Socio-economic Condition of Tharus:A case study of Hekuli,Dang

Abstract

Socio-economic condition of Tharus: A case study of Hekuli, Dang is a representative vision of the reality.The main thrust of the study is to analyze the socio-economic condition of Tharus in the study area, to examine the cultural and religious status and hanging factors of socio-economic life of Tharu. This study was aimed to study the socio-economic condition of Tharus. It also aimed to explain symbolic and religious value of Tharus of Dang and people's perception towards this. Thus, the nature of this study was such that it demanded both exploratory as well as descriptive research designs. During the topic selection, exploratory research design was employed whereas the study after ward used descriptive research design. By using that design, it tries to describe how the fractions of the social aspects and phenomenon occurred in the Tharus society. The study has included both primary as well as secondary data.Mainly this study was focused on qualitative nature of data but to some extent quantitative data has also been used. All the data have been collected directly from the respondents by scheduled interview, observation, focused group discussion,etc. The secondary data was collected from Central Bureau of Statistics, VDC and DDC profiles, different Journals, News Paper, Internet and the relevant literature will be taken from the libraries. There are nine wards in Hekule VDC of dang district.There is a CAC group inward no. 9 at MauliTole. It is designed by LGCDP project according to the rule of Ministry of Local Development of Nepal. There are 45 members in the CAC group which is selected as sample of the present study. Tharus are socio-economically backward. Their backwardness started slowly day by day since the regime of Rana rule up to the land reform program of the government. After that, they gradually progressed day by day. Due to low educational status, lack of awareness, traditional way of farming system of Tharu culture (like superstitions and beliefs of Guruwa, ghost, witches,sorcerers and wizardry etc, usage of more alcoholic drinks in their festivals and arrival of guests, excessive expenses in marriage, death, birth and religious functions etc) have added extra energy to worsen their socio-economic condition. There is seen the raising and falling condition of socio-economic life of Tharus.So many factors involve changing Tharu’s socio-economic life. The falling factors are tax collection system of Rana regime, Eradication of Malaria,Abolition of Birta’ land programme, land reform programme, usage of more alcoholic drinks and expenses in their festivals, rounding type of migration,lack of applying the means of family planning, lack of awareness and educational status, traditional agriculture and livestock’s, their family type and structure, population growth, child marriage, polygamous marriage, Jari marriage system etc and the rising factors are tenancy right, Establishment of multiparty system, help of NGOs, raising educational status and awareness,liberation of ‘Kamaiyas’, distribution of land to each kamaiyas family forsettlement.