After Jyerming....

Khamri to all who have manged to return to this blog..Its been long and the past year has just been a tight schedule of witnessing Jyerming make his way into my life and slowly taking over everything ....I have loads to write about and i hope i can make it interesting after all these months..keep coming back...

JYERMING EATHEN RONG-I

I know your roving eyes did not catch a glimpse of that glistening drop of tear in my joyful eyes as you lay gargling in my arms.

            Let me be honest with you- I never expected myself to harbor such sentiments but when I first heard your wail in the operating room my eyes just swelled with some unknown emotions. I just did not know from where the overwhelming sensation creeped into me. I was supposed to be the “black leather-power metal-overdriven guitar-growling macho-heavy metal listening male. Even after you moved into my wife’s womb, I had my reservations. My primary concern then was the hope my wife will be safe till the end. Yes I did get those thrills when we felt your kicks but yet I wondered whether it hurt my wife or not. My first connection with you came around the time you cried your way out of your mother’s womb. You were placed in my arms at about 10:00 am on the 16^th of July 2010, all wrapped up and a bundle of world that was beyond my comprehension. I had become a father- a death metal listening father who always thought tears were meant to be private. 

            I still remember Aneu (Dr. Gyalmith), telling me that since there was no sunlight that week you had to be given photo therapy (a fancy name for keeping you under 4 tubelights with your tender eyes covered) for many days as there was a likely chance of you getting jaundice (somehow it was quite normal to have every newborn to catch the disease). Your mother (mind you she is tougher than me) took a bath just the next day you were born much to the scoldings of her mother, my mother (both your nyukungs)and  the doctor gasped in utter disbelief when she heard that your mom had taken a shower the very next day after she had a caesarean operation. Where was I –oh yes I was there trying to make you sleep in the “photo therapy” cradle and I was running out of “warm soothing” lullabies. In fact your aunty Pema and Aie Tenzin both had suggested me just to hum in low voice keeping you near my heart so you could feel my beat. And for all the years of heavy metal I did not have one song in my mental jukebox that could make you comfortable. Believe it or not your father’s first lullaby was Creed’s “One last Breath”, followed by “Chopsuey” of System of a down. I even tried to mellow down “Master of puppets” and “Enter Sandman” (both Metallica hits-your father is one crazy Metallica fan) for you. But yet there I was-so oblivious to everything and connected only to you. In fact Aneu Gyalmith came down and told me to take a long walk (that day you were just 3 days old) alone. And I went straight from Adarsh Nursing Home (where you were born) to 10^th mile and was reflecting on those 3 days that brought on a new dimension in my life. I am not trying to be the melodramatic father running out of steam but yes you were welcomed into my life with much joy and exhilaration.

            This is just to remind you how special you were when you came into our life.

            ……ooops ! We will talk about your mother next time      

....busy me...

Khamri to all

....whew! A quick apology to all the readers. Its been a while since i uploaded any blogs on this page and i have reasons for not being as regular as i have been. I am sure the readers will bear with me and come back when i will be back in business (..that i hope is very soon)....anyways till then enjoy the different glimpses of Nye Mayel Lyang

....ALAS..

What pushed the Rongs’ backs against the wall…

Well the starting of the hunger strike in Kolkata by the Rongs made me think hard-amongst all minorities and Scheduled Tribes in the Himalayas, Rongs are the only ones who have to resort to such extremes.

Then I considered as a Rong and tried to grasp the situation. It’s the genuine sense of belonging that pushes the Rongs. The hills are our home and when problem arises in home we try to solve it anyhow and not ignore them and seek refuge in another neighboring nation.

The History has not been too kind to the Rongs. Scattered across the hills of this part of the Himalayas Rongs had their own clans and chieftains who were much in tranquil with their co-existence with the nature. I know of many new age historians armed with one sided argument walk away with the laurels while making the facts even stranger than fiction. The ancestors of our “blood brothers” came down the passes and swore allegiance to the treaty of “KAYUSA VEE LAONG TSAOKS” only to rule over us for another 300 years. The Namgyals (the ruling family of Sikkim) tried to rein in the hostility that arose due to the usurping of the land by taking into confidence the Rong ruling class and giving them, titles and offices in the Royal House. The resentment towards the taking over never really died down but the historians were careful enough to forget many such upheavals and conspiracy so that the theocratic set up would not be disturbed. While post 1835 and the conniving tricks played by Grant and Lloyd with Chogyal Tshugphud Namgyal, the Rongs in Darjyulyang too were facing new domination which had started after the massacre  of Chongjod Bholod’s family in 1828. Then the white trash of this side of Atlantic, which by now were already well entrenched on this side of the Indian Ocean, ensured that “the Buddhist prayer wheels were rapidly replaced by Hindu Mantras”. And in this historic cacophony the Rong spirit, unity and spiritual affinity towards Mayel Lyang (the utopia of the Rong conciousness) gradually disintegrated into two classes: the oppressors and the oppressed. It was the oppressed who by all means stuck to their heritage and culture and language as these were the only binding forces to remain of a culture that was once the most prolific and spread out across the Himalayas.

And of the Rongs in Damsang Lyang (present day Kalimpong sub-division) Gaybu Achyok (Gyelpa Achog) had erected Laong Tsaoks (stone pillars) all the way to Tibet to demarcate the his domains from that of the Bhutia Chogyal in Sikkim. His assassination only led to the House of the Paro (no wonder Rongs still call Bhutan as PROLYANG or Paro Lyang) to take over Damsang Lyang (Thank you Anum Azuk). Sikkim did not bat an eyelid because the descendants of the Minyak house  were never the warrior kind (remember they were the spiritual leaders in the first place with Buddhist agenda of the fleeing Nyingmapas during the the strife with the Gelugpas in Tibet).

India happened and yet nothing happened for the Rongs.

            This is the story of the oppressed Rongs who never had a voice even on their own lands and today the oppressed has come out in the open.

Pang Lhabsol-A Lepcha's take

The two rong festivals taken up by the denjongpas are “Pang Lhabsol” and “Kagyet dances”. When coaxing the native Lepchas to accept them within their fold , Khye Bhumsa , the far sighted and intelligent ancestor of the kings of Sikkim had accepted the conditions laid down by Thekong Tek among which were the CHYU  RUM FAAT and gave it a glorious name “Pang Lhabsol”. Pang Lhabsol means “come to witness the thanksgiving”.

To start off the ceremony and the function of the “Pang Lhabsol” the traditional royal Bongthing comes from Dzongu for the propiation of the Gyapdut (Yabdu) who is supposed to come up from the plains. Yabdu is considered as the deity who gaurds the southern gate of the Kingdom. The worship (by a local bongthing) is undertaken from a high hill above the Golma forest near Sevoke Kalijhora (Suvok) overlooking the plains of the Zo lashi. –REN ARTHUR FONING (LEPCHAS MY VANISHING TRIBE)

The worship of Yabdu and Dzonga (the supreme guardian deity of Sikkim) together make up the “pang Lhabsol” as we know today. The Pang toed Chaam introduced by the third Chogyal Chyagdor Namgyal (early 18^th century)performed during the Pang Lhabsol festival involves the invocation of the two main deities mentioned above. Earlier this Chaam used to be done at the grounds of the “Tshuk La Khang” but after its discontinuance it has been taken up by the Karma Kagyu Monastery of Ralong, South Sikkim.

An observation of the Lepcha festival of the Chyu Rum Faat or the worship of the great Lepcha protector mountain KONGCHEN KUNGLHO reveals that the general idea behind the “Pang Lhabsol” is but almost similar to the Lepcha worship. The Pang Lhabsol is said to have its origins to the first invocation done by Lhatsun Chempo who entered this area through the western side. But yet again it took the third Chogyal to institutionalize this festival and introduce the Pangtoed Chaam. Here too it maybe noticed that the invocation is for protection very similar to the lines of the Chyu Rum Faat.

Chyagdor Namgyal (the third Chogyal) had fled the state to Lhasa with one Yukthing Tishey during the intrigue initiated by his half sister Pendi Wangmoo. It is mentioned that he underwent rigorous religious training in Lhasa and also became the royal astrologer to the Dalai Lama. He was also granted Magisterial rights to some estates there. So when he returned the occupying Bhutanese forces (up to Mangbru) retreated (no plausible reason cited so far) across the Singtam but the Kingdom lost the region Kalimpong (Dumsong) for ever. There are other sources that claim Gyelpa Achog (Punu Gaybu Achyok) of Dumsong had a major hand in this retreat. The general Public morale of a Kingdom whose king had fled the nation leaving the Lepcha (Rongkups) citizens to fend for themselves deserved a new rejuvenating event which re-laid the lost nationalism in the souls of the recently defeated citizens. Thus was born the only “true Sikkimese” festival of Pang Lhabsol- a festival that inculcated local religious elements and Buddhist elements that appealed to both the Rongs and the Lhopos.

LEPCHA Gorkhas??

Khamri RENYU/RENSONG.

             It is with much regret and disappointment that we have come to realize the futility of our efforts in the issue of the non recruitment of the Lepcha candidates in the “RIFLEMAN /RECRUIT IN EASTERN FRONTIER RIFLES, WEST BENGAL ”. It has come to our notice that the Lepcha candidates who had cleared the recruitment process were asked to submit “Gorkha certificates” failing which they were asked to submit “Sikkimese” certificate. The entire selection process has come up with series of discrepancies.
                     The Recruitment notice clearly states that the selection is restricted to “Gorkhas” and Jharuas ((and sub-caste Meches, Kacharis and Rabhas) yet the panel for recruitment admitted Lepcha candidates’ application and no one noticed the error which clearly elaborates the fact that the panel was not aware of Lepchas status as a Scheduled Tribe (non-gorkha) in the State even though the EFR is a state paramilitary unit. The successful Lepcha candidates were asked to submit “Sikkimese” certificate which is but another major discrepancy as the recruitment notice does clearly mentions that the applications are invited from Gorkhas and Jharuas (and sub-caste Meches, Kacharis and Rabhas) only. No where in the notice is there any reference to the word “Sikkimese”.

As you may be well aware that the Lepchas (scheduled under Article 342 of the Constitution of India and 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) are the indigenous and the original tribe of the Darjeeling district hills, so categorizing the Lepchas under the head “Sikkimese” with no official notification is inconsistent with the above mentioned constitutional recognition.

Article 371-F was included in the Indian Constitution according to 36th Amendment Act in the year 1975, which were the condition and an agreement between the people of Sikkim and the Indian Union for the merger. In the same manner, Article 371-F (k) protects old laws of Sikkim . Under the same, the definition of the term “Sikkimese” has different Constitutional implication. As such the West Bengal Government cannot issue a certificate to the effect.

The clubbing of Lepchas of Darjeeling Hill District as “Sikkimese” as highly confusing which has adverse ramifications in the near future to the “sons of soil” of the region.

About 400 members of Kalimpong and Darjeeling Lepcha Shejum has gone down to Silguri to protest this discrepancy. The Hunger strike is likely to start from 10.08.2010 In the Tenzing Norgay Bus stand in Siliguri.

NURSYING LEPCHA ...first RONGCHYO lupon

Pundit Nursying Lepcha (Fonningmoo) of Pakyoung Sikkim was appointed as a Lepcha language teacher in the Bhutia Boarding School, Gangtok in 1913. He was the first Lepcha language teacher of a recognized school in Sikkim. His service was terminated when the Maharajah of Sikkim Tashi Namgyal decided that Hindi instead of Lepcha should be taught in the school.

In the testimonials 3 different spellings of his name has been used. Shri Sidkeong Tulku And Shri Tashi Namgyal wrote the name as “Narsing Lepcha” JU Turner (the Civil Surgeon and Superintendent of Vaccination at the Sikkim Agency Gangtok spelt his name as Nar Singh Lepcha. A Dracote on December 10 1915 wrote his name as NURSING LEPCHA

A Dracote wrote in her testimonial “the lepcha language and people may pass out of the world without a fuller record being kept than those already exist but which are very incomplete.” The then Maharajah of Sikkim Shri Tashi Namgyal was almost apologetic and regretful to see Pandit Nursying Lepcha go.

Office order No.8 of 1913-14

            Narsing Lepcha is appointed as a Lepcha Teacher of the Bhutia Boarding School on Rs. 15/- per month with effect from the date on which he will join the School.

Dated Gangtok,

The ………June 1913                                                  Signed

                                                                                    S. Tulku

                                                                                    (Maharaj Kumar of Sikkim)

Memo No.172/m

Dated Gangtok, the 9^th June 1913

            Copy forwarded to Narsing Lepcha through Munshi Timbu for his information and guidance. Nursing Lepcha should report himself for duties to the Headmaster of the Bhutia Boarding School at an early date.

                                                                       

                                                            (Maharaj Kumar of Sikkim)

 CERTIFICATE

Pandit Nursing Lepcha served in the Bhutia Boarding School for the last two years or so as a Lepcha Teacher. The services rendered by him were quite satisfactory. I was told that he is about the best Lepcha knowing man in Sikkim. I am sorry that I had to leave him as it has been decided to teach Hindi Language to the Bhutia boys instead of Lepcha.

                                                            Sd/ Tashi Namgyal

                                                            Maharajah of Sikkim