The Lepchas Rights Movement

Lepchas Rights Movement: 

  

                               Lepchas are the Indigenous race of the Hills of Darjeeling. They have been residing in this place since ages. The Lepchas have always been simple, straight-forward, shy and peace loving people. It is for this reason that even being the Aboriginals of this place Lepchas have always been ignored resulting in the backwardness of the Lepchas socially, politically and economically. During all this time no other people came forward to help or support the Lepchas. Lepchas remained the neglected class. However with the changing time and world this negligence towards the Lepchas forced these simple and shy people to take up the issue at their own hands and fight for their rights. This fight for their rights is called The Lepchas Rights Movement. 

 

The following is a brief history of Lepchas Rights Movement:

 

7^th June 1947: The Lepchas of West Bengal met, spoke, pleaded, placed and forwarded countless memoranda to the Government of West Bengal and Central Government of India.  Their pleas feel to deaf ears and the Lepchas were completely ignored in the long run. 

 

 

2010:Six Lepcha Youths denied job recruitment owing to unavailability of Sikkimese Certificate which was demanded in order to get job recruitment in Eastern Frontier Rifles.

The Anthropological Survey of India has listed the Lepchas a non-Gorkha race but for job recruitment Gorkha Certificate was demanded which could not be produced. The Eastern Frontier Rifles is a state Para-military force and denial of the Lepcha who are Indians and also the Indigenous of the Hills of North Bengal was a total discrimination. Similarly Lepchas have been victimized in many such cases of employment and jobs. This was the time when every Lepchas felt that their future was insecure and something must be done to secure their future and identity. 

10^th August-14^th August 2010:

Lepchas of West Bengal gather in Siliguri in order to protest against the denial of jobs for Lepcha youths in Eastern Rifles and to get justice.The protests of Lepchas are not taken seriously and the protest becomes null after sometime. The Lepchas do not get justice and after 24 September 2010 they return back empty handed.  

27th August-24th September 2010:

The need was felt that the Lepchas need to take their voices further higher to the ears of the concerned authorities so about 200 Lepchas move to Kolkata to demand justice for the Lepchas. The Lepchas gather at College Square demanding justice and rights for the Lepchas.The Lepchas receive notice but cannot make much of an impact. The Lepchas return without much success. At the same time Lepchas gather in Siliguri for the same cause. However the demand for the rights now gets seriously taken up by every Lepcha.

 

 9^th August 2011:

Lepchas of West Bengal gather at Kolkata with a determination to succeed to achieve the Rights they deserve. The demand was simple, formation of a Council that could take responsibility for the socio-economic upliftment of the Lepchas of West Bengal.

 15^th August 2011:

 Independence Day is celebrated by Lepcha Rights Movement (L.R.M) hoisting the national flag and by singing the national anthem. The main motive is to express the Government that being an Indian citizen they gracefully follow the rules and regulations of the constitution.
                           On the other side Indefinite Dharna is still in progress in Raja Subodh Mullick Square. The conditions of the L.R.M members are pathetic. Almost 50 members of L.R.M have been suffering from chronic fever, malaria and other related influenza due to constant rainfall. Still they are determined to even give their life until and unless their demand is not fulfilled. The Lepchas have been deprived in many ways and it is believed that the Lepcha Development Council is the ultimate solution for the overall upliftment of the Lepcha people considering cultural, economical and overall implementation of the deprived Lepcha community.

16^th August 2011:

A group of L.R.M activists forcefully tries to enter the state assembly but the police implements 144crpc but Lepchas Rights Movement(L.R.M.)activists stay in the  State Assembly Premises around one kilometer distance and shout slogans and display banners  "We want justice- Lepchas Of West Bengal"  to all the ministers vehicles crossing the State Assembly road.

On 17^th August 2011 Lepcha Rights Movement start their Writers Chalo Abhiyan from Barabajar but police stops 70 activists nearly one kilometer from writers. The agitators are determined to go Writers and police personal negotiates with the leading members of L.R.M. After the meeting three persons are allowed to enter the Writers to meet C.M.O (P.A) Chief Minister. Thus other activists wait sitting in the floor holding the banner We Want Justice Lepchas of West Bengal. After half an hour the three people come out .The leader tells that positive assurance has been given from the Government side and information will be given in public with consultation with senior central committee members.

The situation intensifies when the protestors are arrested by the police force triggering Gherao of Police Stations by the Lepchas in Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Kurseong.

18^th August 2011: 

 

The situation is uncertain and no positive actions have yet been taken. The Lepchas continue their Dharna. About 1,500 Lepchas take out a silent march at Kalimpong to protest the alleged denial of democratic rights to 300 members of the community who have been agitating in Calcutta since August 9 with a number of demands.The rally in Kalimpong is taken out under the aegis of the Lepchas Rights Movement. Attired in their traditional dresses, the marchers walk through streets before gathering in front of the Sub-Divisional Officer’s office. The protesters present a memorandum to the S.D.O L.N. Sherpa, listing their demands — introduction of Lepcha language in the formal education system and representation in the Assembly and Parliament, besides the development council.The Lepchas then sit on a Dharna in front of the S.D.O Office in Kalimpong demanding for the Rights the Lepchas deserved. The Dharna continues then on. 

23^rd August 2011: Lepcha Rights Movement calles a 12-hour Bangla Bandh on September 20 in support of their demand formation of a Lepcha Development Council in Darjeeling. LRM also plans to start an indefinite hunger strike in Darjeeling, Kolkata and Delhi from September 19. 

On August 26 2011, it is decided that Lepcha employees and teachers would observe a "pen down chalk down" strike. About 300 Lepchas are in Kolkata since August 9, holding Dharnas and marches to the assembly. They say they are a marginalized community.

  25^th August 2011:

 

 

About 40 supporters of Lepcha Rights Movement staging a Dharna near the Gandhi statue in Kolkata Maidan are evicted by army authorities on Thursday and later arrested by the police. Lepchas are agitating in Kolkata for formation of a Lepcha Development Council in Darjeeling. 

   

1^st September 2011: 

 

The people belonging to the Lepcha community, historically acknowledged as the autochthones of the Darjeeling Hills, are feeling enthused by the empathy the noted writer and social activist, Mahasweta Devi , has shown to the community’s cause.  Over 250 Lepchas clad in their traditional attire have been staging a sit-in at Subodh Mullick Square in Kolkata for the past 21 days, demanding fulfilment of three demands linked to their struggle for cultural existence in the Hills. 

 2^nd September 2011: 

 

A huge rally of the Lepchas with various Kolkata based organizations, institutions and NGOs took place in Kolkata where many leaders, intellectuals, thinkers, scholars in supports of the Lepchas very seriously speak on the Lepcha tribes and their genuine demands.

The Honorable Chief Minister, Government of West Bengal, Ms Mamata Banerjee, announces that a "Lepcha Development ouncil" will be formed for the Indigenous Lepcha tribe of West Bengal. With this announcement by the Chief Minister of West Bengal, the protest rallies for their genuine demands were put to rest in Kolkata and Kalimpong.

 

5^th September 2011 A delegation of Lepcha Rights Movement meet West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday and is assured that the state government would set up a development board for the Lepchas in Darjeeling, LRM leader  N. T. Lepcha said. "The chief minister apprised us she has already made an announcement in the assembly about formation of the development board. She also requested us to withdraw our agitation." Lepchas groups are holding a dharna in Kolkata for over a month with their demands. 

 

 16^th November 2011:

 More than 10,000 Lepchas gather at Siliguri at Bagha Jatin Park to thank the Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee for declaring the formation of Lepcha Development Council.


8th July 2012:
                    

The Lepchas of West Bengal gather at Kurseong for the support of Lepcha Development Council.

5^th February 2013: The State Cabinet passes the Mayel Lyang Lepcha Development Board. This Board would be responsible for the socio-economic development of the Lepchas.


6^th February 2013:

Around 40 Lepchas gather at Damber Chowk and burst fire crackers to express their happiness over the State Cabinet's decision to set up the Mayel Lyang Lepcha Development Board. It is decided that a Mass Gathering meeting of the Lepchas of West Bengal would be organized on 9^th February 2013 to give this good news to every Lepchas of West Bengal. Sadly the Majority Party of the Hills called on a Bandh on 9 February 2013 opposing the formation of Mayel Lyang Lepcha Development Board. 

 

7th February 2013:

The Lepchas Rights Movement (LRM) starts a fast-unto-death at Trikone Park, Kalimpong after the formation of Lepcha Development Council is politicized by the Majority Political Party. The Lepchas are sad at this and the fear that the Lepchas may not be able to survive in this environment forces them to take up this step. The Fast-unto-death starts with 50 people but the numbers rapidly increase day by day.

 8^th February 2013: 

The fast-unto-death started by Lepchas Rights Movement (LRM) begins to catch pace and the number of people for fast-unto-death swells up rapidly. Because of the increased numbers, the people cannot be accommodated in Trikone Park so the others are accommodated in front of Town Hall.

 9^th February 2013:

The fast-unto-death started by the Lepchas Rights Movement (LRM) in Kalimpong on Thursday gained momentum with over 500 Lepchas joining in from different parts of the three hill subdivisions on Friday. The LRM maintained that the fast-unto-death which began on Thursday was aimed at demanding peace in the hills along with asking leaders not to politicize the formation of the Lepcha Development Council (LDC).
            This day had been declared a Bandh but even in absence of any transport facilities the Lepchas from all over the Hills reached Kalimpong to join the fast-unto-death by travelling on foot.
                
     

 11^th February 2013: 

 

Seven activists of the Lepcha Rights Movement (LRM) are hospitalized after being taken ill following fast-unto-death. They are rushed to a Kalimpong hospital after their conditions deteriorates. 

12^th February 2013: 

 

The State Government passes an order in Writers' to establish the Mayel Lyang Lepcha Development Board. The Lepchas end their fast-unto-death after the assurance of Honorable Chief Minister of West Bengal Ms. Mamata Banerjee and after the copy of G.O. is received. The Board would be responsible for the overall development of the Lepchas.