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Kathmandu Wednesday June 13, 2001 Jestha 31, 2058.
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Maoists
again
Maoist rebels, who have been waging a People’s War
against the establishment, have threatened the supervisors and enumerators deputed by the
Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) for the second phase of the 10th National Census. The
second phase of the Census resumed the other day, a week after the Royal tragedy
obstructed the planned Census. Unfortunately, many enumerators trained for conducting the
census have already left their work incomplete due to Maoist threats. Apparently, the CBS
won’t be able to gather the required data from the Maoist-controlled districts. Such
inauthentic data will not only affect the overall development plans but will also exclude
minorities and religions, besides the rate of population growth, from the Census 2001. Had
the Koirala government done something to improve the situation, or taken measures to
prevent such an untoward incident, the enumerators as well as supervisors would not have
returned to district headquarters from the Maoist-affected Village Development Committees,
where they were sent to collect the data.
Initially, the CBS had planned to begin the 10th National
Census 2001 on June 8 after listing family names, and end the entire census by June 20.
The CBS was expecting that it would cover all seventy five districts in less than two
weeks. Unfortunately, that did not happen. The plan was hindered due to the untimely and
tragic deaths of King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya. As a result, the CBS resumed the
actual head count task last week only, that too in 40 districts including the Maoist-hit
districts. And the remaining 35 districts will be under the Census from June 15.
Obviously, the Census will not conclude on the 22nd of this month, despite the
"Census Day" declared by the government. To complete the 10th Census, the CBS
has deputed five thousand supervisors and twenty thousand enumerators who are secondary
and primary school teachers. Of the total deputed enumerators and supervisors, twenty
percent are women. Perhaps, that inclusion was done with a view to empowering women, as
well as to ensuring a high rate of accuracy.
One of the challenges for the Census 2001 has come from
none other than Maoist rebels, who have controlled western hilly districts. Maoists
themselves have collected data and opposed the Census carried by the government. In the
1991 head count, the CBS had left out five percent of the total population, including the
disabled. How scientific the new CBS "questionnaire" is yet to be known. But
different ethnic communities have already criticised the CBS for deliberate under
enumeration. This apart, women have raised disgruntled voices since the 10th Census has
omitted women’s contribution to household income and their exposure to domestic
violence. Due to many loopholes, it is no wonder the Census will be a disappointment. The
Maoists have already disrupted the Census, and it appears that the authorities are merely
exercising a constitutional provision.
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