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The slopes of Kanchenjunga are sacred to them, with each clan
identifying one of the sub-peaks as their spiritual resting place. The
upper reaches of the rivers flowing out from Kanchenjunga, forming
the Teesta are equally sacred and this brings them into sharp conflict
with the power companies building a series of hydro power schemes,
virtually amounting to the destruction of this Sikkim and Darjeeling
valley. Without a ‘Lepcha Voice’ this scheme would have gone
completely unchecked, and that voice is very largely attributable to
Lyangsong who lobbies hard among Indian Central Government and
has regular meetings with Sonia Ghandi. In short, he moves among
higher places and with considerably greater authority than most of us
ever dream.
Lepchas have a unique dress, unchanged over the centuries, and
although jeans and ‘t’ shirts are the day-to-day uniform for most work,
the traditional dress is proudly worn for smarter occasions. The hats
intrigue me. The basic Lepcha hat, a fur ring, with a brocade top
surmounted by a knot, has a whiff of Chinese or Mongolian about it,
although I have never heard ancestry claimed beyond the
Sikkim/Nepal/Darjeeling/Bhutan area and don’t know nearly enough
about the movements of populations a couple of millennia back.
Most Lepchas profess Christianity or Buddhism, though there is the
odd Hindu temple, but underlying that is a worship of nature that goes
much further back and is still practiced and, indeed, guides the very
close relationship with the land that small subsistence farmers must
have (and perhaps we are beginning to understand). Boomthings and
Munts, Lepcha priests, still conduct ceremonies at Lepcha gatherings
and in Lepcha homes, whilst everyone still goes to the Temple or to
Mass.
The Lepcha language is unique. It has its own script which is unlike
any other that I have seen and I have heard that it is the World’s oldest
script that is still spoken. As a result of Lyangsong’s efforts there is
now a computer programme that will print Lepcha characters, and he
prints a quarterly magazine in English and Lepcha. It seems (to me)
highly complicated, with a 40 character alphabet, but is musical and