A few years ago during the orientation at my university an Indian asked me which part of India I came from. When I answered Sikkim, I saw the expression on her face change as if she just saw me commit some heinous crime. She said to me that Sikkim is not a part of India and that I should not be giving people a false impression. You bet I was pissed at this but calmly asked her if she was born or became like this. Before she could say anything I cleared this for her and told her that ignorance to the contrary is not bliss. Just because I don’t possess Mongoloid features doesn’t make me less Indian first and then Sikkimese. I would therefore like to enlighten some of the ignorant Indians out there that Sikkim is definitely a part of India. No, it’s not a kingdom of its own and neither does it belong to The Republic of China or Nepal.
Sikkim is one of the smallest states in India that is bordered by Nepal, Bhutan and China. It was a kingdom until 1975 and then decided to join India fearing that China will forcefully take over like they did with Tibet. The world’s third highest peak called the Kanchenjunga is located in Sikkim which can be seen from the meandering roads that one needs to tread to get to the capital city, Gangtok. From the years spent in Sikkim I can vouch that there is not a more easy going and peace loving community in India than the Sikkimese. One might wonder unlike Goa what such a small state might have to offer to the country. So let me get into some numbers, please bear with me. Sikkim has a growth rate of 8.3% which is the second highest in the country after Delhi. This might not sound big to people but the ones who know some basic economics might be able to digest this information better. So before any other person makes one more comment about my home not being part of India please make sure you know your facts otherwise you are in for a rollicking!!
