Lest We Forget
LACHEN PIPON CHO LEDON
How to Light a Fire
Jhowo Ledon and wife Chum Lhanzay
It is in the fitness of things to begin my first step in my new venture in my Facebook group – Lest We Forget – with my late grandfather, Jhowo Ledon Nima Gyatso of Lachen, North Sikkim. Though he passed away more than six decades ago in the late 1950s he is still near and dear to me.
When he passed away (perhaps in 1956-58) he left behind his wife, Chum Lhanzay, daughter Chum Phigu, his son-in-law Yap Rinzing Namgyal Kazi, and two grandsons, my late brother Tenzing Danen and myself. I don’t think my younger brother, Gyamtso Namgyal, was born at that time. Through his two daughters, Chum Yangchen (my mother) and Chum Phigu, Jhowo Ledon and Chum Lhanzay had four grandchildren: my late brother, Gyamtso, my sister, Kesang Dolma, and myself.
Somewhere in my writings I have mentioned about the three persons who shaped my life and had the greatest influence on me: Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal, my school Principal, Graeme Armstrong Murray, and my Lachen grandfather. I still believe this to be true. They taught me the value of honour, courage, integrity and dignity.
 |
| Lachen Pipon Jhowo Ledon |
I must have been around 5-6 years when he left us but the few moments that I had with him were enough for me to realize that he was a special person. He was of medium height but his character and personality commanded dignified composure. He stood out among the rest. To me he was integrity personified.
After his father, Jhowo Bompo, who once led the Sikkim delegation in the Dalai Lama’s court in Lhasa, died my grandfather naturally stepped into his shoes. As the Lachen Pipon he was immensely respected and at the same time feared by the people. He was just, fair and a disciplined person. My Azyo belonged to the influential Ngyamdako clan in Lachen. The annual village Chodrok puja traditionally began with the lamas spread among the four Ngyamdako families – Jhowo Bompo, Jhowo Phintso Tashi, Jhowo Limak and ours.
Pipons are elected by the Dzumsa, the traditional assembly of the people. The system used to be conducted in a most dignified and democratic manner, where public participation in all spheres of life was maximum. I have personally proudly witnessed my Azyo conduct the Dzumsa meetings with discipline and dignity.
Two highly-placed personalities visited Lachen during his tenure as Pipon: Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, perhaps the most outstanding Tibetan spiritual masters of the 20thcentury, and Sikkim’s Dewan (Prime Minister), Nari Rustomji. While studying law in Bombay in early 1980s, Rustomji opened up his small archive room and to my great delight and surprise I found a small black and white photo of his visit to Lachen in 1956-57. My grandfather and my late maternal uncle, Azyang Kunga Rinchen, are seen in the photograph along with Rustomji and others. I still have this original photo with me and over the years I made some copies and distributed among my close relatives in Lachen.
Azyo taught me one very important thing which I often remember – and that is how to light a fire. This took place in our kitchen, where we have a huge fireplace (chulha) made of clay. He was patiently watching me trying to light the fire at the thap(chulha) from his seat on the denthi (tradition wooden sofa). When I failed he came down from his seat and taught me how to light the fire. “Dhae-membae.”(not like that), he said and then gently took out all the firewood that I had stuffed in and then rearranged them in such a way that there was enough space for the oxygen to get in. And when everything was done he lit the fire. I was amazed.
Life is all about lighting fire, particularly when there is darkness all around. A few years after Azyo’s passing away I was in another world, at Darjeeling’s Mount Hermon School, where I later learnt that “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”