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The Raute community, a nomadic group that depends on hunting and gathering for survival and that still primarily resides in the forest, is slowly being drawn to modernity. After a decade-long effort from the government and various NGOs, the Rautes are slowly finding alternate ways to earn their livelihood. The nomadic community, which until recently used to preach that touching money is sinful, is now asking for monetary support from people they come in contact with. They even request the people to phone government officials to inquire about the social security allowance that they have been promised.

The local and provincial level governments have intro­duced programs to encourage Rautes to settle down. Raute chieftain Surya Narayan Shahi grieves, “We do not find enough food in the jungle, and on top of that, people no longer buy the wood utensils that we make. We have started living like others despite the problems we face with food and shelter. For the time being, we will not settle down in one place permanently, but slowly we hope to be able to eat and dress like others.”

As many as 145 Rautes are staying at Rate Khola in Sur­khet’s Lekbeshi municipal­ity-1. Identity cards have been issued to them recognizing them as permanent resi­dents of Dailekh’s Guransh rural municipality. The rural municipality also gives each person in the Raute community Rs 2,000 a month in social security allowance, and the identity card helps them to get their allowance wherever they go.

The rural municipality gives each Raute Rs 2,000 a month in social security allowance

Communal meal

The Ministry of Social Devel­opment arranged a communal meal on Jan 5 in an effort to make the Rautes more engaged in society. Food brought in from Birendranagar was also distributed to the Rautes living in Rate Khola.

Singing and dancing pro­grams were held as part of the program. Anita Gyawali, an officer at the ministry, says this was done to make the Rautes familiar with other cultures and to help them socialize better. Clothes, food and children’s toys were dis­tributed to the Rautes by the provincial government.

Maan Bahadur BK, a secre­tary at the ministry, says the Karnali Province government has a project aimed at getting the Rautes to settle perma­nently, while providing them social security and preserving their culture. “It’s important to inform Rautes about the disadvantages of living in the forest. But as we have to make efforts to preserve their cul­ture, it will take a while to get them to settle permanently,” says BK.

Rautes lead a nomadic life and roam around forests in the districts of Dang, Surkhet, Salyan and Dailekh in Province 5 and the district of Achham in Province 7. Hira Singh Thapa, Chairperson of Social Service Center Dailekh, says that two teachers and a health worker have been assigned with caring for the Rautes. He adds that the plan is to make them permanent settlers within the next two years.

Malnourished children

A health camp was also con­ducted on the same day by a team of doctors from the Sur­khet Provincial Hospital. Medi­cal Officer Dr Lokendra Thapa reported that more than 80 percent of the Raute children are malnourished. “Lack of nutritious food has led to this problem. Adults seem to be suffering from various infec­tions as well. It’s important to teach them healthy eating habits. They also need to be informed about the impor­tance of taking medicine when they’re ill,” he says.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s ‘instruction’ to federal lower house Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara to administer the oath of office and secrecy to parliament-elect Resham Chaud­hary, the prime suspect of the Kailali killings, has raised many moral, political and legal ques­tions. The decision on the swear­ing-in of Chaudhary was jointly taken by PM Oli and co-chairman of his party, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, without consulting other party members and seemingly without any inputs from legal and consti­tutional experts. It clearly signals that Oli wants continued support of Madhes-based parties and will make any compromise to that end. But the decision has invited criti­cism within his own party. Nepal Communist Party leader Bhim Rawal, for instance, has labelled the decision “inappropriate”. On August 23, 2015, a group of protestors had lynched seven policemen and an infant in Tikapur, Kailali, raising fears that the constitution drafting process would again be halted. The police filed a case against Chaudhary, accusing him of being the key archi­tect of the killings (See box). Chaud­hary’s party Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) has always denied his involvement.

Political or criminal case?

Krishna Pahadi, a human rights activist and civil society leader, thinks that Chaudhary’s swearing-in signals the growing trend of politicization and institu­tionalization of crime. “What hap­pened in Kailali was not a political movement. It was a grievous crime and the perpetrators should be punished,” said Pahadi, adding that delay in court settlement of the case has invited complications.

Bhimarjun Acharya, a consti­tutional expert, thinks Chaud­hary’s swearing-in is against the constitution and parliamentary rules. “The swearing-in of some­one with a pending criminal case is unconstitutional. The demands of the Tharu population are of a political nature, but the slaugh­ter of seven police officials and an infant is a crime. In fact, Chaud­hary was ineligible for elections under existing laws,” says Acharya. Madhes-based parties, however, are of the view that Chaudhary’s case is a political one and should be withdrawn or resolved through political consensus.

When Oli became prime minister in February last year, he sought the support of the Madhes-based parties and pledged to fulfill their demands. Ever since, the RJPN has continuously asked for the with­drawal of the case against Chaud­hary. Recently, after Oli seemed non-committal, the RJPN issued a seven-day ultimatum on Dec 25, stating that it would withdraw support to the government if its demand was not fulfilled. Although the prime minister has sufficient numbers in Parliament, he wants continued support of the Mad­hes-based parties, if only to demon­strate that he has their back.

Chaudhary’s swearing-in indi­cates a shift in Oli’s position on the Kailali killings. Soon after the incident, Oli had been against talks with the protestors, saying it was a criminal activity and there was no room for talks. In 2016, as the then Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi prepared to withdraw the case against Chaudhary, the then CPN-UML had protested.

NCP co-chairman Dahal has also been pressing Oli to fulfill the demands of the RJPN. The then CPN (Maoist Centre) led by Dahal had taken the Tikapur killings as a political incident, whereas the then UML led by Oli had termed it a crim­inal case. During his visit to India in 2016, Dahal had met Chaudhary and pledged support in his case.

RJPN’s victory

For the RJPN, Chaudhary’s swearing-in was a political victory that has enhanced its position in the Tharu community. Soon after the swearing-in, RJPN cadres in some far-western Tarai districts broke into celebrations. “We did not issue any directives, but there was spontaneous celebration by Chaudhary’s supporters,” said RJPN leader Laxman Lal Karna, adding, “Chaudhary is innocent and his swearing-in is a step towards hon­oring the public mandate.”

The Oli government spokes­person, Gokul Baskota, also defended the swearing-in: “It is the government’s duty to respect the public mandate. But we are also ready to abide by relevant court decisions, if any.”

RJPN leaders say Chaudhary’s swearing-in is a first and major vic­tory. Their priority now is to create political consensus in order to get the government to withdraw the legal charge against Chaudhary.

Following the swearing-in, there is now a sort of competition between the RJPN and the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum led by Upendra Yadav, a part of the Oli government, to take credit for this ‘achievement.’

Though Chaudhary is accused of the Tikapur killings, he enjoys strong support in the Tharu com­munity, which was also evident in his victory by a huge margin from Kailali-1 constituency in the 2017 national elections. He had filed his nomination in absentia and had conducted his election campaign secretly. His voters believe he is innocent and should be freed.

What the law says

Article 244 of Parliament Regula­tion deals with the status of a par­liamentarian if he or she is charged with or convicted of a crime.

• If any parliamentarian is arrested, Speaker should inform the house about such arrest.

• If a lawmaker is arrested and charge sheet filed against him or her in court, he or she can­not function or enjoy any rights as a lawmaker, and he or she would not get any remuneration or facilities.

• If the court convicts any lawmaker on a criminal case, he or she will be automatically suspended.

Tikapur and its aftermath

When the first draft of the con­stitution was finalized in July 2015, some political parties and groups protested against it. In the far-western Tarai districts, the Tharu community organized a series of protests demanding an autonomous Tharu province. The Tikapur killings took place on Aug 23, when high-level police officials were trying to negotiate with the Tharu protestors.

It took several weeks to bring the situation under control and prevent possible communal tensions. Political parties were divided. The Nepali Congress and the then CPN-UML termed it a law and order problem, whereas the then CPN (Maoist Center) and Madhes-based par­ties billed it a political incident that called for a political resolu­tion. The government formed a panel to investigate the case, but its report is yet to be made pub­lic. The police subsequently filed a charge-sheet against Chaud­hary for his alleged role in the killings. (After the killings, there were reports of arbitrary arrests, torture and ill-treatment of mem­bers of the Tharu community.)

Chaudhary fled to India and started lobbying for the with­drawal of the case against him. In February last year, he surren­dered before the Kailali District Court, where the case against him is still pending. The court has completed recording the statements of around 100 peo­ple including Chaudhary, but the date of the hearing has not been fixed. As some key docu­ments related to the case were with the Supreme Court, the hearing could not take place in Kailali. Chaudhary filed a case in the apex court, arguing that his detention is illegal. However, upholding the District Court’s decision, the SC on Jan 7 ruled that Chaudhary cannot be freed on bail. Following the verdict, the Kailali District Could is expected to start its hearing soon.

Schools in Nepal have to run classes for a mini­mum of 220 days in a year, according to official rules. But most community schools in Mugum Karmarong rural municipality of Mugu district open for only 80 days. In winters, schools remain closed for around three months due to extreme cold. Teachers return to the schools in May after the win­ter break. In June and July, students and teachers are busy collecting Yarsagumba, a treasured Himalayan herb. Then, there is hardly 1.5 months left for studies, after which Dashain festivities start. Students complain that schools remain closed most of the time, and even on the days they are open, all classes do not run. Many teachers do not teach properly and ask the students to read the book themselves while they sit out­side in the sun.

Monitoring reports show that among the 16 schools in the area, only one has satisfactory educational status

Monitoring reports show that among the 16 schools in the area, only one has satis­factory educational status. Chief District Officer Uma Kanta Adhikari, who also coordinates the monitoring committee, says that most stu­dents in the rural municipality cannot even read properly. He adds that there is reason to question the very existence of the schools.

“Community school teachers also take up other jobs, run NGOs and get involved in political activ­ities, thus hampering the smooth operation of schools,” says Adhikari.

The absence of teachers has even led to the closure of some schools in the rural municipality. Chief of Educa­tion Development and Coor­dination Unit Surya Bahadur Khatri says action will be taken against such schools.

“We have leaders in authoritative positions who complain about teachers getting more involved in personal and political work than in schools. Elected repre­sentatives now need to bring about change here,” says Sonam Karmarong, a local who is also involved in the monitoring process.

‘How do we go to school with charred books?’

BISHNA NEUPANE | Kalikot  

 Children of Khad­agaun of Kalikot’s Palanta rural municipality have been unable to attend school after a fire on the night of Dec 23 wreaked havoc on their commu­nity. Children’s books, bags and uniforms were some of the stuff destroyed by the fire that engulfed 87 houses. Locals have demanded the supply of essential educational items so that students can go to school again.

Bhagwati Neupane, a Grade VIII student of Ganesh Adharbhut School, lost her home in the fire along with her notebooks, clothes and other valu­ables. Now, she is unable to attend school. As many as 130 children of the area have been unable to go to school since the fire broke out. “All my clothes and books were destroyed by fire. How do I go to school now?” Bhagwati asks.

Dana Devi Neupane, deputy mayor of Palanta rural municipality, claims that the situation has now returned to normal. She says that after the distribu­tion of some relief materials in the first phase, arrange­ments were made for fire victims to stay at other houses or schools in the village that were unaffected by the fire.

While walking on the sidewalks of the city, many residents of Kathmandu may have come across Chinese President Xi Jinping’s books on governance, neatly translated into Nepali. In all likelihood, they were translated by Current Publication, the translator and publisher of most Chinese books available in the Nepali market. A few other books in Mandarin have also been translated in Nepali. But how many of us know that Nepali literary works are also being translated into Chinese, and that some of them like Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s ‘Muna Madan’, have enjoyed modest success in China?

The goal is to enhance mutual trust and to bring the two peoples closer

Still, the Nepali-book market in China is relatively small. “The Chinese love to read about our society and culture, and if we can select the best publications and translate them properly, China can be a huge market,” says Kiran Gautam, Current Publication’s managing director.

Aneesh Malla, a lecturer of Mandarin at Kathmandu University and the translator and editor of many Current books, reckons Nepali works have excellent potential in China if there is good research into the Chinese market.

Nepal and China want to publish each other’s works, starting with literary ones, says Ganga Prasad Upreti, chancellor of Nepal Academy. Upreti says that Nepal Academy is particular about selecting books to translate and send to China, and hopes that like ‘Muna Madan’, which he says has sold over 100,000 copies in China, other well-translated Nepali books will also be popular in China.

The goal behind these translations, say those involved, is to enhance mutual trust and to bring the two peoples closer.

Books in translation 

The Xinzhi Bookstore at Kamal­adi, Kathmandu is among a handful of bookstores in Nepal that sell Chinese books. It mostly caters to Chinese nationals living in Nepal and to students and pro­fessionals learning Mandarin. With a huge collection of Chinese books and magazines, the bookstore also has a small section where non-Chi­nese customers can buy Chinese books that have been translated into English or Nepali: the section has a collection of illustrated stories and Chinese folklore translated into sim­ple English and Nepali for beginners, as well as popular Chinese literary works for more advanced readers. On spending some time at the bookstore you learn that plenty of Nepalis are interested in Chinese works that have been translated into Nepali. (The store owners corrobo­rate that.) But would Nepali works of fiction and non-fiction translat­ed into Mandarin sell in China? Given China’s colossal market, could our struggling writers thrive there?

“Definitely,” says Kiran Gautam, Managing Director of Current Publication Pvt Ltd, the translator and publisher of most Chi­nese books available in Nepali trans­lation. “The Chinese love to read about our society and culture, and if we can select the best publications and translate them properly, China can be a huge market,” Gautam says.

Gautam has for past 11 years been taking part in various literary con­ferences and book fairs in China and exploring the possibility of an exchange of publications. Current Publication is a 45-year-old family business that Gautam took charge of in 2012. He has since been publishing translations of Chinese writings and researching the demand for Nepali publications in China.

Dearth of material

“In Nepal, most of what we read is home-produced or imported from India. We have always been very influenced by India but we should not forget China is also our neigh­bor,” Gautam says. Working in col­laboration with Chinese publishing houses, he and his team of transla­tors and scholars started by trans­lating children’s storybooks. They then moved on to more serious pub­lications, including a comprehensive book on the Belt and Road Initiative.

“But the main problem is that we do not have good material to pen­etrate the Chinese market,” says Gautam, who this week received the “International Publishing Cooperation Friendship Award 2018” on behalf of the Current Media and Research Center in Tai’an, Shandong. “Apart from a few Nepali classics, I don’t think the bulk of what we publish would interest Chinese readers.”

Gautam, who also writes and translates, is working on a travel­ogue based on his journeys across China. He says Current Publications is also translating Chinese President Xi Jinping’s writings.

Aneesh Malla, a lecturer of Manda­rin at Kathmandu University and the translator and editor of many of Cur­rent’s publications, reckons Nepali publications have excellent potential in China if there is good research of Chinese market. “During my stay in China as a student, I noticed that most Chinese students had the habit of reading outside their curriculum from an early age. Reading is an inte­gral part of life there,” Malla says. He thinks Nepali books, if translated and promoted well, could tap the huge Chinese market.

Malla is also the director of the “China-Chin Editorial Depart­ment,” established this year by Current Media in collaboration with China’s state-run Foreign Lan­guage Teaching and Research Press, the biggest publication in the coun­try for foreign language translations and printing.

"We have always been very influenced by India but we should not forget China is also our neighbor"

Kiran Gautam Managing Director, Current Publication

Two-way process

“We have been translating Chinese books for the Nepali market and with this new collaboration, we will pub­lish at least five substan­tial writings every year. But this is not enough. We strongly believe this should be a two-way process and we also need to spread our culture and literature in China,” Malla says. He cites the examples of Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s classic “Muna Madan” and Dharma Ratna Yami’s “Reply from Tibet” as successful Nepali publi­cations that have been translated into Mandarin and which were well received in China. “But we can do much more,” says Malla, who is half­way through translating Diamond Sumsher Rana’s epic “Seto Bagh”. He believes the book will create an interest among Chinese readers because of its rich historical content.

Working on “Seto Bagh” with Mal­la is Xing Yun (pen name Indira), a PhD scholar at Tribhuvan University and faculty member at the Center for Nepalese Studies in Beijing Foreign Studies University. Yun has collab­orated with Malla on translations of books like “Fun Reading About China,” and “Chinese Folk Tales” (a series of 10 books). Indira writes and speaks fluent Nepali and is an avid reader of Nepali literature. She names Nepali classics like “Muna Madan”, “Seto Bagh”, “Muluk Bahira”, “Bas­anti”, “Shirish­ko Phool” and modern popular bestsellers such as “Forget Kath­mandu” and “Jack­son Heights” as some of her favorites. “I like reading Nepali literature, but I cannot authoritatively judge Nepali books or authors,” she says. But she believes books like “Seto Bagh” that delve into Nepali culture will be a big hit in China.

Need of our times

“Although it’s fiction, I found the stories of that period fascinating. I’ve also watched a Nepali movie based on the book. The history of Nepal, the Nepali way of living, its religions and rituals, the cultures of different ethnic groups and the Nepali diaspo­ra would interest Chinese readers,” she says. Yun acknowledges the simi­larities in the two neighbors’ cultures and literature, and says although the two peoples have had age-old trade exchanges, literary exchanges are vital too.

Correction: An earlier version of this article showed an incorrected map of China. Sorry.