Development Nepal

Development and Stability

 Article

Mushars, River and Reserve-

Sumit pokhrel   (spokhrel2000@hotmail.com)

March 26, 2006

 

For the people visiting Nepal, the natural beauty is self intriguing, and the simplicity of life leaves enriching experience of self content. Green lust forest bloomed with hundreds of varieties of flowers, crystal white water falls, fast flowing rivers, mountains, lakes, wildlife, birds, butterflies, you name it; Nepal has all the ingredients of “Natural Paradise”. However, it lacks “Prosperity”. In the villages of Nepal, majority of people’s daily life revolves around collecting fire woods, fetching water from natural spring, herding cattle and livestock, and taking care of small piece of farmland passed onto by the forefathers.  And the fact is, after long day of sweat and toil, night still greets with uncertainty; uncertainty of “Hunger and Survival”. Basic human rights like sending children to the school and access to the proper health care are a distant dream.

 

        

         Living abroad for last five years, my memories sometimes wander through paddy fields and mango orchards, ponds and canals, dirt-street winding in-between the village huts, and Mushars.  The interaction with Mushars- a dalit tribal community in Terai (flat lands) of eastern Nepal has left me with the reminiscences of harshness and poverty, discrimination and marginalization, lack of confidence and inferiority complex and constant struggle to survive - survive with dignity in human conditions. Even after more than fifty years of post-Rana regime, which is often referred as Nepal’s modern development era; Mushars are still living in absolute poverty and social humiliation, and are waiting for their inclusion in main stream developmental course.

 

Each year, Nepal receives millions of dollars in forms of international loan, aid, and grant. Numerous policies, plans, and projects are formulated and implemented under guidance of multilateral donors and international developmental agencies. Yet, “the development” is hard by to come- the development to bring substantial change in the marginalized poor people’s lives. 

 

In spite of recognized developmental potentials in sectors like agriculture, tourism and hydro resources, majority of populace is still deprived of its benefits. This is an indicator of existing gap between the poverty, access to resource, and resource utilization in livelihood upliftment. Why are Nepal’s developmental endeavors unsuccessful in minimizing the gap?  More questions follow: What is political, legislative and policy limitation of ongoing developmental trend? What are the social challenges? What are the externalities? Do common people have say/ ownership/ right over resources? Most importantly, are people in control of their own destiny?

 

Hope and Democracy

 

After the popular moment of 1990, whole of Nepal was busy conducting an election for first democratically elected government in 30 years.  Election fever was running high in cities, towns, and villages. New hopes, dreams, optimism, and happiness were omnipresent. Living in the muckiness of city, I was always rejuvenated whenever I visited my grandparent’s farmland in Jhankata village in the periphery of small town Kanchanpur in Saptari District. But this particular visit had a different vibe. I could feel a strange aura – a sense of renewed energy around me. Perhaps, this small village was also going through the same fever as the rest of the country.

 

Sitting on hand woven hay mat, I was enjoying the brisk sunlight in a winter morning. I would often spend my lazy mornings at Kamat’s (farmhouse) courtyard- an earthen quad surrounded by two double story hay thatched mud-houses. “Malik, Malik” (Master, master), an impetuous voice yanked me off my moments of silence. I recognized the Maithili (local language) accented intonation of my village friend Misri Lal. Misri Lal a Mushar, has been my grandfather’s long trusted servant and my village guide. That morning he had gathered a group of people in village and had come to my grandfather to seek guidance on whom to vote in forthcoming election pole. It had been more than four decades since the feudalism of landlord system was virtually abolished after the complete revision of Muliki Ain (Nepal’s Legal Code) in 1963, and enactment of Land Reform Act, 1964. The revised code sought to promote social harmony and declared all persons theoretically equal in the eyes of the law, thus ending legal discrimination based on caste, creed, and sex. The land reform act emphasized security for tenant farmers and put a ceiling on landholdings. And yet, the influence my grandfather, a landlord, exerted in peoples voting decision was quite of a surprise. As my grandfather conveyed his view, his facial expression, gaze, and posture were the manifestation of unchallenged superiority.

 

The day before, I had heard a story from nearby village. A major political party organized a grand feast to promote their candidate for the election. Meat and drinks were supplied in abundance. Yes! For the majority of the people living in the village meat and drinks is a luxurious event that came around either with ceremonies in rich landlord families or the elections now. In contrast to people’s expectation out of 1990’s “Democratic Freedom”, leaders, rather than laying visions for combating stagnant developmental course, were instead attempting to bait ignorant mass of people with one time banquet.

 

Kanchanpur

 

Since the election of 1991, in between the period of ten years, I have been to Kanchanpur three times. I have not observed any post-democracy anticipated changes. Village is still without electricity, dirt road that is cutoff from highway in rainy seasons; there is no sanitary system in households, and it has a very primitive school an hour walk away. Of-course the optimism of 1990 has faded away. Only remains are the whining and the grudge against present establishment. However on my part, along with my personal and academic growth, my lens of observation and contemplation evolved with each visit. Now being an environmentalist with keen interest in sustainable development, I make every attempt to understand cultural, socio-economical, political, and environmental dynamics of the village at local, national and global settings. And the question remains same, “Will Kanchanpur prosper?” The threads I am narrating here onwards are tits and bits of my encounters during multiple visits to Kanchanpur and do not follow any sequential events. More current information is collected from literature reviews and telephone interview with local residents.

 

Kanchanpur (Kanchan: untouched clean) true to its name is indeed a pristine paradise blessed with the wonders of nature. At a glance, Kanchanpur enjoys one of the most productive agriculture lands served with countries oldest irrigation system - Chandra Canal. In the hinterland of country’s largest river Koshi, and only one of its kinds Koshi Tappu Wild Life Reserve (KTWR), there is a tremendous potential to develop tourism and harvest the benefits of vast hydro resource in Kanchanpur. Nonetheless, hundreds of family’s life revolves around hardship and poverty.

 

Prejudice

 

I was listening to my grandfather as we were walking on an aali (earthen brim in-between the paddy fields). He was explaining the glory of his forefathers. I must have listened to this story hundreds of times, but each time, he would recite it with same eagerness and pride.  The story would always start with his great grandfather descending from the hills, and would continue with how they were able to make the then King happy, and in return were awarded with vast Birta and Mauja (Landlordship).

 

An elderly man approaching us from opposite direction jumped off the dike, and touched my grandfather’s feet. “Pranam Malik”, greeted him with respect and continued on his way. It was amazing site of one caste/class enjoying superiority over another. “He is Mushar” he continued as if this man is predestined to lead his inferior life providing feel- good factor for the higher caste/class people. “I have unshakeable prestige in this village… we used to be king without a crown… we lost landlordship, but I have not lost my honor in this village…” my grandfather was obviously a proud man. As person of faith in his religion, my grandfather is not repressive nor has he ever gone out of his way to earn the influence. Then again, he neither has made contribution of any magnitude to deserve high level of honor. The “prestige” he has is a mere reflection of past feudalism, where pride and honor is still inherited from forefathers. On contrary, Mushar’s are disrespectfully treated as second class citizens regardless of their significant contribution to rural economy by providing agricultural labor force. 

 

My grand father was pointing towards a small village with approximately 30 mud huts, “The whole village is settled in my land. My father settled them here to work on our land”. This village of approximately 30 families is inhabited by Mushars, classified as Dalits, and they live in a condition of absolute poverty. The word Dalit literally means "a person immersed in a swamp." Traditionally, Dalits have been treated as "Untouchables." Although untouchability was abolished by the New National Code of Nepal in 1963, its practice still continues. The people belonging to this community are living in a swamp of illiteracy, exploitation, marginalization, and, above all, caste discrimination. With literacy rate of 4.85%, non-agricultural/ non-labor intensive economical opportunity is virtually non-existence. Worst of all, majority of the population is landless in an agriculture driven rural economy.

 

These families used to work in Landlord’s farms. However, my grandfather himself is left only with his pride, prejudice and few bighas of land; hardly enough to sustain him throughout the year. Most of the lands were annexed in KTWR after the flood, when river diverted its course through it. After enactment of Land Reform Act, some of the other lands on top of the landholding ceilings were distributed among comparatively well-off tenants after few years of struggle in court. However, the peasants like Mushar, not yet empowered to access to Judicial system, lost their source of income. In spite of good intentions; neither the promise of Land Reform Act nor the benefits of conservation efforts have so far reached perpetually marginalized population of Mushars.

 

Absolute Poverty

 

I would sometimes visit Misri Lal in his hut. The hut, half the size of my bedroom in the city, was furnished solely with a rope woven bed. The bed covered with old and dirty blanket torn in several places was his only protection against cold during chilly winter nights. On the corner, outside the hut entrance was a small earthen stove. Couple of burnt and dented aluminum pots and few copper plates would be scattered around the stove. The most precious property he owned was the old transistor radio, a gift that he received from his Master. The radio and especially the Hindi songs played in “All India Radio Station” was his single source of entertainment.

 

I have had breakfast in Misri Lal’s home couple of times- a forbidden act in a society where untouchability was still in practice. There was an unspoken understanding between me and Misri Lal that my disregard for the social taboo would not reach my grandfather. Most of the time we would have corn bread or pop rice and if lucky enough, Misri Lal would manage to get a piece of onion. For him it would be both his lunch and dinner; his nutrition for all day of hard work. It would be a stroke of luck to have a full coarse meal including rice, lentil soup, and vegetables. And, the luck would strike only if Master would have leftover from the previous night. For most of the Mushars, they were not privileged to be working at Masters Place, thus this luck would never strike. Nutritional needs might have led Mushars towards addiction of home brewed rice alcohol. Besides providing them with cheap source of nutrition, its consumption has perhaps kept them away from realization of discrimination, humiliation, and destitution.

 

As night ripened, villagers would gather around a fire made of cow-dung and hay. The fire, called Ghur in local language is usually a venue of socialization among the villagers. Besides, keeping them warm, smoke from Ghur also keeps the bugs away. Malnutrition dust covered naked Mushar children with thin limbs, bulking belly, and protruding navel, would be playing around it. While elders would be chatting, women and children would be busy putting potatoes and sweet-potatoes in the fire. That evening they had a “special dish” in their menu. Few village youngsters had captured a rat earlier in the morning. They were chasing rat in its hole, sometime passing smoke and other time pouring water. Once all the entries were blocked, they dug ground; tracking rats to its death. Finally, it was a time for the feast. The rat was cooked in the fire and portions were distributed to each one around. I was offered a portion, but even a thought of having rat meat almost made me puke. I tried to be polite though and just turned around I hastily glanced around trying to check out if anybody noticed my discomfort.  But everyone, kids and adults, were busy enjoying the feast! Food habit and the taste these villagers have acquired could be a result of social isolation. For example; there are few ponds around the village owned by wealthier farmers. Mushars usually fish in these ponds. However, at the end of the day wealthier farmers would take away all the fishes leaving snails and crabs in their portion. The foods that are forbidden in higher caste are the stable food for the untouchables.

 

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