Gangtok, Oct. 5 -- NB Bhandari Birth Anniversary brings renewed focus to the life and political legacy of Nar Bahadur Bhandari, one of Sikkim's longest-serving chief ministers and a prominent advocate for constitutional recognition of the Nepali language.

Born on October 5, 1940, at Malbasey near Soreng in western Sikkim, Bhandari served as chief minister during separate terms between 1979 and 1994. His tenure covered a formative period in the state's political and administrative development following Sikkim's integration with India in 1975.

Bhandari completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Darjeeling Government College and worked as a schoolteacher before entering politics. He founded the Sikkim Janata Parishad in 1977 and led the part...