Sikkim University
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Rural Vulnerability and Tea Plantation Migration in Eastern Nepal and Darjeeling Sarah Besky
University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository Himalayan Research Papers Archive Nepal Study Center 9-21-2007 Rural Vulnerability and Tea Plantation Migration in Eastern Nepal and Darjeeling Sarah Besky Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/nsc_research Recommended Citation Besky, Sarah. "Rural Vulnerability and Tea Plantation Migration in Eastern Nepal and Darjeeling." (2007). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/nsc_research/11 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Nepal Study Center at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Himalayan Research Papers Archive by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Rural Vulnerability and Tea Plantation Migration in Eastern Nepal and Darjeeling Sarah Besky Department of Anthropology University of Wisconsin – Madison This paper will analyze migration from rural eastern Nepal to tea plantations in eastern Nepal and Darjeeling and the potentials such migration might represent for coping with rural vulnerability and food scarcity. I will contextualize this paper in a regional history of agricultural intensification and migration, which began in the eighteenth century with Gorkhali conquests of today’s Mechi region and continued in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with the recruitment of plantation laborers from Nepal to British India. For many Kiranti ethnic groups, agricultural intensification resulted in social marginalization, land degradation due to over-population and over-farming, and eventual migration to Darjeeling to work on British tea plantations. The British lured Rais, Limbus, and other tribal peoples to Darjeeling with hopes of prosperity. When these migrants arrived, they benefited from social welfare like free housing, health care, food rations, nurseries, and plantation schools – things unknown to them under Nepal’s oppressive monarchal regime. -
Federalism Is Debated in Nepal More As an ‘Ism’ Than a System
The FEDERALISM Debate in Nepal Post Peace Agreement Constitution Making in Nepal Volume II Post Peace Agreement Constitution Making in Nepal Volume II The FEDERALISM Debate in Nepal Edited by Budhi Karki Rohan Edrisinha Published by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal (SPCBN) 2014 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal (SPCBN) UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. United Nations Development Programme UN House, Pulchowk, GPO Box: 107 Kathmandu, Nepal Phone: +977 1 5523200 Fax: +977 1 5523991, 5523986 ISBN : 978 9937 8942 1 0 © UNDP, Nepal 2014 Book Cover: The painting on the cover page art is taken from ‘A Federal Life’, a joint publication of UNDP/ SPCBN and Kathmandu University, School of Art. The publication was the culmination of an initiative in which 22 artists came together for a workshop on the concept of and debate on federalism in Nepal and then were invited to depict their perspective on the subject through art. The painting on the cover art titled ‘’Emblem” is created by Supriya Manandhar. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in the book are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of UNDP/ SPCBN. PREFACE A new Constitution for a new Nepal drafted and adopted by an elected and inclusive Constituent Assembly (CA) is a key element of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of November 2006 that ended a decade long Maoist insurgency. -
How a Minority Tribal Group in Nepal Has Reacted to Oppression—A Book Review Essay
BOOK REVIEW ESSAY How a Minority Tribal Group in Nepal has Reacted to Oppression—A Book Review Essay P. K. VISVESVARAN Mr. P.K. Visvesvaran is Lecturer at the Madras School of Social Work, Chennai. Politics of Culture: A Study of Three Kirata Communities in the Eastern Himalayas by T.B. Subba, 1999, Chennai: Orient Longman, pp. 154, Price: Rs. 160/-. INTRODUCTION Sociologists have observed that minority groups in a society tend to react in a variety of ways to reckon with domination and oppression by the majority. Submissive manipulation, marginal adaptation, with drawal and self-segregation, oppression psychosis, group self-hatred, nativism and movements of reform and revolt are some of these re sponses (Horton and Hunt, 1964). In the book under review namely, the author has given a lucid ac count of the nativistic efforts being made by the Kiratas (a tribal group living mainly in eastern Nepal, parts of Sikkim and Darjeeling in West Bengal) 'to recreate their culture, religion and language'. How ever, the author repeatedly states that this is not going to be an easy or a simple task, the reason being that the Kiratas are not a homogeneous group. There are several subgroups among them, three of which should be deemed major subdivisions, namely the Limbu, Rai (or Khambu) and the Yakkha. The languages they speak also vary. For example, the structure of the Limbu language differs from that of other Kirata tongues in having a fully developed noun declension sys tem, a fully developed verb system, as well as exclusive features such as the glottal stop. -
<Dr. Shiva L^Jmar^Rsd
to Sikkifl r I <Dr. SHiva l^jmar^Rsd Gangtok Sikkim A Brief History of the Bharatiya Nepalis (Indian Nepalis) -with Special Reference to Sikkim Dr. Shiva Kumar Rat Gangtok Sikkim Namaskar/Sewanne The Nepalis have been residing in variousparts ofIndia from the ages past. (A) ANCIENT HISTORY- The early history ofthe Nepalis in India can be traced from the Hindu epics like the Ramayana, Mahabbarata and Puranas. The Nepali Community is a mixture of Aryan, Mon^foid, Dravidian, Austric and Sethian groups. In the last part of the Mahabharata War,it is reported that Shalya, the King of Madra and Senapati(Commander in Chief)of Kowrawas, belonged to Khas Clan (Chettri, Bahun). The tribal communities of the Nepalis belong to the Kiratas, sucTTasTJ^ai, Limbu,Gurung, Mangar,etc. In the Linguistic ^ Survey of India Gierson wrote:"The Tibeto-Burman speaking Mongoloids with yellow I complexion came to be known among Vedic Aryans as Kiratas. Their presence is attested I through literary evidence by about 1000 B.C. In the Mahabharata, the historical core of which probably goes back to the 10th Century BXr~Threre"is-suggestions that Sino-Tibetans as Kiratas belonged to the Brahmaputra Valley ofAssam. There is an episode in Mahabharata in whichHoifr^Iya^ disguised as a Kirata, turns against Aijun, but in the end, presents him with miraculous "Pasupata" weapon. '—' The temple ofKamakhya and Parasuram Kunda and Benaras are the holy places of the Nepali Community as well. The people ofNepal and India had marital relationship from the time immemorial. In the age of Ramayana, Lord Rama was married to Sita, who was bom in Janakpur (Nepal) and was the daughter of King Janaka. -
Chapter 8 Sikkim
Chapter 8 Sikkim AC Sinha Sikkim, an Indian State on the Eastern Himalayan ranges, is counted among states with Buddhist followers, which had strong cultural ties with the Tibetan region of the Peoples’ Republic of China. Because of its past feudal history, it was one of the three ‘States’ along with Nepal and Bhutan which were known as ‘the Himalayan Kingdoms’ till 1975, the year of its merger with the Indian Union. It is a small state with 2, 818 sq. m. (7, 096 sq. km.) between 27 deg. 4’ North to 28 deg 7’ North latitude between 80 deg. East 4’ and 88deg. 58’ East longitude. This 113 kilometre long and 64 kilometre wide undulating topography is located above 300 to 7,00 metres above sea level. Its known earliest settlers, the Lepchas, termed it as Neliang, the country of the caverns that gave them shelter. Bhotias, the Tibetan migrants, called it lho’mon, ‘the land of the southern (Himalayan) slop’. As rice plays important part in Buddhist rituals in Tibet, which they used to procure from India, they began calling it ‘Denjong’ (the valley of rice). Folk traditions inform us that it was also the land of mythical ‘Kiratas’ of Indian classics. The people of Kirati origin (Lepcha, Limbu, Rai and possibly Magar) used to marry among themselves in the hoary past. As the saying goes, a newly wedded Limbu bride on her arrival to her groom’s newly constructed house, exclaimed, “Su-khim” -- the new house. This word not only got currency, but also got anglicized into Sikkim (Basnet 1974). -
Down the Ages in Sikkim
Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies Volume 5, Issue 2, December 2019, pp. 895-904 The Tsongs (Limbus) Down the Ages in Sikkim Dr. Buddhi L. Khamdhak1 Assistant Professor Department of Limboo, Sikkim Govt. College, Gyalshing, Sikkim. Abstract: The Limbus, Yakthungs or Tsongs, who have inhabited the Himalayan belt of Kanchanjanga since time immemorial, are one of the Indigenous people of Sikkim (India), Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, and Thailand. They are neither Nepalis by ethnicity nor Hindus by religion. Historically, linguistically, and culturally they have a distinct identity; however, over the centuries, they have been denied and deprived of Indigenous rights and justice. In this article, I will demonstrate the socio-cultural and linguistic conditions of Limbus in Sikkim prior, and during, the Namgyal/Chogyal reign. Then, I will argue how the Limbus were deprived of all their rights and justice in Sikkim. Keywords: Sikkim/Sukhim, Tsong, Yakthung, Lho-Men-Tsong-Sum, Chogyal, Citizenship Rights Introduction The Sikkimi Tsongs, Limbus or Yakthungs, are the Indigenous inhabitants of Sikkim. They are also commonly called “Tsong” by the Bhutias and Lepchas in Sikkim. The Limbus call themselves “Yakthung,” and they share very close historical and socio-cultural ties with 1 Dr. Buddhi L. Khamdhak is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Limboo, Sikkim Govt. College, Gyalshing, Sikkim. He can be reached at [email protected]. ISSN: 2168-1333 ©2019 Khamdhak/JOGLTEP 5(2) pp. 895-904 896 the Lepchas2 and linguistic affinity with the Bhutias3 of Sikkim. The total population of Limbus in Sikkim is 56,650, which is approximately 9.32% of the total population of the state (6,07,688 people according to the 2011 Census). -
THE ANGLO-SIKKIM WAR of 1861 International Insti
BULLETIN OF TIBETOLOGY 31 “A DIFFICULT COUNTRY, A HOSTILE CHIEF, AND A STILL MORE HOSTILE MINISTER”: THE ANGLO-SIKKIM WAR OF 1861 ALEX MCKAY International Institute for Asian Studies INTRODUCTION Many gaps in our knowledge of 19th century Sikkimese history have recently been filled in.1 This paper attempts to add another piece to the jigsaw by examining the previously neglected history of the events of 1860-61, when British forces marched into Sikkim. The royal archives Saul Mullard has been cataloguing are silent on this period except for a Tibetan language copy of the eventual Treaty, and the History of Sikkim’s account is superficial. 2 This paper consequently relies primarily on the records of the British imperial government, which do, however, enable us to gain some insights into Sikkimese perspectives. BACKGROUND Following their victory in the 1815 Anglo-Nepal war, in which the Sikkimese had assisted them, the British returned to Sikkim territory I would like to dedicate this paper to my friends and colleagues, the late Yap Tashi Tobden and Khendzong Yapla (Tsering Wangchuk), tragically killed soon after the NIT Golden Jubilee conference in Gangtok in 2008. The loss of the two local figures perhaps most concerned with the Sikkimese Bhutia history is a major one. 1 See in particular the articles by John Bray, Tirtha Misra, Pema Wangchuk, and Alex McKay in Buddhist Himalaya, the Proceedings of the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology Golden Jubilee Conference, edited by Alex McKay and Anna Balikci- Denjongpa; Gangtok, 2011. 2 Personal communication, Saul Mullard (to whom my thanks are due for organising this panel at the IATS seminar in Vancouver 2010). -
Sikkim the Place and Sikkim the Documentary: Reading Political History Through the Life and After-Life of a Visual Representation
HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies Volume 33 Number 1 Article 9 March 2014 Sikkim the Place and Sikkim the Documentary: Reading Political History through the Life and After-Life of a Visual Representation Suchismita Das University of Chicago, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya Recommended Citation Das, Suchismita. 2014. Sikkim the Place and Sikkim the Documentary: Reading Political History through the Life and After-Life of a Visual Representation. HIMALAYA 33(1). Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya/vol33/iss1/9 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. This Research Article is brought to you for free and open access by the DigitalCommons@Macalester College at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sikkim the Place and Sikkim the Documentary: Reading Political History through the Life and After-Life of a Visual Representation Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr Mark Turin for all the encouragement and for the wonderfully insightful course on the visual representation of the Himalayas, from which the idea of this article germinated. I am grateful to the two anonymous reviewers and to Hope Cooke for their comments, which have helped -
Chief Minister Calls on Governor of Sikkim Government Will Ensure That
ikkim heral s Vol. 63 No. 22 visit us at www.ipr.sikkim.gov.in Gangtok (Friday) April 17, 2020 Regd. No.WBd/SKM/01/2017-19 Chief Minister calls on Government will ensure that the lock down Governor of Sikkim is more severe this time- Chief Minister Gangtok, April 14: Chief Minister Mr. Prem Singh Tamang convened a press conference today to share the decisions taken in the Cabinet Meeting which was held today with regard to the steps taken by the Government so far to combat Covid-19, and further decisions with regard to extension of lock- down. He expressed his gratitude to the people of Sikkim, Government officials, and front line workers for their relentless service to keep the State free from Covid- 19. The Chief Minister informed Gangtok, April 16: The Chief contain spread of the COVID-19. that the State of Sikkim will India. He added that slight contain Covid-19 in the State. Minister Mr. Prem Singh Tamang He also briefed the Governor continue to abide by lock-down relaxation could be made after the Speaking about the steps called on Governor Mr. Ganga about the steps taken to distribute norms till the 3rd of May, 2020, duly 20th of April, to selective sectors taken by the State before the Prasad at Raj Bhawan, today to the relief material which has been complying by the direction of the like agriculture, construction, small initiatial period of lock down was brief about the decisions taken by carried out successfully. An Prime Minister of India. He said industries, duly maintaining social announced, he said that the State the State Government after the additional list of 29000 beneficiaries that the Government will ensure distancing. -
CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 Introduction
CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1. Preliminaries On the May 8th 1973, an agreement was signed at Gangtok between the Chogyal, the leaders of the political parties representing the people of Sikkim and the Government of India. The Agreement provided for a Legislative Assembly for Sikkim elected on the basis adult franchise, an Executive Council responsible to the Assembly and safeguards for minorities. Under the Agreement, India was to provide the head of the administration (Chief Executive) to ensure democratization, communal harrnony and social development. Assembly was to be elected every four years on the basis of adult franchise under the supervision of Election Commission of India. Following the Tripartite Agreement, elections were held from April 15 to 19, 1974, under the supervision of the Chief Election Commission of India. According to the parity formula, fifteen seats were allotted to the Bhutia- Lepchas and the remaining fifteen to the Nepalese including one for the scheduled caste. Soon, both sides demanded separate seats for the monks. As a result thirty-two member Assembly was provided with two reserved seats one for the scheduled caste and other for the monastries (Sangha).The sangha constituency is a unique feature of not only Sikkim but also for the whole of India. It is reserved seat for the representation of the monasteries of Sikkim as a whole and their Lamas. This maintained parity, the scheduled caste being of Nepali origin and the monk coming from the Bhutia-Lepcha group.Kazi Lhendup Dorjee's party Sikkim Congress swept the polls by winning thirty-one seats out of the thirty two seats. -
Chapter 4 -: 96 :-·
CHAPTER 4 -: 96 :-· CH.APTER-4 POLITICAL HISTORY OF SIKKIM : A RELIGIO-POLITICAL EVENTUALITY (1641 TO 1975) I 4.1. Tibetan Guardianship : The political history of Sikkim can be discussed by dividing it into three consecutive periods, (a) the period of Tibetan guardian- ship, (b) contact with the British rulers and British protectorate- ship, (·c:) background of the new era and merger in India. In the main stream of all these three stages of political development in Sikkim, Tibetan Buddhism vis--a-vis Lamaism and the Buddhist section of the people played a vital role in shaping its history. (A) "Sikkim was politically a theocracy till the other day111 ,- the theocracy· which was established by the Tibetan Buddhist Lamas and developed under the guidanc~ and nourishm~nt of Tibet. After inception of the -Kingdom in Sikkim, the 5th Dalai Lama, the then Hierarch of Tibet, recognised the newly coronated Cho-gyal Phun-tso Namgyal as the rightful ruler of the State and the political and 2 religious suzerainty of -the Tibetan Ruler was e stahl i shed in Sikkim. "The Dalai Lama's blessings and recognition further lent prestige 3 to the new dynasty." Though the Bhutia settlers in Sikkim were mostly the followers of Nying-ma Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the rulers of Sikkim had, from t'he beginning, accepted Tibet and the - s 97 s- Hierarch Dalai Lama as the rightful guardian. "Sikkim had always looked upon itself as a dependancy, a vassal of Tibet, not because of any compulsion but because of a sort of voluntary submission springing from the Sikkimese Bhutia's origin, religion and above all, the proximity of the two countries.114 "As the Maharaja Chogyal Phun-t so Namgyal of Sikkim Wf!-S also one of the canonized saints of the doctrine, the Dalai Lama condescended to rega.rd the brotherhood thus established and. -
Khaptad Region in Mythology
Khaptad Region in Mythology - Shiva Kaj Shrestha Introduction: Himalayan territory as far west as Kashmir, It is very clearfromthe study of various Pauranic Singkiyang, Laddakh and Hindu Kush. The centre of and historical literature, that Khaptad of "Khecharadi Naga Loka was Mt. Kailash and Manasarovar Parvat" area was the cultural and religious centre of protected by Lord Shiva. The description of Naga lower part of "Manas Khanda". The upper part Loka denotes the upper catchment area of River included Mt. Kailash and Manasarovar (present day Sutlej. The third was "Yakshya Loka" covering Nari or Aali district along withGuge areas of South- Kumaun, Garhwal in the west and Doti, and Jumla Western Tibet). area in the east. Mr. Doval has based his study largely on Bhagwat Purana. It may be of great interest to the VallavaDoval, in his research article (Saptahik religious minded tcurists and research scholars to Hindusthan, 27 Jan. 1991) has tried to establish that know the fact that Khaptad-Malika area was the "Tribisripa" (Tibet) was inhabited by "Nordic" Aryans centre of Yakshya Loka where Lord Kubera had his and ruled by various "IndrasW-the king emperors of capital "Kanchan Puri" which probably was not very the Deva-Ganas. It is noteworthy that Dr. B. S. Guha far from "Alaka Puri" of Lord Indras. the famous historian- anthropologist of India and many other scholars are of the opinion that the Here, we arc concentrating more on Mansas ancient language of Vedas are highly influenced by Khanda of Skanda Purana, as this (Yet unpublished) "Nordic Aryan" language. (Please see "Prachin document is more informative.