Sikkim: Voluntary Committee demands state government to declare Limboo community as Primitive Tribe

Limboo Tamang Voluntary Committee (LTVC) on November 18 urged the Sikkim government to declare the Limboo community as a Primitive Tribe in the coming winter Assembly session by passing a bill. 

''Looking at these historical facts we want the state government to declare the Limboo community as a Primitive Tribe in the coming winter assembly session by passing a bill and also sending it to the ministry for Central Primitive list,'' said Yehang Tsong, President of LTVC.  

''We have collected various historical references and as per that Sikkim's modern history starts from 1642 AD. The name Sukhim morphed into today's Sikkim. The modern history of Sikkim starts from 1642 AD with the historical tripartite agreement of 'LHO-MEN-TSONG SUM' between the three ethnic tribes- Bhutia, Lepcha, and Limbu,'' he added. 

As per Tsong, 'LHO- MEN-TSONG SUM' has 24 leaders signing- 12 Limbus, 8 Bhutias, and 4 Lepchas, proving that Limbus had a majority presence and representation in Sikkim since ancient times. 

''However, the goodwill of the treaty deteriorated over the course of the Chogyal dynasty's reign leading to unfair treatment of the Limbus and eventual unlawful stripping off of their original treaty rights,'' he avowed.

He further said that the historical 16th century Red Seal offered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet during the year of Fire and Thunderbolt (probably during the holy reign of the 4th His Holiness the Venerable Dalai Lama Yonten Gyatso or Yon-tan-rgya-mtsho) gives absolute credence to the truth that Limbu or Tsong people are the first indigenous people of all territories under Phedap kingdom (including modern-day Sikkim) and under the sovereign power of Limbu since the time of their ancestors shared Tsong.