Sikkim’s Indigenous Limboo Language and Culture Birkha Man

: Limboo (Exonym) the autochthonous tribes of the southern part of the Eastern Himalayas in Sikkim, Darjeeling district of West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar (Burma). The original Limboo culture not only came in contact with the alien culture but in the course of time influenced by them. The undercurrent has both implicit and explicit impact on the original Limboo culture, tradition and religion. They consider themselves as a nature worshipper, and have their own mythology (Mundhum), and healer or priest known as Phedangba, Samba, Yeba, Yema. Today, Limboo beliefs and practices are also called Yumaism. Melanie Pappadis, in her book Limbu Folklore (1993) stated-that Limboo believes that the god resides in nature and, therefore, has a very animistic view of nature and its elements. They are free from any icons or images of god, and they separate to themselves from Hinduism and Buddhism.


Introduction
Like the Lepchas, the Limboos are inhabited the land of present Sikkim from immemorial (Sanyal, 1979,p.7). In his 'The Culture and Religion of Limbu,(1995), Chaitanya Subba states that Limboo is one of the ethnic groups of East Nepal, who has their own distinct culture. They are mostly dominant in Taplegung, Panchthor, Illam, Jhapa, Morong, Sunsari, Dhankutta, Terathum and Sangkhuwa sabha district in an area of 16,358 square kilometers, historically known as "Limbuwanthe abode of the Limbus". This area lies between the Arun River in the west, Sikkim, and the West Bengal state of India in the East. The Northern parts of the plains of Morong, Sunsari and Jhapa in the South and the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), China in the North, almost covering an area of 11,655 square Kilometres. This region is also known as Pallo Kirat. The Koshi, Mechi, and Limbuwan are the original homelands of Limboos, but the language and literature have not flourished compared to Sikkim.
As a place-prayer, they planted three Aambe Pojama (Mango trees) and surrounded them with three stones and considered them as Sewa-loong, Chang-Jang-Loong, and Phak-tang-Loong and started worshipping before the battle. Large numbers of ascendants were increasing day by day from that Shen-Mokwan family. With the consequence of increasing ascendants of the Shen-Mokwan family, Kiratians was considered insecure and threat. Then the Kitarians ruler planned to drive them out, which resulted in an aggression on the part of the Shen-Mokwan families also. Shen-Mokwan also started to fight against and ultimately they defeated the Kiratians and occupied the area, and settled the Eastern part of Nepal. The leaders of Shen-Mokwan renamed that place "Limbuwan," and they changed their name from Shen Mokwan to Yakthungba (endonym), which means ford defender, and later the entire Yakthugba race began to call themselves Limbu(exonym), presently also known as Subba. Literally, Lingba denotes "self-grown" or Emerged. Limbuwan may be derived from Lingba". (Kainla, 1992). The Lilimhang of Susuwaden (within the region of seven rivers) and comes under the progeny of Limbukhang and "Limbus" were great-grandson of Lelimhang.(Mabohang and Dhunge,1955).
During the latter half of the 7 th century, the local people drove the troops of Lhaso mong from their Janapandas (Small Republic), who were ruling for about 12 years in the near west of the Singalila range and later captured by the local people with the help of their weapon Bow(Li) and Arrow (Toong), then began to call their land as Limbuwan and their troops were called Limboos (Dahal, 1984). Administrative power (Subangi), special land tax and judicial power (Anmal System), and autonomy power were granted to Limboos (Shrestha, 1985d). Limbus were functioning their administrative power smoothly, and laws and acts were implemented in their region or locality accordingly in favours of the local public interest. They never misused their power and autonomy.
Rejoice their power and administration (As Subangi) till 1960 and with some conspiracy took place and the land reform act was implemented in 1966. After that power, privileges, and facilities of Limboo were ended. Most Limboo communities are depend on Agriculture and traditional farming is the main source of income and population of Limboo in Nepal is presently 700000 (Nepal Census, 2011 (National Report/November 2012) source www.ethonologue.com/Latest Nepal census data.

Language:
As regards, Limboo Language comes under the Tibeto-Burman Family or commonly considered as trans-Himalayan language. It has accents i.e. 1. Panch-Tharey It doesn't mean that the four dialects are significantly different. They are interrelated each other. The way of conversation and understanding of language is the same, but the speaking tone is different because of the regional settlement and the local environment. At literary and educational aspects, the developments of Limboo grammar and fonts have undoubtedly helped in the development of the language in the community. The contribution by late shri. B. B. Muringla, an eminent author and Limbu linguist has been tremendous.

Education:
In Sikkim, since the year 1968, Limboo language was started to educate as a vernacular or optional subject. After a continuous efforts placed by the Limboo leaders before the Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal (1923-82    Limboo language is spoken in Sikkim, Darjeeling hills and in some part of North East State of India, Bhutan and Burma etc., who consider themselves as they are not a Nepali (Smarika, the Limboo language: its origin and development, 2010).

Occupation:
Limboo communities are nature lover and mostly they are settle down in the hilly terrain region, they are mostly engage their live in agriculture. And agriculture is the main source of income and not only that they are also considered as expert in the rearing of cattle, mulching cows, piggery and poultry etc. They cultivate all kinds of seasonal crops; most of their lands are used in the farming of cardamom and ginger, in order to generate their income source. At present, hopefully 15% of the total population of Limboo community are engaged in the state and government sector and least 5% are in the business and other activities. The priest has their own duties to perform the religious rites, such as Death Rites, Mangena, Nahngma, Tongsing, Phungsok thim. Here they have a functional division, Phedangba, sambha, Yeba, and Yema are different among themselves and social boundaries in the Natural Mundhums. Although, they are not able to act all kinds of Mundhums. When I entered into my deep research project work, I found, many people do not know how many types of priests are there in the Limboo community and what kinds of mythology, they can able to chant by a specific priest, the people treated as same, but as per my understanding, they are different and we should not treat them as same, because they are bound by religious law and their duties are very specific and they are distinct by their own way.
Otherwise, if we cannot check on time and the same practices are lying for long, then Limboo's religious specialty will be become extinct. From the future perspective, we should have to specify those priests and check unlawful practices, by providing separate identities and preservative thought needed to improve the community, which can only help us to mould and save the desire of the Limboo community.
The Folk culture is considered as one of the backbone of the community. Folk songs, riddles, idioms, proverbs, and verses are oral literature, Logical, reality, specialty is sheep inside the Folk, in Limboo community, they have their own Oral tradition history, culture, place, monuments, secret places, and mundhums and it plays a vital role to shape, promulgate and develop community. Limbu are considered themselves as Sikkimese origin Limboo, not Nepali, they speak Nepali as idiomatic language only, and they have their own Religion called Yumaism, customs, culture, tradition, language. Even though Bhutia and Lepcha called them as Tshong, which means Limboo, not Nepali (Hooker 1854, 1905:128, Richard Rislay 1894, 1989:37. Hudson, Pandulepi VOL-60, page-240).

Conclusion
In the above all observation, the Limboo community have its own unique history and various living oral tradition, still exist in the society, but it needs more preservation and develop humanism for future generation, in the Limboo culture and folk literature, there is Large scope is still lying for research scholars.