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

10
CISMHE
most of the Lepcha families have blood relation with either Bhutia or
Tibetan or the Nepalese.
The ethnic Bhutias of Sikkim are a dominant race, both physically
and spiritually. The Bhutias belong to the Tibeto-Burman stock and are
fair complexioned, tall and robust. They imported from north a distinctly
“Tibetan culture, Tibetan language, Lamaistic Buddhism, and a
combination of pastoralism and semi-settled agricultural pattern” (A.C.
Sinha, 1975). The Tibetan traders, farmers and the lamas are said to
have visited this land since tenth or eleventh century. At that time the
country was very sparsely populated and was inhabited by the primitive
Lepcha and Limbu tribes. The pre-existing tribes were mostly
concentrated in the humid forests and river valley areas leaving vast
stretches of highland meadows empty. On the other hand, the Tibetan
pastorals found the Alpine grasslands in the upper reaches of the
Himalayas most suitable for their yak and sheep herds and started to set
up semi-permanent villages in the heart of grasslands of North Sikkim.
The Bhutias, though not very skilled in crop farming, gradually started
cultivating and inhabiting the lower valleys. The wandering habits they
inherited from their pastoral and trading ancestors made them down to
earth and tactical in their dealings with others. Taming of animals as well
as trading of merchandise came easily to them and they did not take
much time to naturalize themselves on the new soil of
Demazong/Denzong (valley of rice), i.e. Sikkim. The mendicant lamas of
Tibet, especially those of old non-reformist school, too found a safe
haven in Sikkim. It is believed that a group of lamas initiated the Bhutia