While it was our hope that the existing constitutional arrangements would provide a satisfactory working arrangement for progressive responsible government with the Chogyal as constitutional head, the popular government had strong reservations over the Chogyal’s willingness to adjust himself to his constitutional role. As early as September 1974, the Chief Minister had publicly indicated that “the Chogyal must go.” I fear that India’s persistent efforts to reconcile the continuance of the ruler in the constitutional role with the hopes and aspirations of the people proved to be an impossible task.
It is perhaps unnecessary for me to burden the House with a long account of recent developments. Apart from the Chogyal’s transparent confrontation with the Council of Ministers in a determined effort to see that the Government should not be permitted to function effectively, intimidation and terrorism were also equally applied. An attempt to assassinate the Chief Minister, which fortunately proved to be abortive, the stabbing of the Sikkim Assembly Member by the Chogyal’s Palace Guards, discovery of explosives and weapons, as well as startling evidence of involvement of the Chogyal’s Palace Guards and ADCs in the plot to assassinate popular Sikkimese leaders contributed to the heightening of tensions. It was against this background that the Sikkim Assembly met on the 10th April. Observing that the Agreement of the 8th May, 1973, and the Government of Sikkim Act, 1974, had broken down on account of the persistent harmful activities of the Chogyal, the Assembly solemnly declared and resolved :
“The institution of the Chogyal is hereby abolished and Sikkim shall henceforth be a constituent unit of India, enjoying a democratic and fully responsible government.
It was decided to submit the Resolution forthwith to the people for their approval.
Conveying this decision to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister of Sikkim wrote on the 10th April :
“The survival of democracy in Sikkim is indisputably dependent upon the closest links with India. The Government of India’s commitment to the welfare and progress of the Sikkimese people and to the development of constitutional democracy in Sikkim has provided us with great inspiration. It has generated, in response, an even greater urge amongst the Sikkimease people to complete the work which was left unfinished in 1947, despite the known urges of our people, and to merge in the main-stream of India’s political, economic and social life.”
The Chief Minister also stressed - I quote :
