ABSTRACT
The Lhotshampas, or the Nepalis of the southern Bhutan, are predominantly Hindus. The community has been in turmoil for the past 25 years, subsequent to their forceful eviction by the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGB) and their settlement in the refugee camps in eastern Nepal and elsewhere. The Lhotshampas represent an underdog migrant population in Bhutan, where modern education itself was introduced in 1962. They had to struggle all the time to survive in the administratively and politically hostile environment. However, daura-suruwal, dhaka topi, khukuri and Nepali as the lingua franca were the items in their cultural kitbag, which gave them a common identity against the dominant Drukpas, who were the rulers of the land. Even their meetings with Indian Nepalis were watched by the Drukpas. The Bhutanese Refugee Children Forum (BRCF) engaged itself in cultural expressions and tried to address how various actors use cultural expressions to transform individual consciousness and create collective identities.
