1. The Lepchas are the one and only indigenous race of the Darjeeling District, Sikkim, and Illam Himalayas. They call themselves ‘Mutanchi Rong Kup Rum Kup’ meaning the ‘Beloved Children of Mother Nature and God’ in Lepcha. The name ‘Lepcha’ used today is, perhaps, derived from a Lepcha word, Lapchao, meaning a resting or waiting a place on the waysideor a place on thewayside where stones are heaped up as sign post to direct travellers. When the Nepalese first arrived in the Lepcha land and enquired about their identity at such a waiting place, the Rong people not knowing what the Nepalese were enquiring, replied that it is ‘Lapchao’ guessing that they were asking the name of the place. Unable to pronounce the name, ‘Lapchao’ correctly, the Nepalese addressed the ‘Rong’ folk as ‘Lapcha’ and later ‘Lapche’. When the British finally arrived in the Lepcha land, they, in turn, anglisized it to ‘Lepcha’. The name ‘Lapcha’, is still being applied in Illam, Nepal. The Rong people never address among themselves as ‘Lepcha’; they address themselves as ‘Mutanchi’ or simply ‘Rong’ with pride.
2. The Lepcha language is a very rich language with its own independent, unique and sophisticated script and literature. Lieutenant General G.B.Mainwaring, Bengal Staff Corps, the one and only westerner who thoroughly mastered the Lepcha language and, to this day, remains unsurpassed and supreme amongst foreigners on the Lepcha language and literature, in his Preface and Introduction and Remarks of ‘A Grammar of the Rong (Lepcha) Language’ in 1876 he wrote -
“Of the Lepcha language, I cannot speak too highly. The simple and primitive state in which the Lepchas lived is admirably shown by it. Their peaceful and gentle character is evinced by their numerous terms of tenderness and compassion, and by the fact that not one word of abuse exists in their language. Nevertheless, the language itself is most copious, abounding in synonyms and possessing words to express every slightest change, every varying shade of meaning, it admits of a flow and power of speech which is wonderful, and which renders it capable of giving expression to the highest degree of eloquence. The language also attests the astonishing knowledge possessed by the Lepchas. Of all the inconceivable diversity of trees with which the hills and dales are covered; of all the almost incalculable variety of plants and flowers with which the forests are filled; the Lepchas can tell you the names of all; they can distinguish at a glance the difference in the species of each genus of plants, which would require the skill of a practised botanist to perceive, and this information and nomenclature extends to beasts, to birds, to insects and to everything around them; animate or inanimate; without instructions, they seem to acquire their knowledge by institution alone.
It is impossible that a people with a language so comprehensive, with manners, though primitive, so superior, as to entitle them to rank high among civilised nations, could be engendered amidst the wild and vastness of the Himalayas. They retained, in so marked a degree, all the simple ways and habits of the partriarchs of old, as to lead to the conclusion, that they must have remained isolated ever since such customs were in vogue.
The Lepcha Language is a monosyllabic and di-syllabic one and is unquestionably a very ancient language. It is preeminently an Ursprache, being probably, and I think, I may, without fear of mis-representation, state it to be, the oldest language in existence. It is a most comprehensive and beautiful one, and regarded alone, as a prolific source of derivations and etyma of words; it is invaluable to the philological world. It, however, recommends itself to us on higher grounds; it possesses and plainly evinces the principle and motive on which all language is constructed’.
3. It is to be noted that the Lepcha language was the official language of the Darjeeling District until 1911.
4. The Lepcha language is recognised in India as a tribal language.
5. The Lepcha language is introduced in Sikkim since 1975. It is taught from Primary to Secondary to Degree levels in Sikkim. The Lepcha children in Sikkim are doing extremely well in their academic and educational field through their mother language, Lepcha.
6. The Lepcha language is not introduced repeat not introduced in the Darjeeling District, West Bengal, as yet. As a result the Lepcha children in the Darjeeling District, West Bengal, are very much lagging behind. They are forced to study in alien languages. Because of this, the number and rate of Lepcha student ‘DROP OUTS’ from the schools is staggering. The socio-economic and political condition of the original indigenous Lepcha tribes of the Darjeeling District, West Bengal, have not changed for the better at all even in the 21st Century. Only through their mother tongue and quality education, the Lepcha children in remote Darjeeling Hills, can be integrated into the main stream. There is no other way round.
7. The Government of West Bengal and the Central Government of India have introduced various languages like Nepali, Tibetan, Zongkha, Bengali, Hindi and others in the Darjeeling Hills but it is very sad and unfortunate that the Lepcha language have been set aside, totally ingored, ill-treated and left to die an unnatural death in the Darjeeling District, West Bengal.
8. Undeterred the Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, Headquarters Kalimpong, is working day and night for the preservation, maintenance, safeguard and development of the Lepcha language, literature and culture and to bring awareness on quality education among the indigenous Lepcha tribes in the Darjeeling Hills. Some of the tangible work the Association have done with outstanding results are:
a. There are 40 (forty) Lepcha Night Schools voluntarily very successfully being run by the Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, Headquarters Kalimpong, and its various branches in the Darjeeling Hills. The Lepcha language, literature and culture are taught to the Lepcha children in the schools. Additional English language and in few schools some Hindi, the national language, are also being taught.
b. The Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, Headquarters Kalimpong, have prepared and published the necessary Lepcha text books including a huge Lepcha-English Encyclopaedic Dictionary for the Lepcha children/students from Primary to Higher Secondary Education. Lepcha text books for the degree level are also being prepared by the Association. A few overseas charitable organisations from England, Germany and New Zealand are helping us to publish books in Lepcha language. The Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore, Government of India, is also helping us to safeguard the Lepcha language and literature through various projects.
c. Expert Lepcha Language Teachers are also available. Teachers Training in the methods, skills and techniques of good instruction are also being given to the Lepcha Language Teachers. An English lady, expert and professional in conducting and teaching the teachers in the methods, skills and techniques of instruction, will be arriving from England in October 2009 to train the Lepcha Language Teachers in Kalimpong. This is being arranged and organised by the Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, Headquarters Kalimpong, in collaborating with M. Way Charitable Trust, UK.
d. The Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, Headquarters Kalimpong, have established a ‘Lepcha Language and Literary Award’ for the conservation, safeguard and fostering of the Lepcha language, literature and culture since 1996. It carries a citation, and a cash prize of 16,000.00 (sixteen thousand) rupees. It is given annually to one of the best, deserving Lepcha Night Schools or a person who have contributed enormously for the development of the Lepcha language and literature. The award gives a tremendous boost to the morale of the Lepcha Language Teachers, students, parents, guardians, villagers.
e. Publication of Lepcha books including novels, poetry, drama, prose, journals, magazines etc. using the font prepared and provided by the Ecological Linguistics, Washington D.C., United States of America, is helping us to safeguard the ancient Lepcha language, literature and culture in the Darjeeling Hills, West Bengel.
f.Translation Work in Lepcha
Translation from Tibetan Buddhist Text Book into Lepcha
To attract the simple, original, indigenous Lepchas and convert them into Lamaism, the Tibetan Buddhist text books were translated into Lepcha in the 17th Century. The Lepcha manuscripts known as ‘Naamtho-Naamthaar’ meaning’ record and refined literary tradition’ in Lepcha, are to be found in the Van Manen Collection, Kern Institute of Leiden University, Netherland, in hundreds and other lesser known institutes in Europe.
Largest number of these Lepcha manuscripts are in possession with the Lepcha traditionalists in the Darjeeling Hills, West Bengal. The Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, Headquarters Kalimpong, on request from the ‘National Mission for Manuscripts, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, collected and catalogued 227 (two hundred and twenty seven) Lepcha manuscripts from the vicinity of Kalimpong town alone and sent the data on 31 May 2007 to the National Mission for Manuscripts, Culture Department, Government of India.
Translation of Bible into Lepcha
St. Mathew’s Gospel was translated into Lepcha and published in 1845. The Book of Genesis and part of Exodus was translated and published in 1849. This was the beginning of an era in Lepcha printed book production. The Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta, carried out the publication to lure and convert the simple Lepchas into Christianity.
Official Documents in Lepcha
Lepcha was the ‘official language’ in the Darjeeling District until 1911. The main documents written in Lepcha like the ‘Deed of Grant of Darjeeling 1935’ was translated to Hindustani. ‘Proclamation of 1838’ by Colonel Lloyd on the land taxation in the Lepcha language was translated into Persian, the diplomatic language of the Mongul Empire (1526-1857), Hindustani and Bengali.
You will also find the translation work of Lepcha in the ‘Linguistic Survey of India’ published in 1909 form Lepcha into English.
Some of the Lepcha manuscripts (Tibetan Buddhist Text Books in Lepcha) have been translated from Lepcha into English by the Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, Headquarters Kalimpong, way back in early 1990s but these translation work in English remain unpublished owing to the dearth of funds.
A few books have been translated from other language into Lepcha and vice versa as follows:
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali into Lepcha - March 2006.
Introduction to the Indigenous Lepcha tribes - From Lepcha into Hindi - November 2005
Lepcha Folklore and Folk Songs - Into Bengali (translation work has directly been completed and it will come out in this financial year. Translation is done by Sahitya Akademi, Eastern Region, and Jadavpur University in collaboration with the Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, Headquarters, Kalimpong).
Hindi- English- Lepcha Dictionary
It is being compiled under the guidance of Dr C. V. Shivaramakrishna of Central Institute of Indian Languages, Human Resource Development, Government of India, in collaboration with the Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association. We hope to bring this monumental dictionary by the end of 2010. We also hope to do more translation work from Lepcha into Hindi and vice versa with the help of this Hindi-English-Lepcha Dictionary in the future.
More translation work from Lepcha into other regional languages and vice versa needs to be carried out for the understanding of the original indigenous Lepcha tribes of the north-east Himalayan region.
g. The Association has opened a Primary School with 61 children at Doring, a very remote village in Kalimpong. There is no road, no electricity, no health centre, no clean drinking water facilities. There is one Government Primary School 3 (three) Kms away. It is not possible for small children to walk 6 (six) Kms to and fro through difficult terrain and woodland to attend this Government Primary School each day, therefore, the Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, Headquarters Kalimpong, has helped to open this private primary school. The name of the school is ‘Pano Gaeboo Achyok Primary School’, named after the last Lepcha King of Damsang. He was born in this particular village (1731-1781). There are four untrained but very dedicated teachers. We give each of them Rs. 650.00 (Rupees six hundred and fifty) only per month. The school was established on 21 June 1991. The Lepcha language is taught as a subject in the school. The ‘Pano Gaeboo Achyok Primary School’ needs to be recognised by the Education Department, Government of West Bengal.
h. This Association is also assisting the St Joseph’s School, Git-Dabling, Kalimpong. It is also situated in a remote area. 80% of the students are Lepchas. The school has introduced the Lepcha language as a subject. St Joseph’s School, Git-Dabling, is also a private Secondary School run by the Catholic Missionary organisation. The Lepcha children are doing extremely well in this school. It has to be recognised by the Education Department, Government of West Bengal, if the original indigenous Lepcha tribes are to progress and advance towards a better future and life in this area.
9. ‘Safeguard’, the word, is defined as a law, rule that is intended to prevent something or someone from being harmed or destroyed. Safeguard of minor languages in India, is enshrined in the Constitution of India, Articles 29, 30, 350A, ‘Tribal Policy’ introduced by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, for tribal languages. We also read about the safegaurds of Unscheduled Languages in various Political Parties manifestos. The Governments and institutions are preaching, all over India, that mother tongue for the linguistic minorities should be nay must be introduced in schools and taught; Viswa Kavee Rabindranath Tagore has aptly said, ‘Matri Basha, Matri Dudha’; it has become a famous quotation in the world. But all these remain confined to the big conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, documentary films, Parliaments, Ministries and Education departments for discussions and talks. Nothing has moved; probably one indigenous language is vanishing and dying out each year. It is really sad. The indigenous Lepcha tribal community say, ‘Practice what you preach’; come visits us and see the ground reality with your own eyes and take the necessary action, only than a vey rich and ancient language like ‘Lepcha’ will survive and flourish in India. Let the linguistic minority people also live with dignity and honour in India.
10. The Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, Headquarters Kalimpong, rightfully demand that the Government of West Bengal introduce the Lepcha language in the Primary and Secondary schools as a ‘SUBJECT’ only for the Lepcha children in the Darjeeling District, West Bengal, with immediate effect. For your information, DGHC, the Local Government in Darjeeling, have already highly recommended to the Education Department, Government of West Bengal, to introduce the Lepcha language in Primary and Secondary schools in the Darjeeling Hills.
LYANGSONG TAMSANG LEPCHA,
President,
Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association,
Headquarters Kalimpong,
Lower Bom,
P. O. Kalimpong-734 301,
Darjeeling,
West Bengal.
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