Lepchas (Rong)

Lepcha People Introduction The  Lepcha   also called  Rongkup   ,  "beloved children of the Rong and of God" and  Rongpa  ( Sikkimese )) are among the indigenous peoples of  Sikkim ,  India  and Nepal, and number around 80,000.  Many Lepcha are also found in western and southwestern  Bhutan ,  Tibet ,  Darjeeling , the  Province No. 1  of eastern  Nepal , and in the hills of  West Bengal . The Lepcha people are composed of four main distinct communities: the Renjóngmú of  Sikkim ; the Dámsángmú of  Kalimpong ,  Kurseong , and  Mirik ; the ilámmú of  Ilam District , Nepal ; and the Promú of  Samtse  and  Chukha  in southwestern  Bhutan . Origins The word Lepcha is considered to be the anglicised version of the  Nepalese   word  lepche  meaning "vile speakers" or "inarticulate speech". This was at first a derogatory nickname but is no longer seen as negative. The Lepchas call themselves  Rong. The origin of the Lepcha is unknown . They may have o