15/09/2025
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Rest in Peace Ryen Athup Lepcha
You were a visionary teaching us to voice our struggles without any fear. May your courage live on.
OBITUARY
Our Guiding Star has fallen down: Ren Athup Lepcha
It is with a heart weighed down by profound grief, yet uplifted by immense gratitude, that we bid farewell to our beloved GrandFather , Father, brother, fearless leader, and founding soul, Ren Athup Lepcha. A towering tree in the forest of our collective consciousness has fallen, and the landscape of Dzongu feels forever changed.
Ren Athup was not just a man; he was the very embodiment of a promise—a promise to protect, to persevere, and to preserve. When the sacred serenity of our Dzongu, our blessed homeland, was threatened by the looming shadows of unsustainable development, it was Ren Athup Lepcha and his team who stood up. With a heart full of fire and a spirit anchored in the ancient stones of the Kangchenjunga, he became a founding pillar of the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT). He did not just lead; he lived the struggle.
As President of ACT, he was our voice when ours trembled. He was our shield against the relentless tide of indifference. He poured his heart and soul into the defense of Dzongu, not for personal gain, but for love. He fought with every fiber of his being against the forces that sought to harness our lifeline, the Teesta, into a chain that would bind our future. He saw the hydroelectric projects not as progress, but as a deep, dirty wound on the body of our mother earth.
His was a fight fueled by the whispers of our ancestors in the wind, the prayers woven into our holy peaks, and the future dreams of our children. He walked the treacherous paths to protest sites, endured hardships, and faced down giants with a courage that could only come from a place of pure, unyielding truth. He taught us that true strength is not in muscle, but in the unwavering conviction of what is right.
To us, he was more than a leader. He was a guardian. He reminded us who we are and what we are destined to protect. His life was a testament to the fact that one voice, if true and brave, can become a chorus, and that chorus can move mountains—or halt them from being moved.
Today, the Teesta flows with a hint of sorrow, mourning the son who became its greatest defender. The forests of Dzongu stand in silent salute to the warrior who fought for their right to stand tall. While our hearts are shattered by his physical absence, we find solace in the incredible legacy he leaves behind. He did not just leave us with memories; he left us with a protected homeland, a community awakened, and a mandate to continue his sacred work.
We extend our deepest, most heartfelt condolences to his beloved family, who shared him with us and whose sacrifice was immense. We mourn with you, and we thank you for the gift of his life.
Ren Athup Lepcha’s journey amongst us has ended, but his spirit is now eternally woven into the sacred tapestry of Dzongu. It is in the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the resilient heart of our community. He has not left us; he has simply become a part of all he fought to save.
Rest in eternal peace Ren, our hero, our brother. Your struggle is over, but your mission lives on in every one of us. We will continue to be the Affected Citizens, and we will forever be the Guardians of Teesta, standing on the foundation you built with your heart and soul.
With love and eternal respect,
The Community of Dzongu, The Affected Citizens of Teesta, And all who call this sacred land home.
