Nature of Rural Poverty in Damai Community A Case Study of Paiyunthanthap VDC of Baglung District, Nepal

Abstract

Poverty is that condition in which a person doesn't maintain a scale of living enough to provide his physical and mental efficiency and to enable him and his natural dependents to function usefully according to the standards of the society of which he is a member. Similarly, rural poverty is an economic condition that is inadequate to meet the basic needs of rural people. It is the main obstacle of nation's prosperity .Moreover, it is mainly rooted in back warded class and communities in Nepal. In this context, Damai community is also one of the Dalit communities in which rural poverty is concentrated. Damai is one of the lowest castes which are recognized as the tailor caste. There are 98 family names of Damai and their total population is nearly 2 percent of total population. But they are victimized by caste discrimination and they have been facing the atrocity of untouchability for about one thousand six hundred years. Economically no access on the resource of production, politically excluded, educationally illiterate and no access to justice are the main scenarios of Damais. In this context, research has been launched in Paiyunthanthap VDC of Baglung district. This research is justifiable because such kind of study has not been done yet in this area and it is hoped that this study is helpful in formulation plans and programmes for mainstreaming the excluded basically Damai communities. Assessing the overall rural poverty in which Damai are affected is the general objective. Identifying the socio-economic situation of Damai community, measuring absolute and relative poverty and finding the causes of rural poverty in Damai communities are the specific objectives. The research is mainly based on the micro level study about the rural poverty in Damai at Paiyunthanthap VDC of Baglung district. The research has based on primary as well as secondary data. Primary data have been collected from field survey through semi-structured questionnaire. Similarly, secondary data have collected from CBS, NPC, national Dalit commission etc. The sample size is one third of the total population household. Similarly, average ratio, percentage Kynsian consumption function, wolf point, Gini coefficient and Lorenz curve are used to analyze data. Rural poverty is deeply rooted in Damai community. 40 percent households are below absolute poverty line and 25 percent households are relative poor in Damai community. There is a considerable degree of inequality in the distribution of income (Gini- coefficient = 0.17, Field Survey, 2063). There is high proportion of unemployment and semi-employment which is the main cause of poverty. The land distribution is unequal, where positive relationship between land holding and income and negative relationship between land holding and poverty. The rural poverty is higher in illiterate people. Nearly 50% population is in non-working age group population where the lowest 50% household receive 37.62 percent of total per capita daily income whereas the richest 50 percent receive 62.38 percent of per capita daily income. Social, political and economic exclusion, social stratification system, accessless condition in resources, traditional occupation, illiteracy, high interest rate, untouchability, back warded mentality, lack of proper utilization of resources etc. are the main causes of rural poverty in Damai community. In this context, equitable distribution of land and transformation of traditional farming system are the main measure of reducing rural poverty. Social and economic expansion of infrastructure, enhancing the inclusion of Damai in each of the state's organ, providing the qualitative and practicable education, avoiding the social stratification avoiding untouchability etc. are other measures of reducing poverty. Therefore, we should aware and empower Damai to develop their capacity and increase the economic, political, decision making status and bring them into the main stream of national affairs.