The Reason WHY Tamang community is backward socio-economically in Nepal. History must be known to everyone of us if we want to be liberated from social evil practices of some ill minded rulers that strive to Genocide some community of Nepal by past rulers Tamangs gained an identity only in 1932 after King Tribhuvan and Prime Minister Bhim Shumshere allowed them to write Tamang for the first time after their name in civil service and military rolls. Till then they were called “Lama Bhotey” or some other nomenclature in Nepal and prohibited from using the term “Tamang”. The Nepal Government recognized the community as “Tamang” on the request of Sardar Bahadur, Jangba Bir Tamang, OBE, DMM, MC, [Officer of the British Empire, Distinguished Military Medal, Military Cross] who led a delegation to Shri 3 Sarkar, Bhim Shamsher Janga Bahadur Rana and Commander-in-Chief, Yuddha Samsher Janga Bahadur Rana. The main aim of the Miluki Ain 1854 AD was, of course, to induct the hill ethnic people of Nepal under the four-tier Hindu hierarchy. The non-Hindu communities were pegged as pant ckalney Sudras, as differentiated from the pani na-chalney Sudras. This division was carried6ne step further. Based on loyalty and need for labour, particular groups were declared either masiney matwali (who could be enslaved) and na-masiney matwali (those who could not be enslaved). The more the masiney matwali accepted the Hindu ethos, the more easily they were assigned higher status. While the Tamangs were thus not categorised as pani na-chalney Sudras, their position was lowest among the hill ethnics who were pani chalney. There was some attraction therefore to jettison one´s traditions andreligion, and Tamangs who did so were declared Gurungs. In Gorkha District, even today, there are many Bahra Saley Gurungs-Tamangs who became Gurung in the year 2012 (Vikram Era). Following the Gorkhali conquest, the Kip at community land of the Tamangs was wrested and distributed among the Bahun and Chhetri courtier-class in the form of birta, jagir and guthi property. Tamangs were retained as bonded labour (kamaiya) and near-slaves to work these very lands. Even as bonded labourers, however, they had to pay jhara (a corvee like system). During the Rana years, Tamangs were used as menial labour by the rulers and the courtier class — as construction labour for the durbars, for cutting trails, portering, carrying palanquins (doki bokneyji, running mail, delivering forest-based products such as duna and tapari (containers made from sal leaves), weaving doko baskets and nangh trays, keeping palaces clean (leep-pot garney), maintaining the indoors (baitkakey), doing gardening, providing agricultural labour, keeping herds, making lokta paper, holding umbrellas (chaiey), maintaining hookahs, carrying goods (dolay), and serving as dhai-ama, or surrogate mothers for high-born offspring. The system of keti basne (or nani susarey) imported women from the Tarn ang hills for all kinds of chores in Rana palaces. The maintenance of scores of female retainers, some of whom served as concubines, is said to have started the trend towards prostitution among poverty-stricken Tamang communities. Tamangs provided a ready labour reserve pool for the rulers of Kathmandu. And it was in order to maintain this pool, that they prohibited the Tamangs from joining the British regiments in India, even though the Gurung and Magar west of the Trisuli river and the Rai and Limbu east of the Dudh Kosi were permitted. Tamangs were prevented from joining even Nepal´s own government administration and the military. It was written in a handbook on Gurkha soldiers that ...the Tamang make an excellent soldier, but because he will eat beef, the more orthodox Gurkha officer is prejudiced against the enlistment of Tamangs.´´ However, the treatment of Tamangs was based on something more than the mere eating of beef. More significant was that historically the Tarnang nation came to occupy the strategically important region surrounding Kathmandu Valley. Feeling threatened by- this encirclement, Kathmandu*s rulers thought best to bring them forcibly under central rule and exploit them enough that the community could never rise — as it has not been able to until this day.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 05:02:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015