BRIEF HISTORY OF GOVT. SR. SEC. SCHOOL RHENOCK,

 

It is evident that human have created history with the desire of achieving more. Territorial expansions by waging war between kingdoms are something which is not unheard of. Similar condition was with the kingdom of Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and India with British Rulers gaining their autonomy over all of these kingdoms. In 1788 Nepal with the Gorkha rulers made invasion upon Sikkim, consequently they took Limbuana and the former capital Rabdentse in their possession. The Gurkha ruler returned some parts of the occupied areas of Sikkim to the British Rulers through the Treaty of Sugauli in 1815. But the British rulers retained most of the plain areas themselves and returned some of the hill areas of Sikkim and thus Sikkim recovered some of its lost areas occupied by the Gorkhas through the Treaty of Titalia in 1817. However, Sikkim came under British protectorate through British- Sikkim Tumlong Treaty of 1861. They also annexed Darjeeling areas of Sikkim in 1835 in the pretext of Health Sanitation unconditionally. The British ruler established Political Office in Sikkim in 1887-88 and interference in the Sikkim administration and in other aspects.

Thus with the British gaining its power in Indian soil, many changes took place in socio- economic sphere of the country. Their thirst for expansion of colony and trade soon darted towards Tibet [China]. Sikkim being an en- route to Tibet, the British made explicit inroads toward Sikkim. Simultaneously, numerous missionaries from Europe like, The American Mission, The Dutach and Danes Mission ventured on the Indian soil with two- fold intention of bringing educational reform and the other being propagation of Christianity. The Scottish Mission made their first advent when Rev. John Anderson arrived in Madras in 1837. He was the first Scottish Presbyterian missionary. Of many educational institutes that were established by the missionaries in different parts of the country, few were also established in Darjeeling and Kalimpong

 The church of Scotland Mission had visited Sikkim form Kalimpong several times in 1880s, but was unable to obtain permission from a missionary to reside there. Reverend MacFarlane sought help from the local Lepcha community (Christian converts) to spread the gospel among their tribesmen settled in Sikkim. However, due to the ongoing political turmoil in the state and people tempted with their initial taste of democracy, even the chogyal found it difficult to overpower the prevailing political commotion.   Thus, describing the main activities of missionaries as evangelistic, educational vocational, and medicinal, many dispensaries and schools were opened at Rhenock, Seriyong and Dentam. It is said that there were 11 dispensaries in Sikkim (McKay, 2004:40:2 25-48)

 Consequently, along with the establishment of medical dispensary, the Scottish Mission, planted the sapling of Rhenock Sr. Sec. School, at Rhenock Bazar in the form of a Primary School, In the year 1879. But, owing to its confined land area, the local community decided to shift it to a more spacious area. As fortune would favour, the then social worker and a renowned senior officer (Mr. Chhetal Tashi KAZI also known as Rhenock Kazi) who worked under the Royal Govt. of Sikkim consented to donate a plot of his land for establishing a school. Thus, the school was shifted to the area where at present the school stands today.

The school was taken over by the Govt. of Sikkim on 1st August 1957 where Mr. S.T. Karthak was entrusted upon the duty of Headmastership of the newly shifted primary school. Sooner, the school was upgraded to Junior High School with Mr. J.S. Lall Pradhan as the new headmaster of the school. With the increasing population in the local places and lack of schools, the students taking admission in the school increased, which led to a public demand for upgradation of the school to Secondary School. In the year 1978 Mr. R.M. Saha became the Head of the newly upgraded Secondary School. Further, under the principalship of Miss Lachi Pradhan, the school became a Senior Secondary School in the year 1991. The school is affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education.

With the squall of time, the school has now become one of the major education imparting institutes in the entire constituency, Apart from the mainstream courses (Humanites, Science and Commerce), vocation courses like Information Technology and Travel &Tourism are also offered. These courses are indeed, widely emerging as the most career oriented programmes in the present scenario. The school also boasts of its wide area and serene atmosphere which facilitates the students to learn in a conducive environment.

 

Refrence:

1.      History, Culture and Customs of Sikkim by J.R. Subba

2.      Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

3.      School Head chronological board of School

Remembering My Grandfather… P.K. Sir

 

As a kid, there was one thing about my house that would surprise me most… a long queue of people desperately waiting outside of my house with folded papers in their hand. My kindergarten day reveled nothing much of it, but as days passed by, my inquisitive grew stronger to contemplate upon the reason as to why many people would frequently visit my house. The mystery was finally unleashed when my mother told me that my grandfather being a teacher, would help people to write applications addressing their problems, grievances and demand. Many would come to discuss and seek for suggestion concerning their personal and social problems too. As during those days, the ray of education was yet to shine in the life of majority of people.

 

PK Sir, was a name which was much adored by the locals during those years. It was later, when I came to know that he was also known by the name “Kazi Sir”. Born to a humble family of Shri Harka Bahadur Pradhan and Smt. Phulmaya Pradhan on 15th July 1935, the family legacy of Tintaley Pariwar of Aritar Rhenock, Sikkim, Puspa Kumar Pradhan was the first child. He started elementary education in a school which was established by Scottish mission (1879) at Renock Bazar, Sikkim. Due to lack of higher classes in the school, and unavailability of educational institutes in the adjoining area, he joined St. Geroge School, Pedong in the year 1946. At the verge of completion of his education there, he married Rukmini Pradhan, a daughter of Catholic parents, Shri George Pradhan and Smt. Manika Subba. Shri Henri Joshi Pradhan (Vice Principal, St. George School) was her elder brother. Thereafter, he came back to Sikkim and started working as a teacher under Government of Sikkim. After serving for a prolong period of almost four decades, he retired from his service in the year 1993 and joined the then recently established St Joseph’s School.

 

Shri P.K. Pradhan’s life nurtured during the time when Britishers were still lurking in the soil of India and Sikkim. Sikkim, still a country then, took shelter under the umbrella of Indian Union for her security and the people of Sikkim had started to taste the sweetness of democracy. As such, many changes were taking place in the socio- political sphere of Sikkim.

 

Shri. Puspa Kumar Pradhan, as people remark was a man of great conviction. His contribution is felt in almost every sphere of social strata. Be it professional, social, religious, educational or political, he was a vibrant person with committed heart.  As a teacher, he took charges of majority of work of the school to uplift education in the society. As a social worker, he tried helping people with their problems as he was in good terms with the government. He wrote application for them and also helped to address their predicaments before the concerned department. He was a role model in his family, guiding every child and encouraging them to pursue education. He was also an avid laity of his religion. He played a key role in establishing Catholic Church in Rhenock in the year 1989 donating a plot of land which belonged to his mother Phul Maya Pradan at Kingstone Aritar.   As such, he was conferred with numerous awards and felicitation by State Govt, NGO and Religious Institutions. The same adorned the wall of my living room.

Out of his many attributes, one of his commendable initiations is that... Since he himself had tasted the nectar of Mission school (St. George School, Pedong) during his school life, he understood how important education was for society. As such, from the very beginning he was very desperate to establish an English Medium School at Rhenock.  As fortune would favour, a proposal came from Roman Catholic Diocese of Darjeeling for establishing Mission School at Rhenock, but it was protested vehemently by the then people as rumors of religious conversion flared the atmosphere. Consequent upon the resentment of people, the school was established in Pakyong as St. Xavier’s School.   However, due to his relentless effort and prayers, a second opportunity knocked the door and he would never miss this time. Thus the sapling of St. Joseph’s School, Kingstone Rhenock was planted. Not forgetting the hardships and dedication made by Shri Issac Mukhia (Retd. Assistant Director, Education Deptt. Govt. of Sikkim) and Reverent Priests like Father Rene Singh, Father Alfonse Lepcha, Father Adward, Father Paul D’ Suza, Father Fredrick Rai, Father Sukden Lepcha (Present Principal), Father Francis Banerjee, Father Sanjok Rai, and many other partaker in the establishment of the school which has now nurtured in its mellow fruitfulness.

It was on 17th April 2020, he left for a heavenly abode, after battling his life succumbed with major brain hemorrhage. Looking back at his life in a close range, I feel proud to carry the family lineage of a man of such spirit. As years would roll by, his name may be lost in the squall of time, but the fruit yielded out of his hardship shall be tasted by many generations to come in future.

Kingstone Ward, Aritar GPU, Pakyong District, Sikkim