NIT Deorali hosts special exhibition on friendship between Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal and Nari K. Rustomji

ISABELLA GURUNG

GANGTOK, : Sikkim celebrated the 102nd birth anniversary of Chogya lPalden Thondup Namgyal on Thursday with a special exhibition and book launch on an 'extraordinary friendship' between the late Chogyal and former Dewan of Sikkim Nari K. Rustomji. The birth anniversary was celebrated at Namgyal Institute of Tibetology in Gangtok with Governor Om Prakash Mathur as the chief guest, along with family members of Nari K. Rustomji.

Ministers Sonam Lama and ArunUpreti, along with dignitaries and invited guests were part of the celebration.

Nari K. Rustomji (1919–1993) was a distinguished Indian civil servant, in the 1950s and early 1960s in Sikkim, Bhutan and Assam and later the first Chief Secretary of Meghalaya state in 1972.

In Sikkim he served as the Dewan of Sikkim during the regimes of ChogyalTashiNamgyal and later his son ChogyalPaldenThondup. The Dewan of Sikkim was the title given to the chief executive or prime minister-like official when it was a protectorate under British India and later under independent India until its merger with India in 1975.

While not formally titled Dewan throughout his tenure, Rustomji was political Officer for Sikkim and Bhutan, a position with de facto powers akin to a Dewan. Rustomji advised the Chogyal and played a crucial role in shaping Sikkim's political future and relations with India.

NariRustomji's daughters ShahnazRustomji Slater and RashneRustomjiAthayde narrated tales of their father's friendship with the last King of Sikkim. She shared, "I think my father's first experience and exposure to Sikkim was in 1943, when he first visited this Himalayan Kingdom together with the former ChogyalPaldenThondupNamgyal who was then Crown Prince.They were at Dehradun in the Indian Civil Service training camp and they formed a friendship instantly. They  were drawn to each other and I think that Rustomji just felt empathy and a connection with this beautiful land and its people that kind of lasted for the rest of their lives. Sikkim was always very dear to him", shared ShahnazRustomji Slater.

"Returning to Sikkim after 50 years is deeply emotional for us. As children, we spent our Durga Puja holidays here when our father, NariRustomji, was Chief Secretary. The Chogyal was warm and engaging. He once arranged a tent for us at the Palace within an hour, even checking on us during a thunderstorm. Our father and the Chogyal shared a vision for Sikkim, bringing healthcare and education across its remote regions. They traveled on horseback and foot, connecting with people and celebrating local cultures. These memories remain precious, and we’re grateful to Sikkim for honoring our father's legacy", shared RashneRustomjiAthayde.

Namgyal Institute of Tibetology'sdirector Dr.Passang D. Phempu shared, "To mark the 102nd birth anniversary of ChogyalPaldenThondupNamgyal, we decided to do something unique this time. Instead of the usual academic events, we’re celebrating the deep friendship between NariRustomji and the last Chogyal which began in 1942 and shaped Sikkim's development. Institutions like Sikkim Nationalised Transport, State Bank of Sikkim, Sikkim Handloom and Handicrafts and even the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology were all initiated during their time. Rare personal documents and photographs (never shown publicly before) have been graciously shared by the family for this exhibition. It’s a tribute to Rustomji, whose contributions have largely gone unrecognized. Thanks to a lucky connection through social media with his daughters, we could bring this legacy to light and honor his lasting impact on Sikkim".

The Governor also inaugurated the exhibition by senior research assistant Tenzin C. Tashi. He also released the magazine ‘Major achievements of Namgyal Institute of Technology during 50 years of Sikkim’s Statehood’.