Time for a true population census: The case of the miscounted Thangmi Mark Turin
To cite this version:
Mark Turin. Time for a true population census: The case of the miscounted Thangmi. Nagarik (Citizen), 2000, 4 (2), pp.14-19. 10.17613/45tm-2914. halshs-03083395
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Census:
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careful
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disparity
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member
Case
Nepal’s
UK,
Population
by
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a
on
aspects Thangmi
conducted
Turin should since
as
and
in
of
other Government
preparing
Himalayan
University,
word
criticised
on
(CITIZEN)
publish
is 1991
of
hierarchy.
ethnographical
research
he
Netherlands.
the
published
Thangmi-Nepali
Time
(Mark
Nepal
The favour
presently
The
‘imfl’i”
language anthropologist working
is Leiden Anthropology University Languages Cambridge, trained the of has language
short articles the communities. grammar full English studies Devanagari Preamble: will completed Majesty’s and inaccurate of in widely Nepal.)
1-lindu
own C. __ ginf, (CITIZEN) VoLll,No.4 Aug.OO-Oct.OO ruq)Rq,(CITIZEN) VoLI4No.4 Aug.OOOct.QO data from various villages. The specific need0 (namely accurate district has not yet been Whilst the number of Thangmi Sindhupalcok. According to the populations. As a conservative result is a self-standing software ëensus statistics) and has made established, three VDCs with people as a percentage of the Statistical }‘eurhook of Nepal, estimate, let us take Chokati to package named I’emus (Nepal a serious step in the direction of substantial Thangmi total \‘DC population varies there were 3.173 Thangmi in be a VDC with a high Thangmi Census), and four profiles of rectifying the abundant populations have been widely, one thing is Sindhupalcok during the 1991 population density, and posit VDCs in the Dolakha district misinformation in Nepal. For meticulously studied and the unmistakably’clear: in just three census (1999. page 53). Whilst that the six other VDCs have no have been completed to date: this alone. if not for more, the profiles made available. The VDCs there are 5.656 Thangmi accurate and detailed more than 800 Thangmi each. namely Alampu. Bulung. NGO should he applauded. following table displays the men, women and children. The population statistics are not in this scenario, we still arrive Sundrawati and Orang. To these More important for my own salient information from these implications ofthese figures for available for Sindhupalcok in at a figure of 6,000 Thangmi in four should be added the 1998 research however, is the direct respective village profiles. the total Thangmi population of the way they are for Dolakha or Sindhupalcok, once agan Lapilang Village Profile (V.S. application this has for the The findings summarised in Nepal are crucial. 2054), conducted before the Thangmi. Whilst the total the table (Fig.2) are of At a rough estimate. establishment of the NGO, the Thangmi population of Dolakha considerable importance. let us sa that thure are JOVDCs in the Fig. 2 Population Statistics from three Village Profiles in I)olakha district Do lakha district have a Alampu Sundrawati Lapilang Total ;hich sizeable population I’ear Conducted 1999 1999 1998 ofThangmi people. Thin! Population 2.228 3.424 5.025 10,677 Moreover, based on Thangnii Population 2.025 1.177 2.454 5,656 the above figures 0/ i/IL/fl ,gnu aS zo of / hich range from Tofu!Population 90.9% 34.4% 4X.9% 58% 1,177 to 2,454 Thangmi per VDC. success of which let its lake an convinced the average oi’2.000 hr concerned parties 0] , our esti mated the need for calculations. i.ith complete statistical these figures. then. inlhrmat ion. arrive at a total My detailed I of 20.000 l’hanumi Iiuiiuini (‘hildrcn at ok;iti siinIIitipaIchok - P/ui,, - Sun: ,SI,,,’idcrnuz,, description of the just ithiii l)olakha origins and district (2.000 people in each of lorthe eastern districts of Nepal. double the official number. establishment of the the 10VOUs = 20.000). already I believe that the ligure of little NGO Integrated more than the oflicial ligure of over 3.000 ‘l’hangmi in Why this I)isparity? 0 /77 U? LI II i I •i the total 1‘hangmi population Sindhupalcok is also a vast In my opinion, there are two D c i’ e 1o p Ui C ii I within the whole of Nepal underestimate. During my long main reasons for the Movement is (19,103 iwople). The official stay in Chokati VDC in 1998. 1 discrepancy between the official intentional. Unlike figure is clearlv no longer nutnaged to ascertain ibm the and the non—official figures. many of’ the other convincing. local authorities that there were First. ethnic Thangmi and NGCs which The Siw’hupalcokThangmi at least 1.200 Thangrn i men. speakers of the Thangmi r 0 I i f e r t e p a Population women and children in this language usually li e in remote throughout Nepal. After Dolakha. the district in VDC alone, and I know of at and inaccessible areas where this locally-based Nepal in which the most least a further six VDCs in the populalon surveys are dilhcult group has isolated_af___ /h,w”,,,, :pc,e:,,/,jflnbflf\JflL;fl;,,,,, Thangmi are found is district with sizeable Thangrni to conduct with any real I * .n’,,R*(CITIZEN)VoLII,No.4Auq.UO-OcLOO cE* ndiq (CITIZEN)VoL!I,No.4Aug.OO-OcLOO accuracy. It is likely that many native, told The adds a good 5.500 people. The who suspect03.000 to be a little movement is for accurate which they are not West Bengal. Sikkim Thangmi were not included me that when they first applied population data is not so official census of Nepal did not on the high side. I would urge population figures fbr the ethnic because of this, thereby forjobs, they claimed to belong accurate, but there are many include these people. however. them to consiLItthe SloTh/icc:! and tribal peoples olNepal. and resulting in a lower total to one of the aforementioned Thangrnilhmiliessettledinand so in my effort to compare like Vearhook of Nepal. pages 52- we can but hope that the with like, [ have offered two 56. where they will find that forthcoming census will come Fig. 3 Estimate of Total Thangmi Population (non-official figures) totals in the table below, one there are 465 recorded Thangmi close to meeting this need. Area Population including and one excluding the in Sindhuli. 1334 in Ramechap, Failing that, the oppressed Dolakha 20,000 +1- Indian Thangmi population. 159 in Kathmandu and 94 in ethnic groups of Nepal. such as Sindhupalcok 6,000 +1- The second point of Sarlahi. not to mention under a the Thangmi. will once again ‘,r Eastern DLctricts 4,081 clarification I should add is to hundred in each of 20 other misrepresented and belittled. the category I named Other (.5cc Ut/wi’ Districts (Kathmandu, Rwnechap, etc.) 3.000 +7- districts. Fig.3) Referen ces Districts. Thangm i inhabit Conclusion W.ct Bengal & Sikkirn (India) 5,500 +7- Central L3ureauolSiatistics. 999 many districts in Nepal, As has become apparent in Total (including Indian Thangmi population): 38,500 +1- .S’iatistical Yea,/,ook of Nepal although they are indigenous this short article, there is a great 33,000 +1- Kathmandu: Nepal. Total frxcluding Indian Thangnd pop idation,): and autochihonous to no more disparity between the official de PaLouI. Philippe 998. I999 population figure. Second. and ethnic groups and did not admit around Gangtok. My informed than two or three, and I have population statistics as provided 2000. Pro/lIe of the i’iIlag De,elop,ne,n C‘an??;?incas a/A lamput, perhapsmoreimportantly,many to being Thangmi. In brief then, estimate, based on estimated that around 3.000 by the government and the more Thangmi live in non-specified likely and significantly higher flu Inng. LUfi flung, Urn ng U nfl Thangmi pass themselves off as these are the two most likely conversations with people from S’unha;i’uii. tinpiibl shed reporis. districts in Nepal. including belonging to other more reasons for the disparity the area as well as a field visit figures. One ol’ the first Iliami. Mc1Ilrnj Sirni Rishmi. Kathmandtr. For those readers o I’ demands the I prom nent ethnic groups such as between the figures. in March 2000. is of around lana/cu! 999. Dolakh Or? . ihapa: Nepal. Thuutug. and less frequently, as 1,000 Thangmi in the area. This Gutting or Rai. The reason that Darjecling and Sikkim brings the total Thangmi they give for this is simply that Although not within Nepal’s population in India tojust under since few people in national borders, both 5,500. administrative positions have Darjeeling and Sikkim have ever heard of the ethnic group. sizeable Thangmi populations. A More Realistic Total Figure admitting to being Thangmi The details of the migration to I3asedon the data as outlined QIIPI 31l’sflhcl may unwittingly result in a these areas are interesting and above. I would propose 33.000 u4 rm 3P-1l’14I ñiiii q-t stream of questions about who complicated, and will be the to 38.500 as a more realistic they are and where they come substance of a later article. For (albeit estimated and non- t4rtg ?PTLoo’3 tIc1tl tViItl lr-d4l ‘u1.ifr SlltlHfrl from, such as inquiring whether the present, the population official) total Thangmi Thangmi are low caste Hindus statistics should suffice. Based population figure. The figure (41ri) t , ‘o,\a tilelNi Pnm itq1 iTct1 31IrNlt1 or indigenous Kiranti people. on data collected by the Thami requires two points of Moreover, when Thangmi societies in the area in the early clarification. First, the total rklIR14 c-tIPI irsic{I ?flTI iiictc1 tñ©ti tirciLci introduce themselves to I990s. we can confidently state population depends on whether strangers. they are often that there are more than 4,400 one counts Thangmi residing txfk i1ci’ t1N’4’1I 9d mistaken for undesirable groups Thangmi in the whole of West permanently or semi- such as Kwni hlacksmiths’ or Bengal and Sikkim. The permanently outside of Nepal. DhanuJolk—healer’. due to the breakdown is as follows: ‘the Thangmi population of nature of their similar soundinu Darjeeling 2,732: Kurseong Darjeeling and Sikkim is 11”(Icl GI( t14-IM Nepalifled name tThami). All 1.208: Kalimpong 105: and sizeable. not to mention the 1hangrni men whom I have Siliguri and Dooars 383. leading economically influential, and cjv-q tiF#iFi, interviewed working in areas in to a total of 4.426 Thangmi in adding them to the total figure ii