Darjeeling, May 15 -- A six member team from the Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association (ILTA) met West Bengal Chief Minister Subhendu Adhikari at his residence in Kolkata on Friday. They dubbed the meeting as a "courtesy visit."
"It was not a formal meeting. It was a courtesy visit. We congratulated the Chief Minister and even handed over a congratulatory letter" stated Rumden Lepcha, General Secretary, ILTA, talking to the Millennium Post.
Lepcha stated that the Chief Minister reciprocated with warmth. "He invited us to visit his office and thanked us for the support in the last Assembly elections" stated Lepcha. He further added that they will soon seek an appointment and meet the Chief Minister officially. "We will then submit a list of demands before the Chief Minister in the form of a memorandum," stated Lepcha. The Lepchas also presented a traditional Lepcha hat (Sumok Thyaktuk) to the Chief Minister. The traditional hat is hand woven and made from cane or bamboo.
The Lepchas are indigenous people of the Darjeeling hills, Kalimpong and Sikkim, known for their deep bond with nature and belief in Mayel Lyang, their sacred homeland. Their ancient Tibeto-Burman language, rich oral traditions and festivals reflect a culture rooted in harmony with the environment.
In the past also they have been constantly pressing the West Bengal Government for immediate introduction of the Lepcha language as a subject in government and government-aided schools across all levels-primary, secondary, and higher secondary. Their demand to the Union Government is the inclusion of the Lepcha language in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The Lepcha language is Tibeto-Burman language with a unique, ancient script.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.