Uniform anger

Uniform anger

Sir — It is outrageous for the Lepchas of the Darjeeling hills to be asked to wear ‘traditional’ attire during the festive season starting from October 7 (“Gurung bid to clear dress code air”, Sept 11). The president of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Bimal Gurung, has said that “members of the Sherpa, Lepcha, Yolmo and Tamang communities should... sport the daura sural”. The daura sural is the traditional dress of the Gorkhas and not of the other communities mentioned by Gurung. As such, they cannot be made to wear a costume that is not a part of their culture.
Whatever the GJM leaders might say, the Lepchas are the original inhabitants of the Darjeeling hills. It is they who have accommodated and assimilated the Gorkhas into their culture rather than things being the other way round. It is sad for the Lepchas to know that their ‘guests’ have now become so powerful as to force the ‘hosts’ to wear the Gorkha dress. Making all the hill tribes wear similar costumes is an ethnocentric move by Gurung, who clearly wants to dominate the indigenous people. This is nothing but cultural annexation — an unwarranted attempt at control that should not be tolerated.
Yours faithfully, Charisma K. Lepcha, Shillong

Sir — There can be no argument on the fact that the original natives of the Darjeeling hills and Sikkim are the Lepchas. This can be proved, among other things, by the names of the places, rivers or valleys in the region. Unfortunately, the Lepchas have lived as underdogs in their own land for a long time. Things have come to such a pass now that they are being ordered by Bimal Gurung to dress like the Gorkhas while Bengalis or Marwaris are allowed to wear their own attires. Gurung owes the Lepchas an apology for issuing this outrageous diktat.
Yours faithfully, Romong Lepcha, San Francisco, US

Sir — GJM members have threatened those who do not want to accept Bimal Gurung’s dress code with unpleasant consequences. This has created an atmosphere of fear in the hills. Many are resentful but are scared to speak up. Perhaps not surprisingly, Gorkhas are almost as annoyed with the command as those from the other hill communities. This is because the majority of the hill people lead a hand-to-mouth existence. They can ill afford a set of traditional dresses. Gurung’s command is especially burdensome because of the time of the year when it has been imposed. The period of Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali — popularly known as dasai and tauhar in the hills and Dooars — is a time of extra expenses on gifts and new clothes for family and friends.
Gurung’s tyranny ironically reminds one of Subash Ghisingh, the leader of the Gorkha National Liberation Front whom Gurung ousted. Ghisingh had also suppressed the voice of the people by formulating autocratic rules. This finally brought about his downfall. If Gurung does not want to go the Ghisingh way, he and his party should be careful not to hurt the sentiments of the people.
Yours faithfully, Bisham Lamichanay, Darjeeling

Published in The Telegraph, September 21, 2008 http://www.telegraphindia.com/archives/archive.html

Letter To The Editor

How can Bimal Gurung insist on dress code for others?

Sir, ~ This is with response to the report, “Gorkhaland to have dress code?” (North Bengal and Sikkim Plus, 11 September).
How can Bimal Gurung insist that Lepchas, Sherpas and Tamangs wear the daura suruwal when they have their own traditional attires? This is “cultural domination”, especially for the Lepchas who are the original inhabitants of the region.
For many years, Lepchas have supported the Gorkhas, accommodated them to their convenience. But it is sad that they have now decided to take advantage of the Lepchas, who have not said anything against the Gorkhaland movement, and are forcing them to wear daura suruwal as well.
Has Mr Gurung forgotten that the enforcement of Gho and Kira in neighbouring Bhutan made the Nepalese question their identity? Has he forgotten that the Bhutanese dress code enforcement was vehemently opposed and challenged by the Nepalese both in and outside Bhutan? This is an ethnocentric move by Mr Gurung and his team to clearly dominate over the minorities. It appears the movement sees a threat from the Lepchas because they are the true owners of the hills; once the movement can dilute the Lepcha culture with Gorkha culture, it will be easy for them to say that the hills belong to the Gorkhas.
This is “cultural annexation” which should be opposed.
~ Yours, etc.,

Published in The Statesman September 16, 2008.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?date=2008-09-16&usrsess=1&clid=3&id=249525

Fashion Police in Darjeeling Hills

Was it mere coincidence that New York Fashion Week and Darjeeling fashion police decided to work at the same time? From different designers to varied colors, choices seemed endless in Big Apple. Unfortunately, Darjeeling hills had but one choice – ‘daura suruwal.’

In the trend spotting business of hill fashion, Bimal Gurung “insisted” that the Lepchas, Sherpas and Tamangs wear daura suruwal because being the inhabitants of this place, they are Gorkhas. [The Statesman, Sept 11, 2008]

Excuse me! But I want to stop right here and make it clear. “Lepchas are not Gorkhas. Lepchas ought not to be forced to wear daura suruwal.”

It is not sure whether BG and his posse are running out of ideas [as my professor says], or if he is just targeting the Lepchas because he can. Truth be told, Lepchas are the autochthons of the Darjeeling hills and they are the only people who have the right to say that the Gorkhas are “foreigners”, because everyone else came after the Lepchas to these parts. Yet, Lepchas have never said that. Instead, Lepchas have supported, accommodated and assimilated with all communities. They have even gone to fight for a Gorkhaland in their Lepcha land. When in reality, ‘Gorkhaland’ is something foreign to the hills and valleys that owe their names to words of Lepcha origin. From the tiny springs to the sky hugging mountains, there is no doubt about who the rightful owners of Darjeeling hills are. In that, Lepchas have never felt the right to defend what belonged to them.

But the time has come when Lepchas need to stay alert. The most recent imposition of a “daura suruwal” dress code is downright atrocious. It is culturally wrong and genocidal for a people group trying to hold on to what remains of their “vanishing” status. “It is a rape of a culture which has just stayed silent,” my brother says and there are many who would agree. Yet, the only thing that could be mustered from those imposing was a “relaxation” on the dress code for the Lepchas.

I sneer.

An apology would’ve been nice but now my generation has to wear otherwise? I don’t think so. Instead, it has only affirmed my convictions about the ethnocentric move by the Gorkhaland movement to further dilute Lepcha culture as Gorkha culture so it becomes easy for them to say that the hills belong to them.

But again, I am hopeful. I envisage a day when Lepchas from all across the hills throng the town streets attired in their colorful dumfra and gada – letting the world know the sense of fashion from Darjeeling hills.

Published in Sikkim NOW! September 15, 2008

Tendong Lho Rum Faat