Editing Lhotshampa

{{short description|Bhutanese people of Nepalese descent}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Lhotshampa
| native_name      = {{lang|ne|ल्होत्साम्पा}}<br>{{Bo-textonly|ལྷོ་མཚམས་པ་}}
| image            = 
| caption          = [[Bhutanese refugees|Lhotshampa refugees]] in [[Beldangi refugee camps|Beldangi camp]] in [[Nepal]]. The man is holding a [[Bhutanese passport]].
| total            = 242,000
| total_ref        = <ref name=UNHCR1>{{cite web|url= http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,MARP,,BTN,,469f386a1e,0.html |title= Population of Lhotshampas in Bhutan |year= 2004 |publisher= [[UNHCR]] |access-date= 23 March 2016 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121016143502/http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country%2C%2CMARP%2C%2CBTN%2C%2C469f386a1e%2C0.html |archive-date= 16 October 2012 }}</ref><ref name=Displaced>{{cite book|title= Protracted Displacement in Asia: No Place to Call Home |first= Howard |last= Adelman |publisher= [[Ashgate Publishing]] |year= 2008 |isbn= 978-0-7546-7238-8 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=oyzfkz1gcVsC}}</ref><ref name=HRW1>{{cite web|last= Frelick |first= Bill |url= https://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/01/31/bhutans-ethnic-cleansing |publisher= [[New Statesman]], [[Human Rights Watch]] |title= Bhutan's Ethnic Cleansing |date= 1 February 2008 |access-date= 3 October 2010}}</ref><ref name="Mishra 2013">{{cite web|last= Mishra|first= Vidhyapati|title= Bhutan Is No Shangri-La|website= The New York Times|date= 28 June 2013|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/29/opinion/bhutan-is-no-shangri-la.html?pagewanted=all|access-date= 2 September 2014}}</ref>
| popplace         = {{hlist| [[United States]]|[[Nepal]]|[[Thimphu]]|[[Paro, Bhutan|Paro]]|[[Phuntsholing]]}}
| langs            = {{hlist| [[Nepali language|Nepali]] | [[Newari language|Newari]]|[[Dzongkha]]}}
| rels             = {{hlist| [[Hinduism]] (majority)<br>[[Buddhism]]|[[Kiratism]]}}(Minority)
| related-c        = [[Indo-Aryan peoples|Indo-Aryans]]:<br>[[Bahun]], [[Chhetri]], [[Khas people]], [[Newar people]]<br>[[Tibeto-Burman]]:<br>[[Newar people]], [[Kirati people]]
}}

The '''Lhotshampa''' or '''Lhotsampa''' ({{langx|ne|ल्होत्साम्पा}}; {{bo|t=ལྷོ་མཚམས་པ་|w=lho-mtshams-pa}}) people are a heterogeneous [[Bhutanese people]] of [[Nepalis|Nepali]] descent.<ref>{{Country study|country= Bhutan |abbr= bt |editor= Savada, Andrea Matles |date= 1991 |section= Bhutan - Ethnic Groups |author= Worden, Robert L. |pd= yes}}</ref> The Lhotshampa were estimated to comprise around 35% of the Bhutan's population by the [[United States Department of State|U.S. Department of State]] as of 2008.<ref name=":0" /> The Lhotshampa are predominantly [[Hinduism in Bhutan|Hindu]] and Buddhist, who speak the [[Nepali language]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=“We Don’t Want to Be Refugees Again”: HRW Briefing Paper for the Fourteenth Ministerial Joint Committee of Bhutan and Nepal: II. Background |url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/backgrounder/wrd/refugees/3.htm |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=Human Rights Watch |quote="Bhutan is home to three major ethnic groups: the ruling Ngalongs live in the west, speak Dzongkha, and practice Buddhism; the eastern Sarchops speak Tsangla and practice Buddhism; and the southern Lhotshampas speak Nepali, and are primarily Hindu."}}</ref>

People of Nepali origin started to settle in uninhabited areas of southern Bhutan in the 19th century.<ref name="Forgotten1">
{{cite web |title=Background and History: Settlement of the Southern Bhutanese |url=http://www.photovoice.org/bhutan/index1.php?id=3#2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010050607/http://www.photovoice.org/bhutan/index1.php?id=3#2 |archive-date=10 October 2010 |access-date=3 October 2010 |publisher=Bhutanese Refugees: The Story of a Forgotten People}}
</ref> The term "Lhotshampa", which means "southern borderlanders" in [[Dzongkha]], began to be used by the Bhutanese state in the second half of the twentieth century to refer to the population of Nepali origin in the south of the country.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nelson |first1=Andrew |last2=Stam |first2=Kathryn |date=11 August 2021 |title=Bhutanese or Nepali? The Politics of Ethnonym Ambiguity |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/00856401.2021.1951460 |journal=South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=772–789 |doi=10.1080/00856401.2021.1951460 |access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref> By the 1990s, over 100,000 Lhotshampa had been forcibly displaced and removed from Bhutan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rimal |first=Prasansha |date=2022-02-03 |title=Bhutan’s shame: why the world must continue to remember the expulsion of ethnic Nepalis |url=https://www.recordnepal.com/bhutans-shame-why-the-world-must-continue-to-remember-the-expulsion-of-ethnic-nepalis |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=The Record |language=English}}</ref>

After being displaced as a result of the state-run ethnic cleansing and living in refugee camps in eastern parts of Nepal, starting in 2007 most of the [[Bhutanese refugees]] were resettled to various countries, such as the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]], the [[United Kingdom]], and other [[List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe|European countries]]. {{As of | 2021}}, the number of Lhotshampa in [[Nepal]] is significantly lower than that in the United States and other countries where they have resettled.<ref name="Aris">{{cite book|last= Aris |first= Michael |author-link= Michael Aris |title= Bhutan: The Early History of a Himalayan Kingdom |year= 1979 |pages= 344 |publisher= Aris & Phillips |isbn= 978-0-85668-199-8 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=6dU4AAAACAAJ}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=June 2021}}

== History ==

=== Early immigration ===
The first small groups of Nepali emigrated primarily from eastern Nepal under British auspices in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.<ref name="USLCCS">{{cite book |last1=Worden |first1=Robert L. |last2=Savada |first2=Andrea M. |title=Nepal and Bhutan: Country Studies |chapter=Chapter 6: Bhutan - Ethnic Groups |edition=3rd |year=1991 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/nepalbhutancount00sava/page/424 424] |publisher=Federal Research Division, [[United States Library of Congress]] |isbn=0-8444-0777-1 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/nepalbhutancount00sava/page/424 |access-date=2 October 2010 }}</ref> The beginning of Nepali immigration largely coincided with Bhutan's political development: in 1885, [[Druk Gyalpo]] [[Ugyen Wangchuck]] consolidated power after a period of civil unrest and cultivated closer ties with the [[United Kingdom|British]] in [[India]]. 

In 1910, the government of Bhutan signed a treaty with the British in India, granting them control over Bhutan's foreign relations.<ref name="BBCtl">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1171693.stm |title=Timeline: Bhutan |date=5 May 2010 |publisher=BBC News online |access-date=1 October 2010}}</ref> The actual immigrants registered and settled through the agent from [[Kalimpong]], Raja Ugen Dorji and (son) Raja Sonam Togbay Dorji started in the reigns of the second and third kings. Immigrants from Nepal and India continued to enter Bhutan with an increase from the 1960s when Bhutan's first modern five-year plan began, many arriving as construction workers.

=== 1960s-present ===
The government traditionally attempted to limit immigration and restrict residence and employment of Nepali to the southern region.<ref name="USLCCS" /> Liberalization measures in the 1970s and 1980s encouraged intermarriage and provided increasing opportunities for public service.<ref name="USLCCS" /> The government allowed more internal migration by Nepali seeking better education and business opportunities.<ref name="USLCCS" /> 

In the 1980s and 1990s, the most divisive issue in Bhutan in the 1980s and early 1990s was the accommodation of the Nepali Hindu minority.<ref name="USLCCS" /> In 1988, the government census recategorized people with Nepali heritage as [[illegal immigrants]]. Local Lhotshampa leaders responded with antigovernmental protests demanding citizenship and damaged government institutions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35839.htm|title=Background Note: Bhutan|publisher=U.S. Department of State Archive|date=October 2008|access-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref>

In 1989, the Bhutanese government enacted reforms that directly impacted the Lhotshampa. First, it elevated the status of the national dress code of the [[Driglam namzha]] from recommended to mandatory. All citizens including the Lhotshampa were required to observe the dress code in public during business hours. This decree was resented by the Lhotshampa who complained about being forced to wear the clothing of the [[Ngalop people|Ngalong]] majority.<ref name=bbc98>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profile/54627.stm |title=Country profile – Bhutan: a land frozen in time|date=9 February 1998|publisher=BBC News online|access-date=1 October 2010}}</ref><ref name=bbc10>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1166513.stm|title=Bhutan country profile |date=5 May 2010 |publisher=BBC News online |access-date=1 October 2010}}</ref> Second, the government removed Nepali as a language of instruction in schools in favor of [[Dzongkha]], the national language.<ref name=BBCtl/> This alienated the Lhotshampa, many of whom knew no Dzongkha at all.

=== Expulsion ===
{{main|Ethnic cleansing in Bhutan|Bhutanese refugees}}

Since the late 1980s, over 100,000 Lhotshampa have been forced out of [[Bhutan]], accused by the government of being illegal aliens. Between 1988 and 1993, thousands of others left, alleging ethnic and political repression. 

In a 1992 interview with the [[The Statesman (India)|Calcutta Statesman]], Bhutanese foreign minister [[Dawa Tsering]] stated that an increase in the country's Nepali population would lead the country to become "another [[Sikkim]] and [[Darjeeling]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Franz |first=T. |date=1992-07-01 |title=The dragon bites its tail |url=https://www.himalmag.com/cover/the-dragon-bites-its-tail |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=Himal Southasian |language=en}}</ref> 

In 1990, violent ethnic unrest and anti-government protests in southern Bhutan pressed for greater democracy and respect for [[minority rights]].<ref name="BBCtl" /> That year, the [[Bhutan Peoples' Party]], whose members are mostly Lhotshampa, began a campaign of violence against the Bhutanese government.<ref name="BBCtl" /> In the wake of this unrest, thousands fled Bhutan. Bill Frelick of [[Human Rights Watch]] reported that state security forces forcibly removed ethnic Lhotshampa from their homes and coerced them into renouncing their citizenship. A refugee accounted that:<blockquote>"The army took all the people from their houses... As we left Bhutan, we were forced to sign the document. They snapped our photos. The man told me to smile, to show my teeth. He wanted to show that I was leaving my country willingly, happily, that I was not forced to leave"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frelick |first=Bill |date=2008-02-01 |title=Bhutan's ethnic cleansing {{!}} Human Rights Watch |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2008/02/01/bhutans-ethnic-cleansing |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=Human Rights Watch |language=en}}</ref></blockquote>Many of them have either entered Nepal's seven refugee camps (on 20 January 2010, 85,544 refugees resided in the camps) or are working in India. According to [[U.S. State Department]] estimates in 2008, about 35% of the population of Bhutan is Lhotshampa.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/bhutan/110948.htm|title=Bhutan (10/08)|website=U.S. Department of State|access-date=14 March 2016}}</ref>

== Culture ==
Traditionally, the Lhotshampa have been involved mostly in sedentary agriculture, although some have cleared forest cover and conducted ''tsheri'' and [[slash and burn]] agriculture.<ref name=USLCCS/> The Lhotshampa are generally classified as [[Hindu]]s. However, this is an oversimplification as many groups that include [[Tamang people|Tamang]] and the [[Gurung]] are largely [[Buddhist]];<ref name=Rep&Wal>{{cite book|first1=Sarah |last1=Repucci |first2=Christopher |last2=Walker |title=Countries at the Crossroads: A Survey of Democratic Governance |year=2005 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |pages=92 |isbn=0-7425-4972-0}}</ref> the [[Kirant]]i groups that include the [[Rai people|Rai]] and [[Limbu people|Limbu]] are largely [[animist]] followers of [[Mundhum]] (these latter 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 [[vegetarian]]s. Their main festivals include [[Dashain]] and [[Tihar (festival)|Tihar]].

== Language ==
{{main article|Nepali language}}

[[File:Bhutan-map.gif|thumb|upright=3|alt=Political Map of Bhutan|Political Map of Bhutan showing most districts (missing [[Gasa District]]). The people of Lhotshampa are located in the Southern part of Bhutan, in [[Samtse District|Samchi]], [[Chirang District, Bhutan|Chirang]] and Geylegphug (now [[Sarpang District|Sarpang]]).]]
Lhotshampas speak Nepali as their first language. [[Samtse District|Samchi]], [[Chirang District, Bhutan|Chirang]] and [[Sarpang District|Sarpang]] are southern [[dzongkhag]]s that have a large Lhotshampa community where most people speak Nepali. In southern Bhutan, Nepali used to be taught in the school and was spoken and written in these areas. However, this changed during the 1980s when there was [[Bhutanese refugees|racial conflict between Nepali in Bhutan and Bhutanese]]. Since then, Nepali is only taught in the home and has become a spoken language in Bhutan. Thus, some Nepali speakers from southern Bhutan cannot read or write in Nepali. Currently, Nepali is the first language for most southern Bhutanese and most people use it in their home. Also, Nepali is most commonly used in school outside of the classes.

Nepali in Bhutan is different in the rural areas and Thimphu. Also, some Nepali words are used differently in Bhutan than Nepali in Nepal.

=== Vocabulary differences ===

==== Nepali words in Bhutan and Nepal ====
{| class="wikitable"
! English
! Nepali in Bhutan (Lhotshamkha)
! Nepali in Nepal
|-
| Brother
| Daju
| Dai/Daju
|-
| Dirty
| Maila
| Phor/Maila
|-
| Door
| Dailo
| Dhoka/Dailo
|-
| Pea
| Matar
| Kerau/Matar
|-
| Shop
| Dokan
| pasal/Dokan
|-
| Throw
| Phag
| Phal/phyak
|-
| Vegetable
| Sabji
| Tarkari/sabji
|-
| Vehicle
| Gadi
| Motor/Gadi
|-
| Wait
| Parkhi
| parkhi/Parkha
|-
| Window
| Khirkey
| jhyal
|}

== Notable Lhotsampas ==
* [[Tek Nath Rizal]], Bhutanese politician
* [[Indra Adhikari]], journalist
* [[Mangala Sharma]], human and women's rights activist
* [[Hiranyamayee Lama]], politician
* [[Loknath Sharma]], politician
* [[Jai Bir Rai]], politician
* [[Dilliram Sharma Acharya]], Bhutanese poet in Nepali language
* [[Biren Basnet]], footballer
* [[Khare Basnet]], footballer
* [[Hemlal Bhattrai]], footballer
* Mon Bhattrai, footballer
* [[Dhan Bahadur Biswa]], footballer
* [[Dinesh Chhetri]], footballer
* [[Hari Gurung]], footballer
* [[Karun Gurung]], footballer
* [[Man Bahadur Gurung]], footballer
* [[Puspalal Sharma]], footballer
* [[Diwash Subba]], footballer
* [[Anju Gurung]], women's cricketer

== See also ==
* [[Immigration in Bhutan]]
* [[Demographics of Bhutan]]
* [[Ethnic groups in Bhutan]]
* [[Bhutanese diaspora]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.bhutaneserefugees.com/ Bhutanese Refugees – A story of a forgotten people]
* [http://www.chhahari.com/bhutan/bhutan_hist.html The Bhutanese refugees]
* [https://www.hrw.org/doc?t=asia&c=bhutan The Bhutanese Refugees – Human Rights Watch]
* [http://www.unhcr.org/publ/PUBL/4444d3c93e.html UNHCR briefing – Bhutanese Refugees]
* [https://archive.today/20130118185335/http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090924/NEWS02/90923031/1007/RSS02 New wave from Bhutan settles in - Burlington (Vermont) Free Press]

{{Bhutanese society}}
{{Nepalese diaspora}}

[[Category:Bhutanese people of Nepalese descent|*]]
[[Category:Indo-Aryan peoples]]