Tuesday 31 May 2016

Why government is insensitive, non-responsive and sluggish in rebuilding and reconstruction process even after the mega earthquake in Nepal?

Personally being a female from a Tamang ethnic community member I never ever felt discrimination in my life until and unless I was not aware about it. However, while I was grown up in Dharan, Sunsari district some of the people used to say us "Bhote" (Tibetan) but I used to ignore it thinking that it is acceptable to say Bhote to Tamang community. But lately I realised it is a derogatory term used by rulers to hit in mind to feel them outsiders/invaders who came from Tibet and do and die for Tibet like our rulers always after India because their ancestors came from India to save their lives from Muslim they run away from their ancestor home place, India. 
I started to felt and recognised obvious discrimination to Tamang ethnic community after I joined Women's Rehabilitation Centre (a national NGO that works to combat girls trafficking) in 1996 but still personally and professionally I didn't feel discrimination being a member of Tamang community. While working for WOREC I realised that since historical time majority of victims of girls trafficking and traffickers are from Tamang community who lives surrounding Kathmandu valley, a capital of Nepal. I couldn't believe that any NGO who works to combat girls trafficking in Tamang community or else can use "Tamang" surname for non-Tamang girls (Dalit and else) who were trafficked and brought to Nepal in 1996 by group of 5 NGOs while they accepted 120 brothel returned girls to rehabilitate. I have been told by NGO workers that all the houses in Kavre, Sindhupalchowk, Nuwakot, Makwanpur, etc surrounding districts of Kathmandu valley with the roof of Corrugated galvanised iron (CGI) have daughters in brothels in India as they sell their daughters for sex trade in India. I could not believe how any family members or parents can sell their daughter for sex trade. I also been told that those Tamang people feel bad and sad when sons are born in their family and feel happy when daughters are born because they can sell them for sex trade.  
Recently one Khas high profile man told me, You are Dr Laxmi Tamang but you shouldn't say that you are Tamang. It was interesting to know his thoughts and perception towards my family name/surname which might be painful to him to see how even from strategically historically marginalised from the state level ethnic member woman can get such a higher degree. 
On 25 April 2016 Ms. Haushala Zimba on her facebook wrote below status after reading the Kathmandu Post article titled "The great divide" written by Sardha Ghale published on 24 April 2016 [1] which was related to the last year earthquake from which vast majority of Tamang community has been affected, killed, injured and displaced and even after a year government of Nepal is not taking any initiative to support them that raised question "Why were discussions about relief and rebuilding being conducted in a language that was so removed from lived experience of most affected people? What kinds of solutions will emerge from a discussion that excludes its main subject from starting point?" as stated in the article by Shradha Ghale.
Ms. Haushala Zimba wrote, 
"I am married to a Tamang but I'm a daughter of a Magar and Gurung. I had never felt caste discrimination before until I started introducing myself as a woman married to Tamang. I received comments during our relief operation by the higher castes saying "wow you're a very smart educated Tamang it's difficult to see this".
This article must be read and shared.
"Some of the problems he associated with the Tamang’s condition--drinking among men, lack of education, the language barrier--were all real. And yet the structure within which he operated had blinded him to the deeper causes of the desolation of Tamang lives."
Tamang people were for a reason discriminated from education and opportunities almost more than 50 years ago when the high caste system found out that the capital was surrounded by this certain tribe and if educated- opportunity given it would be a threat to the capital power. Tamang is where it is now not because of their language but because of what our history wanted them to be. It's the greatest card game ever played for high caste future security. It's time this changed and every NGO that works grassroots started working with these communities."

Reference
1. Sardha Ghale, 2016. "The great divide" access from http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-04-24/the-great-divide.html

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