It's Lepchaland - not Gorkhaland
The touching statement of Noel, a young Lepcha.
Please, people, leave Darjeeling and the surrounding hills to its indigenous people, the Lepchas. We might be few and outnumbered but Darjeeling and its surrounding hills is our motherland ...
... not against any group of people residing in Darjeeling too and calling it home but, please, don't claim our land. It would be like you'd claim people's home when they have generously invited you to stay with them. I believe, you would not like that either. Lepchas are from Sikkim, Darjeeling and all the surrounding hills. Please, stay in peace and don't claim things that do not belong to you ...
We don't want to be NeBuLa¹ we are Rongs! Aachulay!
See, I have nothing against you or your community. Nepali is a good language and I had many Nepali friends when I was growing up. You may be probably right that many of our people can't speak our language and I'm deeply saddended by that fact. But that's our problem, not for you to worry about.
However, that does not mean that we are Nepali and we should forget who we really are. When you and me speak to eachother in English, this does not make us "Englishmen" or close to it.
Lately, I checked the term "gorkhas", they are Nepali. If you are looking for a place called home, please, go back to Nepal. Because that's where you belong. It's a beautyful and a much bigger place and you can even call it whatever you wish.
But not in our Mayel Lyang!
... by the way your NeBuLa thing: Please, take it with you when you go back to your home land. Aachulay!
Original Text at: Facebook (link broken); Photo Credit: Save Dzongu
¹ NeBuLa: Term created during the era of Sonam Wangphel Ladenla to epitomize the unity and equality among Nepali, Bhutia and Lepchas.