Limbuwan

Limbuwan Autonomous Movement

Limbuwan Autonomous Movement is the ongoing movement by the people of Limbuwan to attain a true and meaningful autonomy for the Limbuwan region of eastern Nepal. In the Limbuwan-Gorkha Treaty of 1774 AD, King Prithvi Narayan Shah had given a political, economic and judicial autonomy to the people of Limbuwan. All of those summarised in the system known as the Kipat system.

History

In 1965, King Mahendra and his government unilaterally abolished the Kipat System of the Limbu people of eastern Nepal by implementing the Land Reform act. There were huge opposition to this move by the people of Limbuwan. Limbus felt that their only vestigial rights from their past was stolen by an act of betrayal. Limbus knew that during the conquest of the ten Kingdoms of Limbuwan, King Prithivi Narayan Shah of Gorkha had sworn to uphold the Kipat and other Autonomous rights of the Limbu people. King Mahendra was King Prithivi Narayan Shah’s 9th generation descendent who had unilaterally stripped Limbu people of their rights.

The Limbuwan Autonomous movement gained momentum ever since the overthrowing of the Rana rule in Nepal. Limbuwan Liberation Front was the first leftist political party of Nepal to demand for greater rights for the people of Limbuwan and a true autonomy for Limbuwan. Limbuwan Mukti Morcha as called in Nepali is the Limbuwan Liberation Front.

Limbuwan Liberation Front was not recognised as a political party of Nepal and was not allowed to run in the general election of 1990 by the government. Its policies of Autonomy based on ethnicity and regionalism were labelled as a threat to national sovereignty and integrity.

It was not only the Kipat rights that Limbus was worried about, ever since the conquest of Limbuwan Kingdoms, Government in Kathmandu has always tried to suppress the languages and cultures of the indigenous people. The caste system incorporated in Muluki Ain of Jung Bahadur Rana, the policy of one Language Nepali and one religion Hindu, the policy of not recognizing the mother languages of Native peoples, and many more galvanised to raise a movement against the central government in Kathmandu.

There were several rebellions that rose in Limbuwan area from time to time against the central government.

1778 AD rebellion broke out against Limbu language repression policy

1792-1793 AD Limbus rebel against the King of Nepal during Nepal-China war and assists the Chinese army.

1867 AD Dashain boycott in Dhankuta

1870 AD Limbuwan rebellion against Limbu language repression policy

1950-1951 AD Kirant Rebellion when Kirant including Limbus rise up in arms against the Rana regime

1964 AD Kirat Movement against the abolition of Kipat System

Current Events

After the restoration of democracy in Nepal, various ethnic and regional groups have been asking for a Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal with autonomous states based on ethnicity and region. Political parties and Forums from Limbuwan have been very vocal in their demand of fully Autonomous Limbuwan State within the frame work of Federal Democratic Nepal.

Limbuwan Strike

From August 7-9 2007, Federal Limbuwan State Council called a three strike in nine districts of Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha, Terhathum, Taplejung, Panchthar and Ilam. FLSC demanded the guarantee of Limbuwan Autonomous state.

Market places, schools, transportation services and industries all came to a stand still due to the strike. Both public and private transportations were off the roads. The cadres of the council also burnt copies of the Kantipur daily and Damak based Purba Sandesh daily saying that the newspapers did not cover the news of their strike.

The Morcha cadres stopped the vans carrying Kantipur daily at Damak of Jhapa and Pathari of Morang districts and burnt the copies of Kantipur being sent for distribution from the publication's eastern regional office Biratnagar.

Joint Agitation

In August, Federal Limbuwan State Council, Khambuwan National Front and Tamangsaling Autonomous State Committee come together to cooperate each other and work together in pressurising government to meet their demands of Limbuwan, Khambuwan and Tamangsaling Autonomous States respectively.

Indefinite Strike

The Joint agitating Limbuwan and other parties call for an indefinite strike on Oct 4th 2007 demanding autonomy based on ethnicity/region and declaration of Nepal as a republic.

Police arrest 50 people from Jhapa and Morang for enforcing the shutdown. Police clash with Federal Limbuwan State Council cadres for vandalising public buses on the highway being escorted to their destination by police.

On Oct 7th, local administration in Jhapa imposes indefinite curfew to control the Strike which got out of hand.

On Oct 8th, Raj Kumar Angdembe a 20 year old cadre of Federal Limbuwan State Council is shot dead by police. Police say he was shot for defying curfew orders, the Council members and witness say he was shot during their peaceful protest. Police also arrests 33 members of the FLSC. Curfew is not lifted overnight. More than 40 passenger buses and 14 trucks had to be escorted by police from Morang to Jhapa on the fear of protestors.

On Oct 9th, the joint struggle committee halts their strike and agitation owing to Hindu festival of Dashain and Muslim festival of Id-ulfitar.

Fresh Agitation

On 29 Oct 2007, the Federal Limbuwan State Council, FLSC has put forward a new nine point demand to the government of Nepal including the establishment of Federal Limbuwan Autonomous Region before the Constituent Assembley elections. The group came up with the demands after their second central meeting which was held in Ilam from 25th of october. The council has also warned of fresh new agitations if the demands are not met soon. They have also said that with respect to the people of Limbuwan the new agitations will effect the public less.

The demands set forward by the FLSC council,

1) Declaration and establishment of Limbuwan Autonomous Province with in Federal Nepal.

2) All proportional representation system in the Constituent Assembly elections.

3) FLSC, Limbuwan activist Rajkumar Angdembe be declared a Martyr and proper investigation into the incident.

Federal Republican National Front

The Kathmandu Declaration on 20th November 2007 has brought struggling Federal Democratic National Forum, Federal Limbuwan State Council, Tamangsaling Autonomous State Council, Madhese Peoples' Right Forum and United Tharu National Front Nepal together to make a common front for their demands. The organisation agreed to make common demands on the issue of movement of complete abolition of Monarchy before Constituent Assembly elections, management of fully proportional electoral system for CA on the base of proportional representation of each ethnic group and establishment of Ethnic Autonomous States with the right of self-determination in the historic background of ethnicity and language. According to the agreed Kathamandu Declaration, the Front has presented a Memorandum Letter [click] to Prime Minister Girija Pd. Koirala on 21st November by mentioning all of demands to be fulfilled with the ultimatum for 7 days. The Front is also organizing Public meetings altogether in four places. According to the schedule- First Public meeting will be in Madhesh at Birganj on 23rd Mangsir [9th Dec.2007] Second Public Meeting will be in Limbuwan at Kerkha on 26 Mangsir [12th Dec 2007] Third Public Meeting will be in Tamangsaling at Hetauda on 29 Mangsir [15Dec 2007] Fourth Public Meeting will be in Tharuhat at Kailali on 3rd Push [19th Dec 2007]

External links

* [http://www.limbuwan.co.cc/]
* [http://www.chumlung.org.np]
* [http://www.nifn.org]
* [http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=126770]
* [http://limbuwan.blogspot.com/]
* [http://www.limbuwan.co.cc/]
* [http://www.nepalnews.com]
* [http://www.kathmandupost.com]

См. также в других словарях:

• autonomy — ou(plural -mies) Date: circa 1623 1. the quality or state of beig self-goverig; especially the right of self-govermet 2. self-directig freedom ad especially moral idepedece 3. a self-goverig… (New Collegiate Dictionary)
• autonomy — autoomy 1> независимость; независимая государственность 2> автономия, самоуправление 3> право на самоуправление 4> независимое государство 5> автономная республика, область и т. п. 6> независимость, особ. моральная; свобода (мысли и т. п.) 7>… (Новый большой англо-русский словарь)
• Autonomy — Autoomy Au to"o my, . [Gr. ?: cf. F. autoomie. See {Autoomous}.] 1. The power or right of self-govermet; self-govermet, or political idepedece, of a city or a state. [1913 Webster] 2. (Metaph.) The sovereigty of reaso i the… (The Collaborative International Dictionary of English)
• autonomy — noun 1) автономия, самоуправление 2) право на самоуправление 3)автономное государство; автономная область… (Англо-русский словарь Мюллера)
• autonomy — ɔ:ˈtɔəmɪ сущ. 1) автономия, независимость, самоуправление Bulgaria was to have, as to its iterior coditio, a sort of 'admiistrative autoomy,' as the favourite diplomatic phrase the was. По внутренним причинам Болгарии необходимо было… (Большой англо-русский и русско-английский словарь)
• self-controlled autonomy — внутренне присущая автономия…
• site autonomy — автономность абонентов (необходимое свойство распределенной базы данных)…
• unmanned autonomy — автономный беспилотный полет…
• manned autonomy — автономный пилотируемый полет…
• addressing autonomy — адресная автономия (процессорных элементов)…

See the Nepalese People and the circumstances

Existence of Limbuwan and their people Limbu

Limbuni girls with their traditional dress

Traditional Dance Known as Yalang with traditional tune "Chyabhrung"

The word limbu means an archer, or bearer of bow and arrows. The Limbu people belong to the Kirant confederation. Their ancestral and original stronghold known as Pallo Kirat as well as Limbuwan spans from Arun River in Nepal to the Kingdom of Sikkim in the east. In Nepal, Limbus live and work in the districts of Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Taplejung, Panchthar and Ilam. Their scripture is called Mundhum. Fedangba, Shamba and Yeba-Yema are their sacred specialists. They celebrate the dance festivals of Kelang popularly known Chyabrung (two-sided drum) and Yarak (Paddy dance) as major events. Limbus have their own script called Sirijunga. There are many books written in the Limbu language. Their faith is enshrined in the evergreen Cynodondactylon (dubo) grass and rocks. They cremate their dead. The population of the Limbus, according to the census of 2001, is 359,255. The Limbu ethnic group is considered a branch of the ancient Kirat community. They are the indigenous people of the land area comprising east of the river Arun extending to Sikkim and to the northern part of West Bengal. The area inhabited by Limbus was called Pallo Kirat in the early times and was called Limbuwan until recently. At the time of Prithvi Narayan Shah's invasion of the Limbuwan, there were ten different states ruled by 10 Limbu kings. It is said that the Limbus of today are the descendants of these 10 Limbus (Vansittart, 1991:107). The main areas inhabited by Limbus today are the districts of Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung, Terahthum, Panchthar, Dhankuta and Ilam. They are now also found living in large numbers in Sunsari, Jhapa and Morang districts. The term, ‘Limbu', in Limbu language means ‘one who carries bow' or 'bow carrier' (Chemjong, AD1948:33). Limbus are also called Yakthung. According to the population census of 2001, the population of Limbus is 359,379. Limbus have their own language, which is called 'Yakthungpan'. They also have their own ageold script. The script is called Kirat Sirjanga. A number of books have been published in the Limbu language. Limbus have their own distinct culture. Kelang (chyabhrung dance or drum dance), Yalang (dhan nach, or paddy dance) and Yemalang (bijwani dance, or female shaman's dance) are some of the Limbu dances. They also have their own unique songs called hakpare, palam, etc. They have their own religion called Kirat Dharma, often known as Yuma Samyo. They are basically worshippers of nature or animists (Subba, BS2058). Mundhum is their holy scripture. Tagera Niwa Phuma or Yuma is the prominent goddess and there are several other gods and goddesses. Among them Nahangma is the goddess of the primitive war--a culture in which Limbus take pride (Sagant, 1996). Phedangma, Samba, Yeba, Yema and Angsi are the sacred specialists who perform religious functions and lifecycle rituals. Limbus bring in people of other tribes and communities to their dynastic lineage by completing a special formality called chokphung or socialization (Chemjong, 1966:70-74). Limbus have deep allegiance towards a sacred grass cynodon dactylon and stone and witnesses involved in the process of adjudication according to Limbu practices are cross-examined by asking them to take oath by touching dubo (cynodon dactylon) and stone (Subba, 1998:42). Limbus, traditionally, bury their dead and mourning is observed for four days for male and three days for female. Attendance of close relatives is compulsory on the final day of mourning for cleaning up of the death-related pollution. Limbus, in general, marry within their own community. Boys are at liberty to choose a girl and girls are equally free to decide whether to spend life with the boy in question or not (Jones and Jones, 1976). Cross-cousin marriage is not allowed in Limbu culture. Marriage between a man and the widow of his elder brother can take place if they mutually agree. Marriage between a man and a woman outside family relations and having different thars (clans) is also possible either by arrangement or by mutual consent of the boy and the girl in question. It is conventionally said that the customs and traditions of Limbus were established in the distant past by Sawa Yethang (council of eight kings/leaders). Limbus are primarily dependent on agriculture. The system of land ownership and autonomous administration practised for several centuries was called Kipat, which was abolished after the enforcement of the Land Reform Act in the Limbuwan area. As a consequence, many of them found themselves deprived of their land. In old days the society of Limbus used to be guided by Tumyahang (gentlemen) and managed by Chumlung (Assembly of Gentlemen). The system, however, has now become a matter of history. The male Limbus are very skillful in farming and in making the required tools for the same, in hunting and in framing goods of wood and bamboo whereas the females are good at weaving, doing work of domestic skills and gardening. Men and women in Limbu society are considered equal and sons have claim in their fathers' property whereas daughters are entitled to inherit mothers' property. Land is in the possession of sons and the daughters own domestic animals and cash in the form of pewa.