Lhotshampa
Encyclopedia
Lhotshampa, or Lhotsampa, means "southerners" in Dzongkha, the national language of Bhutan
. The term refers to the heterogeneous ethnic Nepal
ese population of Bhutan.
n auspices in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The beginning of Nepalese immigration largely coincided with Bhutan's political development: in 1885, Druk Gyalpo Ugyen Wangchuck
consolidated power after a period of civil unrest and cultivated closer ties with the British
in India
.
In 1910, the government of Bhutan signed a treaty with the British in India, granting them control over Bhutan's foreign relations.
Immigrants from Nepal and India continued to enter Bhutan with a spurt from the 1960s when Bhutan's first modern 5-year plan began, many arriving as construction workers.
By the late 1980s, the Bhutanese government estimated 28 percent of the Bhutanese population were of Nepalese origin. Unofficial estimates of the ethnic Nepalese population ran as high as 30 to 40 percent, constituting a majority in the south. The number of legal permanent Nepalese residents in the late 1980s may have been as few as 15 percent of the total population, however.
The government traditionally attempted to limit immigration and restrict residence and employment of Nepalese to the southern region. Liberalization measures in the 1970s and 1980s encouraged intermarriage and provided increasing opportunities for public service. The government allowed more internal migration by Nepalese seeking better education and business opportunities. However, the most divisive issue in Bhutan in the 1980s and early 1990s was the accommodation of the Nepalese Hindu
minority.
In 1988, the government census led to the branding of many ethnic Nepalis as illegal immigrants. Local Lhotshampa leaders responded with anti-government rallies demanding citizenship and attacks against government institutions.
In 1989, the Bhutanese government enacted reforms that directly impacted the Lhotshampa. First, it elevated the status of the national dress code of the Driglam namzha
from recommended to mandatory. All citizens including the Lhotshampa were required to observe the dress code in public during business hours. This decree was resented by the Lhotshampa who voiced complaints about being forced to wear the clothing of the Ngalop
majority. Second, the government removed Nepali as a language of instruction in schools, in favor of Dzongkha, the national language. This alienated the Lhotshampa, many of whom knew no Dzongkha at all.
agriculture. The Lhotshampa are generally classified as Hindu
s. However, this is an oversimplification as many groups that include the Tamang
and the Gurung
are largely Buddhist; the Kirant
i groups that include the Rai
and Limbu
are largely animist followers of Mundhum
(these latter groups are mainly found in eastern Bhutan). Whether they are Hindu or Tibetan Buddhist, most of them abstain from beef, notably those belonging to the orthodox classes who are vegetarians. Their main festivals include Dashain and Tihar, a festival superficially similar to the Indian Diwali
.
The oversimplification also carries over into when Lhotshampa immigrated into Bhutan. The government had accepted all those citizens of Nepalese origin who were there prior to 1958. However, settlers continued to enter Bhutan with a spurt from the 1960s when Bhutan's first modern 5-year plan began. These numbers swelled significantly and later led to a crackdown by the government.
, accused by the government of being illegal aliens. Between 1998-1993, thousands of others left alleging ethnic and political repression. In 1990, violent ethnic unrest and anti-government protests in southern Bhutan pressing for greater democracy and respect for minority rights. That year, the Bhutan Peoples' Party
, whose members are mostly Lhotshampa, began a campaign of violence against the Bhutanese government. In the wake of this unrest, thousands fled Bhutan. Many of them have either entered Nepal's seven refugee camps (on January 20, 2010, 85,544 refugees resided in the camps) or are working in India. According to U.S. State Department estimates, about 35% of the population of Bhutan is Lhotshampa if the displaced refugees are counted as citizens.
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. The term refers to the heterogeneous ethnic Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
ese population of Bhutan.
History
The first small groups of Nepalese emigrated primarily from eastern Nepal under IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n auspices in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The beginning of Nepalese immigration largely coincided with Bhutan's political development: in 1885, Druk Gyalpo Ugyen Wangchuck
Ugyen Wangchuck
Gongsa Ugyen Wangchuck was the first King of Bhutan from 1907 to 1926.He was born in 1862 to Jigme Namgyal, penlop of Trongsa and Ashi Pema Choki. He succeeded his father as Penlop of Trongsa...
consolidated power after a period of civil unrest and cultivated closer ties with the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
In 1910, the government of Bhutan signed a treaty with the British in India, granting them control over Bhutan's foreign relations.
Immigrants from Nepal and India continued to enter Bhutan with a spurt from the 1960s when Bhutan's first modern 5-year plan began, many arriving as construction workers.
By the late 1980s, the Bhutanese government estimated 28 percent of the Bhutanese population were of Nepalese origin. Unofficial estimates of the ethnic Nepalese population ran as high as 30 to 40 percent, constituting a majority in the south. The number of legal permanent Nepalese residents in the late 1980s may have been as few as 15 percent of the total population, however.
The government traditionally attempted to limit immigration and restrict residence and employment of Nepalese to the southern region. Liberalization measures in the 1970s and 1980s encouraged intermarriage and provided increasing opportunities for public service. The government allowed more internal migration by Nepalese seeking better education and business opportunities. However, the most divisive issue in Bhutan in the 1980s and early 1990s was the accommodation of the Nepalese Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
minority.
In 1988, the government census led to the branding of many ethnic Nepalis as illegal immigrants. Local Lhotshampa leaders responded with anti-government rallies demanding citizenship and attacks against government institutions.
In 1989, the Bhutanese government enacted reforms that directly impacted the Lhotshampa. First, it elevated the status of the national dress code of the Driglam namzha
Driglam namzha
The Driglam Namzha is the official behaviour and dress code of the Kingdom of Bhutan. It governs how citizens should dress in public and how they should behave in formal settings. It also regulates a number of cultural assets such as art and architecture...
from recommended to mandatory. All citizens including the Lhotshampa were required to observe the dress code in public during business hours. This decree was resented by the Lhotshampa who voiced complaints about being forced to wear the clothing of the Ngalop
Ngalop
The Ngalop are people of Tibetan origin who migrated to Bhutan as early as the ninth century. For this reason, they are often referred to in literature as "Bhote"...
majority. Second, the government removed Nepali as a language of instruction in schools, in favor of Dzongkha, the national language. This alienated the Lhotshampa, many of whom knew no Dzongkha at all.
Culture
Traditionally, the Lhotshampa have been involved mostly in sedentary agriculture, although some have cleared forest cover and conducted tsheri and slash and burnSlash and burn
Slash-and-burn is an agricultural technique which involves cutting and burning of forests or woodlands to create fields. It is subsistence agriculture that typically uses little technology or other tools. It is typically part of shifting cultivation agriculture, and of transhumance livestock...
agriculture. The Lhotshampa are generally classified as Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s. However, this is an oversimplification as many groups that include the Tamang
Tamang
The Tamangs are the ancient and original inhabitants of the mountains and plains of the Himalayan regions of Nepal and India. Their ancient capital being Yambu - modern day Kathmandu. They have their own distinct culture, language and religion. Their ancestral domain is popularly known as...
and the Gurung
Gurung
The Gurung people, also called Tamu, are an ethnic group that migrated from Mongolia in the 6th century to the central region of Nepal. Gurungs, like other east Asian featured peoples of Nepal such as Sherpa, Tamang, Thakali, Magar, Manaaggi, Mustaaggi, and Walunggi, are the indigenous people of...
are largely Buddhist; the Kirant
Kirant
Kirat or Kirati are indigenous ethnic groups of the Himalayas extending eastward from Nepal into India, Burma and beyond. They migrated to their present locations via Assam, Burma, Tibet and Yunnan in ancient times...
i groups that include the Rai
Rai people
The Rai are one of Nepal's most ancient indigenous ethnolinguistic groups. They were Raya meaning king. Once someone was recognized as a ruler then Hindus awarded the title Raja, Rai, Raya, Malla etc. When the king Pritivi Narayan Shah couldn't defeat Kirant king , he somehow took them in...
and Limbu
Limbu people
The Yakthung or Limbu tribes and clans belong to the Kirati nation or to the Kirat confederation.They are indigenous to the hill and mountainous regions of east Nepal between the Arun and Mechi rivers to as far as Southern Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim....
are largely animist followers of Mundhum
Mundhum
Mundhum is the ancient religious scripture and folk literature of the Kirat people of Nepal, central to Kirat Mundhum, the ancient, indigenous religion of Nepal. Mundhum means "the power of great strength" in the Kiranti languages...
(these latter groups are mainly found in eastern Bhutan). Whether they are Hindu or Tibetan Buddhist, most of them abstain from beef, notably those belonging to the orthodox classes who are vegetarians. Their main festivals include Dashain and Tihar, a festival superficially similar to the Indian Diwali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
.
The oversimplification also carries over into when Lhotshampa immigrated into Bhutan. The government had accepted all those citizens of Nepalese origin who were there prior to 1958. However, settlers continued to enter Bhutan with a spurt from the 1960s when Bhutan's first modern 5-year plan began. These numbers swelled significantly and later led to a crackdown by the government.
Expulsion
Since the late 1980s, over 100,000 Lhotshampa have been forced out of BhutanBhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, accused by the government of being illegal aliens. Between 1998-1993, thousands of others left alleging ethnic and political repression. In 1990, violent ethnic unrest and anti-government protests in southern Bhutan pressing for greater democracy and respect for minority rights. That year, the Bhutan Peoples' Party
Bhutan Peoples' Party
The Bhutan Peoples' Party is a democratic socialist party in Bhutan, currently working in exile in Nepal. Founded on June 2, 1990 in West Bengal, it was the first political party in Bhutan...
, whose members are mostly Lhotshampa, began a campaign of violence against the Bhutanese government. In the wake of this unrest, thousands fled Bhutan. Many of them have either entered Nepal's seven refugee camps (on January 20, 2010, 85,544 refugees resided in the camps) or are working in India. According to U.S. State Department estimates, about 35% of the population of Bhutan is Lhotshampa if the displaced refugees are counted as citizens.
See also
- Tek Nath Rizal
- Bhutanese refugees
- Goldhap Refugee CampGoldhap Refugee CampGoldhap refugee camp is a small refugee camp in Nepal populated by just over 4,600 Bhutanese refugees as of 2011. Because of its dwindling population, the UNHCR is planning to merge Goldhap into the nearby Beldangi refugee camps...
- Bhutanese Refugee camp Beldingi-2
- Immigration in BhutanImmigration in BhutanImmigration in Bhutan has an extensive history and has become one of the country's most contentious social, political, and legal issues. Since the twentieth century, Bhutanese immigration and citizenship laws have been promulgated as acts of the royal government, often by decree of the Druk Gyalpo...
- Demographics of BhutanDemographics of BhutanThis article is about the demographic features of the population of Bhutan, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
- Ethnic groups in BhutanEthnic groups in BhutanThere are many ethnic groups in Bhutan, and no one group constitutes a majority of the Bhutanese population. The Bhutanese population comprises four main ethnic groups, which themselves are not necessarily exclusive: the politically and culturally dominant Ngalop of western and northern Bhutan; the...
External links
- Bhutanese Refugees – A story of a forgotten people
- The Bhutanese refugees
- The Bhutanese Refugees – Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=asia&c=bhutan Bhutanese refugees in Nepal
- UNHCR briefing – Bhutanese Refugees: http://www.unhcr.org/publ/PUBL/4444d3c93e.htmlhttp://www.unhcr.org/publ/PUBL/4444d3c93e.html
- New wave from Bhutan settles in - Burlington (Vermont) Free Press