Migration and Socio-Cultural Change of Tharus (A Case Study of Swathi Village, Nawalparasi District)

Abstract

This research study entitled“Migration and Socio-Cultural Change of Tharus” is an academic contribution to sociological knowledge. The integrated analysis of internal and cross boarder migration and social change of Tharus provides some fundamental issues of sociological study of migration. The study has analyzed how migrants’ culture impacts the indigenous society and the culture in Terai and Inner-Terai Nepal. Descriptive research design and more qualitative inquires are applied in this study. Extensive literatures are reviewed for scientific understanding of the specific research problem. Tharus have distinct culture in comparison to Hill and Madheshi migrants. The culture of Tharus has been changing since the 900 BC when pre-Aryan and Aryan interaction was taken place. This process is continued to date. After inception of modern Nepal, Hill migrants were migrated into Terai and Terai became multicultural society. Multicultural society is conflict porn society which is identified from the data. There is relationship conflicting relationship between Tharus and migrant non-Tharus in the society. This type of relationship has changed Tharus’ society and culture. The major changes in Tharu society and culture are social structure, individual behavior,institutional structure and relations. Traditional practices of Tharus are changed by migrants’ cultural influence. At the beginning, Tharus were animist, Buddhists (in the Buddhism Era)and Hindu. Some scholars claimed that the Hinduization process had taken place between900-700 BC. This process was highly prevalent during Mugal Empire. During the Ranaregime, when Muluki Ain was implemented, almost all Tharus became Hindu. The role of the Madheshi migrants is found on structural institutional change of Tharus whereas behavioral change is caused by the Hill migrants. The state policy and Hinduization process have significant contribution to social change of Tharus. The Tharu NGO activists and Tharus’ political leaders can’t accept as social change. They claim it as the socio-cultural invasion of Tharus by the migrants. However, individual Tharu agencies differ to activists’ opinions and claimed that they were exploited by migrants in economic aspects.