Study on Socio-Cultural Change of Tharu Community (A Case Study of Gunjanagar VDC, Chitwan, Nepal)

Abstract

This study has been conducted in wards 2, 8 and 9 in Gunjanagar VDC. The objective of the study is to analyze the socio-cultural change of Tharu Community with an emphasis on marriage,family, life cycle ceremony, religion, feast and festival, dress and food habit and to find out the responsible factors for the change. this research is based on primary data which were collected by direct interview, field observation. Besides, other secondary data were also used to clarify the objectives. The collected data are systematically organized and presented on a sheet in order to facilitate description. After the migration of hill people in this area; Tharu people have been interacting with different ethnic groups. In such interaction they are accepting and imitating numerious techniques and indeas from them which is a good aspect however they have last their land. According to field survey, it was found that the number of Tharu people having no own land has increased rapidly. Before migration of the hill people in this area. Tharu people were the landlord but now almost 10% of Tharu people are landless. On the one hand their land holding have been losing on the other hand the open land for pasturage and dense forest in the vicinity area have incroached by over population due to which they have to face with new problems for subsistence. Mean while, the adopted new method in farming system such as use of new and improved seeds, plant at ion of cash crops, they have been able to yield more grains from the same areas of land than before. However, due to increased of family member on the one hand and the other hand they also came into contact with the people of different occupation they have not been 5 able to meet their food sufficiency and daily expenses. There fore to solve food insufficiency they have been changing their traditional occupation. Thus after the migration of hill people the economic life of the Tharu seem to be quite changing. The most important positive impact on Tharus after migration of hill people is that of attraction towards education sectors.According to field survey it was found that the enrollment of Tharu children of this area reached to 92% among son and 73% among daughter. It was found that while field survey, they are aware about clean drinking water and using toilets. Now more than 85% of total sampled household reported that they consulted health post and private clinic rather than Gurau, it shows their attraction towards modern treatment system. The Tharu of this area have been found to adopt Hindu religion such as adoption of Brahmin priest in different rituals rather than Gurau. They started to observe Hindu festivals such as Dashain and Tihar with giving more priority rather than their own festivals suchas Jitia, Faguwa, etc. They started to participate in social activities more than before on the one hand and on the other hand, due to the fear of the hill people the ethnic feelings among them have also developed. Thus such types of economic, social and cultural changeon the life style of the Tharu people of Gunjanagar village have carried by the migration of the hill people.