Sikkim celebrates 40th anniversary of joining Indian Union Saturday May 16,2015

 

Sikkim on Saturday May 16,2015 celebrated the 40th anniversary of its joining the Indian Union at a function in Gangtok.

On May 16, 1975, the erstwhile kingdom joined India as the 22nd state following the passage of the 38th Constitution amendment.

The Indian Army took charge of Gangtok by disarming the kingdom's palace guards in April 1975 after the Prime Minister of Sikkim appealed to the Indian Parliament to allow Sikkim to become a state of the Indian Union.

Following the Indian Army's move, a referendum was held in which 97.5 per cent of the voters supported the abolishing of the monarchy