The Nature and Causes of Rural Poverty (A Case Study of Dalit Community of Chiuridanda V.D.C., Khotang District)

Abstract

Poverty is very complex. The phenomenon of poverty is an old as the human society. Poverty is lack of basic needs, food, clothing, housing clean water health services etc. It is multifaceted in feature. Poverty is as old as human civilization. Dalit is one of the largest community of Nepal. Agriculture is the backbone of our country and dalits are extremely depended on this sector and spread all over the country. A sample of 60 households are taken out of total 103 households for the study. The head of households were interviewed to examine the source of income, expenditure of their respondents. Poverty is highly correlated with source of income, size of landholding, educational level, main occupation, employment family size. General objective of the study is to assess the nature of rural poverty in Chiuridanda VDC of Khotang district. However, the specific objectives, were : a) To examine the rural poverty of dalit community. b) To analyze the relationship between poverty and other factors employment, education and land holding. c) To find out the causes of poverty and suggest appropriate policy measures to reduce poverty. The methodology of data collection consisted to personal level interviews with prepared mixed questionnaires schedule. The sample households were taken from stratified random sampling. Sixty households survey data and some secondary data are used for the analysis and discussion. The study had showed that out of the total households taken in case study 66.66 percent is joint family and agriculture being main occupation 71.66 percent is the major economic characteristics of the study area. Similarly this study had drawn out that 53 percent (0.5 - 5 ropani) occupied small landholding size which is insufficient in comparison to their family structure. In respect to Dalits 58.28 percent of the total study area occupied in which is was found that majority were i.e. 61.67 percent illiterate. They are engaging the majority i.e. 90 percent were engaged in traditional pattern of agriculture activities. Dalit people went to abroad for selling labor, children deprived from good education, poor health, unemployment indebtedness and social discrimination. To alleviate poverty from study area. Farming system should be improved alternative employment opportunities should be created, knowledge of family planning skill development programmes, discouragement of bad habits should be increased.