Newa: Who, Where, How Many and When? Gleaming through the statistics on Newars

Talk program on the book Newa: Who, Where, How Many and When?

Nepa Rastriya Party is organizing a talk program on its above mentioned book on Friday April 22 at 2pm at Chamber Bhawan, Jamal. Below is a synopsis of the book:

Narayan Manandhar

Gleaming through the statistics on Newars

Once, the Kathmandu Valley used to be Nepal. Literally, the Valley was called Nepa, a term derived from its original inhabitants – Newars. With the passage of time, particularly, after Kathmandu-centric unitary mode of governance, Nepal became Kathmandu. It should have been a matter of pride to its original inhabitants for Kathmandu representing Nepal and Nepal being represented by Kathmandu. However, Newars had to pay a price - the price of being turned into an excluded minority at their own place of origin. Newars no more represent the majority population within the Kathmandu Valley.

In mid 1990s when this scribe was with the National Planning Commission, Mr. Narayan Man Bijukchhe was heard pleading, in one of the ritual meetings of National Development Council, that non-residents coming outside the Valley should not be entitled to buy land here. At that time, this scribe thought the idea to be so absurd. Now, almost twelve years down the line, he was so true.

In his recent work Newa: Who, Where, How Many and When? Prof. Mrigendra Lal Singh, a statistician and a demographer, takes a meticulous effort to sieve through the statistics on Newar population. The document is published by Nepa Rastriya Party (NRP) – a party formed at the wake of CA elections representing Newar Community. This must be the first document using census data sought to analyse the status on Newar population.

Writes Dr. Keshav Man Shakya, President of NRP, “Newa(r) is a complex ethnic entity”. There are more than two dozen communities representing Newars. And within each community there are many groups and sub-groups. There are Hindu Newars, Buddhists Newars and Newars in between. There are ethnic groups, caste groups and hierarchy within Newars. Interestingly, they do not conform to Hindu caste system. Unlike in Hindu caste system, Dyolas and Jogis, considered to be at the lowest stratum, are given a prestigious job to take care of temples, pujas and goddesses. Similarly, Sunars (goldsmiths) are regarded as untouchables in Hindu caste system but in a Newar community, goldsmiths are placed at the upper stratum of the society. Even if one takes Newari language as a common binding thread, Newari language spoken by the Newars in Kathmandu city differs from the one spoken in Bhaktapur – a city situated hardly 20 km away. The deep division and fragmentation seems to be the basic feature of a Newar community. And this has successively helped the Shah rulers from Gorkha to conquer the inhabitants, implement a policy of “divide and rule” and subjugate them for two centuries.

Yet Newars are the rich and privileged community on its own.  Due to inter-pot trade between India and Tibet, the Kathmandu Valley became a thriving city. They are at the top of UNDP’s Human Development Index in Nepal. The best judgement on Newars should be based not on where they stand today vis-a-vis other communities of Nepal, but on how they have been gradually marginalized, excluded and exploited by the successive rulers.  

With the debate on federalism, there is a resurgence of Newar community demanding for a Newa autonomous region. A broad Nepa Mandala comprising of three core districts of the Kathmandu Valley along with nine adjoining districts has been proposed to form a Newa autonomous region.

Now, Newars are expressing their assertiveness over their marginalization and exclusion from the government services, from the politics, from their age-old business profession and now from their own place of residence. The report does not shed information on social political and economic dynamics of Newar community. But it does speak on spatial distribution of Newar populace. Here are some findings in a nutshell:

·         Newars constitute from 5 to 6 percent of Nepal’s population, as at present, the expected population is 1.5 million. In 2001, nearly 47 percent of Newars live inside the Kathmandu Valley while remaining 53 percent lives outside the Kathmandu Valley.

·         Even within the Kathmandu Valley, in 2001, the share of Newar population is about 35 percent. In 1952/54, it was as high as 67 percent.  In 2001, the Newari speaking community in the Kathmandu Valley is 92 percent. The figure was 96 percent in 1952/54.  The proportion of Newari speaking community living outside the Kathmandu Valley is 42.39 percent only.

·         The proportion of Newars speaking Newari language is estimated to be 61 percent in 2011. The figure was as high as 72 percent in 1951. With reduced population growth rate of Newars (1.84%pa) compared to national average population growth rate (2.36% pa)and general practice among the children of Newar to give up speaking Newari language, there is an apparent threat to Newar identity.

·         In spite of Newar community being a diverse and a heterogeneous community, the top six communities, namely, Jyapu (41%), Shrestha (15%), Bare (14%), Naya (10%), Sayami (7%) and Kuma (7%) account for 94 percent of Newar population. Within Jyapu community alone one will end up finding more than a dozen groups.

·         In spite of heavy concentration of Newars inside the Kathmandu Valley, they are also a dispersed community. As per 2001 Census, Humla is the only district without having Newars. Out of 3961 VDCs, 2245 or 57 percent have Newar population. Even the proposed Nepa Mandala does not capture more than 65 percent of Newar population.

·         Newars are basically an urban community. The average share of urban population in Nepal is 14 percent. Within Newar community the share of urban population is 46 percent. Within total urban population of Nepal, the share of Newar community is 18 percent.