Socio-economic Status of Dalits: A Case Study of Sarki Community of Inaruwa Municipality, Sunsari District

Abstract

The socio-economic condition of the Dalit Sarki is the subject matter of being concern because no doubt that Nepal has very diverse form of various caste, ethnicity and language. Such diversification has been a glory to the country. Every caste has their own socio-cultural and occupation aspects. Socio-cultural and occupation of any community affect the economy level. Thus the study of socio-economic status of Dalit Sarki gives the general information about overall Dalit.

Dalit Sarki people are fully interdependence with other caste people. The socio-economic condition of Sarki is poor than other castes/ethnic groups. Caste-based discrimination and discrimination among religions is gradually decreasing in the society.

The study is "Socio-economic Status of Dalits" (A Case Study on Sarki Community in Inaruwa Municipality, Balaha, Sunsari District). It has been carried out using primary data sources obtained from Dalit Sarki settlement area of Inaruwa Municipality, Sunsari. The general objectives of this study are to find out the socio-economic condition of Sarki community of Inaruwa Municipality in Sunsari district. The specific objectives of study area are: (I) To introduce of sarkis in the study area (ii) To study the social aspect of sarkis (iii) to describe the cultural aspect of sarkis and (iv) To analyze the economic condition of sarkis.

Descriptive research design has been adopted for this study and other method of methodology techniques, research design, data collection and interview, sampling etc. are used. There were 78 household of Dalit Sarki in Inaruwa Municipality. 30 of the total household were selected as sample size. To generate the primary data the structured questionnaire, key informant interview and observation also limited by simple random sampling from the Sarki household of this Municipality only.

Large number of Sarki people of this Municipality is poor, socio-economic and cultural status also poor. The economic condition of Sarki of this study area is not modernized and it is going to traditional way. So, the situation of traditional leather-based occupation is in decreasing stage.

Socially Sarki people of this study area are deprived because they have traditional belief towards untouchability where 73.33% were favour in this view and only 26.67% were aware about it. Educational status of Sarki is also not good only 40% of the total is literate and (60%) majority of the population was illiterate. Only a Sarki male person has passed the SLC. They had given priority on arranged marriage of 80% of the total; only young generation of 20% had adopted love marriage.

The situation of the importance towards their sons and daughters was uniformity because 100% Sarki people gave importance towards their sons due to their traditional beliefs.

Twenty four households of Sarki (80%) of the total were the Hindu and 6 households (20%) were Christian of this study area. Economically Sarki people are poor because 50% people have adopted agriculture as their main occupation, 43.33% people have adopted leather-based itraditional occupation and only 6.67% people have adopted service sector as their main occupation. From where their traditional agriculture system and unskilled leather-based indigenous occupation had not sufficient for sustain.

No one landless in this study are and majority of the Sarki people have in the range of 5-10 ropanis landholding size which comprises 43.33% of the total population.

They had high expenditure in comparison of their income level so, saving condition is very poor. The most of the Sarki people were in burden of the loan where 28 households (93.33%) were found to be loan-holder in this Sarki community of this study area. Thus the overall social and economic condition of Sarki is poor of this study area.