SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS of LIMBU COMMUNITY (A Case Study of Angsarang VDC, Panchthar District) a Thesis Submitted to Tribhuvan
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SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF LIMBU COMMUNITY (A Case Study of Angsarang VDC, Panchthar District) A Thesis Submitted to Tribhuvan University, Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus, Ilam Department of Rural Development in Partial Fulfillment of the requirement for the Master's Degree of Arts in Rural Development Submitted By: Himal Rijal Exam Roll No.: 10124 T.U. Regd. No.: 7-2-1-670-2004 Mahendra Rratna Multiple Campus, Ilam July, 2013 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER TITLE Page No. RECOMMENDATION LETTER LETTER OF APPROVAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ABSTRACT TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ACRMYMS/ABBREVIATIONS CHAPTER – I: INTRODUCTION 1-10 1.1 Background of the Study 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem 7 1.3 Objective of the Study 8 1.4 Significance of the Study 8 1.5 Limitation of the Study 10 1.6 Organization of the Study 10 CHAPTER – II: LITERATURE REVIEW OF THE STUDY 11-16 CHAPTER – III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 17-20 3.1 Research Design 17 3.2 Selection of the Study Area 17 3.3 Nature and Sources of Data 18 3.3.1 Primary Data 18 3.3.2 Secondary Data 18 3.4 Data Collection Procedure 18 2 3.5 Sampling Procedure 18 3.6 Data Collection Tools and Techniques 19 3.7 Method of Data Analysis 20 CHAPTER IV: INFORMATION OF THE STUDY AREA 21-24 4.1 General Information of the Study Area 21 4.2 Population Distribution of the Angsarang VDC 22 4.3 Economic Activities of the People of Angsarang VDC 23 4.4 Limbu in Study Area 24 CHAPTER – V: DEMOGRAPHIC, SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL PROFILES OF LIMBUS 25-61 5.1 Limbu Society and their Social Practices 25 5.1.1 Birth and Naming Ceremony 28 5.1.2 Feeding ceremonies 29 5.1.3 Marriage Ceremony 29 5.1.4 Marriage System, Stability and Change 32 5.1.5 Divorce System 34 5.1.6 Death 34 5.2 Age and Sex Structure in Study Area 36 5.2.1 Respondent's Preference for the child 37 5.2.2 Respondents' Use of Family Planning Method 38 5.2.3 Perception of Respondents on Causes of Illness and Preference of Treatment 39 5.3 Education Status of Limbu 40 5.4 Settlements and House Types 42 5.5 Economic Profile 43 5.5.1 Occupation Status of Respondents 43 5.5.2 Fuel Consumption 45 3 5.5.3 Own Toilet 45 5.5.4 Size of Land Holding 46 5.5.5 Annual Income 47 5.5.6 Livestock 50 5.6 Cultural Practices and Change 51 5.6.1 Food and Drinks 53 5.6.2 Utensils 53 5.6.3 Religion and Religious Activities 54 5.6.4 Dress and Ornaments 55 5.6.5 Feasts and Festivals 55 5.6.6 Dances and Songs 56 5.7 Social Relationship with Other Ethnic Groups 57 5.8 Traditional Skills of the Limbu 58 5.8.1 Impact on Traditional Skill 59 5.9 Effects of Other Language in Limbus 60 CHAPTER – VI: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 62-68 6.1 Summary 62 6.2 Conclusion 64 6.3 Recommendation 66 REFERENCES GLOSSARY OF TERMS APPENDICES 4 LIST OF TABLES Page No. Table No. 4.1: District Wise Population of Limbu People in Mechi Zone 22 23 Table No. 4.2: Sample Size of Household 23 Table No. 5.1: Limbus Family Structure in the Study Area of 30 Households 27 Table No.5.2: Marriage Preferred by the Respondents 30 Table No.5.3: Age at Marriage of the Respondents 31 Table No. 5.4: Age and Sex Structure 36 Table No. 5.5: Respondent's Preference child 37 Table No. 5.6: Distribution of Respondents by Knowledge of the Contraceptive and Family Planning 38 Table No. 5.7: Cause of Illness as Perceived by Respondent 39 Table No. 5.8: Preference of Treatment by Respondent 40 Table No. 5.9: Educational Status 41 Table No. 5.10: House Structure 42 Table No. 5.11: Occupation Status 43 Table No. 5.12: Fuel Consumption status 45 Table No. 5.13: Toilet information 46 Table No. 5.14: Size of Landholding status of Limbu Family 47 Table No. 5.15: Annual Income status of Limbu Family 48 Table No. 5.16: Annual Income, Expenses, Saving and deficit status of Limbu Family 49 Table No. 5.17: Livestock status 51 Table No. 5.18: Traditional Skills 58 Table No. 5.19: Effect on Traditional Skill 59 Table No. 5.20: Effects of Nepali Language 61 5 LIST OF FIGURES Page No. Figure No. 5.1: Age at Marriage of the Respondents 31 Figure No. 5.2: Respondent's Preference for the child 38 Figure No. 5.3: Cause of Illness as Perceived by Respondent 39 Figure No. 5.4: Educational Status 41 Figure No. 5.5: Occupational status 44 Figure No. 5.6: Average mode of income 44 Figure No. 5.7: Land ownership status 47 Figure No. 5.8: Annual Income Status 49 Figure No. 5.9: Annual Income, Expenses, Saving and Deficit 50 6 7 ABBREVIATIONS B.S. : Bikram Sambat CBS : Central Bureau of Statistics DDC : District Development Committee FGD : Focus Group Discussion HH : Household HMG : His Majesty's Government KII : Key Informants Interview LPG : Liquid Petroleum Gas MA : Master of Arts MPC : Marginal propensity to consume NEA : Nepal Electricity Authority T.U. : Tribhuvan University VDC : Village Development Committee 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost I would like to render my whole hearted gratitude to all those who have kindly given their valuable time and energy in making this study possible. I gratefully express my sense of deep indebtedness to my respected supervisor Mr. Yadav Bhardwaj Head of the department of Rural Development of Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus for his inexhaustible support, valuable suggestions, encouragement and kind supervision in all stages of the study, from the field work to the final completion of my thesis. My further gratitude goes to Chief of Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus and all faculty member of Rural Development who has helped me directly as well as indirectly to complete this research work. My few words of appreciation should go to the people of the study area. Their willingness to share their experiences as well as to provide information required for the study was remarkable. Likewise I owe a great debt of gratitude to Mr. Mohan Singh Thebe, Mr. Yam Limbu, Mr. Chudamani Rijal and Mr. Yam Bahadur Younghang for providing books, idea and valuable suggestion. I think this is a great occasion to express my respect and love to my parents whose regular inspiration and continuous contributions are the secret of my success. I would like to extend my love to my wife Mrs. Bimita Pokhrel for this support and encouragement on the way to complete my thesis work. I am indebted to my other family members and relatives who directly and indirectly contribute much to take me in the present state. Himal Rijal 9 ABSTRACT Nepalese society is a unique example of the most use of different caste and ethnic groups living together. Social structure of Nepal is very complex, which has been highlighted by various foreign and Nepalese scholars in their writings. Unity in diversity is the major characteristics of Nepalese national culture. Among the different ethnic groups, Limbu is one of the indigenous ethnic groups having their unique culture, traditions and rituals. The study "socio-economic status of the Limbu community" has been conducted at Angsarang VDC of Panchthar district with a general objective generalize the socio- economic status of the Limbus of the study area. The objectives of the study were to track out the present situation of the Limbus of the study area, to examine the traditional skills of Limbu community and to explore the impact of other cultures on their culture. Primary and secondary data were used to collect the information and tools like observations, formal and non formal discussion, interviews were held to collect other necessary information. Descriptive and analytic research designs have been followed to describe and examine the finding of the study. Out of total 105 households of Angsarang VDC ward no four. Thirty household respondents of the Limbus were taken as sample by using purposive sampling method. The study clears that the Limbus are one of the small ethnic/indigenous group of the study area following their own sorts of language, culture and tradition. Their housing pattern is quite different from other ethnic groups. They are culturally rich, simple, gentle but economically poor. They basically depend upon the wage and agriculture/labour for their livelihood. Their life cycle ceremonies are very interesting and can attract national as well as foreign scholars and researchers. Literacy rate among them is not encouraging. Modernization has changed their traditional, social organizations, such as marriage, family kinship, religious, dance, songs and dress etc. and they have started to follow modern types of culture technological advancement haven't brought significant changes among them. Based upon the findings, the paper suggests some strategies in order to improve their socio-economic status. The government sector showed also act an acute role to preserve and develop the Limbu status providing beneficial opportunity by government, creating employment opportunities and introducing formal and non formal education by government and other concerned organizations to enhance their educational as well as 10 awareness level. For their upliftment modern health facilities and technology should be provided by the government sector. 11 Date: June 12, 2013 LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION This thesis entitled, "Socio-Economic Status of Limbu Community (A Case Study of Angsarang VDC of Panchthar District)" has been prepared by Mr.Himl Rijal under my guidance and supervision for his partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Rural Development.