Nahakul Pradhan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Executive Council of Sikkim | |
| In office 1958–1973 | |
| Monarchs | Tashi Namgyal,Palden Thondup Namgyal |
| Member of theSikkim State Council | |
| In office 1953–1958 | |
| Constituency | Pemayangtse |
| In office 1958–1967 | |
| Constituency | North-Central |
| In office 1967–1973 | |
| Constituency | East |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Sikkimese |
| Party | Sikkim State Congress Sikkim Janata Congress |
Nahakul Pradhan (born 1918 - 17 June 1973) also known asNakul Pradhan was aSikkimese pre-merger politician, pro-democracy leader, a member of theSikkim State Council andExecutive Council of Sikkim serving multiple terms. He was the President of theSikkim State Congress party and the Editor ofSikkim’s first news magazineKanchenjunga.[1]
He was born into an aristocratic family ofSikkimeseNewarTaksaris, his mother Kanti Pradhan was the grand daughter ofTaksari Chandrabir Maskey of Pakyong, who was theThikadar (Sikkimese feudal lord) of many estates in the former Kingdom of Sikkim. He was a nephew of senior political leaderKashiraj Pradhan of whom his mother was a twin sister.[2]He has four sons and four daughters, the eldest son is LateS.K.Pradhan, a formerMLA of theSikkim Legislative Assembly. JournalistNitesh R Pradhan is his grandson.[3][2][4]
He joined in the Indian army in 1939 with active service in West Asia, Italy and Ladakh. He was released from the army in 1949. Thereafter, he joined politics following the path of his maternal uncleKashiraj Pradhan. He joined theSikkim State Congress actively taking part in the first struggle for democracy in the year 1949 which led to formation of the first interim government in the erstwhile kingdom of Sikkim headed by Congress ChiefTashi Tshering. In 1953, he was elected as a member in the first ever held Sikkimese general election for theState Council of Sikkim. Thereafter he served in office for many terms till 1973. He also served inExecutive Council(equivalent to cabinet) holding the portfolios of Public Works, Excise, Bazaar, Health and Medical departments for multiple terms in theChogyal regime.[citation needed]
In 1967, he took over the leadership of theSikkim State Congress from his uncle Kashiraj Pradhan. Initially he demanded Sikkim’s merger with India in view of tensions with China on Sikkimese borders.[5]In a change to his previous ideological stand of Sikkim’s merger with India, in 1967, Pradhan along with BB Gurung and Netuk Tshering demanded revision of Indo-Sikkim treaty,1950 stating, "Since Sikkim signed the treaty with India, surely it is within her sovereign rights to demand a revision of the treaty as one of the signatories. In fact, Sikkim gained her Sovereign Status on the 15th August, 1947, when India achieved her independence from the British rule. Every country has its inherent right to exist and maintain its separate identity and, therefore, to review and revise its treaty obligations in the wake of changing circumstances."[6]
By late 1950s to the 1970s theSikkim State Congress was led by him or his uncleKashiraj Pradhan both serving as President of the party alternatively. Under their leadership the party greatly moderated it’s anti-Chogyal stand and participated in the Royal Sikkimese administration through subsequent wins in elections to the State Council[7]
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By the 1970s, Pradhan ledSikkim State Congress demanded for a responsible government under theChogyal opposing the demands ofKazi Lhendup Dorjee ledSikkim National Congress.[8]
A new partySikkim Janata Congress was formed in 1972 after the merger of his partySikkim State Congress withSikkim Janata Party. However, in1973 Sikkimese general election his party only won two seats amid allegations of vote rigging in South Sikkim in whichSikkim National Party emerged as the single largest party due to inequalities of the electoral system. Further, Pradhan also lost his seat toL. D. Kazi. However the two main opposition Kazi ledSikkim National Congress andSikkim Janata Congress boycotted theExecutive Council and began fresh agitation for electoral reforms under "One Man One Vote" principle.Chogyal arrested Janata Congress President KC Pradhan on 27 March 1973. This led to mass protests against the Chogyal in Gangtok. A Joint Action Committee(JAC) was formed between Sikkim National Congress and Sikkim Janata Congress intensifying the agitation in Sikkim. During this, the three senior most leaders of JAC Pradhan,Kazi Lhendup Dorjee andB. B. Gurung were given shelter at the office of Indian Political Officer.[9]
He died suddenly after a cardiac arrest on 17 June 1973 at a peak of the agitation for democratic change in Sikkim. His death was mourned by the Indian Political Officer K.S. Bajpayee,B. B. Gurung,Kazi Lhendup Dorjee and many other leaders of Sikkim.[8]
He was the editor of Sikkim's first monthly news magazineKanchenjunga(1957), which his maternal uncleKashiraj Pradhan started.[10]