Rajesh Paudel
Policies and practices combined with the empowerment of people at the grassroots can bring about significant changes in the livelihoods of the poor. Involving local communities is essential for making decisions that affect their livelihoods.
The Bote, Majhi and Musahar, are indigenous and landless fishing communities of Nepal that reside on the banks of the Narayani River, part of which lies within the jurisdiction of Chitwan National Park (CNP). Their traditional means of livelihood had always been, fishing in the Narayani River, collection of non-timber forest products and ferrying people and merchandise for a fee. However, from the later part of the 1960s, the Nepali government, with assistance from international agencies began to implement conservation policies. These policies were based on the assumptions that people’ were the main culprits in the destruction of wildlife and, therefore, they needed to be excluded from the conservation areas. After the introduction of these policies, the entry of communities into the forest was severely restricted and fishing in the river became illegal. By mid-1980s, ferrying was banned across the river.
By the late eighties, conservation agencies started becoming aware of conflicts between local fishing communities and the CNP. Slowly, they began to implement the concept of partnership between conservation agencies and local people through developmental programs. But exclusionary practices continued. In fact, in December 1992, armed guards of the CNP raided several villages lying along the river and seized all the boats, nets and most of other fishing utensils from all the houses in the villages. This led to an unprecedented livelihood crisis in the fishing communities. It was in response to this crisis that a local people’s organization named Majhi, Mushahar, Bote Kalyan Sewa Samiti (MMBKSS) was set up in 1993 by the fishing communities. MMBKSS is working on rights-based approach to development, thus begun their struggle against anti-poor conservation policies and the exploitation of the fishing communities by the national park authorities.
Success story
As a result of a decade long struggle led by MMBKSS, national park authorities were forced to bring about changes in local policies and practices. For instance, they made provisions to issue six-month fishing licenses to the members of fishing communities in 1994. However, the policy stipulated that the licenses were to be issued only to the adult fishing members and no new license would be issued thereafter. This created a problem for younger members as they would not be entitled to fishing license after they complete 18 years. This was again changed to incorporate provisions that any member from fishing community would get license as soon as they reach 18 years. The incidences of harassment and human rights violations also declined as the relation between park authorities and local communities improved.
Fishing communities now have access to Buffer Zone Management Council as a Buffer Zone User’s Committee member. This committee controls two major sources of resources: the community forest lying within the buffer zone and a share of the revenue generated from the RCNP for the purpose of local community development activities. As their organization became stronger, their presence in the decision making process both in the management of community forests and the development fund, also significantly increased.
There are also several external factors responsible for polluting the river water causing harmful effect on natural resources and wildlife. Additional threats are posed by increasing use of pesticides in farming (leading to contaminated run-off), as well as the occasional use of dynamite for fishing. But innocent marginalized and indigenous Bote, Majhi and Musahar are always blamed for all negative impacts. Hand made nets, hooks, and arrows did not reduce the number of fish because the methods used by them are compatible with nature. For instance, the communities stop fishing in the egg laying season – they worship dolphin and other aquatic creatures as part of their mythology.
There are several opportunities to improve livelihoods of these communities too. Sport and recreational fishery can be developed with the involvement of the local population which create new job opportunities and income. Many fish species can be farmed in low-cost cages, using feed gathered from their household surroundings, and also vegetable wastes.
Lessons learned
While the struggle of MMBKSS was aimed initially at dealing with access to fishing, in the later period, it has been able to deliberate on access of local communities to other public resources. Non violent strategies and pressure tactics coupled with popular support can challenge the unjust structures and practices.
Since policies are also made at national level, it is also necessary to campaign beyond the local. In this case, national level policies did not change, but because of campaigns at both national and local level, the local conservation practices of other agencies changed. The case also tells about how analysis of policies and practices combined with the empowerment of people at the grassroots can achieve significant changes at public institutions. This can be achieved through continuous dialogue with all stakeholders including policy-making agencies. Involving local communities is essential for making decisions that affect their livelihoods. Also it helps in generating useful local knowledge.
Indigenous people are always natural conservationists whose livelihood goes along with conservation of nature. Therefore needs to be nourished.
Rajesh Paudel. M.Sc.(Ag) student .Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Rampur, Chitwan Nepal .E-mail : raj_yes@hotmail.com, raj5yes@gmail.com
References:
Jana Sudip .2007.Jeevan Ka Lagi Sangharsa.Community Development Organization (CDO) and International Center for Integrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD), Kathmandu , Nepal .
Jana Sudip .2007.Grassroot movement: Local Movement of Indigenous Fishing Communities around Chitwan National Park; http://www.cdo.org.np. SROOTS MOVETS
Bhattarai Anil and Jana Sudeep.2007. Grassroots Organization Engaging Conservation Agency in Nepal : A case of indigenous fishing communities’ struggle for right to fishing in South-Central Nepal; http://www.cdo.org.np/case-studies.php.
