SE Person of the Year 2024

Krishna Kumari Rai

Year 2024 echoes far beyond the 24 hours she spent as an MLA

Twenty-four hours.

That was how long the term of political debutant MLA Krishna Kumari Rai lasted as a newly-elected MLA from Namchi-Singhithang constituency.

All the twelve months.

That is how long the name Krishna Kumari Rai echoed across Sikkim’s political, social, and media landscapes in 2024.

Year 2024 – an Election Year - saw Krishna Kumari Rai, the spouse of Chief Minister PS Golay, taking active plunge in electoral politics, capturing attention of both the media and the Sikkimey Janata.  Her landslide electoral win, momentous oath-taking as a MLA, and astonishing resignation – all in a period of six months – crystallized to make her a prominent newsmaker in Sikkim this year.

Though a first-timer, SKM candidate Krishna Kumari Rai cruised to a comprehensive victory from Namchi-Singhithang constituency, pushing the SKM’s overall tally to 31 seats during the 2024 Assembly elections held earlier this year in April. She defeated her nearest rival by a margin of 5,302 votes despite Namchi-Singhithang being a traditional bastion of opposition SDF.

Krishna Kumari took oath as the Namchi-Singhithang MLA in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly on June 12 along with other newly-elected MLAs. A day later, she stunned entire Sikkim by resigning as the Namchi-Singhithang legislator, triggering endless speculations and discussions across Sikkim.

In her message, Krishna Kumari extended her heartfelt gratitude to all for their unwavering support. I have always viewed politics as a social activity, and the reason I entered the election was because I had to honour the decisions made by the SKM parliamentary board and the party president, she said.

The ruling SKM maintained that Krishna Kumari had, at the request of the parliamentary committee of the SKM party, contested in the elections for the party’s welfare. She was fielded from Namchi-Singhithang considering that she was doing social work there for a long time.

In her message, Krishna Kumari expressed her gratitude to all for their unwavering support. “Together, we have achieved much, and together, we will achieve even more. Though I step down from my official role, my dedication to our shared dreams and aspirations remain steadfast,” she said.

The post-election months saw Krishna Kumari maintaining her political life with her presence in key political programmes of the ruling SKM, including the recent 16^th Rholu Diwas.  But she mostly kept her engagements in social work, reaching out to the people across the State while also devoting her time in spiritual engagements.

Krishna Kumari Rai has always been a committed social worker. Much before her fate connected her to politics, she, as a teacher, was absorbed in doing what she loved - helping those in need. Her colleagues from her teaching years and her students recount how she used to buy blankets from her salary and distribute them to the elderly people around Jorethang. She often used to visit the houses of her students whom she found needed financial assistance, and provided whatever assistance she could from her salary to some students of Jorethang and Legship.

Krishna Kumari has said on a couple of occasions that the SKM’s electoral victory in 2019 and her becoming the spouse of the Chief Minister enabled her to continue her social service on a much larger scale. When she opted for voluntary retirement, she said that she wished to commit more time for social service. There are countless instances where she has inspired the Sikkimese people with her genuine concern for the needy. On one occasion in 2022, she gave her assurance to help a differently-abled person of Sikkim who had asked for assistance in a comment on Facebook. She replied to the comment and subsequently provided the help.

Political observers in Sikkim have also commented much about another trait of Krishna Kumari Rai - her self-restrained nature. Many have linked it to her spiritual engagements. They have observed that despite the fact that the previous government subjected her to brutal harassment in 2012 through the Vigilance department in what is alleged as vendetta politics, she has never spoken a word about getting even with her harassers. This has perplexed political observers, leading them to appreciate her forgiving nature which is a rarity, and more so in politics.

Presently, Krishna Kumari Rai is spearheading ‘Spiritual Empowerment for a Clean and Healthy Society’ in Sikkim in collaboration with the Brahma Kumaris with the objective of instilling positivity in Sikkimese society as well as infusing spiritual virtues in Sikkim’s policymaking. She is at the forefront of coordinating efforts to support Sikkimese local artists competing in various competitions in the country and abroad. She has also displayed her keen interest in the preservation of culture and traditions of the Sikkimese communities. She chaired the State-level Teej celebrations in 2024 and her efforts turned this festival into one celebrated by womenfolk from every Sikkimese community unlike how the festival used to be celebrated previously by few communities.

To sum up, Krishna Kumari Rai’s social engagements and outreach activities throughout the Year 2024 echoes far beyond the 24 hours she spent as an MLA.