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People
The Nepalese
The Nepalese comprise over 70 percent of Sikkim’s population. They began to settle down in Sikkim since the last two decades of 19th century. Their settlement in Sikkim was encouraged by the British.
The Nepali community of Sikkim is a mélange of various castes and a highly stratified society, speaking their own vernacular and having a culture of their own.
They are divided into the Bahuns, Chettris, Newars, Magars, Murmis, Rais, Limbus, Tamangs, Gurungs and scheduled caste namely Kamis, Damais and Sarkis. The New Nepali settlers were invited and brought as an agrarian force and promoters of sharecrops. They introduced terrace farming to give the landscape an unimpeachable beauty and a sensible agricultural system which suited very much the terrain of Sikkim.
Language
Nepali language-the lingua-franca of the State is spoken by all communities in Sikkim. This language is widely taught in schools and colleges in the State. It has received Constitutional recognition in the year 1992 and is included in the VIlI th schedule of the Constitution of India. Nepali language and literature are taught upto Ph.D level in Calcutta University, University of North Bengal, Allahabad and Banaras Hindu University.
Other castes & ethnicity
It is essential here to point out that there are many people from other states of India settled in Sikkim.
Firstly, the Marwaris who belong to business community, who came to promote trade via Sikkim to Tibet and later also in Sikkim. They have settled in Sikkim since long.
Besides Marwaris there are people from Bihar and Haryana. These communities are also involved in business and other associated works and allied professions. Rest of the people from other States are employed in Central and State Government jobs and in other professional areas like teaching and other technical areas.
It is also interesting to note that there are many Tibetans settled in Sikkim and their status is same as prevalent in other parts of the Country. Still the Tibetans feel comfortable and are very much at home because of the similar culture, language, traditions, religion followed in Sikkim by the ethnic Sikkimese Bhutias and Lepchas.
The Nepalese comprise over 70 percent of Sikkim’s population. They began to settle down in Sikkim since the last two decades of 19th century. Their settlement in Sikkim was encouraged by the British.
The Nepali community of Sikkim is a mélange of various castes and a highly stratified society, speaking their own vernacular and having a culture of their own.
They are divided into the Bahuns, Chettris, Newars, Magars, Murmis, Rais, Limbus, Tamangs, Gurungs and scheduled caste namely Kamis, Damais and Sarkis. The New Nepali settlers were invited and brought as an agrarian force and promoters of sharecrops. They introduced terrace farming to give the landscape an unimpeachable beauty and a sensible agricultural system which suited very much the terrain of Sikkim.
Language
Nepali language-the lingua-franca of the State is spoken by all communities in Sikkim. This language is widely taught in schools and colleges in the State. It has received Constitutional recognition in the year 1992 and is included in the VIlI th schedule of the Constitution of India. Nepali language and literature are taught upto Ph.D level in Calcutta University, University of North Bengal, Allahabad and Banaras Hindu University.
Other castes & ethnicity
It is essential here to point out that there are many people from other states of India settled in Sikkim.
Firstly, the Marwaris who belong to business community, who came to promote trade via Sikkim to Tibet and later also in Sikkim. They have settled in Sikkim since long.
Besides Marwaris there are people from Bihar and Haryana. These communities are also involved in business and other associated works and allied professions. Rest of the people from other States are employed in Central and State Government jobs and in other professional areas like teaching and other technical areas.
It is also interesting to note that there are many Tibetans settled in Sikkim and their status is same as prevalent in other parts of the Country. Still the Tibetans feel comfortable and are very much at home because of the similar culture, language, traditions, religion followed in Sikkim by the ethnic Sikkimese Bhutias and Lepchas.
