After his 20 years of professional stay in India, Krishna Bahadur Biswokarma* has been residing in his own village since last year. The profession of constructing agricultural equipments, handed over from his forefathers is continued by him at present. That’s why it is his daily routine to spend his time on the anvil from dawn to the eve. Though they embraced this profession, they are selective in terms of constructing the equipments i.e. they do it for only some stakeholders. The persons, for whom the "Bishwokarmas" work, are known as the "Bistas". After the completion of a professional year, the "Bistas" remunerate agricultural production to the "Bishwokarmas" commensurable to their annual service. The Bishwokarmas are categorized as the "Dalits" by the state.
The Bishwokarmas of Wangla VDC, Arghakhanchi district entirely represent a majority of Nepali districts. "During my grandfather's professional years approximately 300 "Bistas" used to take service from him", says Krishna Bahadur Bishwokarma from Wangla VDC, Adityapur village. But the distant "Bistas" have been minimized after the widely available service on the every nook and corner of the villages. After the alternation of the agricultural profession by the locals, the constructional profession has been in dire state. "I have only 25 "Bistas" decreased from the 300 during my grandfather's time", says the disappointed Krishna. The decreasing numbers of "Bistas" is because of the decreased in agricultural productivity which is ultimately a threat to the Bishwokarma's profession in Aran. The remuneration in the form of agricultural production is nominal for the Bishwokarmas. As a result, they have applied alternate source for their survival.
Krishna, the follower of his forefather's profession (the constructional work in Aran*), has undertaken this profession after the insufficiency for his survival from the income of Indian employment, is now disappointed, as his present profession is in jeopardy. Because of the implacable agricultural production the farmers changed their occupation. Similarly, majority of the youth applied the foreign employment especially in gulf countries and the rest who are educated started teaching and these all reasons resulted peril for not only Krishna's profession but the whole Bishwokarmas community is in dilemma for preserving their endangered conventional profession.
In Wangla VDC, at present, the increased population of Bishwokarma has become the ultimate cause to establish the representative Arans of 200 years old historical Aran in the newly residential places like Saldada, Siudeni, Amdada, Deuralidada, the local villages in the same VDC. As a result, the "Bistas" have to be shared among different Bishwokarmas which is the sole cause for decreasing consumers. In addition, the Arans in majority are just the temporary huts which have been disturbed by the rainfall even in the winter season and there is no room for the continuation in rainy season. Apart form this, the depleting condition of bellow has dispersed Krishna and thus he says," if the limited numbers of his Bistas cooperate, I continue my Aran's constructional service, and otherwise this profession would become a fable".
In this Aran of Bishwokarma mainly the following agricultural instruments are constructed and reformed: -Khurpa (a big sickle)
-Hansiya (a small sickle)
- Phali (an iron instrument fixed at the top of the plough)
-Bancharo (an axe)
-Kodalo (a spade)
-Dau (a big knife)
-Syangi (a small knife)
-Pharuwa (a shovel)
-Gal (an iron bar sharpened at one end used to dig a dip or breaking big rocks)
-Gaiti (a pickaxe)
-Baisakhi (an instrument used to make hole for fixing the supporter for vines)
The above mentioned instruments are indispensable instruments for agricultural profession in village. An old woman of eight years Masuri Bishwokarma who gained five decades experience in this sector narrates," in the time of my husband we used to earn abundant for our servivial. Bistas also used to give enough grains. Production rate was also very high. On the contrary, at present the Bistas hesitate to give food grains. In fact, they also lack production enough for their survival. In this context, we also find helpless to ask more". From her instance, we can infer that this occupation of Bishwokarma, constructing agricultural equipments in now in danger.
The desperation seen among the 80% agricultural population has made us dependant towards the foreign countries for food. The whole agricultural profession in the country is now facing grim situation because of conventional agriculture and lack of government security. Even in the case of remote village in hilly region, if the government does not modernize the agriculture by interfering it, the whole agriculture in this region will certainly be disappeared and one can not save from its bad impact in all walks of society. In present context because of the insecure agriculture food crisis has been started influencing the whole world and Nepali cities are not separated from it. It is the point embarrassing fact that in such situation of global food crisis the agricultural country like Nepal is also influenced from it instead, she should be exporting agricultural production and earning foreign currency. So it is the high time for government to modernize agriculture, provide security to it and to motivate the farmers by making good strategy.
* Bishwokarma is the Nepali equivalent of the English word goldsmith.
* Aran is the Nepali version of the English word anvil.
The writer has done his Masters in Anthropology.
The Bishwokarmas of Wangla VDC, Arghakhanchi district entirely represent a majority of Nepali districts. "During my grandfather's professional years approximately 300 "Bistas" used to take service from him", says Krishna Bahadur Bishwokarma from Wangla VDC, Adityapur village. But the distant "Bistas" have been minimized after the widely available service on the every nook and corner of the villages. After the alternation of the agricultural profession by the locals, the constructional profession has been in dire state. "I have only 25 "Bistas" decreased from the 300 during my grandfather's time", says the disappointed Krishna. The decreasing numbers of "Bistas" is because of the decreased in agricultural productivity which is ultimately a threat to the Bishwokarma's profession in Aran. The remuneration in the form of agricultural production is nominal for the Bishwokarmas. As a result, they have applied alternate source for their survival.
Krishna, the follower of his forefather's profession (the constructional work in Aran*), has undertaken this profession after the insufficiency for his survival from the income of Indian employment, is now disappointed, as his present profession is in jeopardy. Because of the implacable agricultural production the farmers changed their occupation. Similarly, majority of the youth applied the foreign employment especially in gulf countries and the rest who are educated started teaching and these all reasons resulted peril for not only Krishna's profession but the whole Bishwokarmas community is in dilemma for preserving their endangered conventional profession.
In Wangla VDC, at present, the increased population of Bishwokarma has become the ultimate cause to establish the representative Arans of 200 years old historical Aran in the newly residential places like Saldada, Siudeni, Amdada, Deuralidada, the local villages in the same VDC. As a result, the "Bistas" have to be shared among different Bishwokarmas which is the sole cause for decreasing consumers. In addition, the Arans in majority are just the temporary huts which have been disturbed by the rainfall even in the winter season and there is no room for the continuation in rainy season. Apart form this, the depleting condition of bellow has dispersed Krishna and thus he says," if the limited numbers of his Bistas cooperate, I continue my Aran's constructional service, and otherwise this profession would become a fable".
In this Aran of Bishwokarma mainly the following agricultural instruments are constructed and reformed: -Khurpa (a big sickle)
-Hansiya (a small sickle)
- Phali (an iron instrument fixed at the top of the plough)
-Bancharo (an axe)
-Kodalo (a spade)
-Dau (a big knife)
-Syangi (a small knife)
-Pharuwa (a shovel)
-Gal (an iron bar sharpened at one end used to dig a dip or breaking big rocks)
-Gaiti (a pickaxe)
-Baisakhi (an instrument used to make hole for fixing the supporter for vines)
The above mentioned instruments are indispensable instruments for agricultural profession in village. An old woman of eight years Masuri Bishwokarma who gained five decades experience in this sector narrates," in the time of my husband we used to earn abundant for our servivial. Bistas also used to give enough grains. Production rate was also very high. On the contrary, at present the Bistas hesitate to give food grains. In fact, they also lack production enough for their survival. In this context, we also find helpless to ask more". From her instance, we can infer that this occupation of Bishwokarma, constructing agricultural equipments in now in danger.
The desperation seen among the 80% agricultural population has made us dependant towards the foreign countries for food. The whole agricultural profession in the country is now facing grim situation because of conventional agriculture and lack of government security. Even in the case of remote village in hilly region, if the government does not modernize the agriculture by interfering it, the whole agriculture in this region will certainly be disappeared and one can not save from its bad impact in all walks of society. In present context because of the insecure agriculture food crisis has been started influencing the whole world and Nepali cities are not separated from it. It is the point embarrassing fact that in such situation of global food crisis the agricultural country like Nepal is also influenced from it instead, she should be exporting agricultural production and earning foreign currency. So it is the high time for government to modernize agriculture, provide security to it and to motivate the farmers by making good strategy.
* Bishwokarma is the Nepali equivalent of the English word goldsmith.
* Aran is the Nepali version of the English word anvil.
The writer has done his Masters in Anthropology.
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