“Darjeeling: In Search of People’s History of the Hills” is a comprehensive collection of essays edited by Dinesh Chandra Ray and Srikanta Roychowdhury that offers a noble perspective on the history, culture, and politics of the Darjeeling region in India. The book highlights the voices and experiences of the people who have lived in the hills for generations and presents an alternative narrative to the dominant discourses traditionally defining the region.
Let‘s explore the journey through the people’s lives of Darjeeling, their struggles, triumphs, and enduring spirit with ‘Darjeeling: A People’s History of the Hills.’ You will better appreciate the region’s history, culture, and people.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION:
The book is divided into six parts with twenty chapters, each exploring a diverse aspect of the history and culture of the Darjeeling hills. Part I discusses the necessary frameworks and methodology for researching the alternative mode of historical research. Part II examines the impact of colonial interventions on the topography and collective psyche of the hill people. Part III focuses on the people’s efforts to forge their communitarian identity to counter colonial and neo-colonial influences. Part IV highlights modern identity’s hybrid and “singular plural” nature. Part V explores how the hill community’s arts, literature, and struggles express their complex identity and the fight to recognize their language. Part VI emphasizes the importance of listening to the marginalized subaltern history of the people of the hills, who often face discrimination based on gender, caste, and class differences.
PART I: THEORETICAL CONCEPTS AND CONCERNS:
In this section, the authors argue for a more holistic approach to studying the diverse history of the people of the Darjeeling hills to exhibit their collective identities and interactions with the environment.
Tanka Bahadur Subba’s essay explores the concept of “People’s History,” which he defines as a history of a collective group with a shared identity, culture, and language rather than simply a collection of individuals. He discusses the challenges of locating the “People” in “People’s History” about the subject matter and autonomy of the group as the subject of such history. Subba believes that while India has seen some success in People’s History, there is still much work to be done in Darjeeling, where a history of “faces” rather than “places” is needed.
In a similar vein, Ichhimuddin Sarkar highlights the neglect of the stages of societal development in the human history of the Darjeeling hills, despite the opportunities it presents for exploring man’s interaction with the natural environment in the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods. He calls for a more holistic research approach, moving beyond the flawed focus on urban/rural development and examining new linkages with the development process. Sarkar identifies various areas of research that need attention for a more coherent narrative of the people’s history of Darjeeling hills, including natural and environmental history, forest and forest animals, life and culture of the tribal people, transport and communication, education, local languages, place names, Buddhism and Buddhist art, and folk culture and popular art.
PART II: DARJEELING HILLS AND THE COLONIZERS:
This section delves into the impact of colonial interventions on the topography and collective psyche of the hill people.
Dahlia Bhattacharya’s essay explores the systematization of imprisonment during the British colonial period and the methods used to civilize Indians in the Darjeeling district. The author discusses the establishment of prisons, the treatment of prisoners, and the emphasis placed on laboring skills like the bakery, potentially undermining the legitimacy of the British as competent rulers.
Tahiti Sarkar’s article focuses on the British colonial efforts to order the Darjeeling hills’ lands and the landscapes’ corresponding material transformations. The study explores the impact of British knowledge, science, and colonial capital on the natural world, in which colonialism influenced human history.
Awashes Subba’s essay discusses the incorporation of sports into the educational system in Darjeeling and its role in moral training for the native public rather than cultural imperialism. The author uses secondary data to historically delineate the development of Western sports in the hills of Darjeeling and its continuation in the present.
Suman Mukherjee’s essay examines the initiative of the British to build Darjeeling as a hill station and health sanatorium of Bengal and the emergence of tourism, leisure, and recreation as an agenda in colonial Darjeeling and its impact on the native population.
PART III: PEOPLE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN IDENTITY:
This part focuses on the people’s efforts to forge their communitarian identity to counter colonial and neo-colonial influences.
The first essay, by Rahul Ganguly, examines the idea of Mayel Lang among the Lepcha people in the Darjeeling hills to understand notions of belonging beyond the modern political framework of statehood. The essay also explores the coexistence of Gorkhaland and Mayel Lang identities and how they are negotiated in everyday life. In Deepjoy Kutwal’s article, the author discusses the colonial origins of the terms Nepal, Nepalis, and Gurkha and how they have influenced the formation of identity in the region. Somoshree De’s essay traces the historical narratives of the area, from pre-colonial times to the present, highlighting the construction of a separate Indian Nepali identity in the post-colonial period. Bishal Chhetri’s essay examines the institutional discrimination and exclusion experienced by the Gorkha community in the Darjeeling hills and how it has fueled their quest for identity and statehood.
PART IV: PLURALITY AND SYNCRETISM:
This section explores the importance of cultural pluralism in the history of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, the indigenous Christian movement and its impact on the Lepcha culture, and the role of colonial modernity in shaping the region’s cultural identity.
Kishan Harijan’s essay explores the importance of cultural pluralism in the history of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, specifically the role of native and trans-Himalayan communities in tea plantations and trade. The region became a melting pot and ethnological museum due to the coexistence of people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Cultural pluralism has continued to sustain the area despite trade disruption after the Sino-Indian War. Dewakar Thatal’s essay discusses the indigenous Christian movement and its impact on the Lepcha culture, concluding that it could have effectively preserved their culture. Nirmal Chandra Roy’s essay focuses on the political aspirations of the Gorkhas and Rajbanshis to form a separate state independent of West Bengal within India. Vivek Thapa’s essay examines how colonial modernity changed Darjeeling’s leisure and work culture. These essays shed light on the region’s complex history and cultural dynamics.
PART V: POLITICS OF REPRESENTATION: LANGUAGE, ARTS AND LITERATURE:
This section delves into how the hill community’s arts, literature, and struggles express their complex identity and the fight to recognize their language. The essays explore the importance of preserving the folk culture and popular art, the role of music and dance in shaping the cultural identity, and the impact of language politics on the hill community of the region.
The essay by Sushma Rai examines the origins and development of the Nepali language, including its use as a lingua franca in the Himalayan region due to the introduction of the plantation industry during colonialism. The growth of the Nepali language and literature in India is essential in understanding the issues of nationality and identity faced by multi-ethnic Indian Nepalis, particularly the socio-economic exploitation of tea garden workers. Nima Doma Lama and Rathika Subba’s essay highlights tea garden workers’ conditions and Tea Garden Literature’s emergence to give voice to the minority and challenge dominant narratives.
Illora Sharma discusses the establishment and role of the Gorkha Janapustakalaya in promoting Nepali literature and culture in the Darjeeling hills. Sudash Lama and Anand Sherpa explore the role of traditional music in defining the cultural and ethnic identity of different ethnic groups in the region and creating a sense of supranational unity as Gorkha. Overall, these essays shed light on the complex and interconnected issues of nationality, identity, culture, and politics in the Darjeeling hills.
PART VI: HISTORIES FROM THE PERIPHERY:
The concluding part emphasizes the importance of listening to the marginalized subaltern history of the people of the hills, who often face discrimination based on gender, caste, and class differences. The essays explore various topics, from the society and culture of the tribal people to the impact of globalization on the hill community.
Lekhraj Balmiki’s essay delves into the historical roots of the Balmiki community in Darjeeling, highlighting their migration from northern India and their path from forced migrants to voluntary ones. The author also sheds light on the community’s social, economic, political, and cultural dimensions while questioning the lack of recognition given to their contributions. Despite the economic opportunities brought by the tea plantation industry, the tea garden workers have consistently been neglected and deprived of their rightful possessions, leading to struggles and bloodshed. Saurav Chettri examines tea garden workers’ plight following sudden garden shutdowns, discussing the factors responsible for such shutdowns, the dire conditions faced by workers lacking necessities, and the trend of workers fleeing reopened gardens. The author offers insightful comments on improving conditions for these workers, as failing to do so could jeopardize the tea gardens themselves.
‘Darjeeling: A People’s History of the Hills‘ has allowed me to delve deeper into the region’s rich history and heritage. Discover it for yourself better by clicking the above book image of Darjeeling.
EMPHASIS ADDED:
“Darjeeling: In Search of People’s History of the Hills” is a fascinating book that delves into the history of the Darjeeling hills from a perspective that has been largely ignored in mainstream narratives. The book aims to provide an alternate history of the region by focusing on the experiences and contributions of the various communities that have made the hills their home. One of the book’s key points is how it weaves together the multiple threads of this complex history, highlighting the different communities’ interconnectedness and struggles.
The authors bring a diverse range of viewpoints and expertise to the project, reflected in the richness of the analysis and the depth of the research. The essays are well-researched and draw on various primary and secondary sources. They offer a rich and nuanced picture of the region’s history and culture and provide information for readers who may need to become more familiar with the area.
The only minor limitation is that marginalized communities often have limited access to the resources and platforms necessary to tell their stories. Nonetheless, it is essential to acknowledge the limitation and to continue working towards more inclusive and equitable forms of storytelling and historical analysis.
CONCLUSION:
“Darjeeling: In Search of People’s History of the Hills” is a valuable contribution to South Asian history and an essential intervention in the ongoing debates about the region’s past and present. It is a vital account for anyone interested in the past and politics of Darjeeling and the broader Himalayan region. The editors have done incredible work bringing together diverse voices and multifaceted perspectives of the people who have lived in the hills for generations. The author’s meticulous research and engaging storytelling make this a must-read for anyone interested in the history and culture of Darjeeling.
[Note: Dinesh Chandra Ray, Ph.D., currently holds the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Southfield College in Darjeeling. He has previously served as Joint Editor for ‘Discourses on Darjeeling Hills’ (2013). Srikanta Roy Chowdhury, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Southfield College in Darjeeling. He has authored ‘From Bangalar Itihasa to Bangalir Itihasa: History in Making’ (2007) and served as editor for ‘1857: Text & Beyond’ (2013) and ‘Darjeeling Hills University & the Prospects of Higher Education in the Hills’ (2020)]
If you’re interested in the rich history and culture of the Darjeeling region, you won’t want to miss out on this fascinating read. Check out ‘Darjeeling: A People’s History of the Hills‘ by clicking the image of the book above.