Indigenous Resistance and Conservation: The Lepchas, Anti-Dam Movement and Environmental Politics in Sikkim.

Abstract

The indigenous Lepchas of Sikkim share a sacred relation with their landscape, viewing the rivers Teesta and Rangeet as spiritual entities integral to their eco-cultural heritage. However, this bond is threatened by large-scale hydropower projects and ironically by conservation policies imposed from above. The anti-dam movement, led by the Affected Citizens of Teesta and others has resisted these projects that threaten the fragile Himalayan ecosystem and displace local communities. This paper studies this movement, situating it within broader debates on colonial legacies of intervention in the region and the interaction between state and non-state ideas of conservation. The designation of Sikkim’s Khangchendzonga National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the imposition of global conservation frameworks have led to unintended consequences, affecting communities while enabling resource extraction by the state. The glacial lake outburst flood of 2023 which swept away the Teesta III dam raised questions about the risks of hydroelectric projects in a climate-vulnerable, seismically active region. This paper explores the friction between indigenous ideas of conservation and state-led policies that seek to govern these landscapes. Studying Sikkim’s anti-dam movement and the effects of unchecked development, this paper calls for a more inclusive conservation paradigm that integrates indigenous knowledge systems and challenges colonial legacies of state-led environmental control.