Sikkim Votes for India: The Mountain State Joins
India formally annexed Sikkim after a referendum in which 97 percent of voters chose to merge with the Indian republic, ending the mountain kingdom's status as a protectorate. The annexation added a strategically vital buffer between China and India's northeastern corridor, though the lopsided vote and Indian military presence drew accusations of coercion from the deposed Sikkimese monarchy.
May 16, 1975
51 years ago
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