Introduction

Kunphenling Tibetan Settlement, Ravangla is the located in South Sikkim. It was started in 1978 with the help of Sikkim Government with grant of 600 acres for 200 family – 1000 population initially. Later assisted by Govt. of India and number of other foreign funding agencies and individuals assisted to improve upon the existing infrastructure. This settlement is only Tibetan refugee settlements in India and the total area of the settlement is 328 acres now.

There is 6 Vikas (Special Frontier Force) battalion beside Tibetan settlement.

Sikkim is known for Hidden Treasure of Guru Padmasambhava state as every place has a special story of blessing by Guru Rinpoche Particularly South Sikkim side where most important buddhist sacred Place such as Pema Yangtse, Pelling, Kechopari, Guru Padma Sambhava Statue,  Buddha Park and  Tashi Ding – one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim.

Settlement Location:

It is located at Ravangla -District Namchi of Sikkim State, India at about 64 kilometres from Gangtok City. The nearest town of the settlement is Namchi. It is at 25 Km from the settlement Office. It lies on a hill at 7000 feet, above sea level. Average temperatures at Ravangla ranges between 12 ° to 20° Fahrenheit, and average rainfall is around 128 inches annually

1000

Initial Population

1152

Present Population

No of Villages:

Today, there are approximately 1200 Tibetan living in the settlement. They are divided into seven camps, with twenty to thirty houses in each. The majority of families in the settlement are originally from U-tsang , the central provinces in Tibet with the next highest concentration from Kham and the smallest number from amdo, the provinces of eastern Tibet. The distance between each settlement is about 0.5 to 2 Km.

At the inception of Settlement, the people depend their livelihood on cultivation of Tea and Potato in the Settlement. As the tea plantations in ravangla are no longer running, the settlement’s, main source of income is the military base located just across the road.  Each family has one or more than member in the SFF establishment.

 

Settler’s Livelihood:

Most of the original families have a large piece of agricultural land for their living. Due to unfavourable weather condition and extreme coldness, practice of agriculture is not done. Besides agricultural, the settlers are engaged in trading, restaurants, shop keeping, driving , and seasonal sweater selling etc.

Facilities in the settlement

Co-operative Society The settlers themselves in 1978 started a Co-operative Society and the main purpose of the co-operative society was to carry out the trading activities of the settlement. These seemed to be profitable undertaking as the main market is far from the settlement. The co-operative Society now runs few small enterprises, Mutli -purpose shop and provide service of LPG gas and provide room for rent for restaurant and family of army person etc.
School & Education In order to adjust with modern way of living and to widening the Tibetan issue to outside world, education becomes the very important to the younger generation. Almost all the elder Tibetan refugees who came to exile in India after the Chinese occupation of Tibet were illiterate. And while living in exile they feel that educating the exile children is one of the most productive and positive things they can do towards the getting the Chinese out of their country. Education is thus important as a way of beating the Chinese. As such school were opened in the settlements to educate their children.

Central school for Tibetan (Now- Sambhota Tibetan school), Ravangla was established in 1972 and at present there are 53-54 school going children with total of 9 staffs. There are about 10 to 12 students per class. The school is required to follow the basic Indian syllabus but incorporate with Tibetan element.
Health & Hospital 1.      Tibetan Primary Clinic (One Nurse under Tibetan Volunteer health organisation – Dept of Health CTA)

2.      One traditional Tibetan medical clinic (Mentse – Khang)
Monastery There are 2 monasteries in settlement and 3 under its jurisdiction.

1.      Thupten Dhargyeling Monastery

2.      Nelung Monastery

3.      Palchen Choling Monastery, Ralang

4.      Yungdrung Kundrakling Bon Monastery

5.      Kyegue Dhagmo Chosling Nunnery

Administrative setup

Representative:
The settlement officer who is appointed by the Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamsala is the over all in charge of the settlement in all spheres ranging from maintaining law and order to development and poverty alleviation works. He acts as liaisons between CTA, state and central government agencies and any other concerns. Under him, each camp has an elected camp leader who is assisted by group leaders. All development works are implemented through the camp leaders. Settlement officer takes all major decisions in consultation with the camp leaders and is the most important link between the settlement office and the community.

Group Leaders:
Each of the 7 villages possess an elected group leaders whose job is to act as an intermediary with relevant authorities, pass on information, settle disputes and collect money. Group leaders are not elected for their policy-making idea, nor do they campaign on certain issue. These group leaders are chosen on the basis of their strength of personality and once ability to stand before the interest of their village. The duty of the leader is more or less like the representative, but on smaller and more personal scale.

Traveling Mode

Representative:
The settlement officer who is appointed by the Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamsala is the over all in charge of the settlement in all spheres ranging from maintaining law and order to development and poverty alleviation works. He acts as liaisons between CTA, state and central government agencies and any other concerns. Under him, each camp has an elected camp leader who is assisted by group leaders. All development works are implemented through the camp leaders. Settlement officer takes all major decisions in consultation with the camp leaders and is the most important link between the settlement office and the community.

Group Leaders:
Each of the 7 villages possess an elected group leaders whose job is to act as an intermediary with relevant authorities, pass on information, settle disputes and collect money. Group leaders are not elected for their policy-making idea, nor do they campaign on certain issue. These group leaders are chosen on the basis of their strength of personality and once ability to stand before the interest of their village. The duty of the leader is more or less like the representative, but on smaller and more personal scale.

Traveling Mode

Nearest Railway station New Jalpaiguri Railway, Siliguri station at a distance of 128 Kms from settlement, Ravangla.
Nearest Airport Bagdogra Airport, Siliguri at a distance of 133 Kms from settlement