Talk Sikkim July 2010 37

HISTORY

If one figure, apart from the Chogyals of Sikkim, effortlessly straddled the annals of Sikkim’s history, it was the late Barmiok Athing Tashi Dadul Densapa. That he earned the

sobriquets of the ‘Metternich of Sikkim’ and the ‘Grand Old Man of Sikkim’ is patently indicative that Athing Tashi Dadul Densapa was truly a colossus of his time.Barmiok Athing Tashi Dadul Densapa was born on 4th March, 1902. He was the second son of the late Barmiok Dewan Wangyal Tenzing, who served as the Nyer-Tsang-Chenmo or Chief Steward of the Palace. He had his formal education in Bhutia Boys School, Gangtok and Government High School, Darjeeling. It is said that he was discouraged from doing his matriculation as the eldest son of Rhenock Athing died just after completing his matriculation and this resulted in a fear-psychosis in Sikkimese society about matriculation. The real reason why Athingla could not do his matriculation is that he got married young and had to handle other responsibilities.His lack of a formal degree, however, was no impediment for Barmiok Athingla as he was a voracious reader and possessed an amazing native acumen, qualities that were to stand him in good stead all his life. In keeping with tradition, Athingla assisted his father in the management of the Barmiok estate. He evinced a keen interest in Tibetan scholarship and pursued his Tibetan studies under the guidance of several eminent Rinpoches, particularly under his elder brother, Barmiok Rinpoche. Bermiok Kusho, as Bermiok Rinpoche was more popularly known, was a member of the Sikkim State Council and also the Chief Lama of Sikkim. Reputed to be one of Sikkim’s best Tibetan scholars, Bermiok Kusho played an important role in furthering the Tibetan studies of his younger brother.In 1925, Barmiok Dewan Wangyal Tenzing expired and Barmiok Athing succeeded him as the landlord of the Bermiok Estate. Two years later, in 1927, he was appointed a Member of the Sikkim State Council, a post he continued to hold even after the elective system was introduced in 1953, till 1961, when his services were placed at the disposal of the Royal Bhutan Government.Athingla married twice, both his wives were daughters of Tibetan families. He had two sons and a daughter from each of his two wives.In 1935, Athingla was appointed Secretary to Chogyal Tashi Namgyal. During World War II, he held several important positions in the government. In 1948, when three Public Representatives were inducted in the Government of Sikkim as Secretaries, Athingla was placed in charge of the portfolios of Home, Ecclesiastical, Constitutional and External Affairs. In 1947, India secured her independence from British imperial

rule and started morphing into the world’s largest democracy. Sunanda Dutta-Ray, in his 1984 book Smash and Grab: Annexation of Sikkim mentions: ‘The Chogyal, Barmiok Athing-la and Roop Narayan, an Indian judge who served Sikkim for about 20 years, decided to explore the atmosphere of New Delhi. But a meeting with Sir Brojendra Lal Mitter, dewan of Baroda, was not a success. Mitter advised the Sikkimese to “close your eyes and jump into the ocean of India”, to which Athing-la retorted: “Your freedom is not necessarily mine. If independence comes to India it should also come to Sikkim.’’In 1949 and 1950, Athingla was a member of the Sikkim

delegation that went to Delhi to negotiate the historic 1950 Indo-Sikkim Treaty that would govern all future relations between Sikkim and India. Athingla, with his sagacity and statesmanship, contributed substantially in ensuring that tiny Sikkim could retain her separate identity under the Treaty while many larger and more powerful Indian states got absorbed into the new nation

of India.From 1950 onwards, Athingla continued to hold a series of

Athingla was a scion of the proud Barphungpa clan that claimed descent from the great Lepcha chieftain, Thekong-tek himself

38 Talk Sikkim July 2010

important portfolios in the Government of Sikkim such as Home, Establishment, Education, Health, Ecclesiastical, Transport, Planning and Development. His many years of meritorious service as a senior bureaucrat of the Sikkim government peaked with his appointment in 1954 as the Chief Secretary. Incidentally, he was the first ever Chief Secretary of the Government of Sikkim. Athingla opted for premature retirement from service in December 1958. Thereafter, he served as the Advisor to Chogyal Tashi Namgyal and the Government of Sikkim from January 1959 till February 1960.Additionally, he served as a Member of the first Appellate Committee appointed to dispose of the Memorial Petitions submitted to the Chogyal of Sikkim against decisions of the High Court and was the Chairman of various bodies like the Administrative Reforms Committee, Sikkim Mining Corporation and the State Bank of Sikkim, to mention a few.Around this time, Bhutan secured Indian aid for the first Development Plan. His Majesty the third Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Wangchuck and the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji requested Chogyal Tashi Namgyal for the services of Bermiok Athingla. Accordingly, Athingla’s services were placed at the disposal of the Government of Bhutan from 1961-63 as the first Secretary General in charge of Bhutan’s Development Plan with Indian aid. Athingla, with his huge body of experience and his personal abilities, proved more than equal to the task. The Druk Gyalpo himself placed on record, in a personal letter to the Chogyal of Sikkim, his gratitude for the services of Bermiok Athingla: “It was entirely due to your kindness, Chogyal Chenpo, that everything that has come to pass has been facilitated by your kindly making available to us the senior most and also the most experienced bureaucrat of Sikkim for rendering service in Bhutan. We have received from Rai Bahadur immense and invaluable help to us in launching the various schemes under the Five Year Development Plan here. Therefore, bearing all that in mind, I and my people, do hereby proffer our most profound gratitude to Chogyal Chenpo. We have all the time been remembering the kindness thus shown by Chogyal Chenpo at the crucial juncture of economic development when the task to be undertaken was of paramount importance and the need most pressing. May it please Chogyal Chenpo to reflect for a brief moment all that I have presented here in grateful remembrance of the highly commendable services rendered by Rai Bahadur Bermiokpa in Bhutan.”After his return from Bhutan, although he continued to be a trusted advisor to the Chogyal Tashi Namgyal and later to Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal, right till the merger of Sikkim, Athingla preferred to lead a quiet retired life, shuttling between his Gangtok residence and his ancestral Dzong in Bermiok.

Several awards and honours were conferred on Athingla in recognition of his long and illustrious career. The British Indian Government gave him the title of Rai Sahib in 1936, followed by the title of Rai Bahadur in 1942. In 1946, Athingla was conferred the Order of the British Empire (OBE).In 1973, for his outstanding service to the Durbar of Sikkim, he was conferred the award of the ‘Denjong Thuki Norbu First Class’ and ‘Poti Pedor’ by the Chogyal of Sikkim. These are two of the highest awards of Sikkim. There were only two recipients of the Denjong Thuki Norbu First Class, Sikkim’s highest honour- one was Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal himself and the other was Bermiok Athingla. (M.M.Rasaily was awarded the Denjong Thuki Norbu Third Class).Athingla was one of the Founder Members and a Member of the Executive Council of the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, and a life member of the Mahabodhi Society of India. He also attended several Buddhist conferences in India and abroad as part of the Sikkim delegation. In 1954, he attended the International Buddhist Conference in Rangoon, Burma and visited Buddhist Centres in Leningrad and Buriet Republic in U.S.S.R. in 1968.Athingla was a towering personality of Sikkim in more ways than one. His great height, uncommon for a Sikkimese,

combined with his impressive knowledge and his rather stern demeanour made him an arresting, if formidable, personality. Many people who knew Athingla remember him as being intimidating. His only grand-daughter recollects that she was one of the few people unafraid of him, as only a grand-daughter can be. Athingla was an ultra-traditional man. He wore his hair in a long plait about

his head, always dressed in the traditional Sikkimese ‘kho’ and was always particular that his shoes were well-polished. He always radiated an air of calm assurance and great poise. Sunanda Dutta-Ray refers to Athingla as ‘the premier Kazi’ and ‘the Metternich of Sikkim’ and further attests: “Athing-la cuts a magnificent figure on state occasions in his brocade kho, single turquoise earring dangling from the left ear, plaited hair wound about his hair, the whole impressive ensemble topped by a felt hat.’ Athingla effortlessly juggled many roles – he was an upright and able administrator, a scholar of international repute in Tibetan studies, an authority on Buddhism and the culture and traditions of Sikkim, Tibet and Bhutan and an intellectual. He was also keenly interested in agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry, successfully growing many exotic fruits like avocado in his Bermiok residence that continue to thrive even today. But above all, he was a statesman, one of Sikkim’s finest ever. Brig. Justice D.M. Sen rightly observed that as Sikkim ‘had international relations with Tibet, Nepal, India and China for centuries past; and she had to develop this art of statesmanship in order to survive. Rai Bahadur Densapa was a remarkable product of such compulsion.’ He likened Athingla with the legendary Chanakya or Kautilya, stating: ‘He was a

Sadly, during the April 1975 agitation, the Densapa family home in Barmiok was razed to the ground and Athingla’s priceless collection of Tibetan books, manuscripts, antiques and objets d’art were all reduced to cinders and

charred lumps of metal

HISTORY

Talk Sikkim July 2010 39

diplomat-statesman endowed with practical wisdom, rarely found in our country.’It must be remembered that Athingla was the patriarch of the Bermiok Densapa family, a term used by the family after one of their ancestors acted as the regent (Den-tsap) in the absence of the Chogyal. While the unpublished 1908 History of Sikkim by Their Highnesses Maharaja Thutob Namgyal and Maharani Yeshay Dolma mentions this ancestor as Densa Rangjung Silnon, The Gazetteer of Sikkim identifies him as Namgyal Tshiring, who acted as regent during 1790-1793 when the sixth Chogyal Tenzing Namgyal was a refugee in Tibet. The Bermiok Densapa family had the distinction of providing nine generations of Lonpos or Ministers to the Chogyals of Sikkim. Athingla was a scion of the proud Barphungpa clan that claimed descent from the great Lepcha chieftain, Thekong-tek himself. Even as far back as 1876, Mainwaring in his A Grammar of The Rong (Lepcha) Language noted that ‘Many of the Lepchas intermarried with Butias, and, repudiating their own race, denominated themselves Butias.’ Bermiok Athingla, however, was one of the few who, far from repudiating his race, proudly declared himself a Lepcha. An anecdote recounted by Dr.R.K.Sprigg in An appeal to Captain Lloyd by Kazi Gorok, of Ilam (1828) about his encounter with Bermiok Athing at a wedding in Kalimpong in 1949 goes: “As it happened, I had just been reading that the Sikkim nobility were tall powerfully built men from Kham; so, wishing to pay a compliment to Rai Bahadur Barmiak, who was so very much my senior in age, size and social standing, I remarked that he seemed to me to be ‘every inch a Khampa’. To Sprigg’s consternation, Athingla replied, ‘I am not a Khampa; I am a Lepcha.’ Athingla was also a pious person, deeply interested in religion. He was a trustee of the Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre. He was also a philanthropist, donating land to HH the Gyalwa Karmapa as well as land for a mandir, a high school, several primary schools, a cooperative society and a PHC in Barmiok. He also kept in his house and educated several needy children of Barmiok.Athingla took his abiding interest in Tibetan studies one step further. Over the years, he painstakingly built up what became one of the finest private collections of Tibetan books and manuscripts. He generously made his enviable collection available to scholars from all over the world. He also collected

thangkas, ikons and other Tibetan artefacts. It is said his collection easily rivalled that of the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. Sadly, during the April 1975 agitation, the Densapa family home in Barmiok was razed to the ground and Athingla’s priceless collection of Tibetan books, manuscripts, antiques and objets d’art were all reduced to cinders and charred lumps of metal. That Athingla was characteristically stoic even in the face of this huge loss was again indicative of his fine mettle.Little wonder then that even B.S.Das, former Chief Administrator of Sikkim, concedes in his book The Sikkim Saga (1983), ‘One person was incomparable. Rai Bahadur Densappa. He was a scion of the old guard, cultured, suave and a real replica of the old blue blooded aristocracy.’ He further states, ‘No one in Sikkim knew more of Buddhist history and culture, especially in the Tibetan context, than he and his whole personality reflected his intellect and elegance of a scholar.’ Sunanda Dutta-Ray notes of Athingla: “The patrician chief was shrewd, gracious, and immensely dignified. He was rugged and hardy, yet courtly; strict on discipline, but not unaware of the advantages of compromise. The Lepcha Barfungpas had adopted the Bhutiya religion, dress, food and customs to thrive under the Namgyal monarchy.’ He also mentions, ‘His own labours as Sir Tashi’s secretary exposed him to Indian methods. More than his peers, Athing-la perceived the magnitude of the changes that lay ahead’. Athingla, however pragmatic and worldly-wise he may have been, was however, unable to make the idealistic Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal understand the advantages of compromise to survive the winds of change blowing over the Himalayan kingdom. King and advisor were constantly at loggerheads, two powerful characters with completely different outlooks, each unable to convince the other of his stance and each unwilling to accept that the other would not be swayed. Athingla therefore increasingly preferred to stay in Bermiok to make his displeasure known. B.S.Das speaks glowingly of Athingla: ‘I spent many a pleasant hour with him discussing the political situation and the emerging trends. He never allowed any bitterness to creep in personal relationship. Though all out a Chogyal supporter and utterly contemptuous of the new political leadership, he was the only one who always told me that Delhi would always govern Sikkim’s destiny and the way to educate the Chogyal was to be firm with him. It was the only way to save whatever was left of Sikkim of the past. I have met hardly any personality in the Himalayan kingdoms of such radiance and charm as the Rai Bahadur.’After Sikkim became part of India, Athingla continued to lead a quiet retired life and engaged himself in philanthropy and study. He had been ailing for some years before he passed away in the early hours of 23rd February, 1988. The then Council of Ministers under the N.B.Bhandari Government paid homage to his memory by observing three minutes silence on 27th February, 1988. The Sikkim Government Gazette Extraordinary No: 478/Home/88 dated 27th February,1988 declared that ‘As a mark of respect to the departed soul, all State Government offices, educational institutions and public undertakings shall remain closed throughout the State of Sikkim on the 29th February, 1988, the day of the funeral.’ With his demise, Sikkim lost a true son of the soil. There has been no one since to fill his shoes.

L-R : Rhenock Athing, Chogyal Tashi Namgyal and Barmiok Athing