Jiwan Rai’s new anthology, Sikkim Expressed: From the Reflections of a Local Columnist, was launched at Rachna Books in Gangtok on Saturday, May 30, 2026. The collection, gathering Rai’s columns and essays first published in Sikkim Express, was released at the event by Himali Bela editor Mala Rana Patro, senior journalist and columnist Sandeep C. Jain, and the author himself. Priced at Rs 550, the book is available at major bookstores and online platforms.
Published by Bukant Publishing House, the volume features a cover designed by Simon Shrestha, cover photographs by Jiwan Rai and graphic work by Roshan Tamang. The book is organised into eight sections — cultural reflections, social commentary, political rambling, civic concerns, identity issues, Darjeeling politics, art analysis, and national realities — and compiles pieces that have appeared in Sikkim Express over the years. The media house celebrated its Golden Jubilee earlier this year, an occasion that helped spur the compilation.
At the launch Rai described the book as the release of “accumulated thoughts” shaped by years of living and reflecting in Sikkim. He said the title carries a double meaning: it both expresses the anxieties and transformations of Sikkim and collects writings that first appeared in Sikkim Express. Rai added that while he is not an academic by profession he aims to contribute from that space, calling the book an attempt to bring measured reflection amid fast-spreading information and social media noise. “This book is my attempt to pause, think carefully, and look beyond political slogans, social media noise, and convenient narratives,” he said.
Rai acknowledged Sikkim Express editor Amit Patro for encouraging the project; the idea, he said, began when Patro invited him to contribute to the newspaper’s 50-year commemorative magazine. Rai emphasised that the essays are evolving reflections rather than definitive statements — some born of despair, others of hope — and that the book seeks to preserve collective memory and sustain intergenerational conversation.
Amit Patro, who wrote the foreword, praised Rai as “one of our most enduring and perceptive columnists,” noting the author’s clarity, courage and rootedness in hill society. In his preface, Sandeep C. Jain called the collection a future document for research and academia and pointed out that its online availability will widen its reach beyond the region. Publisher Raja Puniani, in a note, lauded Rai and other Sikkim writers for contributing to literature and scholarly debate in an age of digital disruption.
About the author: Jiwan Rai is a Sikkim-based columnist and commentator with more than two decades of contributions to regional English dailies, magazines and digital platforms. He has authored books with Penguin Random House India, including Remember the Name Sikkim: India’s First Organic State (2019), writes poetry and drama, and has published fiction and a staged Nepali play.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/jiwan-rais-sikkim-expressed-celebrates-sikkims-stories-and-struggles
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