Iman Xin Chemjong

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Iman Xin Chemjong Limbu
इमान सिंह चेम्जोङ लिम्बू
ᤀᤡᤔᤠᤏ ᤛᤡᤲᤜ ᤆᤣᤶᤈᤥᤅ ᤗᤡᤶᤒᤢ
Born1 January 1904
Darjeeling, India
Died1975 (aged 70–71)
NationalityNepali
Alma materSt. Xavier's College, Kolkata
Occupation(s)historian, writer, linguist, lexicographer
SpouseAmiran Chemjong
Children5
Parents
  • Megbar Singh Chemjong (father)
  • Devapu Hangma (mother)

Iman Xin Chemjong Limbu, or Iman Singh Chemjong Limbu; was a

Hindu
cultural monolith devoid of alternative narratives.

Education

Chemjong received his education at

Bachelor degree, when his father, Megbar Singh Chemjong, died. Chemjong junior had to put his academic aspirations on hold.[1]

Early influences

Traditionally,

Hindu mainstream, many Limbus adopted Hindu names and started to participate in Hindu worships
and festivals.

mythology, history, genealogy
, culture and traditions, and having a devout mother gave Chemjong a distinct advantage to learn all these.

A turning point in Chemjong's life came in 1925, when the legendary

Limbu Sirijonga script
from Sendang and attended his talks on Limbu religion and culture.

Works

Chemjong researched Limbu language and culture in Limbuwan, i.e. East Nepal, the neighbouring hill areas of Darjeeling and

Himalayan kingdom) and also in Assam. In his own lifetime, he published the following works:[2]

Middle name

Although some say that his middle name Xin was spelled as Singh due to mainstream Nepalese or Indian influence, others say Singh is correct because in his book Kiratakalina Vijayapurako Sankshipta Itihasa, Chemjong writes his name in Nepali as Iman Singh Chemjong.

Recognition

In a gesture that went against the grain of prevailing state ideology,

King Mahendra invited Chemjong to join Nepal's Tribhuvan University in the capacity of "Limbu expert" in 1961. For years until his death, Chemjong headed a one-man Limbu research team at the then Nepal's only university. Chemjong appears to have held a "Kirant Bhasha Tatha Sanskriti Bishesagya (Specialist in Kiranti Language and Culture)" position at the Tribhuwan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu
as evidenced by his title in his book Kiratakalina Vijayapurako Sankshipta Itihasa published in 1975 and not as "Limbu expert".

Today, the Limbu community spread across mid- and eastern Nepal, West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim and Bhutan revere Chemjong as a hero for almost single-handedly researching and documenting various aspects of Limbu and Kirati life at a time when such activities were neither encouraged nor fashionable. Various functions are held each year to commemorate Chemjong's contributions.[3]

Chemjong was survived by his wife, Amiran Chemjong, two daughters, three sons and nine grandchildren.

References

  1. ^ Unknown (15 November 2015). "HK Nepali Radio / TV: Iman Sing Chemjong". HK Nepali Radio / TV. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Kirat Yakthung Chumlung (KYC)".
  3. ^ "isikkim.com". ww38.isikkim.com. Retrieved 4 December 2022.

External links

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