Editorial»
Globalisation and Dalits of Nepal
JAN 21 - The earth is slowly turning into a global village. As we all know, it took almost 4 years for Marcopolo to travel from Europe to China and then return to Europe. Now, the same distance can be covered within a day. However, there were different forms of power, throughout history, which ruled the world vis a vis colonization, privatization and lately globalisation. These are all the same process through which the western industrialized nations want to rule the eastern and mainly poorer countries. Though the World Social Forum, which is taking place in Mumbai from 16-22 of this month to discuss the cause and effects of this modern form of colonisation and find the ways to counter it these three ways of ruling the world has not always been bad for the poorest and marginalised community like Dalits.
If we see the history of India we find that except some kings of Marathwada no other rulers used Shudra or Dalits in their fighting force. On the contrary of that the British India formed the first regiment of Mahar to which the great leader of Dalits of the world Dr Babashabeb Ambedker belonged. He did not experience untouchability while he was in the army camp. It was only upon coming out of the camp he first encountered the evil of this discriminatory practice which led him to become the liberator of Dalits. It is said that British colonial force was more progressive for Dalits than their fellow Hindu brothers.
Nepal had never been colonized by any other external forces, but after the defeat of Nepali force in Sugauli in 1815 the British India started to recruit Gorkhali force which is still continuing the practice of untouchability as it deliberately denied the recruitment of Dalits in their forces. Unlike in India the western colonial power was no better than their fellow Hindu masters. However, they experienced similar humiliation, when they opened their residence in Kathmandu right after 1815 as they could not hire servants to work in their houses, according to Hindu tradition the western white skin would be considered Mlechha (meaning cow eater) which puts them in the same position as that of Dalits. As a result of that humiliation some Dalit communities like Kasai found their ways to work in the prestigious residence of the British in Kathmandu. May be as a result of their contacts with western whites Kasai have excluded themselves from Dalit these days.
Now in the 21st century there is no direct colonisation in most parts of the world. However, the same forces, in the guise of privatisation and globalisation, have found their way to colonise the world. Since Dalits especially in South Asia have always remained poor this new form of colonisation has certainly caused harm than good. Here I would like to cite one example.Unlike in India, goldsmiths or blacksmiths are considered untouchables or Dalit in Nepal. There is a place in the heart of Kathmandu city called Sunar Gaon meaning a village of goldsmiths. Until 15 years ago majority of the inhabitants were all Sunar and a few of them were quite rich with their good show rooms in the main market place of New Road. Right after Nepal started taking liberal policy and opening its economy for foreign investment since late eighties most of the show rooms owned by these rich Dalit have now gone. In the village their majority have now turned out to be almost a minority.
Interestingly one foreigner who entered Nepal as a simple tourist has now become the biggest exporter of silver jewellery. Mainly because of a liberal policy of the government that simple lower middle class foreigner has turned out to be a millionaire.
No research study has yet been carried out to find the exact effect of globalization on Dalits of Nepal. Dalits are also an artisan groups as most of them are engaged in their traditional occupation. The occupation of Damai is to sew clothes, Sarki to make shoes, and Kami to produce metal goods. Nepal has received special quota to export garments mainly to US and other European markets, unfortunately a very few Damai get job as tailor in these garment factories as most of the workers come from India. Since the market is flooded with garments mainly from South East Asian countries the good business of Damai has been displaced in urban or semi-urban areas. The occupation of Sarki was displaced long ago due to factory made shoes and most of them have become porters.
A few show rooms of locally made shoes can be seen in the urban centres but they are struggling very much even to survive despite producing durable shoes. The Chinese government supported Bansbari shoe factory where many of the workers were from Sarki community. Right upon adopting this liberal policy by the government in early nineties one time famous factory was bought by an Indian company and no one had expected such a disaster would come as all had thought that in the hand of efficient private management the factory would progress further. To the contrary the Indian company was rather interested to have a licence to export raw hide than expand its factory in Nepal.
As a result, no less than 200 workers mainly Sarkis lost their jobs. Amid this liberalisation policy a few shoe factories came into existence and one of them was Birat shoe factory. It also employed many Sarkis. Though it was doing well for a few years it could not survive in the competition.It will be unfair to say only negative things on the part of liberalisation and its drivers. In the language of Marx feudalism is progressive than slavery, and capitalism is far better than feudalism. The inhuman practice of untouchability is the result of both slavery and feudalism, capitalism has always been better for Dalits as it showed some sympathy and solidarity to them. The drivers of globalisation are western donors and world bank. We have democracy over the last 13 years and during this period people from the right, left and centre had the opportunity to form their governments.
Unfortunately, none brought radical reformatory packages to relieve Dalits from age-old and ossified form of exploitation except some minor reform work. Our country is facing insurgency for the last eight years and there is greater involvement of Dalits, Janjati and women in it. The western power has realised that unless the problem of these groups are solved the problem of insurgency can not be tackled. So in the meeting held in London in 2001 of Nepal donor group pressurised then the government of Sherbahadur Deuba who announced an eight point programme out of which two were especially meant for Dalits.This clearly shows that these drivers of liberalisation are doing good to Dalit than our own high caste ruler.
The process of globalisation has caused more harms than good especially to poors and Dalits therefore, there is a need to counter this force otherwise our government would bow in front of these forces in exchange for their personal gains by sacrificing the welfare of their people. The way the earlier form of colonisation was uprooted from most part of the world and I am quite sure that this new form of colonisation the globalisation will be uprooted if we join our hands and raise our voices as strongly as in Seattle of US, where the king of globalisation the WTO had to withhold its meeting. That event clearly showed “another world is possible”.Posted on: 2004-01-21 02:56
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