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"This film illustrates the changes the Lepcha of the Dzongu reserve, North Sikkim, have been through in the last 60 years. From the 1940's, the Lepcha of Tingvong village gradually abandoned hunting, gathering and the slash and burn cultivation of dry rice, and became settled agriculturalists. Entire mountains sides were converted to cardamom and terraced for the cultivation of irrigated paddy. The irrigated rice and the cardamom cash crop not only brought the Lepcha within Sikkim's market economy but helped create a surplus which could among other things be invested in religion. In the 1940's, the Lepcha of Tingvong embraced Buddhism and all its complex rituals without however abandoning their strong shamanic traditions. Today, both forms of rituals amiably co-exist in the village. This film is part of a long-term visual anthropology training project for the tribal communities of Sikkim."--Original container

This paper investigates three different spaces, that is, the bazaar (town), comman (plantations) and busty (rural areas) within Kurseong, a small town in the Darjeeling hills, India. Based on informal conversations and interviews, the paper shows how 'aspirations' of the dwellers of these spaces are shaped and produced in fundamentally different ways. By tracing these differences, the paper argues that aspirations have a direct connection with the organization of space on the ground. The primary objective of this exercise is not merely to point out that there are such internal differences in this town but to locate 'aspirations' within a set of larger processes. For instance, we show how varying aspirations of the people in these three spaces are connected by their political demand for carving out this region from West Bengal to form a separate state of 'Gorkhaland' within the Indian union, and consequently to projects of 'development' and a boom in tourism. Such larger processes significantly intersect with life aspirations of the people and take on very different forms in these three spaces.

In pre-era, many tribes reside in a small kingdom of Eastern Himalaya. Lepcha or Rong as they like to call themselves are the indigenous inhabitant of Sikkim long before outsiders namely Tibetans, Nepalese came to the land. Sikkim merged with the Indian Union in later half of the 20th century, May 16th 1975 to be precise. Unlike other ethnic groups, Lepcha claim themselves as an indigenous inhabitant of Sikkim. A land in Dzongu is treated as sanctity by Lepcha people but today the same land has been used for other purposes. Major effect of the hydel project can be divided into four sub sections namely, local, state, national, and the impact at the international level. However, the initiation of mega hydel project passed by Government had infringed its own declaration of Dzongu as reserve area. Simultaneously, the impact of modernization agents on Dzongu is bigger and also a complicated issue which led to the debate between insider and outsider in one hand and Affected Citizen of Teesta (ACT) verses state government in the other hand. Similarly, there are various theoretical strands which can lead to understand the basic nature of development conflict. Theoretical framework: There are relative deprivation theory which explains major term like exploitation and deprivation. The line of thought is simple here that deprivation leads to exploitation which again leads to awareness of a group, who in turn mobilize themselves to achieve the set goals of social change. Methodology: The data source for this paper is from both the primary and secondary sources generated during field investigation. Extensive field study with in-depth interview has been carried out, with the help of questionnaire in the region and outside. This present paper highlight on the Lepcha Protest against modernizing agents in Sikkim is a struggle to protect their Lepcha Identity and Conflict regarding Dzongu Reserve is a conflict between the Nature Worshipers and the Global Forces of Development.

Lepchas are the Indigenous people of Sikkim, a small Himalayan state in north-east India. They are known for their deep knowledge of botany and ecology; their close connection to their landscape has been acknowledged and admired for centuries. Their feeling for nature and reluctance to accept change to their sacred landscape, contributed to a protest movement to stop the development of several mega hydro-electric projects inside the Lepcha Dzongu Reserve in North Sikkim. The Lepcha activists' battle to stop the hydro projects started in Dzongu villages in 2003 and relocated to the capital of Sikkim, Gangtok in June 2007. Bhutia-Lepcha (BL) House, a worn out building on Tibet Road in Gangtok became the site of their flagship protest, a relay hunger strike which ran for close to two and a half years. The protest also extended to the Lepcha enclave in neighbouring West Bengal and the city of New Delhi where the activists spread their protest narrative to the wider Lepcha community, NGOs and the Indian Central government. In 2008 the Lepcha activists, aware that they needed to re-engage their community, started to shift their campaign back to the villages. This paper analyses the Lepcha protest narrative, contextualising it in terms of cultural heritage and contemporary political economy. It evaluates the protest group's strategic use of both rural and urban settings to strengthen the impact of their campaign.

Festivals in Bhutan are celebrated annually at national and local level as it is one of the cultural aspects to display the devotion towards Buddhism. The annual festivals take place in Dzongs where monks perform mask dances with a communal belief i.e. to commemorate the arrival of Buddhism in the country. Besides, lay men and women perform dances to entertain the crowd. Whereas local festivals usually take place in open space in their respective villages and contain the features of pre-Buddhism practices. Neypo is the local festival that is celebrated annually by the local community of Gaytsa village under Bumthang Dzongkhag. It may sound mystic to some but the festival is dedicated to worldly deities and spirits who are believed to have a direct impact on the daily life and the prosperity of a family or a community. Thus the community's spiritual beliefs are central to the cultural identity of the country, making their way into the Constitution of Bhutan, 2018 and other government policies. Besides religious purposes the events also provide the opportunity for the local people to wear the best dress, relax from daily work and to enjoy quality time with family and friends.

This collaborative study investigates the hill station of Kalimpong and the larger Eastern Himalayan borderlands as a paradigmatic case of a "contact zone." In the colonial and early post-colonial era, this space enabled a variety of encounters: between (British) India, Tibet, and China, but also Nepal and Bhutan; between Christian mission and Himalayan religions; between global flows of money and information and local markets and practices. Using a plethora of local and global historical sources, the contributing essays follow the pathways of people from diverse cultural backgrounds and investigate the new forms of knowledge and practice that resulted from their encounters and their shifting power relations. The volume provides not only a nuanced historiography of Kalimpong and its adjacent areas, but also a conceptual model for studying transcultural processes in borderland spaces and their colonial and post-colonial dynamics.

Situating environmental humanities in the new Himalayas : an introduction / Dan Smyer Yü -- Relatedness, trans-species knots, and yak personhood in the Bhutan Highlands / Jelle J.P. Wouters -- Lepcha water view and climate change in Sikkim Himalaya / Charisma K. Lepcha -- Eco-spiritual and economic perceptions in Bhutan's Haa District / Thinley Dema -- Narratives from a fluvial world : poetics of Charland Dwelling in a Neocolonial Assam / Bhagarbi Das -- Painting the genesis of the Lepcha : a world emerging from water spirits / Rongnyoo Lepcha and Mongfing Lepcha -- Muddying the waters : the invention and enclosure of Tibet's wetlands / Ruth Gamble -- Aloof but not abandoned : relationality and the exploitation of the environment in the Garo Hills of India / Erik de Maaker -- Cordyceps, climate change and cosmological imbalance in the Bhutan highlands / Kinley Choki -- Local knowledge of floods and coping strategies in downstream Mahakali River, Nepal / Rashila Deshar, Dibas Shrestha, Sarina Maharjan and Madan Koirala -- Indigenous irrigation system linking people, place and the planet : the practice of jamfwi on the India-Bhutan Borderlands / Anwesha Dutta and Shailendra Yashwant -- Rajaki : an indigenous approach to commoning in Hunza, Pakistan / Zainab Khali -- Transboundary environments, militarization and minoritization : reimagining international relations in the Himalaya from Ladakh, India / Alexander Davis -- Symbiotic indigeneity and commoning in the anthropogenic Himalayas / Dan Smyer Yü -- Conclusion: Indigenous heritages and sacred earth / John Grim.

Globalization can be explained as a process by the means of which any idea, goods, traditions or customs becomes international or simply we can say it becomes "global" and reaches people spread across whole world. Globalization puts an impact on every society. Hence, this paper highlights the Crucial Impact of Globalization among Lepchas of North Sikkim. Lepchas are the original inhabitants of Sikkim. The Lepchas are of mongoloid stock and some anthropologist trace their origins to Mongolia or Tibet. However, the Lepchas themselves have no such history of migration in their traditional knowledge. They believe themselves to be the natives of the Sikkim and even consider Mt. Kanchenjunga as the abode of their ancestors. Globalization has put an impact on every aspect of Lepcha people. They were followers of simple tradition but due to globalization and modernization (Modernization is a by-product of Globalization) their traditions are changing and they are adapting the global ways of life which is endangering their own traditions, knowledge and values. As they have accepted several fruits of globalization with open arms hence their social life has changed a lot along with economic and political life. The change is so observable that number of traditional Lepchas has reduced significantly and they can be seen only in few areas. This paper highlights the both positive and negative impact of globalization and tries to present the factors promoting globalization among Lepchas. Keywords: Crucial, Globalization, Modernization, Endangered, Impact, Change Lepcha

Globalization can be explained as a process by the means of which any idea, goods, traditions or customs becomes international or simply we can say it becomes "global" and reaches people spread across whole world. Globalization puts an impact on every society. Hence, this paper highlights the Crucial Impact of Globalization among Lepchas of North Sikkim. Lepchas are the original inhabitants of Sikkim. The Lepchas are of mongoloid stock and some anthropologist trace their origins to Mongolia or Tibet. However, the Lepchas themselves have no such history of migration in their traditional knowledge. They believe themselves to be the natives of the Sikkim and even consider Mt. Kanchenjunga as the abode of their ancestors. Globalization has put an impact on every aspect of Lepcha people. They were followers of simple tradition but due to globalization and modernization (Modernization is a by-product of Globalization) their traditions are changing and they are adapting the global ways of life which is endangering their own traditions, knowledge and values. As they have accepted several fruits of globalization with open arms hence their social life has changed a lot along with economic and political life. The change is so observable that number of traditional Lepchas has reduced significantly and they can be seen only in few areas. This paper highlights the both positive and negative impact of globalization and tries to present the factors promoting globalization among Lepchas. Keywords: Crucial, Globalization, Modernization, Endangered, Impact, Change Lepcha

Introduction: Ethnomedicine and Indigenous Healing Practices among the Tribes of India: Challenges and Possibilities of Integration -- Practices and Praxis: A Critical Look at Medical Anthropology in India -- Ethnomedicine as Public Health -- Biological Diversity Act 2002, An Implementation Challenge In India: An Experience Sharing From Sikkim -- Chronicles Of Exploitation: Practice And Practitioners Of Ethnomedicine In The Quagmire Of Market Dynamics Of Pharmacopeia -- Indigenous Healing Practices in the Himalaya: Use of Medicinal Plants and Health Development in Nepal -- The Folk Healing Practices of the North East States -- Understanding Etiology of Diseases: Special Reference to Lepcha Communities of Dzongu, Sikkim -- Language and Traditional Healing Practice: A Study of Limbu Community.-The nongai dawai Khasi healers of Meghalaya -- Amchi system in Ladakh: Challenges in the New World -- Health Care Systems among Broq-Pa Tribe -- Ethnomedicine in Question: The Case of Tharu Healers and Healing Practices -- Ethics, Morality and Healing: A Bhil Perspective.

The tiny Himalayan state of Sikkim is well known for its multi-cultural and multi-ethnic identity. There is a political and historical debate regarding the identity of communities in Sikkim. Lepchas are considered as original inhabitants of Sikkim. Currently, Lepcha, Bhutia and Limbu are recognised as minor communities and have Schedule Tribes (ST) status in the state. Individual community concentration is mainly found in North and West Sikkim. Lepcha-Bhutias are found mainly in North Sikkim whereas Limbus are concentrated in West Sikkim. Community concentration is profound in rural areas. Gyalshing sub-division of West Sikkim has been selected for the present study. Purpose of this study is to investigate the Gram Panchayat Unit (GPU) level economy and social development of the rural areas based mainly on secondary sources of information. A field survey was also conducted to interact with the local people. Findings suggest that education and population density are the key determinants for GPU level disparity in social development of the study area. It has been found that the economy is primarily agriculture based and fully organised by organic farming system. Recently, homestay (eco)tourism business has been started here like other parts of Sikkim.

The tiny Himalayan state of Sikkim is well known for its multi-cultural and multi-ethnic identity. There is a political and historical debate regarding the identity of communities in Sikkim. Lepchas are considered as original inhabitants of Sikkim. Currently, Lepcha, Bhutia and Limbu are recognised as minor communities and have Schedule Tribes (ST) status in the state. Individual community concentration is mainly found in North and West Sikkim. Lepcha-Bhutias are found mainly in North Sikkim whereas Limbus are concentrated in West Sikkim. Community concentration is profound in rural areas. Gyalshing sub-division of West Sikkim has been selected for the present study. Purpose of this study is to investigate the Gram Panchayat Unit (GPU) level economy and social development of the rural areas based mainly on secondary sources of information. A field survey was also conducted to interact with the local people. Findings suggest that education and population density are the key determinants for GPU level disparity in social development of the study area. It has been found that the economy is primarily agriculture based and fully organised by organic farming system. Recently, homestay (eco)tourism business has been started here like other parts of Sikkim.