....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.

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.

..A tribute

Khamri

…….This came in from Anum Azuk Rongkup from Kalimpong.

The Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, Headquarters Kalimpong, in collaboration with M. Way Charitable Trust, UK, organised the Renyoo Aazem Rebecca Namchyoomoo  Memorial Lepcha Songs and Dance competition on 6th March 2010 and it was held at the newly built Lepcha Hall, Lower Bom, Kalimpong

The aim and objective of organizing the Lepcha Folk Songs and Dance Competition was to revive and foster the ancient traditional Lepcha folk songs, dance and music for posterity in Mayel lyang. The Chief Guest of the day was Ren Michael Way, England. The Lepcha youth and children from remote Lepcha villages participated in the competition and it is really heartening to report that 17(seventeen) Native English  Language Teachers from England  and elsewhere also participated in the event. Renyoo Hildamit Lepcha, Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee, the Guest of Honour, also spoke on the Lepcha folk songs and dances.

LEPCHA HEROES-III

TENDOOK PULGER

This is another Lepcha hero who has been remembered by few but who has managed make a lasting effect in the annals of history. The Gazetteer of Sikkim clearly elaborates his family. Doobgye, his father, was the Jongpen of Barmie in Sikkim and had lead the Sikkimese army against the Nepalese in Nagari. Doobgye had also assisted some Major Latter to lay down the present boundary of Sikkim and Nepal. Doobgye’s second wife was Barfungputso from whom Tendook Pulger was born.

Tenduk Pulger had the good fortune to be born the nephew of another distinguished Lepcha, the Chebu Lama (Astrologer Lama); when the Chebu Lama died, in 1866, Tenduk Pulger inherited from him one third of his property, fifteen and a half square miles of land in the north-western part of Darjeeling District known as the Karmi Estate. He accompanied Sir R. Temple on his travels in Sikkim and he was made Tehsildar under the Deputy Commissioner of Darjeeling in 1875 which was followed by the post of Deputy Commissioner in 1878. The British impressed by his work and effort made him the Revenue Collector of Kalimpong Estate. During this time he also served as a tutor for Young Sidkeong Tulku who went to become the 10th Chogyal of Sikkim later

With his characteristic zeal he went on serving the British government and he was made the Manager of Khas Mals in 1885. The title of Raja was conferred on Tenduk Pulger by the British Raj for Intelligence services rendered during the brief Anglo-Tibet war of 1888, when the Derbyshire Regiment passed through Kalimpong on its way to the Jelep La.

In 1891, as Manager of Khas Mehals, Raja Tenduk organized an agricultural show, Kalimpong’s first, jointly with the Rev.Mr. Graham. So successful was it that, by 1893, it had expanded to include a beauty ompetition, not the beauty of the female form, though, but the beauty of national costumes, Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepalese.

He retired from active service and was rewarded for his services in the North East frontier with the grant of pension and estate in Darjeeling. He died in 1902.