Padma Shri Kajee Singh Sir is No More

With heavy hearts, we mourn the loss of Padma Shri Kajee Singh, a beloved icon of the Gorkha community, who passed away on earlier today. He leaves behind a rich legacy in the field of music, education, and cultural preservation.

Singh, a revered exponent of the Maadal, was a tireless advocate for the Gorkha musical traditions, and a true representative of the mountain people.

Born on July 25, 1945, in Phoobsering Tea Estate, Darjeeling, Kajee Singh’s lifelong dedication to the preservation and formalization of Nepali folk music began in his early years. The son of Maadalaacharya Indrajeet Singh Sardaar, he inherited a deep-rooted passion for music from his family, which had been cultivating the classical folk music tradition of the Gorkha community for generations. His father’s influence, along with his own keen interest in traditional culture, would shape his path and inspire him to bring the Maadal — a revered Nepali musical instrument — to the forefront of Indian music.

Singh’s musical journey spanned decades, beginning with his early career in dance and evolving into a distinguished career as a Maadal player in Bollywood. From 1974 to 1983, he worked alongside legends such as Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji, Shankar-Jaikishan, and Ram-Laxman, becoming the first Nepali artist to introduce the Maadal to Indian cinema. His contribution to Indian cinema and music is immeasurable, but his greatest passion was always his roots in the Nepali musical heritage.

As a teacher at the Tashi Namgyal Academy (TNA) in Gangtok, Sikkim, Singh’s influence shaped the lives of countless students for two decades, earning him the fond title of Kaajee Sir. He worked tirelessly to preserve the musical traditions of the Nepali Gorkha community, particularly the Shree Maadal, and played an instrumental role in formalizing its notation system.

His research culminated in his first book, Maadal (1974), which revolutionized the way the instrument was taught and understood, as well as several other publications that explored the nuances of Indian Classical music and Nepali folk traditions.

Singh’s contributions were not limited to musicology. He composed original Chhandas and Raagas, and his creation of the Deodeep Taal, a 14-matra rhythm system, further solidified his place as a visionary in the world of classical music. His works continue to inspire musicians and music lovers alike, not only within the Nepali community but across the global music landscape.

A passionate educator and mentor, Singh also founded a Musicians Club and Library in his hometown of Phoobsering, where he fostered an environment for musical learning and collaboration. His influence reached far beyond the concert stage or classroom—his efforts transformed how Nepali folk music was perceived and valued, creating a lasting impact on the cultural fabric of Sikkim, Darjeeling, and Kalimpong.

In recognition of his unmatched contributions to the musical world, Kajee Singh was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honor, in 2021. This accolade, which he dedicated to the people of Darjeeling, and Sikkim and the Gorkha community across India, was a testament to his lifelong commitment to advancing and preserving the musical traditions of his community.

Singh’s passing marks the end of an era for the Maadal and for Nepali music, but his legacy endures through the countless musicians, students, and music lovers he inspired. His family, including his children — daughter Vijaya Singh and son Nishaant Singh, who has carried forward his musical lineage as a distinguished Pakhawaj player — will continue to uphold his work and vision.

Kajee Singh leaves behind not only a treasure trove of musical compositions but a community forever grateful for his service, his vision, and his tireless dedication to the art. His contributions to Indian music have elevated the status of the Gorkha community and have brought national pride to his our region.

As we bid farewell to this extraordinary musician, we remember him not just for his achievements but for his love for music that transcended borders and generations.

Rest in Music Sir, you will be missed.

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Born on the 27^th of Sept, 1933 in Shillong, Meghalaya in an Army Family, Harish Mukhia was slated to be a soldier, but fate had other plans. In a way, he did become a soldier, but not the one who carried guns, but armed with his knowledge, passion and skills he was instrumental in transforming the Darjeeling Tea Industry.

In 1947 when India became Independent, Harish’s father Lal Bahadur Mukhia was transferred to Katakpahar in Darjeeling, and for Harish it was the love at first sight. He fell in love with the place. He started his schooling from the Govt High School in Darjeeling, and when his father retired from the Army, they settled in West Point, Dali. He joined St Joseph’s College and studied there from 1951-1956, and completed his B.Sc with a distinction.

The ‘Center Forward’

A natural athlete, he was not just good in studies but was one of the best football players of his time. His contemporaries were Ambar Thapa, Chandan Singh Rawat, and former Darjeeling MP Dawa Norbula. His skills in football field won him accolades across the region, and the coveted ‘Blue Coat’ from St. Joseph’s.

Back then, Darjeeling was a hub of football in the entire Eastern India, and attracted teams from all over the country. In 1956, Mohan Bagan had come to play in the hills, and Darjeeling placed their best team forward. Harish Mukhia was a part of the team playing in the position of Central Forward. In the game, Harish scored a goal and dazzled the visiting team with his on-field skills.

Impressed by his exploits on the field, Mohan Bagan presented him an offer to come play for them in Kolkata for Rs 10000 a month, which was a princely sum back then. Thrilled at being given a chance to play for Mohan Bagan, Harish rushed to tell his parents and seek their blessings.  He would perhaps have made the Indian National Team, but fate in the form of his father intervened, who absolutely refused to let Harish go. In an interview taken in 2017, Harish had recalled, “My father refused to let me go, he said that if I come back with a broken limb, I would not be able to join the army, that ended by journey to Mohan Bagan.”

But he continued playing football, and had once said, “perhaps there is not a single ground in Darjeeling District where I did not play, heck I even went as far as Bhutan to play as a borrowed player”.

After completing his education, Harish joined the army, and trained in Jalapahar for 6-months. He was set to live the life of a soldier, however, fate intervened again and during medicals it was found that he could not distinguish between different colours – he was colour blind. He was sent back home.

The Army’s loss was Darjeeling’s gain.

The Founding of Mirik

After leaving the Army, Harish landed a job as an Assistant Manager in Gopaldhara T.E in 1957. Back then the tea estates were still controlled by the British, so all the managers were of British origin. He trained under the British managers at Gopaldhara for 2-years, and he was sent to Thurbo T.E as Acting Manager in 1959. In 1968, Harish Mukhia became the first Indian and Gorkha Manager of the Thurbo Tea Estate where he worked for 17 years.

It was during his time as the Manager in Thurbo T.E that Mirik developed as a tourism spot. The tourism department saw the potential of developing a lake in Mirik, which till then was just a small hamlet. Back then the tea gardens were on Freehold land, which meant that the tea companies owned the land and not the government. Harish recalled, “Mirik had a small bazar and all the people there had to pay rent to our company, I used to collect the rent.”

That is when the then West Bengal Chief Minister Siddharth Shankar Ray came calling and requested for the land in Mirik to be transferred to the government, as the land on which Mirik sits today belonged to Thurbo tea estate.

Seeing the potential of Mirik, Harish agreed to cooperate, and requested his head office in London to transfer the land to the government. In turn he convinced the government to construct a road via Mirik for Siliguri, as till then, the only vehicular road to Siliguri was via Jorebunglow. The government agreed, and Harish helped in transferring 150 acres of Thurbo T.E land to the government for the establishment of the Mirik Lake. Gradually, the road via Mirik was constructed and that is how Mirik went on to be developed as a hub of tourism it today is.

Harish later worked for Badamtam T.E, Chalsa T.E and later as an advisor to the West Bengal Tea Development Corporation based out of Rangneet T.E.

He established a Tea Consultancy on request from Ghoomtie T.E promoters, and helped establish tea gardens in Arunachal, and two tea gardens in Manipur near the Burma Border.

The Organic Movement

In all his years working in the tea industry, he never stopped learning. Following the Burndtland Commission Report “Our Common Future” published in 1987, people in developed countries became aware of the perils of climate change, and the need for practicing sustainable development. Harish was perhaps one of the very few from our region, who was actually aware of these greater developments happening across the world. He trained himself in organic farming, and was one of the first from Darjeeling, along with Makaibari’s legendary Raja Banerjee to learn about Biodyamic farming from the Biodynamic Association of India, based in Bengaluru.

After learning about biodynamic farming, Harish knew this movement was vital for protecting the Darjeeling Tea Industry, which by then was suffering due to rejection of exports in the developed countries. The Western Countries, which were some of the biggest markets for Darjeeling Tea wanted organic produce, and production was still heavily dependent on chemicals here in our region.

Harish, met a group of like-minded people from Darjeeling and established the Society for Socio-Economic and Sustainable Development (SSESD)

Recalling about those days Pranay Rai, who is currently the Public Prosecutor in Darjeeling, who served as the Secretary of SSESD says, “I fondly recollect those days way back in 1989- 92, post DGHC accord, where he had organized the Society for Socio-Economic & Sustainable Development advocating against use of chemical on the more than 150-year-old tea bushes and introduction of bio-organic tea. Back then, Croatia was the only country that was importing our tea, and without exports Darjeeling tea industry would have collapsed.”

“So we all got together under SSESD, late Mr Harish Mukhia was the Chairman, Dr GS Yonzon was the President, many from the tea industry like late Mr Waiba from Kurseong, Late Mr Rudra Mani Gurung from Tea Research Institute, Late. LB Rai, Late. Narayan Thapa, Late Ranjan Dutta, Late Prem Chand Tamang, Late Jiwan Prakash Gurung, Ms. Sushma Ghosh, Mr. Dorjee Lama, Mr. Raja Lama, Prashant Pradhan, and political personalities like Late, Madan Tamang NB Khawas, NK Kumai, Mr RBRai, Ex MP and others who were socially concerned became a part of the organization. Fortunately, I was the General Secretary of the August organization”, he recalls further.

“Harish uncle was one person who was an exponent of the present bio-organic tea and it was because of his efforts through SSESD that organic tea production actually started in our region. Goodricke was the first major company that transformed their gardens to organic, and the rest followed their lead. After that he was instrumental in bringing the WWF to Darjeeling, that helped in restoring many endangered species especially red panda in the region” he says.

Community Movement

It was because of Harish Mukhia’s efforts, that the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) provided support for promoting organic farming in the region through Project Serve. Harish, was engaged as an advisor. Later he was advisor for many other projects including the Teekampagne’s Chai Project.

He was always generous with his knowledge and skills and never turned down a request for help from those in need. It is to his credit, that the small grower’s movement started in Darjeeling. He promoted cooperative of small growers under the label of Organic Ekta Small Growers’ Society, which is gradually transforming into a community movement for taking back control of the economy from large corporations and business entities to the hands of small farmers.

In his last interview, Harish Mukhia had shared his concern about the Darjeeling region and particularly it’s tea industry. He had said, “today most companies are only concerned about their profit margin, they don’t care about the tea, the bushes or the people. Till there is profit, they will suck it dry, and abandon the gardens later. We must change this.”

Harish sir’s life was well-lived, and the movement he started is growing stronger by the day. He was a visionary who envisioned a better Darjeeling. We hope his story will inspire the present and the future generations.

You can watch his full interview from 2017 here

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Thirty-five years later, I confront a situation that makes me realize that a string of the Sarangi, the musical instrument that Kumar Subba sang of, had snapped, or the ‘phool’ (flower) that he spoke of in his songs had fallen from its plant forever.

An iconic figure in the Nepali music world, Subba breathed his last in a private nursing home in Siliguri in West Bengal on 15 January 2022, leaving the entire Nepali-speaking community that loved him and adored him grief-stricken.

Born on 11 March 1944 at Thana Line in Darjeeling town to mother Krishnamati and father Bir Hang Subba, Kumar Subba went to the Bhanu Bhakta Primary School in the town, where his teachers included the noted poet Agam Singh Giri. Subba cleared his class-X board exams from Turnbull High School in Darjeeling, and later joined the Harsing Primary School as a teacher in 1964. Fond of singing since his childhood, Subba later joined the Song and Drama Unit in the West Bengal Department of Information and Culture in 1985.

Subba made his first major appearance when he sang a song written and composed by Ashok Rai in the Gorkha Dukha Niwarak Sammelan hall in Darjeeling in 1963, and went on to record his first song at the HMV studios in Kolkata in 1968, the year he also started his association with Radio Kurseong and Radio Nepal.

Among the several awards and citations he received were the ‘Rajya Abhisekh’ Silver Medal in Nepal (1974), Dishari Puraskar, Kolkata, 1991, Aruna Lama Saalig Nirmaan Puraskar, Bijanbari, 1999, Aruna Lama Smriti Puraskar, 2001, Samman Puraskar, Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha, Darjeeling, 2006, and the Sangeet Samman Puraskar, West Bengal Government, 2012.

As the entire Gorkha community paid their heartfelt tributes to the veteran singer during his demise, noted personalities in the art and music field and people who knew him closely recalled how humble Subba was as a human being.

“He was a very good person, and when it comes to his singing, his voice and words came out very clear, something other contemporary singers lacked,” said veteran music composer Karma Yonzon, who said “Kumar Bhai” sang around 60-70 of his songs, during their long association in the Hill music scenario.

“He also was very particular about the taal/rhythm/beats and used to focus very well on it. As a person, he was a jovial man, full of mirth. He was very dear to me, my right hand in my musical journey,” Mr Yonzon added.

“He was a devta (God), who never hurt anyone, humble, down to earth, yet jolly and jovial,” recalled JS Rai, a relative of Subba.

As Subba grew in the music field and went on to record over 500 songs in his long, illustrious career, he made association with several top musicians in Darjeeling Hills and Nepal, some noted ones being Karma Yonzon, Gopal Yonzon, Ambar Gurung, Sharan Pradhan, Durga Kharel and Manikamal Chhetri.

Noted among the singers he sang songs with include Narayan Gopal, Pema Lama, Ramesh Bardewa, Pawan Golay, Aruna Lama, Shanti Thatal, Dawa Gyalmo, Daisy Baraily and Hira Rasaily.

Among his popular songs are ‘Sarangi ko taar ley mero…’, ‘Hey phool..” and ‘Phool bhaye feri fulthey…,” which people still hum, and listen to with joy, and which have the same freshness they had over 35 years ago.

Undoubtedly a gem in the Nepali music field, Subba was laid to rest near his home at Harsing Hatta in Lebong, Darjeeling, on 17 January. He has left behind his wife, Kamal Subba, daughters Rachana and Niranjana, son Rishav and two granddaughters Khusi and Khusboo.

Subba’s final rites have been scheduled for 23 January (Sunday) at the community hall near his home at Harsing in Lebong, Darjeeling.

This article was originally posted in The Statesman

Writes: Ashish Pradhan

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The friends and family of Late. Gopal Singh Bhandari are requested to attend his Anthesti (Ghewa) to be held at his residence in Salbari, on the 26^th of Jan, 2021

Shri. Gopal Singh Bhandari was a rare star in the Gorkha sky, for he was celebrated for his Hindi and Urdu creations as much as for his Nepali writings.

Originally from 9^th Mile in Kalimpong, his grandfather Subedar Major Jangbir Singh Bhandari had fought in the Chin-Lushai expedition of 1889-90 and NE Frontier in 1891. His father Deopal Singh Bhandari had participated in the 1^st World War and had fought in the Iraq frontier.

Born in Kurseong, GS Bhandari was a curious child and this streak in him continued all life-long. Following on his family’s illustrious military traditions, after completing his ISC (Intermediate in Science) from Darjeeling Government College, he joined the Army, but due to family circumstances had to quit it and come back.

Once back in Kurseong, a group of people approached him to help set up a school in Nepal. He followed them to Nepal and helped establish the school, after which he came back. He then joined Pushparani Middle English School (as it was known back then) as a teacher for a brief period, after which he joined Public Welfare Department (PWD) and worked there all his life.

But, his heart and passion was elsewhere – literature. Being a voracious reader, he was a self-taught multi-linguist who had knowledge of Urdu, Hindi, Bengali and English in addition to Nepali. His passion brought him in contact with All India Radio and that is where he found his true vocation – writing about social issues that most wouldn’t talk about.

Back in the day, All India Radio would hold hour long dramas – like our podcast of today. The dramas would be selected by AIR Headquarters in Delhi and sent to all regional stations to be translated. He was the only translator of Urdu plays into Nepali and Nepali plays into other languages at AIR Kurseong for a long time. He himself wrote many plays for AIR and lyrics for songs, poems and articles for various magazines.

During emergency, AIR refused to publish of his Hindi plays, सूरत अपनी अपनी, as it was based on the trade union movement. The play could be broadcast only after the emergency was lifted. Always a forward thinker, another one of his Hindi plays, क्याक्टस् के फूल, which became a sensation across the country was based on inter-communal marriage.

His association with literature brought him in close contact with the who’s who of the Nepali Bhasa Manyata Andolan, in which he was an active participant. His articles and write-ups in Hindi and Urdu languages made people outside Darjeeling region aware of the plight of Nepali speaking Gorkhas. A dedicated foot soldier of Gorkha cause, Gopal Singh Bhandari openly supported the demand for Gorkhaland even as a Government servant. The then Govt of West Bengal transferred him to Krishnanagar as a punishment, following which he had resigned, but later the government relented.

In his lifetime he penned over 200 poems and equal number of articles, most of them progressive and a commentary on social good.

Perhaps no one else could better summarize his zeal for life and passion for his vocation, than himself, as reflected in his poem Zindagi…

जिन्दगी
एक दिन तुझे मिलने जरूर आउँगा
जिन्दगी मुझे तेरा पता चाहिए
मुझे डर है मेरे सपनें कहीं
मेरी तन्हाईं छिन न ले मुझसे
आहट कि भरी चुप्पी में
मैं तुझे सूंघता हुँ
फैले घने केशों में मै तुझे
ढूड्ता हुँ
अपनी खुदगर्जी में मैने तुझे
तलासा
एक दिन तुझे मिलने जरूर आउँगा
जिन्दगी मुझे तेरा पता चाहिए

We pay our humble tribute to this soul, whose love for our language and community was unequaled. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends, we share their loss.

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Being an early riser (he would be up at 3.30-4 am) and as per habit, he would make his own cup of tea and then go on to be his study and to start the most creative part of his day when he would write and pen down whatever came to his mind. Amongst the many books that he has written, most of them would have been penned in this early part of the day. It was on one of such mornings, six years ago that he missed his step on the kitchen floor and fell first striking his head on the stone floor. While he physically recovered, this injury to the head imposed itself as a barrier between his razor-sharp mind and the world that we all live in and made us poorer to be privy to the wisdom that he held.

I first met him at the General Harbaksh Singh stadium at Delhi Cantt, when I was posted at Army Headquarters and had, as one of the responsibilities, the sustenance of Equestrian Sports and Polo in the country. Major Jaswant Singh’s (shall hereafter refer to him as JS, as that is how he wanted us to do so) nephew, Col Bhawani Singh, my good friend with whom my association started at the Service Selection Board where we both got selected for the 55th NDA course, who then was the Commandant of the President’s Bodyguards introduced me to him. JS had come to attend, unannounced (in his signature style, he never demanded attention) to the Delhi Horse Show, such was his love for horses, polo and all things, equestrian.

JS had wanted someone from a military background to join his staff and bring to it the rigor taught at Staff College of being detailed and be yet concise. It was on Bhawani’s recommendation that a while later after I had taken pre-mature retirement from the army after serving for 23 years that I got absorbed. I cannot ever forget my second interaction that took place in the imposing North Block Finance Minister’s office when he called me in on my first day at my new assignment. I walked in to find Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35 wafting in the air, the smell and twirling smoke of incense sticks at the base of the Ganesha statue and sitting serenely at his chair, a very calm and composed JS. Very softly, he asked, “why do you want to work for me? And immediately correcting this, he said, “with me and not for me?” I don’t remember my fumbled reply as I was so struck by his humble depth that he didn’t want people to work for him but with him.

And this pretty much was the yardstick of my association that ran from 2003 till very much the time that he sustained his injury. While many are fully acquainted with his discourse in English language, he was equably formidable in his Hindi, Sanskrit and native dialect in which he wrote extensively. His love for music was spread across western & Indian classical which would always be playing in the background, there were times while sitting and discussing some very serious issues, he would recline, close his eyes and then relate to us the significance of the note that had suddenly moved him. Those hours at his study while working with him would always be fascinating as he would reveal to us, the nuances and deep understanding of our own tradition and culture. His success internationally and not just at External Affairs, was because he understood every region of the world not just by its current political present but by the very depth of its culture, history and traditions. He admired many soldier statesmen and his voracious reading habit would see him reading some 4/5 books simultaneously. In times before Amazon and Flipkart, many of his diplomatic colleagues who had served with him, would always be scouring for books that weren’t available locally. His prodigious reading, even at the zenith of his official responsibilities was unabated. When not working, he would just open up his book and with the music in the background, reinvigorate himself.

A no nonsense person, if any visitor waffled for more then five minutes in his presence, then he would switch off, smile courteously and gently ask the person if he had finished, a very soft dismissal. Off course later he would ask us, on his staff, as to why we hadn’t sufficiently established the veracity of why such a person had been ushered in. For those who engaged him, he was a rapt listener, carefully weighing in what was being conversed and then summarised with remarkable clarity.

There is so much more that comes to mind, but at this moment, let’s take a pause and reflect on what he had stood up for. And I conclude this short remembrance by the withering look that he had fixed on Tim Sebastian and his gravely responses during BBC’s “Hard Talk” interview sometime after the 1998 nuclear tests, that had made each Indian puff up with pride. And Tim Sebastian, combative that he always was, took that rare step back.

Writes: Ashwini K Channan

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Yesterday night stood to be one of those unfortunate times where we crawl ourselves into the bed with an unspoken amount of grief in the heart. The news about the demise of Sir SP Parasar got to our knowledge. He left us all for a better place on 24th September 2020.

There are many good things about growing up, but unfortunately, there are as double the things about the same that fill you with a sense of regret. One such thing is to notice your own world fading out before your eyes. The school that we proudly feel to be ours slowly starts drawing apart from us. The teachers who nurtured us through the years start retiring one by one and new faces start taking their place. We begin to realise that our love, belongingness and memories of the school are all woven tightly around our teachers and friends. Friends – most we lose through the years. Teachers – we never forget. The first thing we ever ask to any student of our alma mater that we meet is if so-and-so teachers still teach them.

And the worst thing afterall is of course getting to hear about our teachers leaving us. Its one time when we care to steal sometime from our busy or not so busy lives, sit down and look back. Its a strange feeling when the memories, which are else covered in dust, wake up and rush themselves to your eyes. Days and years start sliding down your memories. Realisation dawns upon you. Yes, it wasn’t just yesterday that you were at school with those teachers, no matter how fresh those memories may feel.

The intimation about Sir SP Parasar’s death stands to be a painful nail to my memories of the school. Mahasay, as we would fondly call him, and as he loved to be called, was one of the tallest personalities around the school. He would be a Nepali teacher to the higher classes in the school, and perhaps the only person I have met who wouldn’t mix a word of English to his speech, even when he would be generally talking. So much so that the term “Sir” could never catch his appeal. He would love to be called Mahasay, and so would we oblige. While we always addressed our long borne practice of greeting teachers saying “Goodmorning Sir” and “Goodafternoon Sir”, we took an exception in his case. We would gently fold our hands whenever we saw him, bow our head and say “Namaskar Mahasay”. He would give a subtle smile, place his hand on our head and mumble some blessings on us that would usually end with a “huh”. The expression “huh” would actually serve as a persistent opening and closure to all his sentences.

Through almost a decade that I spent at St. Robert’s School, I never heard even one word spoken about him by any faculty member, or against him by any student. He had his own simple existence, where he would be respected by all. His belief in his duty was as strong as his faith in God. Though, there are few things about him that anyone who had been a part of his class will never forget.

My own first encounter with him took place when I reached Class 10, where he would teach Nepali. He had his personality – completely different than others, and he had his own way of doing things as well. He would want us to speak good Nepali, recite poems in rhythm. “लय मा भन्, लय मा।” – he would say when he would ask us to recite any poem. Our precarious attempt to it would often fail. But that wouldn’t get him on his nerves as much as seeing someone smile or laugh would. As hard as we would try to refrain from smiling or laughing, we would often fail. He would stare for few moments and then point his stick on the person smiling (or laughing), shoot it up like the recoil of a gun, and say, “तॅ उठ्“. The person would stand, already knowing that a very familiar question was about to be thrown at him, and so would it come – “किन हाॅस्छस् ?”, he would ask. An apologetic face would end the business there, but one more smile or laughter while on the interrogation, a considerably painful punishment would follow.

His punishment would also follow a unique modus operandi. The moment that Mahasay would say “तॅ यहा आ“, the culprit would know of his fate, or rather of his due interaction with his lethal weapon – the shiny long stick. His words would tear the absolute silence of the moment as he said – “कान समात”, wanting the person to hold his ears while facing the board. Not obliging to the instruction would further enrage him, he would say again, with a firmer and louder voice – “म भन्छू कान समात।” By this time, the culprit realised that there wasn’t any escape and he would submit himself to the situation. The moment his hands would touch his ears, the stick would launch and engage to its target and strike in full blow. One hit would bring all Christmas and Diwali to the bums.

He had a habit of walking around the class while we would read the lessons assigned by him. A part of habit was to stand by one of us and poke us with his stick while mumbling for no reason. We would only understand the occasional “huh” amidst his mumbles. The poking would cause tickles and though we would not want to, we would end up smiling or giggling. He would again say – “kina muskurawchas huh?? Tero muskaan luka.”

It might be guilty of us to find happiness while shuffling through our memories of them at such times of mourning and grief. But perhaps this happiness is what they have left in us of them. Perhaps, while making us memorise a part of Ramayana in perfect rythm as per the “छन्द“, he also might have taught us to be happy whenever we thought about him. It would again be a lie that I would remember to think about him through the time, but I would for sure not forget about him, and I shall always be happy everytime I think about him.

Rest in peace dear Mahashay.

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Karna Thami sir was a Sahitya Akademi Awardee, and had published many books in Nepali, Hindi and Bengali languages.

वरिष्ठ साहित्यकार कर्ण थामी प्रति नेसासको श्रद्धाञ्जली

नेपाली साहित्य सम्मेलन, दार्जीलिङका पूर्व अध्यक्ष तथा बहुमुखी प्रतिभाशाली ‌व्यक्ति‌त्वका धनी कर्ण थामी उपचाराधीन अवस्थामा गत १४ सितम्बर सोमवारको दिन स्वर्गवास हुनगयो ।

उनका‌दु:खद् निधनले सम्मेलनका सदस्य, सम्पूर्ण साहित्यकार लगायत उनका शुभचिन्तक महानुभाववर्ग अत्यन्त मर्माहत बन्न पुगेका छन् । उनका जीवनको पूर्वार्द्धमा एक सक्रिय राजनैतिक कार्यकर्ताको रूपमा रहेर आफ्नो जाति र समाजको सेवा कार्य गरेका थिए भने उत्तरार्द्धका सम्पूर्ण जीवनमा भाषा-साहित्यको संरक्षण-सम्बर्द्धन गर्नमा बिताएका थिए ।

उनी नेपाली, हिन्दी र बंगला भाषाका कुशल ज्ञाता थिए । कथा, कविता र उपन्यास आदि उनका मौलिक कृतिहरू प्रकाशित छन् भने हिन्दी, बंगला भाषाका अनुवाद का कृतिहरू प्रकाशित छन् ।

उनका प्रकाशित कृतिहरू:
१. बंगलाका श्रेष्ठ कथा – १९७०
२. अनि बादल यसरी‌फाटिन्छ -१९८४
३. भारतीय शिखर कोश नेपाली कहांनिया, भाग 1 हिन्दीअनुवाद – १९८८
४. प्रतिध्वनि, नाटक – ‌१९८९
५.भारतीय शिखर कोश, भंग २,
६. धुप जलिरहेछ, कविता – १९९१
७. सुखान्त का कविता हरु, अनुवाद – १९९१
८. संय्जय विश्वासका कविताहरू, अनुवाद – १९९३
९. बापूका जीवन कथाहरू, अनुवाद – १९९९
१०. मुक्त माटोको खोजीमा, कथा संग्रह – १९९७
११. सूर्य श्रेष्ठका कविताहरु, हिन्दी अनुवाद ही
१२. गोपीचन्द्र प्रधानका कविताहरू,‌हिन्दी अनुवाद
१३. प्रतिक्रिया – उपन्यास- २०१२
१४. उदुम्बरा, कविता संग्रह- २०१५
१५. मौरी र झींगा, बालकथा- २०१६
१६. शान्ति सुहासिनी, कथासंग्रह (प्रेसमा) आदि प्रकाशित छन् ।

बंगला भाषाका काव्यकृति ‘सुकान्त समग्र’ नेपाली भाषामा अनुवाद गरेका ‘सुकान्तका कविताहरू’-मा १९९४ को साहित्य अकादेमी प्रथम अनुवाद पुरस्कार विजेता हुन् ।

साहित्य सम्मेलनको वर्तमान भवन निर्माणकार्य, भानुसालिग पुनः स्थापना, नेपाली भाषा मान्यता अभियान आदि कार्यहरूमा उनका महत्वपूर्ण योगदान रहेको छ । त्यसैले, उनलाई साहित्य सम्मेलनका अभिभावक तथा संरक्षक थिए भन्दा अत्युक्ति ‌हुने छैन । यस्ता होनाहार व्यक्तित्वका दिवंगत-आत्मा शान्तिको‌ निम्ति साहित्य सम्मेलनका सदस्यीय, साहित्यकार अनि शुभचिन्तक सम्पूर्ण महानुभावहरुले‌ यस वैश्विक संक्रमण तथा कोविड 19 को भयावह स्थितिमा आ-आफ्नो घरमा बसेर ईश्वरसँग प्रार्थना गरिदिन हुन् साहित्य सम्मेलनका अध्यक्ष डा चन्द्रकुमार राईले निवेदन गरेका छन् ।

The post Karna Thami Sir – In Memorium: वरिष्ठ साहित्यकार कर्ण थामी प्रति नेसासको श्रद्धाञ्जली appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

I remember his answer vividly— “The strength of your actions determines who you are! Even a Hindu or Muslim or Christian can be a good Buddhist depending on her or his action(s)”

On another instance, I had asked him, “Bhante, what is Buddhism’s stance on sexual orientation?”

His reply once again echoes distinctly “You are who you are! For the monk, of course, any kind of desire is forbidden. For a lay Buddhist, her or his sexual orientation is entirely her or his private affair. And no one has a right to judge!”

I knew Bhikkhu Bodhipala as a most rational thinker, one who never accepted even the tenets of his own religion blindly. He questioned existing customs, believed in the idea of a brotherhood cutting across religious, caste and ethnic lines and someone with whom you could converse with on just about anything.

In the morning of July 27, 2020, Bhikkhu Bodhipala, General Secretary of the Bengal Buddhist Association or Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha, Kolkata, breathed his last. He had been admitted to AMRI hospital at Mukundapur, Kolkata, after being diagnosed COVID positive. Bhikkhu Bodhipala, as he was known, was the great grandson of Kripasaran Mahasthavira of Chittagong, who founded the Bengal Buddhist Association in colonial Calcutta in 1892.

Born as Swapan Kumar Barua to late Sri Pradip Ranjan Barua and late Smt. Kumkum Barua in Shillong, Meghalaya, on December 20, 1968, Bhikkhu Bodhipala was a disciple of the late Venerable Dharmapala Mahathera of Chittagong. He spent his childhood and adolescent years in Shillong, educated at St. Peter’s School and Brookside Adventist Higher Secondary School, and later at Raid Laban College. He moved to Kolkata in 1992 and at the age of 24, he voluntarily entered the monastic life by becoming a Buddhhist shraman and a year later, on June 22, 1993, he was fully ordained as a Buddhist monk.

Bhikkhu Bodhipala was, in many ways, a man whose persona far superseded his religious affiliation. He was an ardent traveler and believed that a Buddhist monk’s role was that of an itinerant. Never for once, did he fix himself solely to one institution or monastery, believing that a Buddhist monk’s sole purpose was to be able to reach to the masses, especially to those in need. Taking a cue from the life of Siddhharta Gautama himself as well as his own great grandfather, Kripasaran Mahasthavira, Bhante Bodhipala travelled all across North East and Eastern India, attempting to forge a solidarity between various practicing Buddhist communities, cutting across Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana forms of practice. Neither was his mission that of a proselytizer. Instead, he sought to practice the ideals of compassion, empathy and humanity. As president of the Kalchini Karuna Charitable Society in Jalpaiguri, Bodhipala worked among the marginalized and poor workers of the tea gardens.

In addition to embracing a life of celibacy and service to humanity, Bhikkhu Bodhipala was also academically excellent. He was a gold medalist from the Department of Buddhist Studies, Magadh University, Bodhgaya, from where he completed his Masters degree.

From 2001 to 2007, he served as head monk of the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) under the Bihar government, the main custodian of the Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO world heritage site and the holiest of shrines to Buddhists world over. Thereafter, he returned to Kolkata and served as head monk of the institution established by his great grandfather and in 2018, became its General Secretary. Besides, he also served as the Assistant Secretary and Trustee of the International Buddhist Brotherhood Association, Assam.

Bhikkhu Bodhipala was a prolific writer, contributing many scholarly articles to the various journals published by the Bengal Buddhist association. He also regularly contributed to media platforms such as the Darjeeling Chronicle. He was also instrumental in forging a link between the Barua Buddhist community as well as various communities of practicing Buddhists of North East India. Having grown up in Shillong, he well understood the importance of mainstreamitizing the North-East as well as forging a pan-Buddhist network between the various communities of practicing Buddhists scattered throughout different parts of North East India. From Arunachal Pradesh to Sikkim and Darjeeling to Assam to Kolkata and Chittagong, he worked tirelessly towards this end.

Bhikkhu Bodhipala was a popular face at the various religious heads’ meets convened in Kolkata and worked as part of the United Interfaith Foundation that worked towards spreading the message of religious tolerance amidst the debates that broke out over the Citizenship Amendment Act in India. During the time of COVID-19 lockdown that began in March this year, Bhikkhu Bodhipala, as General Secretary of the Bengal Buddhist association, was actively involved in organizing and providing relief to various lower socio-economic groups of the society. Such was his dedication to a life of kamma, that he often overlooked his personal health and safety, working ceaselessly to ensure that various food and other relief materials were disseminated amongst the needy and the poor.

His untimely demise is not merely a loss to the Buddhist world, but to our society at large. We pray for his nibbana, and hope to emulate the high ideals set up by him.

Bhikkhu Bodhipala with late Shri A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President of India at Bodhgaya, 2003

Writes: Parjanya Sen – is an Asst Professor of English and Literature in Sonada Degree College.

The post Bhikkhu Bodhipala – December 20, 1968 to July 27, 2020 appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

When I first met Sonam in St. Augustine’s School in Kalimpong in 1982, he was eleven and I was thirteen. We were standing outside the music room and he was carrying a cheap tobacco-sunburst, no cutaway, Calcutta-made Hobner, while I had an equally cheap, if not cheaper, hand-me-down Givson. The two of us were waiting for our guitar teacher to arrive so that we could get on with the business of learning to play the instrument. One couldn’t help noticing that his guitar was much taller than him.

I don’t think anyone had a clue then about how far that kid was going to go with the guitar, except for Sonam himself. Because while the rest of us got waylaid, he put all that he had, mind and body, into mastering the instrument. And boy, he did. Soon enough, in just two years, under the guidance of Mr Chandra Mohan Ghising (who, incidentally, also taught Adrian Pradhan and Bipul Chettri), Sonam began to be known and respected for his skill by his peers as well as seniors in the town. By ’85, he and a few of his friends even had a band of their own – The Moondrops. But, like most high school bands, The Moondrops disbanded when the boys completed their 10th standard and went off in different directions. Sonam spent the next two years in Dr Graham’s Homes, band-less.

Fortunately, for you and me, there was Delhi University. When Sonam arrived at Kirorimal College, he ran into some boys named Subir, Nitin, Prashant, Rahul and Chintan who were not just as skinny as him but equally passionate about making a name for themselves in the rock ‘n’ roll scene. And, that’s how, in 1991, Parikrama came into existence. The rest, as they say, is history.

While I was trying to make my way up the advertising ladder as a copywriter in Delhi, Sonam and his friends were going from one college festival to another, building a reputation for being a band to reckon with. Soon, Parikrama headlining a college festival was enough to raise the brand value of that festival. But things were only going to get bigger.

In 2007, when the iconic British heavy metal band, Iron Maiden, came to perform in India, Parikrama was their opening act. The gods of rock were so impressed by the band’s performance, they invited Sonam and his bandmates over to the UK to perform at the Download Festival, one of the largest rock festivals in the world. If you check out the videos online, you’ll see Sonam tearing through his guitar solos in his traditional Sherpa attire.

Before we knew it, Sonam had performed at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC and venues in Dubai, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and Macau. He co-founded other popular bands in other genres like Mrigya and The North East Express. He composed and co-wrote the music for the feature film ‘Manjunath’. He was featured as one of “India’s Top Ten Guitarists” by Rolling Stone Magazine. AND Parikrama was featured on the cover of The Rolling Stone magazine. Hell yeah! I had a friend on the cover of the Rolling Stone!

But celebrity didn’t seem to have had any impact on Sonam. He was, in my limited exposure to celebrities, one of the most accessible celebrities. He’d pop into a music store to pick up some gear and end up spending hours there because all the other customers wanted him to choose their guitars for them. Going out with Sonam meant waiting for him to finish shaking hands with every second young and not-so-young fan he would run into. At private gatherings, he would gladly give you access to his really expensive Gibson guitars, showing us new chords and licks, encouraging us mere ‘Major-Minor-Seventh’-types to play a solo while he backed you up on an acoustic guitar.

Sonam was a gifted musician, but what made him so loved by all was the fact that he was truly generous with that gift. You can see that in the students who trained under him at The Parikrama School of Music in Hauz Khas, New Delhi. You can hear it in the stories told by other musicians, filmmakers and concert promoters. And from the fellow members of his church, where he never shied away from volunteering his gift every Sunday.

A rock musician’s life is about being constantly on the road – always on the move, getting from one concert venue to another, across the length and breadth of the country, and, sometimes, beyond. If you were to add the time Sonam spent on collaborating with other artists, helping out friends and family or in the development of his young students, you’d think he wouldn’t have time for anything else. But he did.

When he found out that my family and I would be moving to another country for a few years, Sonam and Dina, his wife, suggested that we meet for dinner at once. We were so caught up with the packing and the preparations, we would have declined the invitation if it hadn’t been for him insisting on it. Now, I don’t quite remember what we ate that December evening at Lha Kitchen in Safdarjung Enclave, but there was a lot of reminiscing about the years we had spent in Delhi together. We spoke about family, friends, our kids (who are growing faster than we can keep up), and we made plans to meet again soon. “Yes, brother! Feri bhetnu parcha hai!”

That was that last time I saw that Hobner-carrying boy from Kalimpong. And he had become much taller than all of us.

Writes: Nima Dhendup Namchu

This article was originally published here.

The post SONAM SHERPA – A Legend Unparalleled appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Father William Bourke SJ was born in Canada on 28th May 1925. He moved to Darjeeling as a Jesuit after having realised his calling and offered the rest of his life in the service of the society there, mainly in the terms of education and language.

He served as the Headmaster of one of the most renowned schools in Darjeeling, St. Robert’s School, from 1981 to 1990, before which he was a part of St. Peter’s School, Gayaganga. In 1992, he joined the St. Bellarmine Language Institute as the head.

Apart from his contributions as an educationist, his work in the field of language is also regarded to be of great importance. He was an immense lover of the Nepali Language, which is evident from his translation of full Bible into Nepali. He also had written the first Nepali thesaurus which was published by the name “Sahi Shabda”, for which he was awarded the Madan Purashkar, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of Nepali literature.

Father William Bourke’s funeral was observed at St. Joseph’s (North Point), yesterday at 2 P.M., where many lives that were touched by him visited to pay their last respect, while many others paid their prayers from their respective places.

He will always be remembered as an educationist, an ardent linguist who knew more than 24 languages and as a holy soul, who always believed that work is the worship of God. We thank him for his service.

With inputs from Prem Kumar Chettri, Asst Teacher (Retired) – St. Roberts School

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