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The Scaling of Kanchenjunga and What it Means to Sikkim's Culture and Autonomy
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Culture The Scaling of Kanchenjunga and What it Means to Sikkim's Culture and Autonomy Jiwan Rai 11 minutes ago On May 18 this year, an expedition team under the Har Shikhar Tiranga Mission, an initiative of the Indian Army, planted the national flag atop the Kanchenjunga peak. This has hurt the indigenous Buddhist communities of Sikkim, to whom the mountain is a deeply revered spiritual entity. Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal during the Kanchenjunga expedition. Photo: Facebook. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now Twenty-four years ago, while the rest of India was racing to open up 18 virgin peaks and 176 lesser-known summits to foreign climbers, the Sikkim government, through notification 70/HOME/2000, imposed a ban on expeditions to its highest peak, Kanchenjunga, along with seven other peaks considered sacred by local Buddhists. This administrative decision was actually the reaffirmation of a longstanding cultural tradition of reverence. In fact, an expedition to Kangchenjunga would fall under the scope of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prohibits any desecration of sites held sacred. When British climbers Joe Brown and George Band first successfully ascended Kangchenjunga in 1955, they voluntarily stopped just short of the summit to honour local sentiments. Their act of restraint was more than a display of mountaineering ethics. It was a profound gesture of civilisational respect. Nearly seven decades after the respectful restraint shown by climbers on Kangchenjunga, fresh reports of another summit attempt have stirred a storm of emotions among the Bhutia and Lepcha communities of Sikkim. On May 18 this year, an expedition team under the Har Shikhar Tiranga Mission, a patriotic initiative of the Indian Army executed through the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), successfully planted the national flag atop the sacred peak. The mission, led by the celebrated mountaineer Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal, was envisioned as a tribute to India's unity in diversity. 'This wasn't just an expedition,' Colonel Jamwal remarked. 'It was a tribute to every corner of India. From the dense forests of the Northeast to the icy ramparts of Kanchenjunga, our Tiranga has now flown atop every state's highest point. I'm proud of the team and honoured to lead a mission that reflects the unity and diversity of our great nation.' Sacred However, beneath the wave of patriotic celebrations, are the hurt religious sentiments and cultural traditions of the indigenous Buddhist communities of Sikkim. To them Kanchenjunga is not merely a geographic pinnacle, it is a deeply revered spiritual entity. Its summit is considered sacred and has traditionally been off-limits to human trespass. This restriction is not unique to Sikkim; similar bans exist elsewhere. In China, Mount Kailash remains unclimbed due to its profound spiritual significance, while in Nepal, climbing Machapuchare and Khumbila is prohibited out of respect for their sacred status among the Gurung and Sherpa communities. The recent ascent has reignited a long-standing and sensitive debate between the fervour of national pride and religious belief. In this image released by @adgpi via X on May 19, 2025, a team of Indian Army and Nepali Army personnel climbs Kanchenjunga mountain. (@adgpi via PTI Photo) Photo: PTI In anticipation of this clash, the Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) had taken pre-emptive efforts. On April 4, it formally petitioned the Ministry of Defence and the governor of Sikkim, Om Prakash Mathur, urging them to halt the planned expedition. The irony should not be lost in how an initiative meant to celebrate the unity in India's diversity has hurt the sentiments of a religious and cultural group of a state that had merged with India by way of abolition of its own kingdom 50 years ago. True unity respects diversity, and true patriotism upholds the sentiments of all its peoples. Now, as the tricolour flutters over a peak considered sacred for centuries, the question before the nation is not merely who reached the top but at what cultural cost. When seen through a time-honoured Sikkimese lens, Kanchenjunga is not a trophy for adventurers, a playground for thrill-seekers, or just another tick on a climber's checklist. It stands as a symbol of cultural heritage and the pinnacle of religious identity for a significant section of Sikkim's people. In this context, the ban on climbing it is not merely a regulatory restriction. It is a civilisational assertion. And the significance of this act extends beyond religion or tradition. It is deeply political, rooted in the Sikkimese identity, dignity and autonomy. Politics Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang has written to Union home minister Amit Shah on the matter. But what exactly is the state government demanding in response to the violation? Why did it not act in advance? Given that the climbing ban was imposed by the state government back in 2001, should the authorities not have been consulted before any expedition was approved? Interestingly, Sonam Lama, the Sikkim Sangha minister – elected by a unique constituency which is reserved for Buddhist monks and nuns – downplayed the issue, noting that the expedition took place from the Nepalese side. It is unclear if the the Sikkim government fully grasps that at the heart of this issue lies the deeper question of Sikkimese autonomy. It must know that any violation here is not just cultural sacrilege but also an infringement of the special protections granted to Sikkim under Article 371F of the Indian Constitution. The state government thus faces a twofold responsibility: to safeguard the indigenous worldview of its people and to uphold the autonomy enshrined in its constitutional status. On one hand, the Bhutia-Lepcha cosmo-vision is being undermined. On the other hand, Sikkim's political and constitutional autonomy, hard-won and historically negotiated, must be defended against external decisions that bypass the state's authority and its cultural sensibilities. If Sikkim does not make its voice heard now, it risks losing its unique identity to India's broader and increasingly homogenised national narrative. The government must demand accountability for this violation, reaffirm the inviolability of its sacred landscapes and amplify indigenous voices before they are silenced forever. Jiwan Rai is a social and political commentator from Sikkim. He can be reached at jiwanr@ The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments. 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The Wire
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Sikkim@50: Violence Is the New Normal
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Politics Sikkim@50: Violence Is the New Normal Jiwan Rai 17 minutes ago For now, the golden jubilee's most pressing question may well be this – how many more must bleed before justice is not merely promised, but delivered? In this image released by @PSTamangGolay via X on May 16, 2025, Sikkim Governor Om Prakash Mathur with Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang takes part in a 'Tiranga Yatra' to express solidarity with the Indian armed forces, in Sikkim. This was also the day when the state marked its 50th anniversary of statehood. Photo: Via PTI. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Donate now May 16 is 'Sikkim Day', which marks the former kingdom's integration with India in 1975. Sikkim is celebrating 50 years of integration with the world's largest democracy. But behind the roar of celebration resound the cries of young voices who dared to dissent. If political intolerance in Sikkim had a colour today, it would be a deep, unforgiving crimson. Blood has become the new price for dissent. Violence is no longer an aberration; it has become the chilling new normal. The situation has deteriorated so drastically that even the state's Bharatiya Janata Party, the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha's own ally, as admitted by chief minister Prem Singh Tamang himself at the India Today Conclave, was forced to convene a press conference on May 6, demanding an intervention by the Police Accountability Commission. When the national ruling party must publicly beg for institutional restraint in a state, the indictment could not be more damning. A macabre pattern of escalating violence against opposition figures in Sikkim is hard to ignore. From the daylight assault on SDF leader J.B. Darnal in June 2020 to the recent attacks on Anand Rai on May 2 and Citizen Action Party youth leader Ashish Rai on May 5, the narrative remains alarmingly consistent: individuals critical of the state establishment are brutally assaulted and perpetrators are hardly given exemplary punishment. In July 2021, a vocal SDF youth leader Arun Limbu, along with his sister and sister-in-law, were brutally attacked. Similarly, his party colleague, Rajesh Walling Rai was assaulted by a mob just outside the Sadar Police Station in Gangtok, with the video going viral. If the state's premier police station no longer deters violence, what hope remains for the average citizen across the state? The viral and damning video of Keshav Sapkota, general secretary of the Joint Action Council being attacked on the Singtam Bridge on April 8, 2023 by a mob as Sikkim Police stood by exposes the helplessness of those in uniform and the law and order situation of the state. The JAC was protesting against the redefinition of the term 'Sikkimese' in relation to tax exemptions for 'old settlers.' Tashi Gyatso Bhutia, another SDF youth leader, was assaulted in March 2023. Then in March 2024, there was the shocking and near-fatal attack on K.N. Rai, the former assembly Speaker. A man in his mid-60s, already battling a rare and debilitating illness was brutally assaulted and left so grievously wounded that he had to be airlifted to Delhi for emergency treatment. S.K. Timsina and Chandra Khaling were also attacked in the same incident. Young thugs targeting a defenceless former public servant weakened by prolonged medical treatment is quite telling – it exposes a culture that is rotting from within. The shift is a screaming red alarm. Other opposition leaders who were attacked include Binod Rai, former MLA, Aron Rai, Jack Rai, Tashi Palki Bhutia, Suman Chamling, Ramesh Kirat Rai, Mahesh Gurung, Sonam Tamang Dhanbahadur Tamang, Sidhant Subba, Noel Sharma and Phurden Bhutia. The list is by no means exhaustive. Each episode leaves behind not just a wounded body, but a wounded democracy. In February 2023, the SDF headquarters, the party office in Namchi and the Gangtok house of its party president – the state's former CM Pawan Chamling – were pelted with stones during a bandh called by the SDF to protest a Supreme Court observation referring to the Sikkimese Nepali community as 'immigrants.' On the night of June 10, 2024, shortly after the swearing-in of the new SKM government, several opposition leaders' homes were targeted in stone-pelting incidents. Among those affected were Bhaichung Bhutia's residence in Lumsey and Mechung Bhutia's property in Burtuk. CCTV footage captured masked individuals throwing stones at these properties. These attacks are frequent and appear to signal a systemic breakdown of law and order along with a collapse of accountability. The repeated targeting of opposition members will gradually weaken the foundations of democracy and demands urgent action from both state and central authorities to ensure the safety and rights of all political participants. The Sikkim Police, once a symbol of public trust, now finds itself at the centre of mounting criticism. The true tragedy lies not only in the blood staining Sikkim's streets but in the betrayal of its founding ideals and the slow suffocation of its democratic soul. As the state marks 50 years of democracy, the gulf between its founding promise and current reality yawns wider with each act of repression. This relentless cycle of political violence forces us to confront an urgent question: What can the future hold when dissent is repeatedly crushed? While banners proclaim 'Sikkim@50,' we must ask the uncomfortable question: can a democracy endure when it fears and resents the voice of its own people? Do we possess the courage to confront the cruel irony of the fact that the glowing tributes and grandiose fanfare seen in this historic celebration stand in grotesque contrast to broken bodies and silenced voices? The youth of this fifty-year-old democracy, who dared to challenge, question, and demand accountability, now bear the cost: hospital beds instead of podiums and fear instead of freedom. For now, the golden jubilee's most pressing question may well be this: How many more must bleed before justice is not merely promised, but delivered? Jiwan Rai is a social and political commentator from Sikkim. He can be reached at jiwanr@ Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News Congress Renews Call to Remove 50% Cap on Reservations, Demands Timeline for Caste Census Changing Direction: The Wire's Short Film Festival Pressing Unmute: The Wire Marks 10 Years With a Celebration of Fearlessness The Many Meanings of Vietnam The Vanquished West: 50 Years After the End of Vietnam War, a Memoir of Resistance by the Global South Vietnam War 50 Years On: How It Changed Perception of War Mahavir Singh, Who Has Faded From Memory, Embodied the HSRA's 'Revolutionary Habitus' 'Saying Caste Census Will Take Place Not Enough': Opp Keeps up Pressure After BJP's U-Turn 'We Want Dates' Says Opposition as Modi Government Approves Caste Census in Sharp Reversal View in Desktop Mode About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
