Dynamics Of A Hill Society

This book reveals how untrue are many of the set ideas that many Indians have about the Nepalis. The Nepalis who are often called ?foreigners? and ?immigrants? are found here to be not quite so always. The history of individual castes and tribes subsumed many of them have their origin in Indian soil only. Besides, there language, culture, social organization, religion, etc. are by and large rooted in India. But this book does not overlook the long historical association which the Nepalis of Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas had with the Nepalis of Nepal. The bulk of the Nepalis during mid-nineteenth century being from Nepal they had also brought along certain cultural traits unknown in India. Further permutations and combinations have taken place in the region as a Lepchas, Bhutias, Europeans and the Indian plainsmen. Thus, the dynamics of the Nepalis society could best be understood in historical and ecological perspectives, as it has been done here. The author has drawn his informations primarily from intensive fieldwork in five purposively sampled villages of the region besides stray visits to many more villages and tea gardens there. more emphasis is laid on how the author feels and experiences the society as it grows and vibrates. The life-long association with this society has enabled the author to make many bold statements without much substantiation.