Monday, June 27, 2011

Residential school for Bongthings in training to open next session

GANGTOK, 24 June: The “Cultural and Traditional School”, an institute for Bongthings-in-training coming up at Naga-Namgor in North Sikkim, is scheduled to begin functioning from the next academic session- 2012.
Speaking to NOW!, Nim Tshering Lepcha, former Chairman and a major initiator of the project said, “This project is actually a Bongthingism Institute and will be run in the Cultural Bhawan of Renjyong Mutanchi Rong Tarjum [Sikkim Lepcha Association], under construction at present.”
According to Mr. Lepcha, a majority of the Bongthings are illiterate [in modern education], though they play a major role in society. Seeing this, they are trying to reach literacy to them and help keep the tradition alive.
“It will be difficult to educate the seniors, so we decided to educate those who are below the age of 13 years,” he said.

The institute, according to Mr. Lepcha, will have a capacity to accommodate 30 students and will also have boarding facilities.
“In the morning and evening, they will practice their traditional rituals under two senior Bongthings and in the day time, they will receive education in an English medium school nearby,” Mr. Lepcha informs.
As per the plan, the institute will be run as Sheda and the two instructors will be appointed under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan [SSA] under HRD Department, he said.
The Government Notification states that the administrative control of the Bongthing School will be with the Cultural Affairs & Heritage Department.
Informing that the management committee has already started the search of the able candidates, Mr. Lepcha said, “We will select only those candidates, who are approved as Bongthings by the community and authenticity regarding the same should be furnished through community heads, Panchayat members and even through MLA of the concerned area.”
“We are ready to enroll school-going candidates and assure that their studies will be continued even after joining the institute,” said Mr. Lepcha.
On the limitation of attachment of the candidates with the institute, Mr. Lepcha said, “The institute will continue supporting the students they pursue higher studies.”
The benefit, according to him, is that the age-old religious traditions of the Lepcha community will be authentically documented through these “educated” Bongthings, who by then will have gathered enough academic as well as secular knowledge.

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