Kashiraj Pradhan

Pradhan was born to Newar Taksari family of Sikkim family in Pakyong, East Sikkim. His parents were Kaluram and Bhadralakshmi Pradhan. He was a grandson of Chandrabir Taksari. He received his early education in Sikkim, thereafter he went to high school in a government school in Darjeeling and completed his matriculation from Calcutta University in 1923. He completed his intermediate (I.A) from Banaras Hindu University (B.H.U) in the 1924, in arts. Thereafter, he graduated from Calcutta University in Arts. He was amongst the first few graduates from Sikkim.

In 1933, he became a teacher in the Sir Tashi Namgyal high school. Between 1942-1947 he was the headmaster of Sir Tashi Namgyal High School. He also started a business exporting Sikkim oranges and cardamom to Calcutta (present day Kolkata). He was a leader of the pro-democracy movement in the erstwhile Kingdom of Sikkim. In the Sikkim State Council, he held important cabinet positions including that of Executive Councillor(equivalent to cabinet minister). He was a member of the Sikkim State Congress, a party he led for many years.[1][2]

He was also a journalist, who started Sikkim's first monthly news magazine, Kanchenjunga in 1957 with his nephew Nahakul Pradhan as its editor.[3] Known as Father of Sikkimese Journalism, the state government of Sikkim has instituted Kashiraj Pradhan Lifetime Journalism Award for journalists since 2018.[4][5]

• Pema Dorji Decoration - Presented by the Chogyal of Sikkim, third-highest civilian honour in the former Kingdom of Sikkim.
• Government of Sikkim has named Deorali - Namnang road as Kashiraj Pradhan Marg.
• Bhanu Puraskar - On 13 July 1998, the Nepali Sahitya Parishad Sikkim awarded him with the first Bhanu Puraskar.