An Old Hukkah found at Chota Singtam

The Old Hukkah

This winter I was busy with my fieldwork that gave me an opportunity to visit many villages and meet various people who had observed the reign of independent monarchs of our state.  It was indeed a great experience for me to be there with the peasants who in the course of  their contribution to the state are yet unknown to the history of Sikkim. I am talking here about those folks who are always in majority and  have constantly made compromises for their survival and also have for eternity proven to be a backbone of a state’s economy by paying taxes. In lieu of their contribution in the form of tax, rents and free services they were cheated and were treated not better than a slave. Amid to their involvements to the state these peasants are  not only ignored by the authorities but are sometimes even disregarded by the enlightened eyes of the historians and researchers. Hence, being a grandson of a peasant, I thought of writing a history of this “out-of-the-way” segment of the erstwhile Sikkimese society.

It used to be covered while smoking

While doing my survey I met many peasants who carried the most hatred Kalobhari, Jharlangi and worked in the fields of Kazi, Thikadars and Mandals as Bethi Khetala (a free service for three days in the field of Mandals and Kazis during cultivation). Their narration about the injustice they had faced has made me even stronger to write about them. They were just innocent, naive and childlike and due to their worrying nature they were severely exploited by the Kazis and other feudal machineries.

There used to be a pipe at the end which is now destroyed

Tax Receipt of Birdhoj Limboo paid on 31 Dec 1922

Apart from my questionnaire, I have discussed with them in some other topics and also got other information about their day to day affaires. Interestingly, few people have shown me some antiques and documents related to their times of yore. The picture of today’s post is an old and a broken  Hukkah (a untensil made up of brass to smoke tobacco mostly used in Northern India and Nepal) used by a person called Birdhoj Limboo of Namchi Rabitar somewhere in the first decade of 20^th century. Later his family got migrate to Chota Singtam in East Sikkim and are at present living there. Presently, this Hukkah is being preserved by one of his grandsons Harka Bahadur Limboo who is now 85. According to him, this Hukkah originally belonged to his great grandpa who brought it from Nepal. It is to be noted here that the use of such items were marked as the symbol of prosperity in the earlier Nepali society. If we have to believe Harka Bahadur, then its year of origin  goes back to 1870’s or 80’s. Now in almost broken condition this Hukkah is still bringing smiles on the face of Harka Bahadur who is keeping it with innermost respect as a souvenir of his ancestors.