The first female journalist of Sikkim Santosh Nirash passed away in Gangtok on Wednesday at the age of 91.

She had been covering Sikkim since it was a monarchy.

She was also the former editor of Hindi weekly Zamana Sadabahar.

She was fondly called as ‘Mata Ji’.

“I am deeply grieved by the news of passing away of Santosh Nirash, the editor of Hindi weekly Zamana Sadabahar and also the first female journalist of Sikkim,” said Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang.

Tamang further said that Niurash's demise is a great loss not only for the media fraternity but also for every one of us.

Apart from being a no-nonsense journalist, she was also a renowned social worker and philanthropist.

“I am pained by the sad demise of Santosh Nirash," said former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling.

"Apart from being the first female journalist of Sikkim, she was one of the most decorated journalists of Sikkim," Chamling added.

She was also a committed social worker, he further said.

Santosh Nirash, for her pioneering contribution to journalism in Sikkim, was honoured with the Sikkim Sea Samman (Journalism) award in 2012.

The entire journalist fraternity of the state had mourned her death.

"With her demise of Santosh Nirash, a chapter in the history of journalism in Sikkim has come to an end," they said.

"She is, was, and will always be an inspiration and a role model for the generations to come," the journalists added.

The void created by her death can never be filled, they added.