LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Exploring Ethnolinguistic Vitality -
A Case Study of Lepchas in Dzongu Valley

Satarupa Dattamajumdar, Ph.D.

Lepcha Family. Picture taken from http://www.lepcha.info/

Abstract

The recent comments on the gradual loss of influence of the Lepcha language on the Lepcha community trigger our attention for an intimate look at the Lepcha speech community. According to Landweer (2008), "The indicators of ethno-linguistic vitality are a collection of factors that have been documented in sociolinguistic literature … have been useful in indicating the probable direction a speech community will go relative to the maintenance of, or shift from, its traditional language. No one factor has become a leading indicator of linguistic vitality.

Whether a language appears to be "maintained" or "dying" depends on the collective impact of positive or negative indicators that place the language on a continuum of stable vitality, change in process due to other-language interference, radical shift in process, and death. As such, language maintenance and shift are long-term consequences of consistent patterns of language choice throughout the speech community."

This paper examines the ethno-linguistic vitality of the speech community with special reference to the Lepchas of Dzongu valley, 'the prime Lepcha reserve' in North Sikkim. In order to explore the endangered situation of the language, the probable direction of language maintenance and shift, towards which the speech community is proceeding has been studied, keeping in view the socio - political aspects of Lepcha life and its impact on the Lepcha language and culture across time in the multilingual setting.

1. Introduction

The Lepchas are the original inhabitants of Sikkim and are mostly settled in Dzongu valley in North Sikkim. They are also settled in Kalimpong subdivision of Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Apart from Sikkim and West Bengal, Lepcha is also spoken in Bhutan (lower valleys in the West and South) and Nepal (Mechi zone, Ilam district).

According to the Census of India 2001, total Lepcha population in India was 50,629. The population strength of Lepcha in Sikkim is 35, 728 and 14,721 in West Bengal according to the same census (http://www.census India.gov.in/ Census_Data_2001/ census_Data_ online / Language/partb.htm). Lepchas are also settled in Bhutan (Samasti district), their population strength being 2,000 (2001 Van Driem) and in Nepal (Ilam district) 1,272 (1961 Census of India), [according to http://www.ethnologue.com.

The Lepcha language (which is also known as Rong/Rongaring/Rongring) belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language sub-family under Tibeto-Chinese language family. Lepcha is placed in the non-pronominalised group of the Himalayan languages under the Tibeto-Burman sub-family. Das (1978:18-19) comments,

A good deal of confusion exists about the original homeland of the Lepchas … However, there are a number of legends current among them about their original habitation. Most of these point that they migrated to Sikkim from southern Tibet … It is believed by some that the Lepchas migrated from the Assam hills and entered Sikkim as early as the thirteenth century. Although the Lepchas settled in Sikkim sometimes between ninth and thirteenth century, it became a political entity in the fifth decade of the seventeenth century.

They are mainly agriculturalists, pastoralists and are followers of traditional religion and Buddhism (Lamaist). Lepcha speech community is considered constitutionally in India a scheduled tribe pertaining to the states of West Bengal and Sikkim in India.

2. Objectives of the Study

Lepcha Ritual. Picture taken from http://www.lepcha.info/

Foning (1972:63) says,

…these children of Kongchen will forget to rejoin their ancestors in the land of spirits and thus the Lepchas will just be away and they will be left only as a legendary tribe of the Himalayas to be studied by posterity in schools, colleges and universities.

According to Awasty (1978: 45), "They are fast losing their cultural identity and leaning more towards Nepali social customs."

Foning (1987:305) states, "Anthropologists and research scholars have visited their lands… They have all, although reluctantly referred to this tribe of the Lapchas as 'a dying race'".

The comments on the gradual loss of influence of the Lepcha language on the Lepcha community, in the retrospective literatures trigger attention for an intimate look at the Lepcha speech community.

The paper examines the ethno-linguistic vitality of the speech community with special reference to the Lepchas of Dzongu valley, 'the prime Lepcha reserve' in north Sikkim. In order to explore the endangered situation of the language, the probable direction of language maintenance and shift, towards which the speech community is proceeding has been studied, keeping in view the socio - political aspects of Lepcha life and its impact on the Lepcha language and culture across the time in the multilingual setting.

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