not for Lepcha girls

The origin of the Lepcha Tradition of Lungten Bree started in the high villages of Upper Dzongu. The Lepchas believe that one Tarbong set his eyes upon another Rongmith who went by the name Nareep nyom. When he tried to woo her with his Rongkup charms she told him to come and ask for her hand to her parents in the village. The tradition of naamko bree started with the efforts made by Tarbong to wed his loved one the enchanting Nareep nyom.

A typical Lepcha wedding is not mere union of two souls but of two clans and as such requires sanction not from only from the elders of the family but from the departed souls of the ancestors. It is more of a spiritual union of two clans and as such serves to unite the community in both spiritual as well as mental levels. The tradition of Lepcha wedding serves to elaborate the very existence of the entire community among the hills and rivers of the Nye Mayel Lyang. Lepcha folklores are full of myths and legends of the great couples. In fact every male figure usually has a female counterpart. Eg. Fudong thing and Nazong Nyu, Thekong Tek and Nyukung Ngal, Punu Gaybu Achyok and Nalimit Pundee, Tarbong and Nareep Nyom, Rongnyu and Rongneet, Tendong Lho and Maenam Lho. This observation of the Lepcha myth categorically proves that the Lepcha tradition celebrates the union of the female and male.

So to deny this union and abstain from marriage amounts to denying one’s very heritage and one’s unique cultural identity.

As compared to other neighbouring communities Lepchas are more of Hunters and gatherers than agriculturists. The minimal agriculture practised by the Lepchas for ONGREY ZO and MONG is more of shifting type. The Lepchas traditionally never cultivated crops for commercial purposes. Thus the practise of wedding to increase manual labour did not feature in the social framework of the Lepchas unlike may communities we know. Today the advent of modernism also has not restricted the age old norms from being practised with rigid allegiance. But most Lepchas are still very wary when faced with matrimonial suggestions. Its time we packed our apprehensions and make bold decisions to carry on with what our ancestors left us.

The advent of modernism has brought about a social revolution and most of us have evolved to embrace what the times has to offer. We no longer have to toil out in the fields or hunt in the forests to scrape our meals for our extended families. Most of us have with our effort and trials secured decent paying jobs which I suppose can surely support two souls. In fact most Lepcha ladies too have joined the bandwagon of employment and are in some cases taking home packages that even we can’t imagine. Some Lepcha spinsters choose to marry non-lepchas as they are not offered with good Lepcha choices. But deep down they surely know that they would have preferred a Lepcha man. So this is where we fail to grasp the opportunity and end up in the corner with mere speculations that she would not have approved. There is no harm in trying once. The worst she can do is deny your attempt. And again with most Lepcha ladies in my mind I can safely assure that there are very less cases of denials. After all it’s not everyday she gets a good lepcha man like you asking for her hand in marriage. So just take the plunge maybe you will learn to swim later. If not there are zillions of akus, aneus, moteems, and boteems and anums and anoms who can lend a helping hand. Common we are Lepchas we are at the best when we are helping.

There is a certain hesitation in cases of unemployed bachelors. But its my observation most Lepcha parents are not so strict regarding the groom having regular service or etc. They would be more than pleased to hold their heads high in the community with a Lepcha son-in law. And as a man to another I would say you should at least have the courage and determination to support her before you go out asking her hand.

happy namsoong

woopsa...here we are ..and here goes at the top of my voice....NAAM AAL NAAMBUN SA AAACHULEY< SUTHONG NAAAM AAL SA AACHULEY>>>>rongkup naambun sa aachuley...mutanchi rongkup....aacchuley....to one all...
after all the year has come to an end and i sincerely hope the tiger year has lot better for all of us....

Single Lepchas and 2012

Khamri Ren and renyu song

This was brought to my notice by one of our active Shejum member Ren Simon lepcha. Though this was a scattered problem before and most of us just joked about it over a pack of cigarettes  and may be Pothyut or two. But now that we are heading into our uncertain future this surely multiplies our problems.Yes dear Ren and Renyu song-our community is dwindling in numbers and the icing on the cake is that more and more of our Anums and Anoms are opting for singlehood. I never realised that i would be blogging on such an issue but now this is another of the numerous threats to our community.

First and foremost We lepchas are already a minority in Nye Mayel Lyang.....(Sikkim and Darjeeling District). So in this democratic nation of ours, maybe our voice is really too small to be heard in the corridors of the law makers. Not that i have any problems with the government but yes i do realize that the loudest of the wailing babies is always nursed first. So no matter whether we don't raise our voice every time we are unjustly treated we always have been at the receiving end. We have always played the perfect host -"Nung Nahan"(Thank you Fr. Samuel) wasn't it?

Now with modern education and amenities more and more of our Lepcha Anums and Anoms embracing the freedom of Singlehood. And this surely seems to have some effect on the overall well being of the community. I am sure when the time comes for us to show our numbers  even to claim our basic fundamental right then i am sure we will have nothing to do but shy away. HAHAHA doomsday-hello 2012.

Lepcha (chinese )lady's issue

khamri

The Indigenous Lepcha Tribal association kolkata branch had a meeting yesterday(08.11.09) in my residence here in Kolkata to discuss over the issue of one Lepcha lady who was married to a Chinese here in Kolkata.She was widowed 20 years back with one son who is 30 years old today. The issue lies in the fact that her husband's family had mistreated her for a long time and she being a lepcha lady whose TAAMZUK (respect) was at stake, never went to her Lepcha family (In Manigombu, Kalimpong) for help. Recently the matter had gone out of hands as she was ousted from her home by her late husband's brother and sister.

Way back in 1994 when she already was a widow, seeing her plight her bro-in-law from Hongkong had bought her a lady's beauty parlor so that she could earn a livelihood. She was also a favoured daughter-in-law of her mother-in-law who too was a Lepcha married to a chinese man. She took care of her late husband's family with the earning from the parlor. She even recruited a Lepcha beautician from Dzongu named Saharmith.Saharmith and this aneu made a good earnings from the parlor and could support the entire family. But things took an ugly turn when her sis-in-law married to a Nepali from Kathmandu intervened. The parlor earnings became a major bone of contention whenever she came down from Kathmandu to claim her share. In fact the simple Lepcha lady never made an issue while sharing the earnings with this already married sis-in-law. So humble was she that she even took all the abusings of this wicked sis-in-law with silence and never complained.This had been going on for sometime when Aneu decided to buy herself a bigger flat with the earnings. The wicked sis-in-law from Kathmandu saw a conspiracy in this move to ouster her from her share of earnings and launched a violent opposition to the buying of the flat. Here even the innocent Saharmith was blamed for instigating aneu to buy the flat. The sis-in-law immediately called a meeting with her brother who was still in Hongkong and schemed to remove Saharmith from the parlor who she claimed was the strength behind the Aneu's bolder moves. The stupid Hong Kong Bro-in-law too saw this as a conspiracy against his remaining siblings. So convinced was he by his sister (from kathamndu) that he fired Saharmith from the parlor and made her homeless in Kolkata with mere Rs.1600 in hand. In order to clip the alleged wings of this old aneu he even made a new partnership agreement (aneu was the sole owner before) whereby he retained a greater partnership in the Parlor earnings.All this went without any complaint by the Lepcha aneu.

But recently  this Hongkong Bro-in-law returned and started getting more influenced by his sibling's complaints against aneu that first he threw his own nephew out from the home and then to make matters worse he threw out his aged Lepcha sis-in-law who had always worked for the better of this cruel chinese family. He with his cruel sister managed to seize all the savings aneu had before having her thrown out.

This is where i stepped in. Since they did not have any home to put up in i took them in and kept them at my place for 2 weeks after which Saharmith (now a successful beautician with another partner) found a rented place for them and started supporting mother son duo financially.

We brought this issue to the notice of the Kolkata Shejum who was gathered here in full force sans the always irregular president. The shejum seeing the plight of this old Lepcha lady and her son have decided to take up her issue with full participation and conviction.

Well i guess this is where the Kolkata shejum really express their conviction to work for the Lepchas......hello other Shejums of different parts of the world..there is a lesson to be learnt here....

Mother tongue

Khamri

This is highlight a certain event that took place in the West Bengal Public Service Examination (Forest Service) 2008 interview which was held on the 30.10.09. A lepcha candidate had passed both the Preliminary and Mains examination and was selected for interview. The candidate had opted for Nepali as in the examination as the choices available was Bengali, Urdu, Nepali only. But in the sec12. of the Application form the candidate had opted for Lepcha as mother tongue and stated that He/She did not belong to the Nepali speaking community (which includes all the nepali caste including the recently scheduled tribes Subba and Tamang). The candidate was proficient in both lepcha and Nepali and as such had secured good marks in her Nepali papers. The interview panel insisted on the Sec 9 of the application form which states that "if you are not a Nepali speaking community from the hills then Bengali is compulsory". The candidate had already made clear that Lepcha language was the mother tongue but he/she could easily speak read and write Nepali to which the Panel asked to write his/her name in Nepali. He/she successfully wrote the name in nepali but then the panel suggested that he/she read a Bengali newspaper to which he/she replied that he/she can't read Bengali but could easily speak and communicate in the language. Here the Panel insisted that since he/she did not belong to the Nepali speaking community he/she had to read bengali. The panel insisted adamantly and finally the candidate tried to explain the co-existence of both Lepcha and Nepali community in the hills but the panel refused to budge from their position. The candidate was taken to the Joint Secy. of the commission who also could not give any assurances.

We Lepchas are a recognised Scheduled tribe under Article 342 of the Constitution of India and also under West Bengal Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribe Recognition(Identification) Act, 1994 & SC STs Welfare department Order No.261-TW/EC/MR=103/94 dated 06.04.1995). Lepcha language is recognised as tribal language and its safe gaurd is enshrined under Articles 29,30,350A of the Constitution of India. For this matter Sikkim Government has taken developmental steps by including Lepcha language in the education right from school education (since 1975) to degree levels (2003 onwards). The Sikkim government's initiative is much appreciated here as  the Lepcha language (the indigenous language of this region) has developed and borne fruits for the Lepchas of Sikkim.

Historically too lepcha language found equal acceptance in the Court of the Chogyals of the erstwhile Kingdom of Sikkim(Nye Mayel Lyang). In fact the deed that was issued to the British handing over tract of the Sikkim called Darjeeling (present day west bengal) by the Chogyal Tshugpud Namgyal in 1835 was issued in Lepcha Language. The language was the official language of the Darjeeling district till 1911. This clearly illustrates the importance of the language which was once used by the royals too.

 But in West Bengal where the officials involved in the Panel for such interviews, fail to recognise this important and protected Tribal language of the people who belong to one of the districts of their own state, clearly highlights parochialism and linguistic ignorance of the panel.

Is this a genuine case of ignorance or just a  tactic to catch the candidate off-gaurd?

here i would like to highlight few important events that usually takes place during such interviews. The first candidate usually gets the toughest of the lot cause the panel has just stepped in and wants the candidate to deliver and in some instances the panel also has members who wants to show off their knowledge.The panel has the entire record of the candidate in front of them so they can ask questions related to the candidate's records or some times questions which the candidates do not have any idea about. But the underlying purpose  is to check the personality of the candidate and the response in different situations. Well this is what i think that usually takes place.

But here the case is entirely different-the mere fact that the candidate was taken to the Joint Secy (outside the  interview room )clearly illustrates that the panel knew the incident had become volatile and needed the Joint Secy's intervention.

But the adamant attitude of the panel suggests their ignorance. The years of effort and hard work involved on the part of the candidate for this (not so easy) examinations have gone down the drain just because some bengali officials did not know about their own state.

Think my dear Friends Think.....where is this pitiful state heading into....

Renyu Hildamith----Aneu to me

Khamri Renyu Ren song

Actually i was busy with my work so could not update the blogsite as promised. Anyways things have happened since my last blog and i would just like to update my readers. I got my copy of the AACHULEY a quarterly magazine published by the Lepcha Literary Organisation of Kalimpong (that would be RONG RINGMOM KURMOM Kalimpong in Rong aring). In fact all those interested in the Lepcha activities should subscribe to this magazine. A lot of handy information can be compiled from these magazines. Interested parties could contact the INDIGENOUS LEPCHA TRIBAL ASSOCIATION headquarters in Kalimpong or you could also visit www.indigenouslepcha-tribalassociation.com for more details.

For those who could not grab their last issue here is some news for you-Renyu Hildamith Rongmith, wife of Padmashree Ren Sonam Tshering Lepcha, was awarded the prestigeous National Award "SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI Award 2008 on July 14th 2009 by the the President of India Renyu. Pratibha Patil. Renyu Hildamith Lepcha has carved herself a respected position in the Rong Sukdum. She has contributed immensely to the lepcha Cultural heritage by her compositions as a musician as well as a prolific writer. If you have visited any part of Sikkim or the lepcha land in the North Bengal, i assure there won't be any region where the Lepcha cultural events do not have a dance on any of her numerous songs. In fact in my personal level too my first Lepcha  crush  was a sweet Lepcha girl dancing to one of her popular songs-"kinchum chubong sa kurvongka"......woops that was close....
She is a Legend on her own league and with legend in husband (Ren Sona Tshering Tamsang) the Rong Sukdum has stood to gain a lot in the cultural sphere.
The Rong sukdum (lepcha world) is a small world and i think we know almost everyone or atleast we know someone who knows almost everyone. So i can proudly say that I have a close acquaintance with Renyu Hildamith. I call her aneyu and well she is gentle of a lady and one with sincere dedication to the numerous cultural activities she is involved in.In fact she makes a pretty good picture in her lovely Dumbun (the lepcha female dress) and with all her ethnic ornaments. You will not miss her in Gangtok when she is making her way to office from her residence in Development Area. She is a charming lady and always willing to share a word or two depsite her fame and popularity. For those who understand Rong aring her songs will surely touch you in every way. her lyricism ranges from love lorn hearts to the intricate relationship a lepcha shares with the surroundings and nature. I know few of her songs that so closely describes what i feel about Nye Mayel Lyang that i get a goosebumps every time i play them. Some of her songs have the intro tune based on the lepcha stringed instrument called taungbuk and the few muted notes opens the doorway to atmospheric lyrics.   I remember when i first got my own Taungbuk i was so confused. I being used to the six string tuning of EADGBE had way no idea about the complexities of such a small instrument. I have come to know that she has also taught many aspiring Lepcha musicians the melodies of lepcha tune in Taungbuk.
 Hey guitar lovers you should try this Taungbuk. It comes with inbuilt wooden Pick and has only four nylon strings---no you don't tune it like your violin or your bass guitar. The tone is somewhat like a heavily muted high notes of a violin but you can work wonders with the scales. the Modes are Phyrigian and i guess minor pentatonics will help to create a typical lepcha tune. But all the same you will love the taungbuk.
 Renyu Hildamith is also involved with the Culture Department of the Govt. of Sikkim and recently she was posted in Namchi, the south district of Sikkim.So next time you are in namchi and pass a beautiful bespectacled lepcha lady in her full ethnic attire and with a bright charming smiling face....you bet your life on it.....she is Renyu Hildamith ----A Lepcha legend in flesh and bones.

SUNGLYON and the Final Journey

The SUNGLYON or the after death ceremony of the Lepcha is highlight of the belief Lepchas hold it dear of the afterlife. Whenever fate claims one of the family a MUN is immediately contacted and the preparations of the final journey of the APIL (soul) of the deceased are made. The MUN who acts as a guide for the lost APIL performs the incantations which are very heartrending in tune and the entire chanting is melancholic. It is believed that the APIL is confused about its immediate status and has to be convinced that it has to leave this world and head for the RUMLYANG (land of the GOD) where the ancestors of the PUTSO are awaiting the return. The invocations are done in TUNGBOAR RING and it guides the APIL through the different terrain of the Lepcha country starting somewhere near the present day Sevoke town following the upstream flow of river Teesta, through the holy land of the lepcha (DZONGU in north Sikkim) right up to the allotted CHU (of the PUTSO) through the LEP (gateway or a cave) which is located in the anyone of the many Peaks near and around Mount Kanchenjunga.

The corpse is usually kept in a sitting position and buried facing the great mount Kanchenjunga. After the burial upright stones (LONGCHUKS) are erected, which is but a replica of the great LONG CHUK (Mount Kanchenjunga) itself. The total process of the burial reflects the kinship shared by the lepcha with the nature and the Creator.

The adoption of the Christian and Buddhist faith by the Lepcha has seen a decline in this practice of burial. But the efforts of the village elders and different associations are slowly bringing this tradition back to the cultural life of the Lepcha.

Rong Bree

The Kinship of the Lepchas in Marriage

In the Lepcha society the contracting of marital bonds is not just a union of the two individuals only; it turns out to be an unbreakable tie and a solid link between the two clans concerned as well. No Lepcha marriage can take place within the same AAGIT or PUTSO. Marriage between closely related families is not allowed. The main characteristic of the Lepcha marriage consists of a number of rituals and customary practices all along the different stages of rather long drawn out wedding process. But it can be summarized to three main stages consisting of main and minor rituals. These stages are:

1. NYOM VYAT- the search and inquiry for the bride

2. ASHAKE- the engagement process

3. BREE- the final wedding ceremony

Nyom Vyat: This involves the process of looking for the bride and making necessary enquiries of the would-be bride. The first stage does not involve direct interaction between the girl’s parents or any of her relatives. The boy’s paternal uncle (AKU) makes the necessary enquiries from the girl’s neighbors and fellow villagers whether she is single. Most of the inquiry is about the girl’s family, her health and whether the family or the girl herself has any case history of “cursed diseases” like leprosy etc. When the party is satisfied that there is nothing untoward about the family as well as the girl in consideration the process moves to the next stage which involves direct interaction.

Here the role of an experienced middleman (PEEBU) comes into play. The boy’s family sends two or at the most three of close relatives along with the PEEBU with a gift of CHEE PROK (a packet of fermented millet) to the girl’s house. The girl’s family accepts the CHEE PROK and asks for the purpose of the visit in very subtle manner. The use of the TUNGBOAR ARING (higher Lepcha honorific language) is encouraged during such occasions. The girl’s family is under no obligation to accept the proposal even after accepting the gift of CHEE PROK. But if they are interested in the relationship they let the PEE BU know about it and they invite the girls AAJYOUNG (maternal uncle) into the play. An auspicious day is chosen for the formal engagement process with reference to the necessary sacred books.

Ashake: The formal engagement process starts on this second stage. The Lepcha emphasis of TAAMZUK (respect) becomes more evident in this stage. The boy’s parents in order to keep the stature of the girl’s family more high do not negotiate themselves directly. The middle man (PEEBU) has to be expert in the TUNGBOAR ARING while dealing the girl’s maternal uncles. The whole process involves the test of wits of the PEEBU where he is made to answer all the difficult and witty questions directed to the Boy’s party. After the maternal uncles of the girl are satisfied with the PEEBU’s performance and their queries regarding the boy’s intentions are cleared the gathering decides upon the date of the actual wedding. They also handover the list of gifts the groom’s party has to bring on the day of the wedding. The LAKTO PUNOL or the list of the gifts is the following obligatory items:

1. two full baskets of Chee (fermented millet)

2. one fore leg and one hind leg of a bull. Sometimes it becomes obligatory whether to bring the right or the left ones.

3. AMU DUMDYAM- the traditional dress worn by lepcha women for the mother

4. ABO SUMUK THYAKTUK- a cane hat for the father

5. PUNOL (gift) for the MUJYONG (maternal uncle), ABOAKU (paternal uncle), PHAMING(brother), MUNYU (maternal aunt), BONYU (paternal aunt)

Note: some of the above mentioned gift items can be substituted with nominal monetary value.

Bree: The wedding day is fixed in consultations with the sacred books. On this occasion, only 10 members (in accordance with the RONGKUP KATI tradition) from the groom’s party are asked to reach the bride’s home on the specified time. The groom’s party is fined if they reach the venue later than the affixed time. Even if they reach at time the bride’s family tends to pretend and ignore them as they remain standing at the gate. This is done in a sporty spirit and not meant to insult the groom’s entourage. Finally the negotiator from the bride’s home starts will engage the PAMIBU in TUNGBOAR ARING making subtle enquiries and using delaying tactics which serves as a mild punishment. There is no ill-feeling in such activities and the groom’s party bears it all as a social prank.

The blessing of the wedding couple is done by the BONGTHING (male priest) who invokes the ancestors of both the groom’s and bride’s PUTSO (clan). The incantations of the BONGTHING inform the ancestors’ spirits of the wedding.

In ancient times the groom had to stay at the bride’s home for at least 11 years and prove his worth by doing hard manual labor and all the household work before he could take the bride to his home. The modern times does not allow for such labor and hard work so there is a nominal amount to be paid as the bride price as per the customary laws.

It has to be pointed out that all the rituals mentioned above are according to the authentic lepcha way following the BONGTHING Creed and does not have any influence of the Lamaist Buddhist tradition or the “white wedding” of the Christians. Some ceremonies have undergone some modifications according to the prevalent local systems within the different Lepcha settlements in Sikkim. But the whole concept of marriage is still a sacred and holy alliance. The advent of Buddhism and Christianity has contributed to significant changes in the practice of the rituals. The overwhelmingly large infiltration of people of other communities has also, to some extent, affected the tradition practiced during marriages.

Tungbaong FAAT

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open
Well I don't know if I'm ready
To be the man I have to be
I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side
We stand in awe, we've created life

Birth and TUNGBAONG FAAT

The arrival of a newborn in the family is always welcomed with joy and much happiness and it does not really matter whether it’s a boy or a girl. The very miracle of a new life is much celebrated and makes a Lepcha more grateful to the EETBU DEY BU RUM for the blessing showered upon the family. It is considered as a personal gift and the coming of the baby is said to herald prosperity in the family, PUTSO and the whole village. The entire village participates in the ceremony that is to follow. There are presents for the new born as well as the confined mother. The new father is congratulated amidst jibes of his fertility.

After three nights and four days of the birth a ceremony takes place in the house over which a BONGTHING or a wise elder of the same PUTSO as the family presides. This ceremony of naming the new born is called “TUNGBOANG FAAT”. The ceremony highlights the importance of the KINGCHUM CHU (mount Kanchendzonga) in a Lepcha’s everyday life. The Bongthing offers prayers to the mountain and the respective chu (peak) of the new born. The prayer involves incantations to the confluence of River Teesta and Rangeet, KATHAONG FEE and NANGLYEN NYU the guardian spirits of birth. This is followed by the announcement of the PUTSO, CHU, DA and LEP of the newborn.

If the newborn is a baby boy then he inherits his father’s PUTSO, DA,CHU and LEP. Similarly the girl child inherits her mother’s PUTSO,DA, CHU and LEP

WAKE UP CALL

"ticking away the moments that make up a dull day

you fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way

kickin around a piece of ground in your hometown

waiting for something or someone to show you the way

tired of lying in the sunshine staying hoem to watch the rain

you are young and life is long and there is time to kill today

and one day you find ten years have got behind you

no one told you when to run you have missed the starting gun....."

khamri again

this is the moment we have in our hands and i guess we have got to give it our best til we can. No one gets a wake up call so all we have to remember that the earliest worms are snatched away by the ones who waited from last night. Just living a life is a miracle-cant expect magic wands to make our slates clean.

Khamri

"Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings".

Its within us to see the times are upon us. And its upto each one of us  to fulfill our responsibilities. And  the Question is "do we"? DO we even realise our Responsibilities towards the six lettered sirname that we all bear?

Rong aring.....maybe

Lepcha language

Lepchas refer to their language as ‘Rong-aring’ or ‘Rongring’ and falls under the Tibeto-Burman family of languages. There are quite a few amazing aspects about the Lepcha language. The interesting thing about the Lepcha language is that the Lepcha wiseman seem to have sat together to give names of various animate and inanimate objects. Hence, almost all the names of animals start with the letter ‘Sa’, and the names of different types of snakes and various bamboo products start with the letters ‘Ta’ and ‘Pa’ respectively. Likewise there seem to be a rare but highly evolved system of nomenclature within the lepcha language. Even the famous Botanist J. Hooker has mentioned in his treatise that the lepcha system of naming the flora and fauna closely resembles the scientific method of naming involving the genus, species, family etc.

The language RONGARING has three dialects within itself. The first one is used converse with infants and involves the use of words that are very easy to pronounce and that with which the infants can identify easily. The second one is the prevalent one, mush used in adult Lepcha conversation. The third and the most difficult one, is mainly used in prayers and invocations of the MUN and BONGTHING. It is metaphorical in nature and uses intricate combinations of words and phrases.

Lepcha language reflects ample monosyllabic traits. As is peculiar with this family of speeches, constraints in the range of vocabulary have helped musical elements in the Lepcha speech. Lepchas have their own script and have elaborate ancient literary works called namthars.

The arrival of the Tibetans and after that the Nepalis have affected the use of the RONG ARING. The later Chogyals (Kings) emphasized the use of Tibetan language through monasteries and rapid conversion of the Lepcha into Buddhism. The arrival of nepali speaking communities in large number also ensured that the Lepcha remained confined to far reaches and only to Lepcha settlements. Last but not the least the Christian and their English schools brought along another mass upheaval that saw more Lepchas opting for more attractive and flamboyant language English. The introduction of the Lepcha language in the CBSE curriculum in SIKKIM ensured that the Lepcha language did not get lost in antiquity. The inclusion of the language in the ICSE (efforts of the SIKKIM LEPCHA YOUTH ASSOCIATION) also brought relief to parents whose children were in ICSE schools. All this has ensured resurgence in the Lepcha language with more literary works and communication, and the phenomenon is on the rise.

Col.G.B. Mainwaring of the Bengal Staff corps, who married a lepcha lady, made a detailed study of the language and came out with the Lepcha dictionary and grammer. He was so impressed with the intricacies of the Lepcha language that he speculated that this must be the language that was spoken in the Garden of Eden as he realised that Lepcha language had no obscenities and no specific curse words.

Lepchas are like magicians in bamboo crafts and produce a wide variety of aesthetically beautiful baskets and such other things that come handy in daily chores. Their knowledge of poisonous and non-poisonous plants, snakes and information on other flora and fauna are phenomenal. But, with modernity making steady inroads into the Lepcha way of life such age-old wisdom are increasingly cruising away into the sphere of myths and legends.

go rong aring mayen

This is how it all started. The one dreaded sentence that destroyed the very essence of being Rongkup. I don’t blame my parents or even my grandparents or for that matter even my Rong relatives who for reasons of their own taught me to say – go rong ring mayen (I don’t know lepcha language). Maybe it’s the deep rooted rong reflection of “nung nahan” which so profoundly engrained that we tend to consider the other persons comfort more than ours even when the very existence of the rong ethos is threatened by the overwhelmingly large population of the guests that entered our mayel lyang. “Go along la rong ring mayen”

As I recollect my early rongkup years I still can hear the musical fluency my “nyukung” had over this beautiful language. In fact I always thought this was the only language she knew. Maybe few of the words like “katak rekshye” or “kujyu zong maatlu manyet” were harsh when she uttered in utter dismay over my performance as a mischievous child. But even those harsh words got edged in my tiny curious “aayoung” ( by the way I still wonder why it was so difficult for her to share her biksa aayoung which looked so delicious every time my aneu served her “kayo” fulls). As my tender years matured into adult years and the number of households increased tenfold in and around kyoung, the rongaring was there but scattered few. The long overdrawn musical sentences slowly changed into shorter versions like “aadosa aathyak” or even “kujyubu” (mind you the harshness remained-in fact increased in her senile years). While I happily adopted our western neighbor’s language as my very own, I even went further and honed my English as I thought I was different and people would respect me more for knowing the “mikdum aring”. Even the songs like “aye ley ley go tungkee” that was so common in my young cow grazing days fast disappeared from my song lists as I had to make space for the “long haired “ rock n roll rebels who were crying hoarse with down tuned guitars. Days were good-everyone was awed at my effort to sound and even look like the “SUN-magazine” poster boy. How many pairs of jeans were treated with utmost care to extract the delicate number of loose threads to give it the “rough look” while my Thokro dum (the RONG look) peacefully retired amongst the mothballs stored in that long forgotten wooden trunk placed in the corner of the dusty and smoky ceiling. Learning to play “mikdum vom” on the guitar was much easier and groovy, than trying my hand on the tungbuk. Days even got better when I thought my middle name, so carefully given to me by my fiery yet gentle Apa timbu, made me the object of ridicule in the school. It was much trendier being remembered by my decent anglo name than by my “rong abryang”. Even though my nyukung insisted in calling me by my rongaabryang I was kind of turned off by the prospect of my name being distorted into something like “hongkong’ or hornjong (these 2 are the only non-embarrassing distortions I can think of). Days were the best when I left no stone unturned to identify with the majority community so that I may be welcomed into their folds and could adopt their own courageous and wild history as my own. Now it was the best time to say “go rong aring mayen”.

This had to end and the EETBU DEYBU RUM had not made me for this and I had to be taught the lesson-it all started by one unruly misadventure. It is true I am not blessed with the “Punu Gaybu Acchyok” looks and maybe he too thought I was from “kunchu community”. He just pushed me to the corner between the two houses and raised his small but strong rongkup fists and shouted with face damaging anger “who are you to laugh when my friend teased me for being a lepcha?’ I knew the fists were on its way and I had to tell him the truth fast –“what made you think I was laughing at you? In fact even I am a lepcha and I was just telling your friend not to make those jokes because even I was being pulled in.”(Whew! That was close but did he believe me?) The next minute that followed changed the entire history of rong memong (why “history”? Read on). The change was too sudden for me to believe- the fists that were intended to disfigure my not-so-handsome face, came down for a friendly handshake and apologies followed. The next few days were spent in making acquaintances with his lovely family (ajee, apa, anum nyet and anom nyet). Well when good things happen it pours. Before long I was playing guitar to “laaso aarey rongkupsa” and “naam aal naamsa naambun rey” and hey I was good at it-then barge of rongvoms followed-“chyukong chenjong” “Kurfokalee darjyulyang”, Lho Chu tendong” and even the punchy vom “nye mayel lyang”. Now it was time for me to re think my strategy. No more “go rong aring mayen” it was more like “go rong aring kaam kaam yeu senla go nyengru sa depka taapet maatsyo aun rongaring hlap syo”

Here I stand and watch the graceful rongnyu and rongneet meander their way down the mayel lyang and realize much water has flown through the two ungkyongs and times have changed. Its with utter pride I look upon the Kingchum chu and the lower tendong lho and maenam lho, the forests and caves, the trees and birds, the stones and hillocks. I just know long days ago my ancestors walked this way in their everyday search for food and water and shelter. They ran in the jungles and played in the rivers. They sang with the birds and hunted with the animals. They knew which leaf had the taste and which trees made the strong bases for the “dokeymu lee”. They saw sanctity and purity in the nature around them and learned to flow with the ebb of the seasons. Fires were lit, stories were told, wailing infants and doting mothers, chee intoxicated father dancing by the fireside and nyukungs and thyungs ever ready to indulge their kupzongs. The music in their life was tuned to the melody of the nature. A song that echoes in every corner of the forests and peaks of mayel lyang and in the pure hearts of the mayelmoo. A song that so loudly echoes in our hearts even when though we try to drown it with other tunes- a song we all so well we know- a song that reminds us time again that this is who we are –rongkups to the hilt, mayelmoos to the last drop of vee-the song of being one with the land, very soul of the NYE MAYEL LYANG.
Go rong ring yeu……aacchuley

philosophy of rongsum

An individual in rhythm to his soul or one enlightened enough shows no hatred to life or its gifts. His soul dances to the tune of the nature and he is filled with joys of life and somehow finds more reasons to resonate his share of joyful bliss. In fact his very presence emanates the universal goodliness yearned by so many but so achieved by countable few. He touches you in so many ways and yet he is aloof from you. You search for his company in your solitariness and long to soak up the infinite righteousness that so easily exudes from his pure smile. It’s him who finds tiniest of reasons to smile and it’s him whom you can trust for you know well he will not deceive you even in the hardest of times. The virtues we so painstakingly try to inculcate in ourselves readily flows from him.
Such is the story of me-the mutanchi rongkup of nye mayel lyang. I stand witness to the history of human mind. The joy in my heart knows no bounds as I sing with the forest and flow with the river. I have embraced the magnificence of the creation and my heart beats with the cosmic flow of life. I do not yearn for gold or silver neither do I grudge against my neighbors who have so jealously piled their riches. I smile not because I see fault in you but to invite you to feel the flow of bliss in your life which you have so foolishly failed to realize. It’s your fear to surrender to the song in your heart that has seen you so much miseries and pain. I welcome you to my home not to show my lavishly decorated trophies but the pristine feel of being home or to cherish the fact that this is where you belong. Its you who have abandoned the call of your spirit and joined the mad rush for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And you know so well that the rainbows do not last long and also that by the time you reach the end there will always be another handful of your brothers already digging their way. I may not sharpen my spade every time the rain falls during sunshine but I sure have the pot of gold ever gleaming in my soul. Maybe this is why you call me lazy or not-enterprising. Yes I have been called indolent and idle but my friend I do not blame you because I am running my race in a different track. You know very well I do not need to run with you for what you desire maybe what I despise the most. Is it that you fear that I am not running at all or the fact you may reach the finishing line alone and have no one to show your shining medals?

Even as you shout from the rooftops you fail to see that I am not the flesh and bones you are but I am the soul of this land. I can hear what one river gurgles to the other and feel the winds whistling the tunes of lands afar. I can see the message the clouds bring down from the heavens. The sunset bids me goodbye every evening only to greet me early in the dawn as the Mount Kinchum smiles to me with the ginger glow. The passing birds tell me of the seeds I sow and the receding waters of Rongnyu and Rongneet whispers me the catch to follow. Nye Mayel Lyang is in me as much as I am in Nye Mayel Lyang. I don’t draw lines to mark my reach because you very well know spirit has no bounds and RONGKUP spirit floods this holy land.

How many lamps will you light or how many candles will you burn out yearning for what we rongkups never had to strive-“spirit full of JOY and heart full of content”. Can’t you see for yourself? We had our doors open even when you had trudged your tired soles across our sanctified land and we never even batted an eyelash when you shared from our plates. Your family found solace in our hospitality.
I have seen strong persons wither away to a mere reflection of themselves while in pursuit for that never reachable pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I have heard individuals forsake kingdoms and suffer years of atonement just to elevate the soul to higher grounds of perception where the mind radiates celestial righteousness and finds bliss in the smallest of the creations of the Divine. I have heard of individuals who have discarded unimaginable richness and pursued strict mental discipline to search for the universal reality far from the façade of man made pleasures.
Then I look at myself and my kinsmen and then I smile with knowledge. I know we have already reached where your glittering gold and crisps currency notes can never take you. Yes we are the RONGKUPS of the NYE MAYEL LYANG and I swear by the KOHOM FO that delivered us from the great deluge that I have never seen anyone as happy and as joyful than a Rongkup who loves his MAYEL LYANG and dances with ecstasy to the tune heard by his soul.

.....the questions

Here we go again-a Rongkup to the hilt. Well the journey was not easy nor was the realization. A book by Alex Haley –"The Roots" and it dawned on me. And of course Hollywood flicks, "Last of the Mohicans", "The Last Samurai" "Motorcycle Diaries" (another "last"), "Apocalypto", "Braveheart"( kind of like our charismatic punu Gaybu Achyok and maybe even the butt flashing scene), or even the romantic stuff like "Sweet Home Alabama" (no not the Lynyrd Skynyrd song) came along and each inspired me in a different yet effective way. For those who did not hear any bells ring-these are the very stuff that etched into me the very essence of being the "Mutanchi Rongkup" and I strongly suggest you go through the above list again and this time do so keeping in mind the spirit of Rong Sudkum. I did my part in a Shejum and spent quality time trying to work for the rongkups of Renjyong lyang. But there always stood a question in my versatile mind-where are we heading? To Mayel Lyang or a compromise? Certainly we do have a rich culture and a heritage and language and script that many indigenous people around the nation would give their right hand for it. But yet the obstacle lies in the very hearts of the Rong memong and this has to be dealt with all seriousness and conviction.
There is a huge number in the Rong Sukdum for whom holding on to the glorious past opened new dimensions in their present and gave them reasons to move ahead in life. But what about the countless Rong Ongs, for whom the Heritage is close to the heart, yet have no visions regarding where they are heading in this highly confusing and cut-throat competitive world controlled by ideologies in many ways contradictory to what we believe. The large number of Rongmits and Rongkups just floating away in confusion and going where the wind blows (I am not talking about the Mr. Big song again). Maybe awaiting for the excitement of preparing for the annual Rong Festivals and then retreating to their well entrenched shells again only to emerge in the next year’s festival. Well! Mix all of the above and we have a perfect recipe for uncertainty for the individuals as well as for the whole community. And the Question Lingers on……
It’s indeed very fortunate for many of us who have able and learned thyungs Nykungs who managed to salvage whatever of the heritage and culture we were left with after such huge and massive influence of the influx to many parts of our serene home. To day as we open our doors to the "born again" rongkups we hardly can believe the damage that has been done to the very spirit of mutanchi within them. Yes I am not pointing an accusing finger at anyone but just trying to lay my point regarding the work that has to be done to undo the years of effect of more persuasive traditions on our rongkups. It’s really heartening to see the efforts of the new generation to erase the years of anglification or aryanifictaion or even the tibetanification (wow some words right?) and try to pick up from where their ancestors had adopted a different path. But here comes the Bombshell-it’s really heartrending to see few narrow minded traditional Rongs who find this mass rejuvenation the rong sukdum is going through, a total deception. This is where I think we have to focus and cut out the loose edges so that we have a more stable and consistent rong sukdum where every one is respected equally without any discrimination.
We sure are proud to have Rong thyukungs and nyukungs, mun and bongthings, anums and anoms, akus and aneus et al who have so painstakingly maintained our traditions and culture pure and untouched right from the days of Fudong thing and Nazong nyu. But my observation lies elsewhere. It’s this huge cauldron of intermingling cultural influences that has created a new generation of Rongkups. I am so sure that it’s them who are equipped to inherit the Rong sukdum and it’s them whom we have to hone and sharpen to steer the Rong memong through more challenging times without compromising the age old norms and traditions which we so dearly hold.
Few Hollywood movies I have talked about above have one important common theme-the tragedy faced by the indigenous people when confronted by modernism or dominant alien culture. And yes a smile escapes my lips every time a smart rongkup claims that naming the book by the great Ren Arthur Foning (May Eetbu Deybu Rum bless his holy apil) as "Lepcha-My Vanishing Tribe" was a mistake. If and only if my dear rongkups could pack up their prejudices and look around –it’s not the Rongkups who are vanishing it’s the spirit of the Rongkups. Every time I watch the above movies (when I mean every time I mean it-I watch them very often) my mind opens up to the hardships faced by our generous and simple ancestors who must have gone through the same troubles when confronted by conniving and dominant individuals migrating to Nye Mayel Lyang. What pain must our grandfathers have felt when they saw the destruction of the forests and rivers and of the very nature they lived with, so content fully. Just out of curiosity I try to put myself into the state of mind our ancestors must have been, when in front of their very own eyes, "the ridge where they played" turned into the hub of cheating traders and harassing business grounds. And like telepathy from the past or even a distant beckon from my own ancestor-profound sadness takes over me and even a small hint of modernization fills me with deep sorrow. And the question arises again-what is the most important task at hand for all of us?
Someone has rightfully said-"there is nothing we can do about the length of our lives but we can certainly do something about the depth and width of our lives". We surely have to evaluate ourselves first before we start pointing fingers at others. There is a lot we can do yet we find it safer to fold our hands and condemn others of being less Rong than us. I am so sure that if they do not know where they are heading then its more Rongkup to show them the way rather than find faults in their efforts. "A fool and his wealth are soon parted". So in this life span we have received I sincerely think that we must at least have a loyalty towards the sir name we carry in our tribal certificates (the piece of paper which suddenly becomes so important when we are out looking for jobs or some unearned money called scholarships). Yes my dear Rongkups its shame to hold out our hands every time we receive benefits for being Rongkups (reminds me of hungry stray dogs the joggers used to feed early in the morning) and yet do nothing for the very Identity of MUTANCHI RONGKUP. So with the dream of Mayel Lyang in our hearts we have to move on-shoulder to shoulder and leave no stone unturned till we know that every anum and anom of our memong are proud enough to throw away the yoke of borrowed culture and traditions and happily adopt the "Rongkupness" which is as pure as the snow of Kongchen Chu. Maybe our questions will be answered then, maybe the burden of anonymity we carry today will be shed, maybe we will be able to take a peek inside us and realise that its "MUTANCHI RONGKUP"- that’s who we are……Are we there yet?

journey into realisation

This is inspired by a conversation I had with few of my friends while enjoying the the cold Mayel Lyang chill way up in the Deolo hill. My friend a rongkup to the heart, educated in English schools and spent the most part of his young life enjoying what modernism has to offer. It seems he along with some of his non-rongkup friends had gone for an excursion to the higher reaches of Dzongu. There in the middle of the rich nature he suddenly found his element. He climbed the trees and swung on the creepers as if he had been doing so right from his birth. He jumped the bushes and ran along the narrow path with all dexterity of a local. His joy knew no bounds as he realized his connection to the nature and his instincts came alive. His friends, of course the urban lot, did not fancy his desires and were apprehensive every time he took a dangerous swing or climbed the highest branches. Some one in the group exclaimed-"hey jungle boy". My friend with all his enthusiasm found this remark insulting and took it to heart. The remaining part of the lovely excursion saw himself controlling his wishes to run in the jungles around him. His story ended here and well mine begins right here.
He laid questions for us-why was he so free and content doing the wild things while his friends thought it was foolish and dangerous? Why did he feel so comfortable and at peace while doing things which would have given his loving mother a heart attack? Above all where had he learned to do those dangerous stunts when all he can remember of his childhood was a guava tree and that too a fall from which had given him 15 days of plaster of paris in the right hand.? The questions were many yet the answer was one.This is what we realized- come on it was not him but his Rongkup instincts taking over. It’s those hidden genes in him that danced with joy on seeing the return to the nature. It’s the spirit of his ancestors welcoming him home-the home of all Rongkups-the rich forests of the Himalayas where our ancestors thrived.
Now let me relate another example of my life. I have a Rongkup neighbour, happily married to a Nepali lady with two children and a nice Government job. The journey of life running smooth with the usual bumps here and there. But come weekend he some how manages to escape from his home and family and you don’t find him anywhere. He just is not there or even anywhere I can imagine. This remained a mystery to me during my childhood. Where did he go during the weekend and how come he is back every Monday morning with all his cheer and smiles? Then finally I came to know about his weekend whereabouts much later. There he was all alone, with his fishing rod lazying in the warm sunshine of the river. He did not have a family to feed with his catch yet it was with sense of urgency he left home every Friday evening with all his fishing gear. The only question that arose in my urban mind was why would anyone with such a hectic week take up the tedious task of walking down to the river be it hail or rain instead of sitting at home and enjoying the channels. The answer dawned on me when I myself sat by the river with a borrowed fishing hook with the bait dangling in shallow parts of Rongnyu Ung. There was no greater joy then. Me, the gentle gurgling of the Ungkyoungs and silence of the forests disturbed here and there by the occasional birds calling out to their mates. I invited my Kunchu and Kunyoung friends to share the tranquil and to my surprise they found it dull and boring. Then I realized its not me who wants to be in the river but the Rongkup in me who begs me to return to my home. And how the Rongkup in me rejoiced as I waded along the shallow waters digging under the slippery rocks for hidden crabs!