Lhotshampa

Lhotshampa, or Lhotsampa, means southerners in Dzongkha, the national language of Bhutan, and refers to the ethnic Nepalese population of Bhutan.

The Lhotshampa are generally classified as Hindus. However, this is an oversimplification as many groups that include the Tamang and the Gurung are largely Buddhist;^[1] the Kiranti groups that include the Rai and Limbu are largely animist followers of Mundum (these later groups are mainly found in eastern Bhutan). Whether they are Hindu or Tibetan Buddhist, most of them abstain from beef, notably those belonging to the orthodox classes who are vegetarians. Their main festivals include Dashin and Tihar, a festival superficially similar to the Indian Diwali.

The oversimplification also carries over into when they immigrated into Bhutan. The government had accepted all those citizens of Nepalese origin who were there prior to 1958. However, settlers continued to enter Bhutan with a spurt from the 1960s when Bhutan's first modern 5-year plan began. These numbers swelled significantly and later led to a crackdown by the government.

Expulsion

In the late 1980s, over 100,000 Lhotshampa were forced out of Bhutan, accused by the government of being illegal aliens. Because of this, many of them have either entered Nepal's seven refugee camps, or are working in India. According to US State Department estimates, about 28% of the population of Bhutan is Lhotshampa if the displaced refugees are counted as citizens.

See also

• Tek Nath Rizal

References

External links

• Bhutanese Refugees–A story of a forgotten people
• The Bhutanese refugees
• The Bhutanese Refugees–Human Rights Watch: [1] Bhutanese refugees in Nepal
• UNHCR briefing–Bhutanese Refugees: [2][3]
• New wave from Bhutan settles in - Burlington (Vermont) Free Press