Breaking Identity

Nowadays, when the indigenous nationalities have been fighting for the right to natural resources and the fight for identity, the tribal leaders have to focus on the basics of identity and the preservation of the creed, otherwise, the indigenous nationalities will have no other basis for identity in the future.

A caste or community with its mother tongue and traditional customs, separate cultural identity, separate social structure, and written or unwritten history are known as Adivasi / Janajati (INDIGENOUS NATIONALITIES).  The National Census 2068 has identified 125 castes in Nepal. Among them 59 castes are listed as indigenous nationalities. They are also classified into endangered groups, highly marginalized groups, marginalized groups, disadvantaged groups, and advanced groups.

Identity

Article 1 (1) (a) of ILO 169 states that 'in an independent country, peoples who are different from the communities of national society due to social, cultural, and economic conditions and whose condition is partially or completely governed by their customs or traditions or special laws or rules.'

This definition requires that for an ethnic group to be recognized as a tribe, there must be communities of national society in that independent country, that communities of that national society have different social, cultural or economic status and there should be other communities with economic status and that community should be governed by its separate customs or traditions or by its laws or rules.

According to sub-section 1 (b) of section 1 of the ILO (169), 'the people of an independent country are considered to be indigenous, who are the offspring of the population residing in that country or territory when the territory is controlled or colonized or the present country borders,who have maintained some or all of their social, economic, cultural and political institutions, regardless of their legal status.'

Based on the ILO Convention and the indigenous nationalities Association's definition, ethnic groups living in a certain parts of the country outside the mainstream of the state and practicing their kind of culture and society are called Janajatis/ nationalities. The main identity of the indigenous nationalities is their close relationship with nature. Water, land, and forests are also the main sources of identity and livelihood of the indigenous nationalities. But in recent times, the relationship of indigenous nationalities with natural resources has been gradually declining. Two facts are enough to understand why this is happening.

Fact No. 1

The population of 50 tribal groups in the hills and mountains and 13 tribal groups in the Terai is 92,67,870, which is 34.9 percent of the total population. Tribal groups are regionally divided into two different cultural groups: the hill indigenous nationalities and the Terai indigenous nationalities. Indigenous tribal groups Magar, Tamang, Rai Gurung, and Limbu alone account for 86.9 percent of the country's total tribal population.

Out of the total indigenous nationalities, the number of Tarai indigenous nationalities is 2 million 39 thousand 407. In the Terai alone, the Tharu make up 85.2 percent of the total tribal population. Overall, these seven ethnic groups account for 86.5 percent of the country's total tribal population.

Although the presence of Janajatis is significant in all the districts of Nepal, it seems that the number of Janajatis is more in the hills than in the Terai. Although the presence of Rai Limbu in the east, Newar, Tamang, and Chepang in the middle, Gurung, Magar, and Tharu in the west is good, there is no tribal group in the district except Tamang in Rasuwa, Magar in Palpa, and Tharu in Bardiya.

Based on the census of 2068 BS, Rai is seen as a large ethnic group in 4 districts, Limbu in 3 districts, Newar in 2 districts, Magar in 7 districts, Gurung in 4 districts, Tamang in 7 districts, and Tharu in 3 districts. In 2058 BS, there were 34 districts in the first place in terms of the population of a single tribe.

By 2068 BS, the number of such districts had reached 30. In all the districts, the demographic position of the Janajati group seems to have declined. There is a growing tendency among the indigenous nationalities to leave their homes and move to other places.

Likewise, foreign and urban areas tend to be the preferred destination for migrating indigenous nationalities rather than places with abundant natural resources. Such a trend has not only weakened the density of the indigenous nationalities but also weakened the foundations of the indigeneous nationalities' identities.

Fact no. 2

The groups that do not belong to the nature-worshiping and Hindu caste system are called Janajatis (indigenous nationalities) , but based on the census, 94 percent of Tharu, 79 percent of Magar, and 97.4 percent of Newar are Hindus. Similarly, 87.3 percent Tamang, 62.7 percent Gurung, 98.3 percent Sherpa, 98.3 percent Bhote, 91.3 percent Hyolmo have been practicing Buddhism. Rai, Limbu, and Yakha account for 81.2 percent of the total Kirat population.

At a time when there is a growing trend in Nepal to abandon the traditional religions and become Christians, the indigenous nationalities have been hit harder. The number of indigeneous nationalities who became Christians in 2068 BS has increased five times more than in 2058 BS. Tamang, Rai, Magar, Chepang, and Limbu, which are considered to be closer to natural resources, are now the largest groups of Christians in Nepal.  

In 2058 B.S., these 5 indigenous nationalities occupied 86.93 percent of the total Christian population of the country, while in 2068, Newar, Tharu, and Santhal added 8.5 percent of the total Christian population. Except for Kami, Sarki, and Chhetri, the rest of the Christians are from tribal groups.

Along with conversion, the tribal-based rituals, values ​​, and daily practices of the indigenous nationalities have also changed. Despite the same tendency to use natural resources, respect for nature and traditional knowledge about the use and protection of natural resources is disappearing.

During the establishment of national parks, reserves, and conservation areas and the construction of various development projects, the bases of natural resources of many indigenous nationalities was weakened and they were not able to give up their connection with natural resources.

In the recent days, the indigenous nationalities have been voluntarily leaving their ancestral lands and moving to a mixed society, and converting to another religion. Such process has not only weakened the identity of the tribal, but also their identity and behavior as nature worshipers.

Nowadays, when the indigenous nationalities have been fighting for the right to natural resources and the fight for identity, the tribal leaders have to focus on the basics of identity and the preservation of the creed, otherwise, the indigenous nationalities will have no other basis for identity in the future.

(Mr. Kanel has been working in the field of environment and development for 2 decades. He has published more than 1500 articles on environment and development and has also presented papers in various seminars. Currently, he is a PhD Scholar at LBU.)