Cultural Survival

Welcome Back!

This weeks posts is talking about cultural survival. 

But going back to the interview with Mickey from the last post, I decided look further into the hunger strikes and the protests against the hydroelectric dams. Because, this seems like a topic that would put the Lepcha culture in a predicament. 

Many people associated with the Lepcha culture refuse to move away from Sikkim. They want to stay where they have always been, and they want the hydroelectric dams to go away and stop harming their environment.

( http://www.internationalrivers.org/blogs/299/government-scraps-four-proposed-dams-on-the-teesta-river-in-india )

(Demonstrators along the Teesta River)

On June 10, 2012 the Sikkim government withdrew their plans to build four hydroelectric power plants along the Teesta River. There were a lot of factors that went into ultimately making this decision. Some factors included, environmental concerns, a very strong public opposition, and a lot of the apprehension came after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit this side of the region in 2011. 

( http://s456.photobucket.com/user/raj0410/media/DSC00322.jpg.html )

(Teesta River)

Because of the Lepchans perseverance and refusal to move, they have in a sense moved forward by stopping the hydroelectric dams and could be potentially fatal to the rich biodiversity that is along the Teesta River.

Thanks for reading

Next time: References