Nepal & UN Millennium Summit
PM Koirala’s Visit A Success

By Ram Chandra Pokharel

WHEN Prime Minister G. P. Koirala left Knnedy International Airport, New York for Geneva after his successful participation in the UN Millennium Summit, perhaps, he could have been sentimental over his past memories of thirty year long hard struggle for democracy.

What also might have come in his mind were the famous world leaders like Nehru and Kennedy and some others who had championed the cause of human rights and democracy in the key days of sixties when G.P. Koirala himself and his brother B.P. Koirala were in the prison for an unlimited terms.

Impression

The august leaders B.P. Koirala, as the first ever democratically elected Prime Minister in Nepal, had addressed the 15th regular session of UN General Assembly on September 1960. As one of the most dynamic leaders of the Third World he had left an impression even in the superpower leader like Khrushchev of the then USSR.

Inside the country, Nepalese people were eagerly watching this time the international news media with curiosity to find their leader’s image and the message he delivered. Meanwhile, the live interview of Prime Minister G.P. Koirala in CNN news network enhanced immediately their curiosity. Perhaps the people who had already undergone torture and repression during the thirty year long authoritarian partyless system might have experienced a different feeling in watching their leader in an international television.

In the live interview, Prime Minister Koirala had taken seriously into consideration the advancement in science and technology and global economic liberalisation and said, "The United Nations should have innovative perception in future."

Vigorously raising the issue of poverty alleviation and Maoist problem inside the country he confidently said, "Political stability would be attained soon."

It should be noted that the UN millennium Summit also has concluded with a historic declaration pledging to fight poverty and war and to strengthen UN System. As the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan who also closed the Millennium Summit noted that the declaration is wholly committed for "The eradication of extreme poverty" from the world.

The Millennium Summit had offered a unique opportunity to communicate between different world leaders among themselves from more than 160 countries.

Prime Minister Koirala also participated in the Millennium Summit Interactive Round Table meeting of 50 countries including China, Pakistan, and Philippines from Asia; France, Russian Federation, Germany and Sweden from Europe; Cuba and Brazil from Latin America and South America. Moreover, he had capitalised an opportunity to attend various receptions and luncheon hosted by no other than UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, President Clinton and Japanese Prime Minister Yohiro Mori.

Meanwhile, the Nepalese Community in US did not lose the chance to pay their respect to their leader by organising a reception in his honor at Columbia University. Besides, he was received by Asia Society at New York where he confidently dwelt on the issue of institutionalising democracy through "decentralisation" with the aim of empowering people at grass root level.

He made a serious remark that it was very difficult to run democracy in a poor society like ours and he further came out with the conviction that democracy was "the only way to really address the problem of poverty."

During the sojourn, the Prime Minister did not forget his promise he had made in the election campaign to work for women and children. Though it was ‘optional’ he was earnestly ready to sign two protocols to the Convention on the Rights of Child at a signing ceremony organised at United Nations Head Quarters in New York.

A Success

Despite criticism from a small quarter of political sphere in the capital, Prime Minister visit to UN has been a success. We have nothing to say to those who naively thought the trip was a futile exercise. Because the other sector of the same political party has already contradicted it by noting that the visit was necessary for the nation and he proved it through his thoughts and actions.

Finally the historic Summit that brought a variety of groups to UN Headquarters for the first time was also represented by religious and spiritual leaders. And, as the Nepalese people visualised the historic Millennium Summit did not only serve, ‘statement of prin-ciples’, but projected itself ‘as a plan of action.’

Arun Basin’s Majhis: Under Threat

By Mrigendra Bahadur Karki

THE Arun Basin contains rich cultural heritage, unique practices and ways of land use, living style, interesting and diverse socio-economic conditions and distinct settlement pattern of various ethnic groups.

Predominant

The most predominant and noteworthy groups are the Kirat (Rai and Limbu), Bhote, Sherpa, Tamang, Magar, Kshatriya, Bramin, Newar, Damai, Kami, Sarki, Kumal, Majhi etc. Among them, the entire Majhis are residing under the pitiable socio-economic condition as well as are on the verge of extinction, from the point of view of soio-cultural identity due to the impact of acculturation as well as the pace of modernisation.

The Leguwa VDC in Dhankuta district and Jarayotar and Charambi VDCs in the Bhojpur district located along the Arun river banks are the main settlement areas of Majhis.

In Hindu Varna hierarchical model, Majhis are placed in Vaisya or Matwali occupational group. Out of total population of 239 Majhi males constitute 52.71 per cent and female 47.28 per cent. The number of households is 39 with 82.06 per cent of families living in nuclear family structure. The average family size is 6.12 and the sex ratio remains 111:50.

The number of well-educated population is virtually nil in Majhi community. The student enrollment is negligible and no one from Majhi community has completed S.L.C. level till date.

There are 14 primary and 4 high schools located at a distance of 3-4 hours walk from their settlement areas. Since the schools are far from the village, the children below six years of age can hardly go to school. The literacy rate is 37.6 per cent, where male and female literacy rate remains 57.4 and 15.5 per cent respectively.

All this in comparision with other ethnic groups of the same region, depicts the very poor socio-economic condition of the Majhis.. Poverty, unemployment and superstition are the main reasons behind such low literacy rate among the Majhi people.

Economically, the Majhi community falls in the lowest wrung of economic ladder, although the region as a whole is not prosperous. Farming with traditional method, animal raising and occasional labour are the main sources of the Majhis livelihood. Animal husbandry, an integral part of substance farming system is the second occupation for 92.30 per cent households. Despite this, 12.82 per cent families have taken up business as secondary seasonal occupation. Defining business loosely, they are in the sales of home brewed alcohol (jad/raksi) and shop-keeping etc.

All communities share the scarce resources and maintain their socio-economic and political fabric with marginal degree of interaction and integration. Traditionally, the Majhi community was renowned for fishing and boating, but now only one family is involved in fishing as a secondary occupation. Due to the construction of suspension bridges, they are losing their traditional vocations. There are limited opportunities, such as labour works, portering goods for the local shopkeepers from Hile to the nearest rural market centers. No Majhi family member is found in working in government service as a major occupation, so far. Usually women work hard, an average of 12 hours per day, including outdoor activities such as off farm and farm-related labour, wage labor etc.

Though, having very limited earning resources, their expenditure is high. A large volume of expenditure goes in agro-food section, where 72.92 per cent families spend an average of Rs. 493.8 per month.

The village moneylenders always thrive on the relatively high percentage of interest from loans to their clients. As many debtors fail to pay the interest, loss of the mortgaged property or property put as collateral is common because of quite high interest rate of 46.30 per cent per year. Cases of force migration are a common phenomenon in the Majhi community of Arun Basin.

The land-ownership is measured as the basic socio-economic indicator of the concerned household in almost all-ethnic groups of Nepal. The figures indicate that land is very unequally distributed within the Majhi community. It is found that four families of Majhis are landless whereas ten families have occupied more than 50 per cent of total land. Though the Majhi community as a whole is suffering from poor productivity of land, it is because more than 85 per cent of the land is non-irrigated. Also fallow land (Bari) covers 63 per cent. Obviously, paddy, wheat and maize-corn are grown with an average of 2/3 crops during the year in the irrigated land. That 97 per cent households are involved in farming whether they can produce enough food-grain surplus for whole year or not, shows that farming is a compulsion for the Majhis in the absence of other economic opportunities.

Relatively, food production is very low where as childbirth rate is higher As a result, the whole community is suffering from acute food deficit. Only 5.1 per cent households have sufficient food balance. The rest, 95 per cent of the households, do not have access to enough food.

Since 51.2 per cent families do not produce enough food grain, they run in deficit for 3 to 4 months a year. About eight per cent families are not able to produce food for 9-12 months of the year. They explain that the gap of the given year is spent in involving in non-agricultural income generating activities and sometimes selling their animals especially goats, pigs, fowl etc.

Due to the lack of transportation facilities industrialisation as well as other developmental activities have not reached in Majhi community. The highly publicised and coveted Arun III Hydropower Plant has fallen victim to over politicisation of the issue even before it was finalised. Therefore, a large portion of economically active population is forced to engage in non-productive agricultural sector.

Similarly, pure drinking water is not always within short distance in rural Nepal. The main Majhi village does not have adequate supply of drinking water. About 69.23 per cent of households are using pond - water 20.51 and 10.25 per cent households are depending on local springs for their drinking water need respectively. In the rainy season, people are compelled to drink flood water flowing in the local rivers and the streams. Consequently, several gastro-related diseases affect many people, especially children and old people.

Marginal

Thus, Majhi settlements demonstrated that a large percentage of households in the Arun Basin live well below the marginal level of subsistence.

Linguistically, around 90 per cent people have lost their language and their traditional religious folklore are totally in the process of Hinduization. Therefore, on the basis of these realities, it would not be wrong to say that the Majhis of Arun Basin are living in the rootless socio-cultural stage. If they are not to be protected through a holistic approach from the concerned authorities, after a few decades of such an existence, the Majhis of Arun Basin could simple vanish from that place.