NEW DELHI: The Lower House of the Indian Parliament voted 299 to 11 today [April 23] to annex Sikkim as an Indian province and end the 300-year-old monarchy there. The only op­­position to the proposed constitutional ame­­­­n­dment … came from the Marxist Com­munists. They favoured ending the reign of Chogyal (ruler) … but said the Himalayan State should have been allowed to retain its internal autonomy. … Opening the debate, Deputy Leader of the Marxists Samar Mukh­erjee accused the Indian Government of “absorbing Sikkim”. He said the action would not only create “misgivings among the small neighbouring countries” but would also have international repercussions. — News agencies

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies from Washington,] with no hope of more military aid for the Saigon regime, and evacuation plans well advanced, the United States was today [April 23] prepared for the imminent fall of Saigon. The Provisional Revolutionary Government ... rejected Saigon’s latest offer of new peace negotiations until a new Government was formed. … As hope for American support was lost completely British and West German Embassies announced they were packing up.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2025