Lepchas in Darjeeling and the Demand for a Separate Development Board

Abstract

The Lepchas are the original inhabitants of Sikkim. The process of development imposed by the colonial rulers had reduced the tribe to a state of subordination. After the formation of Gorkha Territoral Administration (GTA) in 2011, the Lepchas in Darjeeling also demanded a separate Lepcha Development Board for the protection of their language, culture and economic development. This paper seeks to address the brief historical background of the Lepchas, demands of the Lepcha community, strategies of the Lepchas on the issue of Gorkhaland, factors for the formation of the Lepcha Development Board, recent political developments in Darjeeling, aims and objectives of this Lepcha Development Board and composition of the Lepcha Development Board.