The Slow Disintegration of Lepchas, Indigenous Settlers of Sikkim
Words by Shraddha Nair
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The Slow Disintegration of Lepchas, Indigenous Settlers of Sikkim By Shraddha Nair
When I traveled through West Bengal and Sikkim earlier this year, I came into intimate distance with the lush North-Eastern forests. Curious as I am, I sought out ways I could learn more about this magical land. By a stroke of sheer luck, I was introduced to Alyen Foning, a shaman of Lepcha origin, but she is also a practising artist and researcher. Foning’s creative practice peeks through the looking glass at her own heritage, one which is slowly vanishing as the people of the Lepcha tribe disperse and dissolve into urban networks.
It is speculated that Lepchas were the first settlers of Sikkim, a small but culturally diverse state in the North Eastern arm of India. The precise geographical origin of Lepchas is still unclear, but it is believed that they arrived in India during the 14th century. Today they are found in pockets across Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and India. Lepchas were originally hunter gatherers and followers of Bon traditions and animism, a spiritual practice which reveres the natural elements - trees, rivers and mountains, etc. They are a naturally egalitarian community and, like most indigenous people, live in self-sufficient harmony within their natural environment. Up until three generations ago, Lepcha cultural practices were still intact, preserved. This feat was not achieved without withstanding many tribulations.
In the 17th century, Bhutan invaded the Tibetan kingdom and occupied large parts of what is now North East India, including Sikkim and West Bengal. Foning’s ancestors were among the many Lepchas who had been employed as local leaders and given authority and rank, for the administration of Kalimpong. This allowed some measure of control over the local people, which the Bhutanese regime exercised to maintain peace. In the 18th century, Tibet reclaimed some of this land but was unable to capture Kalimpong due to the efforts of Gyabu Achyuk, a Lepcha chieftain. In 1865, Bhutan was forced to cede Kalimpong and other areas to the British. In the span of 300 years, indigenous tribes across these regions were subjected to violence, invasion and cultural dilution.
When the British arrived, their way of life was altered drastically. Foning tells me, “The British came with religion, and converted a huge chunk of Lepchas to Christianity. Secondly, they brought with them Western education. They brought in a lot of workers from Nepal, so that population grew significantly. Kalimpong was at the end of the Silk Route so we always had a cultural mix but migration tipped the scales by a lot”. Many Lepchas abandoned their cultural practices for the stability and security of government jobs. In her own family, Foning is one of the only remaining practitioners of Lepcha tradition.