kumar Pradhan. With a heavy heart to share here that the heritage Kazi Kothi we as young boys visited during winter holidays looking for oranges like one nearer home at Lepcha Munshi's place, was no longer there. Its owners rarely visited, never occupied since long and almost abandoned it for some family reasons perhaps. My Muma too was surprised to know the fate of Kazi Kothi that exists there no more!
Next week : Rhenock School circa 1879
About the Author
Rajiva Shanker Shresta, a retired ace bureaucrat, is a prolific writer-cum-walking encyclopaedia as far as Sikkim is concerned. His monumental book 'Sikkim : Three Decades towards Democracy – Evolution of Legislative System' (2005) is much referred book....” Keshab Chandra Pradhan, Former Chief Secretary to the Government of Sikkim in his Memoir The Life and Times of A Plantsman in the Sikkim Himalayas (Revised/Updated 2018)