KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 5
Raute: Nomadic, endangered indigenous people living in plastic tents on bare, cold land in various districts of Karnali province are on the verge of extinction.
Kiran Kumar Baram, National Human Rights Officer at the National Human Rights Commission, told the Himalayan Times when asked about Raute's situation.
Rautes have always roamed and lived near rivers and forests. The Raute community, which practises self-governance under the traditional Chief (Mukhiya) system, uses its own unique skills and arts to make utensils out of wild wood and exchange them for food in nearby human settlements, hunt wild animals, monkeys, and keep moving.
"However, in the next 10 years, this nomadic tribe of Nepal-the Raute Community-will become extinct," he told THT in an interview about Raute's situation.
He said that he recently wrote a report on the human rights situation of the Nomadic Raute Community after conducting on-site monitoring, a survey, keynote interviews, a detailed study of daily activities, lifestyle, livelihood, tradition , customs, practices, and skills, as well as consultation with relevant stakeholders.
"After intensive six years of study, the decline trend is a staggering example that they would become extinct," he told THT.
The Raute population was 147 when he began the study in 2018, but it has since dropped to 137 by 2024. "It had already dropped to 135 in the last five months of the year," he said.
The Rautes were discovered travelling to the Acham district of Sudurpaschim Province, Jajarkot, Dailekh, Salyan, and Surkhet of Karnali Province, and the Dang district of Lumbini Province.
Between June 2018 and June 2022, the Rautes were discovered roaming in 78 different locations. Throughout this process, it was discovered that they had collectively reached Surkhet, Dailekh, Jajarkot, and Salyan districts. "Based on this, we can say they prefer Surkhet and Dailekh districts," Baram added.
According to the 2021 National Census, Raute has a total population of 566 people, including 289 men and 277 women.
Sudurpaschim Province has 419 Raute people, while Karnali Province has 147. 137 Raute nomads, including 74 women and 63 men, were found to be living nomadic lives. The Raute community has 16 single women, according to Baram, who discovered this during the study's site survey.
Similarly, various studies claim the primary causes of their dying population are premature deaths due to a lack of attention and affection from the state, malnutrition, a lack of access to treatment, and poor quality housing, clothing, drinking water, and sanitation.
"Furthermore, the devastating influence of the external factors and society has deteriorated their lives," added Baram. "Both women and men Rautes seem very addicted to alcohol consumption."
On June 6, 2021, three local youths from Gurvakot Municipality in Surkhet lured two young girls from the Raute community to a local hotel and coerced them into sexual acts with alcohol. It was also reported that two young women who were subjected to sexual violence due to temptation had previously been imprisoned for four months by the Raute chief (Mukhiya). The District Court in Surkhet later sentenced two men, Chauman Gharti Magar and Bhupendra Budha Magar, to seven years in prison and a fine of Rs 200,000 each.
According to Baram, local business people sell low-quality alcohol at night, exacerbating their plight.
Furthermore, their demographic profile is likely to nosedive as a result of sleeping on bare and cold land. Another factor leading to a decline in the Raute population is pregnant women who lack access to adequate nutrition.
Moreover, the government has failed to enforce the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention of 1989 (International Labour Organization Convention No. 169), under which the state's obliged to pay special attention to the conditions of nomadic citizens. Likewise, the provisions of the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, which require comprehensive protection and assistance for children, are not being implemented because the state is responsible for children's care and education.
According to Baram, the right to social security for women in cases of other inability, which is guaranteed by the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, has been completely ignored.
Baram emphasised the importance of determining and implementing a method for providing quality housing, food, nutrition, clothing, health care, and education at their own discretion.
It is advisable to obtain their free, prior informed consent before proceeding with any decision, program, or entry into the location in question. Because their content was uploaded to social media without their free and informed consent.
"To protect, respect, guarantee, and promote the human rights of the Raute community, there is a need for an integrated approach of arrangements of functions and programs for the Raute at the federal, provincial, and local levels," he stated.
