Sikkim CM backs national Buddhist initiative, pledges continued support for Himalayan heritage

Chief Minister of Sikkim, Prem Singh Tamang, has assured sustained state support to efforts aimed at preserving the cultural and spiritual heritage of Himalayan Buddhism. The assurance came during a meeting with a delegation from the Indian Himalayan Council of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition (IHCNBT) in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The delegation was led by IHCNBT President His Eminence Padma Thegtse Rinpoche, who briefed the chief minister on the Council’s ongoing work to safeguard Buddhist traditions across the trans-Himalayan belt—from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh.

According to the Sikkim Chief Minister’s Office, Tamang praised the Council’s national efforts in cultural preservation and highlighted the Sikkim government’s own initiatives in support of the Buddhist community. He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to protecting the region’s religious identity and spiritual institutions.

The meeting follows the Council’s landmark First General Assembly, held in March at the India International Centre in New Delhi, which brought together over 120 Buddhist representatives from Himalayan states. The event marked a significant push to unify and coordinate efforts to protect endangered languages, monastic education, and indigenous practices.

At the assembly, former IHCNBT President Lochen Tulku Rinpoche called for monasteries to evolve into modern learning hubs and advocated for the preservation of indigenous Himalayan languages.

A key outcome of the Council’s recent work has been securing recognition of the Bhoti language through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), a move supported by guidance from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.