Socio-Cultural Environment - Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT)

8
CISMHE
The ethnic groups residing in the district are indo-mongoloids belonging
to two dominant groups, namely the Lepchas and the Bhutias. A third
group consisting of the people of Nepalese origin inhabiting the southern
villages of the district includes a host of tribes and castes belonging to
Indo-Aryan, Indo-Mongoloid and Proto-Australoid groups.
The Lepchas are believed to be the earliest settlers of Sikkim. The
origin of the Lepchas is somewhat obscure. According to the early
anthropologists, the Lepchas migrated to Sikkim from the East, i.e. from
the border regions of Tibet and Myanmar. The exact period of their entry
in Sikkim could not be ascertained as the anthropologists and historians
never established proven facts about their place of origin and reason of
migration. According to some the Lepchas belong to a Naga tribe while
others have found likenesses with some tribes in Arunachal Pradesh.
Still others contend that the Lepchas came from the west, i.e. from the
Mech country in neighbouring Nepal. However, the Lepchas or the
Rongs (the ravine folks), as they prefer to call themselves, are of firm
belief that the land of Khangchendzonga is their own country and they
know of no other country as their habitat. To quote a Lepcha writer, “On
the slopes of these magnificent hills (Khangchendzonga) the Lepchas
are born; there they live and there they die” (A.R. Foning, 1987). It is
commonly agreed that the Lepchas are the most ancient inhabitants of
Sikkim and adjoining hills of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Ilam in Nepal.
The fact that most of the rivers, mountain tops, and places in the area
have Lepcha names further substantiate the fact that the Lepchas had
knowledge of all these landmarks much before the Bhutias or any other
tribe reached this country.