‘Atal Bhandari’, a collection of write-ups on the former chief minister of Sikkim Late Nar Bahadur Bhandari was launched at Chintan Bhawanon here on Tuesday.
The book was released by governor Ganga Prasad in the presence of chief minister Prem Singh Tamang , Sikkim Legislative Assembly speaker LB Das and former Lok Sabha MP and wife of late Bhandari, DK Bhandari.
Governor Prasad in his speech highlighted several achievements of late Bhandari during his three term as chief minister of Sikkim and he urged everyone to carry forward the legacy left behind by him in his quest to make Sikkim a vibrant state in the country.
The chief minister declared 5th October as a state holiday commemorating the birthday of the former chief minister Lt. Nar Bahadur Bhandari.
He also announced that the book would also be brought by the state government and distributed to schools and colleges so that the legacy of the great man could live on.
He expressed that it was an irreplaceable loss especially for the cause of Nepali-speaking people, his most notable contribution being the inclusion of the Nepali language in 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India.
Talking about the personal experiences he shared with the former CM, the chief minister stated that he was not just a great politician but a great human being as well who had immense humility and who understood the pain of others.
He also talked about his long association with Lt. Nar Bahadur Bhandari and elucidated on how he was always a support, guide and guardian to the chief minister through all these years.
He said that late Bhandari played a big role in the change which took place in the state after 25 years and thanked for his immense contributions to Sikkim and the Sikkimese people and said that he will always be remembered throughout the history of Sikkim and sentiments of the Sikkimese people.
Dil Kumari Bhandari said that Nar Bahadur Bhandari contributed much to unite linguistic and cultural diversity in making Nepali Language as one of the official language in the Indian Constitution.