Lepchas
Mainwaring Celebrated the Lepchas
“Lepcha was the language spoken in the Garden of Eden,” thought G. B. Mainwaring, the British general and scholar who published in 1876 a comprehensive grammar of the Lepcha language. Geoffrey Gorer provided that quote on page 39 of his book Himalayan Village: An Account of the Lepchas of Sikkim. Gorer criticized Mainwaring’s Lepcha grammar […]
Peaceful Lepcha Responses to Gorkha Agitation
Aggressive Gorkha demands for independence from West Bengal, and moderate Lepcha responses to their agitation, have repeatedly shown the cultural differences between the two groups in India. The Gorkha demands, which have been simmering for years, exploded into the news at the end of January this year when the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata […]
Lepchas Await their Development Board
The Economic Times, a publication associated with the Times of India, published an update last week about the proposed Mayel Lyang Lepcha Development Board. The new board, intended to foster the health, education, and economic development of the Lepcha people, was proposed by the Chief Minister of India’s West Bengal State, Mamata Banerjee, back in […]
Lepcha Schoolgirl Meets Famous Actor
A couple of school children from Sikkim, in northern India, one of whom is a Lepcha girl, have had the chance to meet a prominent Bollywood actor and film an advertisement with him. The two kids are celebrities in their school in the town of Melli, Sikkim, which is just a few miles north of […]
Violence Threatens the Lepchas
Trouble in India’s West Bengal state involving the Gorkhas and the Lepchas was in the news last week, as violence again disrupted life in the hills of North India where these people live. The dispute between the Gorkhas, the Lepchas, and the government of West Bengal made headlines in India early in February, as the […]
Conflict in the Hills of West Bengal
A recent government decision in India highlighted the differing ways of handling conflict by people raised in a peaceful tradition, such as the Lepchas, versus those steeped in militarism and violence, such as the Gorkhas. Both societies were deeply affected by an announcement from the West Bengal state government two weeks ago. The current round […]
India’s Rush to Build Power Dams
The eminent journal Nature last Thursday featured the controversy over the construction of dams in the Teesta River valley, projects that many Lepchas passionately deplore. They feel that the dams are destroying their sacred landscape, but, as the article points out, government agencies are finding many reasons for moving ahead with the construction. Jane Qiu, […]
Lepcha Memories of the Earthquake
A year ago, on September 18, 2011, a powerful earthquake devastated many communities in northern Sikkim. In a strange rehash of events this year, a minor tremor rattled the same Indian state on the same day, within about 15 minutes of the time of last year’s quake. It appeared to do no damage, though people […]
Bhutia Man Killed in Oakland Mass Shooting
One of the seven people killed in the mass shooting at Oikos University in Oakland, California, early last week was a young man from Sikkim named Tshering Rinzing Bhutia. While the Bhutia and the Lepcha people have separate origins in Sikkim, they have similar customs and are often united in trying to preserve their traditions […]
Lepcha Devoted to Children
Keepu Lepcha runs an orphanage in a large facility in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, at which about 75 Lepcha children are staying and getting an education. The Lepcha Cottage, as she calls it, is Ms. Lepcha’s way of trying to help her people. The 72 year old woman, who has never been married or […]
