Mr. Bal Bahadur Rai: An Artist of Passion

Nepali Ladies- A Work of B.B Rai

 It is said that each acts of an individual is an art and such acts of human always have some artistic values. The human history has witnessed such behaviours of human society from time immemorial. The arts and objet d'art of Indus valley Civilization, Egyptian Civilization, Chinese Civilization and even before it, the anonymous and indecipherable arts of the Stone Age has rendered us some important information for the study of human history. Therefore, art in human society exists since the evolutionary period and has played an important role in expressing hidden feelings of an individual or in many cases the feelings of a whole society. This is also a story related to an artist, or in a truer sense a watercolourist of Sikkim, who has been able to stand himself on a distinct platform of the whole artist fraternity.

Best Painter Award 2007

Mr. Bal Bahadur Rai, popularly known as B.B. Rai was born on 4^th May 1950 at Tinzir Busty, Namchi in South Sikkim. He was the youngest son of late Jaharman and late Ashalacchi Rai. Mr. Rai got his elementary education at Namchi under the guidance of the important pillar of Sikkimese Nepali literature Late Agam Singh Tamang “Apatan”. In 1959, Mr. Rai got stipend from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of India and went to Birla Vidhya Mandir Nainital for his further education. For his outstanding performance in Matriculation in 1966, the Uttar Pradesh Government had provided him scholarship for his further studies but, he could not continue his studies due to some personal circumstances. After accomplishing his matriculation from Birla Vidhya Mandir, Mr. Rai came back to Sikkim and completed his B.Sc. from Darjeeling Govt. College and started his service to the state as a teacher.

Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal with Hope Cooke

Smoking Devkota

During his stay at Nainital, the eminent figure of Indian Cine world, Mr. Danny Denzongpa used to be his senior. It is from Mr. Rai, I have been able to secure much information about our own Danny. While asking about his inclination towards painting, Mr. Rai has told me that he used to make various arts on the Biskun (food grain kept in a courtyard for drying purpose) and was fond of his eldest brother late Kabirman Rai, who also used to be an artist of repute. The only question when should I be a good artist? used to reign the infant mind of Mr. Rai. His childhood task was to look after the Biskun, where he got plenty of time to spend in making sketches of various characters. Thus, a Sikkimese artist grew up at the courtyard making various sketches on Biskun. His talent is noticeable in Vatayan, a monthly magazine of Tilak House of Birla Vidhya Mandir Nainital. This magazine was published by the Tilak House of the school on the occasion of 107^th Birth Anneversary of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak in July 1963. As a student of Class VII, Mr. Bal Bahadur Rai has made a beautiful sketch of Lokmanya Tilak in the front page of the said magazine. His proficiency of art as a young artist is clearly manifested in the sketch of Lokmanya.

Mr. Rai, continued his passion of painting even after his service and has received many awards and certificates both from the state and central art academies. One of his paintings was among the fifth best paintings in an exhibition BRUSH STROKE hosted by Sikkim Academy in 2005. Further, he has exhibited his paintings in various places and has been able to receive approbation from the visitors throughout the country. He is also the founding President of Indradhanush Chitrakala Sanstha and is also associated with various art forums of the state and of the nation. He was also awarded as the Best Painter on the eve of State Day by the Government of Sikkim in 2007.

Portrait of Lepcha Bhutia & Nepali 

Apart from a watercolourist, Mr. Rai is also a versatile singer. Though, he has not recorded any songs so far, but has some remarkable experiences about his singing. During the visit of Shree Panch Maharajadhiraj Mahendra Bir Vikram Shah Dev, the former king of Nepal to Birla Vidhya Mandir, Nainital in 1965, Mr. Rai sang a Nepali song  Swadeshko Mayale aaja Mero Man Rulayo. The lyric of this song was penned by his ideal teacher Late Agam Singh Tamang “Apatan”. His Majesty the king of Nepal got poignant after listening to this song performed by Mr. Rai. There were many other fellows from the mainland of India who were also in the group to sing the Nepali song in the respect of His Majesty the King of Nepal. From his talks it appears that the students of Sikkim at Birla Vidhya Mandir used to be excessively talented.

Jesus Christ being taken out of the Cross

Portrait of Bal Gangadhar Tilak by B.B. Rai on Vatayan 1963 

After getting voluntary retirement as a Joint Director Planning and Development, Government of Sikkim, Mr. B.B Rai has dedicated himself in painting. His favourite is oil painting but his brush has touched all the other rivulet of paintings as well. His portrait of Smoking Devkota is indeed the best of its kind and also a new imagination of him. Similarly, the painting of Jesus, in which Mr. Rai has featured the corpse of Jesus, is taking out from the Cross by his followers. I have seen many paintings of Lord Jesus that also includes the Last Supper, but, this painting by Mr. Rai is a new and novel for me. Likewise, the painting featuring last Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal and his Queen Hope Cooke of Sikkim is a beautiful creation of Mr. Bal Bahadur Rai. Here I am reminding the famous saying of Bal Krishna Sama, the eminent writer of Nepali literature “Hey Ishwar, yedi pratibha garibko Jhopadi mai janmincha bhane malai aajha dukha dey”... Oh God!! If a calibre only borns in the hut of a poor; make me broke. 

Namchi- The Head Quarter of South Sikkim in 1966

South Sikkim occupies an important place in igniting the slumbered Sikkimese populace against the oppression made by the Kazis and Thikadars, the erstwhile ruling cliques of Sikkim. It is to be mention here that in the 40’s of the last century, few sons of Sikkimese peasantry, who hailed from this part began to dream for an egalitarian set up for the better administration of the kingdom of Sikkim. Keeping this in mind, they started an underground movement known as Member Party at a place called Namthang in South Sikkim. Amid to the paucity of political agenda and ideologies we are compelled to accept it as the first political organization of politically barren Sikkim. The foundation of such organization among the isolated Sikkimese peasantry has not only lighted the idea of political consciousness but, also rejected the opinion of Karl Marx which says “they cannot represent themselves: they must be represented”. But, Sikkim formerly being a secluded Kingdom, such instances had never received any attention from the enlightened historians.  

Namchi in 1966

 In the midst of a hegemonic, autocratic or authoritarian political structure people from the other parts of the Kingdom began to raise the voices against the corrupt practices of the ruling cliques. If we have to justify these incidents from a subaltern perspective than one can say that a tussle was on its way between the subalterns and the elites.  With the foundation of Rajya Praja Sammelan in 1946, by the peasants of Temi Tarku, South Sikkim has plunged itself on its way towards democracy.

The silent whispers of the remote villages began to make a huge clamor when the educated sons of peasant families like Chandra Das Rai of Namchi, Nayan Tshering Lepcha of Namthang, and the Tiwari brothers of Temi Tarku began to join it. The need of an umbrella organization in Sikkim was also felt by the South District which ultimately paved the way for the establishment Sikkim State Congress on 7^th of December 1947. Mr. Chandra Das Rai from Namchi delivered a flamboyant speech to the masses in his flawless Nepali which also played a vital role in breeding the ideas of resistance among the politically illiterate Sikkimese peasants.

In the anti-merger movement of the 70’s people like Durga Prasad Rajalim of Namchi played an imperative part to protect the inviolability of his motherland. Further, the place has also produced people like ex- Chief Minister Mr. N. B. Bhandari (who had his education at Namchi and later started his political career from the very place) and the present Chief Minister Dr. Pawan Chamling. In sports too, South Sikkim has given us Mr. Bhaichung Bhutia, the star of Indian Football and Tarundeep Rai the Indian archer. In addition to these, the district has given birth to poets like Agam Singh Tamang APATAN and many other talents related to various fields. Thus, the historical importance of South Sikkim cannot be underestimated.

During my eight years of stay at Namchi, I tried my best to find some old pictures of it. I have been able to stumble on an old picture that dates back to the 40’s but, due to a very low resolution I am unable to identify the place. Somebody told me that the picture was taken in 1949 in the midst of No Rent Campaign at Alley Ground. It is to be noted here, the new Indian Dewan John S Lal had to face a great difficulty posed by the State Congress when he reached Namchi to collect the tax from the peasants in the said year. He got an experience of the people’s attitude during his visit to Namchi; he had to face a huge demonstration led by the State Congress leaders Nayan Tshering Lepcha and Chandra Das Rai.

But, I am not sure weather the picture is related to this event or not. Therefore, until I will not be able to get authentic information about it its not appropriate for me to post it on my blog. However, picture of today’s post is reliable. It is a view of Namchi Senior Secondary School in the present day. This was taken by some unknown person in 1966. I am greatly thankful to Anup Sarkar for sharing this valuable piece of information with me. The picture speaks many words about Namchi, the present District Head Quarter of South Sikkim.

A poet who wanted to become a pilot.

There is a popular saying which goes like ‘Man proposes, God disposes’. The life of the celebrated and renowned poet of Sikkim, Late Agam Singh Tamang “APATAN” bears an ample testimony to the saying as we find that the poet would have become a pilot had fortune not played its role over his fate. Very few of us can believe that even a poet can think of becoming a pilot. It is the irony of the life of the famous poet. In his earlier days of life, he dreamt of becoming an air pilot. His days at the St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling added more vigour to his dream when he came across many young English and Indian pilots. He was all set to go for finding his destination but his grandfather; a Mukhtiyar of Namchi did not want him to go to the utterly risky enterprise. Agam was brought back to Sikkim forcibly and was home locked. Thus, the desire and expectation of a young enthusiastic fellow were made the subjects of sacrifice by the so called care and conservative nature of a sophisticated family. Nevertheless, he joined Namchi Primary School as a teacher and subsequently became a poet of grandeur in Sikkimese context.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Late Agam Singh Tamang "APATAN" with his wife.


The facts presented above about Late Agam Singh Tamang "APATAN" have been substantiated after an interview with his younger sister, Mrs. Rup Maya Tamang who stays presently in Namchi.

Mukhtiyars of Sikkim

                                    Sitting on the ground( Second from Left) Kavi Agam Singh Tamang.
My blog inspired one of my students, Miss Chungku Bhutia, who eventually facilitated me with a what we call to be an antique photograph of a Mukhtiyar family which refers to her maternal ancestors. It belongs to the family of a renowned poet of Sikkim, Kavi Agam Singh Tamang(APATAN) who was a sibling of a Mukhtiyar family of Namchi, South Sikkim. The person at the centre in the photograph is Lt. San Man Lama, the Mukhtiyar of Namchi who is also the grand father of Kavi Agam Singh Tamang. The main role of the Mukhtiyar was to confer justice to the needy in different cases. Looking at the present scenario, the post of a Mukhtiyar is akin to the post of a District Magistrate.Looking at the attires and ornaments the figures in the photograph are clad in, the family looks like a royal one possessing enormous wealth.