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

16
CISMHE
Pipon, one junior Pipon and one Gyapon (secretary) look after the office
of the Zumsa. The villagers elect the Pipon and Gyapon from among the
male members of the community. Women members are not eligible to
contest for the posts of office bearers though they have the voting rights
and can take part in the process of decision-making. The Zumsa
meetings are held at least once in a month or more frequently if the
situation demands. Such meetings are to be attended by at least one
member from each family. Violation of this norm is treated as an offence
and the offenders are fined and warned by the Zumsa. The responsibility
of a Zumsa includes supervision of all development activities of the
village concerned, and settling local disputes over property or familial
matters. The Zumsa also reserves power to deliver verdict in criminal
cases of local nature.
The Bhutias of Sikkim are not aware of varnashram and do not
have caste system. However, they are divided into two groups and twelve
sub-groups (rus). The first group known as Tondu rus-shi has four rus
that are considered superior to the eight rus of the second group Beb
Tsen Gye. The Bhutias, who by nature are extremely conscious of class
and status, do not usually marry outside their own ru clusters. Among
them marriage is endogamous at community level but exogamous at ru
level. At present Bhutias are found to marry outside their community
especially when they cannot afford to pay the bride price. In olden times,
the system of fraternal polyandry was quite common in Sikkim and traces
of it can still be found in North Sikkim. Elsewhere monogamy is the
general practice. The Bhutia families by location may be both patrilocal
and matrilocal. In rural areas, they usually have large joint families. The