Kazi Lhendup Dorjee
Encyclopedia
Kazi Lhendup Dorjee also spelled Kazi Lhendup Dorji or Kazi Lhendup Dorji Khangsarpa, was the first chief minister
of Sikkim
from 1974 to 1979 after its union with India. He was popularly known as Kazi Saab in Sikkim.
, East Sikkim
, Sikkim
. He was born into the Khangsarpa family, who were Sikkimese
nobility
.
in 1953 and served as president until 1958.
In 1962, Dorjee helped to found the Sikkim National Congress
political party
. The Sikkim National Congress was founded by Dorjee as a non-communal political party. The unity themed political platform of the party helped the Sikkim National Congress to win eight of the eighteen seats up for grabs in Sikkim's third general election
. The Sikkim National Congress merged with India's Congress Party
in the 1970s following Sikkim's merger with India. Dorjee also formed the Sikkim Council to promote "communcal harmony."
Dorjee was considered to be a key figure in the 1975 union of Sikkim
with India
. Dorjee served as the first Chief Minister of Sikkim from 1974, the year before the official merger, until 1979.
Dorjee was honoured by the government of India with the Padma Vibhushan
in 2002. He was also awarded the Sikkim Ratna by the state government of Sikkim
in 2004.
as her teacher. In the 1920s she had been in Burma where for a while she was a close friend of the author George Orwell
.
in the Indian State of West Bengal
. Kalimpong is located just across the state border from Sikkim. Dorjee was 103 years old at the time of his death. Though he died of a heart attack, Dorjee had been suffering from liver
problems for several years.
Dorjee's funeral took place at the Rumtek Monastery
in Sikkim
on August 3, 2007.
The current Chief Minister of Sikkim, Pawan Kumar Chamling
, called Dorjee a distinguished statesman who helped to motivate Chamling to join Sikkim's democracy movement in 1973.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
released a statement following Dorjee's death saying, "“I am deeply shocked and grieved to learn of the sad demise of Shri Kazi Lhendup Dorjee Khang Serpa, the first Chief Minister of Sikkim. He played a historic role as the architect of Sikkim’s accession to the Indian Union and had the distinction of spearheading the State as its first Chief Minister from 1974 to 1979. The pride of place occupied by Sikkim as an important State of our country and its impressive progress in many spheres owe a lot to numerous policies initiated by him. In his unfortunate passing away the country in general and the State of Sikkim in particular has lost a veteran public figure whose many sided contributions to nation building endeared him to the people."
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
from 1974 to 1979 after its union with India. He was popularly known as Kazi Saab in Sikkim.
Early life
Kazi Lhendup Dorjee was born in 1904 in PakyongPakyong
Pakyong is a town in the foothills of the himalayas located in the East Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Pakyong used to be a small settlement until the Central government grant for the first airport in Sikkim to be built in this town brought it into the limelight in the late...
, East Sikkim
East Sikkim
East Sikkim is one of the four administrative districts of the Indian state of Sikkim. Geographically, East Sikkim occupies the south-east corner of the state. The capital of East Sikkim is Gangtok, which is also the state capital...
, Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
. He was born into the Khangsarpa family, who were Sikkimese
Sikkimese
Sikkimese may refer to:* Of or related to Sikkim* Sikkimese language* Sikkimese people...
nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
.
Political career
Dorjee founded the Sikkim Praja Mandal in 1945 and served as its first president. Dorjee also became president of the Sikkim State CongressSikkim State Congress
Sikkim State Congress, or SSC, is a political party in Sikkim. It was founded in 1947 with the goal of democratic reforms and a unification of Sikkim with India. Kazi Lhendup Dorjee was president of the party between 1953 and 1958....
in 1953 and served as president until 1958.
In 1962, Dorjee helped to found the Sikkim National Congress
Sikkim National Congress
Sikkim National Congress was political party in Sikkim. SNC was founded in 1962 through a merger of Swatantra Dal, Rajya Praja Sammelan and dissidents of the then dominant parties, Sikkim State Congress and Sikkim National Party...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. The Sikkim National Congress was founded by Dorjee as a non-communal political party. The unity themed political platform of the party helped the Sikkim National Congress to win eight of the eighteen seats up for grabs in Sikkim's third general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
. The Sikkim National Congress merged with India's Congress Party
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
in the 1970s following Sikkim's merger with India. Dorjee also formed the Sikkim Council to promote "communcal harmony."
Dorjee was considered to be a key figure in the 1975 union of Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
with India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Dorjee served as the first Chief Minister of Sikkim from 1974, the year before the official merger, until 1979.
Dorjee was honoured by the government of India with the Padma Vibhushan
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
in 2002. He was also awarded the Sikkim Ratna by the state government of Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
in 2004.
Kazini Elisa Maria
Dorjee's "mysteriously charming and conspiring wife", Kazini Elisa Maria, was even more shrewd than her husband and was his chief confidante and adviser. Formerly Elisa-Maria Langford-Rae, she had been married twice before. She was of Scottish extraction and had studied law at Edinburgh University. She had lived a very colourful life, working as a journalist for a French newspaper and lived for a while in Kemal Atatürk's palace in Turkey. She converted to Buddhism and took SangharakshitaSangharakshita
Sangharakshita is a Buddhist teacher and writer, and founder of the Triratna Buddhist Community, which was known until 2010 as the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, or FWBO....
as her teacher. In the 1920s she had been in Burma where for a while she was a close friend of the author George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
.
Death
Kazi Lhendup Dorjee died of a heart attack on July 30, 2007 at his home in Kalimpong, North BengalNorth Bengal
North Bengal is a term used for the northern parts of Bangladesh and West Bengal. The Bangladesh part denotes the Rajshahi Division. Generally it is the area lying west of Jamuna River and north of Padma River, and includes the Barind Tract. The West Bengal part denotes Cooch Behar, Darjeeling,...
in the Indian State of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. Kalimpong is located just across the state border from Sikkim. Dorjee was 103 years old at the time of his death. Though he died of a heart attack, Dorjee had been suffering from liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
problems for several years.
Dorjee's funeral took place at the Rumtek Monastery
Rumtek Monastery
Rumtek , also called the Dharmachakra Centre, is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery located in the Indian state of Sikkim near the capital Gangtok...
in Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
on August 3, 2007.
The current Chief Minister of Sikkim, Pawan Kumar Chamling
Pawan Kumar Chamling
Pawan Kumar Chamling is the fifth chief minister of the Indian state of Sikkim. Chamling is the founder president of the Sikkim Democratic Front party, which has governed Sikkim for four successive terms since 1994, winning the 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2009 state assembly elections.-Personal...
, called Dorjee a distinguished statesman who helped to motivate Chamling to join Sikkim's democracy movement in 1973.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
released a statement following Dorjee's death saying, "“I am deeply shocked and grieved to learn of the sad demise of Shri Kazi Lhendup Dorjee Khang Serpa, the first Chief Minister of Sikkim. He played a historic role as the architect of Sikkim’s accession to the Indian Union and had the distinction of spearheading the State as its first Chief Minister from 1974 to 1979. The pride of place occupied by Sikkim as an important State of our country and its impressive progress in many spheres owe a lot to numerous policies initiated by him. In his unfortunate passing away the country in general and the State of Sikkim in particular has lost a veteran public figure whose many sided contributions to nation building endeared him to the people."