Bongthing Kami Lepcha passes away

GANGTOK, 08 Aug: Respected Bongthing, Kami Lepcha of Summar Thasha, Sumik Lingzey – Khamdong, passed on Saturday morning. He was 77 years old.
Conveying the message received from Rabin Pradhan of Khamdong, Suresh K. Lama, adds that well-wishers and friends have deeply condoled the Bongthing’s passing away. Among the senior-most surviving Bongthings of Sikkim, the late Kami Lepcha, was a familiar face at all important Lepcha rituals in the State and had also featured on the cover of the Jan-March 2011 edition of “Thoughts & Pen”, a socio-cultural literary magazine published from Sikkim. [accompanying pic]

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.