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Ethnic/Caste Diversification in Kathmandu Metropolitan: Changing Social Landscape of a Capital City

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Ethnic/Caste Diversification in Kathmandu Metropolitan: Changing Social Landscape of a Capital City Journal of Geography and Regional Planning Vol. 3(8), pp. 185-199, August 2010 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/JGRP ISSN 2070-1845 ©2010 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Ethnic/caste diversification in Kathmandu metropolitan: Changing social landscape of a capital city Bhim Prasad Subedi Tribhuvan University,Kathmandu, Nepal. E-mail: [email protected]. Accepted July 8, 2010 Kathmandu metropolitan, the capital city of Nepal is a socio-geographic microcosm of the nation as a whole and demonstrates caste/ethnic mosaic. Known historically as a Newar settlement, Kathmandu accommodates at least 67 caste/ethnic groups. It has witnessed nearly six-fold increase in population within the last 40 years. Utilizing the population census 2001, this paper examines the population dynamics from a socio-geographic perspective by focusing on concentration of caste/ethnic groups, migration in the city and apparent ethnic diversification. The findings suggest that spatial distribution of caste/ethnic population demonstrates more of diversification than concentration. The index of ethnic diversification clearly demonstrates a geographic pattern associated with distance. The level of diversification increases from the city core to the periphery along with increase in distance from the core. Diversification is closely related to migration both internal and international but primarily internal. These findings are expected to contribute to the ongoing national debate of formation of federal states reflecting one or other group’s primacy. This primacy issue is grounded in argument of ethnic concentration while in reality the social landscape has been much more diversified than many of them have realized. Key words: Kathmandu metropolitan, capital city, caste/ethnic groups, concentration, ethnic diversification, geographic pattern, migration. INTRODUCTION Since capital cities are among the most ethnically naming of the municipality comes from Kathmandu valley diversified locations in most of the nation-states of the itself and in the past the valley was known as Nepala world, it is quite natural to assume Kathmandu khaldo or Nepal valley by the hill and mountain people of metropolitan, the capital city of Nepal to demonstrate high the country. level of ethnic diversity. However, as one of the oldest The unprecedented population increase in Kathmandu settled mid-land valley of Nepal, Kathmandu is historically over the last few decades is not only due to higher rate of known as Newar settlement (Slusser, 1982; Malla, 1978; natural increase but also due to high level of in-migration Kirkpatrick, 1969). During the course of time this fertile and immigration both in the city and in the valley. In valley attracted people from outside mostly the non- Kathmandu, the proportion of population born outside the Newar. More importantly, when Nepal was unified during district was 44.2% (40.5% internal migrants and 3.7% the second half of eighteenth century, Kathmandu international migrants; Source: Census, 2001). In the became the capital attracting people from all over the country as a whole, among 22.7 million people, 2.9 country and it was then already an established religious million (13%) were internal lifetime migrants who moved center (Tiwari, 2001). At present, Kathmandu from their district of birth to other district (Census, 2001). metropolitan with an area of 49.45 km2 and a total From 1991 till 2001 the inter-censal growth rate of population of 671,846 in 2001 is not only the single population in Kathmandu was 4.67% against national metropolitan but also the hub of cultural-religious, total population growth rate of 2.25% per annum. political-administrative and educational activities in the This paper deals with the population concentration, county (Sharma, 1989, 2006; Haffner, 1981, 1982). The migration and ethnic diversification in Kathmandu. The 186 J. Geogr. Reg. Plann. Table 1. Kathmandu: Trends of urban population growth. Kathmandu metropolitan Kathmandu valley Nepal Census year Population size As % of KV Population size As % of urban Nepal Population size % urban 1952/54 106,579 54.2 196,777 (5) 82.6 238,275 2.9 1961 121,019 55.5 218,092 (5) 64.9 336,222 3.6 1971 150,402 60.3 249,563 (3) 54.0 461,938 4.0 1981 235,160 64.7 363,507 (3) 38.0 956,721 6.4 1991 421,258 70.4 598,528 (3) 35.3 1,695,719 9.2 2001 671,846 67.5 995,966 (5) 30.9 3,227,879 13.9 Figures in parenthesis indicate number of municipalities in the valley in the respective censuses. Source: Population censuses: 1952/54-2001. study discusses the “concentration” based on the spatial diversification of socio-cultural groups, this index has been proportion of particular caste/ethnic group in the given used to analyze the level of caste/ethnic diversification by Subedi spatial unit. It also demonstrates the level of ethnic mix- (2002), which is as follows: up using an index of diversification and its relation to the Index of ethnic diversification (I) = 1-X2/(X) 2 stretch of migration in the city. It argues that for a capital city of multi-ethnic nation the ethnic diversification is Where X is the proportion of population shared by each caste or imperative and that migration is the main factor behind ethnic group within the ward. The minimum value of this index is “0” the diversification. Whether the process of ethnic when there is only one group settled in the given area that is, diversification in Kathmandu was historically right or district. Such a situation represents no diversification. The higher the index value the higher is the level of diversification in the wrong and whether it happened at the cost of one or particular ward. On the contrary, the presence of diverse groups other group in the past could be debated, but the within the wards of metropolitan represents higher level of contemporary cosmopolitan identity of Kathmandu as diversification. Latter same index was adapted to analyze the 2001 capital of Nepal is hard to visualize in isolation and as a census data by Sharma (2006). landscape dominated by one or other group. The unique identity of Kathmandu today at national and international level owes much to the migration and ethnic RESULTS AND DISCUSSION diversification. This paper intends to contribute in two ways. First, Perspectives on population of Kathmandu there has been much discussion on ethnic concentration metropolitan or diversification in the country based on subjective judgment and with absolute numbers. This paper aims to The 1920 head count showed a total of 108,805 people provide more astute basis for specifying the caste/ethnic living in Kathmandu including urban as well as rural diversification. Second, it also contributes towards better areas. The earliest figure for Kathmandu city is that of understanding of the caste/ethnic-based debate at the 1941 with 68,594 people. However, it is worth to note that federal level. population census 1952/54, provided more reliable data for urban areas since it was the first scientific census in the country (Karki, 1995). As per the population census DATA AND METHODS 1952/54 Kathmandu city as one of 10 ‘prominent localities,’ had a total population of 106,579 comprising The decennial population censuses since 1952/54 to 2001 are the 54.2% of total Kathmandu valley population. Since then main sources of data used in this paper. Nepal is divided into 75 the city population has shown a steady increase reaching districts and most of the socio-economic data are available at its highest share in 1991. Census 2001 showed an district level and for the past few decades for urban areas. absolute increase of 250,588 compared to 1991 census Information/ data on caste/ethnicity are available since 1991. In 2001, detail data at ward level were available from the Central but its proportional share in the valley population Bureau of Statistics, Nepal. To examine the level of ethnic/caste decreased (Table 1). By then not only the rural areas diversity in the metropolitan, present study utilizes wards as unit of adjacent to the city showed an increase, other cities in analysis. The Census 2001 reported population of 67 caste and the valley namely Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kirtipur and ethnic groups living in the metropolitan. In this paper their Madhyapur Thimi had also grown significantly in their proportions in the lowest spatial unit that is, wards are calculated population sizes. and their ranking up to fourth place has been discussed to demonstrate the state of concentration. Along with growth of Kathmandu city population, the The extent of caste/ethnic diversity is examined using an index population of Kathmandu valley has also grown more originally developed and used in agricultural geography (Gibbs and than five times over the past five decades. Since there Martin, 1962). Further, considering its potential in examining the were only 10 urban areas that is, ‘prominent localities’ Subedi 187 during 1950s and 1960s, the urban Kathmandu (valley) unsurpassed since then, attracting more people from consisted 83% of total urban population in the country. outside the valley. Gradually with emergence of other urban areas and with increase in proportion of urban population from about 3% (1952/54) to 14% (2001), its share on total urban Urban population distribution by wards population declined steadily reaching only 31% in 2001. The age structure of metropolitan population is another In the existing administrative set-up of the country, important demographic component. Age structure of municipality or village development committee is the metropolitan can be considered as mature compared with lowest politico-administrative unit. The municipalities are young age structure of the nation. Of the total population, divided into local units known as wards ranging from nine 68.6% belongs to the age group 15 - 59 years.
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