ABSTRACT
This chapter is a case study of the indigenous institution, the dzumsa of northern Sikkim. It details the composition and remit of the dzumsa and their functioning in and around the villages of Lachung and Lachen, near the border with Tibet. The chapter points to how the State government incorporated this traditional institution into the panchayat system prevalent in the rest of the State. It highlights the strengths of the dzumsa, while pointing to its traditional and problematic exclusion of women. It concludes that the indigenous conflict resolution system could continue to find its place in the modern world more firmly if it were more inclusive and gender sensitive.
